“Go to sleep Wes. I’m not leaving. I promise.” Wes felt his eyes grow heavy and he couldn’t help the sleep that over took him.
An hour later Wes was moved into a private room and Jo settled once again into a chair next to his bed. She held his hand and rested her forehead on his arm. Soon Jo had fallen asleep.
She woke up to a nurse bustling in to check Wes' vitals. She brushed the sleep from her eyes and saw that Wes was awake and watching her.
“Wes? Oh my gosh.”
He was grinning at her.
"Well good morning sleeping beauty." The matronly nurse said good-humoredly seeing that Wes had woken up.
“How about some water?” Jo asked him.
“Yes.” He rasped out.
“Are you supposed to be talking?” She said to him, and then she directed the question to the nurse. “Is he supposed to be talking?”
The nurse chuckled at her concern. “If he can, it’s okay. He shouldn’t push it.”
“Hear that Wes? Don’t push it.” She said giving him as stern a look as she could muster. Inside she was doing a happy dance that he was already on the mend.
Jo filled the pink plastic cup and inserted a straw for him. She then lifted the head of the bed up and helped him drink. Wes had wrapped his hand around her wrist to steady himself and when he finished he murmured a thank you.
“His throat is going to be sore. He can have water, juice and jello. You'll find all of that down the hall." She said kindly before leaving the room.
Jo nodded. “I’m going to get you jello.” Jo turned to go but Wes maintained his grip on her wrist.
“Wes?”
He pulled her closer to him, his eyes finding hers. She knew he wanted to tell her something. She guessed what it was. “I’m not leaving you Wes. I’ll be right back. Jello. Then I’m right back, I promise.”
She saw him relax and she placed a tiny kiss on his cheek. He let go of her wrist and let her leave.
Wes spent the next two days nodding off and on. Each time he woke up he stayed awake long enough for her to feed him some jello or sherbet and some water. Jo only left his room to fetch things from the refrigerator down the hall. She knew she looked a mess but she didn’t care. She couldn’t leave him.
It was the third day of Wes being in the hospital and he was starting to stay awake for longer periods of time. The doctor had taken the catheter out, but the IV remained hooked up to him. He was allowed to use the bathroom if he felt strong enough, which he always did, however someone had to be with him. Andy and Jace had visited each day, sometimes more than once. They always helped Wes to the bathroom when they were there, other wise she helped him. Each time they were there they told Jo they would stay with him, but she refused to leave.
Jo had kept Auggie and Griff posted on Wes' condition, like she had promised, and when she spoke with them that morning she asked Auggie to bring her a change of clothes to the hospital.
Jo looked at her phone when it pinged, alerting her to a text message. Auggie was on his way up with her clothes. When he came into the room he saw that Wes was sleeping and Jo was fiddling with an App on her phone.
“Thanks Auggie.” Jo whispered taking the plastic bag of clothes from him.
“How’s he doing?”
“Better I think.”
“Yeah. Okay you need anything else?”
“No, I’m good. You guys should head back to the Lake.”
“Yeah, Griff needs to get to work.”
“I really appreciate everything Auggie.”
“I know kiddo.” Auggie hugged her good bye.
With clean clothes in hand Jo decided she needed to shower while Wes was still sleeping. There was a family shower down the hall so she gathered her things and left the room.