Waiting On An Angel

[littleprincessj]

Warning: This story is sad and I really hope that is doesn’t upset anyone… It
deals with cancer and if anyone here has experienced any form of it directly or
indirectly, I’m sorry if I’ve totally sucked at writing a story about it… Please
feel free to tell me to fix things! I never mind criticism!


*****



Jessica sat down on the bed and looked at the angel sleeping before her.
There was something about staring down at your own child while they were
sleeping that brought so much joy. Abbey had been so tired tonight that they
hadn’t even read a bedtime story. Jessica didn’t blame her six-year-old beauty.
Two months ago Abbey had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare
form of leukemia that requires a bone marrow transplant in order for recovery.
But at this point in time, recovery was an impossibility.



Jessica quietly walked out and shut the door behind her. Turning the hall
light off, she went into the family room and sat down on the couch. There was a
picture of Abbey and she on the end table and it made her smile every time she
looked at it. It had been taken in happier times, by Abbey’s dad and her
husband, Jack. Jessica looked over at the door and remembered the times when
she used to wait on this exact couch for Jack to come home from work. But he
was long gone now. The pain of Abbey’s sickness had been too much for him and
he left his daughter when she needed him the most. Jessica hated him for it.
He hadn’t even said goodbye, just wrote a letter explaining it was too much and
too hard. Which meant Jessica had to explain to a six year old why her daddy
didn’t want to be a part of their family anymore. It was something that Jessica
couldn’t understand, how some people could just go back on their promises and
never even make a phone call every once in awhile.



So now they only had each other. Jessica didn’t have family that lived in
Cincinnati and they had only visited when Abbey was diagnosed and needed a donor.
And Jessica didn’t trust Abbey with anyone other than herself and her best
friend Cacee Cobb. Abbey was too precious, too important to her. Jessica
looked around the quiet empty family room. She and Abbey had just moved into
the small apartment on the outskirts of Cincinnati. They had lived in a beautiful
house in a suburb of Cincinnati, but when Jack left Jessica wasn’t able to keep up
the costs of living there. Tears started to fall as Jessica started to think
about everything that she and Abbey would have to sacrifice in the near future.
She picked up Abbey’s teddy bear that was lying on the couch and cradled it to
her chest. Lying back on the couch, she began to sob as she realized she had
never been so vulnerable and helpless before. She stayed like that until she
had cried herself to sleep.



*****



Around midnight Jessica was awoken by Abbey’s screams. Without even
noticing her stiff neck from sleeping on the couch, she ran to her daughter’s
room. Even though Jessica knew it was just the same nightmare that Abbey had
every night, she still got upset when her angel got upset.



As soon as she sat down on the bed, Abbey was in her arms. “Mommy, I had
the same bad dream again.”



“I know baby, but it’s okay. It will all be okay.”



“Can I come fall back asleep with you, Mommy?”



“Of coarse you can baby.” Jessica gently lifted her up and carried her into
her bedroom. Just like the nightmare, this was something that happened every
night. She gently laid her on the bed and kissed her forehead. “Mommy’s going
to go get her pajama’s on, okay? I’ll be right back.”



Abbey sleepily nodded her acceptance and closed her eyes. After brushing a
strand of hair away from Abbey’s face, Jessica went to the bathroom to change
and get ready for bed. After changing and washing her face, she turned off the
bathroom light and walked to the side of the bed. She climbed in next to Abbey
and sighed, realizing they had gotten through yet another day.



It didn’t take long for Jessica to fall fast asleep.



*****



On the other side of town, Nicholas Lachey was saying goodnight to yet another
blind date. He wasn’t surprised that the date was ending at only eleven
o’clock, he had become used to it lately. As thankful as he was for his friends
trying to make him happy, he was so tired of being set up on dates with random
girls. The only thing he was sure of at the end of the night was that beautiful
women had no personality and that he would always be alone.



Nick declined her invitation for coffee, because he knew what that always
ended up like. After watching her safely get in her apartment building, he
drove off towards his own. He was so surprised by this new attitude he had.
What happened to the carefree Nick that had one night stands and never kept his
promises?



He pulled into the parking garage and parked his car in his spot. He
grabbed his pager and got out of the car, jumping slightly as his pager went
off. Unclipping the pager from his pocket he read the page. “Oh [bad word],” he said
under his breath, realizing it was a 911 from work. It wasn’t that he dreaded
being called into work this late, it just meant that he was in for some highly
emotional case. There weren’t many times he had received 911’s, maybe two times
in the four years he had been working. But those two cases had made him
reconsider his job and the future of his life.



Nick got right back into the car and headed back to work. Luckily he lived
close, so it was only about a five-minute drive. When he got there, he quickly
parked his car and jogged in the front door and up to the desk where the
receptionist was. “Lucy, I just got a 911. Do you know what it’s about?”



“Yeah, Trauma 2. A young girl was brought in with cancer.”



“How come I was called in? Isn’t there an on call doctor that could have
taken it? Where’s Dr. Thomas?”



“Dr. Thomas had to leave and you’re the next pediatrician on the list.”



Nick nodded and quickly walked to Trauma 2. There was a small young girl
on the table and a young woman who appeared to be her mother standing at the
door, with her hand over her face. Nick took a deep breath and walked in the
room.



*****



For some reason Jessica had woken up during the night. She had rolled over
to look at Abbey and after watching her for a few moments, realized that she
wasn’t breathing. She tried everything she could think of before calling 911,
but nothing seemed to work.



The ambulance came in probably five minutes, but Jessica couldn’t tell then
because she had been so worried. They took Abbey’s pulse before gently laying
her on a stretcher. Jessica followed them out of the apartment building and
into the ambulance. Everyone was silent and Jessica took that as a bad sign.
The ride to the hospital was short and when they pulled up in front, Jessica
followed them all the way to the trauma room. She watched as the nurses put
tubes down her baby’s throat and pumped air back into her lungs. The door swung
open and the doctor walked in, but Jessica didn’t even notice. She was only
concerned about her daughter. Jessica listened as the nurses explained Abbey’s
case to the doctor.



“Six year old girl with acute myeloid leukemia, mom found her unconscious.
We found a light pulse and put her on the respirator, she’s been here about ten
minutes and hasn’t shown any signs of being able to breathe by herself.”



Jessica couldn’t listen anymore. “Is she going to be okay?” She asked
quietly, trying to fight back completely breaking down. Tears rolled down her
cheeks and she pleaded with them, “Please, she’s all I have. Please, just keep
her alive.”



The doctor looked at Jessica and then at one of the nurses. “Can you please
take her outside?”



“No!” Jessica said getting even more upset. “Please, she needs me. I
can’t leave her now!”



The nurse gently placed her hand on Jessica’s back and said, “We just need
you to step outside and give the doctor’s some room to work. You can still see
everything out there.”



Jessica nodded and looked at the doctor one last time before leaving.
“Please, she’s all I have,” she pleaded with him again before following the
nurse out. As much as it hurt her to watch, she had to stand right by the door
to make sure Abbey was okay. Her angel had to be okay, she couldn’t go on
living without her.



*****



Jessica didn’t know how long she stood there but sometime later the doctor
came out.



“Ms. Simpson?”



Jessica nodded, knowing that her face was pleading with him for information.



“Abbey has fallen into a coma due to the huge loss of cells. The only thing
we can do now is wait to see if she comes out of the coma. We are going to keep
Abbey in the hospital and monitor her until she wakes up.



Jessica nodded her head, barely comprehending what he was saying.



“Ms. Simpson, Abbey’s on the donor list, right?”



Jessica nodded again.



“It says in her file that her father has never been tested, is there any way
for you to reach him?”



Jessica shook her head. “He left about a month ago and hasn’t called since.
I have no way to reach him.”



The doctor nodded. “Is there anyone you can call to bring you a change of
clothes? We’ll probably be transferring Abbey up to the children’s ward soon.”



“Yeah, I can call my friend CaCee. Is Abbey going to get enough watch up
there?”



“Of course, I just started my rotation and I’ll let the nurses up there know
that she’s my patient and I’ll be in charge of everything. I’ll come to check
on her whenever I get a chance.”



“Thank you. Which phone should I use to call my friend?”



“Uh, there should be one in the room the Abbey will be transferred to.”



“Thank you.” Jessica turned as the doors of the Trauma room swung open and
she saw her daughter being wheeled out of the room.



“I’ll walk up with you guys so I can know which room they put her in.”



Jessica nodded and followed her daughter and the nurses onto the elevator.
The ride up to the room was silent and as soon as Abbey was situated, the Trauma
room nurses left the room. Jessica turned to the doctor. “I’m sorry, I don’t
think I even caught your name.”



“It’s Dr. Lachey. I’m the ER pediatrician.”



“Thank you, Dr. Lachey. If I talk to her, can she hear me?”



“There’s no way to be sure, but it’s always suggested that you do. If she
can hear you, she’ll want to come home to that familiar voice and she’ll fight
harder. I’ll leave you alone to call your friend. If you need anything at all
or if you have any questions, have one of the nurses page me downstairs.” Nick
gave her a soft smile before turning and leaving the room.



Jessica walked over to the side of her daughter’s bed and gently touched her
cheek. She knew this had always been a possibility, but she had never believed
this day would come. She wiped a tear away from her own cheek before it fell
and sat down in the chair next to the bed. She picked up the phone and read the
instructions before dialing her best friend’s number. CaCee was the only person
she had in Cincinnati.



“Hello?”



Jessica started crying before she even started talking. “CaCee, I’m so
sorry to call you this late.”



“Jessica? What’s wrong?”



“It’s Abbey, she’s in the hospital. She’s in a coma.”



“What happened?”



“I don’t know, I woke up and she wasn’t breathing. CaCee I really don’t
want to talk about this over the phone. Would it be possible for you to bring
me a change of clothes and anything else I might need?”



“Of coarse, babe. Give me like a half hour.”



“Sure, I’ll see you soon.” Jessica tool Abbey’s hand and rubbed it gently
with her thumb. Abbey’s hand was so little, but it fit so perfectly within
Jessica’s hand. Jessica rested her head on the bed and prayed to God for her
angel to be all right. “Please, don’t take her yet, please.”



*****



When CaCee arrived at Abbey’s room, Jessica still had her head on the bed,
only she had fallen asleep. CaCee put the bag down next to the chair and gently
shook Jessica awake.



As soon as Jessica realized it was CaCee standing above her, she stood up
and pulled her best friend into her arms. “Thank you so much for coming, CaCee.
I’m so sorry that I called you this late.”



“Jessica, stop it, don’t be silly. This is what best friends are for.”
CaCee looked down at her goddaughter peacefully lying in the hospital bed. “Any
change?”



Jessica shook her head and rested it on CaCee’s shoulder. “I can’t believe
this is happening. They have no clue how long she’ll be in the coma. I just
hate seeing her like that, with the tubes down her throat. I don’t know how
long I’ll be able to stay here without going crazy.”



“What do the doctor’s think?”



“She needs a bone marrow transplant, badly. God, I hate Jack right now, he
could be Abbey’s exact match. But no, he’s too much of an [arse] to stick around
and support his family.”



“Jess, don’t worry. We’ll find her match. They’re out there somewhere.”



“I don’t know how much time she has, CaCee. What if we don’t find a match
in time?”



“I don’t know what to tell you, Jessica. All we can do is pray for a
miracle.”



Jessica nodded and sat back down in the chair.



“Do you want me to go get you some food or some coffee, Jess?”



“Uh, yeah coffee would be nice. I think the cafeteria is on the first
floor.”



“Okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”



A few minutes after CaCee left there was a knock on the door and Jessica
looked up to see Dr. Lachey standing in the doorway. “Is it okay if I come
in?” he asked.



“Of course,” Jessica said smiling.



Nick walked over to the opposite side of the bed and took Abbey’s pulse.
“It’s getting a little stronger.” He watched as Jessica let go of Abbey’s hand
and rested her head in her hands. “How about you,” he said, “how are you
doing?”



“Not so good. My friend CaCee came though. She’s downstairs getting us
some coffee.”



“Good, you should have someone here with you. Is she staying with you for
awhile?”



“Probably not too long. I woke her up and I feel bad about it. She’s
probably ready to go back to bed.”



“We could bring in another bed or another reclining chair.”



“I’d have to see what she says. Are there some up here if we decide later?”



“Of course, just ask one of the nurses.”



“Listen, I’m sorry about earlier in the ER. I should have just left when
you asked.”



“I’m the one who should be apologizing. It’s just easier to think and focus
on the patient when we’re the only ones in the room. It’s really okay, Ms.
Simpson.”



“Please, call me Jessica. I’m sorry, you probably have to get back to
work.”



“No actually I wasn’t even supposed to be here. I got called in for Abbey’s
case because I was the on-call pediatrician.”



“Oh, why haven’t you gone back home?”



“I don’t really know. I just kind of decided to keep working until my other
shift. And I’d like to be here when Abbey wakes up.”



Jessica smiled. “That would make me feel a lot better. I just can’t think
about her not being here anymore. Besides CaCee, she’s all I’ve got. I just
never thought this day would come, but then again in the back of my head I knew
it would and have been dreading it more that anything. I just never thought I
would outlive any of my kids.”



“You never know, Jessica. She could find a match from the list or maybe
even her dad could show up.”



“I doubt that.” Jessica put a strand of hair behind Abbey’s ear and touched
her cheek with her finger. “The marriage wasn’t working and Abbey’s disease was
just a cowardly excuse to escape from everything. We just got married way too
young and we weren’t ready.”



“How old?”



“I was nineteen, he was twenty-two. I thought he was ready and the fact
that he seemed really happy was wonderful. But then around the time Abbey
turned five, he started coming home really late of not even leaving the house at
all the whole day. And then Abbey was diagnosed and he was gone. Just left
some lame [arse] note on the kitchen table.” Jessica stopped and looked up. “I’m
sorry, I shouldn’t be bothering you with this story.”



“No, it’s okay really. So how old are you now?”



“I’m twenty-six. I mean, I think that we probably had Abbey too early. We
both thought a baby would make the marriage perfect, but it just made it even
more complicated. Okay, so now that you’ve asked some questions, I get to ask
one.”



“Go right ahead.”



“How come there’s no wedding ring on your handsome finger, Dr. Lachey?”



Nick laughed. “I guess I just haven’t found that perfect someone yet.
Trust me though, I’ve tried.” He leaned against the wall. “I think I’ve gotten
to the point where I’m too picky and am too tired of pointless blind dates.
Wow, I can’t believe I’m actually admitting this to someone and now I’m boring
you.”



Jessica smiled. “You’re not boring me. It’s nice to talk; I have no clue
where CaCee went. It’s really been hard for us to get together while Abbey’s
been sick, so it just feels really nice to talk. Thank you so much for
staying.”



“Of course.”



Just then Jessica looked up to see CaCee walking into the room. “Jess, I
didn’t know what you wanted in it so I brought a little of everything… Oh hey.”
CaCee looked at Jessica, at Nick, and then back at Jessica. “Uh, here you go
babe.” She handed Jessica her coffee with a questioning look.



“Oh, CaCee, this is Abbey’s doctor, Dr. Lachey. He just came up to check
on her.”



“Okay, ladies, I’ll leave you two alone. I should probably get back to
work. Uh, Jessica I’ll be back in a little while to check on Abbey. If she
wakes up before I come up, make sure the nurses call me.”



“I will. Thank you so much for everything, Dr. Lachey.”



“Please, call me Nick.”



“Thank you, Nick.”



Nick walked out of the room and placed Abbey’s chart back on the wall. He
leaned against the wall and rubbed his forehead with his hand. Had he actually
just had an actual conversation with a woman? Nick had known that this case
would be an emotional one.



He just couldn’t believe he was experiencing emotions towards a patient’s
mother.



*****



About four hours later, Jessica woke up with a terrible pain in her back.
She had been sleeping in the armchair next to the bed and it hadn’t been that
good of a sleep. CaCee had stayed the night and Jessica let her sleep on the
bed. After stretching and making sure Abbey was okay, she walked over to the
bed and gently shook CaCee. “CaCee, I’m going to go get some breakfast, do you
want me to bring you back anything?”



“No, I’m just going to sleep more.”



Jessica smiled and put on a hoodie sweatshirt from Boston University.
Before she had met Jack, she was studying secondary education there and was
looking forward to teaching first graders. Jessica walked to the desk and let
them know that she was going to get a bite to eat. She walked to the first
floor, but for some reason she headed to the ER first instead of the cafeteria.
At the front desk, she asked for Dr. Lachey. She sat in the waiting area while
they paged him and when she saw him walking toward her, she stood up and waited
for him.



“What’s wrong, Jessica? Is Abbey okay?”



Jessica nodded. “Everything’s fine. I was just wondering if you’d like to
get some breakfast, or maybe if I could pick you up something?”



“Uh, you know what, I’d love to go with you. I was about ready to go take a
break anyway.”



“Great. Why don’t you lead the way. I haven’t been to the cafeteria yet.”



“Oh, I’ll show you the café, it has much better food, trust me.”



“Sure, that sounds good.” Jessica followed him to a quaint little café on
the second floor. Jessica ordered pancakes and hash browns and Nick ordered
scrambled eggs and a bagel with cream cheese.



Nick took a sip out of his coffee. “I came upstairs about two hours ago,
but everyone was sleeping. You looked to be the most uncomfortable in the room,
though.”



Jessica smiled. “It’s funny what you’ll do to make those you love happy.
I’m just glad CaCee stayed, I really like having her here.”



“You’re lucky to have a friend like that. You two seem to be really close.”



“We are. We roomed together our freshman year of college. We’ve been best
friends since then.”



“What did you major in?”



“Secondary education. I didn’t actually finish college right away though.”



“Did you drop out to get married?”



“Yeah. When Abbey was three, though, I went back to night school and got my
teaching degree. I’ve never actually used in though.”



“How come?”



“Abbey was diagnosed and I just decided to put it on the shelf.”



The food arrived and Jessica was so hungry, she dove right in. Nick
laughed. “It looks like you haven’t eaten in days.”



“I feel like it.” Jessica laughed through the whole meal and somehow Nick
managed to make her forget everything, or mostly everything. When they were
both almost finished, Jessica heard her name being called over the intercom.



“Jessica Simpson, please report to the fifth floor immediately. Jessica Simpson
please come to the fifth floor immediately.”



Jessica jumped up and started running to the elevator. Nick told the
waitress he had an emergency and would be back to pay for it later. He followed
Jessica into the elevator and watched her bite her nails the whole way up.



Jessica stepped off the elevator and froze. She couldn’t go in there; she
wasn’t ready for this yet.



Nick turned back after he realized she wasn’t following him. “Jessica,
come on.”



She looked at him and shook her head. “I can’t.” She whispered.



Nick reached out his hand, and he knew he was crossing the line as a
doctor, but he had to get her into the room. He watched her face as she raised
her eyes to his, and gently took his hand. They quickly walked to the room and
Jessica couldn’t believe her eyes when she got there.



-----------


Well, that’s all! Please let me know what you think…Thank you all!

[littleprincessj]

Title: Waiting on an Angel- Part 2



Author: Jessica



Author’s Notes: Thank you to everyone that gave me some feedback. Also, I didn’t really proofread, so I hope it isn’t too bad!



Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters, I did make an ER reference in here tho, and I sadly don’t own any of those characters (*coughs Shane West coughs*). Also, the title is the name of a Ben Harper song. (Waiting on an Angel.) I highly suggest listening to it if you
ever get the chance.



Recap: Jessica is a single mother and her daughter has leukemia. Nick is Jessica’s daughter’s doctor, and they are experiencing some flying sparks. Abbey is Jessica’s daughter.



Dedication: I dedicate this story to my Kim’s brother Nathan, who just p[arse]ed away on Thursday. He always made everyone laugh and I’m going to miss him very much.



*****



Jessica couldn’t believe what she saw: her beautiful angel starring back at her. She began to feel weak and reached back to grab Nick’s arm for support. He reached around her and grabbed her other arm to steady her.



“Maybe you should sit down, Jessica.”



Jessica nodded and let Nick lead her to the armchair. She looked at CaCee.
“When did she wake up?”
“A few minutes ago.”
“Has she said anything?” CaCee shook her head.



“Let me take her pulse,” Nick said.



Jessica smiled as she watched Abbey’s eyes wander around the room. She
reached over and brushed the hair back from her forehead. “Hey there, baby.”



Nick smiled. “Her pulse has almost returned to normal. Jessica, can I
speak to you outside for a minute?”



“Sure.” Jessica slowly stood up and followed Nick out of the room. When
they got outside she asked, “What’s up?”



“I just… I just don’t want you to get your hopes up. I know that it’s
fabulous that she woke up from the coma, but the coma was a warning sign. I just want you to remember that.”



Jessica nodded. “I know, I understand that. I’m just so happy she’s awake. It would have been worse if she was in the coma longer, right?”



“Yes, but like I said, something caused her to fall into the coma. And we need to figure out what that is.”



“Nick I think we both know what caused the coma, but right now I’d really just like to be with my daughter. Can’t we just talk about this later and go back in? Are the tubes ready to come out?”



“Of course. Let’s go back in.” He waited for Jessica and followed her into the room. He walked over next to the bed and smiled at Abbey. “Abbey, honey, I’m going to take the tube in your throat out now, okay?” He waited for her to nod and then continued. “I need you to take a really deep breath and as you let it out, I’m going to remove the tube. Do you understand?” She nodded again. “Jessica, maybe you should take her hand?”



Jessica nodded her understanding and took Abbey’s hand. “I’m right here, honey.” Jessica let Abbey squeeze her hand as the tube was removed. The nurse handed Abbey a gl[arse] of water and excused herself from the room.



“Now, Abbey, don’t try to talk yet, sweetheart,” Nick told her. “CaCee,
would you mind going to ask the nurse to get Abbey a Popsicle?”



“Not at all.” CaCee quickly left the room.



Nick put his hand on Jessica’s shoulder and gently squeezed, letting her know that for now the worst was over. Jessica reached up and rested her hand over his. Right before CaCee walked back in she let go of his hand, she didn’t want CaCee to be making jokes about it for the rest of the week.



Nick took the Popsicle from CaCee and handed it to Abbey. “Here you go,
Abbey. Try to eat it slow. Don’t rush yourself, okay, sweetheart?”



Abbey nodded and continued to eat the Popsicle.



Jessica looked over her shoulder and asked Nick, “When will she be able to come home?”



“Well, let’s just see how everything goes today and how she’s feeling
later.”



Nodding, Jessica turned back to Abbey and touched her cheek with her finger.



“Okay, well I’m going to leave you guys alone now. Abbey, make sure you
finish that Popsicle. And if you feel like talking, only do it until it hurts and your voice gets scratchy. I’ll have the nurse bring in some Gatorade too, so keep drinking that.”



Abbey nodded and Nick started to walk out. “Thank you so much for
everything, Nick.”



He turned around and smiled at Jessica. “You’re welcome.” After smiling
again, he turned and left the room.



“Wow, what a sweet guy,” CaCee said.



Jessica nodded. “I know. I’m so glad that he’s Abbey’s doctor.” Jessica
watched as CaCee yawned and smiled at her. “You know, you can go back home and back to bed now. I’m sure we’ll be okay.”



“No, babe, I couldn’t do that to you.”



“No, I demand you go home. The two of us will be just fine.”



“Jess, are you sure?”



Nodding, she stood up and grabbed CaCee’s bad from beside the bed. Looking sternly into her eyes, she said, “Go.”



CaCee nodded, understanding that Jessica really would be okay and maybe just wanted some alone time with her daughter. Walking over to Abbey, she gently kissed her forehead and gave her a big smile. “I’ll see you soon, okay hon? You just get better, alright?”



Abbey nodded. CaCee walked over to Jessica and pulled her into a big hug.
“I’ll see you soon, too, okay? Make sure you get some sleep and maybe some more time with Dr. Lachey.”



Jessica laughed. “I knew that had to come out sometime. We just had a few nice talks, that’s all.”



CaCee laughed, “That doesn’t mean it won’t turn into something more.”



“Okay, CaCee, now you really have to go.” Jessica friendly pushed her
towards the door and handed her her bag. “I’ll call you tonight and let you know what’s going on.”



“Sounds good.” After giving her one last hug, CaCee turned and walked
towards the elevator.



Jessica walked over to the bed and sat down next to Abbey. “How are you
feeling, baby?”



“Okay,” Abbey barely got out with her horse voice.



Jessica smiled. “You don’t have to talk if it hurts. Are you tired?”



Abbey nodded.



“Do you want me to lie down and cuddle with you?”



Abbey nodded again and Jessica snuggled up next to her daughter. It wasn’t long before they both fell into a very deep, relaxed sleep. At least for now, their worries were over.



*****



For the rest of the afternoon, Nick tried to work normally, but he couldn’t get his mind off Jessica and Abbey. Well, mostly Jessica. It was really scaring him how much he was getting attached to this case. Just focus on your work, he told himself.



After about an hour, though, it became unbearable. Nick decided the only way he could get on with his day was to go up and check on them both. He let Lucy the receptionist know where he was going to be and then headed upstairs. The door was wide open when he got there, so he quietly knocked on the wall and walked in. Both Jessica and Abbey were on the bed sleeping. They looked so peaceful and Nick decided it would be rude to wake them.



He walked over to Abbey and did his best to take her pulse without waking her. Abbey also had a cuff on her arm that took her blood pressure every so often, and he looked at the machine and read the two numbers. Both her pulse and her blood pressure were doing well, so he decided there wasn’t anything else he needed to check. He turned to leave, but was stopped by a voice.



“Hey,” Jessica sleepily said.



Nick turned around and smiled. “Hey, you guys looked so peaceful and I
didn’t want to wake you.”



Jessica smiled. “How is she doing? Can you tell?”



“She seems to be doing better. I just took her pulse and it’s strong.
Listen, do you want to take a walk?”



Jessica nodded and climbed out of the bed. She followed Nick out the door and they started walking around the children’s ward. “So what’s up?” she asked him.



“I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been doing everything I can to get Abbey to the top of the list.”



Jessica smiled. “I appreciate that.”



“I also want to know how long you want Abbey to stay here. Ultimately, it’s your choice.”



Jessica nodded. “Her other doctors told me that this would happen, that a coma could be the beginning of the end. I don’t want to keep her here. If the end is near, I want her to be at home.”



“Hey, the end could be far off. It depends on how hard she’s willing to
fight. All I’m saying is that she would have doctors and nurses here, and she would always have someone checking on her. But if you decide to bring her home, I’d be glad to do house calls as often as you’d like. I just want you to be comfortable with whatever choice you make.”



Jessica smiled. “I think I would be more comfortable with having her at
home.”



“Okay, that’s all I wanted to know. She’ll probably be able to go home
tomorrow then. Does that sound good?”



“Yeah, and I probably will want you to do house calls, but it probably won’t be for awhile. Do you think she is going to need any medication?”



“I’ll probably prescribe some pain medication that she’ll only need to take if she’s actually feeling pain. She’ll have her good days and her bad days. On her good days she might run around and play like normal. On her bad days she’ll probably be weak and tired. The only thing I can suggest is let her decide how she feels and what she wants to do. Other than that, there’s not much else I can think of right now. Do you have any questions?”



“Not that I can think of. I should probably get back though. If she wakes up from her nap and I’m not there she might get scared.”



“Of course. If you think of any questions, feel free to have them page me. Otherwise, I’ll just stop by a little later tonight to check on you both.”



“Thanks.” Jessica turned and walked towards Abbey’s room. Abbey was still sleeping when she got there, so Jessica sat down by the window.



For some reason her thoughts turned to Nick and no matter how hard she
tried not to, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. What has got you so hooked on him, she asked herself. Maybe it’s because he’s perfect, her other half answered.



Jessica mentally slapped herself. Stop thinking about a guy, you idiot.
Nothing else matters right now, but Abbey. Nothing else.



*****



The next day



Jessica could have slept all day, but at around 10 a.m. she was awoken by the sound of giggling and laughing. Rolling over, she immediately noticed Nick’s presence in the room and she quickly ran her fingers through her hair. She sat up and smiled when she realized that Nick and Abbey were piecing together a Sleeping Beauty puzzle.



Nick glanced over and noticed she was awake. “Good morning, sleepy head.”



“Hey.” She walked over and after kissing Abbey on the head, she sat down next to her on the bed. “What are you two up to?”



“Dr. Lachey brought me some puzzles.”



“I see that.” Jessica smiled at Nick. “Do you ever get any sleep?”



“Uh, yeah actually. I feel bad because I didn’t check back in last night, but I went home and I slept till this morning.”



“Good, otherwise I would feel really bad. Thanks for bringing her some
puzzles.”



“No problem, I have a five year old niece and I always have stuff for her to do around my apartment. Oh, and I picked up some bagels on the way back too. They’re over there on the table.”



A huge smile spread across Jessica’s face. “Oh, real food! You’re a
saint!”



Nick laughed. “It’s only plain bagels and plain cream cheese.”



“Not to worry, that’s my favorite breakfast! Abbey, honey, did you eat
anything?”



“I didn’t want to, but Dr. Lachey told me if I ate half a bagel then he
would come visit and take me to the park.”



Jessica couldn’t help but smile. “Well, I’m glad that you at least ate
something. How are you feeling this morning?”



“Better Mommy, especially because Dr. Lachey came to visit. He told me
that I can go home soon.”



“Well, that’s good news. Do you feel well enough to come home?”



“Yeah, I like my bed better.”



Jessica and Nick laughed. “I don’t blame you, angel. I can’t wait to
sleep in my bed either, or have a home cooked meal.”



“Mommy, can Dr. Lachey come over for dinner someday?”



Jessica looked over at Nick. “Uh, I guess if he wants to.”



Nick smiled at Abbey. He was so glad that she had said that, it meant that he could possibly be seeing Jessica real soon. “Yeah, I’d love that Abbey, thanks for inviting me. You know, I make killer garlic bread.”



“Well, then how about we make some spaghetti next week?” Jessica asked
Abbey.



“OH! My favorite!”



Nick stood up. “Well, that sounds delicious.” He looked at Jessica.
“Just give me a call here when you want me to come over. I’ll be here all day the next two days.”



Jessica nodded. “That sounds good.”



“Uh, I’m going to go get Abbey’s release papers. I’ll be back in a few
minutes.”



Abbey smiled at her mom. “I think he likes you, Mommy.”



“Abbey!” Jessica laughed and grabbed her daughter and pulled her into a
hug.



That was the problem though, because Jessica liked him too.



*****


One week later


As Jessica ran around the little apartment trying to make it as clean as possible, she remembered exactly why she hated having guests. Before the guests arrived she cleaned like crazy, while the guests were there she cleaned like crazy, and after the guests were gone she cleaned like crazy. If there was one thing Jessica hated to do, it was clean.



As Jessica stirred the spaghetti sauce, she heard the doorbell ring. It had to be him. “Abbey, angel, can you get the door?” She smiled as she heard Abbey jump off the couch and run to the front door. Abbey had been very tired and run down the past week, but as soon as she woke up this morning she was full of energy. It was almost as if she had been saving it all for today. Jessica gave the sauce one last stir and then started boiling the water for the noodles. She took a deep breath and then walked out into the family room. Her jaw almost dropped when she saw him, but luckily she was able to control herself. He was wearing jeans and a baby blue collared t-shirt. He looked even better than he
did in the scrubs at the hospital.



Nick looked up as Jessica entered the room and was completely speechless. She was wearing jeans that looked like they were made for her and a sexy v-neck t-shirt. Finally he was able to at least say, “Uh, hi. How’s it going?”



Jessica smiled, she was glad she wasn’t the only nervous one. “Good, I’m doing good. Abbey, do you want to show Nick around?”



“Sure Mommy!” Abbey grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the bedrooms.



“Oh, Jessica, I brought this. It’s garlic bread.” He said, handing it to her.



“Thanks, I’ll go put this in the oven,” Jessica smiled and watched as Abbey dragged him off to show him her bedroom.



When Abbey was done she brought Nick back to the kitchen, where Jessica was adding the noodles to the water. “Mommy, when’s dinner going to be ready?”



“In about fifteen minutes. Do you want to go watch TV and I’ll call you
when it’s ready?”



Abbey nodded and ran out of the kitchen.



“She looks like she’s doing really well.”



“Well, actually it’s kind of funny because this past week she’s been really tired, but today she was full of energy. I think she really likes you.”



“She’s a great kid.”



“Yeah, she is. So, what did you think of the apartment?”



“It’s nice, how long have you two been living here?”



“Since Jack left.”



“Oh, I’m sorry.”



“No, it’s okay. We used to live in this beautiful red brick house in the suburbs, but when Jack left I couldn’t swing it alone. So we haven’t been here too long, but I think we both adjusted okay. Sometimes, though, I really miss the house.”



“I bet. I really miss the house I grew up in. Even though it wasn’t that big, it was bigger and more homey than my apartment.”



“Do your parents still live there?”



“Just my dad, my mom p[arse]ed away when I was young.”



“Oh, I’m sorry. What happened?”



Nick took a deep breath, he didn’t want to tell her. “Uh… cancer.”



“Oh.” Jessica swallowed and walked over to the stove to stir the sauce
again.



“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have told you.”



Jessica turned around and forced a smile. “No, it’s okay.” Jessica looked into his eyes and she couldn’t look away. There was so much comp[arse]ion in them and Jessica could tell that he felt really bad for telling her that.



She was starring at him and Nick didn’t know what to say. He felt so bad for telling her how his mother had died. Just as he was about to ask her if she was really okay, the timer rang and Jessica blinked and looked away. She walked over to the stove and took the cover off of the boiling water.



Without looking at him she said, “Uh, Nick, can you get the noodle strainer out of the cabinet next to the fridge and put it in the sink?”



“Yeah, of course.” Nick knelt down in front of the cabinet and pulled the strainer out. He walked over to the sink and placed it down over the drain. “Strainer’s all set.”



“Thanks. Do you mind telling Abbey that dinner’s ready?”



“Not at all.” Nick walked out into the family room where Abbey was
watching The Rugrats. “Hey Abbey, dinner’s ready.”



Abbey jumped up off the couch and ran past Nick and into the kitchen.
Nick laughed and followed her back into the kitchen. Jessica was placing a c[arse]erole dish full of spaghetti in the middle of the table. Nick walked over to the oven and pulled out the garlic bread. “Jessica, do you want me to put this on a plate of anything?”



“No, you can just put it on the table.”



Nick walked over to the table and set the bread down. “Where should I
sit?”



“Next to me!” Abbey shouted. Jessica laughed and sat down across the table from Nick.



After everyone had served themselves, Abbey with a little help from Jessica, Nick was the first to break the silence. “So Abbey, how have you been feeling this week?”



“Pretty tired. I’m really glad you came to visit, though. I still have
some of the puzzles left to do, do you want to help me with them after dinner?”



“Sure, that sounds wonderful.”



“Mommy, do you want to help us?”



“Of course, angel, after I do the dishes.”



After everyone was finished, Jessica started clearing the table while Abbey went to get the puzzles. Nick began to help Jessica load the dishes into the dishwasher, but Jessica stopped him. “You’re our guest. You go ahead and start the puzzles with her or she’ll go crazy. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”



“Are you sure?”



“I won’t take no for an answer.”



“Okay.” Nick headed towards the family room, but right before leaving the kitchen he turned and said, “Dinner was really great. I’m really glad you invited me.”



Jessica smiled. “Me too.” She finished loading the dishes into the
dishwasher and then cleaned the table. When she was all done, she turned the kitchen lights off and walked to the family room. Nick and Abbey were sitting on the floor putting together a puzzle. Jessica sat down next to Abbey and kissed her on the top of her head. “Wow, you two are doing a good job.”



“Thanks, Mommy, do you want to help?”



“Of course I do.”



After finishing the puzzle Abbey asked to watch Spy Kids and Jessica looked to Nick. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I won’t make you sit through it.”



“No, it’s okay. I want to stay.”



“Are you sure? It’s only nine o’clock, you would still be able to go out.”



“Jessica, I want to.”



Jessica smiled and got up to put the DVD in. After grabbing the remote
control, she walked over and sat down on the end of the couch. Abbey had climbed up to the middle and Nick was sitting on the other end.



Jessica couldn’t believe he was actually staying. Jack would never watch anything but sports, and Jessica and Abbey had always ended up watching movies in the master bedroom. Jessica had spent so much time alone or with Jack that she had forgotten how real men acted. And Nick was the real thing. He was sweet, offered to help with the dishes, and actually wanted to spend time with her and Abbey. Maybe it was because the last few months of her marriage had been so horrible, but Jessica had given up all hope of finding a perfect man. But Nick was perfect, in every way. He was different from every guy she had ever met. And Jessica had always hoped that her perfect match would come along,
ever since she was a child. When Jack had asked her to marry him she had said yes because she figured she could make him her perfect match. But after a few months of marriage, she knew she would have to work their whole life to make him perfect, and she was doubtful it would ever happen. But she didn’t want to think about the past now because that’s just what it was, the past. She needed to focus on the present, and in the present she was happy and spending the evening with her daughter and a perfect man.



Nick couldn’t believe how beautiful she was. The TV was casting different colored lights across her face and it made her glow like an angel. At first he had been worried about getting involved with her because she was a patient’s mother. And he had seen that episode of ER, it didn’t do Luka’s career too much good, or his reputation. But now that he was sitting on the opposite end of her couch, in her house, it was taking a lot of self-control to not just go over to her and kiss her. He had wanted to do it since they had met, but then again he
also knew it wasn’t what she needed. She already had enough on her plate with Abbey, she didn’t need any more emotional baggage. And she was probably still hoping that her husband would come back and apologize for being a cowardly bastard. And that just left Nick screwed again. All of his relationships went nowhere and he had to accept that. But then again something about Jessica just kept drawing him back to her. So for now he’d just have to enjoy spending whatever time he could with her, with the most perfect woman in the whole world.



About halfway through the movie Jessica looked down at Abbey, who had fallen asleep in her lap. “Well, it looks like we don’t have to watch the whole movie,” Jessica quietly said to Nick. “I’m going to bring her to bed.”



Nick stood up, “Here, let me.” He bent over and gently scooped Abbey up
from Jessica’s lap. Jessica followed him to Abbey’s room and tucked her in after he had gently laid her down. She kissed her forehead and before leaving the room, she switched on the night-light. When she got back to the family room, Nick had already stopped the movie and was looking at the pictures Jessica had all over the room. Jessica loved having pictures all over, it really gave the home a somewhat happier feeling.



When Nick realized she was back in the room, he turned around and smiled.
“I love these pictures, they’re adorable. You did a really great job
decorating.”



“Thanks. We haven’t been here too long, but I tried really hard to make it look nice right away. I mean, the separation and leaving the house was enough for Abbey. I didn’t want her living in a house with empty walls.”



“Well, you did a really good job.”



“Thanks. Do you want me to pour us some wine?”



“Yeah, that sounds great.”



“Okay. If you want you can find something to watch on TV. Just make
yourself at home.” Jessica went to the kitchen and poured two gl[arse]es of wine into her best wine gl[arse]es. Except for the wine, she couldn’t help but feel like she was in high school again. Meeting a boy and being nervous around him, not knowing what to say. She didn’t know if it was Nick that was making her nervous or the fact that she hadn’t dated in a long time and she didn’t know if she was quite ready to get back into it. She did her best to push the feelings away as she walked back to the family room. Nick had sat down on the floor, and was leaning against the couch on the floor watching Blind Date. Jessica
laughed. “I love this show,” she said as she handed him his wine and sat down next to him.



“Really? So do I. It makes me laugh, some of these people are so stupid.”



“I know. It’s kinda like what will you do to get your fifteen minutes of fame?”



“I don’t know, but man can I sympathize with some of these people. I’ve had some pretty bad blind dates in the past.”



For the next hour the two of them continued to talk. They shared everything with each other and Jessica found it weird how comfortable she felt sharing things with him. Normally CaCee was the only one that Jessica talked to. Jack had never wanted to talk. When he got home from work all he wanted was food and TV. Looking back, Jessica still couldn’t believe they had actually been married for more than six years. Sometimes she had been ready to look him in the eyes and say, are you seriously this detached? But she had bit her tongue so her
daughter would at least have a male in her life. And look how that had worked out.



Her train of thought was broken as Nick’s pager went off. “I’m sorry,” he said as he unclipped it from its holder. “I should have left this at home.”



“I’m sure the hospital would have killed you then. Do you need to use the phone?”



“Do you mind?”



“Not at all.” Jessica handed him the cordless phone.



“Thanks.” He dialed the number, hoping they wouldn’t ask him to come in. He was having such a good time. But he knew the hospital only paged him if they wanted him to come in. At least it didn’t say 911, that meant he’d at least get to say a proper good-bye and not have to rush off.



Lucy picked up the phone and Nick asked her what was happening. “There
better be a really big emergency, Luce.”



“There is. Five-car pile up coming in and Dr. Thomas called in sick. How soon can you get here?”



“I guess ten minutes.”



“Good, there are three kids in critical condition.”



Nick hung up the phone and turned to Jessica. “I’m sorry, but I have to go in.”



“No, it’s okay. It was getting late anyway.” Jessica stood and followed
him to the front door. “We’ll have to do this again next week. Maybe for lunch, Abbey really wants to take you to the park.”



“That sounds great. Uh, I’ll call you a little later when I’ve got my
schedule figured out. I might have to take a day off.”



“Oh, don’t take a day off for us.” Jessica couldn’t believe he had offered to take a day off. Jack would never have offered to take a day off to spend with them.



“No, it’s no big deal. I’d rather take a day off and spend it with the two of you then work all day.”



Jessica smiled. “Well, if it’s okay with you then I won’t fight.”



Nick loved the way her face lit up when she smiled. It was as if for a
moment, she was truly happy and didn’t have any pain in her heart. “Well, Jessica I had a really great time tonight and I can’t wait to see you again next week.”



“The same here,” she said, flashing that amazing smile again.



Nick couldn’t take it anymore. He walked one step towards her and taking her face in his hands, he pulled her lips towards his.



Jessica couldn’t think as soon as his lips touched hers. And then something in the back of her head told her this was wrong. Reaching up, she gently pushed him away with her hands on his chest. “I’m sorry,” she said, trying to hold back tears. “I’m just not ready.”



Nick brushed a strand of hair behind her ears. “It’s okay, I understand.” He put a finger under her chin and forcer her to look into his eyes. “I’ll wait for you, Jessica Simpson. As long as you need.” He couldn’t help but kiss her forehead before turning and closing the door behind him.



Jessica had started to cry now. She walked over to the couch and sat down. Why was she afraid to let someone in? But she didn’t have to think long to figure out the answer.



Jack left. Abbey’s dying.



And she was tired of losing the people she let into her heart.



*****

[littleprincessj]

*****

Title: Waiting on an Angel- Part 3



Author: Jessers



Rating: PG-13 – R



Summary: I hope this makes everyone happy; there is definitely some…action… in this part. HEHE… It’s short, but hopefully the next part will be longer. I
hope everyone likes it and doesn’t think I rushed into anything.



Recap: Abbey woke up from the coma; Nick came over to Jessica’s apartment for dinner; and Nick kissed Jessica, but she stopped him because she’s not ready
for a relationship yet.



Notes: This takes place one month after Part 2.



*****



The past four weeks had been the best of Jessica’s life. Bobby came over 3
times a week. They had basically started a routine. On Tuesdays and Fridays he
came over for dinner after work. On Sundays Nick took Jessica and Abbey
wherever they had wanted to go. They went for a picnic in the park and Nick
taught Abbey how to fly a kite. They went to the zoo and ate junk food and ice
cream all day long. They went to Cinergy Field and rooted for the Reds right
behind home plate. (Nick had treated a son of one of the players and was able
to get amazing seats.) And then on the present Sunday they walked all over
downtown Cincinnati and ate lunch outside one of Jessica’s favorite cafes. It was a perfect June afternoon and later when they were walking around an outdoor
photography exhibit, Jessica hadn’t even been afraid to take Nick’s hand in
hers and lace their fingers together. And then they went to the market and
picked up all the supplies to make steak shish kabobs, one of Abbey’s favorite meals. They made dinner together and then after Abbey had gone to bed early because she was so tired from walking around.



The whole month had been incredible, and Jessica felt like she knew Nick as
much as she knew CaCee. It felt like they had been friends for years. He told
her everything, personal things. And she did the same to him. And he never
pushed her once; he never made her uncomfortable and acted like he was upset
with waiting. He never made her feel pressured to do something that she wasn’t
ready to do. The whole month he was a perfect gentleman. Jessica knew that she would never have to change him; she knew that he would stay this perfect for the rest of his life.



And then one night it happened. Nick was helping Jessica dry the dishes
and as he handed her a dry plate, their fingers brushed together and Jessica
felt a surge of energy shoot through her body. She couldn’t take it anymore.
Placing the dish back on the counter, she stopped him from what he was doing and pulled him into a deep, p[arse]ionate kiss. Nick could feel the wanting in her
kiss and his hands found their way to her hips and he pushed her back into the
counter. Jessica put her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer to her
body. Nick’s arms were wrapping around her back and he couldn’t help but pick
her up under the arms and put her on the counter.



Jessica couldn’t help but giggle as Nick trailed kisses along her jaw and
her neck. She felt like she was in a movie, only… She reached under her and
pulled out a spoon. This made her laugh even harder, but Nick’s lips soon
found their way back to hers and gently silenced her. His hands traveled to her
waist and went to lift up her shirt, but Jessica put a finger to his lips to
stop him. “Not here,” she said breathlessly. “The bedroom.”



Nick nodded and effortlessly scooted her off the counter and headed towards
the bedroom. Their lips didn’t separate but once when Nick tripped over an end table in the family room and Jessica couldn’t help but start laughing and then
tried to quiet herself. The last thing she wanted right now was for Abbey to
wake up.



Nick brought them into Jessica’s room and closed the door as quietly as he
could. By the time they got to the edge of the bed, Jessica was slipping down,
but it didn’t matter to them. They both flopped down on the bed and hands were
traveling all over. As Jessica rolled onto Nick he lifted her shirt over her
head and she did the same to him as they rolled over.



When they had shed everything but their underwear, Nick looked down at
Jessica and said, “Are you sure?”



Jessica scooted out from under him and for a second he thought she was
changing her mind. She knew she was teasing him, but she didn’t care. She got
under the covers and then showed him she was ready by beckoning him over with her index finger. He jumped in next to her and pulled her on top of him. His
hands were traveling all over her back and he couldn’t believe how nervous he
was. He had wanted this since he had met her, but he couldn’t believe they had
jumped into bed this early. It wasn’t like he minded very much right now. But
even though he had imagined this happening on more than one occasion, he never really expected it to happen soon.



Jessica was amazed at how quickly everything was happening. But then again,
Jack had been the first person she made love to, and it was on their wedding
night. And after Abbey was born, the sex had become fewer and farther in
between. It wasn’t as if they didn’t want to anymore, it was just so much
energy for Jessica to take care of Abbey all day and by the time Jack had come
home from a full day of work, it was the last thing they wanted to do. But even
on the occasions that they did make love; it didn’t make Jessica feel special.
The pure feeling of love and utter devotion that she had felt on her wedding
night never returned.



So it was easy for her to understand why she had jumped right into bed with
Nick; because in a way they hadn’t really. They had spent the past month truly
getting to know each other. He had stayed late on the nights he came for dinner
and they just sat and talked to each other. He made her feel special, no matter
what they were doing. They could be stranded in the middle of the Sahara
Desert, going days without food or water, and he would still find some way to
make her smile and laugh and hope for survival. He had a way of making her see
the good things in life, or making a horrible situation better just by being
there. He always knew what to say and he always made her feel like a princess.
And as he was smiling down at her right now, she knew that the reason they had
jumped into bed was because they were two mature adults who would be able to handle this responsibly afterwards. And she knew in her heart, and her head,
that Nick was going to stick around after. That this time, she wouldn’t be left alone and sad. Nick will stay and make her the happiest woman in the whole world, just like he was doing right now. He was surrounding her and he smelled so good it was intoxicating her. She was under his spell and it was likely she would do anything he asked her to. Rob a bank? Sure, which one? How much do you need? Jessica laughed without realizing it.



“What’s so funny?” Nick was looking down at her smiling.



Jessica shook her head. “Nothing, just thinking to myself.” She gently
rolled him onto his side and wrapped one of her legs over his. She began
kissing along his neck and his chest as he pulled her tighter towards him. He
couldn’t take it anymore and he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him and
forcing her to be even closer to him. Jessica’s legs were straddling his and
there was only one way they could get any closer. “Nick,” she whispered. “I
can’t take it anymore.”



Nick nodded his understanding. “Are you sure you’re ready.”



“Nick, please!” she intensely whispered into his ear. She placed her mouth
on his and let their tongues dance while he finally made them one. Jessica let
a moan of pleasure p[arse] from her mouth to his and Nick echoed one back.



Jessica let herself be taken over by their body’s rhythm together and then
sometime later, it felt like years to her, they released all their feelings
together and Jessica felt the warmth spread throughout her whole body. She
collapsed on Nick and they lay there for a few moments catching their breath.
Jessica propped herself up and kissed him p[arse]ionately. “That was…amazing.”
She rolled onto her side and let Nick spoon up behind her.



He placed a kiss behind her neck and wrapped his arms around her. “I agree.
I think I saw fireworks.”



Jessica laughed. “Oh, so I was that amazing?”



Nick kissed her shoulder and then her neck. “Oh, you don’t even know.”



“You weren’t so bad yourself.” She turned over so she was facing him. She
took his hand in hers and laced them together, cradling them to her chest. “You
must have had lots of experience in seduction, Mr. Lachey. I don’t know what
came over me.”



“You don’t regret it, do you?”



“Oh god no! It’s just been awhile since I’ve done that and I mean I just
never thought I would this soon into a relationship. But then again that was
before I was married. And man, I’ve missed it. And if it would have been that
amazing during my marriage, I think I would have missed it a hell of a lot
more.”



“Jessica, can I ask you something?”



“Anything.”



“Why did you ever get married?”



Jessica smiled. “I was thinking about that the first time you came over for
dinner. When we first met in college, I had been through a few serious
relationships and I was tired of waiting for Mr. Right. I’m a really impatient
person, let me tell you. So I met Jack and I knew he wasn’t perfect, but I
figured that I could change him a little or at least learn to put up with his
imperfections. But that became harder for me to do as time went by. He stayed
the same- immature and irresponsible.”



“So why did you two stay married for so long?”



“I was thinking about that too the other night. I really wanted Abbey to
have two parents. I just never imagined he would walk out on us, I figured he
would always be there. I don’t know, I’ve tried to explain it all to myself
more than once, but I don’t even understand it all. So, does that make any
sense at all?”



“A little bit.” He paused as Jessica yawned. “Are you tired?” he asked
her.



“A little bit.” She echoed. “Yeah, I really am.”



“Okay, I am too.” Nick rolled onto his back, gently pulling Jessica down
with him. She snuggled into the warmth of his chest and the blankets. It
didn’t take her long at all to fall asleep.



*****



Jessica woke up the next morning to an empty bed. At first it just felt
like any other morning, but then all the memories of the last night came
flooding back to her. Suddenly, all the thoughts she had thought last night
became reversed. What had they just done? They weren’t ready yet, they had
only known each other about a month and a half. And why did she let herself
believe that Nick is different? He’s a guy, and guys only have one thing on
their mind. Honestly, who would want to stick around a 26 year old divorcee
with a six year old that’s dying of cancer? That’s way too much baggage for
someone who has never been married and should be out having the time of his
life. Jessica wouldn’t be surprised if he never called her again. He got what
he wanted, he didn’t need anything else. Why had she been so stupid to let him
in? She was cursed and she always lost those around her. Why had she thought,
even for a few moments, that this would be any different? She got
caught up in the p[arse]ion of the moment and now she felt as though she would
regret last night for a long time.



Sitting up, she did her best to flatten out her hair and noticed a note
lying on the pillow next to her.



Dear Jess-

I got paged into work, I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there when you woke
up.

I’ll call you when I get off, maybe the three of us can pick up some dinner
tonight.

Last night was amazing… I can’t find the words. Anyways…I will talk to you
later.

Love Nicholas



Jessica rubbed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them the letter would
be gone, but sure enough it was still there. She picked up the note and tossed
it into the top drawer of her nightstand. Grabbing her robe from the bathroom,
she headed towards Abbey’s room. Peeking into the room, she noticed that Abbey was still sound asleep and according to the clock on her dresser, it was nine o’clock. She used to be up early in the morning, even before Jessica would, but lately she sometimes slept till eleven like a teenager. As quietly as she
could, she shut the door and walked to the kitchen. She made herself a cup of
coffee and then headed towards the family room to watch some TV. After channel surfing for a few minutes, she settled on the Today Show. She did her best to concentrate on the show, but her mind kept wandering to Nick. Finally, Abbey woke up and Jessica was able to concentrate on her and not anything else.



When they had finished eating breakfast, Jessica suggested that they go see
The Polar Express and then go shopping. Abbey agreed and ran into her bedroom to get dressed. While Jessica took her shower, Abbey watched Sponge Bob Square Pants and then they headed off to the movie.



On the way back from the movie and the mall, they drove through the
McDonalds for dinner and Jessica let Abbey eat in the car after a few minutes of
begging. When they got home, Jessica and Abbey curled up on the couch to watch The Lizzie McGuire movie.



The phone rang twice while they were watching the movie. By the time they
went to bed later that night, there were four messages on the answering machine.



Jessica didn’t listen to one…



*****



Jessica hadn’t talked to Nick in a week. The day after the trip to the
mall, she had called him to say that she wasn’t feeling well and would call him
when she felt better.



“Well, how about I bring over some chicken noodle soup and make sure you’re
okay. I am a doctor, you know,” he offered.



“No, it’s okay. Abbey and I are just going to spend some time watching
movies and doing some things around the house together.”



“Well, maybe I should come pick Abbey up so you can get some rest. And
anyway, Abbey’s immune system is weak so maybe she should get out for a while.”



Jessica totally forgot about that, she should have known that Nick would
say that. “No, she wouldn’t want to leave me. She likes to play doctor and
nurse me back to health.”



“Okay, well if you’re sure.”



Jessica could hear the hurt in his voice. “I’ll call you when I’m feeling
better, okay?”



“Call me if you need anything, anything at all.”



“I will.”



And that was that. He had called once, but Jessica didn’t pick up the
phone. Abbey was very upset that he hadn’t been by, but Jessica kept telling
her he was busy with work. She was lying to two people and she felt like crap.



Jessica looked to the other end of the couch where Abbey was sleeping. They
had sat down for lunch in front of the TV and as soon as Abbey had finished
eating she had fallen asleep. Jessica gently picked her up and brought her to
her bed so she could get a decent nap.



Sitting back down in the family room, she realized that she had never felt
this alone, not even when Jack had left. Reaching for the phone, she dialed
CaCee’s phone number. She hadn’t seen CaCee that much in the past month. CaCee had been very busy and Jessica had been spending so much time with Nick and Abbey.



“Hello?” CaCee answered.



“Hey, babe, it’s Jessica.”



“Hey you, what’s up?”



“I was just wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight?”



“Oh, Jessica, I would love to. Tonight is like the only free night I have
this week! Do you want me to bring anything?”



“Uh, I was just thinking about getting some pizza delivered, nothing fancy.”



“That sounds great. What time do you want me to come over?”



“How about now? Abbey’s taking a nap and I really just need to talk to you.
I’ve missed you.”



“I’ve missed you too. Uh, give me like five minutes to get ready and I’ll
be over?”



“That sounds great, I’ll see you soon.”



Jessica hung up the phone, slightly happier now that she would have a
visitor. The twenty minutes she had to wait for CaCee to get to the apartment
seemed to be about twenty hours. But finally the doorbell rang and Jessica jumped up to answer it.



As soon as Jessica saw her best friends familiar face, something came over
her and she couldn’t help but start crying. “Oh, god, Jess. What’s happened?”
CaCee walked into the apartment, shut the door behind her and pulled her best
friend into her arms.



“CaCee, I’m so confused right now and I just really needed to see you and
talk to you.”



“Okay, well why don’t we sit down and you can get everything off of your
chest.”



Jessica nodded and followed CaCee to the couch. “Thank you for being so
understanding, CaCee. I haven’t seen you in awhile and I’m just so happy you’re
here. I’m so sorry that I haven’t called.”



“It’s okay, Jess. I’ve been busy too. Is that what’s wrong? Or is it
Nick?”



Jessica had told CaCee that she had started spending more time with Nick
lately, and how they were getting very close. “It’s Nick… No, I guess it’s
me… Oh, I don’t even know.”



“I’m going to go get something to eat, this could be a long conversation,”
CaCee said jokingly, starting to stand up.



Jessica grabbed CaCee’s arm and gently pulled her back down next to her.
“No, CaCee, it’s me. I know it’s me.”



“Well, what happened? Two weeks ago when I talked to you, you were so
excited about were the relationship was heading. What’s changed?”



“We slept together.”



“What! You [nice person]!”



“CaCee!” Jessica laughed. CaCee always knew how to make her laugh. “It
wasn’t like that at all.”



“So then what’s wrong?”



“I don’t know, it really scared me and I’ve been avoiding his calls. I told
him I was sick and that I couldn’t see him until I got better. I just didn’t
know what to do.”



“Well, let me tell you that you are doing to exact opposite of what you
should be doing.”



“CaCee, I don’t think I can lose anyone else.”



“Well, that’s exactly what’s going to happen if you let things continue like
this.”



“CaCee, I’m stopping it now before it gets too serious. That way neither of
us will get hurt.”



“Jess, you guys are already serious! Or haven’t you noticed?”



“CaCee, look at my track record. Jack left, Abbey will someday be gone, and
then soon enough…”



“You will realize that you just let the best thing to happen to you in years
go.” CaCee said cutting her off. “Jessica, Nick is special. He would stick
around if you let him.”



“I know.”



“Then what are you doing here crying with your best friend, when you should
be out telling him how you feel.”



“I don’t think I’m ready yet, CaCee. I just need a little while to think
everything through.”



“Jess, you’ve had a week. If you don’t act soon, you really are going to
lose Nick and someday you’ll regret it. He’s a great guy, I just don’t get why
you don’t see that.”



“I do see that, I really do. I just need some time, before I jump back into
a relationship.”



“Well, I guess I can’t say anything else then. It’s up to you now. I just
hope you do the right thing.”



“Oh, CaCee, I hate when you guilt trip me. I just need some time, isn’t
that okay?”



CaCee pulled her friend into a hug. “I just don’t want you to look back in
a few years and realize that you left behind your soul mate.”



*****


Sorry this part is so short, the next should be longer. I hope you all enjoyed
and I look forward to lots of feedback!!!

[littleprincessj]

Title: Waiting on an Angel – Part 4



Author: Jessimca



Recap: Nick and Jessica slept together, but she freaked out and lied to him,
telling him she was sick and couldn’t see him for a while.


Disclaimer: The song I chose to use is “Answer” by Sarah McLachlan off of her
Afterglow CD. If you have ever heard it you will know how perfectly it fits
into this story and if you haven’t heard it, I highly recommend you do, because
the words don’t do it enough justice. You need to hear it too! The song kind
of broke down to me to have Nick talking and Jessica talking. So the song
lyrics that follow the quote are the one that character is saying. Did that
make any sense?



Ha-ha… well I hope you enjoy because I’ve spent so long writing this and I’m
really proud of this part. So please read and feedback as you feel fit!


*****



Nick couldn’t help but stop by CaCee’s one day after work. It had been a
week and a half since he had talked to Jessica and he knew that she was avoiding
his calls. He knew that she still couldn’t be sick from last week. So he
decided that if he couldn’t talk to Jessica he would talk to the next best
thing, her best friend.



Nick knocked on her door, hoping she would be there. A few seconds later
he heard hurried footsteps and a voice said, “Just a minute.”



CaCee opened the door to a disheveled looking Nick on the other side and
her head was yelling at her to shut the door in his face. She knew exactly why
he was here- to find out what was up with Jessica. And CaCee didn’t have the
strength to tell him anything but the truth. Normally, she would have no
problem lying straight to a guy’s face, but Nick just looked so sad and
disheartened. “Hey, Nick.”



“Hey, CaCee, do you think we could talk?”



“Sure, come on in.”



“Thanks.” Nick followed CaCee into her apartment and sat down facing
opposite her in her family room.



“So, what’s up?” she innocently asked him.



“CaCee, you’re Jessica’s best friend. I just wanted to know if you’ve
talked to her lately. If she’s told you anything.”



“Uh, I talked to her a few days ago.”



“Really? I mean, did she say anything about me?”



“Nick, maybe if you two are having a problem you should go talk to her.”



“That’s the thing, CaCee. If it were that easy, I wouldn’t be here. She
won’t talk to me or see me. Do you have any idea why?”



“Nick, I really think that you should be talking to her about all this.”



“CaCee, please. I can tell that you know why she’s ignoring me. Does she
not like me anymore? Is that it?”



“No, Nick, she still likes you a lot.”



“Then what is it?”



“She’s scared.”



Nick was confused. Jessica had seemed so sure of everything last week. He
wouldn’t have gone all the way if he had known she was unsure of something.
“What is she afraid of?”



CaCee let out a huge sigh. She couldn’t help but feel like she was
betraying Jessica’s confidence by telling Nick all of this. But Nick had a
right to know why he was being ignored. “She’s scared that she’ll lose you like
everyone else in her life.”



“Who has she lost?”



“Well, for starters, Jack. I know it may seem that she was okay with him
leaving because he wasn’t that good to her, but she was in love with him. She
just never realized what a jerk he had been all those years, until you showed
up. She told me a few weeks after you guys met that if she had known there was
someone out there like you, she never would have got married. Anyway, she’s
also scared about Abbey. She’s afraid that if you decide to stick around for
now, as soon as Abbey starts to get really sick you’ll decide to leave. Just
like Jack did. She’s a very cautious person and it takes her a long time to be
able to trust someone, every since she was young. Look, I probably shouldn’t be
telling you this, but did she ever tell you what happened to her parents?”



Nick thought for a moment. “You know what; we’ve never talked about our
parents before. I told her that my mom died of cancer, but we immediately moved
away from that subject.”



“Well, Jessica was an only child and she was very close to her parents.
They had a really small family because both her parents were only children also.
But her dad had this really close friend, and he was like an uncle to Jessica.
Then out of nowhere, the man killed both of her parents while Jessica was at her
grandma’s. He confessed immediately, but it put a permanent scar on Jessica
because she was the one who found them.”





“Oh my god, that’s horrible.”



“I know, and I really shouldn’t say anything else. But that’s why she’s
scared- she been deceived so many times in the past and she won’t allow it to
happen again. She’s put up a wall. That’s why Jack had been so right for her,
he didn’t show much emotions and she thought he would always be there. But he
let her down.”



“Well, how can I make her believe that she can trust me and that I won’t let
her down? How can I show her that I won’t leave her?”



“You probably can’t.”



“There’s got to be something I can do. I’m willing to do anything.”



CaCee smiled. “You really like her, don’t you?”



Nick couldn’t stop the smile spreading across his own face. “Yeah, I
really do. I’ve never felt this way about anyone my whole life, and it’s so
amazing. And I like Abbey a lot too, I just wish Jessica would let me show her
that.”



“The best advice I could give you- go to her house. Stop calling her, it’s
easy for her to dodge the phone calls, but she always answers the door. And
just don’t stop trying. She’s stubborn, but she’ll eventually give in if you’re
persistent, especially when her heart really wants to. Oh! And you know what
would be really great?”



“What?”



“If we got Abbey on our side. She comes over for play dates and she’s
always talking about how much she likes you. Oh, a plan is popping into my
head! But I don’t see Abbey for a few more days, so it might take awhile.”



“I can wait, I’ve waited my whole life for Jessica.”



*****



Nick felt really good a half hour later when he left CaCee’s apartment.
CaCee had thought of a really good plan and it was going to start as soon as
Abbey could come over to CaCee’s house for a play date. Nick would already be
there and with CaCee they would explain the plan to Abbey.



Nick couldn’t wait until he could see Jessica again. He hoped that the
plan would pay off and get Jessica to see what was right in front of her. She
was the greatest thing he had ever met. She was so genuine and Nick was so
grateful he had met her. He knew that relationships weren’t about changing
yourself, but he was willing to change for her. He was willing to stand by her
for the rest of their lives together and he was willing to stay faithful to her
forever. He never thought he could feel that way about someone until he met her
and now he couldn’t imagine living another day without that feeling.



But for now all he could do was sit and wait. Wait for the day when he
could take Jessica in his arms and tell her he wanted to spend forever with her.



*****


One week later


Jessica woke up to Abbey pulling gently on her sheets.



“Mommy, I woke up and my tummy and my ears hurt. I don’t feel good.”



Jessica quickly got out of bed. Ever since Abbey got diagnosed, her immune
system had been lowered and it made more susceptible to get sick. “Okay, baby,
go change out of your pajamas and give me a second to get ready. I’ll take you
to the doctor, okay?”



Abbey nodded and left the room. Jessica changed into a pair of jeans and a
sweater. She quickly washed her face and put in her contacts, not even
bothering to put on some make-up. As she looked at herself in the mirror she
remembered that she would have to take Abbey to see Nick. He was her doctor
now and would be for a while. Jessica had totally forgotten all about how
awkward that would be. Shaking the thought out of her head and focusing on her
daughter, she picked up her purse and took Abbey out to the car.



When they got to the hospital, Jessica checked Abbey in to see Nick and
then they sat down in the waiting area. About five minutes later Nick came to
get them and brought them to a small room down the hall.



Nick picked up Abbey and put her on the doctor’s table, and in that two
seconds Jessica missed him wink quickly at Abbey. “So what seems to be the
problem today squirt?”



“My tummy and my ears hurt.”



“Okay, well can I have a look at your ears?” After Abbey nodded gently
looked in her ears. “Well, they look okay Abbey. Let’s look at you stomach.”
Abbey laid back and Nick gently pushed on her stomach. “Does it hurt
anywhere?”



Abbey shook her head.



“Well, Abbey, I think you probably just have a little cold and that’s
probably why they hurt. I think you just need to rest a little, okay?”



Abbey nodded.



“Is it okay if I talk to your mom outside in the hallway for a second?”



Abbey nodded her head again.



Jessica followed Nick into the hallway. “Is it something serious, Nick?”



“No, not at all. The exact opposite actually.”



“What does that mean?”



“She’s not sick at all, Jessica.”



“So what are you saying?”



“Nothing, except that she didn’t need to come here, yet here you both are.”



“What, are you saying that she faked it to come here to see you?” Jessica
asked sarcastically.



“Why, is it unthinkable that someone could actually want to see me?”



“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”



“I don’t know what you mean anymore.”



“What does that mean?”



“Nothing, let’s just go back inside.” Nick hadn’t meant to start a fight
with her now, but he was trying to get her to understand that Abbey liked him
and wanted to see him. And the plan wasn’t going according to schedule because
Jessica didn’t seem too happy to see him.



Jessica walked over to Abbey and asked, “Abbey, are you really sick or did
you just want to come see Dr. Lachey?” When Abbey didn’t say anything, Jessica
asked again.



“You’ll just be mad at me, Mommy.”



“I could never be mad at you, angel. Just tell me the truth, Abbey.”



“I just wanted to see Dr. Lachey, Mommy. He hasn’t been over in a while
and I miss him.”



“I know, honey, but this was really mean to do to mommy.” Jessica got up
and turned around and for some reason Nick was smiling like he had just done
something really well. Jessica turned back around and saw Abbey with the same
face.



Nick had expected Jessica’s face to break out in a smile, but it did the
exact opposite. She looked absolutely livid with Nick. “What, do you think
it’s funny conspiring with my little girl? When did you guys plan this all out?
Because the only time I’ve let Abbey out of my sight was to bring her to
CaCee’s the other day.” Jessica paused slightly and then, “Wait, was CaCee in
on this too?”



Nick nodded, the smile fading quickly from his face.



“Abbey, go wait right outside the door for me.”



“Mommy, please don’t be mad at Nick. It’s not his fault.”



“Abbey, outside please.” Jessica waited until Abbey was outside and then
continued. “You think its funny getting my daughter to fake being sick? Do
you know how scared I was when she came complaining she didn’t feel good? That was a sick joke, Nick.”



“Well, maybe if you understood the true reason behind why I did all this,
you wouldn’t see it as a joke and you would be okay with the situation.”



“I would never be okay with the situation.”



“Okay, Jessica , whatever you say.”



“Yeah, exactly Nick, whatever.”



“I can’t believe that I saw something in you when we first met. I thought
you were different from all the other women I’ve met.”



“Well, obviously I’m not.”



“Are you too thick to realize that I did this all for you today? Because I
fell so hard and so fast for you and I love you so much it hurts to not be with
you.”



“Well you know what, just don’t.” And with that, Jessica walked out of the
room and shut the door behind her.



Nick sat down on the table and rested his head in his hands. He had no
clue about what else to do. If Jessica loved him, then they would be together
right now. So obviously it wasn’t up to him anymore, it was all up to her. But
he was afraid that that meant they would never get together. He just wished
everything was easy and he could just convince her they should be together.



He normally didn’t like to give up, but he felt there was no way he could
win in this situation.



*****



It had been four weeks since Jessica had seen Nick and she hated the way
they had left things. She knew that she got caught up in her emotions and she
hated it when she did that. She wanted to stay friends with Nick, but in the
back of her head she couldn’t help but realize she could never be just friends
with him. He was a great guy, but there was no way she could be in a
relationship now.



And then it happened. The thing Jessica had feared the most. She and
Abbey were taking a walk through the park, looking at how all the leaves were
changing colors, and Abbey started complaining of dizziness.



And then there, in the middle of the park with the leaves falling all around
them, her beautiful angel fell to Earth.



Time froze and Jessica couldn’t remember what happened between then and the
ambulance coming. She didn’t even know if she was the one who had called them.
But they came and they took her and Abbey to the hospital.



They took Abbey to an emergency room and refused to let Jessica in.
“Please, she’s my baby, just let me in!” Jessica pleaded.



“Please, go in the waiting area and we’ll come get you soon.”



Jessica realized she wasn’t thinking straight. She turned and ran to the
front desk. “Please, can you call Dr. Lachey and tell him that Abbey is here?
I know that he would come in.” Jessica asked the secretary, knowing that Nick
would let her go in the room with Abbey and be there for her.



“I’m sorry, Miss Simpson, but Dr. Lachey has taken some time off and he has
asked not to be contacted about any patients.”



“Please, I know that he would want to know about this.”



“I’m sorry, but I can’t call him. He made me promise that I wouldn’t call
him.”



Frustrated, Jessica ran to the pay phone and dialed Nick’s number. After
four rings the answering machine went off. “Nick, this is Jessica. I just
wanted to let you know that Abbey collapsed today and she’s in the hospital. I
just…I really wish you were here and I really wish you could be here and I
really wish you could be taking care of Abbey. So please, if you get this
message, just come here. We… I really need you.”



Jessica hung up the phone and dialed CaCee’s number. Luckily, CaCee was
home and she [arse]ured Jessica that she would be right over. Jessica walked back
over to the room where Abbey was and paced back and forth, trying not to look
into the room and see what they were doing to her angel. Sometime later,
Jessica had no idea when, she felt a hand on her shoulder.



It was bittersweet when Jessica turned around and realized that the hand
belonged to CaCee. Jessica fell right into her arms. “CaCee, I tried calling
Nick and he’s not home. The secretary said that he was taking a few days off
and wasn’t seeing any patients. What am I supposed to do?”



“Jessica, I’m sorry to tell you this, but he’s probably taking a break
because of you. I talked to him last week and he was still really upset. He
was talking about going on a small vacation, maybe to go see some family. I
don’t know if he actually went or not, but that’s what he was planning on doing.
I’m sorry.”



“CaCee, he’s so good with Abbey, I really want him her for her.”



“Only for her?”



Jessica was about to respond when she heard the doors to Abbey’s room swing
open and the nurses were rolling her out. The doctor came over to Jessica,
“We’ve got her stabilized, but we need to bring her up to the ICU.”



“Well, what caused all this?”



“Well, we’ve taken tests and we just need to wait for the results. I’ll
have someone bring them up as soon as possible. I’ll check in with you as soon
as possible.”



“Dr., please can you try to contact Abbey’s doctor, Dr. Lachey. I know he
would want to be here, he’s been on Abbey’s case for a while now.”



“I’ll do my best, Miss Simpson.”



“Thanks.” Jessica and CaCee followed the nurses and Abbey up to the ICU
unit and got settled in a room. The nurses came back a little while later, but
they wouldn’t tell Jessica anything about Abbey’s condition. At around ten
o’clock, CaCee convinced Lindsay to get some sleep, so that she could be strong
for Abbey when she woke up.



As CaCee stood there watching Jessica sleep, she realized that she had to do
something to get Nick here. If not for Jessica, at least for Abbey so that she
could get the best care possible. So CaCee quickly walked to her car and drove
to Nick’s apartment. She knew that it was very possible that he wasn’t there,
but she needed to do something and this was all she could think of.



She quickly ran to his door and breathlessly pounded on his door. She heard
scrambling from inside and she had never been so relieved in her whole life.



The door opened and Nick appeared. “CaCee, what are you doing here?”



“Did you get Jessica’s message?”



“No, why?”



“Abbey’s in the hospital, she collapsed in the park this afternoon. The
hospital told Jessica that you were taking a break and she got so upset. She
called you begging to come in for Abbey. But you should see her; she needs you
just as bad as Abbey does.”



Before CaCee had finished, Nick had already grabbed his coat and keys. “I
can’t believe I didn’t check my messages today,” Nick said closing his
apartment door behind him. “CaCee, do you mind if I go there by myself?”



“Not at all. Go be with her.”



*****



Jessica heard his voice before she even opened her eyes. He was talking to
the doctor that had treated Abbey yesterday. Jessica stood up and stopped a few
feet away from the door. Nick’s back was to her and he wasn’t wearing his
scrubs. She wondered how he had found out, but after realizing that CaCee was
gone she understood. She watched Nick and the doctor shake hands and then the
doctor walked away. When Nick turned around, their eyes met and a huge sense
of relief and guilt flooded over Jessica. She had never been so happy to see
someone her whole life. He took one step towards her and she ran towards him.
His arms wrapped around her and she buried her head in his neck. “I’m so
sorry,” she whispered.



“Sh, it’s okay. We don’t have to talk about all that now.”



I will be the answer at the end of the line

I will be there for you while you take the time

In the burning of uncertainty I will be your solid ground

I will hold the balance if you can’t look down



If it takes my whole life I won’t break I won’t bend

It’ll all be worth it, worth it in the end

Cause I can only tell you what I know

That I need you in my life

When the stars have all gone out
You’ll still be burning so bright


“Nick, I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m not strong enough for this and
I just want to run away.”


Cast me gently into morning
For the night has been unkind

Take me to a place so holy

That I can wash this from my mind

The memory of choosing not to fight



“Sh, it’s okay because I’m here now and I’m going to help you stay strong,
okay?”



If it takes a whole life I won’t break I won’t bend

It’ll all be worth it worth it in the end

‘Cause I can only tell you what I know

That I need you in my life

And when the stars have all burned out

You’ll still be burning so bright

Cast me gently into morning for the night has been unkind



Jessica nodded. Nick took Jessica’s hand and entwined their fingers
together. He led her over to Abbey’s bed. “I talked to Abbey’s doctor about
her condition.”



“What did he say? It’s serious isn’t it; otherwise he would have said
something.”



Nick nodded and Jessica’s hand flew to her mouth to stifle her sobs. “Look
at me, Jess. The cancer has caused her immune system to weaken drastically.
She’s caught a bad case of pneumonia and her body doesn’t have to ability to
fight it off anymore. When she wakes up she will only have a few weeks left
hopefully, but it could also be a few days.”



“Oh god,” Jessica’s legs fell out from under her, but Nick caught her and
held her up.



“I’m so sorry that I couldn’t be telling you good news right now. But she
could have more time; it can depend on how hard she is willing to fight. It
could be a few months.”



“It’s still not enough time. She is too young.” Nick sobbed.



“I know, sweetheart, I wish there was something I could do to change the
future. But no one can.”



“What am I going to tell her when she wakes up? How can I tell a six year
old that she may only have a few days left?”



“I’ll help you okay, we’ll both tell her.”



Jessica nodded. “Is she going to have to stay in the hospital? I know that
she won’t want to.”



“No, she’ll be able to come home, but she’ll probably need medicines
everyday. I can come over when she needs them and I can be on call all the
time.”



“Nick? Do you think that you could stay at our apartment and be there all
the time? I’d feel more comfortable if you were there the whole time. That way
if something happened, you could be there for both of us, you know?”



“Of course I can, I won’t leave you guys, okay? I promise.”



“I know you won’t. I’m so sorry about everything.”



“Its okay, you were scared. I understand.”



“But I shouldn’t have shut you out. I was so horrible, why aren’t you mad?”



“I was for a little while, well more upset that you couldn’t realize what
was right in front of you. But I knew somehow that you would change your mind,
and I knew that as soon as you did, I would be willing to come right back to
you.”



“Why?”



“Because I love you.”



At first he thought he said it too soon. Jessica looked scared and he felt
like she was going to change her mind again. But then he saw a little smile.



Jessica threw herself into his arms. “I love you too, Nick. I have since
I met you and it scared me so much. I’ve never felt this strongly about someone
and I had no clue how to deal with it. And I thought I was helping Abbey by
keeping you out of her life and sparing her more heartache if you decided it was
too much. But now I realize that I only made it worse because she really cared
for you too and if I hadn’t of kept you from her, maybe she wouldn’t be here
today. Maybe she would be stronger and would’ve fought the infection. Or maybe
you could have known it was coming and you could have gotten her some
medication. But who knows now?”



“Jessica, you’ll drive yourself crazy if you think like that. No one could
have predicted this. It was coming sometime, that’s just the way leukemia
works. It wasn’t your fault the cancer spread, it just happens.”



“I know, it’s just she’s so young. And I’m just so tired of losing people.”



“I know, I know you are. But I’m not going anywhere- you understand?”



“Yeah, I understand.”



“Alright. I’m going to go call the desk downstairs and tell them that even
though I’m here, I’m still on break and that they shouldn’t page me, okay?”



Jessica nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine.”



Nick kissed her on the forehead before walking out of the room.



Jessica walked over to her angel and brushed her hair out of her face. It
didn’t feel like so long ago that she had breathed her first breath on Earth.
Jessica wouldn’t let go of her for three days. She had felt like she finally
had an escape from her empty life. She knew that for the rest of her life,
Abbey would depend on Jessica, especially the first few years. But she never
guessed that she would outlive her own daughter. It was a feeling that no
parent should ever have to feel.



“What am I going to do without you?” Jessica whispered in her ear.



After about twenty minutes, Nick hadn’t returned and Jessica went to ask
the nurse if she knew where he went.



“Excuse me, have you seen Dr. Lachey at all?”



“Uh, a little while ago, but not since then. I’d try downstairs at the
desk.”



“Okay, thanks so much.”



Jessica got in the elevator and rode to the first floor. When she didn’t
see Nick at the front desk she decided to walk around and look for him. She
had just about given up when she walked by the chapel and noticed him kneeling
under the statue of Mary. She walked to the entrance, but she paused when she
heard Nick talking. The chapel was so small that she could hear what he was
saying, but she stayed where she was because she didn’t know if he would be
embarr[arse]ed if she saw him there. At first she tried not to listen to him, but
after a few minutes it was too hard to do.



“It’s just so hard not knowing if I’m doing enough for Jessica. I don’t
know what she’s going through because I’ve never experienced it, but please give
me the strength to be strong for her so that she can be strong for Abbey. And
please, when the inevitable happens, watch over her for us. I feel so cheated
because I’m really only beginning to get to know Abbey and now she’s being
taken. I know it happens in life, but its cases like these that really test my
decision to become a doctor. I know that I probably got too involved with this
case, but Jessica is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I know that
you can agree. She’s helped me to understand what it means to truly love. So
please watch over her up there and help her to understand why she’s there. God
had a better plan for her and she’s part of something bigger now. I know I
haven’t shown a lot of faith in a while, but I haven’t had anything to believe
in until now. Thank you for always believing in me and I know I never had the chance to say this, but thank you for being the greatest mom any son could have.”



Jessica had tried to hold back her sobs before that, but it became too hard
to do. She let one escape and Nick turned around to look at who was there.
Jessica walked towards him and when he went to get up she shook her head and sat down next to him.



“I’m sorry, Jess. I didn’t know you were there.”



“No, it was so beautiful. What is you mom’s name?”



“Elizabeth.”



“That’s beautiful.” Jessica reached over and took his hand in hers, lacing
their fingers together. “So, I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you,
huh?”



“Yeah, you really are. I just wish I could have done something for you in
return.”



“Oh, you’ve done so much for me. You’ve taught me to live in the moment, to
not let my life p[arse] me by, and most of all…to love.”



“So, I guess we’re even then, huh?”



Jessica smiled. “Yeah, I guess.”



“You know, CaCee told me what happened to your parents and I just want you
to know that nothing like that will happen to us. I won’t let anything bad
happen. Do you believe me?”



“I want to, but it’s so hard to believe that fate won’t get in the way.”



“Just try to believe it, for me.”



“Okay, I’ll try my best.”



“That’s all I ask.” Nick leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “You
want to head back up now?”



Jessica nodded and let Nick help her up. They headed upstairs with their
arms around each other and in the elevator Jessica leaned her back into his
chest and let him warm her by wrapping his arms around her. She laughed as he
kissed her neck and she smiled at the thought of being momentarily normal
because she knew that as soon as she stepped off the elevator she would have to
dread telling Abbey the news. Nick took Jessica’s hand in his and she was so
thankful for his support. As soon as she stepped off the elevator she heard a
voice that she hadn’t heard in years.



“Please, can you tell me which room Abbey Simpson is in?” The nurse told him
and as the man turned around, Jessica was completely frozen.



“Jack?”



*****


So there it is, I hope you enjoyed and didn’t think it was too long!

[LovingAngels07]

So Jack decided to show his ugly face uh? that blimey son of a B.... This is so sad, and you were right that was a beautiful song that fit perfectly with the moment. You have every right to feel proud of this part because it was the best of them all. I am so happy that Jessica didn't push Nick away forever, and I am so happy that she has Cacee as her friend. I hope that jack realizes what he's missed. And I do honestly hope that Abby finds the strenght to beat this cancer. I loved this chapter even the angsty parts, because I know that it leads to a great ending no matter which way you are gonna swing with it. please send us chapter 5 soon.

--Ashley ann