Chapter 55 - Livin on a Prayer

I stood and studied the Dr's face and expression, my legs were trembling as he continued to finish what he had started to say.
" Jon is in serious condition, but at this time he's stable. We managed to remove the bullet, but his lung had collapsed. He's now on a ventilator."  I know he did not explain it exactly like that, but that's all I heard. then my own voice again,
"Can I see him?"
"Give me a few minutes to check he's settled in ICU and I'll return to get you."
Ma looked at me, with Pa as well and we all hugged one another, the tears falling from our eye's with relief.

The Dr arrived back, and lead us all to Jon. I knew he was on a ventilator, but I was so shocked to see him laying in the bed non responsive, sure Doc had said he was stable, but I thought he'd be awake. I grabbed Ma's hand as we walked around to sit with him. We held each others hands as tight as we could. she looked at me and forced a smile, to say, he will be fine. thing was in my heart I dare not think that in case I was wrong...... I knew if anything happened to Jon I would never find another love like him. It is unheard of to find love once never mind twice, and what's more all I wanted was my Jon.... my hero.

Pa sat on the other side, Ma' and me sat to Jon's left. She spoke to him, "Son, we are here, your pa, Mara and me, the kids send you there love, and want you to get well really soon." her eye's were misting over with the hurt of seeing her son lying before her fighting for his life, she continued " we are all praying for you to make it through,..... Don't let me down... ok?... you hear me Jon Francis ?.... just  don't let us down..." 

hanging her head after her last sentence she let the tears flow.  I tried to soothe ma, and stroked her back, while holding Jon's hand. Ma was right, we were all praying, me harder than anyone.... with each breath I took, I willed him to live..... I wanted to say so much to him, but could not form the words to come from my mouth, the lump in my throat was stopping them from coming out, so I sat at his bedside and just held his hand and let my tears fall.

The nurses, kept coming over and checking on Jon, altering his drip, checking his signs were all good, I had to ask,
"When will he wake?"
"She smiled at me,
"when his body is ready too... give him time...."
"But he will wake right?"
she did not answer this time, again she smiled as she walked away.....
Fear suddenly gripped my heart, I looked at ma,
" what if he never wakes.... oh god, what if we are faced with the decision to have to turn off the machine..... Oh dear god...." my tears came as sobs, with my head now resting on the bed and on Jon's hand, ma tried to soothe me, I could not stop the sobbing, the harder I tried the harder they fell...... I could hear ma,
"Sssssh Mara, now don't take on so, Jon Francis is a fighter, he is a Bongiovi.... have faith in him... come now...."
I raised my head and through my veil of tears, I looked into Ma's eye's there was something about her look that told me, not only did she believe it, but she knew what she was saying was true. I smiled weakly at her, and held back my sobs as we hugged...

Pa sat silent, and now spoke....
" Yeah, he's got my blood, he will win though, you are all worrying for nothing.... you'll see...."
his arrogance shocked me, Jon told me his dad was a forced to be reckoned with, and now I was seeing and hearing it first hand. The last time he had spoken in arrogance was the first time I met him at Jon's house as his trainer, I thought then it was a one off, how wrong was I. 
"Sir, you have no idea the horror that both your son and I have been through, please do not presume to know that, Jon will be fine, if the Dr's cannot give that guarantee, just because his your son does not give you a higher claim than the almighty god. Having your blood, means nothing...... "
"well, well, a right little spit fire aint ya?... all's I was trying to do, is tell you he will pull through... I don't presume anything, but I know my son and this is not going to stop him...... if you love him as much as you say you do, you should know that... well?"
just as I was about to answer him back ma spoke.... "Please John, now is not the time, Mara has been through hell and has been tortured, and saw our son shot, give her a break.... "
"but, Carol you god damn..."
"Ahhh I mean it John, or I will have you removed.... stop now?"
he pushed his chair back,
"whatever, I'm always the bad guy... fuck it..." he pushed the swing doors of ICU and headed outside back into the waiting area.
"I'm sorry ma, sorry for everything...I couldn't stop myself saying that to him..."
"Sssssh it's fine, he has always been the same, don't fret..... I'm glad you stood up to him... he may be Jon's dad, but he is an assole..." laughing she said... "that's why I divorced him..."  we both hugged each other, then turned back to look at Jon still laying so still next to us.