Never Too Late

Chris nodded and let Jenna help him to his feet "Can I go see him?" his voice was hoarse "Please Jenna?"

"Soon Chrissy, let us look him over," Jenna said. "Then you can see him."

Chris meekly nodded and rested his head on Jenna's shoulder, exhausted by all that he had been through that day.

"He's gonna be fine Chris," Jenna murmured, glancing over her shoulder as she watched her coworkers were inserting a tube down the younger Hardy's throat to take control of his breathing, sighing softly when her pager went off and she was forced to leave her brother to face the heartbreaking scene before him alone.

Chris could barely breathe as he watched the scene before him. Jeff was the kind of man who could never stay still, he was always moving around, jumping, skipping, whatever he felt like doing. But now he was so still...Chris wiped away a few tears as he came to sit by his lover


"Oh Jeffro..." Chris took his hand and began to cry again "Please don't leave me."

One of the doctors sighed soflty as they stood outside the door. "In his condition I'd be surprised if he sees the light of day tommorrow."

Chris' eyes went wide and he grabbed almost automatically for his cell phone "Matt, Matt it's me. Listen, you need to get over to Mercy General right away, Jeff's hurt real bad. Yes it's very serious, bring Hailey and Alexis with you. Yes Matt, hurry please!"

Chris hung up and tenderly stroked Jeff's cheek "C'mon baby hang in there, you have to pull through, you just have to!"

Matt rushed as quickly as he could to get the girls in the car.

"Ev, come on!" Matt shouted. "My brother's in the hospital it sounds pretty bad!"

Chris continued to rhythmically stroke Jeff's pale face. He couldn't stop blaming himself for what had happened "If only I'd been at home" he whispered "God I'd give anything to save you."

After only spending ten minutes on a normally twenty minute drive Matt arrived at the hospital with Alexis, Hailey, and Evan in tow.

Chris looked up when he heard footsteps "Oh Matt, thank goodness you're here!" Chris nearly collapsed into Matt's arms "It's not good Matt, not good at all!"

Matt nodded.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Matt said.

"Matt you don't understand!" Chris was very close to breaking down again "I heard one of the doctor's talking about Jeff outside, they said it'll be a miracle if he lives through the night!" He's DYING Matt!!!"

"Chris, he's not going to die," Matt said softly. "He's proven the doctors wrong dozens of times before, he can do it again." He leaned closer to Chris and whispered in his ear. "You know he loves those girls, use them, maybe they can get a response out of him."

Alexis and Hailey had already gotten the same idea and had clambered onto the bed while Chris had been crying to Matt

"Daddy, daddy!" The two girls were starting to cry, distressed at seeing their young father looking so sick and pale "Daddy Jeffy wake up, we miss you!" Alexis curled up by Jeff's side while Hailey stroked his tattooed hand "Daddy we love you." They whispered nearly in unison, tears running down their cheeks.

Matt glanced up at the two girl and could nstantly feel the tears rising in his eyes. He walked over to the bed and took Jeff's hand gently as the tears began to flow. "Come on Jeffro, hang in there," Matt sniffled. "You can't leave us."

Chris slowly leaned down and caressed Jeff's long, limp hair and then very softly he began to sing....

Is this the moment where I look you in the eye?
Forgive my broken promise that you'll never see me cry
And everything, it will surely change
Even if I tell you I won't go away today

Will you think that you're all alone
When no one's there to hold your hand?
When all you know seems so far away
And everything is temporary, rest your head
I'm permanent

I know he's living in hell every single day
And so I ask, oh God is there some way for me to take his place?
And when they say it's all touch and go
I wish I could make it go away but still you say

Will you think that you're all alone
When no one's there to hold your hand?
When all you know seems so far away
And everything is temporary, rest your head
I'm permanent, I'm permanent

Is this the moment where I look you in the eye?
Forgive my promise that you'll never see me cry

"You're not alone Jeff" Chris' voice shook with emotion "We're all here for you."

Jeff gave a soft moan, his hand beginning to twitch.

"Jeffro?" Chris' eyes lit up and he rubbed Jeff's cheek "C'mon baby, I know you're in there, come back to us."

Jeff's eyes fluttered open slowly, a slight haze still present in their emerald color.

"Daddy!!!" Hailey crawled up and gave her father a kiss "You're awake!!"

Jeff nodded, too weak to move, though he wanted nothing more than to hold his girls close to him.

Chris recognized that distant look in Jeff's eyes and he gingerly shifted his daughters so Jeff could 'hold' them "Thank goodness you're awake" he murmured, gently stroking one of Jeff's hands "You had us so scared baby, I thought I'd lost you."

Jeff shook his head as if to say "Never" before he rolled his eyes, glaring at the tube coming from his mouth.

Chris chuckled, this was the Jeff he loved so much "I know you don't like that tube" he murmured "But it has to stay in a little while longer."