Replay by Tyra

"Just a couple more Mr. Jacks. I'll be done in just a moment. Do you feel that? Good. How about that? Very Good."

Jax pulled himself back into a sitting position on his bed. He was quite impatient from all the tests they had been performing on him. No one had said a word one way, or the other. "Could you be more specific than various levels of good, doctor? What's the prognosis? Am I going to be able to walk again?"

"I should think so Mr. Jacks. You already have feeling in your toes and you have a tingling feeling in your legs. The latest x-rays show that the swelling has receded. There still appears to be no breaks or cracks along your spinal column. With therapy to retrain your muscles, I don't see why you shouldn't be able to walk again."

"But? I hear a but in there doctor."

"But, I can't guarantee that your recovery will be total. Your spinal column and nerves within took quite a blow when you fell. There's no way to know how much the shock had damaged your nerves. We'll know more, when you complete the first few sessions of physical therapy."

"So you're saying that I might have a limp or weakness in my limbs, or nervous twitches? Can you be more precise?"

"Mr. Jacks the nervous system is not a precise science. There are no test to determine how much they will recover. Don't you understand that it's a miracle that you didn't break anything. If it wasn't for the fact that you're in terrific shape, you certainly would have sustained much more serious injuries. All the muscle tissue surrounding and supporting your skeletal structure saved your life. But the longer you stay bedridden the more difficult it will be for your recovery. That's why it's so important for you to begin physical therapy as soon as possible."

"Let's get started now then. I've competed in ironman competitions, I'm sure I can do whatever exercises you devise for me. I'm used to withstanding pain."

"It's not that simple, you haven't reached the point where we can begin physical therapy yet. I need to see a little more strength in your legs first. But what we can do is have someone work with you, moving your legs for you. This will help your legs retain it's muscle memory so they will be better prepared when you're ready to put some weight on them."

"Well when will I get this person? I'm ready now! Just laying around is driving me crazy. The sooner I get started the sooner I can walk out of here. And I will walk out of here, just as well as I did before this accident"

"Your positive attitude is commendable Mr. Jacks. That's half the battle. Your ironman experience will come in handy, because the first few days of therapy will be quite a battle. It's not as easy as you think. But with determination, you will come out of this fine. Your assistant has already been assigned to you. Your appointment isn't until 2:00 P.M., so why don't you relax for awhile Mr. Jacks."

"Relax! That's all I've been doing for almost a day. Why can't you assign someone to me who's here now? Why do I have to wait for this person to arrive for work?"

"Because I can't pull one out of a hat Mr. Jacks. You will just have to wait until your assigned person arrives. All the ones that are on duty now are already assigned to prior cases."

"I want a private therapist assigned to only me. Who will be willing to work the hours that I wish to set for my workouts. Money is no object!"

"Mr. Jacks, I've tried to be patient with you considering your under a great deal of distress right now, but who do you think your speaking with? You can't throw your money at this hospital and dictate your own therapy schedule. Working harder and longer does not necessarily promote faster recover. If you over do it, you could prolong your recovery period."

"What's all the fuss about Jax? I leave for 15 minutes and you've started World War 3!" Jerry saunters in with a cup of coffee in his hand looking at the agitated expressions on both faces. Is Jax being naughty doctor? Not to worry, mum and dad should be here shortly and they will make him toe the line. Jax has never been a good patient doctor. Even as a child he was a handful. I'm sorry if he insulted you in anyway."

"Perfectly understandable Mr. Jacks. Now if you will excuse me gentlemen, I have rounds to continue. Your therapist will be here at 2:00 Mr. Jacks. You'll see that the time will pass faster than you think." He gave a curt nod and left.

Jax exploded as soon as the door closed. "Jerry! Just what the hell was that all about? How dare you treat me like a belligerent child!"

Jerry takes a sip of his coffee and pauses, calmly looking at him.. "You're acting like one Jax, and it has nothing to do with your legs. You're in a mood because you're worried about Brenda. You should be glad that she's wandered off. One look at you and she'd know you're faking amnesia. Lucky for you that Julia was too upset to see your face this morning. You were wearing your heart on your sleeve, little brother. You couldn't fool a stranger, let alone Brenda. I don't understand it. You have the best poker face I've ever played against, and you can't keep up your own charade for more than a minute. I guess you've lost your edge. Want to play some poker to pass the time Jax?"

"Shut up Jerry! Have you found her?"

"And what if I did. What are you going to do with that information? Are you going to request that a total stranger, visit you at bedside? Do you want me to wheel you to her door? Before I find her for you Jax, what do you want to do about it? I'm not wasting my time just chasing after your dreamgirl, just to let you know what she's doing every minute of every day. I'm not going to be her shadow for you. Don't be pathetic Jax. I don't understand this whole plan of yours. Either fight for her with every breath in your soul, or walk away and let her go."

Jax shot Jerry a dirty look.

"Oh, sorry about that Jax, a slip of the tongue, but you know what I'm trying to tell you. You can't have it both ways. Either you know her, or you don't. You can't pretend to not know her and be worried about her well being. So before we go any further, what do you want to do?"

The door swung open and Jax held his breath hoping that it was Brenda. He visibly sagged as he recognizes Julia coming through the door. She looked much improved over last night. She was smiling and relaxed looking quite lovely in her emerald green business suit. Jerry looked at her appreciatively. The skirt was so short that it left little to the imagination. Her eyes seemed to pick up the color of her suit making her appear like a cat who had swallowed the bird. What was she up to?

Jerry placed a kiss on the back of her palm as he bowed, "Hello pretty lady! And to what to we owe the honor of your presence?"

Julia pulled her hand from Jerry's and discreetly wiped it against her skirt. "I just wanted to apologize for the scene I made here this morning. I don't know what came over me. I'm not usually so emotional. I guess I was just tired and worried about Brenda. I feel so silly now, especially since everything turned out all right."

Jax couldn't contain himself, nearly shouting, "So you found her?"

"Yes" was all Julia replied. "Jerry, do you have time for lunch? I wanted to treat you to lunch as a way of thanking you for your support this morning."

Jerry smiled, "Well that's not the kind of thanks I was hoping for, but it will do for now. I have to warn you that I'm a starving man Julia. I'm ravenous, I don't know if I can control my appetites."

Julia could see that Jerry was not talking about food but pretended to be oblivious of his intent. She glances at her watch. It was almost time! She had to get Jerry out of here. "I have a very important meeting in an hour and a half, so I thought we could have lunch with me in my hotel room. I've already ordered for us. It should be ready by the time we get there. Is that all right for you?"

Jerry's smile deepens as he approaches Julia and places his arm around her shoulder, "Well I don't know Julia, my appetites aren't usually satisfied in an hour, but for you I'd be willing to try." He turns and winks at Jax. "I'll see you in a few hours Jax."

Jax would have been amused if he wasn't so worried about Brenda. All Julia had said was "Yes", before Jerry practically ran with her out of his room. So much for brotherly solidarity. He was so obvious, he couldn't believe she liked that kind of style! Brenda would never put up with that kind of overt sexual teasing. At least he knew she was all right. But where had she gone last night? And why was Julia so upbeat and anxious to spirit Jerry away? She had been leading Jerry on a merry chase for the last six months, and she decides now to invite him to her hotel room? Something didn't feel right about the whole situation. He had worked with her on numerous occasions, and Julia had never displayed a penchant for men like Jerry. In fact, he used to enjoy how she'd cut men like him off at the knees. His thoughts were distracted by pain that shot up his legs! My God, that hurt! .. .. .. It hurt! Jax was overjoyed as he realized that if it hurt, feeling was returning to his legs. He tried to move his feet and was discouraged by the difficulty he experienced just moving them a bit. I guess you can't expect recovery in an instant, but at least he was making progress. Now if only that therapist would get here!

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Jerry's pulses were racing. He was at the threshold of Julia's suite .. .. .. finally. She was saying something to him but his ears were buzzing as the blood rushed about his head, making it impossible to concentrate on anything except .. .. .. lunch! His mind was filled with thoughts of the tastes that would be flooding his senses. It had been six months! He didn't think he had gone six months without, since he was a teenager of 16! He was a starving man. Starving for the affections of her. He had never waited this long for a woman in his life, and now he was about the taste the elixir of the fair Julia. He was positive that this meal would satisfy him as he had never been satisfied before. There was something about her that fascinated him. She wasn't a nitwit like all the woman he had chased before, who had fallen into his bed willingly. This one had been a hard battle won and he would be gentle in his victory. This was going to be the experience of her -- -- -- In the middle of her suite, was a table covered with food! She did mean lunch!

Julia spied Jerry's expression and had to suppress her desire to laugh out loud. Men were so easy to distract! All you had to do was wear something, tight fitting, low cut, or with a short skirt, maybe even all of the above. Then you mention hotel room, and every other word that you mention will sound like sex. You say "Come over for lunch" they hear "Come to my bed." You say "Will you look through these briefs?", they hear "Will you remove your briefs?" You say "I need your assistance to move my couch.", they hear "You move me Big Daddy, take me, take me now!" The look on Jerry's face was priceless!

She tossed her briefcase on the couch and removed her shoes. "Wonderful! It looks like lunch is already here. Do you want to make yourself something to drink? The bar is fully stocked, I'll be back in a moment. She had to leave the room for a moment or she was going to explode with laughter. Brenda needed her to stall him for at least an hour, she had to keep this going for at least that or he would return to Jax's room too quickly.

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Jax was going insane. This abject boredom was the worst of feelings. He couldn't start therapy soon enough. Where was the therapist? It was 2:00 on the dot, he should be here by now. He detested tardiness! He scowled as the door swung open and his doctor entered.

"Are you taking over since your therapist is late, Dr. Mortenson?"

"No Mr. Jacks, but knowing you, I thought I'd come over and tell you that she will be here shortly. She's just finishing up her orientation training. She'll be working with you for the next hour."

"Orientation? You giving me a rookie? That won't do, I want your best, not some untrained novice."

"This woman is not untrained Mr. Jacks. The type of therapy you required doesn't need a licensed health care professional. We use volunteers for this type of work. You are quite lucky actually, this woman is a licensed masseuse. We don't often get volunteers with even that much experience."

"How can you place me in the hands of a volunteer? Whether I walk again or not depends on this physical therapy doesn't it? Why is not performed by medically trained professionals? I don't want some old housewife, massage artist touching me all over!"

"Calm down Mr. Jacks. The type of massage you will be receiving is not sensual at all. We just have to keep your muscles moving until we can get you back on your feet. The reason for volunteers Mr. Jacks is money. We have a budget just like everyone else and certain jobs are performed by volunteers so that the money can be spent where professionals are really needed. What you're going to be doing can eventually be performed at home with anyone's assistance once they have gone through an orientation with us. This is not a job commonly performed by professionals, so there's no need for concern." Dr. Mortenson smiled down at Jax and chuckled, "Plus I see that you have been changed into sweats, so you don't have to worry about anything being seen, by some old housewife!"

As he was about to angrily respond to Dr. Mortenson, the door swung open and a person entered the room. Dr. Mortenson, obstructed his view, all he saw was a flash of white. It must have been the lab coat. "Well it looks like your therapist has arrived Mr. Jacks, so I'll leave you in her capable hands." He stepped away to leave and there standing before him was -- -- --

"Brenda?"

She was drowning in a lab coat that was entirely too large. The sleeves hung past her wrists and she was entirely shapeless in that buttoned down coat! But she was still a vision. Her hair was pulled back in a no nonsense pony tail. She looked like she was going for a total sexless appearance but she failed miserably. The coat just made her appear so ethereal, so delicate. And pulling her hair away from her face just emphasized her large doe like eyes.

"Jax, I'm so happy that you're feeling better! Dr. Mortenson has told me all about your case. Are you ready to get started?"

"You're the licensed masseuse?"

"Why not? It came in handy when I was in boarding school. There used to be a line of athletes going out my door waiting for a treatment. I was quite good. I don't think I've lost my touch." Brenda's smile was stunning.

I know why there were athletes lining up out her door, Jax thought. It had nothing to do with her massaging talents. Where had the crushed devastated woman of this morning gone? Had he meant so little to her that the disappointment of losing him didn't even linger a day?

"Are you sure you want to help me Brenda? You were pretty upset about this whole situation this morning. Are you sure you want to be around me?" He looked at his watch hoping that it was time for Jerry to return. He didn't know if he could keep this charade going for an hour, alone. He was afraid that he would let down his guard, and she would see that he was faking his partial amnesia.

"Isn't it funny Jax! I volunteer, and I'm assigned to you! It must be fate. I've decided not to be upset about something out of my control Jax. I can deal with it. You haven't changed in any other way that I can see. We were friends before, so I'm sure we can become friends again. I won't leave you when you need friends the most. So we'll just start over again. Is that all right with you? You can send me away if you want, but I just want to help you Jax."

He looked into those eyes and he knew that she was reeling him in. This was his chance to escape! All he had to say was, yes, I would feel more comfortable working with someone else. Please go away. He swallowed hard and responded "No, stay. Let's get started." Damn himself to hell. He couldn't even say yes. When had he lost all control of his mind?

Brenda's face glowed with happiness. She pushed the sleeves of her lab coat up but they immediately fell back to its original place. She attempted to roll them up, but they bulked in to an uncomfortable fit. She helped him move to the massage table that had been placed next to his bed. He was glad that he could detect the change of temperature as he was moved from his bed to the cool sheets on this table. Maybe this wouldn't be so horrible. She seemed to know what she was doing and she was being a total professional.

"I'm sorry Jax, just give me a minute. I'm going to have to take this lab coat off. It's too big for me to work in." She turned her back to him and walked over to a nearby and chair, as he watch her unbuttoning the lab coat. When she undid the last button she shrugged out of the coat and let it slowly slide down her back, before placing it on the chair back. Jax looked at his watch in desperation, was it 2:30 yet? Where was Jerry? Underneath her lab coat Brenda wore a knit top and a dark brown mini skirt, the color of Hershey kisses. Kisses, that's what he wanted to do to her, blanket her with kisses! Jerry! Where are you! Brenda turned and Jax nearly swallowed his tongue. Brenda's knit top was strapless and appeared to be suspended by magic. How did women managed to keep those things up anyway. As she approach his table, Jax was grateful for the loose fitting sweats he wore.

"There, that much better. That lab coat was just too restrictive. Now lets get to it!"

Why was everything she said so suggestive? Get to it?! He knew what he wanted to get to. He bit his lip trying to hide the tiny twitch that was affecting his lower lip. He tried to calm himself by breathing in a slow measured rhythm. She leaned over him as she reached to turn on the radio, and he felt her breasts brush against his chest. God, he was going to die if he had to hold out much longer. He felt small beads of perspiration begin to form on his upper lip as Brenda finally began to move his left leg. She moved it back and forth, bending it at the knee and straightening it back out. He never thought that he would be grateful for diminished feeling in his legs, but he didn't know what he would do, if he could feel her hands running up and down them now. Just watching her hands touching his leg was making him tighten uncomfortably. He exhaled slowly trying not to let on what this was doing to his nervous system. Brenda intent on the job at hand wasn't speaking, he watched her pulse at the base of her shapely long enticing neck. It was calling out to him for a nibble, a kiss, a lick. Jerry! Please come back now! His head was pounding with the sound of his heart and the taunting song on the radio.

To Listen Real Audio of 'You Do Something To Me' - Click Here

Brenda moved to the other side of the bed and began to work on his right leg. One down, one more to go. He had made it this far, he was strong enough to withstand this temptress for a few more minutes. The perspiration had spread to his forehead and back. The room felt like a steam bath! There had to be something wrong with the heating system here. He glanced up at Brenda, and she seemed to be unaffected by their close proximity. In fact she seem to be almost disinterested! She was glancing about the room as she moved his leg through its range of movement exercises. She reached up to push a loose lock of hair away from her face. He wished he hadn't let his eyes stray to her face because it was at that moment that he noticed that the angle she was leaning over his leg, gave him a direct view down her top, into the valley of heaven. Memories of what they had shared now flooded into his uppermost thoughts. He squirmed as he tried desperately to beat back the treasured memories of what it had felt like to kiss her, caress her, see her.

"Jax? Let's stop for a moment. Am I working you too hard?" She paused and reached over him for a towel to dab the perspiration off his face and neck. Hard! Why did she have to say Too Hard!!!? God, where was Jerry?! What happened to standing together against a common enemy! It was then that he realized that the Barrett sisters had divided and conquered! Who did they think they were!? Julia with her short little power suit and Brenda with her delectable little masseuse outfit, knew exactly what they were doing. He assumed that Jerry was getting a similar treatment in Julia's suite. No wonder he hadn't returned! Well this woman wasn't going to get the best of him! Now that he knew what she was up to, he could steel himself against her wiles. He'd show her that he was made of sterner -- -- -- Oh God, she felt good. Her hands had returned to his upper thigh and she was rubbing them vigorously.

This torture would never end. She had moved back to the other side of the table and was working on his other thigh. She was working on the last strand of his control. He was about to raise the white flag in surrender. He wasn't going to be able to control his instincts much longer. His whole body tingled with electricity. Her every movement was driving him insane with desire. Wait a minutes his whole body was tingling! He could feel something along the entire length of both legs! Whatever she was doing was working! "Brenda! I can feel my legs! I can feel my legs!"

Brenda stopped what she was doing and squealed in excitement! "Jax that's wonderful! I told you I was good!" She had leaned in close to his face as she rested her hands on his chest. Her face was radiant with happiness! She truly was pleased with his improvement. And that was his fatal mistake, he let down his guard and was pulled into the warmth of her eyes, her smile, her face. He reached up and pulled her down towards him. Her eyes looked at him victoriously, but he didn't care. This was one battle that he was grateful to lose.

She melted into him as he deepened the kiss. He heard her soft moans as she was now lying nearly on top of him, and he felt her body tremble against his. It was wonderful to feel again! In his body, but more so in his heart. He felt it burst open as his body felt this wave of heat course through it. Sensing his surrender, Brenda teased his mouth open with her tongue and sent his senses soaring. She was right again. She was good at therapy. He could take these sessions at least three times a day, maybe more. With sessions like these, he not only would be walking, he'd probably be flying out of this hospital. As his tongue worked his way into her mouth, she sighed softly and wiggled herself between his legs, pushing his legs apart to make room for her to nestle more closely to him. Her movements sent waves of excitement through him. He cursed the fact that they were lying atop a narrow massage table. He had no room to maneuver on top of her. He felt his legs jerk as shock waves continued to wrack through his body. The air around them seem electrified. Her movements were gnawing at his soul as this searing heat was driving him to the breaking point. If only he could carry her to the couch or to his bed! He was desperate for release.

Brenda's heart danced with excitement. Her Jax was back, and he was hers again. But what if it was just lust? Maybe he really didn't know who she was, and thought she was cheap! She pulled back and looked down at Jax seeing his eyes misted by desire. She moved her hands under his sweats and move them up his chest pausing to draw slow circles around his areolas with her fingers. She whispered "Jax? Please say you remember me. I want this to be because we share memories of each other, we need each other. Not because you think I'm hot, or easy. I need you to know who I am."

Jax found it difficult to concentrate as Brenda's hands were dancing across his chest, making it difficult to breathe. He saw the hopeful look in her eyes, slightly misted with tears, and he was lost. Maybe Jerry was right, it was just a dream. How could she love Sonny and be like this with him? She wasn't a love the one your with kind of person was she? Was he willing to take that chance? She continued to gaze at him with hope, her body slightly vibrating against his as she nervously awaited his answer. He didn't know what to do. She had given him another out, he could easily say that it was lust, and she would stop this sweet torture. He was about to tell her just that when one lone tear left her eye and fell on his cheek, .. .. .. and in that instant, he was hers. He couldn't bear to hurt her any more. He would take his chances. He would venture forward carefully, but he couldn't say goodbye.

"How could I forget the unforgettable, delectable, unbelievably beautiful, Nancy Drew!"

Brenda close her eyes tightly causing more tears to rain down on Jax, but they were those of joy. He saw her silently look to the heavens, and he read the words "Thank you God" on her lips. She hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear "I thought I'd lost you forever Jax. Welcome home." She kissed a path from his ear, down his neck, across his cheek and finally back to his lips.

A delicious shudder heated his body and her kisses were warming him to the point of no return. He reached up and tugged her knit top down and placed his lips firmly between her breasts. She writhed atop him as the passion his lips were creating was driving her beyond all reason. She pulled his face back up to her lips and initiated a kiss that was curling his toes, as his hands took over where his lips had left off. They were both moaning now as he felt her legs move to either side of his, as she attempted to push the band of his sweats down and out of her way. She whimpered as he removed his hands from her breasts to assist his with his pants, but this was a much more important task. God, he burned for her. He wouldn't be able to hold back much longer. He prayed that she would forgive him because he knew that this wasn't' going to last nearly long enough to satisfy either of them. As he took over the task of removing his sweats, Brenda busied her hands elsewhere. He groaned as she moved her hand down the length of him. He grimaced with the effort to control his body's response. "Brenda! You've got to stop, I can't take much more."

She giggled sweetly, "Don't argue with me Jax, I'm your therapist and it's my job to control this workout!" He groaned again as her hand now moved up the length of him. He growled at her and pulled her chest back to his face to create the same tension in her, that she was inflicting on him. As the game turned serious and she reached up to pull his sweat shirt from his chest, a woman's gasp reverberated across the room.

Brenda moved to cover herself as Jax quickly pulled a blanket from his bed over them. She tried to hide under the blanket as the couple entered his room.

Brenda heard a woman's voice shout, "Jax! I'd expect this kind of mischief from Jerry, but never from you!" Brenda was so mortified. She was in so much trouble if they ever told the hospital staff.

A man's amused voice added, "Aren't you going to introduce your therapist, Jax?"

Brenda felt the blanket being removed from her head, as Jax forced her to turn towards a very surprised older couple.

"Mum, Dad, this is my friend, Brenda Barrett!"

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~ to be continued ~