"When the hell are you going to learn, Bartowski, that there are consequences to your moronic actions!" Casey growled. He jabbed Chuck's forehead with a thick finger, adding, "Think, you idiot! We tell you to stay in the car, for a reason-"
"Casey..." Sarah placed a hand on the man's shoulder, her voice sounding as exhausted as she looked. She wearily looked at Chuck. "You should go," she looked at the car pointedly, "And wait in the car."
Chuck nodded solemnly, eyes still wide and shocked. "Yeah, yeah...I'll just go and, and I'll just wait in the car..." he gestured towards the vehicle, nearly tripping over his feet in his haste to retreat.
When Chuck was finally out of ear-shot, she leaned down and peered at Casey's wound. "You need to go to the hospital," she said softly. Gingerly poking around the bullet wound, she tried to block her emotions, and focus on the task at hand. But she knew Casey was getting worse from the way his skin continued to pale, and his chest proceeded to brighten with blood. "Casey, we need to move. Now."
Shaking his head, he grasped her arm when she tried to stand. "Walker," he grunted, but she interrupted him.
"No," she said sharply, although her concern and worry was spelled out across her face. "No, Casey...we're getting you out of here, and you're going to be fine. We need you in tiptop shape for our next mission." Sarah smiled, her eyes alight with tears. "Who else is going to be there to threaten Chuck on a daily basis? Or save all of our asses when we get into a tough situation?"
"If only he'd just stay in the damn car..." Casey trailed off, his gruff tone softened by the weak smirk on his face. Suddenly he stiffened, his body racked with dry, hacking coughs. When he settled long enough for Sarah to take a good look at his face, his lips were tinged blue and blood speckled his cheeks. Eyes unfocused and hazy, he released his grip on arm, instead reaching for her hand in a loose hold. "Much as I love that idiot- don't tell him I said that by the way," he added sharply, "He'll be the death of me." The irony of the remark was not lost on either agent.
"John, stop talking," she ordered, forgoing gentleness for authority. Applying firm pressure on his injury, they both shared a knowing look. Casey wasn't invincible, despite his hulking appearance and tough attitude. And his tendency to come out of firefights, usually, unscathed. However, when she demanded he stopped talking, she didn't mean that he needed to stop breathing as well. "John? John?" she grabbed his slack jaw in both of her hands, cradling his lolling head. Quickly checking for a pulse, and finding none, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before carefully closing his own eyes with her thumbs.
Sarah shifted her weight around, until Casey's head was resting on her lap, and she was sitting comfortably on the ground, her back against a wall. She stroked his cheek methodically. They may have had their differences, but they always had each others' backs. Until they didn't. Until now.
"Oh God," there was a sharp gasp, and a few hesitant steps in her direction. Looking up slowly, she watched as Chuck carefully picked his way over broken glass, spent cartridges, and dead bodies, until he was standing before the two of them. "Oh God, oh God...Casey...Casey?" his eyes couldn't have gotten any wider, or his voice any higher. He knelt before her, hands shaking, tears in his eyes. "It's my fault, Casey," he murmured, voice tight and barely held together, and before Sarah could dispute his claim, he continued, "I should have...I should have listened. I should have stayed in the car." Chuck's voice wavered as he fought over control of his emotions. He fell back onto his bottom, staring at the large man's unmoving body.
Neither person said a word for a long time, both silently thinking of their relationship with the NSA agent. Sirens in the distance finally caught their attention, and they remembered where they were, and what had happened. They needed to leave.
Carefully maneuvering herself out from underneath Casey's heavy bulk, she allowed Chuck to help her to her feet and they stared at one another wordlessly. Brushing back a lock of gold hair, she took a deep breath and finally managed to say, "It's time to go, Chuck."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, the sirens growing louder as they neared, he nodded. "I know," he whispered hoarsely.
Sarah turned and gave Casey one last look, knowing full well that she had to leave him behind. Unable to find the proper words to part with, she allowed Chuck to gentle engulf her slender frame with his warm embrace, before steering them away from the scene and towards the car. When she was situated in the driver's seat, ready to go, she felt the car shift and realized that Chuck had hastily exited and was quickly making his way back towards the body.
"Chuck!" she called out through the open door. The sirens were nearly on top of them.
"Casey, Casey," Chuck panted, hands on his knees. "I have to say this before I go, and I know that you could care less, and that it doesn't even matter anymore, but it does, it does to me, and I have to say this, I need to say this," he drew a deep breath, and fought the urge to salute."You've served your country with honor and dignity, Colonel John Casey. You fought like a hero, and you've died a hero. And we appreciate everything that you've done...I appreciate everything you've given up and done...and I'm sorry for this, it's my fault, it is..." he stopped fighting the tears, as he finally added, "In a totally manly, and respectful way...I love you."
Chuck felt as though he could hear the grunt he would have been answered with in response.
"Chuck, get in the car!" Sarah cried from the running vehicle, motioning wildly for him to move.
"Right, right," he murmured. High tailing it out of there, he looked up at the blue sky, and back at Casey. He smiled sadly. "Bye John."
End.
Please Review.
A/N: I was getting annoyed with Chuck never listening to Casey and Sarah, when they tell him to stay in the car. They know what's best for him!
BTW: I LOVE CASEY.