Chapter 2

Goren briefly regained consciousness in the ER. Pain radiated outwards from his chest. His brain barely computed what was happening around him. Doctors and nurses was surrounding him, poking prodding, prodding and calling to each other.

One nurse noticed that him awake, softly choking. "Just relax, don't try to talk. You have a tube down your throat."

"Can you hear me Detective?" another shined a light into his eyes.

Goren adverted his eyes, finding that he wasn't able to move his head because of the ET tube. As his vision dimmed, he noticed a uniform standing in the room, no mask, no gloves.

As the man looked at him, he had the strange feeling that he knew the man, but he hadn't met him. He slipped back into oblivion.

Eames sat in the waiting room, her head resting against the wall. She had been waiting for what felt like hours. She had called Captain Ross as soon as they had arrived in the hospital. He was now dealing with the locals. Her eyes closed against her will, then her brain flashed back to the ambulance ride.

They had loaded Goren in the ambulance almost as soon as they had seen him. That was not a good sign. She had barely managed to jump in before the doors were slammed and they roared away, sirens blaring and lights flashing.

The medic in the back had his hands full, checking vitals and calling them out to the driver who, in turn, radioed it to the hospital. The medic, whose name badge read Marks, cut away Goren's shirt and tie. Then placed thick pads of gauze over the wounds.

"I think his lung collapsed." Marks called to the driver, moving the stethoscope around. "Call it in."

Eames held her breath as she listened to them talk. No wonder his breathing was so difficult. She watched Marks place the oxygen mask over his face. She reached forward and gingerly placed her hand on his shoulder, afraid to cause him more pain. "Hang on Bobby, we're almost there."

Marks started to place an I.V. When Goren's body suddenly stiffened, then started jerking against the restraints. His breath was jerky and irregular.

"What's happening?" Eames shouted.

Marks was busy yanking apart the straps. "He's having a seizure. Help me turn him on his side."

He was heavy! Eames thought as they flipped him. Even though the medic had left the strap over his ankle, they struggled to keep him on the gurney as the ambulance took two corners close together. The convulsing stopped as they reached the hospital.

Eames shook herself out of the memory, the awful image of his bloody body convulsing against them. She looked down at her clothes that were smeared with red. She adjusted her coat to keep it covered. Ross had promised to bring her bag from the SUV as soon as he could get away. In the mean time she just had to make due.

An eternity later, a tall woman in a lab coat stepped into the room. "Detective Eames?"

Eames practically flew out of her chair at the woman. "Yes? That's me."

"I'm Dr. Carter." she dispensed with the rest of the formalities. She was used to dealing with cops. "Detective Goren is out of surgery."

"How is he?" Eames interrupted.

"He is touch and go right now." Dr Carter explained. "One bullet went completely through him. That one did the least damage. The other entered his chest, breaking a rib and puncturing his lung, collapsing a part of it. But we got it re inflated. The next 24 hours will be critical, but he could recover completely."

"Thank God." Eames sighed. "What about the seizure?"

"It's strange, but it does happen some times." Dr. Carter looked up as her name was paged.

"Can I see him?" It was more of a demand than a request.

The doctor lead her back to the ICU. "Take the all the time you need."

Eames nodded her thanks and stepped in the room. She pressed a hand to her mouth to hold back her emotions. She'd never seen him look like this before, he looked so helpless.

Goren's large body seemed to dwarf the bed he lay in. Multiple wires snaked from under the thin hospital gown to different monitors. A chest tube had been inserted to help inflate the lung. The whoosh of the ventilator and the beeping of the heart monitor provided the only sound in the room.

"Oh Bobby..." she moved a chair closer to the bed and sat down. She noticed that the IV had been inserted to his left hand. That will need to be changed, he'll yank it out in ten seconds. She touched his arm startled to find it cold. He was so pale.

It was wrong to see him so still. He was always moving. Even if he was sitting at a desk, he was bouncing his leg or something. Always in motion. She smiled briefly. Maybe that's how she stayed so thin, always trying to keep up.