Sorry about the delay! Not only did I hit a bit of writer's block, but I've started work again. Evil work. And my insomnia has made work more difficult. But I have tomorrow off, so I'll be spending it writing more for this, Red Letter Day, and a couple other fics that have popped into my sleep-deprived brain. And yes, I am still squealing and giggling about the Jane/Lisbon dance. 3 It was so sweet, I'm sure it gave me cavities, hehe.
I still don't own The Mentalist! I don't even own the first season on DVD (even though I asked for it, boo). And as always, please read, review, and enjoy :)
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Ch. 2 – Shame
Even worse for waiting for a raid to begin is waiting to hear news about a loved one in a hospital. And this time, they actually did have to wait for hours rather than just minutes. And the clock was moving so slowly time may as well stop all together.
The team sat in the waiting room, no one daring to sit any closer than two chairs away from each other, look at each other, or say any words of comfort. Everyone felt the weight of guilt pressing down on them, choking them. Each member of the team convinced that they were the sole person responsible for the accident, not even considering that each of them played a part.
The surgeon made his way to the team, his mask already pulled off of his face. He held no emotion on his face. The team stood immediately, sending their telepathic questions on how Cho was doing, but nobody actually asked.
"One of the bullets nicked Agent Cho's subclavian artery. Thankfully we were able to repair it in surgery. The second bullet hit his vest, that one caused a rib to break. No other damage was done. He should be in a lot of pain, but otherwise I think he'll be just fine."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief, but still no one dared to look anyone but the surgeon in the eye.
"Can we see him?" Van Pelt finally asked.
"Sure, follow me to his room."
The room greeted the team with steady beeps from machines. Though slightly eerie sounding, it gave everyone a sense of comfort, the steady beeps were signs that everything was alright. In the bed lay Cho, sleeping. His chest rising and falling, showing no signs of pain or discomfort, mostly because of the sedatives he'd been given.
"If you'd like, we could start easing him off the morphine so you can talk to him."
"No, that's alright. He needs the rest. We'll be back to visit again tomorrow." Lisbon said. It was only partially true, she knew he did need rest, but she really just wasn't ready to face Cho knowing that she was one of the reasons for his current condition.
"Okay. Well I need to check up on some other patients. Call if you need anything."
Silence fell back onto the team as they all gazed at their colleague. He looked so fragile in this state, nothing like the Cho they knew. But his fragile state forced the realization just how important his role on the team was. He was the tether they all needed.
For Rigsby, he was the best friend he never had growing up. And while Rigsby was tall and well built, inside he was always more timid than his appearance led on. Cho was always there to help instill the confidence he needed. On the job, and off.
For Van Pelt, he was the one who always gave her a helping hand when she needed it. He would take his own time off to help her get more adjusted to the job. He was forceful, but friendly. Making sure she got used to everything quickly, but never making her feel intimidated.
For Lisbon, he was a big reason she was able to stay cool and calm. He never pressured her to say anything when she felt overwhelmed. He always seemed to know when to talk to her about a situation, and knew when to just help her out from afar.
And whether or not Jane would admit it, Cho was the reason he started opening up to people again. At first he would just go along with his antics at he CBI, but after a while Cho would invite Jane to whatever after work. While Jane was apprehensive at first, Cho never pushed anything on him. And Jane started feeling the warmth of just being around other people, even if they never talked much.
After a very silent ten minutes, the team decided it was time to go home and rest themselves. They all nodded goodbye to each other and they each went straight home. Nobody was ready to go back to work to fill out the accident reports.
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Cho woke with a jolt early that morning, his subconscious plagued with dreams of darkness, sharp pains, and chills. There were no screams, he just sat up and immediately winced from the pain in his chest. The morning sun stung his eyes. He laid back down and looked around the empty room. The beeps on his heart monitor slowed down. There were no nurses, no doctors, no one. He glared at the bright, cheerful sunlight streaming through the window. It was almost mocking him. Because while the weather seemed to be pleasant, Cho felt something he hadn't felt in a long time: loneliness.