Title: Come Wake Me Up
Author: April
Summary: Hidden scene between Gainsley's arrest and Dixon's arrival at the hospital
Spoilers for Unfinished Business and Sons of Nevada.
Disclaimer: Usual disclaimers apply.
Ralph Lamb left Gainsley's farm without a word, headed back to the hospital. He was dirty, tired, and hungry, but the pull to Katherine's side was too great to be ignored. Between trying to make Gainsley pay for what he'd done to Marilyn and Katherine and visiting hours at the hospital, Katherine had been alone far more than he liked. He was afraid that she would either wake up or that something else would happen and he wouldn't be there. He owed it to her to be there.
When he walked into the hospital hallway, he saw Yvonne sitting there, looking frightened. "They called the station. I knew you'd want someone here with her. She's awake. Been asking for you."
His throat tightened. "Thank you." He wasn't big on hugging, but he hugged her anyway, thinking of her already as a daughter, not only because of Dixon's feelings towards the girl, but because none of them would have made it through their jobs without her, just like without Katherine.
"Is he okay?" She whispered before the hug was over. She'd only seen this side of Dixon once before and it frightened her, not for herself, but for him.
Ralph nodded. "He is." Ralph was relieved that Dixon and Jack had made it through, but what about Katherine?
Yvonne looked relieved, brushing aside teardrops that had been threatening to fall. "I'm sure he'll come check on you and Katherine. Do you mind if I wait here for him?" She didn't want to leave Ralph alone anyway, with no one here in case he needed anything.
"Don't mind at all." He offered the closest thing he'd had to a smile in days, since before the accident.
Ralph wasn't sure what he was expecting when he walked into the hospital room. Maybe what he'd seen for days before that, a fragile, helpless, bruised, and even broken shell of what had been 'his' Katherine. For days, she had been not really sleeping, but not awake either, so pale, almost lifeless. Since taking the job, in the back of his mind, he'd been scared of two things: something happening to Dixon or to Katherine that he couldn't control, that he couldn't protect them. This Gainsley business had taken a hard toll on all the people he loved most.
"Ralph." The voice was barely above a whisper, but it was one of the sweetest sounds he'd ever heard. The eyes that had been so large, always were so expressive, were open.
"Hey, sweetheart," he whispered, sitting on the side of the bed, facing her. "I'm here."
"Been waitin for you." Her face smiled as much as it could right then and he felt his heart melt.
"I'm sorry." He held her hand between his two larger ones. "I had some business to take care of. But I'm here now. I'll be here." He paused and then slowly added. "I've been waiting for you too."
She nodded. "I know." The doctor had filled her in briefly on her medical condition, what was broken, how long she'd been unconscious, and one of the nurses had told her about Ralph sitting with her every chance he got, for as long as he could.
"Do you hurt? Do you need anything?" Now that she was awake, his focus was completely on her.
She shook her head. "Doctor already been in." He'd given her something else for the pain, although it didn't completely remove it, the drugs certainly helped, as did having Ralph there.
He thought of how much he'd missed, but Gainsley had needed to be dealt with immediately, before he hurt anyone else. "When you were…when you were asleep, did you hear anything?"
"Supposed to tell you…damned fool." She smiled and, just at that smile, he bent down and gently kissed her forehead. "And you wanted to tell me something." She managed to get out without having to pause.
He nodded. "I love you." The words were hard, almost impossible, for him to say, but he knew that there were no guarantees. If he put them off now, the opportunity to say them might pass by again; she might never know. If this mess had taught him anything, besides the fact that his son was a man now, no longer a boy, was that he couldn't wait for second chances. He'd gotten two good women over the years to love, to keep him straight; he'd lost one and almost lost the other.
"I know," she whispered simply at first. The reason why she had entertained the job offer in Washington, besides the fact that it was what the New York Katherine had worked for all her career, had been that she knew Ralph loved her, knew she loved him, and was so scared of what that might mean that she'd almost been willing to run away again, from the place she belonged and the person she belonged to. "Love you."
He was silent for a few minutes, too choked up to speak, and then finally said, "You should rest some more, sweetheart." He knew the news about Gainsley could wait. She looked so frail, so tired, that he still wasn't sure this wasn't a dream. He carefully tucked her in a little more securely, stroking her cheek. "I'll be here when you wake up next time. Promise."
"You should sleep too…" Her voice still wasn't very loud but was sounding more and more like Katherine. "And eat." She didn't know how she knew he hadn't eaten; she just did.
"Maybe when Jack or Dixon drop by." He didn't want to leave her alone. He knew he could run quickly to get something, Yvonne would watch her, but he wasn't ready to leave her now, not yet.
"They okay?"
He almost laughed except for the fact that she looked so concerned. It took a special woman to go through what she had gone through and then still be worried about his son and his brother. "Yeah, baby. They're okay. Everything's okay now. You're safe and you're gonna get better. But right now you gotta rest, okay?" He moved back in the chair beside her bed but kept holding her hand. "I'll be right here."
"Love you."
He smiled. "Love you too, sweet Katherine." As she drifted back to sleep, she had a smile on her face.