"Ice it to keep swelling down. You should be fine in a couple days," Shaw instructed after bandaging Joss's graze.
"Thanks," Joss responded as her friend stood up from her crouched position near her feet. They both saw John standing stiffly and brooding. Shaw gave her a look before leaving.
She got to her feet gingerly to address John once they were alone. "I'm okay, John."
He looked at her. "You were shot, Carter," he stated roughly.
"I was," she agreed. "But I got lucky: it's just a graze." She motioned at her shin with her pant leg rolled up.
"You should never have risked yourself like that!" he stated tersely.
Joss bristled. "Don't go there, John. We enter dangerous situations to save people; Shaw gets winged all the time and you don't flip out," she said pithily. Her leg hurt she just wanted to go raid her freezer to get some ice, not argue with him.
"Shaw's not you!" he erupted and her anger got doused at the confession. John ran a hand through his hair as he took a deep breath. "I asked you to wait for backup, Carter," he murmured gentler.
"I know."
"And you didn't wait," he whispered.
Joss didn't understand the significance but he sounded pained. "John, I'm a cop and risking my life for the well-being of others is a part of the job description," she said, trying to gauge where this was stemming from. One moment he's angry and the next he looked like she broke his heart.
"But you weren't on the job, you were helping me…."
"Yes I was and I'd do it again to save a life just like you would," she replied softly as she moved close to him, her eyes searched his seeing some emotion swimming deep in them. Maybe he was finally ready to talk about what was going on between them. When John didn't speak and they were just standing staring into each other's eyes was when she stepped back. "Now that we got that out of the way; help me ice my leg, you owe me since I patch you up all the time."
He gave her one of his small rare smiles as he followed her to her kitchen.
