I Saw You
McRaider
Summary: He woke up with an unnerving pain in his back, he'll be lucky if he ever wakes up again.
Author's Note: Primarily this is a short story of Allison and Nathan, their relationship and how far it's come. I just took the opportunity to whump my beloved genius! I have a thing for geeky scientists.

The building was dark, with the sole exception of his computer desktop, where his head was pillowed by his arms. Eyelids closed in an all but peaceful slumber; for three days Nathan Stark had felt sick to his stomach and exhausted. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept well. It seemed like he'd been sick for days now. Sure that he was catching the flu he tried not to think about it, and that it might take him out of work for days.

The pain only got worse when he moved, so he'd become stationary for the past few days. It felt like a stabbing in his side, he groaned as the lights flickered on overhead, meaning someone had invaded his room.

"I really think you should get yourself checked out Nathan," Henry's voice rang through the room, as the astrophysicist stepped inside.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Henry," Nathan replied in an unusually pinched tone as he slowly sat up, removing his head from the desk.

Henry took the sight of his young friend in and sighed, he was pale, his forehead dotted with sweat, eyes drawn with deep circles underneath, lines of pain etched on his brow. He looked sick; he looked like he would keel over at any moment. "I'm fine, besides, it's getting better," liked Nathan, if anything it was steadily growing worse.

"You never were a good liar," Henry replied as he sat down across from the young mathematician. He continued to study the younger man for a moment, "It could be something serious Nathan—"

"Since when did you start caring," growled Nathan as he hastily stood up, nearly doubling over as the pain ripped through his side and back. He threw his hand out to stop Henry from rising any further in his chair.

"Since my top scientist and best student started looking like he would keel over if I tapped him. You never could take care of yourself in grad school either; you nearly died of pneumonia back then, what's it going to take this time to slow you down Nathan? To get you to open up your eyes?"

Nathan ground out through his teeth, "I said I'm fine, look I've got a meeting in ten minutes downstairs," Straightening as best as he could, despite the stars that were beginning to form in front of his eyes, he stalked out of the room, leaving a very concerned Henry behind.

o0o

It was a simple experiment, with Allison at his side and a slightly annoyed Sheriff Carter, they began the experiments, studying the reactions from Section Two. Nathan had all but noticed that the pain had finally ebbed away and he stood taller than ever, sure that perhaps he was finally going to be given some relief from the past few days of agonizing pain.

"We're going strong, it definitely generates an EMP," Nathan spoke quietly as he continued to gaze over the output.

"But we still have no idea what it does?" Allison questioned.

"No, I've got my best people on it though, Allison," returned her ex-husband.

She rolled her eyes and started to turn around, misjudging the console beside her, she quickly side stepped it, her elbow landing directly to Nathan's right side. What normally would never had stunted the healthy scientist; surprised everyone when he let out a cry in pain.

His eyes filled with tears as the pain exploded in his side, taking him off his feet as his world began to spin, he dropped to the ground gasping for air, trying to control the bile rapidly making it's way up his throat.

Allison's eyes grew wide as she watched her normally strong ex drop to his knees, face ghastly white, gripping his side as he struggled to breathe. Instantly worried she dropped to his side, "Nathan?"

He shook his head, turning quickly to the side and found the nearest wastebasket as he dry heaved into the trashcan. His tears now sailing down his cheeks unchecked as he withered, his entire stomach on fire. "Someone get me a medical team!" Allison cried as she focused on Nathan. Gently turning him onto his back she looked down at his eyes, scrunched up in pain as he curled in on himself. "Nathan, what happened?"

Henry came rushing into the room, "What happened?!" He demanded as he dropped to Stark's other side, ignoring the wastebasket, and the Sheriff, who still stood there completely stunned by what he'd seen.

"I elbowed him," was all Allison got out, "What's going on?"

"He's been nursing his right side the whole week, you haven't noticed!?" Henry was appalled, there was a time when Allison knew every little nuance about her former husband and took great care in watching over him. When had their friendship gone so wrong that she didn't even notice when he obviously wasn't doing well.

"No! It's been a busy week!"

"Can we stay on track here guys!" Barked Jack from behind as he cried out again for a medical team.

Allison, still cradling his head in her lap reached out and gently pressed against his abdomen. She wasn't at all surprised this time as he cried out in pain, "Wh-at!" he all but sobbed as he tried to move away from her. Allison however quickly grabbed his head, keeping him in place. She reached out and touched the side again, and again came the scream.

"You idiot! You have appendicitis! Jesus Nathan why can't you take care of yourself!" she growled.

"Allison, you can berate him later," Henry whispered in return as the med team rushed in, shoving both she and Henry out of the way. They watched as they rushed Nathan out on the stretcher, leaving everyone in the room utterly speechless at what had just occurred.

"How long?" whispered Allison.

Henry shrugged, "Three days at least, I thought you noticed. You always know when he looks bad—"

"It's been a long week Henry, three weeks. I may have ruptured his appendix by elbowing him. My guess is it was probably about to burst and I just jostled it enough." she shook her head as she wiped at her damp eyes. When had they grown dark.

"The Doctors will take care of him Ally," Jack murmured, letting Henry and Allison know he was still in the room.

She looked from Jack to the doorway where her former husband had just been swept away, "I hope so," she murmured.

o0o

Before she'd had Kevin, she had been one of the top doctors in all of Eureka; she'd been so happy. However there had always been one patient she remembered clearly above all others. He was a scruffy looking boy, barely older than her at the time, with beautifully clear green eyes and a pension to find trouble whenever possible.

That's how she'd come to know Doctor Nathan Stark, at the time he'd been a scientist, a learner like Henry, he had once loved the learning side of science, and as Henry had once said, Nathan could have further science.

Then Kevin had come a long, shortly after the death of his father; Nathan had been there, surprisingly calming and passionate towards her, understanding. Helping with Kevin when he could, pushing her through surviving Kevin's diagnosis of Autism and eventually asking to marry her.

They'd been happy together for a long time, almost four years, before he left her, or she left him. She'd remained in Eureka but she'd kicked him out of the house. Their relationship had just gone down hill from there. Now, here she sat, nearly three years after they'd split up, holding his hand on her's and looking at his still features eerily still. Nathan was a genius, and in this town the saying was 'genius' hands are often idle. Nathan wasn't a man to slow down or even take time for himself, if anything the only thing he concentrated on was his ego, everything else was put on the back burner.

She'd been right, she'd accidentally ruptured his appendix with the jab. They were lucky they'd caught it when they did, it saved his life. Knowing Nathan, he would have let it go until he'd developed an infection even medicine wouldn't rival. She leaned over and brushed a stray hair from his face.

She'd mocked him once, jokingly telling him she wasn't worried about him; but that wasn't true. Because a small part of her still loved the tall, dark and handsome scientist who stole not only her heart, but Kevin's as well. Who had once fought so hard for everything he believed in, until someone led him down a different path. A part of her worried every single day about him and the pain he went through.

He'd even admitted under the influence at one point that he had nothing left but the artifact in section five. She hated knowing he felt so alone. "You were never alone," she murmured as she sat back and took the sight of him in again.

She was mildly surprised when the green eyes began to flutter, he grimaced, groaning weakly as the light permeated his senses, "Shh, it's okay," she reached over and turned the lights down, allowing him to slowly open his groggy and medicated eyes.

"Wha' 'appened?" he mumbled as he looked up at her.

"Your body decided it didn't need your appendix anymore and then attempted to rid itself of the organ. I accidentally elbowed you, causing the already swollen appendix to burst. You underwent emergency surgery; the doctor's say you'll be fine but they're watching for infection."

"Headache?"

"It's the anesthesia, you've always had a little trouble with it, you're just noticing because you woke up early. You'll feel better in a few hours after some more rest."

He nodded weakly and leaned back against the pillows, "Didn't mean to worry," he whispered in slurred speech.

"You never do. Nathan, I know—I know we're over, but I'm always going to love you. I'll always be here to talk to, that never changed," she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead as his eyes fluttered shut and he slipped into a peaceful slumber.

She smiled, tomorrow the beast would awaken, cranky and back to his normal self. He'd drive everyone up the wall until the minute they finally released him. But then that was the essence of Nathan Stark, drive everyone crazy to keep them at arms length, never showing the lost soul deep inside. The man who just wanted friends, someone to care; a passionate man with so much more to give the entire world; he would hide everything just to never feel pain.

"Pain keeps you alive," she pulled his blankets up further under his chin and ran a hand through his hair again before slipping back into her chair, she'd stay here. Because he'd foolishly allowed two people to see beyond his wall; now he'd never escape.

The End