A Jewel Whodunnit...
BLAST FROM THE PAST
PART TWO: LAST CALL
Chapter Eleven: A Ray of Light

"Anything?"
Justin turned from his vigil at his wife's bedside, meeting his daughter's questioning look with a sombre one of his own. He slowly shook his head.
"They say the longer she's like this, the worse her chances are." He said, as Nancy came to sit down. "She's not shown a single sign of wanting to wake up, Nancy...I'm beginning to wonder if it would be the best thing just to...you know...give up."
"No!" Nancy exclaimed. "No way, Dad, I'm not letting you switch her off! She's not a machine, you can't just decide when she's past help! Aunt Phyl is more than willing to help out with medical costs and Mom's a fighter...Dad, you can't give up on her!"
Tears filled her eyes, and gently Justin hugged her.
"I know how you feel, Nance. I love her too." He murmured. "But is it fair? She's always been so lively and active and quick-witted...this isn't your mother, however you look at it. If she goes on like this for a year or two, it still won't mean things are better. I'm just wondering whether, if there really is no chance she's gonna wake up, we should do the kindest thing and let her go. I don't think she'd want to live like this, and none of us can hope to grieve or get through this whilst it's still going on." He took his wife's hand gently in his as he spoke.
 "I don't want to make the choice, Nancy." He murmured, his voice wavering slightly despite his determined outer composure. "But I'm beginning to think I might have to. Dr Pope spoke to me about it last night. He said that if there's no change soon..."
"No way." Nancy shook her head firmly. "Dad, Mom wouldn't want you to give up on her. You know she wouldn't. And we don't know that she won't wake up. They've not done a brain scan."
"They've not been able to, because she's still on that thing." Justin pointed to the ventilator, loathing in his voice. "She's wired up to a whole bunch of junk that's keeping her alive, but what for, Nancy?" He sighed. "This isn't alive. This isn't living. This isn't...this isn't my Jetta. This isn't the woman I married in Vegas twenty four years ago...and it isn't fair. We're thinking of us - maybe it's time we stopped and thought about her. Do you want to remember her like this? Or how she was before?"
"How she was before." Nancy gulped. "But Dad...I can't let her go yet. I'm not ready. Please...please don't decide that yet. Please."
"I'll talk to your brother as well." Justin said solemnly. "It's a choice we all have to make, Nance, not just me. I'm just saying that that's what the doctors are thinking...I think they've all but given up, to be honest with you."
He stood, stretching. "I'm going to go take a walk in the fresh air and grab something to eat, I'll be back as soon as I can." He continued. "Since you're here, I don't feel so bad leaving her, and I really need a break."
"It's cool, Dad. You go. I'll stop here." Nancy assured him. "Perhaps...perhaps Mom and I need some alone time anyway. Especially if we have to decide...well, you know what."
Justin nodded sombrely, and then left the room, leaving mother and daughter alone.
Nancy took her father's vacated seat, taking her mother's hand in hers and squeezing it tightly.
"Hi Mom, it's Nancy." She murmured. "I wish I knew if you could hear me. Everyone wants you to get better and all - I even spoke to Taylor this morning and he and Vi and everyone there send their best wishes too. The national press have been printing good luck messages and the FBI are gonna find the evil creeps who did this to you...everything's gonna be fine." She paused, swallowing. "Listen, Mom...I don't know if you're in there or listening, but please, if you are, if you have any strength in you at all, for God's sake fight back! I know you must've been through hell...you must've been scared to death and convinced you didn't stand a chance...they say you were purposely locked in there from the outside by someone, and I know how phobic you are when you're shut in, it must've been awful. But Mom, you're not in the office now. You're safe in hospital with kind doctors who want to help you and your family here to keep you company."
There was no response, and Nancy bit her lip.
"Please, Mom. I...I love you so much, I can't lose you." She whispered. "You have s...so much to still do, to look forward to. C...Copper and Aaron's wedding, grandkids, everything. Please wake up. I'll do anything...anything you want me to do, I'll be an angel, I'll never complain about anything or ask anything of you again, I swear...just please, don't die on me!"
There was silence, and Nancy wiped her tears away as more fell, glancing at the steady rhythm of the heartbeat on the monitor by the bed.
Then she did a doubletake.
Was she imagining it, or had her mother's pulse sped up slightly?
A little anxious, she glanced back down at the still form, but could detect no change. Jetta was pale and motionless as before, and with a sigh Nancy decided she'd imagined it.
"Maybe they're right." She murmured sadly. "Maybe you are dead in there. Maybe...maybe it is too late."
She moved to the window, glancing out at the sunny view below, and sighed.
"Shouldn't be sunny, not when you're like this." She mused, turning away. She straightened the bevy of get well cards on the unit for the umpteenth time, rearranging the flowers with little enthusiasm, as she took the vase they were in to the tap for more water.
It was a good thing that the vase in question was made of plastic, for as she returned to the bed, Nancy's gaze fell on her mother's face and she forgot completely about the vessel in her arms, letting it fall unnoticed to the floor as she hurried to take Jetta's hand in hers.
Her mother's eyes were open, and more, they seemed to be watching her.
Nancy's face filled with excited hope as she retook her seat, meeting her mother's gaze with apprehension and delight.
"Mom, can you hear me?" She demanded. "Please God, tell me? Do you know who I am?"
There was no reply, and though Jetta made a slight attempt to move her lips, she did not make a sound.
Nancy frowned.
"If you can understand me, Mom, blink now." She instructed.
There was a moment of hesitation, and then, slowly, Jetta's eyelids closed and opened. Nancy's heart skipped a beat and she let out an exclamation of joy.
"Oh, you heard me! You're not ready to give up, either!" She exclaimed. "Mom, blink if you know who I am, and what happened to you?"
Another slow, but sure blink came in response, and Nancy thanked her lucky stars, pressing the buzzer to alert the nurses and Dr Pope.
"Welcome back." She whispered, the tears that pricked her eyes now happy ones. "I've missed you."
Gently she bent to kiss her mother on the cheek, then she paused, as something occured to her.
"Mom, do you know who did this to you?" She asked.
Jetta stared at her. Then, very purposefully, she blinked.



BLAST FROM THE PAST: PART TWO

Chapter One: Stormer Tries
Chapter Two: Phyllis Returns
Chapter Three: Justin's Vigil
Chapter Four: A Call Of Conscience
Chapter Five: Investigations
Chapter Six: A Fright For Zoe
Chapter Seven: Dean Takes A Hand
Chapter Eight: Questions
Chapter Nine: A Dead End
Chapter Ten: Flame
Chapter Eleven: A Ray Of Light