Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 I'm just having fun and not profiting in any way from this story.
Do not copy this story, in whole or in part, or post it to any other website or archive without the prior consent of the author (hey, that would be me!)
A/N: Hey, at least it's not November yet…anyway, this story still has at least a few more chapters to go…maybe more, depending on what direction my imagination depends to go off in. A big thanks to those of you who are still reading this story, despite the sometimes long lapses between posts, and to all of you who have taken the time to review. It makes me want to keep writing :-)
Bailey walked over to the shed, where three agents were bagging up items found inside. "So, what did you find?" he asked.
"Just how sick those people really were," one agent said, and they all moved aside so Bailey could see what had been in the shed, waiting for John.
It was a wooden chair, with strips of metal running across the seat, across the back, and along the arms of the chair, as well as down both front legs. Leather restraints were on the arms of the chair, to hold someone just below the elbow and at the wrist so that the person restrained couldn't move his arms away from the metal strip. The legs of the chair had similar restraints, positioned to hold the captive's legs at the ankle and just below the knee. Taking a closer look, Bailey saw that the metal strips angled outward, away from the chair legs, meant to be bound directly to the captive's legs.
"Cattle prod," an agent said, picking up the device. "We also found jumper cables and a small car battery. Once they got John in this, a jolt from it would have caused electrical burns everywhere those metal strips are."
"Bastards," Bailey said under his breath. They had wanted John to suffer, but this was beyond cruel. Just the thought of it made Bailey sick to his stomach, and he had to turn and go back outside, mumbling something about paperwork as he left.
"I'm just going to spray your back with Benzocaine," Grace said as she approached, bottle in hand, "to ease the pain."
He refused to lie down, so she had to work with him sitting on the gurney, holding onto Sam's hand as she sat beside him. "So how bad is it?" he asked, flinching as the cold spray hit his skin.
"You'll need some stitches," Grace replied, "and you'll have to lie down for that."
"Please, Grace, I don't want to lie down. My neck is sore enough from lying there, tied to the headboard."
"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry." Grace hadn't even thought that, but she was determined to get her patient comfortable. "How about if you just lean against Sam?"
"That I can do," John said, feeling Sam slipping her arm around him and guiding his head onto her shoulder.
"You just relax and let Momma Grace fix you up," Sam teased.
"That'll be the day," Grace mumbled as she picked up a syringe. "I'm going to give you a local, just to be sure you don't feel it when I sew you back together, okay?"
"You think you could give me enough to numb my entire body?"
Nicole was still in surgery when Grace was done stitching up the deepest cuts. John was getting anxious, so Grace went to see if she could find out any information while Sam rubbed an anesthetic salve across his back to ease his pain.
"You need to call Chloe and let her know that you're okay," John said.
"I need to take care of you so you live long enough to marry me."
"Haven't scared you away yet?"
"Nope, and nothing will. We are going to be married."
"I just hope Nicole will be there to witness it. She is at least partly responsible for our engagement, after all."
"So do I."
Grace had tears in her eyes when she saw James coming towards her, still in surgical scrubs. "The nurse said that…that it doesn't look good…"
"In the beginning it didn't, but we've got her blood pressure up and her heartbeat and breathing are back to normal so now we just have to keep the faith. The bleeding has been stopped, and she's in the recovery room now. I just came out for a few seconds in the hopes of telling you that she's okay. How is John?"
"I got him stitched up and settled into a bed, but he asks me every five minutes to check for word on Nicole."
"He's still awake?"
"He drifts off for a few moments, but then he wakes up and asks about her."
"Maybe you could give him something to make him sleep for a few hours," James suggested.
"That would help him, but what about Sam and I?"
"Give yourself and Sam the drugs too. And give me some while you're at it."
"She's going to be okay, isn't she?"
James recognized that Grace needed to hear the words so she could finally tell them to John and Sam, and they could all relax. "Yes, Grace, Nicole is going to be okay."
"We're finished here, sir," one of the agents told Bailey as they all began to leave the cabin. Ryan's body had been taken to the VCTF headquarters to Grace could do an autopsy and determined just what the young man had died from, and the bed sheets had been stripped away and bagged up, sparing Bailey another look at the splattered blood that had covered them. Honestly, Bailey wasn't sure why they were taking everything as evidence; the kidnappers were all dead, except for Lindsey who from what he heard was confessing to everything and ready to be punished, and Christine who was in custody and would no doubt be convicted with Lindsey's testimony. Still, procedures had to be followed and there was always the chance that they could catch and prosecute whoever made the virus for Dr. Chauncy, but Bailey would have preferred to just burn everything to the ground.
"Going to the hospital?" another agent asked as Bailey got in the SUV with the agent that had driven them to the cabin.
"Yes," he replied, shutting the door as the engine turned over.
They drove together in silence until they reached the emergency room. "I'll say a prayer for Agent Grant and Dr. Hillsdale," the man said as Bailey was exiting the vehicle.
"Thank you, Agent Siles. I appreciate that."
"Do you have a way to get home, sir? I can come back and pick you up when you're ready to leave."
"I guess none of us have a way to get home since we flew from the hospital to the landing site."
"Here's my cell phone number. Give me a call and I'll drive you home whenever you're ready to go."
"Thank you."
With a nod to Bailey, Agent Siles pulled away and Bailey went inside the emergency room, scanning for Sam or Grace but finding neither. "Excuse," he finally said to a woman at the information desk. "I'm trying to find information on either John Grant or Nicole Hillsdale."
"And you are?" she asked.
"Bailey Malone, FBI."
"I'm sorry, sir, but all I know is that Dr. Hillsdale is still in surgery and Agent Grant is being moved to a private room until he can be transported back to Atlanta."
Just as he was thanking the woman, Grace walked towards him. "Bailey, I assume everything is finished at the cabin."
"Yes, it is. How are they?"
"Luckily, the only injuries John suffered were the lacerations to his back. The blood work confirmed that John received the antidote and the virus is gone from his system."
"John received the antidote?"
Grace bit her lip, debating how much she should tell Bailey. Oh hell, it's going to come out sooner or later…maybe if he already knows it will make things easier on John… "They gave Nicole the antidote to give to John…and then they raped her as payment."
"Oh my God," was all Bailey said as he felt his legs giving out beneath him. Grace was able to guide him over to a chair, and he sat down and put his head in his hands. "And John knows this?"
"John is the one that told me. He thinks that Nicole would be okay if she hadn't accepted the antidote from them."
"Shit," he said under his breath. As if John didn't have enough to heal from physically and emotionally, he would be adding guilt over Nicole to the pile. "How is Nicole?"
"James just came to tell me that she's in the recovery room. They're moving John to a private room so that the two of them can be together. He says that the first thing Nicole will want when she wakes up is to know where John is, and maybe if they are together she'll be okay."
"I'm sure John will feel better too, if they're together."
John had been moved to a private room and was asleep, exhaustion finally catching up to him. Sam was sleeping in a chair beside the bed when Grace and James wheeled another bed into the room. The slight squeaking of the wheels woke Sam, and she thought they were going to be taking John somewhere until she realized that the bed they had brought in already had a body in it. "What's going on?" she asked as she tried to get herself to wake up completely.
"Nicole," Grace whispered, putting her fingers to her lips so that Sam would be quiet. "The surgery went well, and we thought that it would help if she can see that John is okay when she wakes up."
"She's going to be okay?" Sam whispered back.
"Only time will tell," James said. "Right now the biggest danger is infection. Hopefully we can transport her and John back to Atlanta tomorrow so she'll be in familiar surroundings."
Nicole's eyes fluttered, and Sam saw that one of her hands moved slightly. "She was starting to wake up in the recovery," Grace said, "so maybe our sleeping beauty is returning to us."
"John?" It was a hoarse whisper, but it made James smile.
"Shh, don't try to talk. Your throat is going to be raw for a while. Do you want to sit up and suck on some ice chips?" James asked.
"John? Where…where is John?" Nicole's eyes were open and slowly coming into focus. "James? Where am I? Grace?"
"You're in the hospital, honey," Grace cooed, brushing the hair back from Nicole's forehead. "John is right here, see?" She directed Nicole's gaze to the bed that was pushed right up against hers. Seeing Nicole trying to reach out to John, who was still sleeping, Grace cautiously reached over and took Nicole's hand in hers. When Nicole didn't react, she put Nicole's hand on top of John's. "He's right here, honey."
"Alive?"
"Yes, he's alive, but he's sleeping. You just came out of surgery, Nicole," James said. "How are you feeling?"
"Hurts…everywhere…"
"I'll get you a shot of Tylenol and Codeine for the pain."
James left, and Sam took his place beside Grace. "Thank you, for saving John." Nicole looked confused, and Sam quickly explained. "You gave him the antidote that saved his life, and you stayed with him and tended him the best you could until we got there. He is alive because of you."
"He's really okay?"
"Yes, he's really okay." Sam reached over and took Nicole's other hand, feeling the gentle squeeze that Nicole gave her.
"Take good care of him."
"I will. Now you get some rest so you can heal."
James returned with a syringe, and after the pain medication was injected into her IV, Nicole closed her eyes and felt herself falling back asleep. There were so many things that she wanted…no, needed…to ask, but they would have to wait because she couldn't keep sleep from overtaking her. Just as she was about to succumb, she heard John say her name as she felt him squeeze her hand, and she squeezed his in response.
Something had woken John up, although he wasn't completely awake. He could feel someone holding onto his hand and assumed that it wasSamuntil he opened his eyes. Because of his back, he was lying on his stomach but luckily he was facing her and didn't have to move to see her. "Nicole?" he said, relieved when he squeezed her hand and felt her squeeze back. "We're going to be okay now."
"Yes we are," she said, opening her eyes just long enough to get a look at John. "Go to sleep. Your body needs rest so you can heal."
"Yes, Mother," he said, a little smile on his lips.
"Behave, Junior," she whispered back, a smile on her own face as they both fell asleep, still holding onto one another.
"They really are going to be okay," Sam said as she watched Grace sit in one of the chairs beside the door.
"So who wants to give Bailey the good news?" Grace asked. "I already told him about John's condition, so someone else can have the honor this time."
"I'll do it," James said. "Maybe I can get him down to the cafeteria to eat something, and when I return the two of you should get yourselves some food."
"I intend to stay right here and make sure these two are okay," Grace said. "Besides, if Nicole wakes up frightened, she's going to need a familiar face, not some strange nurse poking at her."
James started to say something more, but Sam stopped him. "She's in full 'Momma Grace' mode, and you don't want to mess with Momma Grace."
"I'll just go see Bailey now," James said, moving towards the door.
"I won't kill the staff, I promise," Grace said.
"Still, you might want to warn them that there's an armed Momma Grace in the room."
"Sam, would you stop that!" she whispered to Sam, who was trying hard not to laugh out loud. "This is not what they need."
"Oh, I have to disagree," James told her as he was going out the door. "I think Momma Grace is just what they need. In fact, I think Momma Grace is what we all need. You keep guard over those two while I inform Pappa Bailey that they are in good hands and out of danger."
"I'm not hungry," Bailey said. "Besides, I should call George and let him know what's going on."
"You can do that from the cafeteria. I told Momma Grace that I would take you to get something to eat, and…"
"Momma Grace?"
"Sam's name for her, not mine. Anyway, Grace and Sam are staying in the room with them now, and there's nothing for you to do except come with me to get a cup of coffee and then you can call George and I'll call Rebecca."
"So Nicole's really going to be okay?" Bailey asked as he and James walked towards the elevator.
"There's always the danger of infection, which is why I've got her on IV antibiotics, but physically she should be okay. She must have been kicked or hit pretty hard, because there were a lot of internal lacerations. She'll recover, though."
"Physically, anyway."
"She's already bossing John around and calling him 'Junior', Bailey. She'll make it, and so will John."