Chapter 10: Friends like these, who needs Enemies
Sarah had just survived one of the longest nights of her life. The frequent torment of her dreams was unabated. But last night had a waking nightmare that was even worse. Alarms shoved her rudely awake and next thing she knew, faceless orderlies were pushing her out of the room. She looked on in a haze of worry at all the people running in and out, pushing carts and unrecognized equipment. A doctor finally found her and explained the situation. Chuck had stopped breathing on his own. He was on a respirator and all his vitals were back to normal.
Now, Chuck had too much equipment around him to get as close as she needed. His hand was still available and she did her best to curl around it. He could still chase away the night terrors for her. She would catch little cat naps during the day to make up for each night. As a spy, it was easy for Sarah to be up on all the hospital gossip. She had taken to talking to Chuck for hours at a time, telling him who was sleeping with who. There was the man two rooms down. One woman would visit during the day, another saw him only in the evenings. Both wearing wedding rings. The nurses couldn't get enough of that. Sarah had always considered those daytime hospital dramas to be overblown and a waste of time. Now, not so much.
It must have been early evening when she heard the door slowly swing open. He made a good effort, but not good enough. With an easy flick of her wrist, 4 inches of shining steel flew across the room to be buried in the door frame mere inches from his head.
"Whoa, Sarah, stand down." His eyes darting between the knife and the woman.
"Don't worry Bryce, I knew it was you." Pointing to her ear, "Casey gave me the heads up before you even entered the building. I just wanted to let you know how happy I am to see you." She gets up and retrieves her knife. "What?", at the look on Bryce's face.
"I don't think I have ever seen you looking so...uhhh", clearly struggling with what he wants to say.
"Oh for god's sake, just spit it out, I won't throw another knife at you."
"Domestic. I have never seen you looking so domestic. No makeup, hair just pushed back in a pony tail, looking like you slept in those clothes. What has happened to you Sarah?"
With a mirthless laugh, she spears Bryce on a cold stare, "Happened? Oh, I don't know, let's see. Chuck, your self-professed best friend, is laying there more dead than alive. My number one duty to keep him safe is certainly going great, thank you very much. And even better, it appears that your caring has been what put him here in the first place. His big buddy Bryce, needing someone he can trust, sends the Intersect to the most innocent and undeserving man on the planet. This puts him in mortal danger at every turn." Her voice spiraling higher with every word.
"But wait, it gets better. Chuck here is too valuable and so our loving government sends him on a mission he might never have been ready for. Oh, it broke him, but I was hoping we got past the worst of it. Take a bow here Bryce, cause you can claim the credit on this too. By all appearances, your gift is what he is dying from. The Intersect that you pushed on him seems to be picking his brain apart one piece at a time. So come on over and tell your friend all about how you've been looking out for him." The manic energy gone, she sinks back into the chair.
Bryce has no idea what to think. Sarah has never been anything but totally in control. His first instinct is to take her in his arms. Kneeling, he pulls her close. She starts to squirm like a wildcat, hands slapping at his chest, "No, no, no....get off me you bastard. Why would I want anything from you. Look where it got Chuck."
Stung more by her words than the physical blows, he backs off. So close now, Bryce gets his first good look. He chokes on his next breath, that can't be his friend. Try as he might, he can't find anything that reminds him of Chuck in that hospital bed. "Oh Chuck, I am so sorry."
"Little late for that don't you think." Sarah regards him from her chair. Legs pulled up and arms wrapped around to hold them to her chest. "If you want forgiveness, I think you knocked on the wrong door."
"Fine, fine, you're all pissed at me. But don't you question my motives. Chuck was my friend long before you ever met him. Did you forget, I fed him the update to keep him useful and relevant. Or maybe all the months since, I have the target on my back to keep Fulcrum away. You've been sitting here enjoying the good life, serving yogurt and playing with Casey."
"I have not done anything of the sort with Casey, he is my partner and that is it. A damn good one too."
"So, that means you'd rather be playing with Chuck?"
"Yes....wait....what? No! He is my asset. That is all. Nothing says I can't care about his well being. I would think that makes me better at my job if I think of him as a real person."
"And that is all he is, your asset? They could reassign you tomorrow and you could say, 'Goodbye Chuck, nice knowing you.' Then head off ready for your next mission."
In almost a whisper, "Yes."
"What's that Sarah? I can't hear you. I knew it the last time I was here. You've fallen for our boy haven't you?"
Glaring defiantly, "No, I am not in love with Chuck. Why is everyone always saying that?"
"If I had to guess, I would say, because it's the truth. I thought for sure Chuck would do the right thing when I told him to break things off with you clean."
Bryce puts up his hands and backpedals quickly. The sight of a furious Sarah surging from the chair gives him a moment of panic. "That was you! You put that stupid idea in his head! Oh, I should have known. It makes perfect sense. It must have been quite a blow to your ego, thinking you lost your girl to Chuck. For your information, Jill comes back into his life, turns out to be Fulcrum and we are all nearly killed. All because you got Chuck thinking he needed to turn away from me for his own good."
"You can't pin that on me. How could I know anything that outrageous would happen. Jill Roberts, little Jill from Stanford, is a Fulcrum agent? At least I wasn't the one who froze in the train station and nearly cost Chuck his life in the first place."
"I was going to take the shot, I just needed a better angle. Don't you turn this back on me. I have been doing just fine without you around."
"I can see that Sarah. You are a picture of perfect right now."
"Why you....." She launches herself at him. Raining punchless blows onto his chest and shoulders while calling him every name in the book and inventing a few new ones. Bryce accepts it all, arms out to his sides. He owes her this much. When she starts to wind down, he takes her into his arms again. This time she allows the embrace.
"Sarah, you do love him don't you?"
Muffled by his chest, "No." Rises up to his ears.
"Of course you don't, that would be unprofessional." Looking over at Chuck, his eyes speak to what he really believes.
After a few more minutes, Sarah pushes at his chest. "Off." She straightens up and a bit of the Sarah he remembers has returned to her eyes. "Now that our heartfelt reunion is done. What brings you here Bryce?"
"Oh, yes. I come bearing gifts.", sincerity in his gaze. "I just hope it's not too late." He pulls a slip of paper from his pocket and hands it over. "General Beckman told me to give this to you personally. And she wanted you to know that she has no idea what is on it or any knowledge of why you would need it." Grinning a bit. "Those were her exact words. The old bird."
Bringing her a bit closer, "Here is the scoop. That is the number for a doctor. He is totally outside the company, civilian all the way. He is some kind of genius and the CIA used him once before. I heard he is a handful, but knows his stuff. I just wish this had gotten to you faster. Beckman had to use outside channels to keep it under wraps."
"Thank you Bryce. I'm sorry about earlier. It's been so hard." She gives him a proper hug and peck on the cheek before moving back.
"Sarah, I am pretty sure I deserved most of that. You have to understand, it was never supposed to be like this.", nodding to Chuck.
"Well, if you want to make up for it. Do me this one thing. Stop doing Chuck any favors."
"Anything you say Agent Walker. I wouldn't want to interfere in the performance of your duties."
"And don't you forget it Agent Larkin."
Bryce watches her return to the chair, that little piece of paper held in her hand like gold. Silently, he wishes Chuck a speedy recovery. For both their sakes.
"Walker, what was all that about? For a minute, I thought I might have to help disappear a body.", Casey's voice sounds in her ear.
"It was a near thing. With Christmas coming soon, Bryce just wanted to stop and deliver a present for Chuck. Special delivery from the General no less."
"Don't kill me with suspense, what is it?"
Opening the folded note, Sarah reads. "Dr. Gregory House, Princeton-Plainsboro, New Jersey."
A/N: All the reviews have been great. They are keeping me pumped to finish. The last few chapters have been something to write. Almost feel a bit drained myself. Just want you all to know. I am addicted to happy endings. Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just not next chapter. Hehe. Enjoy.