Jon was totally oblivious as the staff pumped his stomach, then hooked him up to a back up ICU to monitor him. He hadn't been there long before JJ and Jordan arrived. He lay perfectly still, his dark hair plastered to his forehead as his body fought to rid itself of the drug.
Jordan watched his brother, beginning to understand how hard it must have been for his family when he had been the one in the bed. There was nothing he could do to help Jon, absolutely nothing. He hated that feeling of helplessness. He reached over and took JJ's hand, gripping it for comfort. She glanced at him, and smiled her understanding. They hadn't been there long, watching Jon worriedly, when a nurse walked in to check on him.
"You can sit there," she said, checking instruments, "but if that alarm goes off, get out of the way."
"Why?" Jordan asked hesitantly.
"It means he's dying," she answered, glancing at them with a smile meant to ease them. "He should be okay, though. He got here in time. I just thought I'd better warn you." She smiled at their sighs and left as Peter walked in, a policeman right behind.
"Jordan, Danny said you gave Jon the drink that started all this," he said. He seemed upset.
"I did," Jordan said. "Why? What's wrong?"
The policeman stepped forward and took Jordan's arm. "You are under arrest for the attempted murder of Jonathan Knight," he said, pulling him to his feet. Jordan was too shocked to protest.
"What?" JJ demanded as he checked Jordan for weapons, then cuffed him, reading him his rights as they left, Peter right behind. JJ collapsed into tears as the door closed behind them.
Jon opened his eyes to utter confusion. It wasn't that the room was full of people; on the contrary, it seemed to be empty. But he could usually remember where they were when he woke up, and this room drew a complete blank. His body ached for something, and his brain screamed for more of the drug... Oh, yeah. The hospital, probably. He then vaguely remembered the people at the center saying that taking another amphetamine, especially Dexamyl, was inviting another addiction. A low moan escaped him. He didn't want to have to battle himself again, and his body positively ached for the junk!
"Jon?" he heard JJ say, and turned to look at her. It took minute before he could focus on her face, but he was grateful for the distraction. When he finally did focus on her, he noticed the tears.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.
"They arrested Jordan," she sobbed. "He's been accused of trying to kill you."
"What?! Hold it!" He tried to sit up, bent on going after Jordan, but collapsed as his body protested and his head screamed in pain. "Help me," he gasped, closing his eyes momentarily.
"Jonathan,..." she protested, worried.
"Please! I have to stop them." He tried to push himself up again, but slower, and she slipped an arm around his shoulders to support him. When he'd sat up, he leaned against her, eyes closed, to catch his breath, and hoped his head would stop pounding soon. JJ, with her hand on his chest to steady him, could feel his heart beat. Still too fast, but comparable to how it was just after he got off stage. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Jon opened his eyes again as someone pushed him down onto the bed. He didn't know this doctor, and Jon had no strength to fight him, though he tried. The doctor pinned his shoulders to the bed, and Jon paused a minute, trying to clear his head.
"I have to talk to them!" he cried suddenly, deciding his head would hurt no matter what he did. "They arrested the wrong person! Jordan wouldn't..."
"Quiet!" the doctor thundered. "You are in no condition to go anywhere." Jon flinched and rested a minute, closing his eyes against the pain.
"Then get them in here," he responded, opening his eyes as the doctor let him go. "I want to get this straight."
"Who do you want?" JJ asked. Her eyes were clear again, and angry.
"Jordan, Danny, Peter, the policeman," Jon listed, and she started towards the door. "And you come back," he called after her. She nodded and closed the door behind her.
When they all arrived about fifteen minutes later, he felt much better. The doctor had given him a painkiller and his headache was gone, though his body still hurt. Jordan looked like he'd rather be dead as he walked in, the policeman behind him. He didn't meet Jon's eyes as he sank down in a chair by the bed. The policeman stationed himself right behind him. Jon couldn't think of the reason he'd wanted Danny - he just had, and he was glad he'd come. He sat in a chair with Sam next to him - she'd refused to be left out. Of course, it concerned her, too. Peter had convinced the policeman to wait to take Jordan to jail until after they'd found out if Jon would be okay, and he sat next to Jordan silently. JJ sat on the bed by Jon, holding his hand.
"Okay. Thank you officer, for staying here. Would you please tell me why you arrested Jordan?" Jon asked. Jordan looked up, then down again.
"Danny Wood stated that he saw Jordan Knight give you the drink. No one else had the opportunity to put the drug in your cup."
"Yes, Jordan gave it to me," Jon said, wishing he didn't hurt so bad. "But I left it on the table because JJ was having trouble with her plate. Jay, did you get it from the table?"
Jordan looked up again, the despair on his face not so deeply etched. He felt a little hope just because Jon had used his nickname, and he tried to shake the feeling. "No," he said. "Chris gave it to me."
"Jordan, Chris Hannon doesn't like you," Peter protested. Jordan sighed. They'd obviously been through this before.
"That doesn't mean anything," JJ said. "If you were trying to frame someone else, wouldn't you..." she paused, flustered, then blushed. "Do you see what I'm trying to say?"
"The best way to frame someone you don't like is to make him look crazy," Jon said, grinning. She nodded. "Besides," he added, "Jordan wasn't even sitting at the table where I left my drink. He couldn't have known it was mine."
"It's ridiculous to think that Jordan would try to kill Jon," Sam said.
"No one could have acted that well for that long," Danny added. "The only reason his spirits picked up after Jon disappeared is because Sam accused him of being addicted to having Jon around."
"Chris could have given it to Jordan," Jon said, glancing curiously at Danny, then at Jordan as he blushed slightly. "Jordan doesn't lie, Peter, you know that. When he gave me the milk, he was shaking his head like he'd just seen something he didn't believe. So he's not the only one to have the opportunity. Besides, there's no motive."
"I didn't believe what I'd just seen," Jordan said softly. "Chris was nice to me for the first time in three or four years."
"Well, then, Mr. Knight, you are free to go," the policeman said, bending down to release Jordan. "But that leaves me without a suspect," he added as Jordan rubbed his wrists.
"Well, lets see if we can help," Danny said.
"How?" JJ asked. The policeman looked interested.
"Trying to remember stuff that might have some impact on why whoever did what they did, and who might have done it," he said.
"Well, Chris gave me the milk," Jordan said quietly. His dark eyes were still blank, as if he couldn't believe he wasn't accused of trying to kill Jon anymore.
"There was that big fight that got everyone heated up," Danny said.
"That's when I was supposed to have started doing the uppers," Jon said. "but I never could remember taking the drug."
"So someone was feeding it to you," Danny said.
"Yeah, but who?" Jordan asked.
"How did you know you were on the drug?" Peter asked.
"Chris told me. He even said I hit him," Jon said.
"He also made sure you had at least juice at every meal," Jordan muttered. "He couldn't get you to eat, but you always had juice." He sounded astonished. "That's three times."
"Coincidence," Sam said suddenly.
"Opportunity," Danny grinned at her.
"Okay, three times he's come up." Peter stood. "I'll get him."
JJ suddenly stiffened, and her grip on Jon's hand tightened. He glanced at her and was shocked to see her face was white.
"What?" he asked softly.
"Four times. Chris put you to bed that night you thought you raped me," she said, her voice strangled. The room went silent.
"Are you sure?" Danny asked. She nodded.
"Jonathan fell asleep while I was talking to him. When I left the room, Chris was going past. I didn't want to just leave you there, and I wasn't that comfortable putting you to bed myself." Her face colored slightly, and Jonathan grinned. "I asked him to."
"That's good enough for me, " Peter said, and left to get Chris.
"Why would Chris try to kill you?" Jordan asked.
"I don't know. I hardly know him," Jon said tiredly. Danny sat back in his chair, wondering. Chris had seemed like an okay kid.
"Are you okay?" JJ asked, looking at Jon. He smiled at her.
"I ache, but I'm okay," he said.
"From the drug?" she asked. He nodded and closed his eyes.
Peter returned then with Chris. The blonde noticed Jordan first, looking relieved and rubbing his wrists. What? he thought. He should be in jail! He had been arrested; he'd seen him in handcuffs just a few minutes ago. Turning to the bed, he saw JJ, who sat by Jonathan, holding one of his hands. She smiled and gently brushed the hair from Jon's face. Jon opened his eyes and smiled at her, then closed them again. No! he thought frantically. I can't have failed! Darting over to the bed, he shoved JJ out of the way and grabbed Jon around the throat. JJ fell to the floor, not quite fast enough to catch herself.
"Why ain't you dead!?" he demanded, shaking Jon. Jon's eyes snapped open and he tried to pry the fingers from around his neck, but didn't have the strength. "You're supposed to be dead!" Peter pulled Chris off as JJ got to her feet. She nearly hit Chris, but caught sight of Jon gasping for breath and bent over him.
"You okay?" she asked tenderly. He grinned weakly at her, then nodded and took a deep breath.
"Why are you trying to kill Jon?" Jordan demanded. Chris turned on him, trying to escape Peter's grip on his arms.
"You killed Theresa!" he yelled.
Jordan flinched. "It was suicide!" he protested.
"She was pregnant!" The room was silent except for Chris's breathing as he tried to get loose. The policeman took over then, quickly handcuffing the blonde.
"What does Jordan have to do with that?" Danny asked.
"She spent the night with him," Chris growled, glaring at Jordan.
"She what?" Jordan asked, his voice dropping low.
Jonathan laughed, then coughed. "That's not possible. Mom would have heard, and he would have had to take care of her. And he never would have done that to her," Jon said, then coughed, his hand at his throat. JJ shushed him.
"Is that why your father shot him?" Danny asked.
"I don't know, but I'm glad he did, and I wish you'd died!" Chris said viciously.
"If it was me you hated, why did you try to kill Jon?" Jordan asked, almost afraid of the answer. "He was innocent." He edged forward in his chair.
"I loved my sister," Chris spat. "If the person I love is dead because of you, then why should someone you love be allowed to live? It seemed like a fair exchange to me."
Jordan lunged out of his chair at Chris, but Danny moved just as fast, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. He pushed Jordan to his knees, and kept him there as he tried to get up. "Danny, let me up!" he demanded. Chris laughed.
"She was supposed to tell you," he said, glaring at Jordan. "But she wouldn't with me there, and there was no way I'd let her alone with you again. Who knew what you would talk her into."
"The baby wasn't mine," Jordan hissed. "Danny, let me up."
"Not until you cool off," Danny said evenly. Jordan watched as Chris was led from the room, trying to get free of Danny.
"Jordan, it's not worth it. It turned out okay," Jon said as loud as he could, then the door shut behind Chris and the younger Knight quit fighting. Danny let him go, but he didn't stand up. After a minute, he buried his face in his hands and sobbed.
Go on to Next Chapter | Grounds for Vengeance
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