As Jimmy continued to wrestle with what it was he wanted for Coop, Nurse Taylor gently shook Elizabeth's shoulder.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Cooper?"
"Yes?" asked Elizabeth, not taking her eyes away from Coop.
"Your husband is here and he would like to see you in the hallway," explained Donna, putting a gentle hand on Elizabeth's shoulder.
Gripping Coop's hand tighter, Elizabeth shook her head. "Brogan can come in here. I'm not leaving Sean alone!"
"Dr. Tomlinson needs to perform some tests," said Donna. "It won't take long and, after that, Dr. Tomlinson would like to speak to both you and Mr. Cooper in her office. The priest you're with is also back and he can come into her office with you."
Turning around, Elizabeth's eyes caught Donna's. "But I promised Sean he wouldn't be alone with strangers…not even for a minute! Is it alright then if Jimmy stays in here with him?"
Jimmy raised his head at the mention of his name.
Eying Jimmy, Nurse Taylor considered Elizabeth's request. "That shouldn't be a problem, if it's alright with Mr. Bruno, of course."
"Sure it is!" declared Jimmy as his mouth began to feel dry.
Sighing as she let go of Coop's hand and got to her feet, Elizabeth nodded her head. "Okay, I'll go with you." Bending back down, Elizabeth whispered into Coop's ear, "Sean sweetie, I have to go speak with the doctor and your father for a moment. Don't worry, Jimmy is here with you. Like I promised, you won't be left alone."
"Marie," whispered Donna to Nurse Taylor, "I'll take Mrs. Cooper out into the hallway. Are you okay to perform the vitals check and other tests with Jill?"
"No problem at all," Nurse Taylor replied back.
"Alright," said Donna, offering her arm to Elizabeth. "Just follow me right this way."
As that special Saturday he and Jimmy had spent together finished reeling through his mind, Coop shook his head as he got up from his desk chair and took a seat on the sofa. Resting his feet on the coffee table, Coop pulled Robin up beside him and began petting him absently as his thoughts began to race.
"That damn bastard!" Coop thought as he began scratching Robin's ear. "Why can't Danny ever just come right out and say what he means instead of pissing me off and making me figure things out by myself? Isn't it his damn job to tell me what things I think are and aren't true?"
Then a realization struck him. "Then again," said Coop aloud as he brushed hair out of his eyes, "I've not exactly wanted to listen to Danny or remember the good times with Jimmy so maybe—maybe that's why the bastard did it. God damn it, Danny!"
Biting his lip, Coop began to feel angry as he thought about the promise Jimmy had made him that weekend. "Some promise you kept there, huh Jimmy? It lasted what, two weeks? God damn it you screwed things up big time when you threw me aside like dirt! If I was back down there with you, I'd kick your ass from Philly to Boston before busting your skull! If you'd kept your word and been beside me at the bridge, maybe I'd have had a chance to get a shot off at that robber, or something!"
Coop shook his head as Robin climbed onto his lap. "Then again Jimmy, you can be so God damn stupid when you're afraid. Just what the hell was it Murphy said to you to make you do a one-eighty about us so fast? And if it had been you getting shot instead of me, I'd probably end up putting a bullet in my own head if you didn't make it. And hell, going to the dispatch alone and not telling you about Eileen finding out about us was my call, not yours. And I didn't tell you about Eileen because I was terrified of how you'd react!"
Coop sighed as he picked Robin up and placed him on the armrest beside him. "Well," said Coop, turning to Robin, "Pop always says I have to quit blaming other people for my mistakes…so why the hell should I condemn Jimmy because he made one mistake…a huge one, no shit, but still…" Coop leaned back with a sigh. "Just what the hell is it I do here? I just don't know if I'm strong enough to go through any more of this shit, Slugger."
"Alright, Nurse Taylor, could you please take Sean's blood pressure while I check his pulse, lungs, and heart?"
"No problem, Doctor," said Nurse Taylor, reaching for the blood pressure cuff on the wall behind Coop's head.
Watching Dr. Tomlinson place the head of her stethoscope on one of the few areas of Coop's chest not taken over by bandages, Jimmy squirmed.
Coop furrowed his brow and feigned hurt at Jimmy refusing to kiss him. "Just when the hell do you figure Jimmy I'll have no germs to share with you?"
"Hmmm, good question," said Jimmy, tapping his chin with his forefinger. "Lemme check something," said Jimmy, pulling the coffee table towards him and until there was enough room for him to kneel in front of Coop. "Just hang tight for a sec."
"What you gonna do?" asked Coop, cocking an eyebrow.
Swinging his arms around Coop's torso, Jimmy pressed an ear to Coop's Vicks covered chest. Jimmy felt himself tense and his mouth go dry as Coop's strong, steady heartbeat thundered through his head like the beat from a Native American drum. He winced and shuddered with each wheezy breath Coop took.
As Jimmy's warm breath ghosted his skin, Coop nestled his chin into Jimmy's hair, slipping a hand past Jimmy's shirt collar as he ran it along Jimmy's back. Coop took a deep inhale of Brylcreem and let out a content sigh as he willed this moment to last forever.
After a minute, Jimmy got up and smirked at Coop. "Well, I know the answer now!"
"When?" asked Coop, pulling his hand back reluctantly as his chest still burned like fire from where Jimmy's head had rested.
"I'll be kissing you again when it doesn't sound like a thunderstorm in your chest!"
"Hmmm," said Coop in a gravelly voice, a broad smile crossing his face as he gave Jimmy a punch on the shoulder. "Dr. Jim, Medicine Man. Could be a new TV show!
"Hell no!" Jimmy shot back, looking flustered as he tried to wipe Vicks out of his hair. "Who the hell would watch something called that?"
Coop let out a dry chuckle and smirked at Jimmy. "Whatever you say, but if something like that does end up as a TV show down the road, I'll sue your ass for shooting down my idea!"
"Okay," said Nurse Taylor as she finished squeezing the blood pressure cuff on Coop's left arm. "Blood pressure is one-twenty over eighty."
"And pulse is seventy-five, clear breath sounds on both sides," said Dr. Tomlinson, removing her stethoscope from Coop's chest. "No new blood or fluid in the chest tubes, either. Hopefully, that unit of blood transfusing will be the last one. Vital signs are improved."
Sitting behind Nurse Taylor and Dr. Tomlinson back on his stiff, green vinyl chair, Jimmy tried to decipher the medical jargon the nurse and doctor were using. "Is Coop better or worse?" Jimmy wondered nervously as he picked at the skin on his right thumb with his forefinger.
"What would you like to do next, Doctor?" asked Nurse Taylor, replacing the blood pressure cuff on the wall behind Coop's bed.
"We need to do the pain stimuli test and also check his eyes. I don't believe Dr. Buchanan has performed the former," said Dr. Thomlinson, fishing in her pocket for a pin. "Could you please prepare Mr. Bruno for what I'm about to do?"
"Of course." Turning to Jimmy, Nurse Taylor lowered herself to look Jimmy at eye-level. "Um, Mr. Bruno, to check on Sean's pain responses, Dr. Tomlinson is going to have to poke his toe with a pin. It can—um—be rather difficult to watch. Would you like to leave the room for a minute?"
Gritting his teeth, Jimmy shook his head fiercely. "No way. I promised Elizabeth I'd stay here with Coop and that's just what I'm gonna do!"
"Very well," Dr. Tomlinson sighed as she finally found the pin. "It's probably best if you look away, though."
"I'm fine," Jimmy mumbled, unable to keep his eyes away from Coop's foot as Dr. Tomlinson moved towards it. When the needle pierced the flesh, Jimmy felt his face go an interesting shade of green.
"YEOW!" Coop screamed as a sharp stab of pain invaded his left foot. Gripping his foot between two hands, Coop leapt onto one foot and began hopping around the den, crashing and falling into the coffee table.
CRASH! The den door flew open with a bang.
Adrenalin kicking in, Robin scrambled over Coop and raced out of the den and into the front hall like a race car, almost skidding into the wall as he took a sharp corner into Coop's bedroom.
"What the hell?" thought Danny aloud, dropping Gone with the Wind to the floor as he jumped to his feet and began running down the hall to the den, in the direction of where he thought he had heard a loud scream and bang.
Coming up to the den's entrance, Danny screamed, "Coop, what the hell is going in there?" and stopped cold in the doorway when he spotted the overturned, broken coffee table.
Coop had vanished.
"Shit!" Coop screamed as he opened his eyes and saw pitch blackness. A strong sense of deja vu from a similar journey filled his body with dread.
The wind whizzing past his ears, Coop tried to protect his head as he felt himself hurtle through the air like a football.
Thud!
His body exploding in pain, Coop thumped off a concrete wall and landed on his back against another.
"Shit!" Coop screamed as he screwed his eyes shot. Tentatively, Coop began stretching each arm and leg to see if anything was broken and was relieved that he was able to move them easily as the pain began to fade.
Opening his eyes as he sat up, Coop squinted and tried to figure out where he was, but the darkness was so complete he was unable to see his own hand directly in front of his face.
Then Coop smashed his eyes shut as white light exploded before them.
Easing Coop's left eyelid shut, Dr. Tomlinson felt relief that this round of tests was over. "Well, pupils are small, but appropriately reactive to light. Pain stimuli response was also positive; that'll be good news to report to the Coopers."
"Definitely," Nurse Taylor replied, making a notation on Coop's chart. "Would you like me to take the Coopers and the priest into your office?"
"Yes, please," said Dr. Tomlinson, putting her penlight back in her coat pocket as Nurse Taylor put Coop's chart away and headed for the hallway. Spotting Jimmy sitting still, Dr. Tomlinson tapped his shoulder. "Mr. Bruno, are you okay?"
Still feeling queasy from seeing the pin stab Coop's toe, Jimmy managed a weak smile as he shrugged. "I'm fine. Just a bit tired is all."
"Yes, I'm sure it's been a trying morning for you all." Dr. Tomlinson sighed as she took her hand away from Jimmy.
"I uh—didn't understand a whole lot of what you were talking about," said Jimmy, his ears turning redder than his shirt. "But I gotta know…will Coop be okay?"
"I'm afraid it's too early to tell," began Dr. Tomlinson as she brought herself back in front of Jimmy. "Sean suffered very serious injuries and things are still touch and go. For right now, however, all things considered, he's doing as well as could be expected."
Jimmy sighed as he leaned against his chair.
Sighing, Dr. Tomlinson checked the one watch strapped to her left wrist. "Well, I'm afraid I must be going to my office now to discuss the current situation with the Coopers. You'll be okay by yourself for a bit, I hope?"
Jimmy's eyes widened and he felt his stomach begin to churn as he turned to face Dr. Tomlinson. "Me? Al—ll—one in here with Coop?" Jimmy stammered. "But if something happens, what would I do?"
"I'll be leaving the door open and the nurses' station is right across the hall," explained Dr. Tomlinson gently. "And Dr. Peters is doing rounds and is only a shout away. If you're concerned about anything, please let Nurse Anderson at the nurses' station know and she will take care of it. Otherwise, if you're not comfortable, you're welcome to step into the hall for a few minutes."
Jimmy shook his head. "No, I promised Coop's mother I'd stay. She doesn't want him alone."
Heading for the doorway, Dr. Tomlinson shot Jimmy an understanding smile. "I can understand; it's never easy to have your child in this sort of place."
As Dr. Tomlinson's back slipped from view, Jimmy ducked his head as he turned back around to face Coop. The moment he had longed for and dreaded had finally arrived; he was alone with Coop.
Remaining where he sat, Coop rubbed his eyes which stung from the explosion of light that had disappeared as abruptly as it had appeared.
As the pain eased, Coop bit his lip as he wondered if dared explore this new dimension he had landed in. Terrified he'd fall over a cliff he was unable to see, Coop decided it best to remain in place.
The hissing from the respirator the only sound in the room, Jimmy pulled his shirt collar upwards to wipe sweat off his forehead.
Hiss! Hiss!
"Oh, shit! Snakes!" Coop shouted as he looked around for the source of the noise, his voice echoing off the concrete wall he had ricocheted off. Coop's heart thudded in his ears and he felt his hands begin to shake, his palms to sweat.
Taking a deep breath, Jimmy looked at Coop's hand before taking it in his own, gripping it as hard as he dared.
Coop stopped his terrified scramble when he felt a vice-like grip on his left hand. The trembling grip both warm and clammy he knew better than almost anything. "Jimmy!" screamed Coop, his words bouncing back at him.
Jimmy sighed as warmth from Coop's hand seeped into his own. Looking at Coop's cut up face, Jimmy felt relief to see a slight touch of pink in Coop's cheeks, his light dusting of freckles less prominent. "Hey, Coop," Jimmy said in a low voice he hoped no one could hear.
"Jimmy! Man, I'm glad you're here! Do you know where the hell we are?" Coop asked desperately, clutching Jimmy's hand.
Coop's hand moving slightly in his, Jimmy felt his jaw drop open.
"Jimmy! Why the hell aren't you answering me?"
Clutching Coop's hand even tighter, Jimmy began studying Coop's features that weren't concealed by blankets and bandages. The lock of hair that always seemed to get the best of Coop and dip down into his eyes if not slicked and combed back with gobs of hair oil. The light dusting of freckles that drove Coop crazy when they appeared each summer like clockwork. The short fingernails that always seemed to have dirt caked beneath them. If this was the last time he and Coop were ever together, Jimmy wanted to memorize Coop by heart so he would know him when the time came for them to meet again.
"But that's so stupid," Jimmy muttered, running his free hand through his greasy hair. "I already know you by heart, Coop; I know you better than I know myself.
"Huh, what the hell are you talking about, Jimmy?" Coop asked in confusion, getting more and more frustrated as Jimmy refused to make any sense.
Jimmy shuddered as the damage inflicted upon Coop's broken body that began to remind of the Barbie doll his son Adam had tried in vain to fix after his daughter Patty had tried to perform an operation on it. Crisscrossed by bandages showing patches of blood and cuts scarring Coop's face, Jimmy wondered how someone could have been so vicious to someone he loved. "God, you look like hell Coop. But this is probably nothing compared to what I did to you inside, is it?"
"It's dark as hell in here, Jimmy! How the hell do you know what I look like?" Coop demanded, squeezing Jimmy's hand with all his might.
Tears came into Jimmy's eyes as he remembered that last time he had seen Coop healthy and vital. "Good God, Coop, if you only knew how sorry I was for what I did to you. I didn't mean any of it! Hell, why didn't you just turn back into the parking lot when I shouted after you? Why did this have to be the only time you ever walked away from a fight with me?"
The blackness ever enveloping, Coop sighed as he realized the tangent Jimmy had taken off on. "Okay, Jimmy, you screwed up. No question there. But that ain't important right now! What's important is we're together and gotta figure a way to get the hell out of here! I promise, when I find Danny, I'll knock some sense through his thick skull! Him messing around with me is one thing, but screwing with you is another!"
Jimmy bit his lip as he dabbed his eyes dry with the bottom of his red shirt. "Coop, I know this has to the worst fight you've ever been up against, but I know you can do it. Please, hang on. You have no idea how upset your mom and Serge and Father Mack are; they've been here all night and I got here as soon as I could. Please, keep hanging on. When you come back, I promise things will be different. I promise I won't let my feelings be ruled by fear. I'll look out for you, just like I promised! I'll do whatever you want!"
"What the hell is it you think I've been doing, Jimmy?" thought Coop wearily as he loosened his grip on Jimmy's hand. "Everything I've done lately has been to make you and me happy. We're the lucky ones."
"But, God this kills me to say, Coop, but I gotta say it. If this fight is too hard, I understand if you need to let go. If this is too difficult, fly away and be free as fast you can," whispered Jimmy, letting his tears fall. "I love you Coop and promise if you need to go, that somehow we'll all be okay. And I promise to nail the bastard that did this to you!"
"Shit, I can't believe I just told him to give up! Coop would hate my guts if he knew I thought he couldn't beat this!" Jimmy thought as he sniffed back the rest of his tears and grabbed his shirt to wipe away the rest, a stray one landing on the top of Coop's hand.
Dr. Tomlinson's office was tiny and it was necessary for Serge to stand whilst Father Mack and Elizabeth took seats in front of Dr. Tomlinson's desk.
Her hands folded neatly, Dr. Tomlinson took a breath. "I'm pleased to say Sean remains stable and appears to have made some slight improvements. The chest tubes haven't drained any more blood or fluid and, if they remain clear, we'll remove them at some point tonight and begin easing the sedation so we can take him off the respirator."
"I just don't understand," Elizabeth whispered, clenching Father Mack's hand. "I can't understand how Sean is supposed to wake up if he's sedated."
Tapping a pen on her desk, Dr. Tomlinson picked her words carefully. "Unfortunately, Mrs. Cooper, the sedation is necessary to prevent Sean from waking up."
Serge let out a loud sigh as he slumped back against the beige wall. "According to that other doctor who spoke to us there's no danger of that happening, anyway."
"Yes, I am aware Dr. Buchanan was a bit blunt in his prognosis," admitted Dr. Tomlinson. "Dr. Buchanan is very experienced and has handled a lot of cases like this. Sean had lost consciousness by the time he reached the hospital and he'd also quit breathing, in addition to losing over half of his blood volume. That meant he was in a coma before he was even sedated and taken into surgery. All these are factors that make brain damage probable."
"However, the tests right now are hopeful; Sean's blood pressure has stabilized and he is showing appropriate neurological responses to light and pain. Let's focus on what Sean is doing right now and not what the statistics say he should or shouldn't be doing. Until Sean does wake up, it's impossible to say what, if any, brain damage has occurred."
"Why can't you let Sean wake up right now, then?" asked Elizabeth tearfully as her eyelids began to droop with fatigue.
"With the chest tubes, bandages, arm sling and respirator, it is much safer for Sean to remain sedated until they're removed," explained Dr. Tomlinson as she began scribbling notes across a piece a paper. "Waking up in a hospital is often confusing and very scary for the patients and the medications Sean is on only add to that. If Sean were to wake up too quickly and not realize where he is, he might disturb the equipment. His shoulder also needs to remain immobilized if that clavicle is going to heal correctly. It will be much easier on him if we ease the sedation once the chest tubes are removed."
"You see, Brogan and Elizabeth," said Father Mack as he clenched one hand from each of them. "Where there's life, there's hope. While we must be prepared for what could happen, we must rejoice in the positive."
"You are very right, Father," said Dr. Tomlinson, getting up from her seat. "You know five years ago, when the Intensive Care Unit was set up here, the sorts of injuries Sean sustained wouldn't have been survivable. Now, things are different; the rules of the game have changed and new precedents are being set all the time. But it's important to keep one thing in mind."
"What's that?" asked Serge.
"Well, you might have heard of the expression 'taking each day as it comes,'" explained Dr. Tomlinson, pulling her white lab coat back on. "In a place like this, it's taking it second by second. We'll have to keep a very close eye on Sean at all times and intervene if necessary to make sure he stays stable as each day comes."
"We understand," Elizabeth whispered softly, trying to put stray hairs back into her braid. "Until Sean does wake up, what can we do? Just sit by his bed and keep a vigil?"
"Well, just because Sean isn't awake doesn't mean he can't hear you. One thing our patients in similar situations consistently report after they recover is remembering sounds and conversations. You definitely should talk to Sean as much as possible and let him know you're here. Keep it positive; let him know you love him and that he is going to be alright. You might also want to bring in some of his favourite things for him to hold. Or favourite books to hear read to him. Other families have found reading a good way to keep talking when if they find keeping a one sided conversation difficult"
"Alright, we'll do that. Can we please see Sean now?"
"Of course," said Doctor Tomlinson as she finished buttoning up her coat. There's just one thing, first. Mr. Cooper, I am going to ask that you don't go into the room right away. I want Nurse Taylor to prepare you for the equipment and Sean's appearance. She will then go into the room with you to explain how everything that you're seeing. A lot of the equipment in the room is stuff that most people are not accustomed to."
"Alright." Serge sighed, all his anger and rage burnt away with ashes in their place.
His mouth gaping open, Coop sat in stunned silence, shaking his head in disbelief that Jimmy had declared his love before it had even crossed his mind to do so. But feelings he had considered dead the night before were still there. Jimmy turning his back on him hadn't killed his love; it had only intensified it.
Jimmy's tear dried on Coop's hand as Coop tried to understand what Jimmy had just told him he was free to do. "Are you insane, Jimmy? After doing what I did to get stuck with Danny lecturing me in a small house all night and morning? You think I'm just gonna fly away and wash my hands of you, just like that? What the hell, is that some sort of challenge you're giving me?"
The hissing snakes began to fade into the background and Coop began to feel uneasy when he realized he could no longer hear Jimmy's voice.
Exhausted and feeling ready to pass out, Jimmy's eyes closed as the room once again became enveloped in silence, the respirator making the only noise. Feeling a sudden tap on his shoulder, Jimmy's eyes sprung open as he let go of Coop's hand and turned around.
"James, sorry to startle you," whispered Father Mack, "but Elizabeth and I are back now."
Jimmy sighed as he got to his feet and offered his seat to Father Mack. "Did you get everything sorted out at the church, Father?"
Grateful to rest his feet, Father Mack eased himself into the chair after letting Elizabeth pass by to reclaim the seat nearest Coop's head. "I did, James. Poor Father William is a bit flustered because he couldn't find the sermon I wrote for today's mass. He's so young and new; I hope that I'm not asking too much of him. He did reassure me he'll have the congregation pray for Sean's recovery."
Scuffling his shoe along the floor as he rubbed his eyes, Jimmy offered Father Mack as slight smile. "I'm sure it'll work out, Father. You're always telling us that somehow, some way, everything works out for the best."
"I do indeed." Father Mack sighed. "You must be exhausted James. Will you be heading home now?"
"Not right away. I gotta go take Joe out there back to the station so the poor kid can head home himself. I'll come back here after I go clean up and let Eileen know what's going on."
"I gotta go!" Jimmy's words echoed off the concrete and bounced into Coop's ears with such force he almost feel over backwards.
"Jimmy!" Coop screamed so loud that he almost choked on the words. "Don't go, please!"
His last words flew back at him in a rush and knocked Coop backwards. Bouncing off the ground, Coop could feel himself hurtling somersaulting as he flew up into the air.
"Jimmy, you were on shift all night, please don't do that to yourself," begged Elizabeth worriedly, turning around to face Jimmy.
"Mrs. Coo—I mean, Elizabeth, I don't wanna be anywhere else but here," said Jimmy quietly as he clutched his nightstick. "Eileen will understand."
"Well, if you're sure…" Elizabeth began.
"Very sure," declared Jimmy, his mouth closing into a firm line.
"If that's the case Jimmy, can I ask you to do a small favour?" asked Elizabeth, hesitant for Jimmy to sacrifice any more time of his time.
"Sure, Elizabeth. What do you need?"
"The doctor suggested…well, until Sean wakes up, that it might be helpful to bring some of his favourite things in. Books to read to him, some favourite item to hold, that sort of thing. I have no idea these days what things Sean is into. You spend so much more time and see so much more of him than I do. Do you think you might know what some of those things are?" Elizabeth asked hopefully as she clenched Coop's hand.
Jimmy sighed as he wreaked his brain. "I have a few ideas. I can get his house key out of his locker probably and stop at his house on my way back here." "Just too bad I can't bring Robin out here, being that old sack of bones is so damn important to him," Jimmy thought as he remembered Coop's cat. "Oh, while I'm at Coop's place, I'll also make sure that darn cat of his is fed, too."
"I would be so grateful if you would do that, Jimmy." Elizabeth sighed as she turned back to face Coop. "I'll never understand why he still has that skinny old Tom cat, but I know Sean would appreciate you taking care of Robin until he's able to go home."
"No problem. Well Elizabeth, Father, I guess I'll be heading out now."
"Of course, James," whispered Father Mack, offering his hand out to Jimmy. "Thank you so much for all you've done today. God be with you."
"I need a lot more than God to forgive what I did," Jimmy thought miserably as he shook Father Mack's hand. "You too, Father. God bless."
"Coop!" Danny shouted as he climbed out of the cellar for the second time. "Quit hiding from me! This isn't funny!"
Sighing as he finished searching the den for a third time, Danny collapsed onto the sofa. He had searched under the bed, under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, in Coop's closet, but had still come up empty. Losing cases was one thing, but causing his best friend to go missing? Danny hoped Coop turned back up soon; otherwise, he'd have to make a phone call to the Boss that he was already beginning to dread.
Carefully, Robin crept out from underneath Coop's bed and wandered back into the den, hopping over the broken table and onto Danny's lap.
"Well, you old bag of bones, do you know where Coop is hiding?"
His eyes widening, Robin only began purring as he curled up on Danny's lap.
"No, of course you don't. And even if you did, I can't speak Cat yet," Danny sighed, pulling a short lock of hair between his fingertips until a loud scream and clatter forced him out of his seat to go see what was the matter.