A/N In 6x01 when Gently and Bacchus are interviewing PC David Baird and when Baird says to Gently he has no idea what it's like to see a friend lying in a hospital fighting for his life. Gently gets really angry so I think he had been affected by Bacchus' injury and had gone to see Bacchus in hospital so this story was born. This is my first George Gently story so sorry if anyone is out of character.
The pain in his shoulder was almost unbearable, but it was quickly forgotten when he could only watch as John came into sight with his arms raised.
"I'm unarmed" stated John, as he looked from McGhee to George and back to McGhee.
"Don't do it John!" he ordered, begging his friend not to risk his life for him. He looked on in horror as John's eyes flickered between McGhee and his discarded gun.
George remembered he was also carrying John's gun, so he began to reach for the gun while McGhee stared at John. Before he could grasp the gun, John had lunged forward and hit the floor when McGhee fired his gun. John didn't get back up. Fury and grief rose up in George and he aimed John's gun and fired five times at McGhee. He did not watch McGhee as he fell to the floor. Instead he craned his neck to look at John and prayed that his friend still lived.
He sighed in relief and let his head rest on the floor seeing John still breathing with his eyes open. Seeing the shocked and pained look in John's eyes, George pulled himself up and began to drag himself across the floor determined to get to his friend. He didn't make it very far before the pain he had ignored flared up and made itself known again; his strength waned and he slumped back down to the floor, but his eyes were on John the whole time.
"…I…I was…always…on your side…Guv…" John weakly murmured.
"I know. I'm sorry" he replied, his gaze fixed on John's. "I left you unarmed." He stated, berating himself. Why did he take John's gun? He should have known John would follow him and join him in confronting McGhee. He may not have pulled the trigger, but he was just as to blame as McGhee for John's injury.
He looked on helplessly as John let his raised head slump back to the floor, John's eyes began to flicker shut and George internally began to panic that his friend would die before help would arrive.
"Stay awake John" he ordered sharply.
John forced his eyes open and stared back at him, "…Guv…"
"Listen to me John. You need to stay awake" he stressed, as he dragged himself a few more inches towards John.
"I'm…tryin'…Guv…" murmured John, but his eyes were flickering closed.
"Try harder!" demanded George.
"…S…sorry…" sighed John as his eyes rolled back and he laid completely still.
"John!" yelled George. But John did not answer. So George pulled himself along the floor with more determination.
John was so pale and so still, he looked dead. When George finally reached his fallen friend he reached out and was relieved to feel a pulse. He had never imagined he would have to do that to his friend, but today he'd had to.
He rested a hand on John's shoulder, "Just hang on John. Hang on." He twisted his head hearing the shrill sound of sirens and knew help was close by. "You hear that John? Help is almost here. So don't you dare give up, you're far too stubborn for that."
As he laid on the floor George looked at the gun he had shot McGhee with which he had left on the floor where he had shot McGhee. The gun he had taken from John. He looked back at his friend and saw the irony in the situation. McGhee had shot John and he had shot McGhee with John's gun, in a way it was like John had got justice as McGhee would not be going to trail.
He heard hurried footsteps and he relaxed knowing help had arrived. While he waited for the police officers and paramedics to get to them, he continued to rest a hand on John's shoulder. He felt his own strength begin to wane, but he kept looking at John and he did until John was placed on a stretcher and rushed out of the cathedral. Only then did he let himself fall into the blissful unawareness of unconsciousness.
It had been two days since Gently and Bacchus had been shot by McGhee. Both had had operations and both had survived their surgeries. For a whole day George had been trying to get the nurses to let him go and see John. All he had been told was that John was still alive, but he was still unconscious and would not be out of the woods until he woke up.
Finally, after forty-eight hours his Doctor had given him permission to see John. To be honest if he had had to wait any longer, he would have gone to see John on his own; his Doctor's opinion be damned.
So here he was sat beside John's beside. His friend was still pale and seeing him lying so still was horrible. John Bacchus; his Sergeant, his friend and in some ways his son, was someone who was continuously on the move. Sometimes his inability to sit still for a length of time was annoying, but now all George wanted was for John to be awake and talking.
He took a hold of John's nearest hand and squeezed it lightly. "You're a stubborn fool John. But you're a great friend, a friend I don't want to lose. So use your stubbornness and fight. Not just for me, but for Leigh Anne as well. She needs her father…and I need my friend."
As George sat back in his chair he thought back on all the cases he and John had worked together. While John sometimes rushed into things George could not deny the potential John had of being a very good police officer in CID. That was why he did not want to lose John to the Met, he had seen many a good police officer loose his way to corruption in the Met and he did not want to see John go down that path. But looking at John now; lying in a hospital bed, fighting for his life. George bitterly thought that it may have been better for John if he had let him go and join the Met, he certainly wouldn't be in the hospital if George had let him go.
"I'm sorry John. If I had let you go to the Met when you had the chance you wouldn't be here" he softly said as he looked at the young face of his friend. "You were only trying to help me, and this is where you end up. I'm sorry John."
As the minutes ticked by George sat in silence and stared at the window on the other side of the bed. It was a bright sunny day, which contrasted greatly with his dark feelings. How could the sun keep shinning and how could people go about their lives when John was so close to the brink of death. If only people knew, would they care?
His gaze snapped back to the bed when he heard a soft and quiet groan.
"John?" he ignored the twinge in his shoulder as he sat up and leaned into John's line of sight.
John slowly blinked his eyes open and his face twisted in pain and confusion. Then he registered the face in front of him. "…Guv?..."
George smiled gently tapping John's hand, "I'm here John. It's alright. You'll be alright son."
He rose from his chair to get a nurse with a smile etched on his face. John was alive, he was awake and he had spoken. With time he would be alright, of that George had no doubt.
Six months later during their case of the man, Simon Thomas, who died in police custody, George had initially been worried about John's behaviour. His blank looks and his quiet attitude was far from the man who used to sit at the desk next to his own.
But as the case went on George could slowly see John's fire coming back. And by the time they arrested the murderer of the Police Constable and 'Crazy Man' Simon Thomas, the John George knew from before their shooting in Durham Cathedral was back. This was made known by John's forceful arrival that was just in time to stop George from being tossed over a wooden ledge. And it was enough to make him smile.
He had been worried, with John's resignation, that despite surviving his injury, George was still going to lose his Sergeant. He had been right in thinking that John didn't really want to resign and he was pleased to see John regaining the confidence he once had in himself.
They made a good team, and George was very glad that it would not yet be broken. And he would make sure their team stayed together for a long time yet.
The End.