Chapter 10
Jessi sat at the table with her mother and Julia. Her thoughts drifted back to the present and she listened to her mother. She was trying to get into a conversation on what she did at school or what she wanted to do tomorrow. She was saying something about going on a boat trip for the day with her cousin Michael, Aunt Caroline and Uncle AJ. She had to admit to herself that a boat trip sounded fun. She muttered, "Sure." Her mother smiled at her. Obviously grateful that she had decided to say a word at all. Then her mother asked her if she would feel better if they went home early. They could leave a message for Jason to meet them at the house instead of here. This set Jessi off. She had been so quiet all night, and now all her pain, confusion, and anger got the better of her. She started yelling at her mom.
J: "You want to know if I would feel better at home or here?! What's the difference?! I would still have you hovering around me at every move I make! Why can't you leave me alone?! I'll be fine, just leave me alone!" Jessi was standing out of her chair by now. She looked around and everyone in the restaurant was looking at her. She couldn't take everyone's pity anymore. She had to get out of the room. She ran towards the back. Brenda called after her, but Jessi ignored her.
She ran all the way to the back door and outside. She didn't get very far before a gust of wind mixed with cold hard rain blew chased her back inside. She headed for the kitchen, maybe the cook would let her help him. She stopped at the door. She wasn't allowed in there during operating hours, because it got too crowded with workers scurring to get food ready for the customers. She turned around and saw the closed door of Luke's office. She didn't know what, but something was telling her she had to go in there. It should be empty. Luke and Lucky were out front and Jessi hadn't seen Jason all night so she doubted he was in there. She quickly opened the door. Shut it. Put her back against it and sank to the floor crying. She wrapped her hands around her legs, bowed her head and buried it in her knees. She was oblivious to the fact that three grown men and a bodyguard (obviously he needs to freshen up his skills if he can't stop a nine-year old girl from barging in) in the corner were staring at her intently.
Jason sees the little girl on the ground. He has no idea what is going on with her, but something definitely was not right. He had to find out what was wrong and get her out of the office before she noticed that her father was in the room. That was something that none of them needed right now. When and if Sonny found out about Jessi it should be from Brenda. If Brenda would even find out about Sonny, Jason didn't even know. Why and how long was Sonny here for? And where had he been? These were answers Jason could get later, he needed to take care of Jessi right now.
Ja: Walks over to her and puts his hand on her shoulder and gently shakes her. "Jessi, are you okay?"
J: She looks at him and shakes her head no
Ja: "What's wrong?"
J: "Everything."
Ja: "Things can't be that bad, do you want talk about it?"
J: Shakes her head no, but wraps her arms around Jason and cried on his shoulder.
Ja: Pulled her into a tight hug and hoped she didn't notice the people behind him. "Everything will be okay, Jessi. You know you can tell me anything."
J: Continues to hug Jason. She is crying less now. She looks up and sees that there are other people in the room. She pulls away from Jason, and puts her hand on the doorknob and slowly turns it. "Jase, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had people in here. I'll go…." She finally recognizes Sonny. As she opens the door, she screams. She looks at Jason and whispers, "Am I seeing a ghost?" Jason, who still can't lie straight out, reluctantly nods his head no, she wasn't. This is too much for Jessi to handle. As she walks backwards out of the room, she feels dizzy and stumbles to the floor, hitting her head twice as she goes down. Once on the door and again on the floor. She lays unconscious on the floor as Jason desperately tries to wake her. The Jason Q in him knows it's not going to happen so he yells at Renaldo to call 911.
Brenda was nervously twisting and untwisting her napkin. Lois, Julia, and Laura were telling her that Jessi would come back when she wanted. She needed time to be alone. Brenda knew that, but she still worried. It wasn't like she didn't know where Jessi was. Julia had reminded her that there were only three places in the back that Jessi would be, and only one was available at the moment. It was too wet to go outside, she wasn't allowed in the kitchen, so she must be in the office. It took all her willpower to stay in her chair and not go after her daughter. Her mind told her to stay, but her heart was telling her she must go to the office now. She had a feeling she was being pulled there, but it wasn't because her daughter was there. It was the same feeling she used to get anytime Sonny was around. Maybe his spirit was around trying to help her and Jessi get through this crisis. God, she hoped so, she needed all the help she could get. Her thoughts were interrupted by a child's scream coming from the back. That was Jessi's scream. Brenda got up and ran to the back, she got their in time to hear Jason yell at Renaldo to call 911. She looked on the ground to see her baby lifeless on the floor. She immediately dropped to the floor to kneel beside her as she felt her heart race a million beats a minute and a look of terror shot across her face.
B: "Jason, what happened?" She asked in a panic as she gently ran her hand across Jessi's face in hopes that a simple touch would wake her. It didn't.
J: "She fainted, fell and hit her head." Jason answered as he checked Jessi's pulse and breathing. He was relieved when he found them both. They were weak, but they were there. He took his jacket off and wrapped it around her tiny body to keep her warm.
B: "Jason, she has to be okay. She has to be." Brenda was hysterical and frantic now. She had taken one of Jessi's hands and was rubbing it between her hands. "Come on Jessi, wake up. Show mama your pretty eyes. Come on Jessi. Please wake up." Brenda looked at Jason who reassured her that Jessi was breathing and had a heart beat. "This is my fault. I knew she couldn't handle the truth. Jason, I told her, but she couldn't handle it." She went back t holding Jessi's hand, with only one hand this time. Her other hand tenderly removes hair from Jessi's face that had fallen in her eyes. She keeps pleading at Jessi to wake up.
J: "Brenda, have hope. This isn't your fault. These things happen. She'll be okay." Though deep in his gut, Jason wasn't so sure. "You told her the truth today?"
B: Brenda momentarily looked up. "Yeah, I was forced to."
J: Sighed. "Today probably wasn't the best day to tell her that."
B: "Why?" Before Jason answers, Brenda takes a good look around the room. "Sonny? Clive?"
They both nod yes.
In the background, the roar of sirens is heard.