CHAPTER 11:

A Few Hours Later…

Fiona and Jennifer were sitting in the waiting room of the A.N. medical wing. They were waiting for news on James' condition. He had taken two bullets to the ribs. Jen had thought that maybe they had gone through and pierced not only his lung, but his heart as well. She felt like she wanted to cry. After all, he didn't have to rescue her the way he did; he could have brought more of the crew with him. But he bravely (and stupidly) decided to get her alone. Now he was on the operating table, getting the two bullets removed. Von Schrader had in fact; shot him twice as he had two Lugers, one in each hand. Jen really had no hope that he'd survive the surgery. And she couldn't stop thinking of the last thing he said to her. 'Jennifer, I…I…love you'.

A while later, a doctor approached them, still wearing his blood stained scrubs. Fiona stood up to talk to him, but Jen didn't want to even move. Fiona paused for a second to look at Jen, and got no response. She walked over and greeted the surgeon.

"I'm Dr. Owen Hunt. James is recovering. We managed to retrieve both bullets from his rib cage; one of which lodged in the bone, the other in his back, just narrowly missing his left lung. He's in the intensive care unit. He should be awake within the hour."

"Oh thank God."

"Is your friend all right?" Dr. Hunt asked, taking off his scrub cap, revealing a head of red hair. Fiona looked over her shoulder. Jen was still sitting there, almost lifelessly.

"She'll be fine, once she knows the good news. Thank you." Fiona shook his hand. Dr. Hunt turned round and went back through the swinging doors he came in from. Fiona sat down next to Jen.

Jennifer had deep feelings for James; she had come to terms with herself about it. She also felt that this war was somehow her fault; that Song had specifically wanted her dead. And with James having feelings for her, it had endangered his life. If she hadn't been so careless and gotten captured so easily then he might not have been shot trying to save her.

"Are you all right?" Fiona asked eventually, looking to her right at Jen's distant, unreadable face.

"No." She responded sadly. "This is my fault. He's dying because of me. He is dead because of me."

"Jen… the bullets went in and out, they didn't hit any of his major organs. One was in his ribs, the other just in his back…"

"Really?" Jen looked up, fresh tears steaming down her cheeks.

"Really." Jen let out a sigh of relief and leaned back in her seat, covering her mouth with her hand, keeping her sobs silent.

"You know, James told me that you were like a rose." Fiona said, thinking back to the conversation she had with him before he jumped out of the plane. "You're beautiful, but you can be dangerous at the same time."

"What? He said that? How?"

"Are you armed?" Fiona asked.

"Yes, of course."

"His point exactly."

"What am I going to do?" Jen moaned, resting her head in her hands.

"Go to his room and wait for him to wake up, then talk to him." Fiona replied, laying a hand on her shoulder. Fiona got up and Jen followed her eagerly. Fiona led Jennifer down the hallway to the ICU area. She then peered in through one of the windows. Fiona pointed to the door to the room where James was. Jen looked over at Fiona with a half-smile, and opened the heavy door to his room, quietly letting herself in.

Jen softly entered the room. James was lying on the hospital bed, sound asleep. The beep of the heart monitor showed that he had a strong and steady heartbeat. He wasn't hooked up to anything else, which was kind of a surprise to Jen. He must be doing better than she thought. She decided at that point that it was time for her to give him a little pay back. She ambled over slowly to his side, sitting down on the edge of the mattress. She leaned down, ever so slowly to give him a kiss just like he had done to her. His lips were pursed together in slight smile. She closed her eyes just as they were about to touch. As soon as their lips met, she felt a hand on her back, pulling further into this kiss. Jennifer broke his grip and staggered backwards in surprise, eying him angrily, panting.

"You can't one-up me." James laughed deviously with a wink, opening his baby-blue eyes. Jen just stood there staring back at him, blushing, and in total shock that he had been fully awake. Without saying a word, she turned round and locked the door. She looked back at James as she pulled the window curtains shut with a look of mock anger on her face.

"You are going to pay for that." She whispered threateningly, going back to the bed. James was frightened. He knew that look; it was the one he had received when he kissed her the first time. This time, he knew that he had gone way too far.

"Jennifer Mui, I…I am so, so sorry." James pleaded. "Please, don't hurt me." He sounded like a pathetic, ridiculous, pitiful idiot and he knew it. But pleading was the only thing he could really do at this point.

"Ohhhhh, I am not going to hurt you." Jennifer replied temptingly, taking off her jacket, then her shirt, throwing them down on a chair. James couldn't help but stare at her unclothed and moderately ample chest. She pulled the outside curtain around his bed shut, cutting them off from the outside. She slid off her boots, kicking them out of the way. She eased herself onto the bed, cuddling next to him. James was surprised to the point that he could barely form his words. She then unbuckled her belt and slid off her jeans also throwing them onto the chair.

"Jennifer Mui, what are you…are you doing what I think you're gonna do? 'Cause…well…Uhhh…"

"Shhhhhhh..." She whispered, putting her fingers to his lips, straddling him above his waist. She started pulling away his thin hospital gown, revealing his bandaged ribs. James looked her in the eyes, knowing full well what she was going to do. "We've got to be quiet; Fiona's waiting right outside."

One Hour Later…

"Let's go." Jennifer said loudly as she shook Fiona by the shoulders until she was awake. Fiona looked up at Jen sleepily and saw that she was sweating a little bit. Fiona found it quite weird as it was absolutely freezing in the medical wing. She stood up, giving Jen a curious look. Jen simply smiled back at her as they started walking away from the ICU area. Fiona let out a long yawn.

"Took you frigging long enough. What's up with James? Is he all right?"

"Well…He's exhausted." Jen responded with an enticing grin on her face. "He's not going to be getting up for a while…" Jennifer explained as they walked out of the medical wing. "Trust me on that one…"