He could hear the people moving around him. Doctors and Nurses doing their jobs. Saving lives, saving innocent lives. The smell of alcohol burned his nose. He has always disliked the smell of hospitals. He leaned his head back against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Want to talk about it?" A voice asked.
"No," he replied as he opened his eyes to see Monica standing there with two cups of coffee in her hands.
"Looks like you could use this. Sure you don't want to talk about what happened? From my understanding, I'm a good listener. At least, that is what my degrees says." She joked, handing him the styrofoam cup of coffee.
"Thanks, but no," he replied, wrapping his hands around the cup, warming them. Giving up on any comfort, he leaned his head back against the wall. "Any word from the doctor yet on her condition?" he asked her.
"I haven't heard anything, but I'll go ask. When I get back, we'll talk. You do have a choice. Talk to me or the big boss will make you talk to the company head shrinker. I think I'm the better choice. At least, the better looking one," Monica replied getting up to walk over to the Nurses' station.
"Monica, how is she?" a voice asked behind her.
"Jake, Alex, thank goodness you guys finally got here. Mia's still in surgery. I'm sorry, Jake," Monica replied, squeezing his hand. She saw his reaction when Cody told Donovan Mia was shot. She'd never seen Jake turn white before. She had her suspicions about Jake and his feelings about Mia.
She saw him leave Donovan's house that day after Mia was introduced. She noted his reaction and was going to call him on it until his mysterious illness kept him from work.
"How's Donovan taking this?" Alex asked.
"Honestly, not good. He's so used to being in control. He's going to lose it if he doesn't talk to someone. Think one you guys can get him to open up?" she asked.
"I'll try." Alex offered, going into the waiting room.
Frank Donovan sat in the waiting room. Waiting for news, any news on how she was doing. Was she out of surgery yet? he wondered. How did he let this happen? He knew that her job was going to be trouble. Frank leaned back, rubbing his face. He could feel the tension in his forehead. How could he have let this happen to her?
"Coffee's getting cold; let's get something to eat," Alex said, sitting down next to Donovan, bringing him back to the present.
"I'm not moving until I hear from the doctors," Donovan stated, running stiff fingers through his hair.
"I had a feeling you'd say that. Monica talked to the nurse. They said it would be another two hours before we hear anything. When was the last time you ate something?" Alex asked, searching his face. "Jake and Monica will stay here. If they hear anything, Cody will page us right away. You won't do Mia any good if you pass out from hunger." Alex said, standing up taking Donovan's hand. "Come on."
"As soon as we hear something, I want to be back up here," he agreed reluctantly.
"We're going to the cafeteria. Page us as soon as you hear something," Alex told Jake, moving Donovan towards the elevator.
"When we hear something, you'll know boss," Cody replied.
Donovan was starting to have second thoughts about getting something to eat. What if she needs me and I'm not here? he thought. He promised her that he would always watch her back. "Let's find the cafeteria," he said as he started down the hall.
Frank jammed the key into the lock when he heard the phone ringing.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," he muttered, his mail in his mouth. The lock decided it wanted to make his day harder than it already was. He just got finished with a six hour debriefing on the bank robbery. Jake was lucky to end up with only a sprained wrist and the young cop was lucky to be alive. Sometimes, he really disliked his job.
"Frank? It's Mia," he heard as the answering machine picked up. "I have some great news! I passed all my tests and I start the academy after the holidays. I'm going to be one of Chicago's finest! I'll call back later. Love ya!"
Donovan felt the shock hit his system. The letters that were in his mouth fluttered all over the sidewalk. The damn key wouldn't fit into the damn lock. Donovan dropped everything in his arms and kicked the door open.
"Mia! Mia, it's Frank," he growled into the receiver. He was too late. She already hung up. He ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at the door he now needed to replace. "This is far from over, Mia."
"Is, is there anything you need?" Jake asked Donovan.
"Wha? What?" Donovan asked, not realizing Jake took Alex's place with him. "No, nothing. You can go home, Jake."
"I'd rather not," Jake stammered, "I want to know how Mia is. Alex went to go find something out."
"There's no need, Jake," Donovan protested. "I'll call.."
"Donovan, I'm in love with your wife," Jake rambled. He breathed a huge sigh of relief for finally getting that off his chest. Telling him in the hospital cafeteria wasn't the ideal place, but at least he wouldn't have to go far when Donovan killed him. Now he started to brace for Donovan's attack.
Donovan stared at Jake, unsure of what he just heard. Jake gulped when he watched Donovan's eyebrow shoot up. That meant trouble.
"Can you repeat that?" Donovan asked.
"I'm in love with Mia," Jake slowly repeated.
"I see," Donovan replied sitting down, "and yet you've only just met her."
"We met at The Hideaway after I came back from Texas," Jake explained. "We started seeing each other and I didn't know who she was. And when I did, I tried to stay away."
"You tried to stay away?" Donovan repeated. "You've been seeing Mia for three months now?"
"I found out she was your wife at your house. That's why I left." Jake started to explain, "Shock and guilt. I couldn't face you knowing I slept with Mia, but when she came to see me, I tried to break it off. I love her, Donovan."
Jake braced himself for the blows that he knew were going to come. It was well known that Donovan could handle himself. Jake knew there was no way to avoid the beating he felt he deserved.
"You're in love with Mia," Donovan repeated again. Jake nodded. Donovan couldn't help but start to laugh.
"Christ," Jake muttered, not understanding what he thought was funny. "Donovan's finally losing it."
"Jake, Mia isn't my wife," Donovan chuckled, "she's my sister."
Jake looked at Donovan in disbelief. "Not your wife?" he repeated.
"My sister." Donovan repeated, "Mia's been divorced for three years now, hence the different last name. As a running joke, we always introduce each other like that since people commented we don't look related. We explained that."
"You're sister," Jake again repeated.
"My sister." Donovan stated, trying not to smile.
"You son of a bitch!" Jake growled, punching Donovan in the face. "Do you have any idea how guilty I've felt this past week thinking I slept with your wife? I felt like an asshole for falling in love with your wife! I asked to be transferred!"
Donovan rubbed his chin and watched Jake storm out of the hospital. He was glad to see Jake was finally back to himself.
"Donovan," Monica called from a few feet behind him, "you can see your sister now. She's awake, but don't overtire her."
Monica overheard the whole conversation between the two men and realized how the mix up happened. Jake left before Donovan explained the inside joke. That explained Jake's behavior for the past week. This might not have a happy ending.
"Want to talk about it?" A voice asked.
"No," he replied as he opened his eyes to see Monica standing there with two cups of coffee in her hands.
"Looks like you could use this. Sure you don't want to talk about what happened? From my understanding, I'm a good listener. At least, that is what my degrees says." She joked, handing him the styrofoam cup of coffee.
"Thanks, but no," he replied, wrapping his hands around the cup, warming them. Giving up on any comfort, he leaned his head back against the wall. "Any word from the doctor yet on her condition?" he asked her.
"I haven't heard anything, but I'll go ask. When I get back, we'll talk. You do have a choice. Talk to me or the big boss will make you talk to the company head shrinker. I think I'm the better choice. At least, the better looking one," Monica replied getting up to walk over to the Nurses' station.
"Monica, how is she?" a voice asked behind her.
"Jake, Alex, thank goodness you guys finally got here. Mia's still in surgery. I'm sorry, Jake," Monica replied, squeezing his hand. She saw his reaction when Cody told Donovan Mia was shot. She'd never seen Jake turn white before. She had her suspicions about Jake and his feelings about Mia.
She saw him leave Donovan's house that day after Mia was introduced. She noted his reaction and was going to call him on it until his mysterious illness kept him from work.
"How's Donovan taking this?" Alex asked.
"Honestly, not good. He's so used to being in control. He's going to lose it if he doesn't talk to someone. Think one you guys can get him to open up?" she asked.
"I'll try." Alex offered, going into the waiting room.
Frank Donovan sat in the waiting room. Waiting for news, any news on how she was doing. Was she out of surgery yet? he wondered. How did he let this happen? He knew that her job was going to be trouble. Frank leaned back, rubbing his face. He could feel the tension in his forehead. How could he have let this happen to her?
"Coffee's getting cold; let's get something to eat," Alex said, sitting down next to Donovan, bringing him back to the present.
"I'm not moving until I hear from the doctors," Donovan stated, running stiff fingers through his hair.
"I had a feeling you'd say that. Monica talked to the nurse. They said it would be another two hours before we hear anything. When was the last time you ate something?" Alex asked, searching his face. "Jake and Monica will stay here. If they hear anything, Cody will page us right away. You won't do Mia any good if you pass out from hunger." Alex said, standing up taking Donovan's hand. "Come on."
"As soon as we hear something, I want to be back up here," he agreed reluctantly.
"We're going to the cafeteria. Page us as soon as you hear something," Alex told Jake, moving Donovan towards the elevator.
"When we hear something, you'll know boss," Cody replied.
Donovan was starting to have second thoughts about getting something to eat. What if she needs me and I'm not here? he thought. He promised her that he would always watch her back. "Let's find the cafeteria," he said as he started down the hall.
Frank jammed the key into the lock when he heard the phone ringing.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," he muttered, his mail in his mouth. The lock decided it wanted to make his day harder than it already was. He just got finished with a six hour debriefing on the bank robbery. Jake was lucky to end up with only a sprained wrist and the young cop was lucky to be alive. Sometimes, he really disliked his job.
"Frank? It's Mia," he heard as the answering machine picked up. "I have some great news! I passed all my tests and I start the academy after the holidays. I'm going to be one of Chicago's finest! I'll call back later. Love ya!"
Donovan felt the shock hit his system. The letters that were in his mouth fluttered all over the sidewalk. The damn key wouldn't fit into the damn lock. Donovan dropped everything in his arms and kicked the door open.
"Mia! Mia, it's Frank," he growled into the receiver. He was too late. She already hung up. He ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at the door he now needed to replace. "This is far from over, Mia."
"Is, is there anything you need?" Jake asked Donovan.
"Wha? What?" Donovan asked, not realizing Jake took Alex's place with him. "No, nothing. You can go home, Jake."
"I'd rather not," Jake stammered, "I want to know how Mia is. Alex went to go find something out."
"There's no need, Jake," Donovan protested. "I'll call.."
"Donovan, I'm in love with your wife," Jake rambled. He breathed a huge sigh of relief for finally getting that off his chest. Telling him in the hospital cafeteria wasn't the ideal place, but at least he wouldn't have to go far when Donovan killed him. Now he started to brace for Donovan's attack.
Donovan stared at Jake, unsure of what he just heard. Jake gulped when he watched Donovan's eyebrow shoot up. That meant trouble.
"Can you repeat that?" Donovan asked.
"I'm in love with Mia," Jake slowly repeated.
"I see," Donovan replied sitting down, "and yet you've only just met her."
"We met at The Hideaway after I came back from Texas," Jake explained. "We started seeing each other and I didn't know who she was. And when I did, I tried to stay away."
"You tried to stay away?" Donovan repeated. "You've been seeing Mia for three months now?"
"I found out she was your wife at your house. That's why I left." Jake started to explain, "Shock and guilt. I couldn't face you knowing I slept with Mia, but when she came to see me, I tried to break it off. I love her, Donovan."
Jake braced himself for the blows that he knew were going to come. It was well known that Donovan could handle himself. Jake knew there was no way to avoid the beating he felt he deserved.
"You're in love with Mia," Donovan repeated again. Jake nodded. Donovan couldn't help but start to laugh.
"Christ," Jake muttered, not understanding what he thought was funny. "Donovan's finally losing it."
"Jake, Mia isn't my wife," Donovan chuckled, "she's my sister."
Jake looked at Donovan in disbelief. "Not your wife?" he repeated.
"My sister." Donovan repeated, "Mia's been divorced for three years now, hence the different last name. As a running joke, we always introduce each other like that since people commented we don't look related. We explained that."
"You're sister," Jake again repeated.
"My sister." Donovan stated, trying not to smile.
"You son of a bitch!" Jake growled, punching Donovan in the face. "Do you have any idea how guilty I've felt this past week thinking I slept with your wife? I felt like an asshole for falling in love with your wife! I asked to be transferred!"
Donovan rubbed his chin and watched Jake storm out of the hospital. He was glad to see Jake was finally back to himself.
"Donovan," Monica called from a few feet behind him, "you can see your sister now. She's awake, but don't overtire her."
Monica overheard the whole conversation between the two men and realized how the mix up happened. Jake left before Donovan explained the inside joke. That explained Jake's behavior for the past week. This might not have a happy ending.
