Blue Christmas (The Moody Blue Trilogy | Book One) (19 page)

Jason flew out of
the car, racing toward the porch. He lunged at Sergio who bolted back,
resisting Jason’s efforts. “No, Jason, I can’t go. This is all my fault! I
can’t—¡no puedo! ¡No puedo! Oh Dios mio!”

Jason gripped Sergio’s
arms. “Just shut up and get in the car, Sergio. I’m not gonna listen to that
kind of talk!”

Sergio fought
back, his strength overpowering his friend. “No!” Angry tears coursed down his
face. He stepped back, colliding into the strong arms of Frank McKenzie. Sergio
struggled to get free, but Frank held him tight.

“Jason’s right,”
Frank said urgently, just an inch away from Sergio’s ear. “You have to go with
them. This is not your fault, son. But this isn’t the time for discussing who
is or isn’t at fault. You have to think of Jackson right now and nothing else. That’s
all
that matters.”

Jason could see Sergio’s
body relaxing. He looked at his father appreciatively. He wrapped his arm over Sergio’s
shoulder. They moved quickly toward the limo. As Sergio ducked into the long black
car, Jason turned back toward his father. “Dad! Call Jackson’s family. Get them
here as fast as you can.”

“Your mother is
already trying to track them down. Go on. We’ll join you shortly.”

The door slammed
behind Jason as the tires of the limo squealed in hasty retreat. Sirens pierced
the air as a long police escort surrounded them. Hannah cried softly, her head
on Jason’s shoulder. He rested his head against hers, looking at Alli, sandwiched
between Gevin and Marissa. Her lips moved silently as tears poured down her
face. JT stared out the window, his body rocking in quick, jerking movements as
Tracey held his hands tightly in hers.

Sergio sat in a
side seat of the limo, his elbows resting on his knees, his head buried in his
hands.

Jason wiped his
eyes with the back of his hand. He let out a long breath then forced his eyes
toward the side window as he prayed silently. In every direction, huge displays
of fireworks erupted in the sky as the new year arrived. Jason’s heart ached in
his chest. Not since his own surgery years ago had he known such pain. But this
was so much worse. Looking around he saw the fear on the faces of those he
loved. He couldn’t bear it. A lump the size of a baseball filled his throat,
but he knew what he had to do.

“Oh Jesus,” he cried.
“Sweet Jesus,
please . . .
please save our Jackson.” He
stopped, unable to say more. Hannah squeezed his hand.

One by one, then
simultaneously their prayers came together, reverberating through the car. They
continued to pray as the sirens wailed in an eerie, strange accompaniment. They
begged God for their brother. They cried out to God for a miracle.

Because tonight,
it would take nothing short of a miracle to save Jackson Greer.

“As the world
ushered in the new year, we here in Chapel Hill were shocked to learn of a
tragic shooting this evening at the home of Frank and Laura McKenzie, parents
of
Out of the Blue’s
Jason McKenzie.” The newscaster’s face appeared
somber as she spoke into the lens of the camera outside the hospital. “Details
are sketchy but we have learned that a guest attending the New Year’s party at
the McKenzie’s shot and wounded band member Jackson Greer. Greer was brought
here to North Carolina Memorial Hospital where we were told just moments ago
that he remains unconscious in critical condition.”

The camera angle
widened as it panned the hospital area. “Security is tight at the hospital as
word has spread of the shooting. We are told that the four other members of the
group arrived by limousine just minutes behind the ambulance carrying Greer.
The police chief has asked that well-wishers and others respect the privacy of
these celebrities and their families at this time of crisis by not coming
anywhere near this medical facility.”

Dozens of similar
camera crews reported the story across air waves that reached around the world
in a matter of minutes. Security tightened at the hospital as police officers
sealed off the area.

Inside, doctors
and nurses worked at a frantic pace to stabilize the young celebrity in their
emergency room. Jackson was moved to a special intensive care unit. With
immediate access to a private wing, those who waited for news of his condition
were able to be together away from the public. The gracious hospital staff tried
to make them comfortable, providing plenty of space and amenities for them.

The minutes ticked
by agonizingly slow for those who waited.

Gevin grabbed the
remote and clicked off the television. “Enough.”

Hannah sat in a
corner of the waiting room watching every movement and listening to every word.
People spoke in urgent whispers, but mostly they were silent. Occasionally, she
would shake her head, as if doing so could wake her from this nightmare.

She felt
uncomfortable and out of place. Yes, she had learned to feel a part of these
people over the past few days. But now, in this highly charged atmosphere of
crisis, she felt like an intruder. She thought briefly of slipping out and
going home, but a nagging inner voice kept telling her to stay.

Jason needs
you.

She wanted to
believe it. She watched him across the room, clustered with the other guys as
they took turns sitting with Alli. Hannah wanted desperately to comfort her new
friend. But mostly she wanted to cling to Jason. Still, she couldn’t seem to
find the courage to invade their space. So she waited.

Kylie had called
again. And again, Hannah had chosen not to take the call. How could she now?
How could she explain all that had happened leading up to this? She knew Kylie
would be angry with her, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that. She would
understand once they had a chance to talk.

Not knowing what
else to do, Hannah closed her eyes and added to the silent rush of prayers.
After a while, she felt someone sit down beside her. Before she opened her
eyes, she breathed in the familiar scent of Jason’s cologne. His hand reached
for hers, intertwining her fingers with his. He dropped his head on her
shoulder. She could almost feel the weight of his heartache in that gesture.

“You okay?” he
asked quietly.

“Yes. I think. How
are you holding up?”

“I just can’t
believe this,” he began. “What if—”

“Shhh.” She
pressed her fingers against his lips. “Don’t, Jason.”

He exhaled deeply
pulling her hand toward him, settling against her. “I just wish I could get in
to see him. Just for a moment. I just need to see him breathing.”

She tightened her
grip on his hand. “Any word from his family?”

“No, I don’t—”

The door opened as
Frank and Laura arrived. Their eyes raced across the sea of faces looking for their
son who suddenly appeared before them. He collapsed in their embrace. Hannah
couldn’t bear to watch as the three of them cried together. Gevin joined their
circle, burying his head against his uncle’s shoulder and weeping out loud.

The family shared
quiet words and Hannah knew that Frank and Laura would be the strength they all
needed right now. She was right. As the minutes slowly bled into long,
unbearable hours, the McKenzies moved among the people assembled here for Jackson
and encouraged them to have hope.

From time to time,
the doctors would come in to report on Jackson’s condition. Each time they
opened the door, you could hear the collective intake of breath as they all feared
the worst. And they collectively sighed in relief when they heard that he was
hanging on. He was still unconscious, but he was alive.

Around 5:00 in the morning, Hannah made her way over to the coffee pot and got two white mugs,
filling them with the fresh, steaming brew. She silently thanked God for the simple
luxury of real coffee mugs, not the usual Styrofoam cups found in hospital
waiting rooms. She walked slowly toward Alli. “Buy you a cup of coffee?”

Alli looked up,
her eyes bloodshot and puffy. She nodded, reaching out for the mug.

“Alli, I couldn’t begin
to know what to say right now,” Hannah said as Alli sipped the hot brew. “But
I’ve been praying for you since we left the house. And I promise you, I won’t
stop.”

Alli looked at her, the slightest nod communicating her appreciation.
“Hannah, don’t think I’m being ungrateful. I’m just trying really hard to stop
all these tears, and—” She took a deep breath, shaking her head. “And I just—”

“It’s okay,” Hannah whispered. “I understand. You don’t have to say
anything. I just wanted to check on you. Is there anything you need?”

She closed her eyes briefly. “Actually, there is. Do you think we could
get out of here for a few minutes? These walls are suffocating me.”

“Sure. Let’s take a walk down the hall.” They moved toward the door.
“Jason?” Hannah touched him on the arm as he sat talking to Gevin and Marissa.
“Alli needs some fresh air. We’re going to step out in the hall for a minute,
okay?”

“Do you want me to come?”

Alli squeezed
the back of his neck with her hand. “No, we’re fine. We’ll be right back.”

They walked up and down the dark hall for half an hour. It felt good to
be up and moving. Hannah let Alli talk. Sometimes they walked in complete
silence. They were just heading back to the waiting room when anxious voices
filled the hall ahead of them.

“Oh thank God, Hannah. It’s the Greers!”

Alli flew into the arms of Jackson’s mom and dad, immediately surrounded
by his brothers and sisters. Hannah slipped back into the room to give them
some privacy. It would only be a moment, because as soon as Hannah opened the
door, Jason saw them too. He squeezed her hand before rushing into the hall. He
was followed by Gevin and JT. Sergio remained on the floor of the waiting room.
Frank and Laura sat on either side of him, no doubt trying to counsel him
through the long hours of relentless, self-imposed questions.

Hannah walked back to the corner where she had originally been seated.
Marissa plopped down beside her, folding her arms across her chest. “Oh girl,
how in the world did all this happen? One minute we’re dancing and laughing and
having the best time . . . and then, the guys are fighting . . .
and then that shot was fired . . . and it’s like time just
froze. And none of us have breathed since that moment.” She shook her head back
and forth. “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it.”

“I know. It’s surreal, isn’t it? I think we’re all still in shock.”

“That we are.”

Hannah thought for a moment then turned to face Marissa. “Rissa, can I be
honest with you?”

“Sure, Hannah. Anything.”

“I feel
really
out of place here. I’m trying to convince myself I should
stay because of Jason. But I can’t help feeling I’ve intruded on a great big
family that’s dealing with this horrible thing, and I just shouldn’t be here.”

Marissa’s face clouded. “What in the world are you talking about? You
are
here because of Jason. And he needs you here. He needs you now more than
ever. Just because you’re new to this little soiree doesn’t mean you aren’t
important to all of us. Okay? So just chill. None of us wanna be here, but
we’re here. And we all need each other. Okay?”

Hannah felt the burden lift off her shoulders. “Thanks. I guess I just
needed to hear that.”

“That’s okay. Thing is, I’ve had my own doubts about being here. Ever
since Gevin and I announced our plans, this whole thing has been one big mess.
I knew it would be hard on the guys, but I never dreamed it would come to
something like this.”

“You can’t blame yourself for any of this! Liza would have pulled that
trigger regardless of what else was going on. She obviously had planned this—bringing
a gun with her, cornering Jackson alone in his room like that. You and Gevin
had nothing to do with it, Rissa.”

“I know that, Hannah. But maybe we shouldn’t have said anything. Just kept
it to ourselves for now. I don’t know. It’s just all so crazy.”

“I know. But the one I’m really worried about is Sergio. I see all that
sadness in his eyes and it breaks my heart.”

“Sergio’s gonna need a lot of help to get through this. He’s such a neat
kid, y’know? He’s got a heart the size of Texas and he’s one of those people
who’s always happy just to be alive.” Marissa smiled at memories obviously
playing in her mind. “I just love him. Always have. Like a kid brother you just
adore. He’s so excited to be a part of this group. Loves every aspect of it. When
the rest of the guys need a break from it and go off on vacation, he’ll still
make the award shows and do all the interviews. All by himself. It’s like he can’t
get enough of it.”

They looked over at Sergio, deep in conversation with the McKenzies. Laura
held him close, her arm wrapped around his shoulders.

“He’ll be okay, if he’ll listen to Frank and Laura,” Marissa continued.
“They are so solid, those two. Now
that’s
a model family if ever there
was one. In fact, I’d have to credit the McKenzies with one of
Blue’s
dirty little secrets.”