Later that evening, after Harm had convinced the head nurse to allow him to
use crutches as his arm wasn't bothering him that much, they returned to
check on Kate and Webb. When he and Mac arrived at Kate's room, Webb still
had his back to them, and he was hunched over, resting his head in his
hands, his elbows on his knees. They watched as he sat up, reached out and
took her hand in his. He began to talk to her.
"You remember last Christmas?" he said softly, his voice calm, "We were in Russia on a mission, and you were delayed getting to the checkpoint. I remember being terrified that you had been captured, or your cover blown. I thought my heart was going to burst when I saw you across that square.
He paused. "I knew it then, and I tried to put distance between us. I'll never forget how furious you were when I sent you back to the states." He laughed. "You didn't talk to me for a month."
His speech broke, and he continued in a strained and overwhelmed tone. "Kate you can't leave me. We've survived so much already. God, Katie, if you don't come back, I." His body was again rigid with tension, and he brought her hand to his lips. He held it there for a moment, and then, holding it to his cheek he said, "I would give anything if I could tell you how much I love you." He kissed her hand and then placed it down beside her.
Mac and Harm watched in shock as Webb leapt up from his seat. He looked frantically around, and then he saw them. "Go," he said excitedly, his eyes wide with hope, "Go get a doctor!"
Mac dashed from the room to the nurse's desk, as Harm sat looking questioningly at Webb. "What going on?"
"She squeezed my hand," Webb said before he leaned in over Kate's face, and said with much emotion, "Kate? Katie? Open your eyes. Please, come back to me, Kate."
Her eyelids shuddered, and then she blinked. She looked confused and scared as she scanned the room, but her eyes soon settled on Webb, and widened with relieved recognition. Despite the pale color of her skin, her face seemed to brighten. Mac returned with the doctor.
"Miss O'Connor, can you hear me?" he asked.
Kate made a small nod, as Webb said, "Kate. Her name is Kate."
"Kate, I'm going to pull the tube out of your throat," the doctor said, "On the count of the three I want you to take a deep breath and then exhale. Ready?"
She nodded meekly again.
"One, two, three." Kate pulled in a large breath and then as she blew it out the doctor pulled the tube from her throat. She coughed dryly and sputtered.
"Try not to talk," the doctor instructed, "You're voice will return, but it's going to be pretty sore for a while." The doctor then asked Webb, Harm and Mac to leave so that he could examine her. Ten minutes later, they were all allowed to return under strict orders not to overexcite her. "She's a strong woman," the doctor said, "She'll probably make a full recovery."
Kate's bed was raised to a 45-degree angle and already she looked pinker. Her left arm lay still against her side, the heavy bandaging at her shoulder bulging under her hospital gown. She followed Harm and Mac with tired, but cheerful eyes.
And when she beheld Webb, her eyes began to glisten like morning mist. Webb's own eyes were filled with tears as he retook her hand and she looked up into his relieved face. She moved her hand from his, and reached to the nape of his neck. She pulled his face closer to hers, and she whispered scratchily, "I would, too."
Webb buried his face in her neck and she hugged him to her with her good arm. Harm and Mac stood soundlessly near the window watching the scene before them. Harm had wrapped his arm around Mac, and she had nestled tightly into him. When Webb and Kate finally let go of each other, Kate looked over toward them.
"I'm sor."
"Shh, don't worry about it," Mac assured her, "You can tell us later."
Kate nodded, and she rested back against the pillows, and fell asleep.
"You remember last Christmas?" he said softly, his voice calm, "We were in Russia on a mission, and you were delayed getting to the checkpoint. I remember being terrified that you had been captured, or your cover blown. I thought my heart was going to burst when I saw you across that square.
He paused. "I knew it then, and I tried to put distance between us. I'll never forget how furious you were when I sent you back to the states." He laughed. "You didn't talk to me for a month."
His speech broke, and he continued in a strained and overwhelmed tone. "Kate you can't leave me. We've survived so much already. God, Katie, if you don't come back, I." His body was again rigid with tension, and he brought her hand to his lips. He held it there for a moment, and then, holding it to his cheek he said, "I would give anything if I could tell you how much I love you." He kissed her hand and then placed it down beside her.
Mac and Harm watched in shock as Webb leapt up from his seat. He looked frantically around, and then he saw them. "Go," he said excitedly, his eyes wide with hope, "Go get a doctor!"
Mac dashed from the room to the nurse's desk, as Harm sat looking questioningly at Webb. "What going on?"
"She squeezed my hand," Webb said before he leaned in over Kate's face, and said with much emotion, "Kate? Katie? Open your eyes. Please, come back to me, Kate."
Her eyelids shuddered, and then she blinked. She looked confused and scared as she scanned the room, but her eyes soon settled on Webb, and widened with relieved recognition. Despite the pale color of her skin, her face seemed to brighten. Mac returned with the doctor.
"Miss O'Connor, can you hear me?" he asked.
Kate made a small nod, as Webb said, "Kate. Her name is Kate."
"Kate, I'm going to pull the tube out of your throat," the doctor said, "On the count of the three I want you to take a deep breath and then exhale. Ready?"
She nodded meekly again.
"One, two, three." Kate pulled in a large breath and then as she blew it out the doctor pulled the tube from her throat. She coughed dryly and sputtered.
"Try not to talk," the doctor instructed, "You're voice will return, but it's going to be pretty sore for a while." The doctor then asked Webb, Harm and Mac to leave so that he could examine her. Ten minutes later, they were all allowed to return under strict orders not to overexcite her. "She's a strong woman," the doctor said, "She'll probably make a full recovery."
Kate's bed was raised to a 45-degree angle and already she looked pinker. Her left arm lay still against her side, the heavy bandaging at her shoulder bulging under her hospital gown. She followed Harm and Mac with tired, but cheerful eyes.
And when she beheld Webb, her eyes began to glisten like morning mist. Webb's own eyes were filled with tears as he retook her hand and she looked up into his relieved face. She moved her hand from his, and reached to the nape of his neck. She pulled his face closer to hers, and she whispered scratchily, "I would, too."
Webb buried his face in her neck and she hugged him to her with her good arm. Harm and Mac stood soundlessly near the window watching the scene before them. Harm had wrapped his arm around Mac, and she had nestled tightly into him. When Webb and Kate finally let go of each other, Kate looked over toward them.
"I'm sor."
"Shh, don't worry about it," Mac assured her, "You can tell us later."
Kate nodded, and she rested back against the pillows, and fell asleep.