Chapter 53

Ana looked towards the door where Jack had his eyes on. It was Landon, he was standing at the door like an avenging angel, his blonde hair shining.

"Landon," Ana whispered. Landon didn't say a word but he walked towards the bed. He didn't even stop to tell Jack hi or anything. He wasn't of importance.

He reached the bed and he took Ana into his arms. She choked on a sob and she held on to him.

Jack respectfully moved from the bed. It wasn't that he appreciated their hugs and touches and that he was okay with them in such an intimate embrace.

But that was okay. He was learning to accept their relationship. They had been friends for even longer than he had known and loved Ana. In as much as he wished it wasn't the case, their friendship was strong. And he couldn't even think of destroying it. Not that it would work.

He watched them for a minute, whispering God knew what into each other's ears. Then he looked away. It was hard enough accepting it. But watching it was another issue.

So he walked to the window and looked down at the city. All of sudden, he was at at peace. Ana loved him. She trusted him. So why couldn't he trust her as well?

Landon was her friend. And she had proved to him countless times that they were really nothing but friends. By the way, Landon had become.. something to him. Not quite a friend but not quite a rival either.

Jack turned away from the window and stared at them for a moment. They were no longer hugging each other but Landon's hand was on Ana's.

"If both of you keep that up, I might become terribly jealous," Jack drawled, walking towards the bed. He infused enough lightness into his voice to make it seem like he was joking. But he saw Landon's strained smile. He had noticed. He knew that Jack wasn't joking.

"Oh shut up," Ana said with a smile on her face. Jack sent her a mock threatening look and she blushed.

Jack knew what he was doing when he called Landon. In some kind of way he was trying to earn Ana's trust once again. But that was not the only thing; Landon would have to leave soon enough and then he would have time with Ana.

He wanted to speak to her. He wanted to reassure her and to make her understand how much of a fool he had been. He wanted her forgiveness more than anything on this Earth.

He wanted to let her know that he loved her and in a way, he lived for her. Since he had met her, he was thriving in a way that he had not thought possible before. And he needed to let her know all this.

He stared at the pair on the bed and as he was about to speak, someone knocked and got in. It was the nurse. Jada. It was obvious that she was shocked to see Ana in such an intimate position with some other man.

She looked at Jack with a slightly asking look on her face then looked back at Landon and Ana. When she met Landon's eyes though, it was like something happened.

She stared at him for a while then she averted her eyes and cleared her throat, wanting to say what had brought her into the room

"Miss Elliot?" the nurse called out in a shaky voice, clearly not happy to interrupting what she thought was a lover's embrace. Jack stifled his pained chuckle

Landon whispered something into Ana's ear then stood and walked away from the bed. "Knight. Later," he said and as he was about leaving, his eyes fell on the pretty nurse standing next to the bed.

He looked at her for a while then nodded. She blushed even though he had not given her any particular attention then smiled as he left.

Then the strangest thing happened. Instead of Landon to continue and keep going, he stopped instead. It appeared he wanted to say something but he thought better of it and after saying another bye to Ana and Jack, walked out without a word to the nurse.

Jada was flustered and her brown cheeks had some sort of a red hue to them. This was the first time a man was having this kind of effect on her. Not since about five years anyways

She had thought she had outgrown all this, she had thought she would never get attracted to anybody again, after all what had happened to her. But turns out she was sorely wrong.

Jada had to keep her mouth shut while checking the patient's vitals if not she was going to do something stupid like ask get about Landon. And she knew trouble when she saw it. All she hoped was that none of the other two occupants of the room had noticed her strange reaction.

Ana noticed though. She had wanted to say something to break the strange reverie Landon and Jada had found themselves in. But she was reluctant to. She wanted Landon to be happy and that was the most attention he had paid to a woman who was not her in years.

She didn't mean he had remained celibate all this time. No. That wasn't it. But Landon had never had that much of a reaction to a woman. He had never spared them second glances and it was almost comical the way he stopped to look at Jada again

Ana looked up at Jada, who hadn't a word since Landon had left and the woman looked flushed. Ana opened her mouth to tease her, but she had just met the woman and she didn't know how she would take to teasing

So she settled for, "Handsome, isn't he?"

Jada looked down at her, startled. "Huh? Uh, yeah. Yeah, he is," she said with an even deeper flush.

Ana stifled her urge to giggle and decided not to torment the young and pretty nurse anymore. She let her do her work until she left.

As soon as Jada left the room and closed the door behind her, Jack practically pounced on Ana, taking care not to hurt her though or cause damage to her IV connected arm.

"At last," he sighed and even though Ana didn't say anything out loud, she tightened her arms around him as a silent agreement.

"You don't know how scared I was Ana. I thought– I thought I was never going to see your smile again and it would have been my fault," Jack said and Ana grew sad at the fact that he seemed so vulnerable.

"It wasn't your fault Jack. Stop thinking like that," Ana tried to reassure him, smoothing his hair.

"But it bloody was. I was the one who chose to doubt you just at the moment you didn't need it. I did all that and it could have as well been me who called for your kidnapping," Jack said and sighed. It was like he was far away.

"When I saw you, weak, while that bitch was standing all smug I felt like committing murder and I probably would have if Geralds weren't there."

***

"You bitch! What did you do to her?" Jack exclaimed softly as he held Ana in his arms and checked frantically for a beating pulse.

"I didn't do anything I swear," the girl said tearfully. She wasn't a good criminal after all. She collapsed easily under pressure. "I was just following orders."

"And your following orders is what is going to lead you to jail. Follow me miss. You're under arrest," one of the officers said and the girl exploded into hysterics.

Nobody could hear a word of what she was saying, neither did anybody care to. It was like all thoughts of Dorothy had vanished from Jack's mind. All he could focus on was Ana, who didn't even seem to be waking up.

He looked up and saw Landon standing there with tears in his eyes. "Did you call an ambulance yet?" Jack asked, trying his best to control his tears. He couldn't start crying now. He wouldn't. Ana was not dead. She was going to be okay. As well as the baby.

"They're on their way," Landon said, swallowing, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

Jack let out a sight of relief and looked down at Ana again. He traced random patterns on her arm and frowned when he noticed she had lost some weight. He knew every inch of her body and he knew her cheeks were looking a bit sallow.

As he was about to comment, they heard the sound of the ambulance. Quickly, but gently so as not to jostle her, he lifted Ana into his arms. He walked outside briskly and halted the first paramedic he saw.

"She's hurt. I don't know where. But she fainted," he said, not even noticing that Landon was behind him.

The paramedic quickly gave him instructions and he followed them and put Ana on the narrow bed in the ambulance. He looked at her. She looked frail, not at all like the strong woman he had contributed in breaking.

Landon was about to enter but they stopped him. "I'm sorry sir. Only one person at a time is allowed in the ambulance with the patient," a woman said apologetically.

Landon and Jack stared at each other then Landon tilted his head as if to give Jack the go-ahead. Jack was grateful cause he was too selfish to give up his place for Landon, not even for the only person he was sure loved Ana as much as him.

But Landon didn't stay around feeling useless. As soon as they ambulance doors were closed, an officer came to him. And he walked to the patrol car and got in.

Arriving the hospital though, Jack was not allowed to go further. He was ushered to the waiting room and in as much as it was killing him to stand there idly while waiting for the doctor to come and tell them what exactly was wrong with Ana, he had no other fucking choice.

He paced around for a moment, then after a while he sat on one of the very uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room and waited, no pun intended.

He sat with his hands in his head. He had made sure that Ana was placed in the best room, with the best doctor and obstetrician. But that did nothing to assuage his guilt.

It was his damn fault. And if Ana lost her life or the baby, he would never forgive himself. How could he be so foolhardy that he didn't notice that his mother was just stringing him like a puppet?

That she was manipulating him into seeing things her way? All she did was play on Jack's insecurities and it was a done deal. Dorothy knew how to push his buttons and he had not noticed until recently what a vindictive woman she was.

He felt a presence next to him. He really didn't feel like looking at anybody. He suspected it was Geralds but he had no desire to lift up his head and confirm his thoughts.

He deserved to wallow in self pity all his life. And he wouldn't even resent Ana if she decided not to forgive him. He didn't trust her. He had shown that countless times.

But it wasn't easy to trust when everyone around you, including your mother, wanted you for who you represented. Jack had been used to living quite jaded that it had never occurred to him that Ana could be sincere.

Of course sometimes he had actually believed in her. But he had doubted so many times that he had caused them their beautiful relationship and he had most probably made her hate him.

She had all the rights to hate him all he asked was that she woke up and that the baby was alright as well.

"That's what you were thinking? You poor bastard," Ana said with a frown marring her beautiful features.

"Ana I know all this is true. You might not hate me but I want you to hate me," Jack said, then he rectified his statement. "No that's not quite the truth. I don't want you to hate me. But I deserve your hate. I have doubted you so many times when you have given me no reason to."

"And I have forgiven you Jack," Ana said but Jack was still not convinced. It was apparent that he had not yet forgiven himself and no matter what Ana said, he was not going to listen

"Did–" Jack started asking q question then he interrupted himself. He swallowed then asked the question again. "What happened? What did that bitch do to you?"

Ana's look turned angry. She was mad at Tasha, Tasha who had been a thorn in her flesh since she had started working and who had treated her like shit.

"She– she starved me. Deliberately. I told her I was hungry and she would eat in front of me. And she would taunt me. She would tell me how pretty she was, how she deserved everything I had and how I didn't. She.. she almost broke me," the last part was whispered.

Jack sat up and pulled Ana into his arms. In as much as he wanted to kiss her, he felt that comforting her would be much more appropriate. He doubted she was in the right state of mind to receive his advances.

All of a sudden, his mind went back to that day.

***

Jack and Landon had been sitting there for over forty five minutes before anybody came to them and told them what was wrong with Ana. That was not for lack of trying though.

Both men were extremely impatient and so just sitting around was out of the question. They had harassed and even tried to convince the lady at the front desk with soft smiles. They were that desperate.

It was silent for a moment then they heard "Family of Ana Elliot?"

Both of them scrambled up. "That's us," Landon said and the doctor stared at them skeptically.

Jack's frown though was enough to make her swallow whatever remark she was about to make. "I'm her fiance and he's her brother. Problem?"

"None at all sir," she said and gulped. It was like she had remembered that when the girl had come in, she was said to be Jack Knight's fiance. And that was most likely who she had in front of her.

"Ana is okay. She is just tired and a bit malnourished. We've induced rest and she will probably wake up in about two to three days but I beg of both of you to be patient," the doctor said and both men looked at each other in relief.

"What about the baby? And can we see her now?" Jack asked, not even realizing that a smile had come over his face.

Jack was a striking man no lie about that and so it was no surprise that the doctor gulped at the blinding intensity of his smile. "The baby is okay Mr. Knight. And of course you can see her now. I'll ask the nurse to show you to her room," the doctor said then turned on her heels and walked away.

Jack and Landon looked at each other in shared relief. Both of them had been terribly worried. They both loved Ana and she meant a lot to them. So hearing she was alright had definitely brought a lot of joy.

"Did you find my mother?" Jack asked softly, not really sure he wanted to hear the response.

"We are still looking but she's nowhere to be found," Landon responded. He looked at the other man closely and almost felt sorry for him.

It's not that he didn't want to pity the man. It's just that he knew Jack wouldn't be receptive to pity of any kind. Especially not from him.

"What about Veronica?" Jack asked, "Does she know what happened to Ana?"

Landon's expression grew pained. He had no idea that someone could be so callous, especially when it concerned her own kid. "I tried to get her to. But she said she other matters to take care of."

The expression on Jack's face was alarming. It was almost like he would go to Veronica right now and ask the woman to come and see her daughter.

He was mad and justifiably so. But he didn't say anything. Landon was mad as well but both of them, as impatient as they were, decided to keep their anger under wraps and go and see how Ana was faring.

They followed the nurse docilely to Ana's room, both of them extremely preoccupied.

***

"So she refused to come?" Ana asked with a big lump in her throat. She swallowed and it refused to go down.

"I'm sorry love," Jack said, then placed a kiss on her forehead, then a chaste on her lips.

"It's okay Jack," she whispered, "It's not your fault."

Jack held her close nonetheless and kept on whispering sweet nothings into her ear. And amidst those words, placed feathery light kisses on her skin. On her nose, on her mouth, her neck, collarbone. Every part of skin that was exposed.

They were sitting in serene tranquility when the door burst open. Ana's eyes widened at the violence and Jack turned ready to break whoever was standing there into half.

It was nobody other than his own mother, Dorothy Knight, standing there with a gun pointed at both of them.

"Mother..." he whispered then trailed it out. He had no idea what he could say to her.

"Why hello son. I had no idea you remembered you still had a mother," Dorothy said, her voice shaky but her grip on the fire arm quite steady.

"Mother what are you doing?" Jack asked, holding a protective arm over Ana.

"Isn't it obvious? Or do you think I've come to play at water gun fight with you and that?" she asked sarcastically, referring to Ana.

"Mother stop. You don't need to do this–" Jack started but he was roughly interrupted by Dorothy who let out a hysterical laugh.

"And just why don't I need to do this? You were my son, you were with me. I gave you everything. Every fucking thing!"

Jack was still holding Ana and apparently that infuriated his mother who jerked her gun at both of them. "Stand up. Get his arms off you and stand up!" she exclaimed, jerking the gun at Ana frantically.

"Me?" Ana whispered, looking extremely frightened.

"Yes you, dumb bitch. Who else?" Dorothy asked and advanced a little with the gun. She had locked the door behind her and she knew that the rooms were soundproof; if there was any ruckus, none of the staff was likely to hear.

Ana stood on shaky legs and Jack persisted in holding her. When he did that, it apparently fired up Dorothy's ire even more and she aimed straight at Ana's bed and shot. A warning shot.

Jack lifted his hands and stepped away from Ana. He didn't want to see her hurt. He was seeing a different side of his mother today, one he would have preferred never to see.

"Yes, now walk towards me," Dorothy continued giving her orders. Ana advanced shakily, her hand on her bump. She was still weak and this amount of physical activity was not recommended.

"Faster bitch. I bet when my son was plowing you that's what you were screaming right?" Dorothy asked, with a nasty smile.

Ana gasped and looked at Jack who was standing as well. As soon as his mother said that, he started advancing towards her. "Mother–" he started but she turned the gun at Ana.

"Stay where you are or I shoot her," Dorothy said and she was serious. If Jack had moved a little again, she would have shot Ana.

"You're so ungrateful. Just like your father. I gave you everything you could ever desire in this world. I loved you! And I saved your stupid hide more than once. And this is how you fucking repay me," Dorothy screamed, the gun still pointed at Ana.

"Every fucking thing I did, it was for you. I made sure you were someone. I took care of you. And you dare disrespect me for this," she said, referring to Ana. "No class at all and a n*gger. Have you no shame? No class? I brought you up better than this."

"Mother–"

"Shut up! Let me talk! You had ample opportunity to talk, you did. You came to see me, pushed me against the wall. You broke my heart. After all I have done for you. You fucking broke my heart. Yes I am your mother. You are my son. But I will never forgive you for this," Dorothy said, not bothering to wipe the tears that were going down her cheeks.

"And you," she continued, looking at Ana now, "You took my son away from me. How dare you? He was the only thing I loved. The only one who loved me. And you came and took him away from me. How dare you?" she was crying in earnest this time, but that didn't make her aim less steady.

"Mother, I loved you. I still do. I don't want anything bad to happen to you and I would never dream of hurting you. You always said you wanted a grandchild. What changed mother?"

"Everything changed Jack! Everything. I would have chosen a wife for you. A girl from a respectable family. Not some low life n*gger bitch. You could have done better. I am trying to rectify those mistakes you made," Dorothy said, seeming so sure of her words.

Ana stared at Jack's mother with a strange kind of pity on her face. The woman was far gone. She had wanted to control Jack's life to the last detail. It broke her heart when Dorothy spoke about Jack breaking her heart.

Ana was already protective of this baby and she didn't want to imagine if the baby turned against her so easily. Even though everything Jack had done was for valid reasons.

Ana felt so bad for Jack. He was suffering right now and she wished she could comfort him. His mother had been his pillar for so long and she knew how much he had wanted them to like each other. So to hear that all what she was saying, she knew it was a blow to him. That's why she didn't have the mind to hate this woman.

Of course she was scared. The woman was wielding a gun and seemed to know how to use it perfectly. But how could she hate this woman who had sunk into this attitude because she loved her son too much? How?

"Mother, don't do this," Jack said, "I love you. You know that. But that's my kid we are talking about. And the woman I love. Do you think it was easy knowing that you paid someone to have her kidnapped?" he asked quietly.

Dorothy stared at him for a while then said, "I never counted on you loving your woman this much. Not as much as you loved me."

"Mother no one could replace you. Nobody. The love I feel for you is not the same I feel for her. You're my mother. My confidante. I love you mother. For my sake, please let the gun down," Jack said, coaxing. He saw that she was relaxing her will.

But then the strangest thing happened. The door burst open. "Police! Drop your weapon!"

Dorothy panicked and as she about to shoot, Jack tackled her. "I'm sorry mother. I love you," he said then took the gun from her.

He gave it to the officer who helped him up. He looked away, not wanting to see the officers take her away. He felt a presence behind him. It was Ana.

She started talking but got an intense look on her face. "The baby," she said breathlessly then fainted.