Water Ch. 64 - Love Lies. 2005

"Stephanie, wake up - it's dad."  he says to his daughter that's half asleep still.  She woke up long enough to answer the phone.

"Hi dad, I'm up.  It's 8:00.....What do you want?' the sleepy teenager says to her dad, with a little irritation.

"I need Beth's phone number.  I left my phone at the house, and I want to call her.  I know you have it." he tells his daughter.  She sits up in bed and reaches for her backpack that's on the floor next to her bed.  Digging through it, she isn't having any luck finding it, so she dumps it out on her bed.  Sorting through her crap that falls out, she sees the heart shaped piece of paper that Jon had wrote Beth's info on.  He gave the contact info to Stephanie, Jesse and Dorothea.  For emergency purposes. 

"Do you have something to write on?" Stephanie asks her dad.  She knows he does. 

"I'm ready." he's getting excited.  He's just a few moments away from talking to Beth.  He misses her.

Stephanie rattles off Beth's phone number to her dad.  Her dad repeats it back, to be sure he got it right and Stephanie said, "Yep, that's it.  Can I go back to sleep now?"  She lays back in her bed after she moves the mess from her backpack off to the side.

Jon, thankful to his daughter, says, "Go back to sleep baby girl.  I'll call you later.  I love you."

"Bye dad."  the line went dead. 

Jon refills his coffee cup from the room service tray that he ordered.  He was an early riser today, more than any other day, because he wanted to catch Beth before she went off on her company exercises for the day.  Coffee and cigarette in hand, he dials her cell phone number.

"Hey there." she says as she answers the phone.  She is so thrilled that he called.  She needed to hear his voice.

"Hi babe.  How are you?" he asks, feeling like he hasn't talked to her in weeks.  He sits down on at the table that's out on the patio of his hotel room.

"I'm okay.  How are you?" she can hear the anxiety in his voice. 

"It's been a nightmare.  I left my cell phone at home yesterday and had no idea how to get a hold of you.  So, I just called Steph and she gave me your number.  Did I wake you?  I wanted to call before you left on your exercises today." he confesses he's sometimes an airhead.

Beth is laying back in bed, waiting for her room service to show up.  She has already brushed her teeth, so now she is ready for food.  She feels like she hasn't eaten for days, and she's quite hungry.  She starts to tell Jon, "I'm done with the team building shit.  I'm going home today.  As soon as I can book my flight."

Jon never would have thought that she was injured, so the only reason he can think of that she's blowing off the company retreat is due to her recent promotion.  "What's the matter, is your head getting to big to participate?  Miss VP, are you too good for the common people?" he chuckles at her, totally unprepared for her response.

She knows how this is going to go, and she really wanted to avoid it, but they agreed to no secrets and no delayed honesty.  "Well, I'm here in my room, laying in bed because I have no choice.  I was in an accident the day we got here."  she holds her breath.

"Are you okay?  What happened?" he has visions in his mind that don't even come close to what she's about to tell him.

"Yeah, I'm fine.  Mild concussion, little bit of a brain bleed that has stopped, multiple bumps and bruises, a broken ankle and a broken leg.  My eyes are so black and blue, I look like a raccoon.  It's quite funny." she knows that he has her looking worse in his mind.

"Whoa, wait a minute.  Are you sure you're okay?  What can I do for you?" he's never felt so helpless.  He lights another cigarette and starts to pace.  "You can't fly home like that Beth, not on a commercial flight." he tells her.

"Hey, I've seen many people with broken bones and casts on airplanes, I'll get home just fine.  Plus, I have Tammy with me.  I think she'll go home with me."  Beth never really thought about the physical logistics of getting home.  She couldn't walk on crutches and carry her bags.  Damn it.  Maybe the airline will lend her a wheel chair.

"Babe, you can't be home alone like that.  What are the doctors telling you?  What happened"

"Tammy and I did a zip line and when I stepped off the platform, I must have twisted my ankle and down I went.  They tell me I rolled down a big hill, hitting stumps and rocks on my way."  She takes a breath and continues, "I wasn't allowed to fly yesterday, but I can today.  So, I'm going home.  I have pain meds and an antibiotic in case any of my scratches get infected. I'm good to go."  she assures Jon, but she knows him well enough to know he isn't buying any of it.

"I'm coming to get you." he tells her.  It's not debatable, in his mind.

"No you're not.  You have a show tonight and I'm going home." she tells the rockstar, letting him know that he wasn't the boss of her.

"Beth, you can't go home alone.  You need some one with you." he's getting upset, he hates being so far away from her, with a commitment in 12 hours.  Running his fingers through his hair, many times, he says, "Let me fly you here with me.  I have people that can stay with you, and then I'll take you home tomorrow, personally."  he is loving that idea.  And he knows she won't go for it.

"Jon, I can get myself home.  I'll be okay, really.  It's just a broken leg and ankle.  I've been through worse."  There's a knock on the door.  "Hang on a minute, my breakfast is here.  I can't hop to get it with a phone in my hand."  she sets her phone on the bed.  He can here her hop to get the door, cursing the whole way.  She tells the room service attendant to please set the tray on the bed.  She hands her what cash she has and the attendant leaves.  Beth climbs back onto her bed and picks up the phone.  "I'm back."

"Ok, with what I just heard, I'm coming to get you.  You can come to Atlanta with me and then I'll fly you home.  On my plane, you won't need to worry about anything."

She's buttering her toast, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder and she tells him, "I don't like that idea.  I just want to go home Jon.  I can get there today, by myself."  she knows this conversation isn't over.  He doesn't like to be told no.  She's ready.

He's quiet for a few moments, running a few scenario's through his head.  "Why do you want to go home?  We can go somewhere nice, just the two of us." he tells her.  He's thinking he could use a couple of days vacation, as well. 

"Home is where all my stuff is, everyone likes being home when they don't feel well."

"I can provide you with whatever you need, you know that."

"I can provide me with what I need, but the comfort of being home can't be purchased.  I want to go home." she tells him, again.  He sure is stubborn. 

"Okay, you win, but let me get you home.  My plane is here in Atlanta, let me get it arranged to take you home, let me do that for you, please."  he wants to help in anyway that he can, and she isn't making it easy.  He can hear her eating her toast, "Will you let me do that for you?"

She mumbles, "Mmm hhmm" and takes a drink  of her juice.  "Fine, will you feel better if I do that?"

"Yes, that way I will know you made it okay and that you have a good flight.  It may take me a while, but I'll arrange it.  I'll call you back after while, okay?"  he's now in a hurry, he needs to put his plan in motion.  He's going to swoop in and rescue the love of his life. 

"Ok, I'm going to eat and probably take a nap.  Tammy is supposed to come help me shower later.  I would kill for a shower." in the back of her mind, she was wishing he could do it.  She would love to see him, but he has a show, she's not even going to mention how much she misses him and how many times she's thought about him. 

"Alright, I'll talk to you soon, until next time."  he hangs up. 

Beth sits there on her bed running this through her mind.  Atlanta is not that far away from St. Barts.  So, it shouldn't be long before she is able to go home.  This way, on Jon's plane, she didn't have to mess around with security and she wouldn't have to stand in line forever with Custom's.  This might be the better plan.  Maybe he's right?

She finishes her fruit and toast and tries to find something good on TV.  The pain medication has kicked in and she's feeling sleepy, she just had such a hard time getting comfortable.  The cast on her leg was so heavy, she wasn't able to lay on her side, like she liked.  Six weeks........how am I going to do this?  She thought to herself.  Finding her favorite show, Law & Order, she laid there and watched it until she falls asleep.

In Atlanta, Jon is on the phone making the arrangements for the plane to be fueled and makes a flight plan into the Bahama's.  He is being told that he can't do this, make this trip into the Bahama's and get the plane back out in one day.  If it landed, it had to lay over due to all the other air traffic.  Damn, it.  What's he going to do now?  He came up with Plan B, and Plan B would not make Beth happy. 

Calling her back, like he said he would, Tammy answered her phone on the first ring. 

"Hi Jon, this is Tammy.  Beth is sleeping, do you need me to wake her up?"

"No, how long has she been sleeping?' he asks. 

"About an hour, what's up?" Tammy wants to help, if she can.  After all, this IS Jon Bon Jovi on the phone.  "I came in to help her with a shower."

"How bad is she, Tammy?"  Jon asks, knowing that will piss Beth off when she finds out he asked her assistant how she is.  She's already told him.

Tammy not sure of how to answer that questions, says, "What do you mean how bad is she?  Because she's not good, at all.  She's pretty beat up." Tammy takes her bosses phone out onto the deck, so she can speak openly with Jon.

Jon is not liking what he's hearing.  He didn't know what he wanted to hear, because he is stuck.  He has a show to do in less than 12 hours and he feels like he needs to do something.  And he knows he has to act quick, because she'll wake up and book a flight home.  She could be long gone from the Bahama's before he is even done with the show tonight.

"We need to keep her there, how can we do that?  She's wanting to go home, and I don't want her home alone.  I need your help Tam." the rock star says to the ever so helpful assistant.  "I can be there about midnight, but we can't let her go home alone.  Help me here."

"That's easy" says the homely assistant, "I'll just tell her the next direct flight is in the morning."  She'll buy that.  Are you coming down here then?"

"I am, I'll head down right after the show.  I've got a chopper on stand by.  It shouldn't take too long to get there.  But please do not tell her I'm coming.  I don't think she wants to see me when she looks like she does."  Jon can't stress it enough that Beth is not to know he's coming down.  He actually spoke in a tone that scared Tammy, so that was good. 

"Do you want me to tell her that you called?  Should she call you back?"  Tammy has no idea what she is to do next.  She's pacing on the patio that has very little space.  Playing the 'don't step on a crack' with herself.  The patio pavers are just big enough for her toes, pretty easy game to play. 

Jon, with a cigarette in his mouth mumbles, "Yeah, have her call me back.  I'll be at this number for a while.  She knows I left my cell phone in New Jersey.  Take this number down, this is Melanie's number, she's my assistant."  He waits for Tammy to get inside and get something to write with.

"Go ahead, I"m ready." Tammy is waiting for the numbers, when she hears Beth stirring.  "She's waking up, do you want to talk to her?"

Beth over hears Tammy talking to Jon and yells, "Who are you tallking to?" 

The assistant feeling like she just got caught, walked in next to Beth's bed and said, "It's Jon.  Do you want to talk to him?" 

Beth shook her head no and laid her head back down on the pillows.  "What's he up to?"  She asks her assistant.  Beth can hardly stand the pain she's in.  She cannot get comfortable.  Must be time for pain meds?

"He's just checking up on you.  He's worried."  Tammy kind of lies to her boss.  Tammy knows that when Beth finds out all of this, she's going to be pissed. 

Beth turns to look back at her assistant and whispers, "Can you get me some more pain meds, please?"  And she turns back over.  The cast is driving her crazy. She wants it off.

While still on the phone with Jon, Tammy walks into the bathroom and gets Beth two pain pills and one of her antibiotic pills and brings them back to Beth, with a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Thank you." Beth sits up long enough to take her medicine and lays back down. "What time is it?"

Looking at her watch, Tammy tells Beth, "Its almost noon. Do you want to talk to Jon now?"

Beth really isn't in the mood to talk, her pain is tolerable with meds and sleep. "Can you tell him hi for me and tell him I'll call him later to get my flight info from him." Tammy is on the verge of a heart attack, she's afraid Beth may find out that she's been talking to Jon.

Still talking to Jon and getting real nervous, Tammy asks Jon, "What do you want me to tell her?"

To make it easy and to divert any questions, Jon tells Tammy, "Tell her the next flight leaves in the morning and you have her booked on it. Tell her it's direct, and that I can't get in and out in one day. But don't tell her I'm coming."

Tammy is nodding her head as she walks back into where Beth is and starts to tell her with Jon still on the phone, "The first flight I can get you on leaves at 9:00. That's the only direct flight out of here. And Jon can't fly in and out in one day. He'd have to layover a day." Beth is listening and all she hears is that she's stuck in St. Bart's until tomorrow now.