Housewarming (Closed)

[Markus Martins]

This was nice. Enjoying the company of co-workers. He knew beer wasn't the best thing to toast with, but it was the closest they would come to for the night. They enjoyed the merriment, but then something Mark had been dreading for a while happened.

Mark looked to his dad in concern as he got up to get some fresh air. It was the first time his dad really acknowledged that something was wrong, which told Mark that something was very seriously wrong. He got up and he stood anxiously next to Adrienne as she put a hand to Jared's head. He was sweating profusely too. He stared at his dad, taking in all the visible symptoms. Mark didn't even have to think about it. He remembered all the times where Jared would reach to his chest and rub at it. He looked to Adrianna and nodded. "Ayesha.... you need to call 911 and then find some aspirin if you have any."

Mark went to the other side of Jared and took his arm. Mark had no clue what to do at this point, but he thought that Jared just standing there till the ambulance arrive was not conducive to a heart attack. "Dad... you need to sit." He said to Jared gently, trying to ease him to the nearest thing he could sit on and helping him ease down. Mark felt so helpless. There wasn't really anything he could do other than call an ambulance and give him some aspirin. This wasn't settling well with mark.

[Jared Martins]

The faint sound of a chair toppling over managed to break through the pain in Jared’s mind and made him turn his head slightly to see what had happened. From the corner of his eyes he saw that Ayesha had stood up and called out to him. Taking a deep jagged breath, he shook his head at the posed question while faking a smile. “Nothing’s wrong. Must have stood up to fast.” A fat blunt lie? Yes. But Jared hated being fussed over when it was nothing. He was fine. There wasn’t room for him to not be anything but in perfect health.

Feeling a hand on his arm, Jared’s bright blue eyes glanced over at Adrianna and offered her a weak smile. “Stop with that look. I’m fine.” This time he wasn’t lying the pinching in his chest was easing up. It was starting to feel normal again like no one was sitting on his chest anymore. But the nausea was still lingering in his stomach and he put all his effort into not throwing up the salad, beer, and small bit of lasagna. Releasing the door handle, his hand went up and lightly touched Adrianna’s that was on his cheek both in a loving manner and as a reminder that they weren’t alone.

“I don’t need any 911. It’s not a heart attack.” Jared grumbled while glaring at the three people surrounding him. There was no need to call over something as minor as some heart burn and a sudden stroke of sickness. Trying to catch his breath, Jared shut his eyes and took in a rough breath. The squeezing in his chest started back up and he couldn’t hold back the groan of pain. There was something very wrong with his heart and he couldn’t ignore it any longer. This pain had happened for well over a month now with on and off again squeezing.

Normally, he would have fought off Markus’s offers of to take a seat and the hand on his arm trying to ease him into a nearby seat. However, Jared’s mind was feeling foggy as if parts of his mind were shutting off to keep his heart beating against the string of squeezing it was receiving. Groaning, he fell into whatever seat was nearby while his hand instantly shot to his chest, right over his heart. His head rolled back to stare up at the ceiling while gasping for air. His vision was blurring while he lifted his head to stare at Markus then at Adrianna before looking at Ayesha. “Markus…the will…it’s in the safe.” The only safe he kept around the School in his office under his desk. Panting, Jared’s fingers dug into his shirt’s fabric while keeping his eyes on Adrianna even while speaking to his son.

[Ayesha McMillan]

Ayesha's eye widened. A heart attack? Jared was far to young for that, wasn't he?

"I..." she started when Mark's voice cut through her surprise. Whatever was just happening, he had some idea of what to do, so she was more than willing to trust him to handle this situation.

"Aspirin..." She swallowed and ran a hand over her head. She was sure she had some, but it took her a moment to get her memory to work.

She pointed at an open doorway that led from the living room. "Through there. Bathroom on the right. Cabinet under the sink." Somehow everything was suddenly happening as if she was not really there. She could hear her own words, but felt dejected from them, as if the voice that uttered those words wasn't quite hers.

She stepped to a side table by the sofa and picked up the phone, dialing 911, ignoring Jared's words. Mark was right - they needed some help. "We need an ambulance at Lakeview Drive 36. Could be some heart problem."

She listened for a moment, then added "Male. Mid forties." After a moment of more listening she added: "please hurry." She closed the line and shook her head. This wasn't really happening. Jared of all people... She didn't know him all that well, but he had always come across as strong and resilient, like someone who could outlive almost anyone. This just couldn't be true...

[Dr. Adrianna Bowen]

Feeling his hand on her hers it kind of snapped her back to reality a little bit more. She almost felt the need to smack him when he said he was fine, but she figured that wouldn't help with the situation at all. Adrianna nodded as Markus told him to sit, stepping back to let Markus take him. Her eyes watched him as he went through another fit of pain, the worried expression never really left her face, this was all becoming too much for her to handle. But having much personal experience in the area of such emergencies with people she suddenly felt a calm wash over her.

Looking to Ayesha as she gave directions to the location of the Aspirin she nodded, leaving Markus to help his father sit down she rushed off to get it. It took her a second to find the right cabinet but when she did she grabbed the Aspirin she headed back to the room grabbing a water bottle on the way. She walked into the room just as Jared told Markus whether the will was. She felt her heart stop at that moment, or at least it felt like it. In fact she stopped and stared at him for a moment before being able to get herself moving towards him again.

Moving to him swiftly opening the water bottle and taking out some two Aspirin, she wondered momentarily if she should just shove the whole bottle down his throat, but that probably would end up not being beneficial. "Open" she said firmly, it was clear she was going to get her way. Figuring how much pain he was in she didn't know if he would be able to do it himself, but she held the water bottle well within his reach in case he felt the need to do it on his own.

She still couldn't believe he had felt the need to tell Markus where the will was, was he actually thinking he was going to die...because that just couldn't happen. Adrianna would refuse to let that happen, and she was sure Markus wouldn't too. After giving him the Aspirin all she could do was watch him, what were they supposed to do now? Not to mention he wouldn't take her eyes off him, how could she look away from him now at this point? She was glad the vet side of herself had decided to come out because the panic feeling she had earlier would have had her in a wreck already. But she felt calm and collected now.

[Markus Martins]

Mark frowned when his dad tried to put up a fight, but he wasn't really in any shape to. Mark looked over his dad worriedly. He looked a little pail and Mark was doing his best to keep Jared awake and coherent. One thing hit him hard and that was when Jared started telling him where the will was. "I know where it is, Dad. I had to make you put it there..." Mark could have sworn he felt the urge to give his dad a good blow to the head for that one. He resisted said urge though and gave his arm a good shake. "Don't you dare start thinkin' like that either, Dad. You're going to be fine." He said as he looked to Adrienne. He didn't want to think about that. If he died then that meant that Mark was the sole proprietor of the camp, and he wasn't sure he could handle that on his own. Of course if Jared did survive, that meant that he was going to have to take a serious rest. There was no way Jared was going to agree to that unless Mark literally strapped him down to the hospital bed.

"Make sure you chew them up, Dad." It would seem it was a very good thing Mark read that pamplet the doctor gave them at his last yearly check up. The doctor had given a warning about Jared's stress levels, but of course, Jared hadn't listened. He would probably be wishing he had soon enough. "Just do your best to relax. The ambulance will be here soon." Mark felt so utterly helpless at this moment though. He had scheduled an appointment for next month for Jared but now it seemed a little pointless. Mark should have scheduled it for sooner than a month. Maybe if they had this could have been avoided.

[Jared Martins]

From the corner of his eyes, Jared saw Ayesha quickly give out orders where the Aspirin was before heading for the phone. There was no way around the need for 911. He couldn’t ignore the feeling that continued to squeeze his chest and give him the feeling that it was being crushed. His fingers curled around his shirt’s fabric, nearly tearing the threads apart at the seams. Sweat was roll down his cheeks only adding to his discomfort as his body attempted to balance itself out. Once more, the pain started to lessen just as Adrianna sprinted out of the room to get the painkillers. “Adrianna…” The strain in his voice was still there as he took in a deep breath while easing back in the chair.

While Adrianna was running around, Jared focused his eyes on Markus. No matter how many times he thought about it, he was very proud of his son. There had been a touchy spot in Markus’s teenage years, but that was normal for any teenager. The majority of students at the school were just going through rough patches in life and Jared was trying to be the one person to be there to nudge them past that obstacle in their life. “And don’t you get snappy with me, Markus.” Sitting up straighter in the chair, he stared at his son with that look that said he wasn’t playing. If something was going to happen he was going to be prepared. If Jared had to pick, he’d rather be dead then not be able to work on Willow Brooke. It was like a fate worst then death if he would be forced to sit back and do nothing.

His hand reached out and rubbed against Markus’s that rested on his other hand as he smiled. “But you’re right. I’ll be fine.” There was more confidence in his voice then he really felt as Jared glanced over to see Adrianna return to the room. He scolded at her when she ordered him to open his mouth. It seemed she wasn’t going to have it any other way so he simple opened his mouth to take the two pills. He took Markus’s advise and grinded his teeth down on the pills wanting to gag against the chalky paste that soon filled his mouth before he pushed it all down.

“Oh boy…what I always wanted…an ambulance.” Jared grumbled and slouched in the chair while glancing around the room. His fingers relaxed and stopped trying to pull at his shirt over his heart and rested down at his side. Sitting waiting for the paramedics to come only made him think that his son had attempted to set him up for a doctor’s appointment. It was amazing how life laughed at people when it came to strange occurrences. His eyes roamed around the room passing over each of the other’s faces. They all mirrored the other with fear and concern. It made Jared sigh and shake his head. “You all need to just relax. I’m too stubborn to go anywhere but back to Willow Brooke’s once this is over.”

[Ayesha McMillan]

Ayesha could only watch and listen to the brief conversation, as there was very little else she could do. But despite everything going on, she still found a small smile in her when Adrianna firmly ordered Jared to swallow the pills. It was a good thing that Jared didn't put up a fight. If it really was a heart attack, administering some blood thinner was probably a pretty good idea and she was glad Mark had suggested it. Now all she could do was hope that the ambulance would be in time.

She took it as a good sign that Jared was still able to talk coherently, but what he talked about, she didn't like. Mentioning his will sounded like he was afraid for his life, whatever else he said afterwards and how he tried to offer some reassurance that he would soon enough be going back to Willow Brooke. Whatever his condition, it didn't look like a problem that would just go away over night

Ayesha stepped over to Adrianna and placed a hand on her friends shoulder, both to offer her some comfort, and to gain some comfort from the presence of a friend herself. This wasn't how she had envisioned the evening to turn out at all, and while she still felt a bit like a newcomer, she could already tell that Jared would be missed at Willow Brooke, however long it took him to recover.

Her eyes narrowed at a sound faintly heard in the distance, but no, it wasn't the ambulance she was hoping for. Now that everything they could do was done, she needed something to do, something to keep her occupied.

She let go of Adrianna's shoulder again and moved over to the kitchen, where she pulled open a few drawers, before she found a crumpled pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She smoked very rarely, usually only one cigarette at the end of some really stressful day, like exam times at school, no more than one or two cigarettes a week at most, but now she needed one, just to keep herself busy with something.

But no. She was almost ready to move to the front door, when she dropped smokes and lighter back into the kitchen drawer. Nothing of this was supposed to happen, but neither was she supposed to desert her friends, however much she wanted to pace up and down, and distract herself from the helplessness she felt.

[Dr. Adrianna Bowen]

Adrianna felt her heart go out to Markus as he listened to his father speak; she knew the thought of loosing another parent couldn't be easy on him. In fact she knew it wasn't, losing your parents before you should was hard for anyone. Markus didn't realize how much Adrianna actually could sympathize with him, she was only 21 when her parents died in a wreck, a wreck she blamed herself for everyday. Hearing Jared talk like he wasn't going to make it was killing Adrianna too, it wasn't a thought she was even willing to let herself think about.

She was pleased to see Jared didn't put up to much of a fuss when she gave him the pill. At least he was being cooperative in that sense. Watching Jared she had to half smile as he began scolding his son, only Jared would be doing that in this situation. It was just like him to be so prepared and serious about it, although she was with Markus he shouldn't be thinking thoughts like that. Mostly because when he spoke like that she felt herself losing control of her calm again.

Feeling Ayesha's hand on her shoulder she turned and smiled at her lightly, trying to put on that brave, all is okay now face as she lifted her hand up to touch Ayesha hand that was on her shoulder. Then after a few moments she watched Ayesha move to the kitchen and go into a drawer. She understood the feeling of not really knowing what to do or say and feeling totally and utterly helpless.

Pulling a chair over near Jared she sat down just in front of him. Her eyes searched his, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't get the worried look of her face. Her face lifted a bit at Jared's last words and she let a smile play at her lips. At first she had been shocked he said that, did he actually think this would be the case? Because she was pretty sure doctors weren't just going to let him go back to work. But she couldn't help but admire him for it at the same time. "Unfortunately I don’t think that's where you'll be going..." She smiled lightly.

Every part of her body just wanted to be close to him, hold his hand, and maybe even let a few tears fall. But she wouldn't let herself do that, not only because she had her cool collected vet attitude going at the moment, but because she was well aware of who was in the wrong with him. But it still couldn't change the worried expressions and looks she'd gave Jared every few moments, mostly looking to make sure the pain wasn't coming back. She prayed it wouldn't return...

[Markus Martins]

Markus was a little irritated when Jared told him not to snap at him. He would snap all he wanted when his dad was sitting there telling him where his will was. Mark didn't want to hear something like that when his dad was having a heart attack. "I will snap at you all I want when you're telling me where your will is." He looked down to Jared's hand that Markus had a good grip on. He slowly brought it to his forehead and his other hand gently laid over his arm. He couldn't lose Jared now. Not when Mark still needed him. He didn't even want to think about losing Jared.

He looked up when Jared said that he would be going back to Willow Brooke after this. Mark let out a long sigh, shaking his head as he watched his dad. "No, Dad. You'll need plenty of rest and relaxation after this." He hated telling Jared that because he knew how much hi dad loved Willow Brooke, but it was the truth. No doctor was going to let Jared just jump out of the bed and go on back to work. He was going to have to sit back and rest and relax until the doctors said otherwise. Mark knew what that meant though. He was going to have to take over Willow Brooke for the time being. He didn't think he was ready just yet, but what other choice did he have? He probably could leave Larry with some things, but still Mark was going to have to do this.

This wasn't easy for Mark. He felt so utterly helpless, and he didn't like that. The last time he felt like this had been when he received the news that his mother was dead. The only difference at the moment between then and now was that Mark wasn't a little boy anymore. He was a grown man. He held onto his dad's hand, praying to the Good Lord that Jared would be okay.

[Jared Martins]

Raising his hand, Jared ran his fingers through his graying hair with a heavy sigh while his head rolled down to stare at his pants. With both Adrianna and Markus barking at him it reminded him of his old school days. He lifted his head up to see Ayesha walk away into the kitchen and couldn’t blame her. The tension in the air was only growing by the moment. It made him wish he hadn’t given into Adrianna and stayed home that night and gotten a couple more hours of sleep instead of putting on a face at the little gathering. Also made him wonder if the attack had been triggered by something or if no matter what he had done…would it have occurred?

Jared smiled as Adrianna pulled up a chair in front of him. Tilting his head to the side, he smirked slightly noticing the look in her eyes that told everything. There was worry and that feeling of uncommon feeling of uselessness. “Then you clearly don’t know me that well if you think I’m not going right back to what I’ve been doing.” Leaning back in the chair it was the only way to resist touching her while in the mixed company. This had to be the downside to their hidden relationship. Even a simple touch to her cheek might have come off the wrong way especially when he was well known in town for not mixing personal life and work life, minus the gathering now.

It was amazing how calm and collected Adrianna could appear to be. However, Jared saw it in her face how close she was ready to fall apart. That urge to hug her came back even stronger but he pushed it out of his mind. Some parts of life needed to be pushed away until it was more appropriate. Well, more private time anyways.

Glaring over at Markus, Jared took a moment to keep his anger in check before speaking to his son. “Markus if I’m going to go then you’re going to be prepared whether either of us wants to be.” But his voice went from cold and stern to soft and fatherly as Markus touched his forehead to Jared’s hand. He squeezed his son’s hand to reassure him that he was fine for the time being. Moving slightly, he came eye to eye with Markus. “Stop worrying so much. If you do you’ll turn out like me. Trust me; my wrinkles won’t look that well on you.” Jared laughed while leaning back in the chair.

“I don’t need rest and relaxation.” Jared couldn’t help the child like habit of rolling his eyes at his son telling him what to do. He’d been the one to change that kid’s pants and tuck him into bed late at night. Their roles weren’t about to change just because his body was getting worn out from the amount of effort he poured into his job. Besides as much as he knew that the time was going to come sooner or later, Jared wasn’t sure Markus could handle the camp being under his full control. There was too much to do and bills to be paid for someone as inexperienced as his son to take on right then.

Jared stretched out his legs feeling them cramping. Taking in a breath, he rubbed his forehead feeling a headache starting to creep up on him. Caused from the stress, maybe. It made him wonder what was taking that ambulance so long. Brooke Haven was a small town, why was it taking so long?

[Ayesha McMillan]

Of course the ambulance didn't take all that long, but to Ayesha too, it felt like an eternity. She didn't like that talk about wills at all, and neither did she like the thought of Jared considering going back to work at the first moment. If this really was a heart attack he would need to stay in the hospital a while, and then make a few changes to his lifestyle, if he wanted to avoid a repeat occurrence.

When she could hear the sirens in the distance she was quick to leave her place at the kitchen counter and open the door, not only anxious to see some professional help arrive, but also so Mark and Adrianna could stay with Jared.

She directed the two paramedics to Jared and when one of them asked if he was taking any medication, she made a helpless gesture. There was no way for her to know, but she mentioned the two aspirin they had given him. "Umm... around the time we called you," she answered the next question, which was, of course, when. "Two tablets of 250 milligram each."

"Good. Pretty good thing to do," the guy informed her, while his colleague took Jared's pulse, then got a stethoscope to check his heartbeat.

"I take it you have - or had - some pretty strong chest pain, Mister Martins?" Of course he knew Jared at least by name. It was a small town after all, and he had seen the man before, even if he had never directly spoken with him.

"Any other symptoms? Shortness of breath, profuse sweating, nausea, palpitations?"

If the symptoms, aside from chest pain, weren't too pronounced they could just take him to the hospital after administering a nitro tablet under his tongue, then monitor him on the way to the clinic in case he also needed oxygen.

"And did you chew that aspirin, or swallow the pills?" the paramedic asked.

[Dr. Adrianna Bowen]

Adrianna half smiled as Jared spoke giving a small laugh for fear that anything more would send her into some sort of hysterical fit. "Yah well we'll see..." her eyes watched him. There was no way anyone was going to let him go back to work right away as it was clear his body needed some rest. Jared must be under estimating the pull that Markus likely had on the staff, especially because Adrianna was sure they would all agree he needed the rest. So rest he was getting, whether he liked it or not.

She found herself having to look away from Jared, she could tell he was reading right through the face she had put up and she knew if she looked much longer her cool would begin to fade again. It was funny how in this situation she just wanted to crawl into his arms, but he was the one who had basically just had a heart attack so him comforting her really wouldn’t work at all.

Relief flooded over her as she heard the sirens get closer. Once the paramedics came through the door Adrianna stood up pushing the chair out of the way and giving them room to examine her. Stepping back to stand close to Ayesha, it was funny how just standing near someone could give you all the support you needed even without words or physical contact. Listening to paramedics asking Jared questions she half worried that Jared would play things off, but she had faith that Markus would step in and tell them the truth.

Adrianna found herself a little more at ease now that the paramedics were here. There were professionals in the room who actually knew what they were doing and if Jared's chest pains returned that he would have a better chance than with Adrianna, Ayesha and Markus trying to do something. Even as a vet, she could do a few things but it wasn't the same. Not to mention she felt herself freezing up when she had actually tried to help him, working on a human, Jared specifically wasn't something she was able to do. Throw her a horse having a heart attack in front of her and she would probably be a different person.

[Markus Martins]

There was no point in arguing with him. He would put up a fight, and a fight was something he really didn't need right now. Markus looked to Adrianna and shook his head weakly, hoping she would get the hint. He took a deep breath and returned the squeeze of his hand, looking up to his dad. Unfortunately, he was right. He was going to have to be ready whether either of them wanted to or not.

Leave it Jared to make a joke at such a serious moment. Mark couldn't say that he didn't welcome it though. It meant he was feeling better, which was a very welcome sign at this moment. He gently clasped his hand between his own two, and he took a deep breath. "I don't think this is exactly the time to be making jokes, Dad." Mark studied his dad worriedly for a moment then the sound of sirens met his ears.

He never thought he would be so happy to hear the sound of an ambulance siren. He looked up when Ayesha went to the front door. He felt an enormous weight lift off of him as he took a step back from Jared so that the EMT could work. He shook his head at the first question. "No. He's not on any medication." He answered numbly, glancing to Jared. At least, as far as Mark knew he wasn't taking any prescription drugs. Jared might have popped the occasional headache medication or something every once in a while, but that was about it as far as Markus knew.

Mark just stood there behind the EMT as he asked about the chest pains and any other symptoms. Mark couldn't really answer any of those questions though so he just stood back, his thumb nail placed anxiously between his teeth. Yeah, he was anxious. He had a right to be right now seeing as his dad just suffered a heart attack. "He chewed them up. I read that it would get in the bloodstream quicker that way." Another question that Mark could answer. He was starting to get rather antsy, which was understandable.

[Jared Martins]

If someone had told Jared that he’d be a workaholic and have a heart attack before 50 years old he would have laughed and walked away without a care. There had never been a thought in his mind that juggling a work life style and his personal life would ever result in the place he was at now. It wasn’t uncommon knowledge how everyone viewed him and he made sure not to let it get to his head. An over inflated ego got in the way of good hard work. But any stray thoughts of just lying down and letting his son take over while he took time off never entered his mind. If they ever did he took measures to set his mind straight by tackling more work. “We’ll see? That sounds like a challenge to me, Adrianna.” Wiggling his eyebrows jokingly, Jared barked a laugh. Only humor was keeping him from spring to his feet and walking right out the door to head home. Humor and the emotions that were roaming behind the vet’s eyes and Markus’s.

His hand never left Markus’s, instead only squeezed it once more before relaxing his hand but still holding on. In his son’s eyes, Jared was sure that the fear of losing his only living parent was prominent after years of feeling secure that he wasn’t going anywhere. “If you don’t laugh once in awhile at life and it’s terrible timing you’re not going to get very far.” But there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Markus was going to great things no matter what he tried to do. He never said it much but he was very proud of his kid.

The sounds of sirens should have been a relief, instead it only told Jared how much of a waste this was. But to the medics it might be the most action they’d seen in awhile since the town was so small. He nodded to the men that were allowed into the house by Ayesha, the woman had grown very quiet and he curious to know what was going on through her mind. All he managed to hear was something about the aspirin being mentioned between them. The two paramedics weren’t unfamiliar to Jared. He’d pasted by both in the town and could have scared the living day lights out of them by calling them by name but refrained for the moment. The hand that had been in the tight grip with Markus let go and noticed how Adrianna and his son gave the medics room to see him. It caused him to sigh heavily and roll his eyes.

He was more than happy to let Markus answer the questions because with the mood he was getting into there would have only been snappy comments and sarcastic remarks to leave his old mouth. He tried to relax while being poked and prodded by the other medic to get his stats but it was a little hard to do when he wasn’t a willing patient. “Yeah maybe some.” He grumbled when Markus went quiet to allow Jared to speak up about his conditions. It wasn’t just the fact that he was in another person’s house being checked out by medics that was the problem but also having to spill out his medical problems before them all. Another sigh passed over his lips while running a hand over his face at the next question. “Yes, all of the above.” At the other question he grunted in agreement with Markus, no point in echoing his son’s words.

[Ayesha McMillan]

The paramedic studied Jared carefully. The sweating wasn't too pronounced at the moment, and his breathing seemed reasonably stable. If he had those symptoms earlier, there was no telling now when the real onset of the attack had been. "Okay, here's what we'll do. In layman's terms a heart attack - and you bet you have one - is the blockage of an artery, reducing blood flow to the heart. The aspirin thins your blood, making it easier to flow through the blockage, but I'll we'll also give you some nitro." As he had begun to speak, his colleague had said "I'll get the stretcher," and left for the ambulance.

The first paramedic handed Jared a small tablet. "This will help widen your arteries. Place it under your tongue, please. Don't chew, just let it dissolve. It'll take a moment, but it's the fastest way to get it into your bloodstream."

Ayesha had just stood by and watched, not thinking much at all until the guy explained what was going on. She suspected Jared wasn't thrilled by a lengthy speech about his condition and the effects of various medications, but it made her feel better. She knew next to nothing about heart attacks, but she was glad Mark had suggested the aspirin.

It also made her wonder how Mark had come up with that thought so quickly. She stepped over to Mark, but not to ask about that. It could wait, and it was only a small thought somewhere in the recesses of her mind.

Ayesha lowered her voice, not wanting to distract the paramedic from his work. "Mark, if there's anything I can do... call someone at Willow Brooke to tell them you might not be home tonight, or anything else...

"Just let me know, okay?"

She was tempted to offer her help at Willow Brooke with office work or some other things outside her teaching job too, but bit her tongue to shut herself up before the words came across her lips. If she spoke about that, Jared would, most likely, just inform anyone again that he would be out of the hospital in no time.