Jack and Bobby were brought to two different rooms and Sue and Tara found themselves suddenly alone in the noisy and indifferent corridor of the hospital. Having lost their anchors, they hugged and sat together praying that their friends would be fine soon.
Five minutes later Lucy joined them and, after having hugged them, she asked what had happened. Myles had been vague on the phone. By the time they had told her everything they knew, a doctor approached them.
"Are you here for agent Manning?" He asked. The three women nodded simultaneously.
"How is he?" Tara asked.
"His injuries aren't serious. He suffered from a very mild concussion but if he takes it easy he'll be up and well in a couple of days."
The three women let out a long, deep breath of relief. Bobby was fine. He was ok. But…
"Do you know anything about the other FBI agent who has been brought here?" Sue asked, her face grave again.
"No, I don't know anything. But if you tell me his name I'll try to find some information." The man offered.
"His name is Jack Hudson. He has been brought in that room over there." Sue said, smiling gratefully at the man.
"Perfect. Ah! There's a miss Thomas here?"
"I am Sue Thomas." Sue answered, puzzled.
"Agent Manning wanted to see you."
"Can we all go?" Tara asked, fervently hoping in an affirmative answer.
"Yes, but I don't know if he'll be still awake. I prescribed him a mild sedative. He was a little agitated." The man smiled sympathetically and then went away.
"Thank you!" Sue hollered to his back.
The man waved and disappeared in the room where Jack was.
The three women entered quietly the room. At the sound of the door opening Bobby's eyes flew open.
"How do you feel?" Tara asked immediately, approaching quickly the Australian and taking one of his hands between hers.
"Been better. How's Jack" He asked back.
"We don't know." Lucy answered.
"Has he been unconscious the whole time?" He asked Sue.
She shook her head and swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.
"No. He awoke in the ambulance." She took a steadying pause, observing attentively Bobby. "He asked about you and then passed out again."
Bobby closed his eyes. This was much more than his guilt-stricken heart could take at that moment. Luckily, the sedative had already started to kick in and some moments later he welcomed the unconsciousness.
"We're bringing him to the third floor. If you follow me I'll show you his room." The nurse said. "He'll be asleep for a couple of hours, though."
"No. We stay. We have another friend here." Lucy answered for all of them.
"When you'll be ready you can ask for me and I'll bring you to this young man. I'm Faith and I'll be here till eight am."
The three women settled themselves in the waiting room.
Some minutes later, the doctor who had helped Bobby exited the room where Jack had been brought and approached them slowly. He opened the mouth to talk but closed it again when noticed two distinguished but dishevelled men in bloodied clothes running towards them. The girls quickly updated D and Myles on Bobby's conditions then returned their attention to the doctor.
"Your friend is in critical conditions. He has lost a lot of blood. He has been hit by four bullets. One hit him in the neck and three in the back but he's stable now. They're bringing him in surgery to remove the bullets and repair the damage. A nurse will show you the way." The man explained, observing the people before him. They were clearly shocked and speechless and seemed utterly desperate. They didn't seem FBI agents. They had the same pained expression he had seen too many times in the faces of the families who were losing the ones they held dear. "I'm sorry." He mumbled before turning and going away. Sometimes he really hated his job.
A couple of minutes later a nurse joined them and led the quiet group to the elevators.
Bobby found them in the waiting area three hours later. His wheelchair pushed by a smiling and quite pleased nurse, Bobby entered the room quietly. Everyone was absorbed in his own thoughts and didn't notice his arrival. Everyone except for Levi who trotted happily towards the Australian to welcome him, receiving a generous rub in return.
Levi's actions drew the attention of the whole group who turned towards him.
"Any news?" He asked, dismissing the nurse with a pale imitation of his winning smile.
"Nothing, yet." Tara answered, getting up and giving him a gentle hug.
"How are you feeling?" Sue asked, after that everyone had welcomed him warmly.
"I'm fine. They have amazing drugs in this place."
His friends smiled but soon returned to their previous positions and resumed their wait.
Three hours and a half later D's phone started ringing, startling the whole group.
"No… Nothing yet, sir… I will, sir… Good night."
D sighed and rubbed his face tiredly.
"That was Garrett." He announced to the questioning faces before him.
Ten minutes later a doctor entered the room, his face tired.
"Are you here for Mr. Hudson?" He asked.
"Agent Hudson and yes." Myles answered, showing his badge.
"Your colleague has been hit by four bullets. One hit him in the neck but passed through without too much damage. Another one entered from his back and exited from his abdomen without damaging any vital organ. The third one entered from the back and pierced a lung causing a haemopneumothorax, that is a condition in which the lung collapses because the thoracic cavity is filled with air and blood. We extracted the bullet and repaired the damage. Your colleague will need to stay intubated at least until tomorrow to give the lung the chance to heal. The last bullet gave us some problems because it was lodged near his spine. We've been able to remove it but I'm afraid that it damaged the nerves around the column."
"Does this mean that he's paralyzed?" Myles asked after a moment of stunned silence.
"I don't know. We'll know more after agent Hudson wakes up. I just wanted you to be prepared."
"Is he going to be fine?" Sue asked, trying to focus on what was truly important at that moment. Jack was alive. They hadn't lost Jack. She had not lost Jack.
"He's not out of the woods, yet but I'm quite optimistic." The doctor answered with a kind smile. "He's tough."
"Yes, he is." Sue confirmed with a wobbly smile.
"Can we see him?" Tara asked, glancing worriedly at Bobby's pale face.
"Not right now but you should be able to visit him in an hour or so. He'll probably be asleep, though. I'll tell a nurse to bring you to him when he'll be in his room." The man answered and then bad farewell to the team and went away.
The six people in the room stayed still and quiet for a long time, trying to accept and metabolize what they had just heard.
"Has…" The sound was strangled and D cleared his throat. "Has someone called his family?"
"I tried but no one answered at home." Myles answered.
"I tried, too. Same result. Same thing with Amy." Lucy added.
"Try again. And if no one answers then try the hospital." Bobby said in a whisper.
"Why the hospital?" D asked.
"Mrs. Hudson is ill. She has been spending the last few months more in hospital than in her own house."
"He didn't tell me anything about it." Sue murmured, a hurt expression on her face.
"He didn't tell anything to anyone, Sue. I found out about it by chance a couple of days ago. I heard him talk to his father on the phone and then Jack told me that is mother was dying from cancer."
"I'll try the hospital." Myles proposed, clearing his throat.
"And I'll try again to contact Amy." Lucy added, following Myles out of the waiting room.
Sue sat heavily on one of the chairs and closed her eyes, praying for the irritating man she loved and for his mother.
"Are you ok?" Tara asked Bobby.
The Australian saw the concern and the sympathy in the kind eyes of his friend and a lump formed in his throat. He wanted so desperately to be comforted by those petite but steady arms but… He swallowed the lump and cleared his throat.
"Yeah, I'm fine luv. I guess I'm just a little tired." He answered.
She nodded with a soft smile and squeezed his hand then went to sit beside Sue.
A/N: Reviews are welcome. *hint hint nudge nudge*