Jericho Fic: Never Meant To...(7-9/9)

[xtremeroswellia]

Title: Never Meant To…
Authors: X_tremeroswellian and Shadow_One
Fandom: Jericho
Pairing: Jake/Heather and hints of Jake/Emily
Rated: PG-13
Spoilers: Up through and including most of “Rogue River.” After that it’s pretty AU.
Word Count: 9808
Author’s Note: Title was inspired by the Coldplay song, “Trouble.”
Author's Note II: *facepalm* I cannot believe I forgot to finish posting this fic. I suck.

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six |



Chapter Seven

Heather squeezed the ambu bag, watching the rise and fall of Jake's chest as it helped him breathe. She'd sat there in silence for nearly three hours. Twice, Emily had come back to check on her, to check on Jake, and had left quietly. It was sometime after Midnight now, and except for the faint moonlight shining through the curtains, the room was dark.

"So I'm not very good at this whole nurse thing," she murmured. "I think I should stick to teaching. And...a life of solitude. I shouldn't have listened to you when you asked me to cover for you. I don't know why I did."

She looked away. "Not one of my smarter moments. It's weird," she whispered. "I trust you in ways I...don't trust other people. You said you'd be fine and I believed you."

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly.

"My life changed the day you showed up in Jericho. I was in this...I don't know...this dark place. All I did was work and go home. Ask Emily sometime. She used to bug me about going out with her to Bailey's or even to drive with her to Wichita, but..."

Heather shook her head a little. "I was afraid to let myself get attached to anyone. And then you climbed on the bus that night and saved Stacey's life and I haven't been able to think clearly when it came to you since then. I shouldn't have let it get this far, Jake. I'm sorry," she whispered, gently brushing some hair off his forehead as she squeezed the bag.

***

He was back in Iraq. That was about the only thing Jake Green was really aware of. Looking around, he realized after a few minutes that he recognized the scene he was in. "No...God, not again."

He closed his eyes, willing it all to go away. When they opened again, a little girl was standing in front of him. "Jesus," he backed away. "Get away from me. Y-you're dead."

The little girl inched closer to him, her hands stretching out to him. "Save me, Mister."

"No. I can't--couldn't. You...I killed you..." Panic laced his voice as he continued to back away from her.

The little girl scowled. "Then you don't deserve to live," suddenly, a knife appeared in her hands. Before he could react, fiery pain erupted in him. When he looked down, the knife was sticking out of his gut. Gripping his stomach, he fell to his knees and stared up at the girl. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

* * *

The sudden gasp made Heather look down in time to see Jake's body jerk violently on the bed. "Jake!" She looked toward the door, panicked. "April!"

April appeared a second later, slightly out of breath. "What happened?" She asked, moving toward his thrashing body.

"I don't know, one minute he was fine and then--he just--he started convulsing!"

"Come on Jake, don't do this," she murmured, grasping his head so that he wouldn't rip out the tube in his mouth. "Heather, keep breathing for him."

Tears prickled at her eyes as she continued to pump the bag, forcing air into his lungs.

A few minutes after the convulsions started, the abruptly ended. April let out a breath and let go of him, getting out her stethoscope and pressing it to his chest. "His heart rate's up. Dammit."

"What's going on? What's wrong with him?" Heather asked, her voice cracking.

"His body's stressed," she said worriedly. "His temperature being up probably isn't helping him any."

"Do we need ice?" She looked at April, her heart thudding heavily against her chest.

She shook her head. "I don't know if that'd help any."

"But we can do something, right?"

"Talk to him. And I'll see if we have any stronger anti-biotics."

"April, maybe you should...get Emily." She swallowed hard.

April shook her head and headed toward the door. "Stay with him. I'll be back."

Heather slowly looked back at Jake, hesitantly reaching out and touching his face. "Just hold on, Jake. Please."

Chapter Eight

Two days after the seizure incident, Jake Green finally opened his eyes for the first time since arriving at the med center.

Heather was sitting beside him once more, curled up in the chair. He'd been breathing on his own for the last 12 hours, so she was just there to make sure that he continued doing so. She didn't even notice he'd opened his eyes, her own gaze fixed on his hand.

Licking his dry, cracked lips, Jake tried his voice. "Heather," it came out sounding barely like a whisper.

She lifted her head, blinking at the faint whisper. "Jake?"

"Hey," he whispered.

She quickly rose to her feet, nearly tripping in her effort to stand.

His eyes widened as she wavered. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just...clumsy. My foot's asleep. Don't try to talk." She moved toward the door.

He frowned. "What--"

"April! He's awake!"

April came rushing in and over to Jake's side. "Thank God." She began checking his bandages.

Heather lingered toward the back of the room as Gail and Johnston Green rushed in, followed by Emily and Stanley.

Despite all the people crowding around him, Jake's gaze stayed on Heather, ignoring everyone else as the tried to talk to him.

"Oh, Sweetheart, thank God you're awake," Gail whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

He shook his head. "I'm fine...Mom."

"You Green men are so stubborn," she grumbled, glancing at Johnston.

A weak smile appeared on his face. "Sorry."

"We're just glad you're awake, Son," Johnston said gruffly.

"Mm..." He nodded, closing his eyes again.

"Hey, you," Emily whispered, reaching out and laying a hand on his arm.

Cracking his eyes open, he looked at Emily. "Hey."

"Gave us all quite a scare," she said gently, her eyes filled with warmth.

"Didn't mean to," he whispered.

"Yeah, well you've always been a little on the dramatic side." Stanley grinned brightly at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah...nice to see...you too."

His grin widened a little more. "Welcome back."

Shaking his head slightly, his eyes moved back to the door where Heather was.

She gave him a smile, her eyes watery.

"Hey guys..." Jake glanced back at everyone surrounding him. "Can I...just have...a minute with...Heather?"

"Sure," Emily said softly, leaning down and kissing his forehead before heading to the door. She touched Heather's arm lightly on her way out, offering her a smile.

Once everyone had left, Jake motioned for Heather to come closer to him.

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, pushing herself away from the wall and moving toward him.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"I didn't do anything."

"You saved my life."

"Hardly," she said quietly, looking at the floor.

He shook his head. "You did."

"April saved your life."

"You got me here."

She fell silent.

"Don't you dare...blame yourself."

"Don't worry about me," she said quietly. "Just focus on getting well."

"Have to worry about you."

"No. You don't. I know you think you're responsible for everyone in this town, but you're not, Jake."

"Don't care."

"Rest," she said quietly.

"Heather-"

"Jake, we'll talk later, all right? Right now, just...just rest," she whispered, hesitantly touching his face.

He leaned into her touch. "Stay here."

"If you promise to rest."

"I promise."

She slowly sat down in the chair beside his bed.

His eyes settled at half-mast. "You're pretty from this angle."

She tried to smile but didn't quite manage it. "Rest," she whispered, leaning back in the chair.

"'kay," his eyes slid the rest of the way shut.

Heather watched as he slowly drifted off to sleep once more, then released a shuddering breath. She rose to her feet slowly and headed out the door, arms wrapped around herself. She spotted Emily in the hall and looked at her but didn't meet her eyes. "Stay with him."

Emily frowned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just...I need to go home."

"You going to come back?"

Heather looked away. "I'll see you later," she said quietly, heading down the hall toward the exit.

Emily let out a long breath and walked into Jake's room, hoping that Heather would return soon.


Chapter Nine

"So I hear you're being sprung today." Emily leaned against the doorframe of Jake's hospital room, faint smile on her face, though her blue eyes were worried.

Jake grimaced as he sat up, wrapping an arm around his middle. "Yeah, you've heard right."

"Careful," she cautioned, stepping a little farther into the room.

"Heard from Heather?" He asked, ignoring her concern.

"I stopped by her house, but her truck wasn't there," she said quietly.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Has *anybody* heard from her?"

"Stanley said she's been working at the mine." She sat down in the chair by his bed. "Other than that..."

He swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I'm gonna go find her."

"Jake--"

"Either help me, or stay here."

She sighed softly. "At least wait until April officially discharges you. Heather's not at her house right now anyway."

Jake shook his head and stood slowly. "Forget it."

"You are *not* going to that mine, Jake," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, I am," he looked at her, bent slightly so that his stitches wouldn't pull.

Emily narrowed her eyes. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Is that it?"

"Look, I'm fine. Someone else needs this bed a lot more than I do."

"Fine, leave the hospital. But for God sakes, stay away from that mine. It's a walking infection," she said, shaking her head. "And your body's been through enough."

He didn't acknowledge her last warning. Instead, he moved past her and slipped away from the hospital.

* * *

When Heather pulled into her driveway and stopped her truck, she spotted him sitting on her front porch, hunched over. She sat in the truck a moment longer, her hands resting on the steering wheel in indecision. Then she slowly climbed out and moved toward the house. Her clothes were covered in dirt and dust from the mine, a smudge of gunk on her cheek.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Jake...what are you doing here?" Her voice was just as quiet.

"Busted out."

"You should go back to the hospital."

"It'd be pointless."

"What do you mean?"

"April was letting me go today anyway."

"So what's the prognosis?" she asked hesitantly.

He took a breath. "Well, they're pretty sure I'm gonna live."

Heather shifted her weight from one foot to the other, looking down at the ground.

"How come you didn't come back?"

She avoided his gaze as she slowly walked up the porch steps, fishing around in her jacket pocket for her keys.

He stood up and came up behind her. "Heather..."

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, trying to stay calm before she turned to face him. She swallowed hard at his nearness, at the way he gazed at her. "I'm glad you're gonna be okay."

"I'm okay right now."

"You'd probably be better if you were at home in bed resting. I sorta doubt April advised walking around town and visiting random people."

"Only..." he put a hand on her shoulder. "I only came to see you."

"Jake--"

"Heather, it wasn't your fault," he said, voice firm.

"I really need to get cleaned up. Did you walk here? I'll give you a ride home."

His hand slid from her shoulder. "I'll walk."

Heather bit her lip.

"I guess I'll see you," he put his head down and turned away, walking down the stairs.

She shut her eyes. "Jake."

He stopped. "What."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, turning and unlocking her front door.

He shook his head. "It wasn't your fault," his voice was drown out as she opened the door. "Just wish I could make you see that."

Heather stepped inside her house and shut the door quietly, leaning against it. She shut her eyes once more, and slowly slid down until she was sitting on the floor. "Goodbye," she whispered.

....Fini...for now

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