“Do you think he’ll still be at the courthouse?” asked Cody.
“Don’t know. But he’s wearing a tracking device I gave him so I’ll be able to find him,” Dylon replied. “Contact Jackson on your way back and let him know what happened. I’ll be in touch once I have Hunter. Here we are.”
Opening the car door, Dylon got out before turning around and lifting Fionn to his shoulders in a fireman’s carry. When his mate climbed out and joined him on the sidewalk, Dylon told the driver to wait, then led Cody inside to an elevator. Once safely inside, he hit the button for the roof. When the doors opened, Dylon found Robert standing there.
Adjusting Fionn on his shoulders, Dylon nodded to Cody to go ahead of him. Before leaving the elevator, he hit the stop button to keep it there. Only after Cody and Fionn were safely aboard the chopper and aloft, did he turn toward the elevator.
~/~/~/~/~
Listening to Ian explain what happened that morning, Jackson kept his eyes on his mother, trying to see any difference in her but found none. She looked as she did the last time he visited—eyes closed, no movement—nothing that would indicate she’d come out of her coma. Finally, he said, “Ian, I hear what you’re saying but I’m sorry…I don’t see any sign she’s come back to us. Are you sure she hasn’t relapsed?”
“Trust me, she hasn’t. The reason I asked you to come down is Hope should be waking soon and I thought you should be here for it…along with Daniel. According to Dakota, it was the mention of his pup that did the trick in pulling your mother out of her depression. Seeing Daniel would be the best medicine for her right now.”
“Okay,” Jackson said. Using his mind link with Steel, he asked him to bring Daniel down to him. Getting a response, he said to Ian, “Daniel will be here shortly, but have you considered he might be a bad reminder to my mother of the pups she lost?”
“It’s a possibility, of course, but after listening to Dakota, I’m betting it’s exactly what Hope needs to give her the will to recover. I’m not saying you and your brothers won’t achieve that, but having a pup to cuddle and mother will give her a purpose, similar to what she had with your younger siblings. Losing that pushed your mother to the edge of giving up.”
Glancing over Ian’s shoulder, Jackson smiled, as Steel walked toward him holding Daniel. “Well, I’m willing to try anything if it will help my mother recover and find some happiness.”
“Good,” Ian said. “It’s time to check Hope’s vitals, so give me a minute. Once I start, she should wake up, so come in then.”
Taking Daniel from Steel, Jackson said, “Will do.” Giving his son a belly tickle and a kiss, he grinned at Daniel’s giggling, before turning and pointing at his mother. “That’s gramma, baby. Can you say gramma?”
Placing a blood pressure cuff on Hope, Ian wasn’t surprised when she opened her eyes, blinking several times before looking at him. “Hi Hope, I’m Ian, your doctor…”
“W-w-where’s Mac?”
“He’s here, do you want to see him?”
Licking her lips, Hope said, “W-w-water?”
Picking up a pitcher of ice water, Ian poured some in a plastic glass, then added a straw. Holding it up for her, he said, “Tiny sips, Hope, okay?”
Sucking on the straw, Hope felt the cold water trickle down her parched throat, soothing it, but mindful of the doctor’s instructions, she stopped and asked again, “M-m-mac, please?”
Setting the glass down, Ian replied, “Give me a minute to finish taking your vitals and then I’ll get him, okay?”
Giving a small, nod, Hope watched Ian for a few moments before looking around her room. When her eyes landed on the hall window opposite her bed, she was startled to find someone staring at her. Unable at first to clearly see who it was, she narrowed her eyes, then gasped as she realized it was her first-born. Reaching out with one arm, she cried, “Jackie!”
Hearing Hope call out, Ian quickly looked at her, then at the window, aware of what had happened. “Do you want to see Jackson?” he asked.
“Y-y-yes, please…my Jackie.”
Walking over, Ian opened the door, and smiling at Jackson, said, “C’mon, your mother wants to see you.”
Shifting his glance to Ian, Jackson asked, “How is she?”
“Good, but still weak,” Ian said, as Jackson walked past him into the hospital room and over to his mother’s bed.
“Hey, Mom, how are you doing?” he asked softly.
“J-j-jackie, baby, is that really you?”
“Yup, it’s me,” Jackson said. “And this big fellow is my son, Daniel.”
Hope’s eyes grew round at that. “Y-y-you named him after your grandpa?”
Reaching out with his chubby arm and pointing at Hope, Daniel said, “Gramm, gramm.”
