A/N - I really appreciate all of you getting in touch and reviewing. I hope the pace of the story isn't too slow for you. Here's the next chapter. See what you think.

Chapter 4

The hospital lights dimmed and that first night seemed to go on forever. Ed had sent a reluctant Sophie home to their young daughter, Izzy, who was missing her mom. Ed insisted on staying with Clark, not wanting to leave him alone after what he had been through. Dean and Marina remained in the ICU by Greg's side all night, only leaving briefly to stretch their legs or get some coffee. It turned out to be a relatively uneventful night in the ICU. Nurses checked on him every hour and Greg remained stable throughout. Downstairs, Clark spent a comfortable night, even if Ed didn't.

The morning was heralded by the lights being brightened and an increase in activity on the floor. Janitors, domestic staff, day nurses all arrived for the start of their shifts. Dr. Flynn came around early to check on his patients, including Greg. He greeted an exhausted Marina and Dean before carrying out a basic examination. They watched as his warm expression changed to concern and he quizzed the duty nurse about Greg's cardiac readings throughout the night. He seemed unhappy about something, Dean noticed, and he became instantly concerned.

"Is everything okay?" Dean asked.

"I'm not sure," the doctor replied. "Your father's cardiac output is concerning me. Janet, I'd like an ECG and ultrasound as soon as possible," he said to the nurse.

The nurse exited the room and the doctor continued to listen to Greg's heart and lungs.

"What are you looking for?" Marina asked, suspecting that that doctor had an idea about what was going on.

"I can't be sure without an ultrasound, but his readings are showing an increased heart rate for the last hour or two. And his heart sounds are muffled. I suspect there may be fluid around his heart," Dr. Flynn replied.

"Oh, no, that sounds serious," Marina said with concern.

"If left untreated it can be," he told her. "It is likely that he'll need a procedure called pericardiocentesis. I'd like to get that done straight away. I see that a Mr. Lane is his medical proxy. Can you contact him?"

"Sure. He's here in the hospital. His son was among the injured yesterday," Dean told him.

"Can you get him? I need to talk to him sooner rather than later," the doctor asked.

"I'll go," Dean said, glancing at his critically ill father once more before leaving the room.

Dean took the elevator two floors down to the second floor and found Clark's room. He found Clark still sleeping and Ed dozing, sitting on a chair with his head resting on his son's bed. He walked in and gave Ed a gentle shake to rouse him.

"Ed!"

"Huh?" Ed said, sitting up suddenly, momentarily disorientated. "Dean? What….? Is it you father?"

"There's something wrong. They have to do something with his heart. The doctor needs to talk to you," Dean told him.

Ed stood up and left the room with Dean by his side. He began to feel a little panicked, sensing urgency from Dean and broke into a jog down the corridor. As he waited impatiently for the elevator, Dean tried to reassure him.

"There's a procedure they can do the doctor said. I'm not sure how serious, but so far Dad seems okay….considering," he told the worried officer.

Ed allowed himself to breathe a little easier as he stepped into the elevator. When they got to the ICU, Marina was standing outside and the doctor had the curtain pulled around Greg's bed.

"What's going on?" Ed asked, worry etched on his face.

"They're doing an ultrasound on his heart. They think there's a problem," she said, sounding unsure.

They waited with baited breath until the doctor and nurse emerged from the curtained off area.

"So, Doc? What's happening?" Ed asked immediately.

"As I suspected, there is fluid accumulated in the pericardial sac. The pressure is restricting Greg's heart from beating properly," he told him.

"I don't understand. How did this happen?" Marina asked.

"It was more than likely as a result of the blunt force trauma from the round he took to his ballistics vest, but we won't know for sure until we test the fluid. I'll carry out a procedure to remove the fluid and he should improve almost immediately," Dr. Flynn told them. "Mr. Lane, we'll need your signature."

"Yeah, sure. But he'll be all right then?" Ed asked, feeling a little uncomfortable making decisions for his friend regarding matters that he knew little about.

"I expect so," the doctor replied. "He'll be closely monitored, but I would be very hopeful."

"Okay then," Ed said, taking the clipboard from the doctor, signing the authorisation and handing it back to him. "Do whatever you have to."

The doctor thanked him and asked them all to wait in the waiting room while they carried out the procedure. Ed put his arm around Dean's shoulder and together they walked out of the ICU, more tense waiting in store for them.

Meanwhile, Jules and Sam woke up from what should have been their wedding night. Instead of romance and champagne, they spent the night twisting and turning, unable to get any restful sleep. Jules was suffering, her leg making it difficult to get comfortable. The hospital had given her painkillers to take, but she was reluctant to take them because of her pregnancy. Sam had tried to sleep, but ended up getting up at 4am and turning on the TV. The events of the previous day had taken their toll on him too. His back was stiff and sore, probably from being caught in the blast, he assumed. He drank a cold beer, ate some chips and tried to relax while watching re-runs of Stargate SG-1.

By 7am, he was showered, dressed and cooking breakfast for his new wife. He took a flower from her wedding bouquet, which she had left in their living room, and put it on the tray.

"Good morning, Mrs. Braddock," he said with a broad smile.

"Good morning yourself," Jules said, sitting up, mindful of her injured leg. The stitches were pulling and the wound was itching like mad.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Sam asked, placing the tray across her thighs and kissing her on the lips.

"Mmmm," she said, savouring his kiss. "I'm good," she replied. "We're good," she said, placing her hand on her tiny baby bump. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Not really. You?"

"Nope. Any word from the hospital?" Jules asked.

"Not so far. I'll call Ed after breakfast," Sam replied, sitting back on his side of the bed.

"I can't get my head around what happened yesterday," Jules said, spreading some butter on her toast.

"Me neither, Jules. When I saw the boss lying on that gangway, all that blood, I panicked. I was sure we were going to lose him," Sam admitted. "I couldn't get the image out of my head all night."

"I can only imagine," Jules said, placing her hand on his leg. "But he made it and he won't give up. Not the boss. He's going to be okay, I just know he is."

"Me too," Sam said, his hand finding hers.

Meanwhile, at Winnie's apartment, Spike woke to the sound of plates clinking and bacon sizzling. He was completely disorientated when he opened his eyes, a lot of the previous night a blur. He sat up on the sofa and cradled his throbbing head in his hands. He rubbed his eyes to try and clear the cobwebs from his brain. When Winnie sauntered out of her kitchen Spike's eyes widened in disbelief. It was starting to come back to him.

"Good morning, Sleepyhead," Winnie said, sounding chirpy.

"Morning," Spike replied sheepishly.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"Lousy," Spike replied, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Serves you right," Winnie said, having no pity for him. "What the hell were you thinking last night, Spike? If the Sarge knew what you did, he'd be really disappointed. All you had to do was call if you needed someone to talk to."

"I know. I don't know what I was thinking," he admitted. "I guess I wasn't thinking."

"No, you weren't," she said. "Here. Bathroom's that way," she said, throwing him a towel.

"Thanks," Spike said, catching it. "Are you on duty?" he asked her, noticing that she was in uniform.

"Yeah. I'm due in at 8am," she told him.

"Crap, so am I," Spike said, getting panicked.

"You don't have to worry. Team One has been stood down temporarily after what happened yesterday," Winnie told him. "You should have a message on your phone."

Spike searched for his cell phone, finding it in his trouser pocket.

"Is there any news from the hospital?" Spike asked, checking through his messages.

"No, but I suppose no news is good news," Winnie replied.

"I guess so," Spike agreed. "Listen, Winnie, I just wanted to say thanks, you know, for everything."

"What are friends for, right? I was going to swing by the hospital before I head in to work if you want a ride," Winnie told him.

"Yeah, that would be good, but I'd better have that shower first. And coffee, lots of coffee," Spike said, taking the towel and as he brushed past Winnie, reaching briefly for her hand.

She allowed her hand to glance off his and gave him a shy smile as he continued towards the bathroom in his usual unassuming fashion.

While waiting in the family room outside ICU, Ed took the time to call a few people. His first call was a brief call to his wife. He reassured her that their son was fine and told her about what had been happening with Greg. Then he called Jules and Sam and updated them on Greg's condition. Naturally, Jules was beside herself with worry when she heard about the problems with the boss's heart. She told Ed that she intended to be there later that morning.

He then called Leah and eventually Spike. He hadn't long finished his call to Spike when the doctor came and found them. Ed stood up expectantly.

"It's done and he remained stable throughout," Dr. Flynn told them.

"Is that it? I mean, can it happen again?" Dean asked.

"Yes, it can happen, but it's unlikely. We'll keep a close eye," the doctor told him.

"Can we go back in?" Marina asked, anxious to get back to him.

Then Ed chimed in.

"Marina, why don't you and Dean go home and get a couple of hours sleep? I can stay with him. Sophie is coming back in to sit with Clark so I can stay. I'd like to," Ed told her.

"I don't know. I'd like to be here in case there was any change," Marina said, anxiously.

"Me too," Dean piped up.

"I understand, but he's sedated. He's not going to wake up until the doctor decides to let him. He'll need you more when that time comes," Ed told them. "He's going to need your strength and if you're exhausted or ill, you'll be in no shape to be there for him," he tried to explain.

Dean looked at Marina. He didn't like the idea of leaving his dad, but there was no denying how tired he was.

"I guess you're right," he replied. "Marina, could you give me a ride home?"

"Sure," Marina replied. "If you're sure, Ed?" Marina said, turning towards Ed.

"Absolutely," Ed replied. "Go, get some rest."

He hugged Marina and shook Dean's hand and promised to call them if anything changed. They both insisted on saying goodbye to Greg before leaving.

After they left, Ed entered the ICU and looked at his gravely injured friend. It had been the first time they had been alone since that harrowing time on the stadium gangway. He flashed back to when he shot Faber, seeing the bomber go down and then the sight of Greg lying on the ground beyond him, his terrified eyes pleading for help. He recalled the feeling of dread that had washed over him when he realised how severely injured his friend was; the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as Greg weakened in his arms.

He snapped back to reality, listened to the beeping of the cardiac monitor and relaxed into a chair positioned at the head of the bed. Greg still looked deathly pale, but Ed found solace in the fact that at least he had made it this far. The steady hissing of the ventilator replaced the rasping breaths that Greg was struggling to take back in the stadium, a sound that would remain with Ed forever.

He sat and talked to Greg as though his friend could hear him, silly little one-way conversations about family, about work, about what they would do when he got better. It made Ed feel better even if there was no response from Greg.

Throughout the day, there were several visitors to Greg in the hospital, but only family were allowed into ICU. Winnie and Spike were two of the first visitors that morning. Ed met and talked to his team mates in the visitors area outside the ICU when they arrived at intervals throughout the day. He gave them updates on his condition and they brought news of what had been happening city wide since the bomb attacks.

Marina and Dean returned in the late afternoon having slept a little, showered and eaten a little. They felt refreshed and ready to face the next hurdle.

Ed returned to Clark and Sophie. They informed him that Clark's surgery was scheduled for that evening and he was told that Clark could go home the following day if everything went well. Ed tried to react as everyone expected, but he was exhausted. He hadn't slept and had barely eaten anything since Sam and Jules' wedding. He was trying to be a tower of strength for his family, for Greg's family and for his team.

But Sophie could see what was happening to her husband. She was getting worried about him.

"Ed, when did you last eat?" she asked, suspecting it was some time.

Ed considered the question for a moment and then shrugged.

"And I expect you didn't get much sleep last night either," she said perceptively.

Ed sighed.

"Look, I know you want to be here and save everyone but I'm ordering you home to get some rest," Sophie told him. "Clark will be home in a day or two and I'm going to need you to help out. I can't have you collapsing from exhaustion when I need you the most."

"I'm fine, Soph," Ed insisted.

"Does he look fine to you, Clark?" Sophie asked her son, turning the tables on Ed.

"Mom has a point, Dad. I've never seen such bags under one person's eyes before. I'll be fine here. They'll come and take me too surgery in a couple of hours and then I'll be sleeping for ages. Anyway, there are plenty of nice nurses to keep me company if I get lonely," Clark joked.

Sophie threw a surprised glance at him. Ed just smiled.

"Okay, seeing as though you're all ganging up on me, I guess I don't have a choice," Ed said, with a wry smile. "Just a few hours mind you."

He kissed his family and slipped away. As he was leaving, he met Jules and Sam arriving at the ER entrance.

"Hey, how's the leg," he asked Jules.

"I'll live," Jules replied. "Are you leaving?"

"I've been ordered to get some rest," Ed said, throwing his eyes to the heavens.

"Well, you look like you could do with some," Sam commented.

"Thanks," Ed said, feigning insult. "You don't look so hot yourself."

They joked and cajoled a bit and then Ed left, allowing Jules and Sam to make their way to the ICU. Dean came out when he heard that they were there and told Jules to go in and see his dad. Jules was delighted to be allowed in to see him, but was a little taken aback when she was him lying there.

She realised that she had never seen her boss so defenceless. He was shockingly still. Marina stood and greeted her as she entered.

"Hey," she said, giving Jules a hug. "Come closer. Talk to him."

Jules did as she suggested and she came close enough to take his hand. She placed his hand on her baby bump and her eyes filled with tears.

"You can't miss out on this little one's arrival, Sarge. We need you to get better," Jules said softly. "We need you, Boss."

After a short silence, she asked Marina;

"Has there been any change?"

"The doctor said his heart function has improved and his blood pressure is stable. He said they'll consider taking him off the ventilator tomorrow and maybe hold off the sedation after that," Marina told her. "God, all I want right now is to see those brown eyes."

Jules smiled.

"He has great eyes, doesn't he?" she commented. "You know exactly where you stand with one glance. You're a lucky woman, Marina"

"I know I am. Things have been going so well for us lately. We've been so happy, I was beginning to think we had a chance of a real future," she admitted.

"You can still have a future," Jules told her.

"I know. It's just when something of this magnitude happens, it shakes people's faith. I guess right now, my faith is wavering," she explained.

"Well don't you let it," Jules insisted. "This is a just bump in the road and as they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. You'll get through this. We all will."

Maybe "kill you" wasn't the best phrase to use, Jules thought, but hoped the sentiment rang true.

To be continued...