Let us do something, while we have the chance.
Still don't own Chuck.
"Sometimes it helps to know that you got something to lose."
--Agent Walker Episode 3.4
Chapter 1—the Real Plans
West Side Medical
Doc Weidman, Chuck's surgeon, came in to check on his patient. He reviewed the chart. He got Chuck to breathe in and checked his chest, the doctor began, "Okay Chuck, the surgery took a couple hours. The bullet went through the top of your left lung and broken through the top of the scapula and cracked it. We repaired your lung and stitched along the top of it. We are going to get you linked up with the pulmonologist," as the Doc looked at Chuck, "lung guys.
"There was still a chance that it could collapse. They will have you practice on an incentive spirometer. You may have seen one before," the Doc held one up. "It measures how much air you are inhaling." Chuck nodded; it was one of the tools that Kristen had been using.
Doc Weidman continued, "We also had to put a metal band on the top of the scapula to pull it together. When the bullet went through the top of the bone it split the bone. The metal band will help it heal. If after six months we see that the bone is healed, you can have it evaluated to see about taking the metal band back out." The Doc saw Chuck flinch at the idea of another surgery.
"Then, there were six knife cuts that required stitches. While we were doing those we checked your shoulder. One of the new cuts was in that area, so there are new stitches there. We took x-rays of your arm. That is still doing well. The other bullet wound to your side was doing okay, but there was a cut next to it. We stitched that. You may get some new seeping from the bullet wound. We did get our guys to check the bruise area on your head. It was on the other side of your head from what I understood were stitches from when you were pistol whipped. You had a pretty good welt there, but it has gone down. You know the normal cautions for head injury, follow them. We did re-examine the bruised area on your left side. Our radiologist thought that there is a hair line fracture on the seventh rib there. I think that matches what they found at Bethesda. Other than the bruise on your right side, the other bullet wound on your left arm and the cuts on your leg, there was nothing else we noted. Those wounds were healing as expected.
"So, you get a full appreciation of this. I generally work with the emergency room. In one day I normally don't get as many cuts, scrapes, broken bones, or bullet wounds that you have now. You must recuperate. You have to give these wounds time to heal. If I was still in the military, you would be under orders to take medical leave, but as it is I want you to take six weeks completely off. We will check you along the way." The Doc finished with "Any questions?"
Chuck shook his head, "Thanks." The Doc shook his hand then gave Ellie a hug and shook Devon's and Doc Adams' hands. He also shook the hands of Sarah, Mary and Casey.
Chuck heard Doc Adams say, "Don't worry we'll send a copy of your report and recommendation to his boss."
Sarah took Chuck's hand again. He could tell she was still a little shaken from listening to all that. Ellie was coming over after saying thanks to Doc Weidman. Chuck could tell she was about to unload on him. While Sarah was just looking at his hand, Chuck looked at Ellie. He said, "Later," and looked down at Sarah.
Ellie said, "I have to get back. I'll check on you later. Sarah, everything will be fine." Sarah got up and Ellie gave her a hug.
Devon came over and said, "Hang in there Bro. Got to go too." He gave Sarah a hug too.
Casey, Mary and Doc Adams went over and grabbed chairs to sit down. Casey checked the guards outside the room, shut the door and sat down. Casey started it, "Okay, if you can handle this, there are a few things we should go over real quick."
Chuck looked at Sarah and said, "Sure, what?"
Casey continued, "Okay, we know that Chuck has to be off for at least six weeks. Doc Adams thinks it should be longer…"
Chuck cut in, "Look, I know that I need to be off. What I haven't worked out is whether Sarah will take off the time with me. I really want her to, but I haven't been able to ask yet." He looked at Sarah, "Will you?"
"Of course," she nodded to Chuck and then looked at Casey, "that's what you wanted to know?"
"Yes, and let me say that I think you both need it," Casey concluded.
Mary then said, "But we needed to know what to do. We found enough from Maitland's computers on his boat to go after several of the Fulcrum agents that belonged to his chain. I think if we go after them now that we should be able to arrest most of them."
Sarah thought about that for a second, "Okay, I might be on leave but I want to know what is happening. I want to see the plans for each operation." She felt a slight squeeze to her hand. She looked over at Chuck, "No, I will not go on the operations." Turning back to Mary and Casey, "Mary, you'll be in charge of the teams. But there is one thing you need to consider.
"Chuck and I were talking about this before everything happened today. Eldie, Clay and Kristen are going to be out for a while. Looks like anything from a month to two or more. So our solution was to have Kayle take the lead of team four, Brad and Lea. That will put you down to three teams. It also means that Mary still leads one of the teams," Sarah ended looking at Chuck. She got him the glass of water from the tray.
Chuck took a sip of water and added, "Yeah, and it also means I still want Casey to make sure Mary is protected all the time. We got Fulcrum almost beat, but I don't think we have gotten the entire group under the Halverson's. Ask Dad to take a look at that.
"I'd like to see the plans too. But that's just to see if there is something else that might be happening," Chuck finished that as a nurse knocked on the door.
She came in the room and check Chuck's vitals. Turning to everyone, "We are going to take him up to one of the regular rooms. If you would, please gather your belongs and his. You can follow if you like."
While they were taking Chuck to his new room, he fell asleep. The same group filed into his new room. There was a second bed in the room. Casey had made sure there would not be another patient in the room. There were guards again posted outside the door.
Sarah looked at them, "I am going to stay here. Doc, did you get any idea when he'll be released?"
Doc Adams responded, "If everything checks out, he should be able to get out tomorrow. I can check him. The biggest thing will be to make sure he does the lung exercises. Then in about a week we need him to start a little physical therapy. We could have Dorothy come over and do that. She is qualified as a therapist."
Sarah said, "Okay that sounds great."
Mary was watching Sarah all the time. She scooted Casey and Doc Adams out of the room. She got Casey to the door, "Let me talk to her for a minute. I'll be right back to get you."
Mary went back over to Sarah. She took Sarah's free hand and asked, "You doing okay?"
Sarah looked up at her. She knew this was the beginning of the approach they were using to get the others to open up. She had even used it on Mary.
Mary put her hand on Sarah's shoulder, "You know you are on leave now. You need to relax. He'll be better." She smiled, "You know that shooting him was probably the…"
Sarah looked at Mary. Tears were starting to form, "Please don't say it. It felt like the worst thing I have ever done. Today was supposed to be our best day ever. I mean we were… Well, everything was going to…"
Chuck was waking up and heard the end of what Mary said and what Sarah had just said, "Sarah?" He tried to turn toward her. "Okay, that hurt. Sarah and Mary look, I know that was hard. I had to trust you to save us. Maitland was going to make it look like a boating accident. He was going to kill everyone. And so you know I will never forgive you for this, because there is nothing to forgive. I thank you for protecting us, like you always have. I love you and that will never end."
Sarah broke down at that point and put her head down on his chest and started crying. Mary's eyes were pouring out by then too. Chuck put both hands on Sarah's shoulders to hold her. Then he held thumbs up to Mary. Mary nodded and headed out the door.
When she got outside, Casey went right to her, "Everything okay?"
"Oh yeah," she pulled Casey close and hugged him. Casey stood there and wrapped his arms around her.
In a while Sarah came out of the room, a little red eyed. She said, "He went back to sleep. He made me promise to go get something 'good' to eat and a change of clothes for him."
Mary was happier, "Come on let's take a break. I'll fix us something to eat." As they went out they saw Ellie and let her know what they were doing.
Casa Bartowski
Back at the apartments, Mary outlined to the team members what was happening and sent a report off to Kelly and John. She made a big dinner for all. When it was ready, she had Casey serve it. Mary went to get Sarah who had showered and then took a nap. Ellie and Devon were back by then and said that everything was fine. Chuck was still asleep when they left.
The discussion at dinner flowed back and forth between the wedding preparations and the plans for taking the rest of Fulcrum down. Sarah explained to Mary, Alice, Lea, and Kristen the idea of getting apartments next to theirs. When she explained the situation to the group, they all agreed that seemed reasonable. She also, went through and made sure everyone was getting a housing allowance from their departments. Mary told her that they would take care of it.
West Side Medical
Sarah headed back to the hospital with Steven. They got up to Chuck's room and checked with the nurse. She said he was awake and trying dinner.
When they went in Chuck was nibbling on the food. Sarah could tell that he was having a problem holding up his arm to cut the food. She offered, "Here let me help." She took one attempt at a cut with the hospital knife and got one of hers. After cutting up the plate of food she was helping spoon it in.
Steven was almost laughing at this. He went over and closed the door. Steven asked, "Mary was asking about some run you wanted. What were you looking for?"
Chuck explained the details of what he was looking for. He told his dad that they were looking for more of the Halverson's top structure. He did not think the people they got in the raids included all of them. Steven said he understood and they would have the results the next day.
Chuck went to sleep again after dinner. Steven left and the team members stopped by through the evening to see how he was doing. Casey and Mary came back after cleaning up from the meal at the apartments. They stayed most of the evening. Ellie cleared with the hospital that Sarah would be there that night along with the guards that Casey had stationed around the hospital.
One of the nurses came in after everyone left and took Chuck's vitals. She reminded him that he could have additional pain relievers if necessary.
After she left Chuck looked at Sarah, "You know this is certainly not the way I expected to spend this night." Chuck tried to get up a little. His face twisted in pain.
"Chuck! Let me help," Sarah reach around him to help him shift positions and sit up a little more.
Chuck took advantage of the position, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Chuck was not going to let go. While coming up for air, he did mange, "I love you forever."
Sarah's last comment was, "I love you too. But let's make sure you last that long."
The nurse came in to the room in another minute. She saw Chuck's disheveled hair. She said, "I'm sorry, we got an alert out at the station. One of your monitor leads must have come off."
Casa Bartowski
Mary was waiting for Casey. She was in the bed on her side watching him get ready. She asked, "Hey Casey, why would Sarah say today was supposed to be our best day ever."
Casey looked at her with his head moved slightly to the side in amazement, "Why would you think?"
"You're kidding?" her eyes got big.
Casey came over and sat down beside her, "Well, I guess I don't really know how the FBI works. But for you to understand a little about them, I'll tell you a little about it. Any more, you'll have to get from Sarah.
"In the military we don't fraternize. So a more senior officer is not to date or otherwise entangle themselves with a junior officer or an enlisted person. In the CIA world if you are someone's handler, it's against the rules to become romantically involved with that person. They fought against that for almost two years. It tore them apart several times.
"When we recruited you and the others to help, Sarah had been made a Director and Chuck was given a position equivalent to that under your grandpa. They were finally equals. So, since then, you have seen their attempts to get together."
"Oh no, you mean that ever since we got back from the first strike against the traffickers, the girls and I have been?" Mary's eyes were pleading with Casey.
Casey nodded his head. He thought he better not let this get out of control, "And you know why they were doing it, right? It was the right thing to do. You're not having nightmares now are you?"
"No, but…"Mary started.
Casey cut her off, "No buts. I'll give it to them. It shows you how important you and the rest of the team are to them and how much they care for you and the rest of the team. And how much you…"
Mary already had tears in her eyes, "How much what?"
Casey took her hand, "And how much I love you."
Mary looked at his eyes. She kissed him and wrapped herself around him.
A/N Hope you enjoyed.
