The Person to die for. Part 2

A/N Due to popularity, this is part 2 of a person to die for. I honestly didn't expect such a positive response, so thank you for all your reviews. I expect this to fold into a four part series, now that I'm taking the time to write everybody else's reactions. So, thank you for all your reviews and feedback! Please send more!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Numb3rs, but I think about them all the time. :D

Alan left his son's hospital room to grab a coffee. He glanced at his watch. It was 10:04 in the morning. Exactly two days after Don had been shot. Even though Alan hadn't been there, he'd heard Megan talking about the sound of that third shot. How it echoed in her mind.

It echoed in Alan's too.

Larry was asleep in one of the plastic chairs outside of Charlie's room. Megan was leaning on him, not sleeping, just, leaning. Alan stopped next to her, and set his hand on her shoulder.

"It's 10:04." She whispered. Then she shut her eyes, hearing the same loud bang as Alan.

"Two days." Alan said quietly.

"Is that all?" Asked Megan, eyes still shut, "It feels so much longer than that."

Alan nodded. He knew the feeling. The first week after his wife died, he could have sworn an entire lifetime had gone by. He gave Megan's shoulder a small squeeze before heading back into Charlie's room.

For the millionth time, Alan took in the sight of his sleeping son. Wild curly hair all over the place, white gauze just barely visible from under the blanket that covered him. After a minute, Alan went back to the chair next to Charlie's bed, cradled his styrofoam cup, and waited.

Two hours later.

Charlie opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. He tried to sit up, but stopped at a sharp pain in his chest. He let out a small gasp

"Charlie?" Charlie turned his head towards the voice.

"Dad?"

The big man let out a long sigh of relief, "Yes."

Charlie struggled for a moment, "Where am I?"

"The hospital."

Charlie looked confused, "How did I get here?"

Alan frowned, "Charlie, what's the last thing you remember?" he asked cautiously.

Charlie tried to concentrate, and then put his hand to his forhead, "Umm… Going to bed last night."

"Last night, as in Monday night?' Alan clarified.

"Well yeah Monday night."

"Charlie, its Thursday."

"Oh."

"You don't remember anything about Tuesday?"

Charlie shook his head. "Dad, what happened Tuesday? And what happened to my chest? It hurts."

"You're in pain?" Alan grabbed onto the topic, trying to buy time to think.

"Well, a bit, but dad-" before Charlie could tell him that all he wanted was to know what was going on, Alan walked into the hallway.

"Can I get a nurse in here please?" He called

"Dad, what is going on?" Charlie asked.

"Just a minute,"

Larry burst in then, "What happened?" seeing Charlie up he speed over to the bed, "Charles." Larry then bent down and hugged Charlie.

An awkward moment passed before Charlie spoke, "Larry, I uh," he paused for a moment, "I know that something traumatic has happened, but could you please get off me?"

Larry didn't move.

"Seriously Larry, could you get off please."

"I'm sorry Charles, this is all my fault." Larry was rambling, he'd barely spoken in the past two days, now he seemed determined to spill everything now, "Nate was my student."

"Wait, Nate? Nate who?" Charlie tried to interrupt Larry, but to no avail.

"If I had tried to help him then none of this would have happened. You wouldn't have been shot, that other student, Paul Beckett would be alive."

"Wait, I got shot by Nate?"

Larry then dropped the bomb that Alan had been trying to avoid "Don would be alive-"

Charlie was stunned into silence. Megan tried to pull him away, "Larry."

"Its all my fault." Larry was falling apart. He finally went with Megan, after murmuring "My fault" a few more times.

Alan focused on Charlie, who's mouth had fallen open. "Charlie-"

Charlie turned his head to look at his father, "Don-" he swallowed dryly, "Don's dead?"