Carnations for Emily

Chapter 29: Intel

"Okay... time to get up..."
Jamie mumbled this as the alarm next to his bed blared, waking him up.
As he opened his eyes he remembered that he was back home.
He recalled everything that happened last night. Especially about Emily being in the hospital...

Leaning up, Jamie hopped out of bed and went to the kitchen.
Jill was out of school for it was summer break finally because of this she was home today.
"Morning big brother!" She chimed.
When Jill woke up this morning Hellen mentioned to her on her way out to work that Emily was sent to the hospital last night and that Jack was devastated.
Jill was told to try to be caring for Jack today once he got up.
"I heard what happened, are you feeling okay?" Jill asked.
Jamie just shrugged.
"Don't worry big brother...
I'm sure she'll be okay." Jill tried to reassure Jack with a smile.
Jamie gave a weak smile back.
"Yeah... she'll be okay, once I pry that antidote from Zack's cold dead hands." Jamie thought to himself.

After a few hours of mopping around, Jamie finally got dressed in all black clothing.
Though it is in fact summer where Jamie is staying and Hellen and Jill live, it's still pretty cool weather.
Forty to sixty degrees give or take.
He left the house and made his way towards the hospital.
It was down pouring again...
"It kinda feels like since what happened it's just been raining constantly.
It did all night..." Jamie thought.
He walked into the hospital and went up to the front desk, hoping he wouldn't have to sneak his way into Emily's room again.
"Excuse me, a girl with short brown was brought here last night.
Her name is Emily?" Jamie said.
"Oh yes, she's here.
Would you like to visit her?" The woman behind the counter asked.
She then pushed her reading glasses back up the bridge of her nose.
"It's on the third floor, last door on the left." The woman said giving a smile.
Jamie nodded and took off for the elevator.

As he got to the third floor, he already noticed someone outside the door to Emily's room.
It was her father, John.
"Hey..." Jamie quietly said.
The bigger man rose up from the chair he was siting in.
"Ah, Jack.
I heard you brought Emily here, Hellen told me something happened while you two were out last night and now she appears to be in a coma.
Doctors can't seem to figure out what's wrong.
They say she's been injected with some kind of virus." John finished.
Jamie looked to his shoes.
Understanding that her parents may hate him and not want him for being unable to protect her.
Then Jamie felt a strong and prideful grip on his shoulders.
When he looked up from the floor John seemed to give him a great smile.
"We don't blame you son. You did everything you could for our little girl. I'm sure she'll wake up soon and be back to her old self." Then he bellowed a laugh the seemed to shake Jamie's very core.
Still, Jamie smiled anyway.
"Her mother is in there but feel free to go in and see her." Emily's father then moved back to the chair and nodded towards the door way.

When Jamie walked in Emily's mother, Valerie, looked up at him.
"Jack, come in." Valerie said with a small smile on her face
She got up, walked over to Jamie and wrapped him up in a hug.
"Thank you so much for helping Emily.
It means a lot to John and I." Valerie smiled.
"I just wish I could've done more." Jamie have a fractured smile.
"Oh don't you go down that road for even a second Jack. Your mother, John and I all watched you two grow up.
And you've both grown into such wonderful young adults.
Our beautiful flower Emily.
And Hellen's valiant son, Jack.
You're mother and I used to think you two would get married when you were older." Valerie laugh.
"I wouldn't mind it actually..." she said under her breath.
"Hmm?" Jamie said.
"oh nothing dear." She said.
Valerie took her Jamie's hands in hers.
"Listen Jack, whatever happens.
It's not your fault.
I believe she'll be okay soon enough." She gives him a warm smile and with it Jamie realized where Emily gets her smile from.
"If I may suggest..." Valerie spoke again.
"I know how you feel about her Jack.
You should tell her, when she wakes up." She smiled again.
Jamie gasped slightly and tried to fight his blush but guessed even he couldn't get around a mothers intuition.
He looked over to Emily and couldn't fight the smile that was slowly dancing on his lips.

Jamie then nodded.
He then remembered that he had to meet Louis, Sarah, and Marcus soon.
Still raining, Jamie made his way to Matt's little cafe.
Jamie said for them to meet him there. Sure enough as he go inside the three of them were sitting in a booth at the back of the cafe.
Jamie smiled in happiness, which quickly turned to embarrassment for he realized nobody else was sitting around them.
Because they were still wearing their black coats...
With their hoods up.
"Guys, you've got to take you're hoods off at least." Jamie said as he walked up to the group.
"Hmph, fine." Sarah pulled hers down revealing her long brown curls.
Louis and Marcus soon followed.
Jamie even noticed that Louis had cut his hair shorter.
When Louis noticed him looking her turned away.
"It was getting too long." He grumbled.
Marcus was wearing a big goofy smile on his face.
"What are you so happy about?" Jamie asked him.
"I'm just glad all of my friends are together again." When Marcus said that, Jamie felt like his heart grew a little more.
Jamie then slid into the booth and the group got down to business.
Louis started:
"So, I recall before we parted ways last night that I noticed one of Zack's watchers was, well-"
"Watching?" Sarah interrupted.
"-Yes.
We think they've been watching you for a while now.
Even when that other you was in control..." He finished.
"Zack must've just been waiting for the perfect moment.
And turns out he used us, as well as your brother Nick, but when you escaped with those girls back in New York.
Well he devised a plan and you know how the rest goes." Sarah continued.
"Well it doesn't matter now, we have to go after him.
I need the antidote for that poison that he injected into Emily." Jamie huffed.
"You're in luck buddy." Marcus spoke up.
"Louis here knows that Zack has a base somewhere towards the north" He smiled.
"All the way up there?
How far north?" Jamie asked.
"As far as I know, somewhere in Canada.
Maybe even in the mountains." Louis exclaimed.
"It'll be cold up there." Sarah chimed in.
"I'm going." Jamie got up.
"Hey! Then I'm going too!" Sarah huffed.
"We're all going.
You can't do this alone, especially since you're the one he's after." Louis said.
"Maybe we should try to get Nick to help too..." Marcus said in a shaky tone.
"It couldn't hurt to try, besides I think there need to be a little one on one rematch between he and I." Jamie said.
"Alright, that settles it then.
First were off to New York one more time then to Canada for a final throw down." Louis proclaimed.
"Let's head home, pack our shit and head out in the next few days.
Sound good?" Jamie asked the group.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Oh here, we all put what money we had together and got you a coat.
It'll be cold up that way, so it's wise to have it." Louis said.
Marcus handed Jamie a black trench coat.
This one had a hood on it.
"Thanks...
I needed a new one." Jamie smiled.
Then he threw the coat on, said his goodbyes and parted ways with the group.
"We leave in a few days...
I better let everyone know."

Chapter 29: End.