It had certainly been something to see a tall, good-looking man in a Superman outfit, complete with cape and snug-fitting shorts, come walking into the emergency room with an injured man slung over one shoulder and a frantic young woman limping at his side. There had been a flurry of excitement and activity as onlookers murmured amongst each other, wondering whether the Man of Steel himself had somehow managed to get sucked through the Nexus. Even when it became quickly apparent that he wasn't who he seemed to be, there was still some excitement in knowing a famous and homegrown movie star had entered their midst, but when it became clear that this wasn't a publicity stunt, but that someone - two someone's - lives were in danger, the ER staff wasted no time before taking action. It had been touch and go for a while, at least as far as Taylor had been concerned, and Jon had done his best to keep Kaylee calm and reassure her that he was in good hands.
As it happened, there were a couple of healers on staff, and both Taylor and Kaylee were well cared for. A few hours later found Taylor in stable condition and both resting peacefully, Kaylee refusing to leave Taylor's side. Jon had finally found a moment to call home and give them the good news, but had promised to stay a while longer to keep further watch over his charges. One of the nurses on staff had taken pity on him and brought him a white coat to toss on over his costume, as well as a sandwich and cup of coffee.
He claimed a seat across the room, in sight of the injured couple, but far enough away to give them a little privacy while he sipped his coffee and flipped through a couple of magazines to pass the time. Like Superman, he was only too happy to have been there when he was needed and to have been able to help. Family was important to him - more important than a Halloween party - and he had no intention of leaving until he knew for sure they were going to be okay, or until Rufus and Miranda arrived to relieve him, whichever came first.
With her injuries healed, Kaylee only had eyes for Taylor, her pale face deeply concerned as she watched him sleep. Curled up in the chair she had dragged close against the bed, her hand in that of the sleeping man's, she looked very young beneath the hospital's unforgiving lights. Despite their success, she was dreadfully afraid that Taylor wasn't going to wake up. As Jon came back in, she was speaking to the sleeping man, her voice very close to tears. "Please wake up," she was whispering. "I'm frightened, Tay. Don't make me do this without you."
Jon frowned as he watched the young woman - a woman whom he'd been told had once almost been like a sister to him before he'd done something stupid and broken her heart. Was he the reason she'd gone away' He wasn't really sure, nor was he the same person he'd been before, but he wasn't sure that mattered. All he wanted right now was to see a smile on her face, and he knew there was only one man who could put it there and it wasn't him. "Kaylee," he said as gently as he could as he stepped closer. "He's gonna be okay. He's just resting. They dosed him pretty good."
She raised haunted, wet eyes to her cousin, and for a long moment there was silence, the little girl who had always run to Jon conflicted with the young woman who was wary of everyone and everything. "He has to wake up," she whimpered softly, not even ashamed of how close she was to tears. "I don't know what to do without him."
Jon's frown deepened, his heart going out to the young woman who'd once been like another sister to him and he closed the distance between them, crouching down beside her so that they were more at eye level and he wasn't towering over her. He reached for her hands, taking them into his own, seeing the pain and the fear on her face, and the tears in her eyes. "He's going to wake up, Bug. I promise. You just have to be patient."
She startled at the sound of that nickname, something he hadn't called her for years. Her hands gripped his tightly. "What if he doesn't?" she whispered, heartbroken by the thought. "What if I'm all on my own again? I can't do it, Jon, I can't."
He gave her hands a gentle, reassuring squeeze, his voice as calm and comforting as that of a father to a child. "He's gonna be fine, Kay. He's just resting. You have to trust me." He let go of one hand to brush her hair back from her face, his heart aching to see the pain and fear in her eyes. "You're not alone, you know. I know I haven't been here for you much the last few years..." He frowned a moment, unable to remember past a certain point, knowing there had been some conflict between them. "But I'm here now. And so is Vicki and Humphrey and Des and Piper..." He broke off, as there were too many of them to name. "We love you, and we're all here for you, if you let us. I know you're worried about Taylor, but he's gonna be fine. You're both gonna be fine."
Kaylee held his gaze for a long moment. Unlike him, she remembered the incident that was bothering him, and had put it to rest a long time ago. "Jonny ....you know it doesn't matter, right?" she asked him softly. "I got over it, and now ..." She looked toward Taylor, sleeping peacefully but so still in the clinical bed. "I'm so scared, Jonny."
Jon's frown softened, blue eyes warm with affection and compassion. "I'm not gonna lie to you, Kaylee. I don't understand everything you or Taylor have been through, but life is full of worry. It takes a lot of courage to give your heart to someone. Nothing in life is certain. That's why you have to embrace it, grab on hard for all it's worth and hold on tight. Trust me, I know how hard it is. I never felt more alone than when I woke up in the hospital bed and couldn't even remember my own name. I did a lot of stupid things in my life, trying to figure out who I was. When I met Vicki, I realized none of that mattered. You can either spend your life worrying about dying, worrying about losing the ones you love, or you can spend it living. It's as simple as that. Every day is a gift, Kaylee. When he wakes up - and he's gonna wake up - you remember that. You embrace everyday together and have no regrets."
Bloodied, soot-stained, and covered in dirt, nonetheless he could see clearly as Kaylee absorbed what he said to her. It had been a very long time since she'd spoken to Jon; even before her seven month sojourn in that appalling place, she'd avoided him, and yet now, she couldn't understand why. He'd always been there for her, even when she had been absent. "Thank you, Jonny." Drawing her hands out of his, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the cousin she'd once thought she was in love with. Her lips brushed his cheek. "I'm sorry I stayed away so long."
He opened his arms to her, as he had countless times before, though he didn't remember it, offering the strength and the comfort of those arms, like a big brother might to a sister. He had come a long way in the last few years, and though there would always be a little guilt and a little angst lurking somewhere beneath the surface because that was too much a part of who he was, he had grown and matured into the man that he'd always wanted to be. "You were never far from my heart, no matter how far away you went. I'm glad you're home, Kay, and I'm glad you found someone who cares for you and gives you all the love you deserve," he told her quietly, intimately, as though these words were for her alone, which in all truth, they were.
As it happened, there were a couple of healers on staff, and both Taylor and Kaylee were well cared for. A few hours later found Taylor in stable condition and both resting peacefully, Kaylee refusing to leave Taylor's side. Jon had finally found a moment to call home and give them the good news, but had promised to stay a while longer to keep further watch over his charges. One of the nurses on staff had taken pity on him and brought him a white coat to toss on over his costume, as well as a sandwich and cup of coffee.
He claimed a seat across the room, in sight of the injured couple, but far enough away to give them a little privacy while he sipped his coffee and flipped through a couple of magazines to pass the time. Like Superman, he was only too happy to have been there when he was needed and to have been able to help. Family was important to him - more important than a Halloween party - and he had no intention of leaving until he knew for sure they were going to be okay, or until Rufus and Miranda arrived to relieve him, whichever came first.
With her injuries healed, Kaylee only had eyes for Taylor, her pale face deeply concerned as she watched him sleep. Curled up in the chair she had dragged close against the bed, her hand in that of the sleeping man's, she looked very young beneath the hospital's unforgiving lights. Despite their success, she was dreadfully afraid that Taylor wasn't going to wake up. As Jon came back in, she was speaking to the sleeping man, her voice very close to tears. "Please wake up," she was whispering. "I'm frightened, Tay. Don't make me do this without you."
Jon frowned as he watched the young woman - a woman whom he'd been told had once almost been like a sister to him before he'd done something stupid and broken her heart. Was he the reason she'd gone away' He wasn't really sure, nor was he the same person he'd been before, but he wasn't sure that mattered. All he wanted right now was to see a smile on her face, and he knew there was only one man who could put it there and it wasn't him. "Kaylee," he said as gently as he could as he stepped closer. "He's gonna be okay. He's just resting. They dosed him pretty good."
She raised haunted, wet eyes to her cousin, and for a long moment there was silence, the little girl who had always run to Jon conflicted with the young woman who was wary of everyone and everything. "He has to wake up," she whimpered softly, not even ashamed of how close she was to tears. "I don't know what to do without him."
Jon's frown deepened, his heart going out to the young woman who'd once been like another sister to him and he closed the distance between them, crouching down beside her so that they were more at eye level and he wasn't towering over her. He reached for her hands, taking them into his own, seeing the pain and the fear on her face, and the tears in her eyes. "He's going to wake up, Bug. I promise. You just have to be patient."
She startled at the sound of that nickname, something he hadn't called her for years. Her hands gripped his tightly. "What if he doesn't?" she whispered, heartbroken by the thought. "What if I'm all on my own again? I can't do it, Jon, I can't."
He gave her hands a gentle, reassuring squeeze, his voice as calm and comforting as that of a father to a child. "He's gonna be fine, Kay. He's just resting. You have to trust me." He let go of one hand to brush her hair back from her face, his heart aching to see the pain and fear in her eyes. "You're not alone, you know. I know I haven't been here for you much the last few years..." He frowned a moment, unable to remember past a certain point, knowing there had been some conflict between them. "But I'm here now. And so is Vicki and Humphrey and Des and Piper..." He broke off, as there were too many of them to name. "We love you, and we're all here for you, if you let us. I know you're worried about Taylor, but he's gonna be fine. You're both gonna be fine."
Kaylee held his gaze for a long moment. Unlike him, she remembered the incident that was bothering him, and had put it to rest a long time ago. "Jonny ....you know it doesn't matter, right?" she asked him softly. "I got over it, and now ..." She looked toward Taylor, sleeping peacefully but so still in the clinical bed. "I'm so scared, Jonny."
Jon's frown softened, blue eyes warm with affection and compassion. "I'm not gonna lie to you, Kaylee. I don't understand everything you or Taylor have been through, but life is full of worry. It takes a lot of courage to give your heart to someone. Nothing in life is certain. That's why you have to embrace it, grab on hard for all it's worth and hold on tight. Trust me, I know how hard it is. I never felt more alone than when I woke up in the hospital bed and couldn't even remember my own name. I did a lot of stupid things in my life, trying to figure out who I was. When I met Vicki, I realized none of that mattered. You can either spend your life worrying about dying, worrying about losing the ones you love, or you can spend it living. It's as simple as that. Every day is a gift, Kaylee. When he wakes up - and he's gonna wake up - you remember that. You embrace everyday together and have no regrets."
Bloodied, soot-stained, and covered in dirt, nonetheless he could see clearly as Kaylee absorbed what he said to her. It had been a very long time since she'd spoken to Jon; even before her seven month sojourn in that appalling place, she'd avoided him, and yet now, she couldn't understand why. He'd always been there for her, even when she had been absent. "Thank you, Jonny." Drawing her hands out of his, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the cousin she'd once thought she was in love with. Her lips brushed his cheek. "I'm sorry I stayed away so long."
He opened his arms to her, as he had countless times before, though he didn't remember it, offering the strength and the comfort of those arms, like a big brother might to a sister. He had come a long way in the last few years, and though there would always be a little guilt and a little angst lurking somewhere beneath the surface because that was too much a part of who he was, he had grown and matured into the man that he'd always wanted to be. "You were never far from my heart, no matter how far away you went. I'm glad you're home, Kay, and I'm glad you found someone who cares for you and gives you all the love you deserve," he told her quietly, intimately, as though these words were for her alone, which in all truth, they were.