Waking as the sunlight struck his face; Shockwave mumbled and curled up in bed. He felt heat against his body and opened one eye and smiled. Cat was sound asleep beside of Shockwave. Her head was resting on his shoulder. Deciding not to wake her, he closed his eye and tried to fall back to sleep.
Cat starting waking up about the time Shockwave had almost fallen back asleep. "Jas..." Cat asked sleepily.
"Mmm?"
"Honey...we need to get ye out of bed and dressed."
"Mmm...."
"Jas...come on...ye need to see the doctor today." Cat replied as she started untangling herself from Shockwave and the bed.
"Damn..." he sat up slowly, not opening his eyes.
"Jas...honey...is ye head still hurting?" Cat asked sitting beside of him she forgot about finding some clean clothes. He smiled as he opened his eyes, seeing her flawless body once more.
"Jas...don't smile at me; just answer my question." Cat warned.
"I'm okay. Just tired as hell. Can't imagine why." he replied, giving her a lopsided smile.
"Oh...ye are a impossible man. I don't know why I bother with ye." Cat said playful swatting Shockwave's shoulder as she turned to get up and find some clothes for both of them. He watched her, his eyes tracing every curve. Cat got up off the bed and walked over to a huge walk in closet. After several minutes of hearing her curse the Gaelic, Cat finally came out of the closet and threw a pair of pants and shirt at Shockwave. She carried her own clothes to the bed and then walked over to the dresser and started looking for underwear. He smiled and slowly walked over behind her, his hands resting on her waist.
"Jas...how would you like me to wear these?" Cat asked seductively holding up a pair of thong underwear.
"I can wear this pair or maybe this lovely red color here." Cat added playfully turning around. "Either or."
"I think I should wear red."
"Sure." Clutching his head, Shockwave wavered for a second.
"Jas..." Cat almost yelled reaching out to steady Shockwave.
Once he caught his balance, he placed a hand on one of hers. "I'm okay."
"Sit down now." Cat ordered, the concern showing in her face and her voice. He did as ordered.
Cat walked back over to the dresser and got out another pair of shorts and a pair of socks. "Put these on and stay there."
"Yes, ma'am." Cat quickly got dressed; she could feel Shockwave watching her.
"MMm..."
Cat had finished dressing and turned around to face Shockwave. He still hadn't got dress yet. "Jas..."
"Yeah?"
"Ye are supposed to be getting dressed."
"Think I need some help..."
"Ye are feeling worse than ye are letting on aren't ye?" Cat asked coming over to help Shockwave.
"Yeah..."
"Can ye manage to put on ye shorts and socks?"
"I think so. But I'll need help with the rest." he replied as he slowly dressed. Cat rolled her eyes at Shockwave and helped him put on his shirt.
"I'm serious. Everything is in slow-mo."
"Jas...when did this start?" Cat asked as he helped him with his pants. Cat could tell that Shockwave wasn't joking about how bad he was feeling,
"After I stood."
"Can ye stand up now?" Cat had finished helping him put on his shoes. He slowly rose. After a few seconds, he nodded.
"Jas I'm going to stand back and see if ye can stand on ye own? Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Ok...I'm stepping back."
After wobbling for a second, Shock managed to remain upright. "I think that doctor sounded like a good idea."
"Aye. You ready to try and walk downstairs?" He nodded slowly.
"Ok. Do ye want me to hold on to ye?" His head nodded once more.
"Let's take this one step at a time." Cat held on to Shockwave's arm tightly as she guided him out the bedroom door and down the stairs.
"Thanks." he spoke quietly at the base of the steps, the color slowly draining from his face.
"Do ye need to rest before we go to the car?" Cat asked concerned as she saw him pale.
"No...I think an exam is...of most importance."
"Jas don't ye dare pass out on me." Cat warned as they walked into the garage and stopped at the passenger side of Cat's car.
"I'll be okay. But hurry."
Cat helped Shockwave get into the car and quickly got into the drivers side and opened the garage door. Later she would have to come back and ditch the hotwired car. But right now she was more concerned about Shockwave.
"Jas...talk to me."
"I'm here."
"It's going to be a few minutes before we get there. I need ye to stay awake. Talk to me...doesn't matter what."
"How old are you?
"Twenty-five. And what about ye?"
"I'm twenty-six."
"Keep talking Jas...."
"Okay."
"Jas...honey...I dinna care what we talk about just talk."
"Was I your first?"
"Jas...is it that important to ye?"
"Just wondering." his eyes fluttered.
"Jason!" Cat shouted when she realized he was starting to fade out. Jerking his head back up, he looked at her. "Yes. Ye were. Keep talking."
"I thought a person in your line of work..."
"Not always Jas. I guess I got lucky; most of work for the first year was mostly deskwork. Translating documents. It's only been in the past year I've been full time in the field." He nodded struggling to stay awake.
"Jas we're almost there. Keep talking."
"How long you been a spook?" he asked, regaining his composure.
"I've been a spook as ye put it for two years."
"That long, huh?"
"What is that suppose to mean Jas?"
"What did I say?"
"Did ye mean I've been a spook too long or not long enough?" His hand rubbed his temples as he thought....
"I don't know..."
"Jas.... are ye okay?"
"I think...I need to sleep."
"NO! Ye can't sleep Jas!"
"Why?"
"We are not to the doctor's yet and I don't want to drag ye sorry arse into the doc's office."
"Okay."
"Just a few more minutes Jas. Keep talking." He nodded.
"Jas..."
"See any good movies?"
"What's ye favorite?"
"Hmmm....
"Ye don't know?"
"Can't think like that...."
"Why?"
"Ummm...that guy from Star Wars..."
"Which one?"
"Ummm...Solo?"
"Han Solo?"
"Yeah." Cat looked worriedly over at Shockwave. She saw the doctor's office and gave the car a little bit more gas.
"Jas...can ye hold on for five more minutes?"
"Sure."
Cat brought the car to a screeching halt in front of the doctor's office. She quickly got out of the car and went over to the passenger's side and helped Shockwave got of the car.
"Come on Jas...it's only a few feet."
"No prob." He lied. Cat barely caught Shockwave as he finally passed out. Swearing in Gaelic, she dragged the heavier man in the doctor's office.
"What happened?" The doctor asked, rushing to her side.
"He woke up this morning ok at first, then he almost fell. He's been dizzy ever since. I've had a hard time keeping him awake."
"Let's get him into the back. I'll have to take an x-ray."
"It's worse that you first thought isn't it?" Cat asked as she helped the doctor carry Shockwave to the x-ray machine.
"Please wait out here, my child. I'll let you know what I find out." The doctor said, leading Cat out to a waiting room.
"But..."
"He will be okay, child. Now please wait here."
"Okay..." she took a seat and waited for what felt like an eternity before the door opened again. Time snapped back as she looked to the wall clock above the door and saw a little over an hour had passed.
"How is he?" she asked, nearly leaping to her feet.
"He will recover I time, child. I have a few questions though. Has he done anything strenuous?"
"Uh...well...not really..." Cat replied, turning slightly red in the face.
Knowing she was lying and having a good idea what had occurred, the doctor continued. "You must not allow him to strain himself."
"What does the x-ray show?" Cat asked trying to change the subject.
"Well?"
"You can see where he was struck here." The doctor held up the x-ray. "There was trauma to the brain, very slight, but trauma still."
"How much trauma? Is he going to wake up or is he in a coma?"
"He's not that severe, but he will sleep a lot."
"How long do you think he will be out?"
"This time? Your guess is as good as mine."
"Is there anything else that I should look for? Any warning signs?"
"Check his eyes, the dilatation."
"Eyes. Anything else?"
"His pulse."
"When he was asleep earlier he seemed to be talking out of his head...will he be doing that more as well?"
"More than likely, yes."
"Can I take him back to my house?"
"I would rather he stayed here, child. If something does take a turn for the worst, I'm better equipped to help him here."
"O...okay..." Cat replied.
"I have a spare office you can stay in if you want to stay with him, dear."
"Really?"
"Of course. Go get some clothes and whatever else you need."
"Thank ye." Throwing her arms around the doctor, she hugged him, and then kissed him on the cheek.
The drive back to the safe house seemed shorter than it should; her mind was on Shockwave so completely that she'd almost taken out a Volvo in the other lane. Pulling into the garage, Cat moved briskly towards the stairs when she slipped in a puddle on the floor.
"What the bloody..." Cat muttered, kneeling to examine it in the dark hall. Raising her hand to the beam of light coming in the window, she found her fingers coated in a sticky red substance than smelled a lot like...
"Blood..." the whispered word escaped her lips as she stood and make a quick exam of the room. Instinctively reaching for her sidearm, she felt the cold kiss of steel against her throat as a hand clamped down over her mouth.
They'd found her and it was too late...