8:45 am - ICU

ICU head nurse, Alice Deering opened Jimmy's privacy curtains to allow the morning sun in. "Mr. Carrick. How are you feeling?"

Jimmy answered Alice with less enthusiasm than a leaf falling from a tree. "Great."

Alice ripped the printout from the VitalStats monitoring system. "Huh, you already showing signs of improvement!"

He nodded then looked around Alice to see the Fortune brothers laying in their beds. "How are the brothers?"

"Right!" Alice immediately refocused her activities. "I better check on them. Robert Fortune will be here to at nine o'clock."

"Great!" Jimmy pulled the pillow over his head.

Alice pulled the pillow from his grasp. "Mr. Carrick?"

Jimmy spoke quietly. "Is my friend waiting outside? Five-foot-ten. Gorgeous."

"Five-foot-ten, gorgeous?" Alice mocked him. "Right!"

Jimmy bit his lower lip, nodded before answering the ICU nurse. "Yeah."

"Dreamer." Alice laughed as she headed out to the small waiting area for family members to check for Jimmy. "Excuse me. Mr. Carrick is asking if he has a friend waiting for him."

Brad stood making Alice chuckle. "I didn't expect that. Come with me, he's been asking for you."

Brad seemed surprised. "Ah, okay. How is he?"

"Some bumps and bruises but overall he looks pretty good for being pulled from a mangled car." Alice stopped Brad just outside the ICU door. "He called you gorgeous!"

"Very funny." Brad reacted with sarcasm. "Brain injury?"

Alice muffled her laughter and opened the door. "Come in." She walked Brad to Jimmy's corner bed. "As requested." The nurse stood to one side before she chortled. "Your gorgeous friend!"

Jimmy rolled his eyes and covered his face yet again.

"I agree! He's gorgeous!" Alice used Jimmy for her own stress relief.

"Jimmy." Brad sauntered in behind Alice as if he were on a fashion runway. "Gorgeous?"

"Well, I will give you two some privacy." Alice pulled the curtain. "Don't get his heart rate up ~ Gorgeous." Alice laughed again.

"Funny woman." Jimmy slipped the pillow behind his head. "Where's, Win?"

"So, I'm not gorgeous?" Brad took offense.

"Maybe to Alice. Clearly, she's in Neverland." Jimmy raised both eyebrows high at Brad who put his hands on his hips in a feminine way. "Species is right, color and chromosome ~ not a match. Musicians!"

"What does that mean?" Brad scoffed.

"Nothing!" Jimmy tired of the conversation. "Have you seen, Win?"

"She getting coffee." Brad raised his thumb as if he were hitchhiking. "Dana is pissed with you, Man!"

"Me?"

"She thinks you are a self-sabotaging, thick headed, jackass!" Brad shook his head. "Like you are punishing her."

"Sounds like, Dani." Jimmy grumbled.

"Hey, that's my wife!" Brad grabbed the pillow and placed it over Jimmy's face. "From what I have seen, she's right!"

Jimmy pulled the pillow from his face. "You've known me for less than a day!"

"Hey hey hey!" Windy entered Jimmy's curtained area. "Keep it down you two!" She tilted her head to the door. "Dana has coffee for you, Brad."

Brad pointed to Jimmy. "Get better. Save our daughter!"

Alice appeared at just that moment. "Hmmm, I didn't expect those words." She took Brad by his hand. "Time for you to leave, Gorgeous."

Windy frowned. "Am I missing something?"

"Yeah. Alice is in wonderland." Jimmy scoffed.

"Oh, I don't know. A musician. Tall. Handsome." Windy teased her friend.

"You too? Ugh!"

Windy softly laughed before sitting on the edge of his bed. "How are you?"

"You thought you lost me. Didn't you?" Jimmy reached for Windy's hand.

Windy couldn't make eye contact.

"You don't have to say a word, Win." Jimmy convinced her to lay down and he just held her close.

9:00 am

Alice escorted Robert Fortune into the ICU ward. "Your brothers are making good progress. They can now be moved without any risk."

"No." This time Robert Junior spoke with respect.

"No?" Alice seemed genuinely surprised.

"They're in good hands." He looked at Alice. "Unless you need the beds."

"Not at the moment, Mr. Fortune."

"Then, I will see you tomorrow, same time."

Windy listened closely to their conversation. She quietly got up from Jimmy's bed to watch Alice and Robert leave the ward.

A few minutes passed before Alice returned to Jimmy's corner. She pulled the rolling patient's table to the bed before placing shaving cream, hot water and a couple of disposable razors on it. "As requested."

"By whom?" Jimmy looked up at Alice.

"A friend. Say five foot-ten~gorgeous." Alice winked at Windy.

"If Brad wants a shave, he can..." Jimmy's sarcasm was cut short. Windy pulled him in for a real kiss as she pressed the button to move the bed into a seated position.

"This is really happening?" Jimmy rubbed his hairy chin. "I kinda like it, Win."

Windy firmly but gently made her point.  "It's coming off." She started by immersing a face cloth into the hot water and holding it to his face in an attempt to soften his bristly facial hair. Jimmy reluctantly accepted his fate.

Windy watched Jimmy fall asleep after his shave then quietly slipped out of the ward. As she passed the waiting area Alice caught up to her.

"Miss South!" Alice gently pulled on her elbow.

"It's, Windy."

"Windy, I haven't properly thanked you for helping tame, Robert Fortune." Alice held both Windy's hands. "He is a changed man!"

Windy smiled. "I have a suggestion."

"What is it?"

"The Fortune brothers and Jimmy do not get along." Windy had a suggestion for the nurse. "Just keep Jimmy's curtain closed. Out of sight ~ out of mind."

Alice released Windy. "Done! See you later today?"

Windy checked her wrist but no watch. "Yeah. I'll be back later."

Windy raced down the stairs. "Gib will be hungry!" She ran past the cafeteria headed towards the parking lot.

Dana and Brad stepped out of the cafeteria as Windy ran through the automatic doors. "Wasn't that Windy?"

"Yeah, five-foot-ten, go...going really fast. Yeah, that was her." Brad agreed.

Dana looked at her husband as if he were crazy. Brad stifled his laughter.

Brad held his wife's hand as they walked down the hallway. "Let's see how Jimmy's doing."

"Why so interested in Jimmy?"

"His kidney will save Jordan, Honey." Brad explained. "We need him to be in good shape."

"You're right." Dana leaned into Brad. "But I want to spend time with Jordan. You go see Jimmy. Maybe get to know him." She stopped and added. "Don't believe everything he says."

Joey Fortune

Joey jerked violently as if he were having a nightmare before he started yelling while still unconscious. "You bastard! Noooooo!"

This woke Jimmy from his peaceful morning nap. That sounds like Joey. Crap! He reached for his privacy curtain to watch the nurses work with Joey.

"Mr. Fortune!" Alice called out to Joey. "Liz make sure he doesn't rip those IV lines out!" She pointed to his hand. "Hold his wrist. Don't let go!"

"We need more hands, Alice!" Liz struggled with Joey's strength.

Alice looked over her shoulder as Brad walked into the ward. "Gorgeous! Help us!"

Brad hurried across the ward.

"Just put pressure on his shoulders so he doesn't hurt himself." Alice called out to Joey again. "Mr. Fortune!"

You bastard Fortune! Why don't you just...just stay unconscious. I can't wish him dead...I'd be a killer. Hmmph, you wouldn't have to worry if they died. Stop thinking crazy thoughts and think of what you are going to do when he does wake up.

Joey roared. "Carri!"

Busted!

Jimmy sat up in his bed. Damn, I can't run. I think I would slow a turtle down. Well, I'm sure they'll let me donate my kidney even from prison.

Brad looked at Liz. "What did he say?"

"Carry ~ I think." Liz shrugged. "Sometimes they say random things when they're unconscious."

Brad tilted his head. "I never knew."

"Alice and I have some crazy stories." Liz looked at her boss. "Hey Alice?"

"You wouldn't believe us, Gorgeous." Alice gave Brad suggestive look.

"It's Brad. My name is Brad." He shook his head. "My wife will be by a little later."

"You are no fun, Brad." Alice faked pouting. "Come on Liz, we should let Brad get back to his man."

"Ladies. We are not..." Brad stumbled on his words. "I am married. He's...oh forget it!" He made his way to Jimmy's corner.

"I see you are their new play thing." Jimmy laughed.

"Thanks to you!" Brad shot back. "What do you think Dana will think of that?!" He pointed to the nurses checking on the other patients in the ward.

"I think you are safe, Brad." Jimmy reasoned. "Dani didn't stop reminding me of how great you were."

"Yeah right!" Brad sat heavily into the visitor's chair. "She thinks I deserted her and Jordan."

"She understands why you left." Jimmy reminded Brad of his part. "You have to remember only you can set it right. You do love them, right?"

"Yes, of course I love them."

"You want them back in your life, right?"

"What's this? Twenty questions?" Brad snapped. "Okay, yes! I want them back!"

Jimmy shrugged. "Then why do you worry? Dani wants the same and Jordan's love for you has never wavered."

"I guess you're right." Brad drew a deep breath, sat back in the chair and force it out as a loud sigh.

Jimmy lowered the head of the bed. "Now if you don't mind, I need to sleep. Dr. Liu will be here sometime this afternoon and I want to appear I can handle the operation tomorrow."

"Hey, you shaved!" Brad finally noticed.

"Windy gave me the spa treatment earlier." Jimmy's hand slid smoothly over his chin.

Brad shook his head before slowly getting up. "Okay, get some sleep, Babyface. Jordan needs you to be good to go."

"Ciao, Drummer Boy."

Relieved the people in the ward did not connect Joey Fortune to him, Jimmy closed his eyes. Soon exhaustion took over and he fell asleep in the brightly lit ICU ward.

Windy and Dana

After checking on her cat, Gib, Windy rushed back to the hospital without eating and just as tired as Jimmy. She feared the Fortune brothers would wake and attempt to take Jimmy out.

Windy made her way to the cafeteria to grab a bagel and a coffee before heading up to share time with Jimmy.

"Oh hey, Windy!"

"Dana! How's Jordan feeling?"

"Weak but optimistic." Dana shrugged. "I don't know if she can hold out much longer, Windy! I at my..."

Windy hugged her friend. "I'm sure the operation will go ahead tomorrow."

"Jimmy is a walking disaster!" Dana blurted out. "He's...he's..."

"I should have married him."

"What are you saying, Windy?" Dana looked at her friend. "I am in shock!"

"I am going to ask him to marry me!"