A/N: I won't even try to make excuses for the way too long wait, just - real life got in the way and my writing time was very limited. Maybe this very long chapter is a bit of a compensation... Anyway, I hope, you haven't given up on this story after the long hiatus.
This Is Not A Drill – Thirty-Eight
Almost two hours went by before the media event came to a close and their two suspects got ready to leave the hotel. Both drove off in their cars and the surveillance efforts of the local police paid off nicely. Fortunately the GPS tracking showed that Fletcher and Newell went in the same general direction and it became clear fast that they both also had the same destination in mind.
Keeping a safe distance, the joined FBI-HPD forces took up the pursuit in several cars and a van. The trackers on the cars they were following made it easy to keep hidden from view and still not lose their targets.
Lisbon and Jane were in one car together with their liaison officer from Houston PD, a captain called Myers. When it become increasingly obvious that Fletcher and Newell were heading towards the warehouse district on the Northern outskirts of the town, Lisbon had Wylie back at the Austin HQ compile a list of properties in the area owned by either of their suspects and their respective families.
It wasn't the kind of neighborhood that reputable citizens like the renown and influential Fletchers and Newells usually frequented and thus it didn't come as much of a surprise that there was only one building registered to a certain Charles Newell in the vicinity and knowing the exact coordinates of the location confirmed that this was most likely exactly where their suspects intended to go.
With that new knowledge they started to plan their next steps. Unfortunately Wylie hadn't been able to find anymore information about the composition of the place other than that until a couple of years ago it had been used as a storehouse by an export company connected to the airport that was relatively close by. And that some serious remodeling had taken place after Newell had bought it from the then insolvent previous owners. They also got a pretty good idea about the surrounding area. A moderately sized yard enclosed Newell's warehouse. It had probably been used to access the building with trucks and to load and unload cargo. A rather low fence marked the property line and between it and the yard there was some serious scrub.
"I don't like to go in there blind," commented captain Myers, "but it seems like we won't get any access to a floor plan. Hopefully that building isn't too big and complex. I mean, we have two SWAT teams with us but even with 20+ people, a property of that size with several exits might be difficult to secure without any up front preparation."
"I agree. A chopper would be helpful but I guess, it would give us away too early," Lisbon said. "We must avoid any chance for those two to get suspicious and alert their confederates in Austin before our colleagues there have made their arrests and vice versa."
Jane chimed in, "There are certain standard formations you SWAT people use to enter a building, right, Captain?" The other man nodded. "So, what would be your usual modus operandi here?"
Both Lisbon and Myers rattled off three different possible ways to access an unknown location, all of which (in Jane's humble opinion) contained way too much gun waving – they both even used pretty much the exact same wording, making Jane grin. "The textbook answer, I suppose?" he teased the two cops who had exchanged approving glances with each other during their accounts that now turned into somewhat annoyed glares at the consultant. "Now, let's get a bit more creative," Jane then suggested with a twinkle in his eyes that only managed to worry Lisbon mildly these days.
She sighed and waved for him to start explaining with a somewhat long-suffering but patient expression. "Last time I checked," Jane accommodated her merrily, "we wanted our suspects very much alive, right?" Both cops nodded. "Well, then less firepower and more stealth would be prudent, I'd say, also so they don't manage to escape through a backdoor." With a chuckle he added, "Not that I doubt that you'd be more than capable of grenading your way in there through the front door but considering how little we know about the inside of the building, there could be a lot of not so collateral damage and, well, and that backdoor."
"Grenading our way in?" Lisbon inquired incredulously. "Is that even a word?"
"Meh," Jane retorted with a wink.
"Okay, Agent Jane," captain Myers interjected, "what kind of approach do you suggest instead?"
"I'm not actually an a…," Jane tried to explain, but Lisbon cast him a pointed look that asked him to just go on sharing his ideas. She didn't feel like discussing the details of Jane's status with the FBI with a member of local law enforcement.
Jane gave a tiny nod that only Lisbon could see to acknowledge her unspoken wish and went on to tell them how he would like to adjust what they had described to him as the Delta Formation. Myers seemed quite impressed with Jane's additions and the captain reckoned he would make use of them again also during future operations. Lisbon on the other hand, who was very familiar with her partner's way of thinking and was used to scrutinizing his plans in order to sort out potential weaknesses together with Jane, looked a bit skeptical. Even though the consultant had come up with a rather ingenious way to approach the building with as much secrecy as their limited knowledge, the locality, and the broad daylight allowed, the delay it would cause in terms of the rapid apprehension of their suspects could pose a problem for the coordination with the arrests to be conducted in Austin simultaneously.
But Jane pointed out that firstly, their FBI colleagues had had ample time to prepare their own operations and had a much better idea of what they were facing and secondly, if they would decide to go with his plan, they would have surrounded the building before making their presence known. Meaning that the moment the SWAT team members were in place, Abbott's people could start making their arrests over in the other city and even if one of the crooks in Austin should find the time to alert the masterminds in Houston, Newell and Fletcher would be trapped already anyway. It was just a matter of the right timing. After pondering his words for a couple of minutes, Lisbon conceded the point.
The only true downside was, Jane admitted, that this approach was rather people-intensive and even with two SWAT teams they'd be stretched a bit thin because they would have to surround the whole building. This meant that only five cops – including Lisbon and captain Myers – would actually go into the warehouse. But since they were only apprehending two suspects, it was deemed no big problem.
Lisbon called Abbott who also okayed Jane's plan. That decision made, Myers informed the members of SWAT about the intended course of action and when the surveillance team confirmed that their two suspects had both reached their destination, operation 'Delta-Jane' – captain Myers had termed it that way to Jane's delight and Lisbon's amusement – was put into motion.
The whole law enforcement contingent stopped out of direct sight of the property and got into their gear. The SWAT personnel started to approach the warehouse as discreetly as possible in the way Lisbon, Myers, and Jane had agreed on.
The plan was that the moment they were all in place, the car with the leaders of the operation would drive up to the front door of the building while at the same time Abbott's teams would start with their arrests in Austin. Myers and Lisbon would be joined by three members of SWAT and enter the building while Jane would stay behind and wait in the car. They would all keep audio contact with each other – all of which Jane would be able to follow.
The first part proceeded without a hitch and soon Lisbon could call her boss and give the go-ahead for the FBI in the other city. Myers and Lisbon donned their Kevlar vests and got out of the vehicle when they had stopped about 20 feet away from the main entrance. The three cops from SWAT opened the heavy steel door that was conveniently unlocked and went in first. Myers and Lisbon brought up the rear side by side, weapons drawn and on high alert despite the fact that no one expected much resistance.
Jane was listening rather cheerfully to the reassuring shouts of "clear" from the SWAT people when he suddenly heard several sounds that changed everything. The loud pop from a gunshot exploded through the radio circuit, followed by a female outcry of pain that Jane identified immediately as Lisbon's.
For a moment the world stopped turning and the shout "man down!" from captain Myers and a whole volley of gunfire afterwards only registered at the back of Jane's mind. He felt like his brain had misted over and even breathing seemed a task too difficult to accomplish. All shades of red buzzed around before his eyes and an almost all-encompassing heaviness settled on his chest. But on the periphery of all that red there was a smidgen of warm yellow that his subconscious mind eventually starting to cling to as the only thing safe and sound amidst the chaos and terror.
Gradually something switched over in his head and calm determination took over. 'Lisbon is hurt and she needs help,' his mind told him. Help – that was all that counted. He called 911 and asked for immediate medical assistance for an injured officer with a gunshot wound. He gave their exact location, Lisbon's age and rank, he even provided her badge number. Then he took off his suit jacket, donned a Kevlar vest, opened the trunk of the car where he found the first aid kit, and ran into the warehouse as if the devil was after him.
He took in the scene faster than he had ever done before and when he could be relatively sure it was safe to move, he rushed over to where he could see Lisbon on the floor with Myers by her side. The captain saw him approach with an expression of relief. Jane knelt down by Lisbon's head, looked into her pain filled but otherwise focused eyes, and asked with only a tinge of the otherwise restrained panic in his voice what had happened.
"There's not two but five people in here, at least three of them are obviously armed. They are upstairs," Myers explained concisely but with a bit of worry in his tone while pointing towards some steps in a corner. "One managed to get off a shot from the top of the stairway that hit your partner. Our people might have wounded the shooter in the return fire."
"I'm okay, Jane," Lisbon reassured her boyfriend, "You know, I was wearing a vest. Got me in the shoulder."
Jane could hear the pain in her voice but also her resilience and like so many times since meeting her he admired her strength – body and mind – and the full intensity of the love he had for this fierce woman flowed through him like a tidal wave of warmth and resolve. All in him screamed to help her, make it better, but all he could do was making her more comfortable and slow the bleeding until the medics would arrive. "I called 911 before I came in," he informed them while examining the damage to Lisbon's shoulder. As carefully as he could, he tore the fabric of the blouse she was wearing and removed the cloth from the wound. Lisbon groaned.
"And we need to secure the building so the paramedics can go in without risk," Myers said. "What do you suggest we do, Agent Jane?"
"Me? I?..." Jane stammered while he took gauze and disinfectant from the first aid kit and applied it to his partner's injury with somewhat shaky hands, eliciting a short shout of pain and some heavy panting from her. "I'm sorry, Lisbon," he whispered, a tear running down his own cheek while he wiped away a few from hers.
"It's okay," she replied, trying to give him a little smile but only managing a grimace.
"Agent Jane?" Myers asked again, "What do you want us to do now? This is an FBI operation. Since your partner is down, you're in charge here, aren't you?"
"I… I'm not…" Jane started but was interrupted by Lisbon.
"Jane? Get the bastards," she said with determination, "You can do this. I trust you to find a way to get them without anyone dying, okay? I'm fine."
He caressed her hair. "I'm not gonna leave you," he replied, but when she cast a stubborn glance at him, he sat down, took her head in his lap while still pressing the gauze firmly but gently to her shoulder, and added, "but I can lead from here." In a firm voice he asked, "Status, Captain Myers?"
Jane never once stopped tending to her wound and petting her hair in a comforting way (both for himself and her) while he pondered the information he got from the HPD officer, assessed the situation, evaluated their options, and devised a plan that by his careful estimation had the highest probability to succeed with no more casualties on either side – all in the space of a few short minutes.
He knew, he had to be quick in order for Lisbon to get medical attention as fast as possible, so his mind worked on an even higher speed than usual, concocting and dismissing one scenario after the other. When he had decided on a course of action – which he introduced to captain Myers as 'divide and conquer' – he started to bark out orders in a way that would've made any drill sergeant proud and made even Lisbon forget her pain for a moment and prick up her ears.
She had never heard that tone of voice from her partner before and even in her condition she couldn't deny that she found it alluring. Not that she disliked the refined gentleman he usually behaved like or the guy hiding behind her gun (nope, she was actually pretty fond of the 'normal' versions) but to see him exude such raw, masculine power was a whole new side of him that was exciting to watch. That it was in such a stark contrast to the utter tenderness with which he still kept tending to her just made her feel all the more protected and cared for in a way she couldn't recall feeling ever since the days when her mother had still been alive and a constant source of reassurance. And that all the tough members of SWAT followed his orders right away with no further questions and obvious respect filled her with a deep sense of pride.
Trusting that Jane had everything under control and that she was completely safe with him, she finally allowed herself to give in to the pain and she lost consciousness.
When Jane felt her becoming slack in his arms, he faltered for a moment and put his hand on her chest. He could sense her heartbeat, strong, if a little too fast, and it only fortified his resolution to get this done as fast as possible – also because he could already hear the sirens of the approaching ambulance.
Their suspects would be busy defending themselves against the tactical maneuvers Jane had come up with, so Jane hoped, it would be relatively safe to get Lisbon out of the building. He told Myers to take over for a couple of minutes after he had ordered three cops who were still in position outside to come into the warehouse and then provide cover while he carried the most valuable and precious cargo in his life carefully but with quick steps out and down the gateway to meet the ambulance before it got too close to the building.
The paramedics took over and had Jane place the still unconscious Lisbon on a stretcher. He was reluctant to let her go but Myers was asking for further directions and Jane felt torn between staying with his partner and finishing the operation he had started. A female doctor saw his hesitation and desperation. She put a calming hand on his arm and reassured him that Lisbon was in good hands and that her vitals were fine.
He nodded, placed a kiss on Lisbon's brow, and whispered in her ear that she was safe, loved, and wise, and that he would be back with her as fast as he could. Then he stepped away and concentrated on the matter at hand. He asked for another status report and then supervised the final steps of his plan. Their suspects weren't going down without a fight but Jane's scheme forced them to separate and apart from a few shots that didn't hit their target, their resistance turned out to be completely futile. He had no idea how much time went by. He suspected it wasn't that long until Myers reported 'mission accomplished' – it still felt like an eternity to him.
A few minutes later, five cuffed men were led out of the warehouse – two of them their actual suspects, the others obviously hired muscle, none of them showing any injuries. Jane, who had returned to Lisbon's side the moment he had heard that they had succeeded, watched it with only half an eye and thus missed most of the plethora of obscenities Charles Newell released in his direction when he recognized Jane from the press conference earlier that day. In all honesty the consultant didn't care one wit about the case anymore. His partner had been stabilized and with painkillers in her blood, she had also regained consciousness. They were ready to take her to the hospital.
Myers stepped over to them while some of his people secured the perps in one of the vans. "Your idea worked like a charm, Sir," he stated with a grin. Then he turned serious, "How is agent Lisbon doing?"
"She's doing okay," Jane replied in a tone that was a mixture between relief and restlessness, "Well, as okay as one can be with a bullet in one's shoulder."
The captain nodded. "Now you just go and take care of your partner, Agent Jane. We'll take it from here. I'll call your boss in Austin and tell him what happened and discuss what to do next. You don't worry about a thing. We'll keep those bastards locked up for you."
"Thanks," Jane said sincerely but most of his attention was on Lisbon.
"Are we ready to go now?" one of the paramedics inquired.
Jane signaled confirmation with his head and stepped fully into the ambulance. He sat down where he would be out of the way and took Lisbon's hand gently into his – careful not to interfere with any of the medical equipment attached to her. The doctor went to close the rear doors of the vehicle while captain Myers wished them all the best. "It was a great honor to work with you," were his parting words that Jane only registered cursorily – his concentration was fully on his girlfriend at that point.
Upon arrival at Houston General Hospital Lisbon was taken into the emergency room right away where she would get prepared for the surgery to remove the bullet from her shoulder. Jane could only tell her a quick 'I love you' before he was ushered out and sent to a waiting area that was close to the operating rooms by a stern and not very friendly nurse whose attitude – under different circumstances - would've evoked an irresistible urge in Jane to take her down a peg or two. As it was, Jane was too keyed up to take much note of her behavior and just followed her instructions.
The moment he sat down he felt like every bit of energy left his body. His legs became as heavy as lead and his head felt empty. A glance at his hands revealed blood – Lisbon's blood – and let him forget how to breathe for a moment before he gasped for air. It took him several minutes to regain enough power to make his legs carry him to the next bathroom where he washed his hands shakily, a shudder running through him when he watched the water turn red.
He removed the Kevlar vest he realized he was still wearing, then wet his face with cold water and took a swig of the cool liquid. He dried his hands and face methodically and the steady movements soothed him. Much calmer he left the restroom and returned to the small waiting area consisting of about five chairs in a neat row placed against the wall of a long corridor. He took a seat and fished out his cell phone that he had fortunately had the presence of mind to put into the pocket of his pants after calling the ambulance. Otherwise it would've ended up somewhere at HPD together with his suit jacket that he'd left behind in the car.
"Patrick," Abbott greeted him after the first ring, "how's Teresa?"
"They're preparing her for surgery. Unfortunately it wasn't a through and through. Bullet got stuck somewhere in her shoulder. I don't know anymore details yet but she was stable and conscious last time I saw her. No major arteries harmed, so no big blood loss," Jane informed his boss.
Jane could hear the other man releasing a deep breath. "Now that doesn't sound too bad. How are you holding up, Patrick?"
"I'm… fine," Jane said with a bit of hesitation because he had no real idea how he was but now thinking about it, he realized that he really was doing okay.
"I'm sorry, you're all alone, buddy. But Cho and I will come to Houston as soon as we can. With all those arrestees to deal with we couldn't leave right away or we would have," Abbott replied.
"It's alright, Dennis, really. So things went down as planned on your end, I presume?" Jane inquired.
"Yes, it was a true success. I'm sure, you would've enjoyed to see us arrest Frilay, Patrick. He put up quite the fight and I had the great pleasure of tackling him. And when we brought him out in handcuffs dozens of students and professors applauded," Abbott told him with a chuckle.
"Oh yeah – he was truly Mr. Popular," Jane retorted wryly, "I think, apart from the few students who he managed to ensnare with his propaganda just about everyone hated his guts. And that was even without knowing that he's a damn traitor."
"He'll get his due now," Abbott said with obvious satisfaction. "From what I've heard from captain Myers you accomplished your mission too – and exceptionally well to boot. Seems like you have a new fan. Myers couldn't stop praising a certain agent Jane's ingenuity and leadership skills," he added, his smile audible in his tone. Then he turned sincere, "Good job, Jane! I'm proud of you – I really am. I know, I can always count on your brilliance but the way you took over from Lisbon especially under the circumstances, that's remarkable."
Jane cleared his throat. "I just did what I had to do to get Lisbon help as fast as possible," he brushed off the compliment but there was a pleased glint in his eyes.
Abbott chuckled. "You are such a fascinating mixture of complacency and modesty, Patrick. I can actually picture in my head your expression right now. I bet, it's that impish-sheepish one. And we both know that while Teresa's well-being was at the forefront of your mind, you also did your best to make sure we got our suspects alive. If you'd left those SWAT teams to their own devices, the take-down might have happened faster but there would have been casualties. So, good work, Agent Jane."
"Now there's really no need to get insulting, Dennis. I'm not an agent," Jane teased. "But yeah – we've put way too much effort into this case for things to go south at the last minute. Lisbon would've kicked my ass if I'd let the team down."
"Whatever explanation works for you, my friend. I'm very happy with my consultant in any case." The supervising agent paused then said, "Wylie's waving like a madman. I think, my presence is needed. Let me know if you learn something new about Teresa. And we'll be with you in a few hours. Take care, Patrick."
"Will do." Jane hung up.
Then he waited. And waited. And waited some more.
At first Jane remained relatively calm and patient but when after a whole two hours he hadn't gotten any kind of information other than rather rude brush-offs from a nurse, he started to get a bit worried. At the end of the corridor he could make out a flurry of activity behind the semi-transparent glass door leading to the operating rooms but no one other than that unpleasant nurse ever actually came out of it.
After another hour had went by and he had even taken a walk down to the front desk to get some news about his partner only to learn that he wasn't family and thus would only receive information with the expressed permission of the patient – something that Lisbon apparently had not wanted, known, or been able to give – Jane was starting to get truly worried. He went back to the waiting area, afraid he might miss out on something if he wasn't there the whole time.
Left to his thoughts one half of his brain started to create more and more dire scenarios while the other kept repeating that Lisbon hadn't been dangerously injured and everything would be fine. That was the state he was in when his phone rang.
"Hi, Patrick," George Kingston said cheerfully. "My wife and I figured that that police mission of yours should be completed by now and that it's safe to call. We're about to leave the hotel to get to the airport to catch our evening flight to LA. We just wanted to say goodbye and remind you that you're welcome to visit us in Malibu whenever you feel like it. And to call or e-mail or whatever. Kathryn is just packing a few last items then she wants to say hello too. So, did everything go well, son?"
"I… You have a safe trip," was all Jane managed to say.
"What's wrong, Patrick? You don't sound good. Are you okay?" Kingston inquired with worry in his voice.
"She was shot," Jane whispered. "Lisbon – she was shot. But she wore a vest. She did. A Kevlar vest. You know? Those bullet-proof thingies. They only hit her shoulder. She's okay. She just has to be okay. She wore her vest. It didn't look too bad. But it's been hours now. Hours. I don't know. I just… But she wore a vest. It was only her shoulder. Why is it taking so long? She was wearing a vest. I know, it can't be that bad. Three hours. It's been more than three hours and they won't tell me anything," he rambled helplessly.
"Patrick, where are you? Is someone with you?" Kingston asked in a soothing tone.
"Houston General. And no, there's no one else here. It's a very boring corridor. It's white and ugly. Well, it's not really white. I think, it's called off-white or something. I'm pretty sure, the exact shade is called ivory, color coordinates by sRGB standard 255, 255, 240 and 0, 0, 6, 0 according to the CMYK color model. It's said to be calming. But it's not. It's just boring. And ugly. And how can it be calming if everybody automatically knows that it's a typical hospital color? Hospitals aren't calming places. They stink. And there's death, way too much death in here to be calming. But Lisbon's gonna be okay. She wore a vest," Jane told Kingston in a nervous flood of words.
"You stay put, son. I'm sure, it's going to be alright. Give us a moment. We'll get back to you," Kingston tried to comfort him.
"Okay," Jane replied absent-mindedly, hung up, and continued his waiting with increasing impatience and worry.
About thirty minutes later Stambridge and Kingston came rushing down the corridor, pulling Jane out of his thoughts. "Patrick!" his mother cried out upon seeing him, "I'm so sorry about Teresa! We came as fast as we could."
Utterly surprised Jane jumped up from the plastic chair that had become progressively uncomfortable with the passing time. "What are you doing here? I thought, you were on your way to the airport."
"And leave you here? All alone? Under such circumstances? I mean, we'll leave if you don't want us here but we thought, you could really use the company. George told me how upset you sounded on the phone. And no one should be alone in such a situation," Stambridge replied.
"There'll always be another flight," Kingston added. "And family always comes first."
Jane looked completely baffled. "I… I don't know what to say. Thanks. I… thanks. Yes, I guess, I could really use the company."
Stambridge pulled him into a short but fierce hug. "I'm sure, she's going to be okay. We learned that there was some terrible freeway pile-up. Many got seriously injured. It's total chaos down in the ER. Maybe all information about Teresa got lost in that muddle," she informed her son. "We'll help you to try to find out more. Where are your colleagues?"
"Hopefully not stuck in that pile-up," Jane mumbled. "They conducted another part of our mission in Austin. Lisbon and I had support from local PD here today. But our team mates should be on their way here now."
They all sat down and talked for a moment, making plans to get something to drink for Jane and to find out more about Lisbon's state. Kingston was just about to leave in order to find the cafeteria when the same nurse that Jane had tried to talk to a couple of hours earlier came through the glass door at the end of the corridor. Stambridge approached her right away. "We're here about agent Lisbon. Teresa Lisbon. Do you have any information about her?" she inquired in her best command voice.
"Are you Jane?" the nurse asked before she hesitated and visibly tried to put a name to the face she obviously recognized but couldn't remember wherefrom.
"No. He is," Stambridge said and pointed towards her son. "Patrick Jane."
"Oh," the other woman retorted, looking utterly sheepish . "I… I thought, Jane was a woman. I was looking for a woman. Agent Lisbon kept asking for Jane and we're obligated to respect the wishes of our patients."
Jane rushed to their side. "How is she? Why is it taking so long? Is she okay? Where is she?"
"I'm so sorry, sir. She's fine. We have her still waiting in the ER. We had several emergencies coming in and since she's stable and in no danger, she hasn't gone in for her surgery yet. You can see her. I'll lead you to her. Only one person at a time though, I'm afraid, sorry," the nurse apologized.
"That's quite alright. Patrick? We'll wait here, okay? Give Teresa our best, will you?" Stambridge squeezed his arm gently.
Jane nodded and followed the nurse through the ominous glass door that he'd been staring at or rather scowling at for so long.
"Finally," Lisbon said with relief when Jane's head appeared in the doorway. She had been placed in a room that wasn't usually used to treat patients and looked more like a break room but the pile-up had stretched the ER beyond capacity. "What took you so long? I got worried that something was wrong."
"You and me both," Jane replied with at least as much relief. "You asked for Jane and they were all pretty busy and only looking for a woman and wouldn't tell me a thing," he explained. "Didn't even ask for my name just told me that I wasn't eligible to receive information."
He reached her bedside and after they'd exchanged a deep, reassuring look, Jane bent down and pecked her on the lips. "It's so good to see you," he said quietly. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm okay, Patrick." She indicated the drip in her arm with a tiny nod. "They keep me on some serious painkillers. I'm not feeling anything. I'm supposed to go into surgery in about 30 minutes. Some emergencies got in the way."
"Yeah. I heard, there was a freeway pile-up." Jane sat down on the edge of her bed and took the hand of her uninjured arm into his. His thumb caressed her fingers.
"How did it go?" she inquired.
He lifted their hands and kissed the back of hers. "Our mission?" Of course, his Lisbon would want to know about that. He looked fondly at her as she gave a confirming nod. "It went very well – also the Austin part of it. Everyone's in custody and you're the only one who got hurt. Well, apart from Frilay's, Newell's, and Fletcher's pride, I suppose."
"Good. That's good." She smiled. Then she paused, looked up and scrutinized him, "How are you, Patrick?"
He squeezed her hand in reassurance. "I'm fine, Teresa. Don't worry about me. I got a bit nervous when I couldn't get any information about you but otherwise I'm okay. And guess who came by to keep me company?"
"Abbott and Cho already here? I expected them to be occupied in Austin with all the arrests." Lisbon raised her brows.
"They should be on their way to Houston by now. But no. My mother and George are here. They called and when I told them about you, they missed their flight just to keep me company. They send their best wishes." The awe was audible in Jane's voice.
A big smile spread on Lisbon's face. "I'm so happy for you, Patrick. This thing with your mom – it's turned out way better than I'd hoped for."
"And I have only you to thank for it." Jane cast an adoring look at her. Then he turned a bit more serious. "Have the doctors told you anything more about your injury? What's their prognosis?"
Lisbon released a deep sigh and pulled a face that made an – in Jane's opinion – adorable crinkle appear between her eyes. "Seems like there's a lot of physiotherapy in my future." Then she went into more detail, "Actually, this shot hit pretty close to the one I got from O'Laughlin, so there won't be much more of a scar. There's some damage to the bone, of course, and to the surrounding tissue. And a muscle got partly torn. But they'll fix that and then I'll need to keep the shoulder immobilized for a few days. And after that – well, as I said: lots and lots of therapy. But I should regain full use of everything in a few weeks."
"Good, that's good. And you have me to help you this time. I'll take care of you," Jane promised, his expression a picture of sincerity.
"I know," she said quietly. With a little teasing grin she added, "You'll probably drive me crazy, hovering over me with snacks and coffee and entertainment."
"Yep," he confirmed. "But I'll try not to annoy you too much."
She snorted.
"Hey! I'm an expert on finding the ideal level of pain-in-the-ass that will keep you on your toes but doesn't make you shoot me. I had over a decade to perfect that after all," Jane teased her back. More seriously he said, "But honestly, I'll try not to smother you. But you have to let me help you and you need to tell me when I'm going too far. I might be pretty perceptive but… I…"
Now it was her turn to squeeze his hand. "Don't worry, Patrick. We'll figure it out together. And if you get over-protective, I still have two perfectly healthy legs to kick your butt."
A knock on the door interrupted them. Several people entered. "We're ready for you now, Agent Lisbon," a resolute woman in green scrubs announced. "I'm Dr. Taylor. I'll be the one doing the surgery. These gentlemen," she pointed at the two male colleagues who had come into the room with her, "are your anesthetist Dr. Lee and my assistant Dr. Morgan who'll prepare you for the surgery now. Do you have any remaining questions about the procedure?"
Lisbon shook her head no. "One of your colleagues already explained everything in detail, thanks. Only one thing: this," she turned towards her boyfriend, "is Patrick Jane, my partner and the one I want you to recognize as my medical proxy. I want him to be informed and kept up-to-date about my state."
"Of course. I'll make a note in your file," Dr. Taylor recognized her wish. Then she addressed Jane, "I have to ask you to leave now, Sir. This room is so small that I'm afraid, you'll only get in the way of our preparations. But I promise you, your partner is in the best hands. Shoulders are my specialty. You can wait for news in the corridor outside of the operation rooms. There's a small waiting area there."
"Oh, I know the place. Better than I would like to," Jane replied, trying to repress a sigh. "Can you give me an estimate how long this surgery will take?"
"Not long. You should hear from us in the course of an hour," the doctor appeased him.
Jane released Lisbon's hand and caressed her cheek. Then he cast an inquiring look at her asking permission, and when she nodded he bent down and kissed her. "Good luck, Teresa. Love you," he told her quietly, giving her a sheepish wink afterwards.
"You better don't take that back," she retorted with a grin.
He pecked her lips one last time and teased, "I'm pretty hyped up though."
"Get out and let these people do their job, Jane," she said in a mock-stern tone.
"Take care," he whispered gently and left with a final, reassuring backwards glance and wave of his hand from the doorway.
While Jane had been gone to see Lisbon, Cho and Abbott had arrived. They had learned about the pile-up early enough to requisition a helicopter to take them to Houston and their wounded team mate. After a quick stop at the station house that held their primary suspects and making arrangements for the transfer of the perps into FBI custody, they had made their way to the hospital as fast as possible – both a bit worried because they had not heard from Jane again after his first call.
They got instructions at the front desk to go to the waiting area outside the operating rooms where they found two people already kicking their heels – none of which was Jane. Abbott's first thought was that the elderly couple was there for someone else but when they got closer, the supervising agent stopped short when he recognized the famous actress he'd newly learned to be his consultant's mother.
To his own embarrassment he felt a bit star struck. Stambridge had been a teenager crush of his and he had followed her career for years. Fortunately, Cho did not have the same trouble. The pair had gotten up from their chairs when they had seen the two agents arriving and the actress greeted them both warmly, "You must be Patrick's and Teresa's colleagues. Patrick just went to see Teresa. I'm sure, he'll be glad to see some familiar faces. He was a bit out of it because due to all the muddle after that terrible accident on the freeway he waited for hours without news about his girlfriend."
Cho, blunt as ever, asked, "I'm special agent Cho. This is supervising agent Abbott. Who the hell are you?"
An amused smile, one that Abbott knew all too well from his consultant, spread over Stambridge's face. "You're the forthright type, aren't you, Agent Cho? It's a valid question though. I understand that Patrick hasn't mentioned me. Though your boss seems to know who I am. I'm Kathryn Stambridge, Patrick's mother. This is my husband George Kingston."
"Ok," Cho replied matter-of-factly, though Abbott was sure, there were a lot of wheels turning in his agent's head.
Having regained some of his poise, the dark-skinned man felt relatively sure he would be able to say something without making a complete fool of himself. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Stambridge. I must say, I'm a bit surprised to find you here. Not that you shouldn't be here, mind you. Just, I didn't expect it. You only got to know Patrick a couple of days ago after all. But it's a nice surprise, of course. Don't get me wrong. An honor, really. Just unexpected," Abbott rambled, unable to stop once he had started even though he realized he was sounding like, well, going by Cho's raised brows, like a bumbling moron.
Before he could make anymore of an idiot of himself, Abbott was saved by Jane's return. The consultant's face lit up when he saw his two friends. With a huge smile that reassured the two agents that Lisbon was doing fine Jane approached and pulled Cho who was closest into a bear hug. "She's gonna be okay," he announced cheerfully, drawing Cho even closer. In the end the stoic agent couldn't help but return the enthusiastic embrace, also because he knew that his team mate really needed it. When Cho had first heard that Lisbon had been shot, he had been worried both about her, of course, but also about Jane – because the other man was all alone with a situation that would be hard on him.
Jane released Cho and went to hug Abbott too. The boss didn't hesitate to squeeze his consultant, patting him on the back as well for good measure. "She's gonna be okay," Jane whispered with heartrending relief and Abbott could almost feel several tons of load falling off his friend's mind.
They stayed that way for a long moment. When Jane had finally released Abbott, he appeared to be calm and collected had also regained his usual perceptiveness and took in his surroundings with a small smile starting to play on his lips. "So, you've met my mother, I see?" he addressed his two colleagues. "And my man Cho is confused while dear Dennis here is looking for ways to ask for an autograph without being obvious about it. Well, at least I was spared the experience of my male friends drooling over my mom during my teenaged days. Now that would've been awkward."
Abbott was sporting a blush at this point that was even visible on his dark skin. Cho on the other hand didn't give away much of anything to anyone but Patrick Jane. But he was fervently trying to make sense of the situation and to figure out who that Stambridge woman was – other than, apparently, his friend's mother.
"My mother is an actress that your boss obviously holds in high esteem, Kimball," Jane provided helpfully. "And to satisfy that infinite curiosity you would never admit to having, my stoic friend: my mother and I just reconciled, if you want to call it that, after a long period of, ahem, let's call it silence. Meeting her was the reason why Lisbon and I spent the weekend here in Houston." He rocked back and forth on his feet the whole time he was talking and it was obvious to everyone (including himself) how keyed-up he was – what with all the emotional ups and downs of the past hours.
He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself but failed miserable – too much nervous energy in his system. With a shrug he gave up and decided that he was with friends and that they would understand and that it was alright to be open about his feelings. A fond smile crossed his face when thought how proud Lisbon would be of his candor, could she see him right now. Thinking of her, however, brought back the reality of her going into surgery and he was sure, all the mixed emotions were very visible on his face. Shaking his head at himself, then shrugging and grinning sheepishly, he looked up and took in the warm and compassionate expressions of the others. He felt a strange sense of comfort that he couldn't recall ever having experienced before. It felt nice. "Now, I could really do with a spot of tea. Did you find out where to get any, George?" he announced.
An amused Kingston got up and patted his stepson's shoulder. "I decided to wait until you're back to organize something for you, Patrick. I presume, you're a tad particular about your tea and cold won't do?"
Cho snorted.
Jane mock-pouted. "So what if I have my standards? Besides, don't let dear Kimball fool you, George. He's just playing the tough, coffee-sludge addicted cop but you should watch him preparing a Panyaro for you! He made some of the best green tea for me that I've ever had," Jane declared. Sincerely, he added, "Oh, and thank you, Sir. But I can also go and get something for myself."
"I'm sure, you are capable of that. But I think, you'd rather stay here and wait for news about Teresa. And anyway, getting something to drink for our little party here is a child's play compared to running around the city trying to find a certain type of cookies for your mother," George said with a wink. Looking at everyone gathered in the corridor in turn, he more stated than asked, "Two black coffees for you, agents, tea for my wife and Patrick, sound about right?" Everybody nodded their consent and Kingston left.
They all sat down to wait – now both for news on Lisbon and the hot beverages. Abbott had gotten over his awkwardness around Stambridge by then or rather had been cured of it after Jane had put him on the spot in the most mortifying way possible. At that point Abbott had decided that it couldn't get any worse than that in the embarrassment department so he could just as well relax – which he suspected had been the consultant's goal all along. So being back to his usual self he asked about the events of the day and what exactly had happened from Jane's point of view. He also okayed it that now that the case was as good as closed, Jane could reveal a bit of background information about it to his mother. Otherwise Stambridge would have had a hard time understanding anything of what they were talking about. Abbott chimed in repeatedly to emphasize the importance of Jane's contributions to the mission – by devising the study program, working undercover, and identifying the spy – that to his boss's amusement his consultant was downplaying.
The actress listened attentively, soaking up every bit of information she could about her son and it was obvious that she was in awe. During it all Jane was visibly uneasy. Of course he wanted his mother to see him in a positive light but on the other hand his experience especially in his early life had been that the more you impress a parent, the more would be expected of you the next time and if you couldn't live up to the ever growing and excessive expectations, you would be in a world of pain – sometimes physically, much more often mentally. So yes – as a rule he did like to be recognized as the smartest one in the room, but his first impulse was screaming 'no, no, no - not around my mother!'
Fortunately, Kingston returning with their drinks interrupted the account and by the time they had all settled down, it felt more prudent for Jane to just give a report of the events earlier that day instead of going over it all again for his stepfather's benefit. Jane had just come to the point in his tale where the perps had been taken out of the warehouse in chains when the glass door at the end of the corridor opened and Dr. Taylor stepped out. She motioned for Jane to come over and the rest followed at a more or less discreet distance.
"No complications," the doctor announced cheerfully, then held up a glass tube with a deformed bullet in it. "A nine millimeter," she added and handed the flask over to Jane. "Evidence, I presume?"
"Yes," Abbott replied and stepped forward to secure and take care of it. "Thank you. How is agent Lisbon?"
Taylor cast an inquiring look at Jane who gave his nodded permission to share the information with those present in the corridor. "She's doing very well – still a little groggy, recovering from anesthesia, but she's in very good shape and I expect her to be back to herself in a couple of hours. It was only a very short intervention. She'll be brought to a normal room within the hour. I'll make sure to have you informed about the details."
"Can I see her?" Jane asked carefully.
"As soon as she's been brought up to the ward. Let her wake up in peace, Mr. Jane. She's fine, and sleeping it off is the best she can do. Makes her recover faster. If you go and visit with her now, she might try to force herself to stay alert for your sake," Taylor explained.
Jane nodded. "I understand. I just… I want her to know that I'm here for her."
"I'm sure, she knows that – also subconsciously," the doctor said with an amused expression. "I'm pretty certain, the first mumble that came from her when she started to wake up was supposed to mean 'love you too, Jane'. Looked like she was enjoying a very happy dream."
That put a blinding smile on Jane's face.
"Any idea, how long agent Lisbon has to stay in the hospital?" the ever practical Cho inquired.
"If there are no further complications, which I don't expect there to be, I'll release her sometime tomorrow. She should take it very easy though and she has to keep her arm as immobilized as possible for a while. I understand that you're not from Houston. But I'm afraid, a longer car ride is out of the question for a few days," Taylor said.
"Would a helicopter do?" Abbott asked. "We could have her transported to Austin in under an hour that way."
The doctor chuckled. "Ah, FBI, huh? Well, I don't see why not. We'll talk about the details tomorrow. I'm sorry to rush off like that but we are very busy at the moment. Several emergencies at once. And I really need a cup of coffee and a little break before my next patient. A nurse will come to get you when agent Lisbon has been moved to the ward."
"Thank you, Dr. Taylor," Jane said sincerely. With a nod, the surgeon disappeared behind the glass door again.
They went back to 'their' chairs. "I guess, it's time to make some plans for the night and for tomorrow." Abbott looked at them all. "I need to get back to Austin today, if possible. I hope, the freeway is open again. We came with a chopper, meaning I don't have a car. But I'm sure, something can be arranged. I'd like for you, Cho, to stay here overnight, clean up the last issues with HPD and Jane can use the reinforcement too."
"You could take the Airstream," Jane offered. "I'd like to go with Lisbon in the helicopter tomorrow anyway."
"But where will you sleep tonight? And don't say here at the hospital because they won't allow it and besides, you won't get any rest if you stay here and it won't do Lisbon any good either. She needs her sleep," Abbott stated. Jane's sheepish expression confirmed that that had been his intention indeed.
"We have a suite at the Four Seasons. We booked it for another night when we heard about Teresa's injury. It's got two bedrooms and you're welcome to take the second. It's practically right around the corner," Kingston offered to his stepson after a wordless exchange with his wife. "It has twin beds. If you and agent Cho don't mind sharing a room, you'd be covered."
"Splendid," Abbott replied for them all. "I'm sure, they don't mind. They've done so before during out of town cases, haven't you?"
"It's fine," Cho said with his usual poker face.
Jane was a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of basically spending the night at his mother's place – a mother he had only started to get to know again two days ago after nearly 40 years of estrangement – but while it felt odd and a tad scary, it didn't feel wrong. And he couldn't deny that he was deeply touched that they had stayed in Houston to support him and Lisbon even though they hardly knew each other. It warmed him that they were apparently serious about that family thing and about wanting him to be a part of it. So he nodded his assent.
Abbott left a few minutes later to retrieve the Airstream after Jane had given him a crash course on how to unhook the trailer at the park. The supervising agent would then drive by the hospital on his way to Austin, so Jane could get some clean clothes and other necessities for himself and Lisbon. And hopefully the boss would be able to look in on his injured agent before leaving as well. With these arrangements in place the rest of the party went back to waiting, hoping that soon they could finally leave behind those uncomfortable plastic chairs for good.
TBC
I tried my best to do my research but I'm not a medical doctor. So if there's something completely off about anything concerning Lisbon's injury and treatment I hope you can accept it as poetic license. Feedback is, as always, very much appreciated. And I would like to thank you for your continued support of this story - the reviews and everything. I truly appreciate that.