PAY UP (Runner's version) - Part 7 of 11

"You trying to make me look bad?" Mr. Angell asks.

"Me?" Flack asks.

"Yeah." he says with a smirk, "You're here when I get here and you're still here when I leave." This was more than an observation, he wanted Flack know he realized he'd noticed how important his daughter was to him.

"Didn't mean to make it a contest." He smirks back.

"How's our girl doing today?"

"Her color is improving"

Mr. Angell nods in agreement. "That's good." He adds.

"Nurse said she might wake up today,...but she hasn't yet"

"She will, when she's ready."

"I thought I was supposed to be the patient one here." Another smirk.

Mr. Angell & Flack keep each other company most of the afternoon. Jessica being the dominant topic of conversation, of course. Flack enjoying hearing stories of when she was a little girl. Not only did it make the time go by faster, but he felt he was getting closer to her family. He learned a lot about his love that afternoon, about things that she went thru that made her into the woman he both adored yet drove him crazy with frustration sometimes.

Flack goes for coffee when Jess' oldest brother Jared arrives, after all, he doesn't want to break nurse Abigail's 'limit of 2' rule.

Mr. A & Jared pass Flack as they are leaving, "You staying, Don?"

"Yeah, I forgot my coat and Mac is gonna be by soon. I wanna talk to him before I leave."

Flack, returned his chair up next to Jess' bed. He liked to be close to her and run his fingers across the back of her hand. He even continued to fill her in on all the cases they were discovering that involved those 50c bullets. She stayed silent, be he was sure she could hear him, so he continued.

It's amazing how listening to someone breathe can become sort of, mesmerizing. Flack now found himself wondering how long it had been since he slept, or if he had slept at all since Jess had been shot. Sleep could wait, he just needed to rest his eyes for now.

It was nearly midnight when Angell's eyes flickered open. She was in pain and tried not to move, lest it make it worse. Flack was asleep in the chair beside her bed with his head leaned over on her leg and his hand cradled hers like a saucer holds a delicate tea cup. Nurse Zoe walked by her unit, catching just a slight reflection off Angell's half open eyes. Zoe does an abrupt U-turn and comes in. She starts to speak, but Angell shushes her and motions to sleeping Flack.

Zoe whispers, "Do you remember being shot?" A nod of yes. "Are you in pain?" she asks, noticing Angell's hard grip on the bed rail. Another nod. "I'll be right back."

Nurse Zoe returned with pain meds for Angell's IV, and relief came quickly. Zoe, still whispering, informs Angell that she has been in the hospital for 2 days (from Tuesday morning to late Thursday), that she has had lots of visitors, mostly police officers, and of course that "Detective Flack has been here almost the entire time. In fact, this is the first time I've seen him sleep." Zoe helps Angell with a sip of water and leaves to inform the head nurse that she is awake.

Angell strokes the side of Flack's face with her fingers till he stirs. It didn't take long. "Hey, sleep head." she says to him in a weak voice as he looks up at her.

"You're awake. Oh, sweetheart, you're finally awake." he said rising from his chair to lean over her and brushed her cheek gently.

Jess manages a little smile back at him.

"Are you in pain? Do you want anything? Should I get the nurse?" Flack felt like there was something he should do.

She just slowly shook her head no to each of his offerings. It was enough that he was there with her. He held her hand again and stroked her hair till she fell back asleep.

Mac arrived soon after and he & Flack talked outside her door. Flack was excited to tell him that she had woke up and looked good. Mac assured him that he would tell the others and then informed Flack of the latest in the case, including that Dunbrook Jr. was doing fine, before leaving. "You leaving, too, Don?"

"Yeah. But you go ahead, I've gotta get my coat."

"G'night, Don."

"G'night, Mac." Back in Angell's room Flack picked up his jacket, then made himself as comfortable as a long-legged guy like him could be in a loveseat. With his legs hanging over one end and his neck kinked at the other, he pulled his jacket up over his shoulders, and went to sleep.