~*~
It was the kind of anger that makes you want to scream, cry, break something, kill someone, and die, not neccessarily in that order. Jesse was very familiar with that kind of anger; he felt it all the time. The burning anger was as much as part of him as his heart. It pulsed below the surface all the time, and when it erupted, it was something to behold.
It was the anger that had made him say those things, those hateful, untrue things that had hurt her so much. His anger had wounded her far worse than any physical object could have, and his stupid pride had kept him from trying to heal the damage he'd done.
He looked down at her, sleeping so peacefully, her thin brown hair spread over the pillow like a frizzy halo. His wife, his beautiful Tabitha, the woman he loved and could never hold again. He looked at her perfect face, pale and elegant in the dim light, and wanted to howl with rage. Why did she have to be like this? Why had she chosen this out? Couldn't they have worked through it like every other time?
Jesse ran a hand through his dark hair, trying to ignore the fact that it was shaking. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right for her to do this to him.
"Damn you," He said quitely, knowing she wouldn't wake if he yelled, but whispering all the same. "Damn you, Tabitha. What did I do to deserve this? How could you do this to me? To us? What about our little girl? What am I supposed to tell her?"
The thought of little Audrey calmed him somewhat. Audrey, with her dusky skin, big green eyes, and dark brown hair, caught somehow between the simple beauty of a child and the angelic perfection that was her mother. How was he supposed to tell her Mommy was gone, and wouldn't be coming back?
"Mr. Cannon?" The thin, nervous-looking man at the door cleared his throat uncomfortably. "It's time. We have to know."
Jesse stared at him for a moment, not quite comprehending what the man meant. Then he remembered and returned to staring at his wife.
"Do it." He said, his voice oddly emotionless. "Do whatever you have to. Just save my wife, Doctor, and let me bring her home to our little girl."
