Blue Christmas (The Moody Blue Trilogy | Book One) (21 page)

Gevin’s head suddenly snapped up. He looked Jason straight in the eye. As
if a light clicked on, a curious smile crept across his face. “That’s right, Jackson.”
His eyes stayed locked on his cousin’s. “Jason is exactly right. We’re nowhere
near
through with what we’ve gotta do together.”

Marissa turned to face her fiancé, the confusion written on her face.
Hannah watched the exchange of unspoken communication. Gevin nodded, as if
answering her question, then hugged her against him.

Marissa’s smile broke across her mahogany face until she was beaming. “That’s
right, Jackson. There’s a whole lot of people in here and a lot more out there who
are depending on you to get yourself outta this bed.”

JT stared at Gevin. “Gev, what—”

“Yeah, Gevin, what are you trying to say?” Sergio interrupted.

“I think this whole thing—all of it . . . well, I think
it’s just shown me—” he stopped, looking once again at Marissa, “—shown
us
that
we still have a job to do. It’s pretty clear to me now. Rissa, there’s no
reason we can’t get married and continue with all this, is there?”

“No, there’s no reason at all, if it’s what you want,” she answered. “As
long as we’re together.”

“I mean, things
don’t just happen without meaning. And somehow I think this whole tragedy . . .
it finally opened my eyes.” He looked up toward the ceiling of that crowded
hospital room, his eyes bright with revelation. When he looked back down at
those around him, there was a humbleness in his demeanor.

“I guess I owe you all a big apology. We’ve all been fighting ever since
Rissa and I announced our engagement. This should be the happiest time of my
life, but it’s been clouded by all these arguments. I
never
wanted that.
I guess I just got tired and was looking for the easy way out. I’m really
sorry, guys. JT? Sergio? Jason? I hope you’ll forgive me. I mean it, guys. I’m really
sorry.”

They all
answered at once. Hannah could feel the collective relief among them, as if a
ten-ton boulder had been lifted from their shoulders. They hugged, they
laughed. After the heartache they’d suffered, it was a welcomed moment of fresh
air.

“I just wish Jackson could hear us,” Sergio said softly.

“He does, Sergio. I know it,” Jason said. “I don’t doubt it for a
minute.” Their eyes returned to Jackson, his familiar face so peaceful. “And
guys, since we’re all here like this? Well, if it’s okay with you, I think we
need to pray over Jackson.”

“Hey, JMac—you’re not gonna preach to him, are you?” JT teased. “I mean,
he’s liable to roll over and
never
wake up if he hears one of your
sermons.”

Their subdued laughter rippled through the room. “Very funny, JT. I just
figured we could use all the help we can get. At this point, it seems like
God’s our only hope. Hands down.”

“Go for it, Jason,” Tracey chimed in. “Let Jackson hear you praying.”

Jason inhaled deeply, reaching a hand out to Hannah and one to JT beside
him. The others joined hands around the circle. He lifted his face and closed
his eyes. “God, we know that apart from You there
is
no hope. Not just for
Jackson here, but for all of us. We screw up so bad sometimes, God. Then we
come crawling back to You, asking for forgiveness. But oh God . . .
how awesome it is to know You’re always there, with open arms, just loving us
so much. So we stand here, every one of us, and we ask You to forgive us—for
anything that stands in the way of You hearing our prayers. We want You to hear
our hearts and forgive us, okay Lord?”

“That’s right. Preach it, JMac,” JT murmured softly.

Hannah wondered if he was teasing again. She slowly looked up, finding
JT’s eyes still pressed closed, his expression serious and sincere. Marissa
caught her eye, smiled and winked.

Jason continued. “We need You, Lord. We are so hopeless without You. But
we know—God, we
know
You can wake up Jackson for us. You can bring him
back to us, whole and complete. God, we love him
so much
 . . .”
His voice cracked. Hannah could feel his body trembling. She pulled her hand
free and wrapped her arm snuggly around his waist, nuzzling her head against
his shoulder.

Marissa began to hum quietly. It was so like her, knowing it would put
Jason at ease. Finally, he took a deep breath and tried again. “But we know
that You love him even more than we do. We can’t even begin to understand love
that deep. So we’re asking You, God—no, we’re
begging
You—to heal Jackson.
Give him back to us, God. Please.
Please.
”

Jason paused only a moment. Then, as he struggled to force the words, he
added one more prayer. “But God, we ask . . . for strength. To
face
whatever
is Your will for Jackson . . . no matter
what that may be.”

The words hung in mid-air, the bitter truth of them taking root in each
and every one of them. Then, as the whispered prayers of others drifted around
the darkened room, Marissa began to sing the words of the familiar hymn she’d
been humming. One by one, they joined her, their quiet voices filling the room.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrow like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well, it is well

It is well, it is well with my soul.

They paused at
the end of the first verse, even as Marissa’s voice continued with a soulful
climb, as though her heart searched for a secure hiding place. JT’s warm, raspy
voice joined hers, the blending of their mournful harmony both haunting and utterly
beautiful. As Marissa finally broke into the next verse, they joined her again,
this time their rich harmonies layering the profound lyrics.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hast shed His own blood for my soul.

They sang the chorus again, then began the final verse of that old,
beloved hymn with such conviction and force, Hannah was sure the entire
hospital must be hearing their heartfelt song of prayer.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be right,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, it is well

It is well, it is well with my soul.

When the song ended, their voices echoed off the glass walls of the tiny
room. As that last note hung in the air, the tears fell freely. The impact of
the words against the convicting melody produced an ongoing rhythm of sniffling
noses and quiet sobs. Hannah had never experienced anything so powerful in her
entire life. She knew she wasn’t the only one.

Alli pressed Jackson’s lifeless palm against her cheek. “Please, God . . . please.”

Chapter 15

C
obwebs everywhere. The more she
tried to brush them away, the more entangled they became. They seemed to be
growing . . . tying knots in themselves and wrapping around
everything in their path—including her. They tickled her face at first, no
matter how much she pushed them away. Then, as if someone flipped a switch, the
webs morphed into high speed, encircling her face like the tattered rags on a
mummy. She fought them, frantically trying to clear them before they strangled
her.

“No! No! Get them off me!” she screamed. “Help me! Get them . . .
noooooo!”

She felt hands gripping her arms. Strong hands shaking her.

“Help me! I can’t breathe! I can’t—”

“Hannah! Wake up!” Jason gently patted her face. “Wake up! You’re just
dreaming.”

Her eyes flew open. Jason’s face was only a couple inches from her own.
“But . . . there were cobwebs . . . and they
were—”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. “Shhhh. There
are no cobwebs. Just a bad dream, that’s all. I’m here. Everything’s okay. I’m
right here.” He rocked her gently back and forth, until she slowly relaxed
against him.

“Jason, it was so
horrible
. I couldn’t see anything and these
cobwebs were wrapping themselves all around me and—”

“Don’t talk about it anymore, okay? Try to get it out of your mind.
You’re okay, I promise you,” he whispered, pulling her face toward him to look
at her eye to eye. “I’m right here, Hannah, and I won’t leave you, okay? I
promise you that.”

Still shaking, she stared into his reassuring eyes, wanting to believe
him. Embarrassment slowly washed over her. She dropped her head into her hands.
“I feel like such an idiot. I’m sorry. I don’t know why—”

“Hey, after the last couple of days, it’s a wonder we’re all not having
nightmares.” He pulled back, raising his arms over his head with an exaggerated
loud yawn.

“No wonder people in hospitals are sick—the beds alone will kill you,” he
laughed quietly.

During the wee hours of the morning, after leaving the emotional
gathering in Jackson’s room with all the others, Hannah and Jason had drifted
down the hospital wing to one of the rooms set aside for all of them. They sat
together, side by side, in one of the narrow hospital beds. With the head of
the bed cranked up at almost a ninety-degree angle, they watched television as
a diversion. Apparently they had fallen asleep. The television was still on.

Jason dropped his legs off the side of the bed. “Whoa,” he moaned,
rubbing the small of his back. “My back feels like one huge knot. Ooohhhh . . .
that hurts. I’m in serious pain here.”

Hannah pulled her hair off her neck. “Jason, I hate to tell you this, but
you sound like an old man. You want me to ring the nurse for some oxygen? Maybe
some prunes or a laxative or something?”

He looked over his shoulder at her, returning a mischievous smile. “You,”
he crawled back toward her, “are not nice. After all I’ve done for you. Easing
you out of that nasty nightmare. And this is the thanks I get? Oxygen?
Laxatives? Hannah, you know what I do to people who are unkind to me.” He
grabbed her waist and started tickling.

“No! Jason, stop! You know I hate—ahhhh!” she cried, dissolving into a
storm of giggles. She grabbed his neck and pinched it sending him into a
pathetic cry of surrender.

“Okay, OKAY! I’ll stop! Now let go—let go!”

“What in the world is going on in here?”

They froze, turning their heads toward the door. Laura and Frank stood in
the doorway.

“Oh, hey Mom. Dad! Uh, well we were just . . .” he looked
at Hannah. A split second later they were laughing again. Jason scrambled to
stand up as Hannah fell back against the raised bed. Finally, he let out a long
sigh. “Oh never mind. I guess we were just letting off a little steam. Did we
wake you guys or what?”

Laura walked over to a blue vinyl chair and sat down. “No, you didn’t
wake us. In fact we just had breakfast. One of the local radio stations had a
hot breakfast buffet delivered for all of us from Cracker Barrel. You all
should go eat something.”

“Sounds good, but what’s the word on Jackson?” Jason asked, finger
combing his hair. “I can’t believe we fell asleep watching that stupid TV
movie. We must have slept all night. Have the doctors said anything?”

Laura looked across the room at her husband who was leaning against the
door frame. He dug his hands deep in his pocket and shook his head. “Nothing.
There’s been no change at all.”

Hannah watched Jason take a deep breath. Their momentary relief
disappeared, the laughter forgotten.

Frank walked over and tousled Jason’s hair. “Why don’t the two of you go
get a bite to eat. I’m sure we’ll hear some news soon.”

Jason turned toward Hannah. “You hungry?”

“Yeah, but I think I’d like to take a shower first. Is that okay?”

“No problem. In fact, I could use a shower too. Grab a couple of towels
and we can—” He shot a look at his mother just in time to see her jaw drop.

“Jason!” Hannah gasped.

“Jason Thomas McKenzie, I did not raise you to talk to a young lady like
that. You apologize to Hannah right this minute.”

He held up his hands. “I’m only kidding! I just thought I’d try to get a
rise out of you, Mom. Hannah, it’s my mission in life to try to shock her socks
off.” He leaned over her, grabbing his mother in a raucous bear hug.

Hannah felt the heat on her face. “That’s okay, Laura. He was just
dreaming.
Trust
me on that.” Hannah scooted off the edge of the bed.
“Jason, I’ll go shower in the room across the hall. I won’t be long.”

She stood up
just as Jason’s mother pushed her son away and stood up as well. She moved to
Hannah’s side and enveloped her in a warm, maternal hug. “Good girl. Keep him on
his toes, will you?” She laughed, then pulled back and looked into Hannah’s
face. “Hannah, I’m glad you’re here with us. And I know Jason appreciates
you’re being here with him. He acts tough but underneath all that teasing and
carrying on, he’s just a big kid. And like it or not, a mother isn’t
necessarily what he needs at a time like this. You’ve been wonderful.”

“Mom, what kind of fluff are you shoveling her now? Let her go take a
shower. I’m starving.”

Hannah turned her head toward Jason just as he peeled off his sweatshirt.
His lean muscular physique took her breath away.

“Quite a ‘hunk,’ isn’t he?” Laura teased.

Hannah covered her face with her hands.
Tell me I did not just gawk at
him right in front of his mother?!
Jason threw himself into a litany of WWF
poses again, showing off his build with a straight face. Hannah cleared her
voice. “Yes, well, I’m outta here.”