Chapter 20
Jemima lay still in her bed, her fragile form barely visible beneath the sterile white sheets. Alan's worry was palpable as he turned to Vanessa, seeking reassurance about Jemima's condition.
"Will she be okay?" Alan's voice trembled with concern, his eyes fixed on Vanessa, who, despite being a licensed medical practitioner, had chosen a different path in the mafia world. She administered medical care to Jemima while Alan watched and Jay and Dimitri hung outside of the room, waiting for news.
"Yes, she will! She just needs some time to rest," Vanessa's voice was calm, her gaze focused on the IV drip in Jemima's hand. The aftermath of Dennis's actions had taken its toll on Jemima.
As days passed, Jemima's condition remained precarious, her consciousness fleeting as she battled inner demons.
"Jem!" Alan, by her side, whispered her name softly, witnessing her restless sleep filled with signs of distress.
"What's happening to her?" Alan's eyes pleaded with Vanessa for answers, his worry deepening with each passing moment.
"She seems to be caught in a nightmare," Vanessa responded, her hands checking Jemima's pulse amidst the chaotic beeping of the monitors.
Suddenly, Jemima's anguished scream pierced the air, her eyes opening abruptly, wide with fear and confusion.
"Her blood pressure has increased, spiking the rate of her heart. She needs to be sedated, Stat!" Vanessa acted swiftly, explaining the urgency of stabilizing Jemima's escalating heart rate to prevent further complications.
"Jem, please, look at me," Alan's voice was desperate, his gaze locked with Jemima's as she struggled against unseen terrors.
"Alan, move!" Vanessa urged, a sense of urgency lacing her tone but Alan refused to budge.
"Alan!" Vanessa's voice cut through his distress, bringing him back to the present moment, where Jemima's fight for recovery hung in the balance.
"I won't! If she woke up from a nightmare then sedating her is just going to send her right back, let me talk to her for a few minutes and see if she'll calm down, please," Alan pleaded, trying to see reason with her.
"Two minutes," Vanessa muttered, walking out of the room to give them some privacy.
"Jem, please talk to me! It's me Alan, look at me, please!" Alan begged, tears streaming down his face as he stared at the monitor, Jemima's heart rate increasing by the minute. Jemima remained still, unmoving as she focused her gaze on the ceiling, her breathing barely audible.
"Please Jem, I can't afford to lose you too," Alan pleaded, his mind briefly fleeting to his sick father in New York.
"Too?" Jemima queries, her eyes slowly drifting to Alan's figure.
"Jem!" Alan whispered softly, deflecting her question. He didn't want to bring up Jon's critical condition especially when she was in a critical condition herself.
"You came! You came for me!" Jemima said, a tear running down her face. Alan reached forward as he wiped it off her cheek.
"Jem, I'll always be here for you. Come what May," Alan declared, his voice filled with unwavering loyalty, causing a shy smile to grace Jemima's lips as the heart monitor's beeping faded, signaling a return to normalcy in her heart rate.
A surge of emotions overwhelmed Jemima, a lump forming in her throat, making her cough slightly.
"Is everything okay?" Vanessa's voice rang with concern as she hurried into the room, followed closely by Jay and Dimitri.
"Yeah, she's alright," Alan reassured, tenderly running his fingers through Jemima's hair. Her eyes remained shut, hesitant to face Jay. The vulnerability she felt made her wish for solitude, away from the sympathetic gazes.
"How are you holding up, Jem?" Dimitri's voice echoed in the room, his question hanging in the air.
"How do I look?" Jemima's voice croaked, her throat dry. Jay, noticing her discomfort, swiftly handed her a bottle of water.
"Here you go," Jay offered, extending the bottle with a tight-lipped expression. Jemima scrutinized him for a moment before accepting the water, thirstily swallowing its contents.
"Thank you," she whispered softly, using the back of her hand to brush away the droplets at the corner of her mouth.
In a fleeting instant, Jemima locked eyes with Jay, a stirring sensation awakening within her. She tried to grasp the feeling but swiftly pushed it aside. The weight of their shared history in London hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over the room.
Alan, sensing the tension, cleared his throat, seeking to ease the palpable unease between Jemima and Jay.
"So, Alan, how's Jon doing?" Jemima shifted her attention to Alan, her inquiry causing a moment of hesitation in him. He grappled with the decision to reveal Jon's true condition or shield her until she recovered.
"He's alright, told me to ensure your safety," Alan responded, opting for a partial truth. He silently vowed to disclose the full extent once she was stronger, gently caressing her knuckles as he did.
"Thank you," Jemima murmured, her gaze sweeping over them. Grateful for their aid in her rescue from Dennis' torment.
As memories of her harrowing ordeal with Dennis resurfaced, Jemima trembled with fear. She shut her eyes tightly, willing the haunting thoughts away.
"You're safe now, Jem," Vanessa whispered, her touch offering solace as she held Jemima's hands tenderly.
The tranquility shattered when Jay callously remarked, "I think she got what she deserved!" Shocked silence enveloped the room as all eyes turned to him, bewildered by his words.
“What the fuck!” Alan's expletive-laden reaction mirrored the group's disbelief, rising to challenge Jay's statement.
Jemima's unwavering gaze bore into Jay, her clenched fist betraying the surge of thoughts on retribution flooding her mind more intensely than before.
"I mean, if she had just heeded my advice from the start, she wouldn't have endured such excruciating moments," Jay declared boldly, his voice cutting through the tension like a sharp blade. With a nonchalant air, he slipped his hands into his pockets, striding out of the room, indifferent to the impact of his words on Jemima.
Jemima's gaze shifted to Dimitri, a wordless exchange passing between them, a shared understanding lingering in the charged atmosphere. Dimitri's clenched jaw betrayed his simmering anger, his resolve mounting to address Jay's callousness head-on.
"No, Dimitri, please don't," Jemima implored urgently, her voice tinged with desperation, her heart racing in her chest like a wild stallion galloping towards the edge of a cliff, teetering on the brink of chaos and uncertainty. As the world around her blurred, she felt herself slipping into a tumultuous void of unconsciousness, the echoes of her plea fading into the unknown.