It was eleven p.m. Three hours earlier, Jack had given Tess her second injection of the Streptogenase V. Jack was used to working long hours, but the amount of time he’d been out of the hospital over the past few days could be calculated with an egg timer. Adding to his fatigue and stress, he was dealing with Mike’s unchecked anxiety and unpredictable mood swings. If it were possible to do so, Helen made matters worse by phoning Jack and Madison to remind them that unless Tess showed true signs of recovery by the morning of the twenty-sixth, Hollis Sinclair’s Vitracide program would begin. It was a reminder neither of them needed nor wanted to hear.
An hour after Jack had given Tess the second injection, he convinced Mike to go home and get a few hours of rest. At the moment, he was alone in the room with Tess. True to Dr. Tau’s warnings, Tess developed a high fever after the second dose. Jack was just about to do another neurologic examination when Mike came through the door.
“I wasn’t expecting you back for another couple of hours.”
“I couldn’t sleep. It hasn’t exactly been the Christmas Eve I was hoping for,” Mike answered in a deadpan voice as he made his way over to the bed. “Has there been any change?”
A short breath slipped from Jack’s lungs as he shook his head and answered, “Not yet, I’m afraid.”
With defeat spreading across his face, Mike placed his hand on Tess’s and then curled his pinky around hers.
“Did Madison come back in to check on the baby?”
“Right after you left. She said she’s still in mild distress but holding her own.”
“How much more of this can the two of them take?” he muttered. “Sinclair left me a message. He wants to reschedule the C-section for the day after Christmas and start Vitracide six hours later. He’s certainly no amateur when it comes to cranking up the pressure. He didn’t mention a single word about what’s going on.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. That’s a day and a half away. I guess we can talk about it later.”
Jack had the feeling Mike had already made up his mind but couldn’t find the words to tell him.
“Maybe you should consider speaking with Madison again before making a final decision.”
When Mike didn’t answer, Jack shifted his gaze to him. His posture was statue-like. His lips were widely parted and his eyes were fixed on Tess. Suddenly, he sucked in a couple of fragmented breaths. Jack reached for the hand control and turned the dimmer on the overhead lights all the way up. Jack’s own breath snagged, leaving him feeling as if he had been robbed of his air by a powerful blow to his abdomen.
Tess’s eyes no longer appeared inert and hollow. To the contrary, they were without glaze and focused on Mike. Her complexion, which for weeks had been chalklike was now a muted shade of red. And for the first time, there was true animation to her face.
Jack took a few steps back, reached for a chair and slid it next to the bed. “Go ahead,” he told Mike, lightly placing his hand on his shoulder.
Covering his mouth with his hand, Mike sat down and leaned forward over the bed. He waited a few seconds and then placed his hand on top of Tess’s. For a minute or so, he said nothing. Then, barely noticeably at first, Tess slipped her hand out from under Mike’s. It wasn’t a reflex or a random movement; it had purpose to it.
Mike spoke to Tess in just above a whisper. She didn’t respond in words but her changing expressions spoke volumes. He talked to her as if he had no concern she understood every word he uttered. He brought her up to date on everything from her charity work to how much her family and friends loved and missed her. Looking through wet eyes, he told her their baby was fine and how much he needed her to get better.
Suddenly, Mike’s face blanched in disbelief. When Jack looked back at Tess, he understood why. She had moved her hand on top of Mike’s, and the unforgettable smile that made her Tess Ryan was upon her face.
Choking back his own tears, Jack lowered his head and whispered into his best friend’s ear, “I wouldn’t have said this five minutes ago, but I bet this turns out to be the best Christmas of your life.”