Reversals of Fate

[NarnianMelody]

Leslie sniffed and let Mr. Aarons's words wash over her. He loves you, you know...
"Can I see him as soon as they come out?" she begged, looking up at Mr. Aarons hopefully.

[Bill Burke]

"You will. As soon as they come out," Jack reassured her. He reached out and extended his hand toward her parents. "Bill, Judy, thank you so much for bringing Leslie, and for coming."

Both of them pulled him into an embrace. "We had to, Jack," Judy sniffled. "Jess is very special to us too. And we're so sorry!"

Jack pulled back and looked at them with tears in his eyes. "Please don't be sorry.... If the police and Mr. Turner hadn't come out to ask if we knew where Jess was, Leslie would have been alone when she fell in the creek and she'd be..." He stopped short and stroked Leslie's back and shoulders. "It's the only sense I can make of this whole mess!"

A moment later, May Belle entered the room from the hallway, followed by her mother. At the sight of Leslie standing there, the little Fifth Grader rushed up and clung tightly and wordessly to her; the last time she'd caught a glimpse of Leslie, she had been strapped to a stretcher being placed in an ambulance, unconscious, pale and blue-lipped, and thoroughly drenched. The thought of losing both the big brother she adored and her brother's best friend whom she adored even more, in two unrelated accidents the same morning, had gripped her in sheer terror for the last 24 hours. She sobbed loudly into Leslie's chest.

Nancy Aarons then placed her arms around both girls. "Leslie! Thank God you're all right!"

*****

Revised 6/30/07, changing May Belle from a Second to a Fifth Grade, in accordance with the retcon (retroactive continuity) effective this date changing her age from 7 to 10.

[NarnianMelody]

Leslie tried to smile for their sake. "I'm feeling better. Can I...can I see Jess now?"
Mrs. Aarons hugged her for a moment longer, then she let go. May Belle still clung to her. "Of course," she said, blinking back tears. "Belle...let Leslie go in alone...she wants to see Jess...."
Leslie looked at Mrs. Aarons gratefully and quickly slipped over to the door. Her heart was pounding but she made her fingers turn the doorknob and open it.

[OCC Note: Jess is still in a coma, right?]

[Bill Burke]

Jack followed her into the room.

Jesse lay on his back, the head of the bed raised slightly. Both his eyes were blackened and there was a huge bruise on his forehead, oddly enough centered at the same spot where Leslie had hit her own head in the creek. His neck was in a whiplash collar, a band of electroencephalograph sensors circled the crown of his head, and clear plastic tubing connected his nostrils to the ventilator device. An intravenous tube ran from his left arm to an IV drip device. Except for his right foot which was in a cast and in traction, the rest of his body was covered in a blanket. It was quiet except for the slow, rhythmic pumping of the ventilator and the soft beeping of the heart monitor.

"Hey, Jess!" Jack forced a smile and a cheerfulness in his whispering voice. "There's someone here to see you!" He turned to Leslie and added, "The doctors say the best way to talk to someone in a coma is to assume that they can hear you. They often can."

[NarnianMelody]

Leslie nodded as Jack left the room. She pulled over a chair and sat down, gazing, heartbroken, at Jess.
"Hi," she said.
He looked awful, as though he really were between living and dying. Leslie felt her throat choke up but she tried to keep talking.
"I tried to go to Terabithia," she found herself saying. "But...but the rope broke, Jess. And people thought I wasn't going to make it. But now...."
She trailed off. Swallowing against the lump in her throat, she reached for Jess's hand under the blanket, and to her relief it was still warm.
"Don't leave me," she whispered softly. Tears slid down her cheeks yet again. "Please."

[Phantom]

Jess woke from a very odd dream. In it, he and Miss Edmonds had gone to the art museum and then on the way back...something had happened. That was where it got fuzzy.
Now, he found he was hooked up to tubes and wires attatching him to the bed. Struggling, he tried to get up, but to no avail. Then, suddenly, he heard Leslie's voice as though from very far away. He could hardly hear the words but managed to catch on to a few of them. "... to go to Terabithia, But...but the rope broke, Jess. And people thought I wasn't going to make it. But now...." she said and it sounded like she was crying. Jess was confused. What was going on here!?
"Leslie, I'm fine," he tried to say but no words came from his mouth.

(I'm sorry. I couldn't help jumping in ;D)

[NarnianMelody]

Leslie saw Jess's lips move and cried harder. "Please speak, Jess," she begged him. "Talk to me. Let me know you're still here!"

[I'm glad you jumped in, Phantom ]

[Phantom]

Jess struggled with all his might and finally managed to say something to the effect of, "Mfiydowoi."

[NarnianMelody]

Leslie's breath caught in her throat. She gripped Jess's hand harder then she would have normally. "What, Jess?" she gasped. "What did you say?"

[Phantom]

Jess sighed inside his head. If she really couldn't understand him, how the heck was he supposed to let her know he was okay!?
"Mm..fy..don..wurr.." he tried saying again.

(Oh yah! I'm glad you're glad that I jumped in ;D)

[NarnianMelody]

"It's okay, Jess..." Leslie whispered. She still couldn't understand him but she knew how hard he was trying. "I'm going to stay here...I don't care what the doctors say...I'm not leaving you. You're going to be okay, Jess. I promise...."

[Phantom]

Leslie's words comforted Jess, but only slightly. He wished someone, somehow, could explain to him why he was hooked up to wires binding him to a unwelcoming bed. He remembered the museum...Miss Edmonds...the car....and that was where it went blank. Angrily he tried sitting up even though it would be no use.
"Leslie..." was all he could manage to murmur, though in his head he was shouting.

[NarnianMelody]

"Oh, Jess," Leslie said in despair. Jess was trying so, so hard to speak....
"You don't have to say anything, Jess," she told him gently. "Just rest now, okay? You were in a horrible car accident...you need to save your energy...."

[Phantom]

A car accident! THAT was what had him here! Suddenly all the details in memory were thrown at him forcefully. He shut his eyes trying to block them out; unaware that they were already shut. He had glanced out the window only to see a car speeding right towards them. "Miss Edmonds..." the rest of his words were cut off in a flurry of the car flipping over and over. Jess shuddered as it played over and over again in his head.
Yet, he was still thankful to Lelsie for telling him. At lest now he knew....though to what extent he was injured was still a mystery.
Leslie had told him to save his energy...how was he supposed to save it when so much of it was bubbling inside of him wanting to be let out?
"Ok, I will..." he muttered vaguely. If Leslie wanted him to rest, he supposed he would do it...but only because she was Leslie.

[NarnianMelody]

Leslie saw Jess relax in his bed; somewhere deep inside of her, she felt her stomach unclench slightly as she relaxed as well.
"I'm right here," she murmured again. "Just relax...you'll be okay, you'll be okay..."