Chapter Thirty-Seven
Cold enough to chill my bones. It feels like I don't know you anymore. I don't understand why you're so cold to me. With every breath you breathe, I see there's something going on. I don't understand why you're so cold. Cold ~ Maroon 5
Rachel held out a muffin to her son.
Mike shook his head. His eyes went back to the comatose brunette in the hospital bed.
"Michael James, I swear if you don't eat I am going to have Chloe to put a feeding tube in you," Rachel vowed.
"I'm not hungry," he insisted.
"When was the last time you ate? Not since I've been here," she crossed her arms over her chest.
Mike shrugged.
"Abby needs you to be strong," Rachel admonished, "And your body is running on fumes."
She pushed herself up out of the chair then snatched up her purse from the table. Rachel settled the strap on her shoulder. "I am going to pick you up some food. Be ready to eat when I get back or else," she threatened.
Rachel got halfway down the hall to the elevators when one of them opened. She saw Charlie step out. They met each other half way.
"Hi," Rachel greeted.
"Heading out?" Charlie asked.
"Yes, I'm glad you're here- I don't really want to leave Mike alone, but I need to make a food run," Rachel explained.
"He won't be alone," Charlie assured her.
"Brennan is with their priest and Bethany is spending time with her daughter," Rachel said, "Chloe is burying herself in her work- I am starting to worry about her too."
"Any change?" Charlie inquired.
"Not since they moved Abby yesterday," Rachel shook her head.
"At least she's stable," Charlie said.
"Mike still refuses to let Abby out of his sight. He's barely used the bathroom," Rachel blew her bangs out of her eyes.
"Has he slept?" Charlie asked.
Rachel shook her head, "Dozed off for five minutes here or there, but nothing substantial."
"That's not good," Charlie sighed.
"This is worse than when his grandfather died, and he was inconsolable then," Rachel sighed.
"We've just got to get him through until Abby wakes up," Charlie straightened.
"I'm hoping I can find some food that will tempt him to eat," Rachel sighed.
"I really thought he'd eat my lasagna," Charlie frowned.
"It was delicious, Dear, don't take it personally," Rachel replied.
"I hope he does start eating," Charlie said.
"Mama has a few tricks up her sleeve," Rachel tugged at the arm of her blouse.
"If you need a kitchen mine is open," Charlie offered.
"I'll keep that in mind," Rachel tipped her head.
"Let me text you the address and call to let my super know to let you in," Charlie said.
"Thanks, I better get going- I'll try not to be gone too long," Rachel hit the call button.
"Don't worry- I'll keep an eye on him," Charlie replied.
The elevator dinged and Rachel stepped inside the cart.
Charlie headed down the hall towards Abby's room. She braced herself.
Inside the room, Mike scrolled down his list of songs on his phone in increasing frustration. What was that song's name? It had been a while since he heard it. Mike mentally repeated the section lyrics he remembered.
He tapped it to get it to play. A pop up alert came up instead, Cannot play song. File type unsupported. Mike squeezed the phone so tight it almost cracked under the pressure. He exited out of the music app and restarted it. Mike found the song and told it to play again. Another alert popped up, file not found.
Mike hurled his phone against the wall. It splintered into pieces as Charlie set foot on the threshold. He didn't even bother to go over and pick it up.
Charlie stopped short in the doorway. "That's a very expensive temper tantrum, Mikey," she chided. Charlie squatted down and began to clean up the mess. She pocketed the SD and SIM cards then dumped the other pieces into a nearby trashcan.
He looked a wreck. Dark rings and bags settled in under his eyes. A few days' worth of hair had grown under his nose and on his chin. The look reminded Charlie of past troubled times.
"I wanted to play a song for Abby," Mike said. His voice was haggard.
Charlie sat down and pulled up Youtube on her phone. "What's the name?" she asked.
"Love You Like a Love Song," he answered, "I can't remember who sang it."
Charlie typed in the name and hit search. "Selena Gomez," she said. Charlie brought up the video and hit play. "Peppy," she remarked.
"It's the first song Abby and I danced to," Mike explained. A small sad smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but didn't fully form. "I figured maybe it could help if she heard it," he sighed.
"She doesn't need a song, she needs you," Charlie squeezed his hand.
"It's been three days, Charlie," Mike licked his dry lips.
"She's still breathing on her own and the swelling is going down, Right?" she encouraged.
"The bleeding stopped," he reported.
"See, she just needs time to heal now," Charlie said.
"She shouldn't have to fight this hard," Mike swallowed hard.
Charlie's phone beeped indicating she got a text.
"You can answer that," he motioned to her phone.
"Vinny's probably just trying to give me an update," Charlie replied.
"Want to know one reason I figured out you were seeing my boss?" Mike offered.
"Shoot," she welcomed the new topic.
"You call Rossabi by his first name," he pointed out.
"I can't be the only one," she protested.
"No one I know, not even his friends, call him Vincent and definitely not Vinny," Mike insisted.
"Vinny has friends?" Charlie quipped. Her shoulders sagged when the joke failed to lighten Mike's mood.
"There is a reason I yelled for Rossabi instead of you," he revealed.
"I should have hung back," she admitted.
"I'm just glad Sid didn't get a chance to hurt you too," Mike replied.
"Abby took him down before he could do any damage to anyone else," Charlie noted.
"Stress isn't good for pregnancy," he noted.
"I am ok, the baby is ok, you and Abby are going to be ok," she assured him. She tried to catch his eyes, willing him to believe it.
Mike threw his head back. "One pill, just one more pill would make this all go away at least for a little while," he said. It would be easy enough to get a script with all these doctor's around.
"You don't want to get high," Charlie stopped him, "You just want to give Abby the ultimate reason to push you away."
Mike straightened but didn't respond.
"Hey," Nathan greeted as he stepped in.
Charlie stood and joined Abby's brother-in-law by the door.
"How long do you have?" she asked.
"I can sit with him for a while," Nathan said.
Charlie knelt before Mike. She took him by the chin to make sure he was looking at her. "I'm going to go to your apartment and grab you your razor, toothbrush, and a change of clothes," Charlie squeezed his arm with her other man, "That way when Abby wakes up you'll look like you." She pushed up and kissed his forehead. "I'll be back soon," Charlie promised.
His face remained blank, eyes lightless as he stared on ahead.
"It's your lucky day, Markham," Rossabi crowed as he strode into Sid's hospital room. Two agents flanked him bringing in a wheelchair.
The man restrained in the bed glared at the head agent.
"You're being transferred to lock up," Vincent clapped his hands together.
"I told you before, I'm only speaking to Mike," Sid insisted.
"Awesome, quiet car rides are the best," Rossabi smirked.
"Rossabi does enjoy silence," Wes jested from his post at the door.
The two agents that came in with Rossabi unlocked Sid's restrains and transferred him over to the wheelchair.
"I can't imagine why I haven't seen Mike by now," Sid remarked.
"You put his girlfriend in the hospital," Vincent raised an eyebrow, "He's unavailable."
They cuffed Sid to the chair. "Ready," one of them indicated.
"Let's go," Rossabi replied.
The agents on the door joined them on the way to the elevator. Vincent pushed the button. They stood there waiting for the cart.
"How's Charlie's morning sickness?" Sid needled.
"Nonexistent," Rossabi replied, cool as a cucumber. Abby's injury reports flashed before him. He pushed the call button again. This was going to be a long car ride.
Chloe put the penlight back into the pocket of her lab coat. She stroked her daughter's shoulder. Every moment Chloe watched her daughter lying so still in the bed the crack in her chest got a little bit deeper. She cleared her throat and turned to Mike. "I'll be at the nurses' station if you need anything," she said.
Mike nodded and Chloe went on her way.
Without movement in the room the sounds of the machines was the only thing left to help keep him awake. His eyes were heavy. They soon closed. Mike's head drooped to his chest. He began to nod off. Before Mike could get fully asleep he was awakened by a presence in the doorway. Mike jumped to full attention. Instinctively he grabbed the gun out of his shoulder holster and aimed for the person entering the room.
"What the hell, Mike?" Paige yelped.
He shoved his gun away in the holster.
"They let you keep your gun?" she frowned.
"What are you doing here?" Mike grumbled. He rubbed his eyes to wake up.
"You haven't been returning my calls or texts," Paige said.
Mike pointed to the trash can.
Paige peered inside and saw the remnants of his phone.
"How exactly is the bureau getting in touch with you?" Paige asked.
"They aren't. I'm on indefinite emergency leave," Mike replied.
"Have you heard if Sid is talking?" she questioned.
Mike shook his head. His eyes stayed focused on the brunette in the bed.
Well, that took her back three years. Paige held herself by her elbows. She noted Mike hadn't rounded the bed to talk to her.
The cuffs on Abby's lower legs beeped and inflated with air. Mike slipped his hand in Abby's uninjured one.
"Have you left the hospital?" Paige inquired.
He shook his head. "I am not leaving Abby unprotected," Mike vowed.
"That's what a cop is for," she said.
Mike scoffed, "No."
"Sid could be running his mouth right now," Paige argued.
Mike barely tore his eyes away to glare at her. "How many f*cks does it look like I give?" he sneered.
"I thought we were ok when you left," she frowned.
"Abby is not ok- I am not ok," Mike insisted, "Nothing is ok."
"I'm sorry Abby is hurt," Paige offered.
"Really? Cause it doesn't look like it," he challenged, "They've got Sid for Abby's kidnapping and attempted murder."
"They could uncover other things," she pointed out.
"The only person I care about learning my sh!t is in a coma," Mike contended.
"Then get in front of this and control what she finds out," Paige suggested.
"I already told Abby everything," he stroked the back of Abby's hand with his thumb.
"Everything?" she repeated.
"Yes, us, Sid, my addiction: everything," Mike confirmed.
"Mike," Paige groaned.
"My secrets cost me Abby before- I wasn't about to make the same mistake twice," Mike asserted.
"You could lose a lot more if Sid feeds the bureau information," she suggested.
"What would he have to tell about me? He has a lot more on other people," Mike retorted coolly.
"It's not a jump to think if he had eyes on you here he had eyes on you before you left," she replied.
"If they want to arrest me they know where I am," Mike shrugged.
"When they talk to you what are you going to say?" Paige inquired.
Abby let out a low moan.
"Abby?" Mike bent down to check on her. His eyes roamed over her. "You're safe, you're safe," Mike cooed, "We're in the hospital."
"You can't sit on Sid forever," Paige asserted.
Abby groaned. She tensed up.
Mike hit the call button. "Chloe!" he called.
Abby's mother was on the room in a flash. "What is it Mike?" Chloe asked. Abby's nurse ran in on Chloe's heels.
"Something's wrong- she's in distress," Mike said.
"Dr. Wallace," the nurse motioned her head to the heart monitor.
The beats where becoming irregular.
"Page Dr. McDuff," Chloe directed.
The monitor sounded an alarm.
"Clear the room!" Chloe commanded.
The nurse escorted Paige and a protesting Mike outside.
Miranda ran in past them to tend to Abby. He stared into the open door.
Paige placed her hand on his bicep in an effort to comfort him.
"Don't touch me," Mike growled, yanking away from her. He stepped out of Paige's reach in an exaggerated fashion.
Mike stood outside the door with his back turned to her.
"Get the defibrillator!" Miranda called out. The nurse ran out and got the equipment, rushing back inside.
Tears gathered in his eyes as the team busied around Abby. They took down the top of her hospital gown and used the paddles to shock Abby. Miranda kept a careful eye on the heart monitor. After it registered the shock, the heart rate returned to normal.
After a few more minutes Miranda came out.
"Is she ok?" Mike questioned.
"She was having an arrhythmia," Miranda explained, "We've got her stabilized."
"What causes that?" Mike asked.
"Everything she's gone through has put a major stress on her heart," Miranda reported.
"Will she have to be moved back to the ICU?" Mike inquired.
"That's a little premature. I'll be dropping in more often and hopefully this incident doesn't repeat itself," Miranda answered.
Mike let out a breath.
"You can go back inside, I will be around in a couple hours," Miranda said.
"Thank you," he nodded.
Miranda tipped her head and went back to her rounds.
Paige stepped beside Mike as if to return into the room with him.
"Go back to California," he ordered.
"But Mike," she plead.
He paid no heed and headed into Abby's room. "I've got more important things to worry about than helping you cover your ass," he threw over his shoulder.
"Who was that?" Chloe asked upon his entry into the room.
"An Ex-Girlfriend of mine," Mike set his jaw, "She won't show up again." He went over to Abby and kissed her cheek. "I am not going anywhere," Mike promised her.
Down at the elevators Paige hit the call button. Well that was a disaster.
The elevator doors opened and Charlie stepped off.
"What are you doing here?" Charlie frowned.
"Mike's here," Paige replied.
"I told you to leave Mike alone," Charlie reminded her, "You are the last thing he needs right now."
"He's still got his gun," Paige informed her.
Charlie pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'll take care of it," she said.
Paige got on the elevator while Charlie marched down the hall.
Charlie saw them taking the defibrillator out of the room. She ran into Abby's room to find Mike adjusting Abby's blankets. "What happened?" Charlie set the clothes and toiletries she brought into a chair.
"Abby had an arrhythmia," Mike answered.
Charlie held out her hand, "Hand it over."
Mike raised an eyebrow in response.
"Your gun, hand it over," she demanded.
"How do we know Sid wasn't working with someone? I need to protect her," he contended.
"You are not in the headspace to have a gun," Charlie asserted.
Mike reluctantly unclipped his shoulder and handed his service weapon to Charlie, neglecting to give her his secondary gun holstered on his ankle.
Silence hung heavy in the room. Mike had stopped speaking. Charlie wasn't going to push him.
Footsteps caught her attention. She looked into the doorway of the room where Johnny stood. Charlie got up from her chair and went to hug him. "How was your flight?" she questioned.
"Long- I am not looking forward to the next one," Johnny replied.
Mike hadn't even acknowledged him.
"Mike, Johnny's here," Charlie announced.
Mike lifted his eyes to his friend.
"How is she?" Johnny motioned into the unconscious woman in the hospital bed.
"Abby is hanging in there," Mike answered.
Johnny found the chair beside Mike and sat silently.
Mike sighed heavily, "According to her last CT the bleeding has stopped and swelling on her brain is down considerably."
"That's good news, right?" Johnny encouraged.
"Her heart gave us a big scare earlier," Mike blew out a breath.
"That had to be rough," Johnny noted.
"She's so strong. Most people would have screamed in pain," Mike rambled., "But Abby, she was so quiet. She must have known what Sid was doing keeping me on the phone."
Johnny exchanged a concerned look with Charlie. He could swear this was just as bad as when Mike was on the pills. Maybe worse. Johnny spied the change of clothes Charlie brought for Mike.
"Why don't you go get cleaned up? I'll sit with her," Johnny encouraged.
Mike patted the clothes on his lap. He looked over at Abby then to Johnny. He stared at him silently
"We'll watch your girl," Johnny vowed.
"I'll be right back," Mike replied. He got up and headed to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
"Got any updates on the west coast side of the investigation?" Charlie asked.
"There's really no answers- just more questions," Johnny said.
"Such as?" she coaxed.
"There's the thing, they had the grave exhumed and there is a body in the coffin," Johnny relied, "I killed someone."
"If that guy wasn't Sid who the hell was he?" Charlie frowned.
"He was pretty damn convincing," he rubbed the back of his neck.
"It's not your fault, Johnny," she shook her head.
"If we hadn't thought he died we would have been prepared for this," Johnny asserted.
"Sid would have found other ways to mess Mike up," Charlie countered.
"He picked the lowest blow he could," he snorted.
"Any clues to help ID the John Doe?" she inquired.
"Dental records are coming up blank, DNA's being run, but nothing's popping yet," Johnny replied.
Charlie felt her phone vibrate. She checked the number and it was her OBGYN. "I need to take this," Charlie said. She stepped out of the room.
"Looks like it's you and me," Johnny addressed the woman in the bed. He straightened in the chair. Johnny leaned in closer, "Abby, I'm sorry I didn't get to know you better before. When you wake up I hope you'll give me the chance to change that. You need your rest I get that, and I'm not trying to rush your healing process or anything, but Mikey here is worried sick about you. Could you give my boy a break and show him some sort of sign that you're fighting your way back to him?"
Charlie returned before Mike came out of the bathroom.
"Nice," she approved of the cleanup. Brushed teeth and clean clothes were an improvement even if he hadn't shaved.
"You look beat," Johnny remarked, "When was the last time you slept?"
"Days ago," Mike replied.
"You should try," Charlie encouraged.
"I can't," Mike declined.
"We've got your back- you and Abby will be safe," Johnny professed.
"Maybe being closer to Abby will help," Johnny offered.
To humor his friend Mike pulled his chair over until he touched the hospital bed.
"Closer," Johnny directed.
Mike laid his head in Abby's lap. He closed his eyes, meaning to rest them for just a moment. Mike drifted off to sleep.
Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally," she whispered.
Ten minutes passed then twenty, and on to thirty minutes. Mike was dead to the world for about an hour. Then Abby lifted her good arm and rested her hand in Mike's hair.
Johnny grinned wide.
Charlie gasped. It took a moment for the movement to sink in. She snapped a picture on her cellphone to show Mike when he woke up.
Rachel stopped in the doorway seeing her son asleep. It took a second glance, but she saw Abby's hand in his hair.
Charlie got up and went over to her. "Did she do that by herself?" Rachel whispered.
Charlie nodded. Rachel tiptoed in to set the crate of food down then slipped out to get Chloe.
Vincent returned to his office. Through the glass doors he saw his girlfriend waiting for him. Charlie opened the door and lead him in by his tie. She kissed him.
"Well, this is a pleasant surprise," Vincent grinned.
"I got a call from my doctor apparently there was a slight scheduling mix up and my appointment is tomorrow," Charlie informed him.
"Same time?" Rossabi asked.
"Hmm hmmm," she answered.
"I'll be there," Vincent replied.
"How did the transfer go?" Charlie inquired.
"Pretty textbook," Rossabi answered, "You call tell Mike Sid's all booked."
"I don't know if mentioning Sid is a good idea at the moment," she frowned.
"Sid knew you are pregnant," Vincent informed her.
"So he knew about us," she shook her head.
"I hate playing catch up," Rossabi muttered.
"Sid has had almost two years to plan this," Charlie frowned.
He shook his head. "Any news on Abby?" Vincent asked.
"Abby isn't awake yet, but she's making slow progress," she said.
"Must be torture for Mike" Vincent replied.
"He's a mess," she sighed, "Abby did reach out for him so hopefully that will help. His mom is still trying to get him to eat."
"He is going to crash," Rossabi frowned.
"Sitting around a hospital room probably makes it worse," Charlie said.
"How so?" Vincent's brow furrowed.
"In the process of Mike getting framed he was in a shoot out and got hit," Charlie explained, "While he was in the hospital Sid found him and…" She stopped short.
"And?" Rossabi coaxed.
"Basically, killed him," she shivered. Vincent rubbed her shoulders. "He cut off Mike's air supply until he suffocated. His heart stopped- he had to be revived," Charlie explained.
"Damn, the SOB just waltzed in and attacked? How?" Vincent tilted his head.
"Mike was alone and too weak to even move, but he was conscious for the attack," she continued.
"There was no one guarding his room?" Rossabi asked.
"Sid gloated, telling Mike he would kill everyone in the house," Charlie revealed, "Now he's going after our significant others."
"And he knew about us," Vincent finished her thought.
"It could be you in the hospital bed," she licked her lips.
"Somehow, I don't think he would have tangoed with me like that," Rossabi bit the inside of his cheek. It more likely would have been a bullet.
"It's all got me thinking about something you've been mentioning," Charlie admitted.
"Getting married?"
She nodded.
"You haven't been too enthused with the idea," Vincent noted.
"I'm not against getting married," Charlie asserted, "I just want to marry for the right reasons."
"We're having a baby and we're in love- if those aren't the right reasons I don't know what are," Rossabi declared.
"Do you love me? Or is this about the baby?" Charlie inquired.
"Whiskey, you know I love you," Vincent affirmed, "Do you love me?"
"I love you too," Charlie answered, "."
"I'd marry you if you weren't pregnant. A baby is the icing on the cake," Rossabi
"Are you going to propose or am I?" she asked.
Rossabi smirked, "How about we skip to the part where we both say yes?"
She grabbed his face, capturing his lips with hers. As they kissed Rossabi reached into his suit jacket pocket. He pulled out a ring box. She pulled back as he opened it.
"How did you get time to get this?" Charlie marveled.
The gold band was about the same width as the square princess cut diamond it held.
"It was my grandmother's," Vincent said, "My mom reminded me I had a box of her stuff that I hadn't gone through after she passed."
"Lucky find," she remarked.
"We can get it sized if it doesn't fit," Rossabi got it out of the box. She held out her hand and he slipped it on.
Charlie admired it on her finger, "It's perfect."