"Hey, Mark. How are you doin'?" Jesse asked as he caught him looking over
some files on the way to his office.
"Well, I'm hanging in there like any other day," Mark replied, taking the files and placing them under his arm.
Jesse stretched his arms above his head. "Yeah, well that eight car pile up didn't help much. And you looked even exhausted before that."
"Yeah, well, didn't get much sleep last night. You know I think it was that Mexican food I had last night. Terrible heartburn."
Jesse smirked and shook his head. "You checked on Steve several times, didn't you?"
"Well, you know, just when I went to go get something to calm my stomach."
"Your stomach? I thought you said you had heartburn?"
"Well, I also had an upset stomach. And uh-"
"And you just went to go take a walk before conveniently getting your medicine in your bathroom in your room?"
"You know, you never can just let things be can you?"
Jesse grinned proudly. "Have I ever?"
"Allright, fine, I checked on him a few times. I couldn't sleep anyway with that image of that guy pointing a gun at my son's head."
"Yeah, I know. But it's all over now, Mark. Steve's going to be allright, thanks to you. You know, you have some guts for what you did.
"Well I've already lost one child, I wasn't going to lose another. I would rather die then let that happen."
"I know. And I'm glad that he's okay. I mean, I don't think I could find another partner for Barbeque Bobs on such short notice."
Mark and Jessie just smiled as they walked down the hall together, suddenly stopped short as Amanda suddenly appeared before them breathlessly, with a concerned look upon her face.
"Guys, I'm glad I caught you. It's Steve. There was an explosion, and-"
Mark cut her off by placing his hand on her shoulder, as his heart skipped a beat. "How bad?"
"Well, he was in the parking lot of a mall and there was an explosion and he got thrown back and-"
Knowing that his son was hurt and not knowing how badly made Mark tense and on edge as he suddenly snapped at Amanda. "Amanda, please! How bad is he?"
"Uh, I'm not sure, he's on the way, in fact he could already be here."
Before Amanda could say another word, Mark ran down the hallway towards the direction of the ER. Jessie and Amanda soon ran after, hoping that they weren't too late. **
As Mark sat quietly by his son's bedside listening to the rhythm of the heart monitor, feeling helpless in a situation all to familiar to him, he tried to feel anything but guilty for leaving him alone that day, but then again Steve was right when he said that he wasn't a little boy anymore. But in Mark's eyes, he would always be the little blond haired, blue eyed, full spirited little boy that would always want to play and be around him, and when Mark would secretly hope that those moments would never go away. But nonetheless, Mark still became proud of his son, and how brave he has always been with his job and with being in Vietnam, and that's something a father can surely be proud of.
And as he gently stroked Steve's hair, in his eyes it was the same little blond haired, blue eyed boy that he would always sit by as he fell asleep, or as they took naps together, having the same love between each other that they did today, and which grew stronger between them as the years went by. And that was the same love that would never let Mark give up on his son, especially now.
Mark then heard a slight knocking on the door and turned slightly to see Jesse coming in with a chart in his hand. "Uh, sorry, I just have the test results of the cat scan."
Mark's attention suddenly focused on Jesse. "How is he, Jess?"
Jesse hesitated a moment. "Mark, he has a severe concussion."
"Well that isn't so bad. He should be fine then, right?"
Jesse swallowed hard before continuing. "Uh, Mark, he also has intercrannial bleeding, which you know can be bad."
"But he doesn't look that bad, Jess."
"Mark, the next six hours are crucial. We'll test again after that, but we may end up having to do surgery on him. We just have to be hopeful at this point. I mean, you know how bad this can be, you've dealt with it before."
"I know, Jesse, I know. I just never thought that the same thing would be..."
Jesse gently laid a hand on Mark's shoulder. "I know. I know. All we can do now is pray that he's going to get better. He's a fighter, he can make it. He has before, and he will again. You just have to be hopeful."
Mark silently nodded as they both stood by his bedside, not noticing Lacey standing behind them with tears silently rolling down her cheeks, as she quietly ran back to her room. **
"Lacey, can you hear me?"
Lacey nodded, her eyes then suddenly flinging open. "Yes, I can hear you! I've heard you for the past week, and I'm sick of it!"
"Wh-"
"Oh yeah, and I don't have my IV hooked up to me tonight, I only made it look like I did. You see, you're not the only one who can trick someone!"
"You little snot! Need I remind you what will happen if you don't cooperate with me?"
"Yeah, and I did, so back off!"
"No, not quite. You see, he's not dead. Only injured. So you didn't complete my orders."
"How was I supposed to know he wouldn't be inside when it went off? And the injuries he did get are pretty severe. I overheard Dr. Travis and Dr. Sloan talking, and it looks pretty bad, okay?"
"No, not okay! Maybe I said earlier that I didn't care if he was injured, but now I do! I want him dead, you understand me?"
"Then do it yourself, because I'm not going to be responsible for taking someone's life."
"Listen you little twit, unless you want that kind of deal on someone else close to you, I suggest you had better!" she replied, taking out a gun. "I want this over once and for all. And I want to make sure it gets done right. And your story would be that whoever caused the explosion must have wanted to kill him, and when he didn't succeed, he came and killed him himself."
"No!! I'm not gonna touch that thing! Besides, Dr. Sloan is going to be by his side all night."
"Oh don't worry, I'll take care of him."
"And what makes you think he would believe you with that stupid story, anyway?"
"I didn't say it would be me. Just say you had another dream. Frankly I don't care what you say, just make it believable."
"No. I won't do it, I don't care what you say."
"Really? Well it can be used on certain other people, as well..."
"Hey, you leave her alone!"
"Mm, maybe, maybe not. It all depends on you. So what's it going to be my dear? Lt. Sloan whom you barely know, or you know who by me? But just remember, the clock is ticking, my dear."
TBC...
"Well, I'm hanging in there like any other day," Mark replied, taking the files and placing them under his arm.
Jesse stretched his arms above his head. "Yeah, well that eight car pile up didn't help much. And you looked even exhausted before that."
"Yeah, well, didn't get much sleep last night. You know I think it was that Mexican food I had last night. Terrible heartburn."
Jesse smirked and shook his head. "You checked on Steve several times, didn't you?"
"Well, you know, just when I went to go get something to calm my stomach."
"Your stomach? I thought you said you had heartburn?"
"Well, I also had an upset stomach. And uh-"
"And you just went to go take a walk before conveniently getting your medicine in your bathroom in your room?"
"You know, you never can just let things be can you?"
Jesse grinned proudly. "Have I ever?"
"Allright, fine, I checked on him a few times. I couldn't sleep anyway with that image of that guy pointing a gun at my son's head."
"Yeah, I know. But it's all over now, Mark. Steve's going to be allright, thanks to you. You know, you have some guts for what you did.
"Well I've already lost one child, I wasn't going to lose another. I would rather die then let that happen."
"I know. And I'm glad that he's okay. I mean, I don't think I could find another partner for Barbeque Bobs on such short notice."
Mark and Jessie just smiled as they walked down the hall together, suddenly stopped short as Amanda suddenly appeared before them breathlessly, with a concerned look upon her face.
"Guys, I'm glad I caught you. It's Steve. There was an explosion, and-"
Mark cut her off by placing his hand on her shoulder, as his heart skipped a beat. "How bad?"
"Well, he was in the parking lot of a mall and there was an explosion and he got thrown back and-"
Knowing that his son was hurt and not knowing how badly made Mark tense and on edge as he suddenly snapped at Amanda. "Amanda, please! How bad is he?"
"Uh, I'm not sure, he's on the way, in fact he could already be here."
Before Amanda could say another word, Mark ran down the hallway towards the direction of the ER. Jessie and Amanda soon ran after, hoping that they weren't too late. **
As Mark sat quietly by his son's bedside listening to the rhythm of the heart monitor, feeling helpless in a situation all to familiar to him, he tried to feel anything but guilty for leaving him alone that day, but then again Steve was right when he said that he wasn't a little boy anymore. But in Mark's eyes, he would always be the little blond haired, blue eyed, full spirited little boy that would always want to play and be around him, and when Mark would secretly hope that those moments would never go away. But nonetheless, Mark still became proud of his son, and how brave he has always been with his job and with being in Vietnam, and that's something a father can surely be proud of.
And as he gently stroked Steve's hair, in his eyes it was the same little blond haired, blue eyed boy that he would always sit by as he fell asleep, or as they took naps together, having the same love between each other that they did today, and which grew stronger between them as the years went by. And that was the same love that would never let Mark give up on his son, especially now.
Mark then heard a slight knocking on the door and turned slightly to see Jesse coming in with a chart in his hand. "Uh, sorry, I just have the test results of the cat scan."
Mark's attention suddenly focused on Jesse. "How is he, Jess?"
Jesse hesitated a moment. "Mark, he has a severe concussion."
"Well that isn't so bad. He should be fine then, right?"
Jesse swallowed hard before continuing. "Uh, Mark, he also has intercrannial bleeding, which you know can be bad."
"But he doesn't look that bad, Jess."
"Mark, the next six hours are crucial. We'll test again after that, but we may end up having to do surgery on him. We just have to be hopeful at this point. I mean, you know how bad this can be, you've dealt with it before."
"I know, Jesse, I know. I just never thought that the same thing would be..."
Jesse gently laid a hand on Mark's shoulder. "I know. I know. All we can do now is pray that he's going to get better. He's a fighter, he can make it. He has before, and he will again. You just have to be hopeful."
Mark silently nodded as they both stood by his bedside, not noticing Lacey standing behind them with tears silently rolling down her cheeks, as she quietly ran back to her room. **
"Lacey, can you hear me?"
Lacey nodded, her eyes then suddenly flinging open. "Yes, I can hear you! I've heard you for the past week, and I'm sick of it!"
"Wh-"
"Oh yeah, and I don't have my IV hooked up to me tonight, I only made it look like I did. You see, you're not the only one who can trick someone!"
"You little snot! Need I remind you what will happen if you don't cooperate with me?"
"Yeah, and I did, so back off!"
"No, not quite. You see, he's not dead. Only injured. So you didn't complete my orders."
"How was I supposed to know he wouldn't be inside when it went off? And the injuries he did get are pretty severe. I overheard Dr. Travis and Dr. Sloan talking, and it looks pretty bad, okay?"
"No, not okay! Maybe I said earlier that I didn't care if he was injured, but now I do! I want him dead, you understand me?"
"Then do it yourself, because I'm not going to be responsible for taking someone's life."
"Listen you little twit, unless you want that kind of deal on someone else close to you, I suggest you had better!" she replied, taking out a gun. "I want this over once and for all. And I want to make sure it gets done right. And your story would be that whoever caused the explosion must have wanted to kill him, and when he didn't succeed, he came and killed him himself."
"No!! I'm not gonna touch that thing! Besides, Dr. Sloan is going to be by his side all night."
"Oh don't worry, I'll take care of him."
"And what makes you think he would believe you with that stupid story, anyway?"
"I didn't say it would be me. Just say you had another dream. Frankly I don't care what you say, just make it believable."
"No. I won't do it, I don't care what you say."
"Really? Well it can be used on certain other people, as well..."
"Hey, you leave her alone!"
"Mm, maybe, maybe not. It all depends on you. So what's it going to be my dear? Lt. Sloan whom you barely know, or you know who by me? But just remember, the clock is ticking, my dear."
TBC...