Snow Bound

27

John sits by Whitney's bedside and just holds her hands. The IV drips silently bringing her the needed liquids. The doctor had injected some vitamins into the drip as well hoping that would help her wake up. It's been nearly twenty-four hours.

John has never felt so heartbroken before. This is his fault. She's here because of him. She wouldn't be unconscious if he hadn't allowed himself, even hoped, to be captured. If he had just waited for that morning when they stormed the lair then she wouldn't be like this.

"You need to stop blaming yourself, John." Michael tells him standing in the doorway watching both his brother and his mistress. "She was dehydrated as hell and likely low on sugar from not eating. You saw the blood sugar test, that isn't your fault. She likely would have just passed out in her room if she hadn't been brought to you. You needed to do what you did and you had a pretty good idea that it would lead you to be near Whitney.

"Neither of us could have predicted her being brought to you by that fool. That was just fortuitous for us. The doctor said that nothing major was wrong. She just needs to relax and destress and when she wakes she'll need to eat." Michael frowns. Whitney was already under weight when they freed her a week ago. Now she lost even more weight. She hadn't been gone that long and so shouldn't have lost that much weight. The doctor assures them that it was likely just water weight that she lost and she should easily regain that.

"Then why hasn't she awakened yet? It's been hours, Michael."

Once the doctor had cleared her and taken a blood sample to clear her of any other possible illnesses the boys had both helped give her a shower and dress her in clean clothes.

"She's sleeping, which you should be doing as well. Whitney won't thank you for being an ornery bear when she wakes up, because you wouldn't sleep while she was."

Michael and John had been taking turns going to school since Whitney was kidnapped. It's John's turn to go in the morning and Michael is afraid what he'll do to the kids if he doesn't get some sleep. "John, get some sleep. There's plenty of room on the bed. Lay down by her and hold her if you need to, but sleep. You have a hard time controlling your temper when you are sleep deprived."

John nods his head and gets ready for bed. Slipping under the covers he carefully pulls Whitney to him and just holds her. Slowly he falls asleep.

He dreams that Whitney wakes up and is kissing him. Smiling he kisses her back and things heat up from there. That's when he realizes that it's not just a dream.

"Whitney?" Still half asleep he asks smiling.

"Hmm, sorry, I shouldn't have awakened you. You just looked so sweet sleeping though, I couldn't help myself." Whitney replies smiling at him.

"You can wake me up any time like that, love. How do you feel?" John asks even as he looks at the alarm clock. Two hours until he has to get up for school. He's only had about five hours of sleep, but hell, he's survived on less and being able to talk to Whitney will go a long way to helping him control his temper.

"I'm fine, a bit hungry, but I'll deal with it until the staff is up and ready to make breakfast." Whitney says and this also helps to relax John. Her wanting to eat is a good sign.

"I can go make you something if you want."

"John, I didn't know you cooked?" Whitney manages to hide the majority of the shock she feels, but not all of it.

"I don't, I can fix you toast, cereal and maybe fruit of some kind with some sort of juice?"

"Hmm, I'll take the toast and a banana if there is one, but I was hoping for eggs and can wait a bit for them. Unless you'll let me cook my own?" Whitney holds her hands up in surrender when John gives her a flat look. "I didn't think you would."