Author's notes: Thank you as always for your kind reviews
Nick's barely inside his room when a nurse and a doctor bustle in behind him.
"Let's get you in to bed Nick and see what's going on."
Burton who's sat by the bed and, been waiting his son's return, is confused and looks to Nick who doesn't meet his eye. He anxiously stands up.
"Is there a problem?"
"It's nothing Dad."
Nick's still not looking at him.
"Nick had a little problem while he was away, and we just want to check him over."
"A problem! What kind of problem."
The nurse is unwilling to say anymore seeing her patient's reticence.
"Let us have a look at him and then he'll probably tell you himself. Can you just wait outside?"
Burton isn't happy but since Nick is at least conscious he leaves the room.
"It's all right nurse I can get in to bed myself."
She helps him out of the wheelchair and hovers while he climbs in to bed.
"I'm fine I just got tired."
The doctor puts his stethoscope in his ears.
"The reports from the other floor were encouraging but I want to check for myself. Especially to see if your blood pressure has risen."
The nurse had unhooked the blood pressure cuff and is wrapping it around Nick's arm.
The doctor has finished listening to his chest sounds and stands erect.
"Everything sounds fine there Nick. After Carol has finished taking your blood pressure I want to check your wound."
As Carol releases the pressure from the cuff she reports to the doctor.
"It's up a little bit but still low."
She writes numbers down on his chart and shows it to the doctor.
"Take his temperature."
Carol picks up the thermometer and has Nick open his mouth while he leans forward to allow the doctor to see the incision.
The doctor checks the chart again and Carol pronounces his temperature as normal.
"I think you wore yourself out this morning. Let it be a warning to you Nick that when you leave tomorrow you must take it easy. No long walks, no stress and no work for at least two weeks and then only part-time for the next two weeks."
Nick looks at him. He's embarrassed by the fuss and just wants them to leave. His Dad's displeasure will be better than this. The doctor finishes writing in his chart and hands it to the nurse.
"Give him some sleeping tablets so he can rest. I don't want him out of bed again the rest of the day, and no visitors other than his father. If his vitals are back to normal and he's looking better than he does now this evening, he can get out to use the bathroom."
The doctor turns his attention to Nick.
"If you don't follow my instructions I won't let you out tomorrow."
Nick's bitterly disappointed as Anne was coming in the afternoon, but he doesn't want to delay his release so he nods his head. As the doctor and nurse leave the room Nick bangs his hand on the side rail of the bed in frustration. It was a stupid thing to do.
Burton's pacing the floor outside Nick's room while he waits and wonders what's going on. He pounces on the doctor as soon as he emerges from Nick's room.
"Ah Mr. Fallin, just the person I want to see."
"Is Nick all right, what happened did that monster do something to him."
"That I don't know about. The nurses station received a call from the Intermediate care saying that Nick had collapsed and was unconscious for just a short time. He was starting to come round when the doctor got to him. His blood pressure was very low. Luckily the fall hasn't injured his shoulder. During my examination his blood pressure has increased but is still at low levels, but everything else is fine. He just over did things. I've ordered some sleeping tablets and he's on bed rest until at least this evening. He's not allowed any other visitors and hopefully he will recover and he can still be released tomorrow. I've given him strict instructions on what he can and can't do when he goes home. Keep him calm, don't let him get upset."
Burton runs his hands across his head.
"Thank you doctor."
The doctor moves away and Burton opens the door and enters Nick's room. Nick opens his eyes as he hears the door.
"Just go back to sleep son."
"I'm not sleeping yet Dad, just thinking. You were right I shouldn't have gone to see him. I got so angry when I saw him. It brought back memories of everything he'd done to me. I..I...I don't know what I expected or wanted from him. That's not true, I wanted him to apologise for shooting me, to say it was a mistake, to tell me what I did wrong. I felt a connection with him and I wanted to hear that he'd felt it too."
There's so much Burton could say but he stays quiet allowing his son to talk. He can see that Nick's using it to sort out his feelings and that he probably won't rest well until he does.
"He asked me to do him a favour, really he wants to use me to get close to his daughter, as his wife won't let him. I wanted to say no, but it's his daughter that matters. He's going to get it too me. I told him I wasn't going back."
Nick looks up at Burton for the first time.
"I'm sorry Dad I should have listened to you. Now I can't see Anne and I'm stuck in bed and I collapsed in his room."
Burton pats his hand.
"No Son, you were right to go, you needed to sort out your feelings, I can only imagine what you went through son, I had no right to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. I'll see if Lulu can pop by with Anne tomorrow."
Nick gives a quick smile.
"Thanks Dad. I know there's nothing I did that caused him to shoot me, he's a sad desperate man."
The door opens and Carol enters with a sleeping tablets. Nick takes them and Burton watches as they take there effect and his son relaxes in to a deep sleep.
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