The Difference She Makes

Where Have You Been

Where Have You Been

It's been four weeks since Jack ran off and Emma stopped talking to John. Jack has been sad and so has John. He has left her messages, stopped by, and even went to school a few times, but she always had a sub. He just can't believe that they lost everything just like that.

Going into school to drop off paperwork in the afternoon, he stops by the front desk.

"Hey Ann, do you happen to know about Emma Waites? I've been...."

"Oh no. You didn't hear?" Ann looks grieve stricken and panic takes over John.

"Na, no. What happened?"

"She was in a very bad car accident over two weeks ago. Involving a semi. She... she's in a coma." She's almost crying now and John just shakes his head.

"Where?"

"Atlanta General."

"I need to pick up Jack. I gotta take him home."

"Okay, I'll call him down. And John, I'm very sorry." He holds a hand up and Jack comes down a few minutes running. He goes home and packs them two bags and they he's out to Atlanta.

As they rush into the hospital, John feels a pressure on his chest. If she's in a coma, then it's pretty bad and he could lose her.

"Hello, I'm looking for Emma Waites." The head nurse types on her computer and then looks back up at him.

"She's in critical condition, family members only."

"I'm her husband! This is her son, Jack. Please, I just wanna see my wife. My son and I were in Kentucky when it happened. Please." The nurse doesn't even ask for form of ID, she just sends him down the hall and first room on the right.

When he walks his heart plummets. Jack's eyes go wide and John nearly loses it. He goes over and sets Jack on the bed, making sure not to hit her nose tube and iv. Jack tangles his fingers in her hair and John can see he doesn't understand.

"Why is mama, seeping? What's this tubey thingy?" He looks at his dad, who tries not to break down. Jack still sees Emma as his mom. He's okay with that now. He doesn't know why before it bothered him, but it's okay now.

"Mama, needs them to breath and get water in her. She's been in an accident buddy."

"Can she wake up and play?"

"Not right now. She needs to rest." John watches as Jack snuggles into Emma's side and plays with the tips of her hair until he falls asleep. The one nurse comes in and awes at the sight.

"He looks just like her. Aw poor thing must not know what's goin' on." The large black woman in pink scrubs comes over and strokes Jack's hair. As John goes between Emma and Jack he realizes he does look a lot like her. As if he were her child. Maybe that's why the desk nurse didn't question him on the way in.

"Mam, how long has my wife been out?"

"Three weeks. She's stabilized and healthy, she's just under." The nurse throws a blanket over top of Jack and checks her blood pressure and heart monitor. "How old is he?"

"He just turned five three months ago. She teaches his kindergarten class." He smiles at the memory of her teaching him how to tie his shoes. "Taught him how to tie his shoes. Almost missed it."

"Was his first word mama?" John glances down. His first word was actually dada, but it was the only thing in the world he ever had. It was justified. "Actually it was Dada. I don't know why, usually don't work that way, but it did."

The nurse smiles an gets ready to leave.

"When the lil man wakes up and if yer both hungry just step out to the desk where I'll be. I'll get the cafeteria to fix ya somethin' nice."

"Thank you, Miss?"

"Cheryl. Mr. Waites."

"Call me John."

"Okay, John." She leaves and John sits back.

He watches her for hours. Her and Jack's breathing has become synchronized. John can't fathom what she went through. He didn't even know. He feels terrible for thinking horrible of her for the past few weeks for not answering him back even to yell at him.

They stayed there all night and the next two days. He's surprised the hospital let him stay there over night and everything.

Everyday he looks at her in hope that she'll wake up. He doesn't want to leave her, because obviously her real family doesn't know she's here. Jack doesn't leave her side. He's always coloring her pictures on cooling pages that Cheryl has brought him and he has John post then to the windows and doors. Jack also sits up and plays with her hair and hands. He traces her veins and on occasion has played with her face.

John sits in the chair, half asleep, but watching Jack take a small nap under the covers with her. As John yawns he sees something. Her hand twitches and her eyes slowly open. When she does she starts breathing really heavy and John quickly grab her hand so she calms down fast.

"Hey." John almost cries from relief.

"Hi?" She seems so confused and then she sees Jack asleep in her side.

"Where ya been?" John laughs a bit and scoots closer.

"I don't even know..." She rubs Jack's side with her free side. "How'd you find out?"

"Ann. What happened?"

"It was really raining and I just remember a semi flipping and almost crushing me. I shouldn't be alive." It hits her finally how bad it was. John kisses her hand and rubs her upper thigh. "Are you touching me?"

John looks at her confused.

"You don't feel this." He rubs her leg harder.

"Uhh no.... Oh god! I don't feel anything." She starts crying and John can't help but to too.

"It's okay. It's alright Em. It's okay." John leans forward and kisses her forehead. "It's okay, baby."

"I'll never be able to walk! I'll never be able to have kids! Oh god!" Her tears become more cilantro and Jack wakes up.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" She looks at him and then at John, expecting him to correct the child. He doesn't.

"Come here baby." She holds him tight and tries to stop crying.

"I've missed you mommy." Jack snuggles his face into her chest and holds her around her waist.

"I missed you too baby." She kisses his head and cheeks. He soon falls asleep and she watches him. John just looks at her. She's so amazing and beautiful.

"Emma, I'm sorry about that night in the woods. I was wrong on so many levels." He looks down in pain.

"You were scared and angry. It was justified. And yer right, I'm not his mother. I can't replace her." She looks sadly down at the small boy.

"But you could be." She looks at him shocked and confused. "That sounded a lot like a proposal didn't it."

"Just a lil but." She smiled.

"Would that be completely off the table?"

"No where close to the edge."

He lean closer to the edge of bed and kisses her. He feels home.