Disclaimer: Characters from the wildly popular CBS drama "numb3rs" are respectfully, and without personal profit, borrowed.

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How Did This Happen? Chapter 29

Charlie's doctor had only convinced Alan and Don to leave, a few hours after the clandestine milkshake, by pointing out that Charlie had nothing to wear home the next day. "Find the oldest, softest, largest cotton t-shirt you can," he instructed, "and some sweatpants. He needs something for his feet, as well. He came in barefoot."

Don started. He had? He'd never even noticed.

Alan shifted into Jewish Mother. "I should make some soup, too. And gelatin." He looked at Don. "We'll need to stop at the store."

Don was still reluctant. "Maybe I should just sleep here, tonight. I don't want him to wake up alone."

The doctor rolled his eyes. "Mr. Eppes. I'll put a notation in his chart. He'll be getting a shot of Demoral soon, and you can stay until that takes him under. Then, if Charlie so much as looks like he might possibly move, you will be summoned."

He had seemed sincere – if somewhat sarcastic – so Don had finally agreed to go home with Alan. There was no summoning phone call, so neither one of them was prepared for the concerned and furious doctor they found when the elevator disgorged them on Charlie's floor.

Slamming a chart down on the nursing station counter, he glared at them as they stepped off the elevator. Without so much as a 'good morning', he launched into an angry tirade. "He won't be going home this morning. Maybe later this afternoon. Damn sons-a-bitches."

Alan actually took a step back and tried to figure out what they had done wrong, and what had happened to Charlie. Don stepped protectively in front of him. He matched the doctor's anger. "Do not speak to my father that way. What happened? No-one called."

The doctor took a breath and looked at Alan, who seemed pale and confused. So much for 'do no harm', he thought, guiltily. "I'm sorry. Forgive me. I was not referring to you. It's those…those….rejects from the Men In Black movies."

The NSA agents who were supposed to guard Charlie's room? Don actually grabbed the collars of the doctor's lab coat. "What did they do? Did somebody get to my brother?"

The doctor, a shorter man than Don, balanced on his tiptoes for a moment while he tried to wrest himself free from the monster he had created. "No," he choked, "no, he's fine. Resting."

"Donnie…", Alan said softly, and Don slowly let go of the doctor.

"I think you'd better tell us what the hell is going on. Now."

The doctor cleared his throat and took a breath. "Look," he finally answered, still obviously upset. "I just got here myself. Nobody paged me either, and believe me…" – he shot a pointed look at the nurses behind the desk – "that communication problem will be addressed. I have had time to visit Charlie, and he is exhausted – but as I said, he's resting, now."

"But what happened?", insisted Alan.

"Apparently two of this hospital's patients were temporarily kidnapped at four in the morning. Charlie, and one of Dr. Sutton's patients -- a woman who was admitted a few days ago, after a shooting spree in a parking lot somewhere."

"What?" Don made another move for the doctor's lab coat, and he held his hands up defensively and hurried on.

"Some people from the National Security Agency. They told the lead nurse on duty that it was a debriefing, and they had their own medical personnel with them in case either patient experienced problems. They stayed here in the hospital, used one of our conference rooms." The doctor sneered. "Some asshole administrator must have known they were coming." He looked at the nurses again. "And I don't care who knows I said that!"

Don was still concerned about Charlie – and now Colleen – and angry again at the NSA, but he found time to decide he kind-of liked this fiery little guy. "So you're sure he's all right? How long did it last?"

The doctor crossed him arms over his chest. "Over three hours. They were still in there when I got here, and put a stop to it." He started mumbling. "Damn idiots in their fancy three-piece suits, thinking they know better than an attending physician…"

Alan interrupted him. "Is he upset? Did you have to sedate him? Did he have any breakfast? Will they be back? Should I call an attorney? Do you think I can get a restraining order against the NSA?"

The list of questions effectively refocused the doctor. "He wasn't off-the-charts upset," he admitted almost begrudgingly. "He refused any breakfast, but he didn't need any sedation. He settled in quietly, once we got him back to bed. The other patient, the woman – she was actually a big help. She somehow evaded the nursing staff who were assigned to get her resettled…" – his eyes shot daggers over the counter again – "…and showed up in his room. I would have made her leave, but he seemed calmer when she was there. She sat there until he fell asleep. I had one of our psychiatry staff scheduled to meet with him this morning, but now I'm going to have to postpone that. I feel that visit is necessary before any release, but I'd like to let him sleep as long as he can, this morning."

Alan had heard enough. "We need to see him. We won't wake him."

The doctor had his cranky voice back. "All right, but just for a few minutes -- so that you can see for yourselves he's all right." He started leading them down the hall, still mumbling in irritation. "If I never see another federal agent again in my life, it will be too soon."

Alan's hand crept up to his mouth, and Don just stared at the doctor for a moment. "Yeah," he finally said. "I know just what you mean."

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Charlie did appear to be sleeping peacefully, and after five minutes convincing themselves he was all right, Don and Alan wandered back into the hall with the doctor.

He seemed a little calmer, although Don was starting to worry about the man's blood pressure. "I know you just got here, but I'd really prefer that he have a few hours of complete rest. If he wakes and sees you there, he probably won't let himself go back to sleep."

Alan hesitated, and eyed a small grouping of chairs about twenty feet down the hall. "I think I'll stay here. I'll get some coffee in the cafeteria, and then come back to those chairs, down there. That way I'll be close, just in case he wakes up soon." He looked at his son. "Don? Is that all right?"

Don sighed. "Can you bring up an extra for me, Dad? Colleen was supposed to be released today too, and I want to talk to her before she leaves. Maybe she can tell me something that will help us with Charlie…"

The doctor suddenly snickered, and they both looked at him. "Sorry," he explained. "As frustrated as I am, I'm still happy she's not my patient, from what I've seen today. When I got to the conference room this morning, she was on her feet, yelling, and I got the feeling she had been for quite some time. The only word I caught clearly was 'asshole'." He smiled. "My kind of woman."

Mine too, thought Don, as they walked slowly down the hall.

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Colleen was dressed, leaning on a pair of crutches, when Don entered. She wobbled, a little. "Oh. Oh. I thought you were the nurse, I'm outta here."

Don smiled. "Good. I'm glad. Do you have just a few minutes? I heard about the debriefing."

She tilted her head at him. "You must know I can't really talk about that. I hope you don't put Charlie in this position."

Don found himself at the uncomfortable juncture of feeling both wrath and gratefulness. Just to change things up, he went with gratefulness, first. "Look, Colleen, I know some of what happened. Maybe even most of it. I…I just want to say that I appreciate your professionalism. Obviously you had Charlie so well prepared, he was able to do what he had to, even when he was on his own."

She blushed. "He's very smart," she answered, then grinned. "Not that you didn't know that, already."

He nodded. "Do you…did he say in the debriefing what they did to him? It's just that he was so upset once when he woke up yesterday, he had to be sedated. He seemed to be afraid I was hurt."

Colleen contemplated. "Well," she finally said, "this is hardly a matter of national security, I guess. They convinced him they had you, and Alan. They showed him a severed ear, and told him it belonged to one of you – they were going to bring him more body parts every hour that the job was not finished."

Don remembered Charlie clutching at their heads, yesterday, and swallowed convulsively, nearly sickened. Colleen watched, then continued softly. "Please don't ask me anymore. I mean, my cover is pretty much internationally blown, and I'm pretty sure I quit my job this morning, but there are still things I can't tell you."

Don looked at her, and wished that he had chosen anger when he had the chance. Now, all he was left with was the truth…and it was painful. "Colleen, you know I'm attracted to you. I know you've picked up on that."

This time it was her turn to swallow convulsively. She smiled shakily. "I'm no genius like Dr. Eppes, but I get by."

Don's answering smile was sad. "It's…probably fair to say, 'wildly attracted.' I don't believe I've ever been so affected by a woman in my life."

She shifted a little, still leaning on her crutches, and her smile took on a tinge of bitterness. "Come now, Agent Eppes. I just told you, I'm pretty smart. Spit it out."

He sighed and looked away. "You put my family in danger. I know that you were doing your job, and again, I'm glad you did it thoroughly enough to keep Charlie alive. But he never should have been put in that position in the first place, and you know it." He looked back at her. "I won't pursue a relationship with you, long distance or otherwise. Now that it's over, you put Tompkins in his place, and quit your job – I can respect that. I just can't forget what this almost cost me, and my father."

The door opened, and a nurse pushing a wheelchair arrived. She took in Don's presence. "Oh! Excuse me! Would you like me to come back in a few minutes?"

Colleen shook her head, still looking at Don. "No, I'm ready to go now." She turned her attention to the nurse and dazzled her with a 100-watt smile. "We're done, here."