Several weeks had passed and Jenna with her normal routine would check in on Brock, checking the IV bags and machines. She assessed the incisions on his head and arm and they had healed well but would leave a scar and the constant reminder of the events that led him to this place.
Over the past several weeks Jenna had occasionally brought Lilah in to see Brock and started to find that she was a great assest to his care. Jenna could faintly notice Brock's heart rate pick up when Lilah was there. By the second visit before Jenna could stop Lilah, she had gingerly climbed up on the hospital bed and snuggle up against Brock's leg. Lilah would nudge and push Brock's hand with her cold wet nose so that his hand would lay perfectly on top of her head. Jenna would have sworn on the Holy Bible that this companionship was a perfect match as made both parties calm and at peace.
Jenna pulled out Brock's chart and started to wright orders for more IV fluids when the soft sound od plastic geently smacking at the the tiled floor in fluid motion of footsteps coming from behind distracted Jenna. Jenna looked up to see Anne standing here with a large smile on her face. She would call Jenna on the phone almost everyday to check on Brock's condition and over these few weeks they had become close friends. Anne felt better knowing that Brock had someone like Jenna taking care of him. Their mother had said that she was going to come down again to visit Brock but that their father had forbade it. He stated that 'granted I fell badly that Brock is in the state that he is in, but if he would have just stayed home and agreed to take over the company then is wouldn't have happened'. Her fatther's cold and emotionless statement had made Anne want to walk away from the family too. Brock had the right idea all along, at first Anne thought he was just being wild and stubborn about settling down but now she saw the real reason. Anne was furious with her mother as well for becoming spineless and not standing up for herself and not allowing her father to dictate what could and couldn't be done.
"Hey Jenna, how's my hard headed brother doing? Oh, I see he has a bed buddy today hey Lilah you a good girl aren't you." Lilah gently wagged her tail and snuggled even closer to Brock.
"So Anne, how did your finals go, did you pass?" Jenna asked as she continued to write in the chart. Anne walked up to Brock and gently smacked him on the shoulder.
"Yep with flying colors and made the Dean's list as well. Brock you better be proud of me since I know if I would have stayed here you would have smacked me the in head. I would've ended up repeating the semester."
"I'm sure Brock is very proud of you." Jenna placed the chart back on the table while she gently partly moved the blankets from Brock's right leg exposing it all the way to the hip. Anne looke quiitvly at Jenna.
"What are you doing?"
"Since Brock hasn't been using his muscle I've been exercising them for him, so when he does wake up he wouldn't have lost complete muscle function." Jenna bent Brock's leg at the knee and then flexed his feet, bending the leg and moving his hip around massaging the muscles. Again, Jenna felt the sensation and trying to turn away from Anne so that she couldn't see the blush that as forming. and rising up her neck. Jenna cleared her throat and moved to work on his arm that was injured. Brock would probably have to do physical therapy even after he woke up.
Anne and Jenna made conversation while Jenna worked on Brock's muscles. They discussed Brock's birthday that was coming up soon and how they were going to celebrate it as well as Jenna's night out awhile back. Jenna hadn't really seen Patrick since that night only in passing. She was still leery on the fact that he really thought she was attractive that night. Every so often he would call and they would just shoot the breeze on their day events. Occasionally and suddenly brought up the notion of them going out on a date. Jenna would change the subject quickly or just blow him off and tell him she wasn't ready.
Lilah could sense whenever Patrick was on the phone and she would start to growl and huff like she was irritated with something, Jenna would ignore her odd behaviour and chalk it up to be K-9 hormones.
"How long are you going to stay around?" Jenna asked
"I don't know, I don't have any plans since graduation. It's so beautiful here that I just want to relax. It's nothing like the city it's more peaceful and calmer."
"Well how about you stay at my house that way we can hang out and you don't have to stay at the local motel. It'll be nice to have someone to talk to other than Lilah." Lilah looked up and huffed.
"Did she just roll her eyes at you?" Anne inquired.
"See I thought I've seen her do that before." Jenna shook her head and slightly laughed.
"Yeah I'll stay with you it will be fun"'
"Here is my address for whenever you decide to leave and here is my key. I'll be getting off around five o'clock." Taking the address and key Anne stuck both in her pocket of her worn blue jeans.
"I think I'll go head and go and look around town before I head to your house for a nap, it's been a long drive."
"That's fine." Jenna said with a smile and Anne gave Jenna a brief hug and left the room.
Jenna was about to start to leave the room when Patrick strolled in holding a bouquet of flowers.
"Hey Jenna" Patrick smiled
"What are you doing here Patrick?" Jenna was surprised to see him here and of all things he brought her flowers.
"I came by to see you of course." holding out the bouquet of two red roses with baby's breath it was a pretty arrangement but not her favorite.
"Thanks, why did you want to see me?"
"I wanted to see if you would want to go on a date with me this weekend?"
"I.. I don't know Patrick, we just got our friendship back don't you think your rushing this."
"Oh come on Jenna please."
"I have Brock's sister staying at my house and I can't just abandon her she doesn't know anybody else in town."
"Well think about it will you?" Patrick asked as he grabbed her other hand and squeezed it, Jenna nodded.
"I'll go put this in water before it starts to wilt I'll be right back."
"I probably won't be here when you get back I have to get back to work."
"Ok" Jenna walked out of the room and Patrick sundered over to Brock and Lilah picked up her head and started a faintly low growl in her throat. Patrick glared at the dog, ever since Jenna and him broke up Lilah started to growl at him. Patrick bent down to be face to face with Brock and sternly stated.
"John has informed me that Jenna has been getting close to you over these past few weeks and Carolyn is worried that she will end up getting hurt. I don't like that at all, she belongs with someone who can be with her not just laying in a bed taking up valuable space. I know all about you and your family you are the rich and snotty type and Jenna doesn't deserve you. She belong here with us the family and friends that care about here, she will never fit in with your type of people she's too plain and frumpy. I will do everything in my power to keep her from falling for you even if I have to act like I'm interested in her myself. I lie to Jenna if that's what it takes, I will flatter her boost her esteem and once you are finally back to where you came from I'll dump her just like I did last time. I will put on a front just so that you can't have her. Mark my words one of us is going to loose everything and it won't be me." Patrick confidence and smug look as he patted Brock on the side of the face. Lilah growled louder an showed her teeth as if she was about to pounce on Patrick to save Brock. Patrick stood straighter and decided it would be in the best interest for him to leave before something bad happened.
No later than Patrick has left the room a few minutes before Jenna walked in with the IV bags in hand she dropped the bags when she noticed that Brock's heart rate and spiked high. She started to rip at the bankets and his gown trying to figure out what was goign on. Lilah jumped off the bed but stood close to Brock lay her head on Brock's hand and whinned. Jenna was confused and frightened at the thought of Brock leaving her. As her hands started to move over his body Brock's heart rate started to come back down slowly. The thought of loosing Brock almost made Jenna's knees buckled from under her.
"You are not allowed to leave me Brock Hammond, do you hear me? Other than Carolyn and Lilah you are the only person I... I care deeply for." Jenna wanted to say that she loved him but that would be not professional and she couldn't love someone that would end up breaking her heart.