Kodiak Sky

CHAPTER 41

Jack grinned from ear to ear as he rushed into the private room of the New York City hospital.

Bill smiled back weakly from the bed. He’d finally awakened from his coma forty minutes ago.

“I love you, Dad,” Jack mumbled as he leaned down to gently hug his father, while Cheryl looked on with a huge smile of her own.

Bill had lost a tremendous amount of blood, but he was finally out of the woods. Despite his age, Bill Jensen remained a very tough man.

“I love you, too, son,” Bill murmured, tears coming to his eyes as Jack pulled back from their embrace. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re a hero. Your mother’s been telling me everything.”

“Skylar McCoy was the hero.”

“Don’t do that. She was a hero, definitely. But this country owes you a huge debt of gratitude as well. I’m very proud of you, son.”

“Thanks.” It was amazing to finally hear those words come from his father’s mouth. It seemed as if he’d been waiting a lifetime.

“Karen?” Bill spoke up suddenly with a fearful expression. “Where is she? Is she all right?”

Jack turned and pointed toward the door. Karen was standing there, leaning on her cane.

She waved at Bill. “Hi,” she called as Jack moved to where she was standing and took her in his arms.

He’d never tell her about the struggle with Troy in that hospital room. How he’d wrestled the vial away from his brother before the nurses could get into the room. How he’d sprinted from the hospital before Troy could have him stopped. How it had made things bad between Troy and him, so bad that they were speaking again but not a lot. Karen didn’t need to know about all that. She was alive, thanks to the antidote, and that was all that mattered to Jack.

“I love you,” he whispered in her ear as he held her.

“I love you, too, Jack. I always will.”