Part 8

Part 8

Mark sank down on the couch in the on-call room, his emotions still in turmoil. He knew he'd had to face Steve's surviving assailant but it had been a draining experience. Instead of the red hot anger he'd been feeling, and the bitterness, he was left feeling resigned and sad. The boy hadn't been a hardened criminal, just a young man who was playing the wrong games and it had turned out tragically for him—he was facing serious charges and he'd lost his cousin and partner in crime. Steve had to face hard core criminals most days, and now he was fighting his life because of a couple of robbers who were little more than kids. He lay back and closed his eyes. His mind was still racing but his body was crying out for rest. He didn't expect to sleep but he needed badly to at least try to. He rarely felt his age but worry about Steve made him feel it very much.

Jesse had planned on getting some rest too, but he felt bound to stay with Steve while his condition was still so uncertain. He didn't want to explain this to Mark, knowing Mark would feel guilty if he was resting and Jesse was not. He thought of Mark as a father figure, and Steve was certainly like a brother to him. He hated these crises which seemed to occur on a regular basis now. It was a good thing Steve was as strong and fit as he was, for a weaker individual would not survive the ordeals he went through. He remembered when he first met the Sloans. He'd been astonished at the fact Steve still lived with his father and had thought it was very odd ­ in fact he hadn't known what to make of either of them. Mark himself seemed an unusual character ­ roller skating around the hospital, pulling tricks on the medical students to test them, having absolutely no regard for hospital regulations when they interfered, or he thought they interfered, with a patient's well-being. Steve was well into his 30s, lived at home with his unconventional dad, seemed to be a lot more conventional ­except for the fact he did live with his dad. He was a cop and reveled in the outdoors life and was very much his own man. Although a cop, Steve had not lost his humanity or compassion for others less fortunate than himself, and it was when he was dealing with victims that Jesse could see the similarity between father and son. Although he could be very tough, Steve also had a gentle and compassionate nature and it was this mix which fascinated Jesse. It also hadn't taken Jesse long to see the closeness of the Sloan relationship, although they weren't openly affectionate often. He knew Mark worried a great deal about his son and wasn't at all happy with the risks associated with his job, but he also knew that if this had ever caused any conflict between them, and he doubted it anyway, it had long since been resolved. He'd come to care deeply for both of them and he hated seeing either one of them hurt or in trouble. It was usually Steve who was physically hurt, but Mark suffered right alongside of him.

"Jesse? Where's Mark?" Amanda's anxious voice broke through his thoughts. "I just heard he visited James Bryant but he's vanished!" Jesse was startled at this. He'd seen the state Mark was in but he doubted his friend would cause any harm to anyone else.

"Bryant is okay, I was just speaking to the police guard outside his door. Mark left and was very upset."

"I'll get Nurse Trombley to stay and we'll go look for him." Jesse put down the chart he'd been holding and pressed the nurses call button.

"How is Steve?" Amanda felt slightly guilty at not asking earlier but she'd almost been too scared. Jesse's usually cheerful face was glum and she didn't think it was good.

"He's developing pneumonia, Amanda," Jesse sighed. "But I've got him on a stronger dose of antibiotics and he's strong and fit…." His voice trailed off as Nurse Trombley entered the room.

"Ruth, can you please stay with Steve. We need to find Mark. Page me immediately if there's any change." Jesse spoke more sharply than he intended to and he smiled apologetically. "Sorry."

Ruth half smiled, indicating apology was accepted. "Of course I will."

Jesse and Amanda left the room. "Might try the doctor's on-call lounge first. I doubt he would have gone too far."

Mark, despite his misgivings, had drifted off. He woke up instantly at the sound of footsteps and he was startled at the sight of his two friends. His heart sank, immediately fearing the worst.

Jesse sat down next to him and gently patted his arm. "It's okay, Mark, sorry to scare you. He's holding his own and Nurse Trombley is with him. We were worried about you as we heard you visited Bryant."

Mark grimaced and started rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, I did. I was so angry, Jesse, I don't know what I was planning…."

"Nothing." Jesse's voice was firm and Amanda came to sit on the other side of Mark and squeezed his shoulder encouragingly.

Mark sighed. "I don't believe in revenge, but it seemed so wrong to me that he's got off so lightly and Steve has a real fight on his hands. I think I wanted to tell him…to ask him why. But I didn't need to. He's little more than a kid, and a scared kid at that…."

He was interrupted by Jesse's pager bleeping. Jesse reached in for it and looked at the message. His face said it all and Mark and Amanda had jumped up.

"Yes, it's Steve, we've got to go."