DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything associated with the show… I just like playing with the characters in it from time to time. Dance Monkeys! Dance!
RATING: Teen
SPOILERS: Post Ep of S11XE15 - Targets of Obsession
PAIRINGS: Catherine/Vartann
SUMMARY: Sometimes it takes being faced with the worst case scenario to truly appreciated what's right there in front of you.
A/N: I took this as being the best part of that episode... Well, and watching Bieber getting mowed down.
REVIEWS: Reviews are the way I know if people are enjoying the work or not. So, if you leave one, THANKS! And if not, I hope you found at least a little something to brighten your day, and thanks for taking the time to read.
Her ears were still ringing to the point she could barely hear, but the numbers on the machine beside the bed and the slow rise and fall of his chest told her that he was doing fine. He hadn't regained consciousness, but the doctor said it would take a while for the anesthetic to wear off.
Right after the doctor gave her the good news Catherine immediately called Jake to let him know everything was fine. She knew someone from P.D. had called him, and she wanted to be sure he didn't have to worry any longer than necessary. Lou would be really upset if he knew anything was interfering with Jake's studies this close to his finals.
And before she could hang up with Jake, Lindsey was calling. Her roommate saw something on the news and got her out of class to let her know about the explosion. It took her a while to convince Lindsey she was actually okay, and by that time they were wheeling Lou out of the recovery room. She promised her daughter she would call her back later and followed the gurney through the corridor, never taking her eyes off of the uncharacteristically flat hair lying on the pillow.
When the nurse finished setting Lou up in the ICU room, she took one look at Catherine and shook her head. Making her sit down in the chair by the window, the nurse cleaned and dressed the scrapes and cuts on her arms. When she was done, the woman bustled out, leaving Catherine alone.
The first thing Catherine did was reach out for his hand. It was warm to the touch and for some reason that seemed to calm her anxiety. Standing next to his bed, she squeezed his hand, feeling the worn calluses on his palm, and she felt calm. Staring at his relaxed face, she felt a need to touch his cheek. When his mouth opened just a little with her touch, she thought he might be waking up, but it must have been a reflex, because his eyes stayed closed and his breathing stayed slow and even.
After twenty minutes of standing there holding his hand, she started to feel a little foolish. Instead of keeping her standing vigil any longer, Catherine started digging around in her purse until she found a comb and tried to straighten up his hair. In all the time she'd known him, she couldn't recall a single time his hair had been so flat. Before today, she assumed it must have been naturally spiky, but that was obviously not the case. She did her best to make it look the way he always wore it, but she suspected there was some kind of gel involved. She made special note of that fact for teasing him later.
Eventually she just sat on the edge of the bed, holding his hand and waiting for him to wake up. She wanted, more than anything, to be the first thing Lou saw when he opened his eyes. She wanted him to know everything was okay, and that she belonged there. She needed him to see she was making that choice.
She got that chance when his eyelids began to flutter. The fact that her heart was fluttering, too, told Catherine there really was nowhere else she was meant to be. She was there for him. She was there for them. And everything was going to be just fine.
