A/N: I tried to ignore the muse, but he would not be silenced, so you guys get another chapter. Despite reassurances that this will not take away from the first chapter, I'm still a little worried, so I hope it doesn't and that my friends are right, and most of all, that you enjoy this.
We stayed in that position for a long time, me resting against her, slowly returning to some level of normalcy, far above my previous state, yet still quite below how I usually was. Neither of us fell asleep, but I don't remember Elliot or Captain or Casey ever coming by, and even if they had, I don't think they would have questioned us on what had happened after they left. I don't think they'll ever ask; it will be between me and Olivia until we die. When the doctor finally came, Olivia stroked my hair once before we got up, slowly, to meet him. I could tell from his face that he was tired, but other than that, I couldn't read his expression, which was probably better for if I could, that would either crush me prematurely, or unnecessarily, or lift my spirits only to be stamped back down.
"We've moved him to intensive care. The bullet punctured a lung, which collapsed, and grazed an artery coming from the heart." I swallowed hard, mostly air and an odd taste that was suddenly filling my mouth. "We removed the bullet and patched him up as best we could, but he's going to be with us for some time."
"When can we see him?" Olivia asked, putting voice to the very question that had been floating through my mind since the doctor said Fin was in ICU.
"You can see him now, but only for a few minutes."
"Thank you, doctor." I nodded, afraid the words would catch in my throat.
He nodded too, solemnly. "Don't thank me quite yet. There's still a chance he might not make it. He's stable for now, but there's always that chance. I wouldn't worry too much, but I am warning you."
"But it's that much longer we have with him. Thank you," she repeated. I could have hugged her. The doctor nodded again and walked away. As if they had some sort of sixth sense, Captain, Elliot and Casey came around the corner.
"He okay?" Elliot asked at once, noticing the doctor entering a room.
"He's in ICU. We can see him, but only for a few minutes," Olivia informed them all. If it had been just me there, I don't think I would have been able to tell them anything, my throat was so dry. Although it was getting somewhat better as I slowly drank in the relief that Fin was going to make it.
"John, why don't you and Olivia go first," Captain said softly. I nodded and Olivia put her hand on my shoulder, then slowly started rubbing my back as we walked down the hallway, away from them.
"He's gonna be fine, John. And I bet just your presence will spur him on to get better sooner, if only to yell at you." She smiled. God, she's so beautiful when she smiles. "Before you know it, he'll be back sitting across from you, and you'll be bickering over one thing or another." We had reached the intensive care unit. Walking up to a nurse, she asked, "The doctor downstairs said we could see Odafin Tutuola for a few minutes."
She looked me up and down for a second. I'd forgotten that I still was wearing the shirt and pants I'd been wearing when Fin got shot. There was blood spattered over both, and dirt covering a large part of my pants. I must have looked as if I'd stepped out of some action movie. "Last room on your right," she said and pointed down the hall, as if we didn't know which way to go.
"Thanks." We walked the rest of the way in silence. When we got to the room, I stopped. She looked at me questioningly, but my legs wouldn't move. I was running down the alley again, with that huge rat chasing me. And there was Shevlin, and Fin and the other me. I couldn't run faster; it was if I was running through knee-deep mud. I struggled against it, reaching out my hands for anything to hold, but the walls seemed to get farther away. The rat was gaining, the mud not affecting him at all. I heard someone call my name, but it was a bodiless voice. It got harder and harder to move and I watched as Shevlin rounded the corner and Fin followed. I tried to call out, but felt the mud fill my mouth. No, I thought frantically. No, no, no! I felt tears burning my face, running paths through the mud on my face. I watched, helpless, as Fin rounded the corner and Shevlin shot him and he fell. I heard the other me call out his name as I ran faster than I ever remember myself running as I rounded the corner as well, shooting Shevlin as he aimed his weapon at me. The rat was nearly on me, and still I watched as the other me fell to the ground next to Fin, trying to stop the bleeding, calling for a bus. I heard my name called again, and started shaking.
"John, John." More shaking. "John, it's all right. Calm down, it's all right." Olivia came back into focus, along with the rest of the hallway. "Hey, it's okay." Reaching up a hand, she used her thumb to brush something off my face. Reaching my own hand up, I felt wetness on my cheeks. The red rushed to my face. "No, it's okay. Don't be ashamed. C'mon, John." She took my hand and guided me into Fin's room, my legs finally working. Working so well, I almost turned and ran out of the room at the sight of my partner hooked up to machines and bandages wrapped all around his torso. A ventilator was hooked up to his nose and various things coming out of his arm and a couple fingers.
Olivia held on to me though, one hand gripping my arm, the other rubbing my back again. "They did such a good job. Those clean bandages. He'll be back in no time." I walked forward a couple steps and felt her hands fall from my arm and back. I walked up to his side, looking down at him.
"Fin," I murmured, tears stinging my eyes again. "Oh, God, Fin." I put my hands on the rail of his bed to steady myself. "What did we do?" Olivia walked up next to me, one hand covering mine on the rail, the other taking Fin's hand. We stood like that for a minute, the three of us connected.
Then, Olivia looked up at me, took my hand in hers fully and guided me back out of the room. Captain, Elliot and Casey were waiting further down the hallway, next to the nurse's station. Ignoring them, and the fact that they might see us, rather me, I turned to Olivia and hugged her, my arms wrapping around her, engulfing her completely. "Thank you," I whispered. All she did was hug me back as I left a kiss on her cheek and then we parted.