Oh I am so close to the end of this story. Here is a longish chapter with maybe another one or two to come later this week. Thank you to all my regular reviewers and the guests who have written lately. You make me smile.

The Messenger

Chapter 36

Horizontal Mambo!

(Hospital, Austin)

Jane was awake and sitting up in bed, trying to stretch out his tight back muscles. The phone rang and the pain caused by reaching for it was a reminder of the punches Glenn had delivered a few hours earlier.

"Hello Dennis! Yes I'm on the mend! Waiting for Lisbon to show up with some supper."

Abbott told Jane that Evie and Hannah wanted to come and see him. Jane was delighted.

"I'd like that. Tell them to come tonight around 7, before I get too sleepy to enjoy their visit. Oh, and if you want to get the real Bobbie back, reach through the bars, tap him on the shoulder and say 'Rock Paper Scissors'. The change in him should be instantaneous. I just wish I was there to see the look on his face when he sees where he is" Jane grinned into the phone.

Bobbie's last memory would be of sitting watching Jane and Miriam haul rocks from one side of the field to the other, so suddenly being in a jail cell in the FBI building would come as a huge shock to him.

"Thanks Dennis, I'll see you soon" Jane said, hanging up. The last time he had seen Miriam, she was scrambling over a fence in the dark with Bobbie following close behind her. She and Hannah were friends and Jane felt they would provide good support to each other in the coming weeks and months. For that he was happy. He hoped they both would be able to find good jobs at a medical facility somewhere soon. The sound of nurses delivering trays of food came clattering down the hallway and Jane's stomach growled. Teresa had promised him a delicious supper but was keeping it a surprise. There were so many great restaurants around Austin, he knew whatever she chose would be good. Fifteen minutes later Teresa pushed the door open and the unmistakeable smell of Thai food wafted into the room. Smiling brightly, Teresa kissed him quickly before pulling Jane's bed tray over his lap and set out the bags of food for both of them to enjoy.

"Well this is much better than whatever the hospital kitchen had planned for me" smiled Jane, taking a large mouthful of spicy Pad Thai. "Good thing there are no restrictions on what I can eat!"

"Mmmmm...so good" echoed Teresa, her spoon dipping into creamy Coconut Curry Lemongrass soup. They ate in companionable silence for a while, then took a break to visit.

"Two of my nurses from Refuge Ranch are coming in to see me in a little while" Jane told Lisbon to gauge her reaction to the news. Her stony expression told him just how she felt about that.

"So I heard."

"Don't worry Teresa, they're good people who were doing their best in a crazy situation. They won't harm me" Jane assured her. "Besides, I want you with me when they come" he added.

Teresa took a nibble of her Green Curry with Chilies, then put down her fork. "I met Hannah this morning before we found you, and I agree, she seemed very nice and worried about you. I'm sure Evie is wonderful too….but, it's so soon Jane. You just got away from them and here they are coming to visit you. Do you think that's wise?"

Jane took Teresa's hands in his and looked into her concerned eyes.

"Hannah and Evie were like me, trapped by a conman. They knew something wasn't right and given a bit more time would have tried to escape themselves. And that would have been very dangerous for them. We just made that transition easier for them. They're good women and we have nothing to fear if they come to see me. They're victims too Teresa" he said kindly. "Maybe this is a way they learn can how to deal with what they've been through. We all have to leave Michael and the Ranch behind us."

Teresa nodded in agreement. Patrick was right, and he had spent more time with these girls than she had. With his ability to read people, he would know if they presented any danger to him now. She had to at least give them the chance to show her their true selves.

"OK Patrick. I'll be with you when they come and I'll give them all the space they need."

"Thank you Teresa. I'm in good hands as long as you're beside me. Plus you have a gun on your leg" he smiled. Teresa threw a handful of napkins at him and the tension broke. They finished up their meal and threw away all the bags, boxes and wrappings from their takeout meal.

"Could you help me get up and over to the bathroom? I want to brush my teeth and freshen up before anyone else comes to visit" asked Jane.

Lisbon helped Jane up then she pulled a wheelchair close to his bed, guiding him into it for the short trip to his little washroom. She left him to his private affairs while she tidied up the bed. God, she was getting so domestic! Fussing over the bed and watching over him like a mother hen! Ten minutes later Jane reappeared, freshly washed and coiffed, looking impossibly handsome for a man who had recently gone through such a devastating ordeal. He made his way back under the covers, carefully placing his foot on the extra pillows at the end of the bed. Just before visiting hours his doctor came around to give him a quick examination.

He checked Jane's eyes and his BP, finding everything returning to normal. Then he gently prodded his ankle and was pleased to see that hours of rest had substantially reduced the swelling in his foot.

"So, what's the verdict?" asked Jane, hopeful for good news.

"I'd say that by tomorrow morning we can cast your foot and once it's set, you can go home, just as long as you rest, rest, rest!" he admonished his eager patient.

"I'll make sure he does nothing!" jumped in Teresa, giving the gleeful Patrick a stern look. "Agreed Patrick?"

"I agree! Thank you! Best news I've had all day!" chirped Jane, thrilled to finally, finally, be on his way home.

"Your ankle will continue to improve, but slowly, so take it easy. Your concussion will heal with time and rest. Avoid watching a lot of TV and movies. Rest your brain quite literally, understood?" said the doctor, concerned that his patient would do too much once he was free of the constraints of the hospital.

"I'll make sure he sleeps as much as possible then just rests" smiled Teresa, knowing he would try to read and do puzzles to amuse himself but overtax his brain in doing so.

"OK then. I'll see you in the morning to sign your discharge papers. Nice to meet both of you!" said the doctor as he made his way to the door.

"Thank you!" called Lisbon to him as the door slowly closed behind him. Turning to Jane she saw him grinning like a satisfied cat.

"Happy?" she asked, leaning in to kiss him tenderly.

"So happy" he replied, deepening the kiss, embracing her in his arms. "Can't wait to do this at home without people barging in on us at any moment" he mumbled as she pulled away.

"Slow down tiger" she teased him. "You heard the doctor. You're supposed to rest, not do the horizontal mambo!"

"I will be resting, on the bed, horizontally...but not necessarily alone" he smirked, quirking his eyebrows lasciviously.

"Consider my ankle cast an anchor, pinning me to the bed. Just imagine the liberties you can take with my poor injured body and I won't be able to resist" Jane cooed, reaching to kiss her again.

Lisbon melted into his arms, unable to resist his charm and warmth. This is what she loved about this wonderful, infuriating man.

"Hmmm… so I can take liberties with your body Mr. Jane?" she whispered, causing a shiver to roll up his spine as she licked the inside of his ear. "Be careful what you wish for…"

Teresa was pushing Patrick's sexual buttons by playing along with his banter. If she continued like this he just might have to hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on his hospital door. The sexual tension and innuendo flowing like electricity between them was making his body respond very positively to her suggestions of taking "liberties". Jane was relishing the sensual moment between them, right up until the door vibrated with a heavy knock. Abbott.

"Jane, you awake?"

It was like a face full of cold water. Sighing in frustration, their lusty desires thwarted for the moment, Lisbon and Jane pulled apart and straightened out their clothes and hair. Abbott was their boss, after all.

"Come in Dennis!" called Jane, grinning like a schoolboy at his blushing lover Teresa.

Abbott came in and hugged Teresa, then shook Jane's hand. "Glad to see you looking so well considering the mess you were in this morning" he smiled. He had no idea what had almost just happened.

"Well thanks to you and everyone else at the FBI, you got me out of that mess, so thank you Dennis!" said Jane, back in control of himself, indicating a chair for his boss to sit in. Abbott got right down to business.

"Bobbie arrived at the office and got processed a short time ago. I did as you said and released him from his trance" said Dennis.

"And?" asked Jane, smiling.

"And, he went wild. Just like you predicted. Couldn't for the life of him figure out how he went from the desert at night to a jail cell at the FBI during the day in a flash. He tried to tear up his cell pretty good, but when he calms down we'll explain his new life to him."

"He won't be happy about that" said Teresa, imagining the man's angry outburst.

"Looks good on him" said Jane, glad Bobbie couldn't intimidate anyone else now. "When do you want me to give my statement Dennis?"

"Why not get home, get settled first, then we can send Cho out to take your statement, to let you rest some more. We've got our hands full right now with everyone else" said Abbott.

"How are the disciples? Any push back?" asked Lisbon.

"Sure, lots. But that's to be expected. They just had their entire world pulled out from underneath their feet. The newbies will be fine, it's the older people who were there at the Ranch the longest who will need the most counselling. To be expected I guess…" Dennis added. "How long are you going to be stuck here Jane?" he asked, looking at Jane's elevated foot.

"Jane can go home in the morning, when his cast sets and he's discharged. Things are looking up!" said Lisbon.

"Glad to hear it. I assume you'll be staying with Lisbon, just so she can keep an eye on you?" said Abbott with a sly wink at Jane.

"Yes, she offered to put me up while I recuperate. Very kind of her" said Jane with a straight face.

"Excellent." Abbott stood up and wandered over to the door. "I'm on my way out, lots to do. Just wanted to see how you were doing Jane, but I see you're in good hands" he smiled at Lisbon.

"Yes I am...thanks Dennis" agreed Jane. "See you soon at work.'

"Take all the time you need" said Abbott as he stepped through the door. Teresa pulled a chair up close to Patrick's bed and sat back, finally relaxed. No one would be pestering Patrick for his statement right away, so he could just decompress and enjoy his time away from the office until he felt well enough to return to work. She could pop in to the office to keep up with her duties while she made sure Patrick rested and didn't get himself into trouble around the house. As long as his mind was kept busy he wouldn't complain too much. She reached for the puzzle book she had brought earlier and handed it to Jane. She decided to distract Jane with a book in case he decided to pick up where they had left off before Abbott barged in.

"Don't try to work them all out right away. Go at it slowly just when you're bored. The doctor said you needed to rest your brain as well as your body" she admonished him.

Flipping through the pages, Jane smiled at the challenges he saw waiting for him in the book, but he had to obey Teresa or risk having the book disappear. "Yes Ma'am!" he agreed.

They visited quietly for half an hour before a soft knock at their door alerted them of a visitor.

"Come in!"

The door opened slowly and Evie popped her head in the door, followed by Hannah. They had brought a large bouquet of wildflowers in a vase and stepped into Jane's room shyly.

"Miriam! Hannah! So good to see you again!" Jane smiled, beckoning them in.

"Actually, it's Evie Mr. Jane" said the polite young woman, putting the vase on Jane's night table.

"Well Evie, please, find a chair and both of you, make yourselves comfortable."

Lisbon found two more chairs and they all sat down around Jane's bed. Lisbon wisely held her tongue, waiting to see how this visit would go.

"Mr. Jane, I was so worried about you this morning! Mr. Abbott told me you had been shot and that's the last I had heard about your condition!" said Hannah.

"Yes, we were so worried! How are you?" echoed Evie.

Jane leaned forward and pointed to his forehead. "Just got grazed by Glenn's bullet. I guess my skull is pretty hard. I'm OK so don't worry anymore."

"And your ankle? Your concussion?" Hannah asked.

"All on the mend. Pain meds are helping with the migraine and my ankle gets a cast on it in the morning, then I can go home."

Both nurses seemed to relax at that news and smiled at each other.

"You have to forgive us Mr. Jane, but we were responsible for you at the Ranch and then you disappeared. As your nurse, I worried about you" said Evie.

"Well thank you for your concern, but I'm doing well. Teresa here will make sure I take it easy and don't overdo anything" said Jane, smiling at Teresa.

"Agent Lisbon, it's so good to see you again. I told my family all about you and they were very impressed!" said Hannah. She had seen how Agent Lisbon looked at Mr. Jane. Clearly, they were in love.

"I want to thank you again Hannah for taking a big risk this morning to help us find Mr. Jane. You were very brave" Teresa said, warming up to these two girls. Hannah blushed and smiled at the compliment.

"Mr. Jane, you took a big risk as well to get me to safety last night. If it wasn't for you I would have been caught by Glenn. Thank you for risking your own safety for me" said Evie seriously.

Jane nodded and felt himself too much the centre of attention. These girls were the brave ones.

"I would have gone with you if I could, so don't make me out to be a hero, I'm far from that" he admitted.

Teresa spoke up. "Considering the danger you all were in and the odds that were against you, alll of you are heroes as far as I'm concerned!" she smiled.

Hannah and Evie looked at each other and blushed. They had not heard so many compliments in a very very long time.

"So what now? What will you both do with your freedom?" asked Jane. This question stymied the girls for a few minutes before they ventured an answer.

"Well, I want to spend a lot of time with my mother and my brother before I do anything else" said Evie. "They waited four years for me to come to my senses, so we have a lot of catching up to do. Then? Well, I think I'll take a refresher nursing course to bring my skill set up to speed. With luck I'll find a job in a hospital or some other medical facility and get on with my life."

Jane turned to Hannah. "And you? What will you be doing?"

Hannah blushed and smiled. "Well, I also want to get back into nursing. I haven't been away from Austin for very long so I hope to find work soon. If not, then I'll just take some classes while I continue my job search. Either way, it will be wonderful to make my own decisions again. Plus, my family is very supportive of my choices, so I think it will all work out."

"Has anyone from the FBI taken your statements yet?" asked Teresa.

"Mr. Abbott said someone will contact us very soon, while our memories are fresh" answered Hannah. "I actually can't wait to tell someone what I saw at the Ranch. The sooner I can get the truth out the better. And then there's the trial…" she said seriously.

"You'll be fine, both of you. We all have to testify as to what happened to us at the Ranch, so we're in this together. You're strong and brave, and the worst is over. The trial will just be the final nail in Michael's coffin" Jane assured the two women.

"Ok, if you say so…" said Evie shyly.

"I do. I've been to a few trials in my time and believe me, you will do very well" he added.

Evie's cell phone buzzed and she quickly excused herself to check a text. "I'm sorry Mr. Jane, but our parents are here to take us to a late supper."

"It was wonderful to see you again. We wish both of you the best!" said Hannah, getting up to go with Evie.

"Thank you for coming. Be happy" said Jane, smiling as they said their goodbyes to Lisbon. When they were gone he relaxed against his pillows and smiled at Teresa.

"See? Nice women who meant me no harm" he grinned.

"Yes they are. I hope everything works out for them. The trial will be scary for them I think, rehashing all the bad stuff they endured" said Lisbon with concern.

Jane nodded. "Yes, especially Evie. Michael raped her. Hannah just managed to escape the same fate. I hope they get counselling to deal with all of it."

"They will. And if they need support they can always talk to me" said Lisbon. Jane smiled at her big hearted offer.

"Thank you my dear."

He said nothing of his own sexual assault by Michael. He wasn't sure if he would mention it during his statement, or just try to forget about it. After all, he had fought back, breaking the bastard's nose. Hell, that's what started the whole chain of events that ultimately led to Jane escaping. What would bringing it up do for him, or do to Michael now? Jane would have to come to terms with it either alone, or with Teresa's help, should he eventually admit it to her. He looked up at her lovely face and decided he didn't have to make a decision tonight, not when they were both so happy. He held his arms out to her and she came around and sat next to Jane on the bed again. She stayed there until the nurse on duty encouraged her to go home to let Jane rest. Tomorrow would be a big day.