Title: Mysterious Ways

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own Crossing Jordan. The same goes for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The cute little girl mentioned here is Isabella Natalinie.

Summary: After a traumatic event, Woody's life is in danger and in his mind life goes on in a parallel universe. Now is Jordan's turn to save him.

Chapter 2: Don't Leave Me This Way

"I only want to say goodbye to him. I don't know how long it'll be until I come back. Please…" Jordan begged Dr. Barrett. She was already wearing scrubs.

Woody was still in a coma, struggling for his life. Dr. Barrett had confirmed the aplastic anemia. The drug treatment only alleviated the symptoms, and Woody definitely needed a bone marrow transplantation. No compatible donors had been found, and Jordan felt that they were wasting time. She was leaving today – she had decided that she had to find Cal. Each and every member of her morgue family, as well as some friends from the BPD, had helped her search for Woody's brother the way they always did. However, it had all been to no avail. He seemed to have evaporated. Not even Nigel had been able to find a thing about the younger of the Hoyt brothers. Cal was doing a hell of a job hiding.

Jordan couldn't just let go of it, so she had contacted some people from Kewaunee, where she was going to continue the search. They told her that Cal hadn't been in town for three or four years. Still, it was a better place to start than any other, and she was leaving, no matter what Garret, or Nigel, or any of her friends, could say about it.

She just needed to say goodbye to Woody first… He was isolated in his room because any infection, even the flu, could be fatal.

"Ok, Dr. Cavanaugh, go in there." Dr. Barrett approved.

It was the first time she was allowed to come into his room. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought it would get away and start running before her. Her steps were insecure as her legs were trembling. Nonetheless, the people outside – Garret and Dr. Barrett – were watching a brave woman entering Woody's hospital room.

She stood beside his bed. He almost seemed lifeless. If it weren't for the hissing of the ventilator pushing air into his lungs and for the beeping of the monitor, she wouldn't be able to tell he was alive. That horrified her. What to do? Touch his hand? Kiss him? Cry? Anxiety enveloped her.

"Woody… I'm sorry I didn't come earlier, but the doctor wouldn't let me. I haven't left your side, though. I've been here all the time… I don't want you to leave me. Please, you have to get well. I don't know what I'll do if you leave me…" As she noticed she was losing control, she closed her eyes and remained silent for a moment, recovering and not allowing herself to cry. "I have to go looking for Cal, and I'll be back on time… We need Cal…" She caressed his hand. It felt so cold that she had to bit her lip in order to keep tears at bay. "Woody, I love you… I think I've been in love with you almost since I met you, though I didn't realize it until it was almost too late… But we have to get another chance; you have to keep fighting… I'll find Cal and everything will be alright."

Tears were already on her cheeks. Her body was quivering. She was hyperventilating. That was not the way she wanted to say goodbye, so she hastily walked to a corner of the room. She turned to the wall, her hands on her face.

A minute went by. Garret observed, worried and heart-broken, as the tough woman he knew was about to break. He could use a double whisky…

She took a deep breath and returned to Woody's bed.

"Goodbye, Woody. I love you."

And that was it; she almost ran to the exit, moving as fast as one can while using crutches, and went to hide in the women's restrooms.

When she came out, her eyes red and swollen and her features pale, Nigel and Garret were waiting for her.

"I'll go with you, love," Nigel declared. He was holding a carryall.

"Thanks, Nige. I appreciate the help." Jordan tapped her friend's shoulder. "Your sling is gone?" she asked, noticing that he wasn't using said item.

"Yes; 'twas about time. Do you want a ride?" He motioned towards the two helmets on a chair beside them.

Jordan looked at them, but shook her head. "No, we'd better buy a more suitable means of transportation, don't you think?" She dropped her eyes to her broken ankle.

"Oh, you're right. I forgot we're talking to a wealthy woman now!"

Garret put his arm around her shoulders, and held her tight for a moment. Meanwhile, Nigel glanced at them and started to walk.

"I'm gonna need Kate to take care of the motorcycle. Do you mind if we meet her at your place, love? You still need a ride to get there." He made a pause and raised his eyebrows. "Pearl Street?"

Jordan nodded and he took his cell phone out.

"I'll be watching over him," Garret told her instead of a goodbye, tilting his head towards the room where Woody was. "You just take care of yourself, Jordan."

He squeezed her again, and then Nigel and she departed.

When they arrived to Jordan's apartment, Kate had already been waiting for them. Jordan told them that she wouldn't be long and that they didn't need to come up with her if they didn't want to. She knew that this pair was going to say goodbye in their own way, and she didn't want to be an intruder.

She was packing everything she thought she was going to need: a few pairs of jeans, a bunch of t-shirts, some underwear… She was looking for anything she might have forgotten when she heard noises outside her bedroom.

"I haven't been that long. It's been like what? Five minutes?" She said annoyed. That had been a real fast goodbye.

Nobody answered, but steps were clearly coming closer to her, so she left her baggage and headed to see what was happening.

"Hey, sis, I can't but notice you're gonna travel," James said. He was now standing at her bedroom door.

"What?" Jordan hurried, as much as she could with the crutches, to embrace her brother. "Where have you been?"

She had tears in her eyes. Before, she never cried; now, she did because of every damn little thing. This was not a little thing, though, so she let herself weep.

"Watching you, sis. I'm sorry about what happened…" James held his sister lovingly. "But, I swear to you, I'll do whatever it takes to help you to get to your detective's brother, even if I have to drag him from the mob."

"Are you coming with me?"

"Well, of course, sis. You can't do much with only one good leg, and your goth friend doesn't seem too… fierce, let's say".

She wiped her tears away. Then she lifted her bag and walked resolutely to the door. "Ok, let's go."

Meanwhile...

He had been released a few hours ago. Now they were idling away in his bedroom, each on their side on the bed, his laptop between them. Jordan didn't know when they had stopped watching old music videos and proceeded to clips from Ellen, or rather: clips from Ellen which featured children. He was slyer that she had been giving him credit for. When she turned to face him, however, he was pure innocence.

"What?" he asked, his eyes open wide.

"Nothing." Maybe she was just being paranoid.

"No, what is it?"

"I just…" Now, this was going to sound awkward. She cleared her throat a bit. "I just never figured you were into kids… this much."

The dimples appeared as he motioned towards the screen. "Are they cute or what?"

"They're cute, alright," she admitted, trying to add a bit of enthusiasm into her voice.

She failed, and he didn't fail to notice that. "But…?"

"There are no buts. They're cute. End of story," she claimed, standing up. "I'll go get your painkillers."

While she was rummaging through his bathroom cabinet, she heard a little voice singing, and she knew the five-year-old expert on the US presidents had finished his exposé. Woody was listening to the girl chirping the names of all fifty states, alphabetically. She winced involuntarily. They had heard her at least three times.

"Isn't she the most adorable little thing?" he grinned at her when she entered with a glass of water and a pill. She remained mute, thinking that was wiser than pointing out she'd barely heard him over the "most adorable little thing's" high-pitched "Nebraaaaaaskaa." He shook his head, that goofy grin still plastered across his face. "She's way smarter than a child of mine could possibly be, though." He sighed, taking the glass.

"Don't sell me short," she retorted without thinking, and his eyes bulged as he almost choked on the painkiller. "There, I said it," she added matter-of-factly, forcing herself to look at him. She should really bite her tongue more often. "You happy now?"

He made a face. The question hadn't sounded rhetorical enough to him. His "yeah" resembled "duh."

She closed the laptop first. Then she gingerly snuggled against him. What was the big deal, anyway? It wasn't like she had never thought about that. And how adorable their kids were going to be… But… "But I'm not naming my children after presidents," she voiced her thoughts.

"Oh but…" He protested half-heartedly.

"That's not negotiable."

"I'll survive," he confessed, twirling a lock of her hair.

They stayed like that for some time, and she started to feel drowsy although it was only seven-thirty. The last few days were taking their toll. His breathing was deep and even, so she lifted her head from his shoulder to give him a good-night kiss before she went to the couch in the living-room. He caught her by surprise. He was nowhere near asleep. On the contrary. The innocent little kiss she had had in mind turned into a series of kisses which left her in need of oxygen. As his lips moved to trace her jaw line, she sighed. She knew she had to break it off. But just a little more… When he tugged at the hem of her tee, she groaned. That was too much. His health wasn't that good.

"Woody!" She slapped his hand as an exasperated sigh escaped her. "What are you doing?"

"Need I explain?" he countered with a question, his voice husky.

She clucked. "How old are you again? You know what Dr. Barrett said."

But the good doctor was long-forgotten. In fact, Woody only vaguely remembered he had ever been in hospital. How could he remember anything when she was here, so warm and smelling so good? He silenced her with another kiss.

"Okay, that's it," she concluded, managing to get some air. She removed his hands from her hair and her waist, and got up hastily before he was able to get a hold of her again.

He stood up, but she was already in the corridor. "Where are you going?"

"Stay right there!" She jabbed a finger at him. "I'm going to go get us something to eat," she explained, taking her jacket and purse.

"We can order in."

She almost snorted at the suggestion. "No, we can't." Her hand on the knob, she glanced back at him. "I'll be back in ten minutes. Meanwhile, you transform back from octopus." She flashed him a little smile.

"Jordan…"

But she was already out the door. He plopped on the bed and punched the pillow. This recovery was going to be long indeed.