Okay here is chapter 2 and just to let everyone know I will be updating
each weekend from now on as during the week it is just a little difficult.
So anyone who is waiting for the next part it should be up next weekend.
Thank you to those that reviewed and I hope you enjoy this next part.
Note: This is a flashback to about 11 months ago and it answers the question of where the 'bullet' came from for those that asked me.
The call had come while Darryl and Cole had been watching a movie at Cole's place. Darryl's presence was required at a crime scene and as had become habit for the two men Cole tagged along. Since Cole saved the lives of three SFPD officers, risking his own in the process during the apprehension of the serial killer a few weeks earlier, Cole's tagging along was never seen as a problem, much to Cole's surprise at first.
When they arrived at the scene it was chaos. Darryl quickly found the officer in charge and was told that they had had a suspect in custody but he escaped, stealing an officer's sidearm, a .45 Automatic, in the process.
"What do you mean he escaped? There have to be 2 dozen officers here." Darryl had practically shouted at the officer in front of him. Cole's hand on his shoulder stopped him from saying more.
"Take it easy Darryl, we'll get him back." Even while he was trying to calm his friend down he had already started to scan the area himself, his heightened sight giving him an advantage. Slowly moving around the area he spotted the prisoner, before he could call out though he saw the man raise and aim the stolen weapon. Cole's eyes automatically followed the trajectory and he simply moved without thinking.
Cole raced towards Darryl and managed to push him to the ground just as he heard the shot ring out. Pain suddenly exploded in his head as he briefly registered the startled look on his friends face before his eyes closed and he fell into the rushing darkness. Cole never heard Darryl call his name as he caught his suddenly limp body before it could hit the pavement. Cole never saw the look of fear on Darryl's face when his hand came away from the back of Cole's head covered in blood. All Cole knew by then was darkness.
Darryl looked up from the note pad he was reading just in time to see Cole come running at him. As he opened his mouth to ask him what was wrong Cole shoved him to the ground. A shot rang out in the night air and pandemonium ensued as every officer on the scene went into action, every officer except Darryl that was. When he heard the shot he looked up in time to see Cole's head jerk forward, the concerned look that had been on his face a moment ago briefly turning to one of extreme pain. Darryl had just enough time to shift his position, having seen Cole's eyes slide closed, to catch his friend's limp body before it could hit the hard ground.
As he settled them carefully on the ground he called Cole's name a few times and getting no answer was actually beginning to scare Darryl. He had stopped thinking of Cole as anything even remotely evil by the second week they had worked together, Cole only using his powers for self-defense against demonic attacks that sometimes came up. He didn't even use them for little things like house chores. Cole had told him he had only wanted to live his life and do some good as an ADA, Cole had even started to open up to him a little about his past when he realized Darryl wasn't going to simply sit in judgment of what he had to say. Darryl's mind snapped back into place as his hand came away from the back of Cole's head covered in blood.
Darryl's heart froze as he realized what had happened. Cole, his friend, had been shot in the back of the head. As his brain was still wrapping itself around the concept and before he had the chance to call out for help he saw a movement just to his left. Unconsciously he held Cole closer, not wanting any more harm to come to him as he turned to see what was happening. He saw five officers taking the perp down to the ground and securing the weapon from him. Darryl automatically took note of the man's position, his mind simply supplying the pertinent information he needed. The reason Cole had pushed him suddenly became clear. Looking down at his bloodied and unconscious friend his soul froze, the bullet had been aimed at him but Cole shoved him out of the way and the bullet found Cole instead.
"I need paramedics and an ambulance over here right now!" Darryl's voice had brought just about every officer on the scene directly to him.
Within a matter of seconds the paramedics that had responded to the first shots fired call were at Cole's side. Even so Darryl never moved away. Twenty minutes later, as they loaded Cole into the ambulance, Darryl climbed in with him without a second thought. One look at Darryl and no one even tried to stop him either. The ride went by without Darryl even noticing as he simply watched Cole's chest rise and fall, afraid to look away, afraid that if he did it would stop and his friend would be gone.
As soon as they arrived at the hospital Cole was taken away and Darryl was left at the nurse's station trying to concentrate on the forms they had handed him. He was debating about whether or not to call Phoebe when a nurse walked up to him, more papers in her hand.
"Are you Inspector Morris?" Her tone was professional but not cold.
"Yes?"
"Could you please sign the consent form?" At Darryl's confused look she explained. "According to paper work found on Mr. Turner's person you are his dedicated decision maker. People with no family often choose their closest friend to act in this capacity so if you could just sign here please."
Darryl took the form and signed it without even really reading it. The nurse's words had stunned him to say the least. She then handed him an envelope with his name on it.
"This is also for you. It was found with the decision maker paperwork." With that she turned and quickly made her way back through the doors they had taken Cole thru.
Darryl simply stared at the envelope for a few minutes, not sure what to do. Finally he just shook himself and opened it. Pulling out the letter he easily recognized his friends handwriting. Taking a deep breath he began to read.
Darryl,
If you are reading this than something has happened to me. I have left paperwork on my person that will take care of the decision-making issues. If I am dead you can find my will and all other paperwork in the safe at my place, you already know the combination. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this before but I didn't know how you'd react. You are the only friend I have, the only true friend I have ever had. I trust you implicitly so I know that you will do what is right and necessary. Please do not call Phoebe or her sisters or Leo. It's better this way.
Thank you Darryl for being my friend. Your friendship has meant more than words can say.
Take care and long life to you my friend.
Cole B. Turner
Darryl simply stared at the letter not quite sure what to do. He knew he couldn't call Phoebe or the others now, not after he asked him not to. Carefully he folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, looking at it one more time before tucking it safely away in his coat pocket. Sitting heavily in one of the waiting room chairs his mind replayed the events of the last month and a half. He had had no idea that Cole had no other friends; he simply assumed that he did. Thinking back he realized that no matter when he had called or shown up Cole had always been willing to go where ever or do whatever Darryl had invited him to do. It never even occurred to him that Cole always agreed and never suggested something else they might do. His mind, with nothing better to do at the moment, went back over several conversations he and Cole had had and again he found himself taken aback by what he was only now just realizing. He was a trained cop and had been around for quite a while, he should have seen. Oh he already knew Cole wasn't evil in the least but he never saw how alone the man was, so alone and lonely that he simply accepted whatever time Darryl chose to offer him.
"Well no more simply settling Cole," he said to the empty room, "I said you were my friend and I have let you down, but no more. You will never be alone again my friend. I promise." He only hoped he wasn't too late to fulfill his promise.
Five hours later the Doctor came out and called for him.
"Your friend is lucky in a way. He should be able to go home in a few days." The Doctor smiled at the relieved look on Darryl's face.
"Thank you Doctor."
"Blackwell. Dr. Raven Blackwell at your service." They shook hands then Dr. Blackwell motioned for him to follow her. "There are a few things that you need to know though." Darryl's smile disappeared as he listened to the Doctor whilst following her to Cole's room.
"He's awake right now and I think it would be best if I explained everything to both of you. He already knows that we couldn't remove the bullet and that it, for a bullet mind you; it did little actual physical damage to his skull. We used a small titanium plate to seal the breach it made as it entered and the small bandage on the lower part of the back of his head is simply there to keep the stitches clean until I remove them in seven days. As I said he is awake but he is still a little out of it from the anesthesia used while we put the plate in place." Dr. Blackwell stopped just outside the door to a private room that bore Cole's name beside it. "Are you ready Inspector Morris because what my patient needs right now is a friend."
Darryl looked into the Doctor's eyes and saw something he couldn't quite place, but he also saw something he could identify easily and that was worry. "Then you are in luck Dr. Blackwell because that is exactly what I am. I'm Cole's friend and if you even think I am going to runaway because of anything you have said or will say in that room you are wrong." The feeling that he had just done something very good for his friend made him smile.
"I'm glad to hear that." Dr. Blackwell swung open the door and Darryl quickly followed her inside.
As Darryl made his way across the room to his friend's side his mind whispered on word to him. vulnerable. He wasn't sure if the word echoed in his head because his friend looked so small lying there in the hospital bed with his eyes closed, an IV running into his right hand; or if it was the sound of the heart monitor as it sped up when Cole opened his eyes and looked over at him. When he looked into his friend's eyes he realized it didn't matter, all that mattered was that his friend needed him and he had every intention of being there for him no matter what.
"How are you feeling Mr. Turner?" Dr. Blackwell asked, and as Darryl watched, she removed a loaded syringe from her lab coat pocket and injected its contents into the IV bag hanging above Cole's bed. After tossing the used syringe out she gently placed her fingers in his wrist and looked at her watch, checking his pulse.
"Aside from the elephant running around my head I feel fine." Cole never took his eyes off of Darryl as he spoke, almost as if he were afraid that if he did Darryl would disappear and he would be alone again.
Darryl easily read the look of fear in Cole's eyes and he now understood that fear better, Cole wasn't just afraid because of the bullet, he was afraid of being left alone again. Well my friend he thought to himself with a smile that's one thing you aren't ever going to have to worry about again. Reaching the side of the bed, he smiled as he gently laid his hand on Cole's shoulder wanting to help dispel some of his fear. He found himself pleasantly pleased when Cole smiled up at him and the sound of the heart monitor began to slow down, returning to a more normal rhythm. Both of their smiles disappeared though as they listened to Dr. Blackwell.
Darryl tried to listen objectively to what Dr. Blackwell was telling them but he found his emotions getting the better of him. He listened as she told them that the bullet couldn't be removed and in situations like this they simply had to take a wait and see attitude. Feeling the muscles under his hand tense at the Doctors words Darryl instinctively ran his hand down Cole's arm, before he even made it half way though Cole had reached up and grabbed his hand in turn. The grip Cole had on his hand was painful but Darryl didn't care, he simply held on. The fact that Cole had never even looked over to him but simply reacted, reaching out for him blindly did not go unnoticed either. Cole trusted him and Darryl had no intentions of letting him down ever again. Knowing he should be listening he forced his mind back to the Doctor's words.
"Now, as I have said the bullet is somewhat firmly lodged in place, however this does not mean that it won't move. When it does, the most frequent reaction will be severe head pain and for this I will be giving you pain medication loaded into specially designed air hypos, similar to what a person would carry with them if they were highly allergic to bee stings. Over the next few days I will train you on how to handle these situations, however it would be prudent to have someone else also trained on how to administer the medication should you be unable to do it yourself." Doctor Blackwell paused, looking expectantly at her patient.
When Darryl realized that Cole wasn't going to say anything he spoke up himself. "That would be me Doctor." The startled look Cole gave him made him smile a little as he squeezed Cole's hand in reassurance. Before Cole could say anything though Doctor Blackwell's voice made them both turn back to her.
"All right that problem is solved. Now Mr. Turner."
"Please Dr. Blackwell, just call me Cole." As Cole's voice interrupted her Darryl noticed that it now had a slightly slurred quality to it, but before he had a chance to say anything Doctor Blackwell continued.
"Now then, Cole, the only other major issue we need to deal with right now is the issue of where you will be staying when you leave here in a few days. It would be best if you were to either have a friend stay with you at your place or for you to stay with a friend at their place until we know a bit more about where this is heading. If that won't be possible then I can have a room made available for you here in our convalescent wing." Doctor Blackwell again paused awaiting a response from her patient and again none was forthcoming. Darryl knew now without a doubt that Cole would never ask so he simply answered for him again.
"That won't be necessary Doctor, he'll be staying with me." Darryl found himself smiling as he spoke but he quickly became worried again as Cole turned to him with a surprised look on his face. Normally he would have found this look amusing but Cole's eyes had a slightly glazed look to them and his words were becoming even more slurred.
"Darryl you don't have to." Cole's voice started to fade out a bit as he fought to keep his eyes open.
"No I don't have to, I want to. End of problem and end of discussion my friend." He smiled at Cole before turning his gaze on the Doctor. Her next words put his mind at ease though.
"Excellent. You have a very good friend here Cole and now it's time for you to get some rest. It's nothing to worry about Inspector, it's just the sedative I gave him when we came in beginning to take effect." Doctor Blackwell explained. "He'll sleep the rest of tonight and probably most of tomorrow morning, once he gives up fighting it that is."
Darryl saw a small smile play along the Doctor's lips as she shook her head at his friend. When he looked down he could plainly see that Cole was indeed fighting the drug, fighting to stay awake. The fear in Cole's eyes grew as his mind finally processed what the Doctor had said. Knowing that he wasn't going anywhere, Darryl took the chair that was against the wall by Cole's head and pulled it next to the bed.
"I'll be back in the morning to check on the two of you and if you need anything there is a nurse's station right outside the door." Doctor Blackwell explained as she moved to the door to leave. When Darryl looked over to her she answered his question before he even voiced it. "The nurse's station will be manned through out the night and I am not leaving the building, so try and relax Inspector." There was a smile on her face as she spoke and Darryl found himself smiling in return.
"Thank you Doctor and good night." He watched the door close behind her and then turned, making himself comfortable in the chair. He couldn't help but smile as he watched Cole's glazed eyes look first at their still joined hands and then directly over at him, the fear in them still plain to see.
"Go to sleep my friend. I'll still be here when you wake up. I promise, I'm not going anywhere so just close your eyes and go to sleep." Darryl spoke softly as he tried to ease the fear in his friend and much to his surprise he saw the fear begin to recede. "That's it, just relax and go with it. I'm not going anywhere." He watched as Cole tried to say something but instead his eyes fell shut and his body relaxed as the sedative finally won the battle putting him to sleep. Darryl smiled though as even in sleep Cole still never released his hold on his hand. Not wanting to disturb Cole now that he was finally asleep he simply laid back in his chair as best he could and tried to get some sleep himself. The fact that he too didn't want to let go of Cole's hand simply made him smile as he started to drift off. No Cole would never be alone again, not if he had any say in the matter and he did.
Darryl wasn't sure what woke him up but the first thing he saw was the clock on the wall. It read 3 AM, which told him he had been asleep for about three hours. Cole's frightened voice quickly cleared the sleep from his brain though.
"No. please mother. I won't let it happen again."
Darryl quickly moved closer to Cole's now curled up form as he heard the heart monitors beeping rapidly increasing in speed.
"I'll. I'll do better next. time. Please. don't mother."
The voice Darryl now heard clearly was that of a child, a child begging his mother not to hurt him. He had been a cop long enough, had seen and heard enough to recognize an abuse nightmare when he heard one. He immediately began to softly call Cole's name knowing that simply shaking him awake would only scare his friend even more. He kept repeating the name like a mantra and it seemed to be working, Cole appeared to be quieting down. When he was pretty sure he wouldn't frighten him Darryl gently placed his hand on Cole's shoulder, offering him a way out of his nightmare.
The minute Darryl's hand made contact though Cole shot up off the bed. He barely had time to take a breath though before he became dizzy and started to fall over, right into Darryl's waiting arms. Cole took a moment to try getting himself together expecting to be pushed away any second. Instead he felt Darryl's hand begin to rub comforting circles on his back and he honestly didn't know what to do. No one had ever really cared enough about him before to even bother trying to help him. The drug the doctor had given him earlier wasn't helping him to think too clearly either so he said what automatically came to mind.
"Sorry."
"What?" Darryl was sure he had to have heard Cole wrong.
"Said I was sorry. Didn't mean to bother you." Cole could now plainly hear the slurring of his own words as his world began to gray out on him again. He barely felt it as Darryl carefully laid him back down in the bed, but he did see the look in his friend's eyes. He was surprised to find only worry there when he had thought all he would see would be annoyance.
"Cole you are not bothering me. You had a nightmare, that's all. It's not like you could help it." Darryl watched as Cole shook his head a little, as if to contradict him.
"Shouldn't have made you stay. Now my nightmares will keep you up all night too." Cole didn't really want Darryl to leave but he also didn't want to be a bother to him either.
Darryl looked more closely at his friend as his words registered. "Cole. Cole." When Cole finally returned Darryl's gaze he asked a question, hoping the sedative would make it easier to get him to talk. "How often do you have nightmares?"
"Every night since I got back." Cole didn't really understand what was going on as it was taking most of his energy just to stay awake. He did notice the horrified look appear on Darryl's face though and again responded to it automatically. "Sorry."
Darryl found himself sitting down heavily in the chair, his hand once again finding its way into Cole's grasp. Every night. Darryl's mind was in a whirl as he digested this new piece of information. Every night for over 3 months Cole had been having nightmares, nightmares that up until now would go on all night since there had been no one to wake him from them.
"Why?" Darryl meant why did he keep saying sorry when he clearly had nothing to be sorry about, but Cole thought that he had meant something else entirely and answered accordingly.
"The Source.. woke memories to torture me with so I. so I couldn't fight back. couldn't take back.. control." Cole's eyes were closing again and Darryl let them, he didn't want to take advantage of his friend.
As he watched Cole drift off again he thanked the Doctor for giving Cole the sedative in the first place. If she hadn't Cole wouldn't be getting any sleep at all. As Darryl watched his friend sleep his mind drifted, he thought about his own nightmares and how Shelia used to be there to wake him up. His wife wasn't there anymore, one too many secrets and their marriage disintegrated. She had stopped trusting him and that had hurt, he had tried to explain but she didn't want to hear it and she left. He remembered the day he had gotten the final divorce papers, he had had a nightmare that night and this time there was no one to wake him up. He remembered the fear that had lingered through most of the next day and shuddered as he realized that Cole had been living with that strange lingering fear every day for a little over three months, living with it all alone. Well no more suffering alone my friend, no more, Darryl thought to himself as he too drifted off again.
Darryl jerked awake again and again the first thing he saw was the clock, only this time it read 4 AM. He quickly looked to the bed and found Cole caught in yet another nightmare.
"No please. he's. innocent. just a baby. please don't."
The pleading quality of Cole's voice cut through Darryl like a knife as he quickly stood up, the sound of the heart monitor attesting to his friend's distress once again. Cole started to thrash about and Darryl began to worry that he would pull out his IV; it was at that moment that he realized that he hadn't been holding Cole's hand when he woke up this time either. Thinking quickly he again softly called Cole's name hoping his voice would have the same effect as last time. He was not disappointed. As Cole began to settle down he once again placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, but this time he was ready and caught Cole before he got too far off the bed. As he gently pushed him back down he saw a look of abject terror enter the blue eyes that were now looking back up at him, he also noted that there was no recognition in them.
"Shhhh. take it easy Cole, it's all right. It's me Darryl and it was just a nightmare. Take it easy." Darryl wasn't sure if he was getting through to him or not and not knowing what else to do he simply reached down and grabbed Cole's hand again. "It's all right you're safe. It's just me, Darryl and you're safe." He repeated this a few more times, holding on tight to his friends hand, and was relieved when he saw the fear recede.
"Darryl? What?" Confusion replaced fear as Cole quickly looked around, almost as if looking for something or someone.
"It was just a nightmare. It's all right, it's just us here and you're safe." Darryl watched as Cole shifted himself around on the bed, rolling closer to him and still somewhat agitated. "Relax, Cole. You're safe, so just relax. That's it, just relax." Darryl breathed a quiet sigh of relief as Cole finally settled down, though he did quickly pull his chair closer to the bed as Cole's shifting had brought him very close to the edge. As he sat down Cole's eyes opened and looked directly at him.
"Darryl?" There was still some confusion in the blue eyes and it worried Darryl a little until he remembered what the doctor said about sleeping though most of the morning too.
"Yeah. It's just me my friend. Go back to sleep." He knew the sedative would kick in again rather quickly, at least he hoped it would.
"I'm sorry. You should. go home. get some sleep." Even as he said the words he tightened his hold on Darryl's hand.
Darryl knew Cole didn't want him to leave, which suited him just fine because he had no intentions of leaving anyway. "I said I wasn't going anywhere and I'm not so just give it up and go back to sleep my friend." He watched as Cole continued to struggle to stay awake though, almost as if he were afraid of going back to sleep. He suddenly got a bad feeling and even though he didn't want to take advantage of his friend's drugged condition he decided to ask anyway. Somehow he knew that Cole's reluctance to simply give in had something to do with his last nightmare. "Cole, who was just a innocent baby?" The reaction he got however was a bit more than he bargained for.
Darryl stood up quickly as the heart monitor went wild and Cole's eyes became wide while his body began to shake.
"No no no no no."
The words were frantic and laced with fear as Cole suddenly began to thrash about wildly as if trying to escape something or someone. Darryl found himself reacting instinctively yet again as he made a grab for Cole afraid he would hurt himself as his friend rolled precariously close to the opposite edge of the bed. Suddenly he was perched on the bed behind Cole with his arms wrapped around Cole's chest, pinning Cole's arms to his sides at the same time. Cole continued to struggle with him but his coordination was pitiful and at the moment he lacked the brute strength to break free from Darryl's grasp.
"No can't talk about him. can't.. think about son."
Cole's words were frantic yet eerily quiet at the same time and they struck Darryl like a physical blow, so stunned was he that he almost lost his hold on his friend. Shaking his head, Darryl simply tightened his hold and started to rock his friend gently back and forth. He wasn't sure why he did it and he almost stopped when he thought it wasn't doing any good, but then Cole stopped his struggling, his legs finally stopping their frantic kicking. Darryl continued to rock him gently as Cole's hands reached up and grabbed his forearms, tears falling from his eyes and landing on Darryl's joined hands.
"I'm sorry. It's all right you don't have to talk about it; you don't have to say anything. I'm sorry." Darryl continued to simply rock with him until he heard the heart monitor begin to slow down again and he could feel Cole's body begin to relax. After about five minutes he felt Cole's body finally go limp in his arms, but when he tried to move so he could get off the bed and lay Cole down again Cole's hands tightened on his arms stopping him dead.
He was still trying to figure out how to make Cole more comfortable when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Quickly looking over he saw Dr. Blackwell standing a few feet in front of the door; the look on her face was one he couldn't quite decipher. He watched as she quietly made her way over to them. Before she reached the bed though she detoured to the closet and removed two pillows, which she then brought over to the bed.
"Here, I think you'll be more comfortable being propped up, it will also make it easier on Cole's neck." She laughed softly at his expression. "Inspector."
"Darryl." He wasn't sure why he even said it but he did and she smiled almost like she knew a secret that they didn't. He didn't have time though to try and figure out what her secret was, he was too concerned with the man who was now, for all intents and purposes, sleeping peacefully in his arms.
"Darryl, I told you before that what my patient needs right now is a friend, one he can trust implicitly. Considering what I saw when I came in, you are that friend." Darryl didn't say anything but simply kept looking at her. "I told you I wasn't leaving the hospital and when he had his first nightmare the nurse on duty called me and I decided to stick close just in case I was needed. However I can see that you have everything well in hand. You are what he really needs right now. I may be his doctor but I have done all I can medically do for him for the time being, right now you are the only one who can help him and you are doing a great job."
Darryl simply looked at her, trying to figure out what she knew that he didn't, wondering if something had happened before she had come to the waiting room to fetch him and if so what. When Cole suddenly shifted a little in his arms, wriggling downward till his head rested on Darryl's arm, effectively using it as a pillow before going still once more, Darryl saw a look flash across her eyes. This was a look he knew well for this look was guilt.
"All right Doctor, what happened and don't tell me nothing because the look on your face tells me something happened, something happened before you came and got me so spill." He hadn't meant to sound harsh but when he put the Doctor's guilty look together with his friends current state he found he just couldn't help it. He watched as she looked to Cole before returning her gaze to him.
"You are right something did happen and that something is probably going to make him want to leave here sooner than he should. I hope you will be able to convince him that he needs to stay here till he's ready to leave though." She took a deep steadying breath before she continued. "Cole has a very strong constitution, stronger than the staff in the operating room thought. You see, with an injury like this, in this location, the patient is rolled onto their side with their wrists secured to a board that is perpendicular to the table in front of the patient's head. This allows the staff access to the IV's main port as well as the patient's upper arm for BP readings. Their ankles are secured to a board near the foot of the table whilst their head is kept immobile by another strap that is secured at the head of the table. This is done so that if there is any unconscious muscular movement the patient cannot accidentally hurt himself. By the time the patient is moved into this position though they have already been put to sleep and intubated."
"Oh my god. He. he." Darryl found himself at a loss for words.
"Woke up. Yes he did, like I said he has a very strong constitution. Unfortunately no one noticed right away because the ET tube bypasses the vocal chords rendering them useless. It wasn't until the alarms on the ventilator and the EKG monitor went off that they became aware of the fact that he was indeed awake and by then in a state of total panic. His heart rate had suddenly gone right off the chart as he struggled with the straps and fought the ventilator that was doing most of his breathing for him. A nurse immediately tried to calm him down while the anesthesiologist retrieved a different medication but by then Cole had gone someplace that the nurse couldn't reach as he continued to struggle to get lose. Finally Dr. Frank returned and quickly administered a more powerful drug, one that finally succeeded in putting him under. That's why I decided to sedate him for tonight. He needs to relax."
"Relax! You want him to relax after waking up in the middle of his own surgery!" Darryl couldn't believe it; it was like fate decided once again to kick his friend while he was down. He hadn't realized he had shouted until he heard Cole's voice.
"Darryl? What. what's wrong? Are you. all right?" Cole opened his eyes and immediately fear flashed through him. His body was lying in the same position it had been when he had woken up and found himself tied down and unable to speak. Afraid it was going to happen again he started to push himself backwards, away from the person in white who stood next to him. He was unable to focus enough to know that it was his doctor and that he was in his room and that it was Darryl, who was lying behind him, that was preventing him from being able to roll away. His terror grew as he saw her walk away only to quickly return with a needle in her hand. As she grabbed his wrist, pulling it towards her and swiftly inserting the needle into the port closest to his hand, he tried to pull away but he lacked the strength. He was beginning to find it harder to breath as his terror began to overwhelm him. Desperate, he started to reach out with his left hand to try and grab her to stop her. He wanted to push her away from him so he could get loose but another hand stopped him just as he saw the plunger go down. He never noticed the tears that began to roll down his cheeks as he unconsciously called out Darryl's name.
"Take it easy my friend, you're safe." Darryl wasn't quite sure what to do so he simply let his instincts guide him again. Quickly shifting his grip from Cole's wrist to his hand he brought their clasped hands across the front of Cole, pulling Cole so his back rested securely against him. When his hand brushed the side of Cole's face he felt the hot tears that were still silently falling as his friends body continued to shake in his arms. Cole's next words told Darryl exactly what was wrong.
"Please. don't let. him. please. not again. please Darryl. please."
The words were broken as Cole's breathing was still erratic but Darryl understood him, he also now understood who Cole was so desperately trying to escape from. As he placed his face close to Cole's ear he didn't even care that Dr. Blackwell was standing right there and would hear everything he said, all he cared about was calming Cole down before he could hurt himself anymore than he already was. He kept his voice calm and even as he tried to break through the wall of terror that separated Cole from reality.
"Shh. It's all right Cole. You're safe. You're free and you're safe. He's gone. He can't hurt you anymore. He's gone and he can never come back. You're safe." Darryl simply kept repeating his words in a calm and soothing tone. Slowly he felt Cole's body stop it's shaking and his breathing began to slow down to a more normal rhythm. "That's it. Relax. You're safe. He's gone and he can't hurt you anymore. Just relax and rest. That's it."
When Cole had felt someone wrap their arm around him from behind, pulling him close to them, he was surprised to find his terror begin to drain away a little, at least enough so his mind could form words, words that he spoke without actually realizing what he was doing. As he heard a voice suddenly start speaking close to his ear he felt even more of his fear fall away as his mind recognized the voice. Using it like a lifeline he followed it out of the darkness his own terror had created, his breathing becoming easier as a calmness began to descend upon him quelling his fear. He was confused, confused and tired but he still sought, without question the safety his friend was offering him. "Promise?" Cole knew he shouldn't ask, but before he could even begin to wonder if he had asked too much of his only friend, Darryl answered him.
When Darryl had felt Cole stop shaking he knew he was getting through to him so he just kept on repeating his words. Finally he heard the heart monitor that sat above the bed begin to regain a more natural pace as Cole's breathing evened out. Darryl knew that if he had not been so close to his friend he never would have heard his whispered plea, and even knowing that he shouldn't he found himself answering the plea.
"Yes Cole I promise. He is gone and he can't hurt you anymore. I won't let him. So just close your eyes and go to sleep. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
He had expected to feel guilty about lying to Cole but for some reason, one he couldn't even begin to guess at right then, the guilt he was waiting for never came. Instead, as he felt Cole finally let go and surrender to some much needed sleep; he found himself also letting go and beginning to drift off. He was vaguely aware of Dr. Blackwell raising the metal guard on Cole's side of the bed and quietly locking it into place. She had a smile on her face and there was suddenly something very familiar about her eyes but when he blinked she had disappeared. Startled he automatically began to try and get up but a firm hand pushed him back down as he heard her quiet voice in his ear.
"Sh Darryl. It's only me. I'm putting up the bed guards so neither of you boys rolls out of bed accidentally. Now I suggest that you take your own advice and go with it. Cole is going to need you in the coming week and you need to rest or you won't be able to help him. Don't worry, this time he will sleep through till morning. I promise. Now go to sleep."
Her voice had a soothing quality to it and Darryl found himself taking his own advice for a change. Even as he relaxed though he never loosened his hold on Cole. A ghost of a smile played across his lips a moment later as he felt Cole burrow in next to him, nestling his face against his shoulder before crossing over into sleep. An image of a puppy burrowing for warmth flashed though his mind as he followed his friend into sleep.
Well another chapter over and the story has only just begun. please review!!! Let me know if I should continue posting this story. please review!!!! Oh and for the person who asked if this was a slash fic. it's not. Sorry but there is a wonderful woman in each of the boys lives. and for the Cole and Phoebe fans, sorry it's not Phoebe.
Note: This is a flashback to about 11 months ago and it answers the question of where the 'bullet' came from for those that asked me.
The call had come while Darryl and Cole had been watching a movie at Cole's place. Darryl's presence was required at a crime scene and as had become habit for the two men Cole tagged along. Since Cole saved the lives of three SFPD officers, risking his own in the process during the apprehension of the serial killer a few weeks earlier, Cole's tagging along was never seen as a problem, much to Cole's surprise at first.
When they arrived at the scene it was chaos. Darryl quickly found the officer in charge and was told that they had had a suspect in custody but he escaped, stealing an officer's sidearm, a .45 Automatic, in the process.
"What do you mean he escaped? There have to be 2 dozen officers here." Darryl had practically shouted at the officer in front of him. Cole's hand on his shoulder stopped him from saying more.
"Take it easy Darryl, we'll get him back." Even while he was trying to calm his friend down he had already started to scan the area himself, his heightened sight giving him an advantage. Slowly moving around the area he spotted the prisoner, before he could call out though he saw the man raise and aim the stolen weapon. Cole's eyes automatically followed the trajectory and he simply moved without thinking.
Cole raced towards Darryl and managed to push him to the ground just as he heard the shot ring out. Pain suddenly exploded in his head as he briefly registered the startled look on his friends face before his eyes closed and he fell into the rushing darkness. Cole never heard Darryl call his name as he caught his suddenly limp body before it could hit the pavement. Cole never saw the look of fear on Darryl's face when his hand came away from the back of Cole's head covered in blood. All Cole knew by then was darkness.
Darryl looked up from the note pad he was reading just in time to see Cole come running at him. As he opened his mouth to ask him what was wrong Cole shoved him to the ground. A shot rang out in the night air and pandemonium ensued as every officer on the scene went into action, every officer except Darryl that was. When he heard the shot he looked up in time to see Cole's head jerk forward, the concerned look that had been on his face a moment ago briefly turning to one of extreme pain. Darryl had just enough time to shift his position, having seen Cole's eyes slide closed, to catch his friend's limp body before it could hit the hard ground.
As he settled them carefully on the ground he called Cole's name a few times and getting no answer was actually beginning to scare Darryl. He had stopped thinking of Cole as anything even remotely evil by the second week they had worked together, Cole only using his powers for self-defense against demonic attacks that sometimes came up. He didn't even use them for little things like house chores. Cole had told him he had only wanted to live his life and do some good as an ADA, Cole had even started to open up to him a little about his past when he realized Darryl wasn't going to simply sit in judgment of what he had to say. Darryl's mind snapped back into place as his hand came away from the back of Cole's head covered in blood.
Darryl's heart froze as he realized what had happened. Cole, his friend, had been shot in the back of the head. As his brain was still wrapping itself around the concept and before he had the chance to call out for help he saw a movement just to his left. Unconsciously he held Cole closer, not wanting any more harm to come to him as he turned to see what was happening. He saw five officers taking the perp down to the ground and securing the weapon from him. Darryl automatically took note of the man's position, his mind simply supplying the pertinent information he needed. The reason Cole had pushed him suddenly became clear. Looking down at his bloodied and unconscious friend his soul froze, the bullet had been aimed at him but Cole shoved him out of the way and the bullet found Cole instead.
"I need paramedics and an ambulance over here right now!" Darryl's voice had brought just about every officer on the scene directly to him.
Within a matter of seconds the paramedics that had responded to the first shots fired call were at Cole's side. Even so Darryl never moved away. Twenty minutes later, as they loaded Cole into the ambulance, Darryl climbed in with him without a second thought. One look at Darryl and no one even tried to stop him either. The ride went by without Darryl even noticing as he simply watched Cole's chest rise and fall, afraid to look away, afraid that if he did it would stop and his friend would be gone.
As soon as they arrived at the hospital Cole was taken away and Darryl was left at the nurse's station trying to concentrate on the forms they had handed him. He was debating about whether or not to call Phoebe when a nurse walked up to him, more papers in her hand.
"Are you Inspector Morris?" Her tone was professional but not cold.
"Yes?"
"Could you please sign the consent form?" At Darryl's confused look she explained. "According to paper work found on Mr. Turner's person you are his dedicated decision maker. People with no family often choose their closest friend to act in this capacity so if you could just sign here please."
Darryl took the form and signed it without even really reading it. The nurse's words had stunned him to say the least. She then handed him an envelope with his name on it.
"This is also for you. It was found with the decision maker paperwork." With that she turned and quickly made her way back through the doors they had taken Cole thru.
Darryl simply stared at the envelope for a few minutes, not sure what to do. Finally he just shook himself and opened it. Pulling out the letter he easily recognized his friends handwriting. Taking a deep breath he began to read.
Darryl,
If you are reading this than something has happened to me. I have left paperwork on my person that will take care of the decision-making issues. If I am dead you can find my will and all other paperwork in the safe at my place, you already know the combination. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this before but I didn't know how you'd react. You are the only friend I have, the only true friend I have ever had. I trust you implicitly so I know that you will do what is right and necessary. Please do not call Phoebe or her sisters or Leo. It's better this way.
Thank you Darryl for being my friend. Your friendship has meant more than words can say.
Take care and long life to you my friend.
Cole B. Turner
Darryl simply stared at the letter not quite sure what to do. He knew he couldn't call Phoebe or the others now, not after he asked him not to. Carefully he folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, looking at it one more time before tucking it safely away in his coat pocket. Sitting heavily in one of the waiting room chairs his mind replayed the events of the last month and a half. He had had no idea that Cole had no other friends; he simply assumed that he did. Thinking back he realized that no matter when he had called or shown up Cole had always been willing to go where ever or do whatever Darryl had invited him to do. It never even occurred to him that Cole always agreed and never suggested something else they might do. His mind, with nothing better to do at the moment, went back over several conversations he and Cole had had and again he found himself taken aback by what he was only now just realizing. He was a trained cop and had been around for quite a while, he should have seen. Oh he already knew Cole wasn't evil in the least but he never saw how alone the man was, so alone and lonely that he simply accepted whatever time Darryl chose to offer him.
"Well no more simply settling Cole," he said to the empty room, "I said you were my friend and I have let you down, but no more. You will never be alone again my friend. I promise." He only hoped he wasn't too late to fulfill his promise.
Five hours later the Doctor came out and called for him.
"Your friend is lucky in a way. He should be able to go home in a few days." The Doctor smiled at the relieved look on Darryl's face.
"Thank you Doctor."
"Blackwell. Dr. Raven Blackwell at your service." They shook hands then Dr. Blackwell motioned for him to follow her. "There are a few things that you need to know though." Darryl's smile disappeared as he listened to the Doctor whilst following her to Cole's room.
"He's awake right now and I think it would be best if I explained everything to both of you. He already knows that we couldn't remove the bullet and that it, for a bullet mind you; it did little actual physical damage to his skull. We used a small titanium plate to seal the breach it made as it entered and the small bandage on the lower part of the back of his head is simply there to keep the stitches clean until I remove them in seven days. As I said he is awake but he is still a little out of it from the anesthesia used while we put the plate in place." Dr. Blackwell stopped just outside the door to a private room that bore Cole's name beside it. "Are you ready Inspector Morris because what my patient needs right now is a friend."
Darryl looked into the Doctor's eyes and saw something he couldn't quite place, but he also saw something he could identify easily and that was worry. "Then you are in luck Dr. Blackwell because that is exactly what I am. I'm Cole's friend and if you even think I am going to runaway because of anything you have said or will say in that room you are wrong." The feeling that he had just done something very good for his friend made him smile.
"I'm glad to hear that." Dr. Blackwell swung open the door and Darryl quickly followed her inside.
As Darryl made his way across the room to his friend's side his mind whispered on word to him. vulnerable. He wasn't sure if the word echoed in his head because his friend looked so small lying there in the hospital bed with his eyes closed, an IV running into his right hand; or if it was the sound of the heart monitor as it sped up when Cole opened his eyes and looked over at him. When he looked into his friend's eyes he realized it didn't matter, all that mattered was that his friend needed him and he had every intention of being there for him no matter what.
"How are you feeling Mr. Turner?" Dr. Blackwell asked, and as Darryl watched, she removed a loaded syringe from her lab coat pocket and injected its contents into the IV bag hanging above Cole's bed. After tossing the used syringe out she gently placed her fingers in his wrist and looked at her watch, checking his pulse.
"Aside from the elephant running around my head I feel fine." Cole never took his eyes off of Darryl as he spoke, almost as if he were afraid that if he did Darryl would disappear and he would be alone again.
Darryl easily read the look of fear in Cole's eyes and he now understood that fear better, Cole wasn't just afraid because of the bullet, he was afraid of being left alone again. Well my friend he thought to himself with a smile that's one thing you aren't ever going to have to worry about again. Reaching the side of the bed, he smiled as he gently laid his hand on Cole's shoulder wanting to help dispel some of his fear. He found himself pleasantly pleased when Cole smiled up at him and the sound of the heart monitor began to slow down, returning to a more normal rhythm. Both of their smiles disappeared though as they listened to Dr. Blackwell.
Darryl tried to listen objectively to what Dr. Blackwell was telling them but he found his emotions getting the better of him. He listened as she told them that the bullet couldn't be removed and in situations like this they simply had to take a wait and see attitude. Feeling the muscles under his hand tense at the Doctors words Darryl instinctively ran his hand down Cole's arm, before he even made it half way though Cole had reached up and grabbed his hand in turn. The grip Cole had on his hand was painful but Darryl didn't care, he simply held on. The fact that Cole had never even looked over to him but simply reacted, reaching out for him blindly did not go unnoticed either. Cole trusted him and Darryl had no intentions of letting him down ever again. Knowing he should be listening he forced his mind back to the Doctor's words.
"Now, as I have said the bullet is somewhat firmly lodged in place, however this does not mean that it won't move. When it does, the most frequent reaction will be severe head pain and for this I will be giving you pain medication loaded into specially designed air hypos, similar to what a person would carry with them if they were highly allergic to bee stings. Over the next few days I will train you on how to handle these situations, however it would be prudent to have someone else also trained on how to administer the medication should you be unable to do it yourself." Doctor Blackwell paused, looking expectantly at her patient.
When Darryl realized that Cole wasn't going to say anything he spoke up himself. "That would be me Doctor." The startled look Cole gave him made him smile a little as he squeezed Cole's hand in reassurance. Before Cole could say anything though Doctor Blackwell's voice made them both turn back to her.
"All right that problem is solved. Now Mr. Turner."
"Please Dr. Blackwell, just call me Cole." As Cole's voice interrupted her Darryl noticed that it now had a slightly slurred quality to it, but before he had a chance to say anything Doctor Blackwell continued.
"Now then, Cole, the only other major issue we need to deal with right now is the issue of where you will be staying when you leave here in a few days. It would be best if you were to either have a friend stay with you at your place or for you to stay with a friend at their place until we know a bit more about where this is heading. If that won't be possible then I can have a room made available for you here in our convalescent wing." Doctor Blackwell again paused awaiting a response from her patient and again none was forthcoming. Darryl knew now without a doubt that Cole would never ask so he simply answered for him again.
"That won't be necessary Doctor, he'll be staying with me." Darryl found himself smiling as he spoke but he quickly became worried again as Cole turned to him with a surprised look on his face. Normally he would have found this look amusing but Cole's eyes had a slightly glazed look to them and his words were becoming even more slurred.
"Darryl you don't have to." Cole's voice started to fade out a bit as he fought to keep his eyes open.
"No I don't have to, I want to. End of problem and end of discussion my friend." He smiled at Cole before turning his gaze on the Doctor. Her next words put his mind at ease though.
"Excellent. You have a very good friend here Cole and now it's time for you to get some rest. It's nothing to worry about Inspector, it's just the sedative I gave him when we came in beginning to take effect." Doctor Blackwell explained. "He'll sleep the rest of tonight and probably most of tomorrow morning, once he gives up fighting it that is."
Darryl saw a small smile play along the Doctor's lips as she shook her head at his friend. When he looked down he could plainly see that Cole was indeed fighting the drug, fighting to stay awake. The fear in Cole's eyes grew as his mind finally processed what the Doctor had said. Knowing that he wasn't going anywhere, Darryl took the chair that was against the wall by Cole's head and pulled it next to the bed.
"I'll be back in the morning to check on the two of you and if you need anything there is a nurse's station right outside the door." Doctor Blackwell explained as she moved to the door to leave. When Darryl looked over to her she answered his question before he even voiced it. "The nurse's station will be manned through out the night and I am not leaving the building, so try and relax Inspector." There was a smile on her face as she spoke and Darryl found himself smiling in return.
"Thank you Doctor and good night." He watched the door close behind her and then turned, making himself comfortable in the chair. He couldn't help but smile as he watched Cole's glazed eyes look first at their still joined hands and then directly over at him, the fear in them still plain to see.
"Go to sleep my friend. I'll still be here when you wake up. I promise, I'm not going anywhere so just close your eyes and go to sleep." Darryl spoke softly as he tried to ease the fear in his friend and much to his surprise he saw the fear begin to recede. "That's it, just relax and go with it. I'm not going anywhere." He watched as Cole tried to say something but instead his eyes fell shut and his body relaxed as the sedative finally won the battle putting him to sleep. Darryl smiled though as even in sleep Cole still never released his hold on his hand. Not wanting to disturb Cole now that he was finally asleep he simply laid back in his chair as best he could and tried to get some sleep himself. The fact that he too didn't want to let go of Cole's hand simply made him smile as he started to drift off. No Cole would never be alone again, not if he had any say in the matter and he did.
Darryl wasn't sure what woke him up but the first thing he saw was the clock on the wall. It read 3 AM, which told him he had been asleep for about three hours. Cole's frightened voice quickly cleared the sleep from his brain though.
"No. please mother. I won't let it happen again."
Darryl quickly moved closer to Cole's now curled up form as he heard the heart monitors beeping rapidly increasing in speed.
"I'll. I'll do better next. time. Please. don't mother."
The voice Darryl now heard clearly was that of a child, a child begging his mother not to hurt him. He had been a cop long enough, had seen and heard enough to recognize an abuse nightmare when he heard one. He immediately began to softly call Cole's name knowing that simply shaking him awake would only scare his friend even more. He kept repeating the name like a mantra and it seemed to be working, Cole appeared to be quieting down. When he was pretty sure he wouldn't frighten him Darryl gently placed his hand on Cole's shoulder, offering him a way out of his nightmare.
The minute Darryl's hand made contact though Cole shot up off the bed. He barely had time to take a breath though before he became dizzy and started to fall over, right into Darryl's waiting arms. Cole took a moment to try getting himself together expecting to be pushed away any second. Instead he felt Darryl's hand begin to rub comforting circles on his back and he honestly didn't know what to do. No one had ever really cared enough about him before to even bother trying to help him. The drug the doctor had given him earlier wasn't helping him to think too clearly either so he said what automatically came to mind.
"Sorry."
"What?" Darryl was sure he had to have heard Cole wrong.
"Said I was sorry. Didn't mean to bother you." Cole could now plainly hear the slurring of his own words as his world began to gray out on him again. He barely felt it as Darryl carefully laid him back down in the bed, but he did see the look in his friend's eyes. He was surprised to find only worry there when he had thought all he would see would be annoyance.
"Cole you are not bothering me. You had a nightmare, that's all. It's not like you could help it." Darryl watched as Cole shook his head a little, as if to contradict him.
"Shouldn't have made you stay. Now my nightmares will keep you up all night too." Cole didn't really want Darryl to leave but he also didn't want to be a bother to him either.
Darryl looked more closely at his friend as his words registered. "Cole. Cole." When Cole finally returned Darryl's gaze he asked a question, hoping the sedative would make it easier to get him to talk. "How often do you have nightmares?"
"Every night since I got back." Cole didn't really understand what was going on as it was taking most of his energy just to stay awake. He did notice the horrified look appear on Darryl's face though and again responded to it automatically. "Sorry."
Darryl found himself sitting down heavily in the chair, his hand once again finding its way into Cole's grasp. Every night. Darryl's mind was in a whirl as he digested this new piece of information. Every night for over 3 months Cole had been having nightmares, nightmares that up until now would go on all night since there had been no one to wake him from them.
"Why?" Darryl meant why did he keep saying sorry when he clearly had nothing to be sorry about, but Cole thought that he had meant something else entirely and answered accordingly.
"The Source.. woke memories to torture me with so I. so I couldn't fight back. couldn't take back.. control." Cole's eyes were closing again and Darryl let them, he didn't want to take advantage of his friend.
As he watched Cole drift off again he thanked the Doctor for giving Cole the sedative in the first place. If she hadn't Cole wouldn't be getting any sleep at all. As Darryl watched his friend sleep his mind drifted, he thought about his own nightmares and how Shelia used to be there to wake him up. His wife wasn't there anymore, one too many secrets and their marriage disintegrated. She had stopped trusting him and that had hurt, he had tried to explain but she didn't want to hear it and she left. He remembered the day he had gotten the final divorce papers, he had had a nightmare that night and this time there was no one to wake him up. He remembered the fear that had lingered through most of the next day and shuddered as he realized that Cole had been living with that strange lingering fear every day for a little over three months, living with it all alone. Well no more suffering alone my friend, no more, Darryl thought to himself as he too drifted off again.
Darryl jerked awake again and again the first thing he saw was the clock, only this time it read 4 AM. He quickly looked to the bed and found Cole caught in yet another nightmare.
"No please. he's. innocent. just a baby. please don't."
The pleading quality of Cole's voice cut through Darryl like a knife as he quickly stood up, the sound of the heart monitor attesting to his friend's distress once again. Cole started to thrash about and Darryl began to worry that he would pull out his IV; it was at that moment that he realized that he hadn't been holding Cole's hand when he woke up this time either. Thinking quickly he again softly called Cole's name hoping his voice would have the same effect as last time. He was not disappointed. As Cole began to settle down he once again placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, but this time he was ready and caught Cole before he got too far off the bed. As he gently pushed him back down he saw a look of abject terror enter the blue eyes that were now looking back up at him, he also noted that there was no recognition in them.
"Shhhh. take it easy Cole, it's all right. It's me Darryl and it was just a nightmare. Take it easy." Darryl wasn't sure if he was getting through to him or not and not knowing what else to do he simply reached down and grabbed Cole's hand again. "It's all right you're safe. It's just me, Darryl and you're safe." He repeated this a few more times, holding on tight to his friends hand, and was relieved when he saw the fear recede.
"Darryl? What?" Confusion replaced fear as Cole quickly looked around, almost as if looking for something or someone.
"It was just a nightmare. It's all right, it's just us here and you're safe." Darryl watched as Cole shifted himself around on the bed, rolling closer to him and still somewhat agitated. "Relax, Cole. You're safe, so just relax. That's it, just relax." Darryl breathed a quiet sigh of relief as Cole finally settled down, though he did quickly pull his chair closer to the bed as Cole's shifting had brought him very close to the edge. As he sat down Cole's eyes opened and looked directly at him.
"Darryl?" There was still some confusion in the blue eyes and it worried Darryl a little until he remembered what the doctor said about sleeping though most of the morning too.
"Yeah. It's just me my friend. Go back to sleep." He knew the sedative would kick in again rather quickly, at least he hoped it would.
"I'm sorry. You should. go home. get some sleep." Even as he said the words he tightened his hold on Darryl's hand.
Darryl knew Cole didn't want him to leave, which suited him just fine because he had no intentions of leaving anyway. "I said I wasn't going anywhere and I'm not so just give it up and go back to sleep my friend." He watched as Cole continued to struggle to stay awake though, almost as if he were afraid of going back to sleep. He suddenly got a bad feeling and even though he didn't want to take advantage of his friend's drugged condition he decided to ask anyway. Somehow he knew that Cole's reluctance to simply give in had something to do with his last nightmare. "Cole, who was just a innocent baby?" The reaction he got however was a bit more than he bargained for.
Darryl stood up quickly as the heart monitor went wild and Cole's eyes became wide while his body began to shake.
"No no no no no."
The words were frantic and laced with fear as Cole suddenly began to thrash about wildly as if trying to escape something or someone. Darryl found himself reacting instinctively yet again as he made a grab for Cole afraid he would hurt himself as his friend rolled precariously close to the opposite edge of the bed. Suddenly he was perched on the bed behind Cole with his arms wrapped around Cole's chest, pinning Cole's arms to his sides at the same time. Cole continued to struggle with him but his coordination was pitiful and at the moment he lacked the brute strength to break free from Darryl's grasp.
"No can't talk about him. can't.. think about son."
Cole's words were frantic yet eerily quiet at the same time and they struck Darryl like a physical blow, so stunned was he that he almost lost his hold on his friend. Shaking his head, Darryl simply tightened his hold and started to rock his friend gently back and forth. He wasn't sure why he did it and he almost stopped when he thought it wasn't doing any good, but then Cole stopped his struggling, his legs finally stopping their frantic kicking. Darryl continued to rock him gently as Cole's hands reached up and grabbed his forearms, tears falling from his eyes and landing on Darryl's joined hands.
"I'm sorry. It's all right you don't have to talk about it; you don't have to say anything. I'm sorry." Darryl continued to simply rock with him until he heard the heart monitor begin to slow down again and he could feel Cole's body begin to relax. After about five minutes he felt Cole's body finally go limp in his arms, but when he tried to move so he could get off the bed and lay Cole down again Cole's hands tightened on his arms stopping him dead.
He was still trying to figure out how to make Cole more comfortable when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Quickly looking over he saw Dr. Blackwell standing a few feet in front of the door; the look on her face was one he couldn't quite decipher. He watched as she quietly made her way over to them. Before she reached the bed though she detoured to the closet and removed two pillows, which she then brought over to the bed.
"Here, I think you'll be more comfortable being propped up, it will also make it easier on Cole's neck." She laughed softly at his expression. "Inspector."
"Darryl." He wasn't sure why he even said it but he did and she smiled almost like she knew a secret that they didn't. He didn't have time though to try and figure out what her secret was, he was too concerned with the man who was now, for all intents and purposes, sleeping peacefully in his arms.
"Darryl, I told you before that what my patient needs right now is a friend, one he can trust implicitly. Considering what I saw when I came in, you are that friend." Darryl didn't say anything but simply kept looking at her. "I told you I wasn't leaving the hospital and when he had his first nightmare the nurse on duty called me and I decided to stick close just in case I was needed. However I can see that you have everything well in hand. You are what he really needs right now. I may be his doctor but I have done all I can medically do for him for the time being, right now you are the only one who can help him and you are doing a great job."
Darryl simply looked at her, trying to figure out what she knew that he didn't, wondering if something had happened before she had come to the waiting room to fetch him and if so what. When Cole suddenly shifted a little in his arms, wriggling downward till his head rested on Darryl's arm, effectively using it as a pillow before going still once more, Darryl saw a look flash across her eyes. This was a look he knew well for this look was guilt.
"All right Doctor, what happened and don't tell me nothing because the look on your face tells me something happened, something happened before you came and got me so spill." He hadn't meant to sound harsh but when he put the Doctor's guilty look together with his friends current state he found he just couldn't help it. He watched as she looked to Cole before returning her gaze to him.
"You are right something did happen and that something is probably going to make him want to leave here sooner than he should. I hope you will be able to convince him that he needs to stay here till he's ready to leave though." She took a deep steadying breath before she continued. "Cole has a very strong constitution, stronger than the staff in the operating room thought. You see, with an injury like this, in this location, the patient is rolled onto their side with their wrists secured to a board that is perpendicular to the table in front of the patient's head. This allows the staff access to the IV's main port as well as the patient's upper arm for BP readings. Their ankles are secured to a board near the foot of the table whilst their head is kept immobile by another strap that is secured at the head of the table. This is done so that if there is any unconscious muscular movement the patient cannot accidentally hurt himself. By the time the patient is moved into this position though they have already been put to sleep and intubated."
"Oh my god. He. he." Darryl found himself at a loss for words.
"Woke up. Yes he did, like I said he has a very strong constitution. Unfortunately no one noticed right away because the ET tube bypasses the vocal chords rendering them useless. It wasn't until the alarms on the ventilator and the EKG monitor went off that they became aware of the fact that he was indeed awake and by then in a state of total panic. His heart rate had suddenly gone right off the chart as he struggled with the straps and fought the ventilator that was doing most of his breathing for him. A nurse immediately tried to calm him down while the anesthesiologist retrieved a different medication but by then Cole had gone someplace that the nurse couldn't reach as he continued to struggle to get lose. Finally Dr. Frank returned and quickly administered a more powerful drug, one that finally succeeded in putting him under. That's why I decided to sedate him for tonight. He needs to relax."
"Relax! You want him to relax after waking up in the middle of his own surgery!" Darryl couldn't believe it; it was like fate decided once again to kick his friend while he was down. He hadn't realized he had shouted until he heard Cole's voice.
"Darryl? What. what's wrong? Are you. all right?" Cole opened his eyes and immediately fear flashed through him. His body was lying in the same position it had been when he had woken up and found himself tied down and unable to speak. Afraid it was going to happen again he started to push himself backwards, away from the person in white who stood next to him. He was unable to focus enough to know that it was his doctor and that he was in his room and that it was Darryl, who was lying behind him, that was preventing him from being able to roll away. His terror grew as he saw her walk away only to quickly return with a needle in her hand. As she grabbed his wrist, pulling it towards her and swiftly inserting the needle into the port closest to his hand, he tried to pull away but he lacked the strength. He was beginning to find it harder to breath as his terror began to overwhelm him. Desperate, he started to reach out with his left hand to try and grab her to stop her. He wanted to push her away from him so he could get loose but another hand stopped him just as he saw the plunger go down. He never noticed the tears that began to roll down his cheeks as he unconsciously called out Darryl's name.
"Take it easy my friend, you're safe." Darryl wasn't quite sure what to do so he simply let his instincts guide him again. Quickly shifting his grip from Cole's wrist to his hand he brought their clasped hands across the front of Cole, pulling Cole so his back rested securely against him. When his hand brushed the side of Cole's face he felt the hot tears that were still silently falling as his friends body continued to shake in his arms. Cole's next words told Darryl exactly what was wrong.
"Please. don't let. him. please. not again. please Darryl. please."
The words were broken as Cole's breathing was still erratic but Darryl understood him, he also now understood who Cole was so desperately trying to escape from. As he placed his face close to Cole's ear he didn't even care that Dr. Blackwell was standing right there and would hear everything he said, all he cared about was calming Cole down before he could hurt himself anymore than he already was. He kept his voice calm and even as he tried to break through the wall of terror that separated Cole from reality.
"Shh. It's all right Cole. You're safe. You're free and you're safe. He's gone. He can't hurt you anymore. He's gone and he can never come back. You're safe." Darryl simply kept repeating his words in a calm and soothing tone. Slowly he felt Cole's body stop it's shaking and his breathing began to slow down to a more normal rhythm. "That's it. Relax. You're safe. He's gone and he can't hurt you anymore. Just relax and rest. That's it."
When Cole had felt someone wrap their arm around him from behind, pulling him close to them, he was surprised to find his terror begin to drain away a little, at least enough so his mind could form words, words that he spoke without actually realizing what he was doing. As he heard a voice suddenly start speaking close to his ear he felt even more of his fear fall away as his mind recognized the voice. Using it like a lifeline he followed it out of the darkness his own terror had created, his breathing becoming easier as a calmness began to descend upon him quelling his fear. He was confused, confused and tired but he still sought, without question the safety his friend was offering him. "Promise?" Cole knew he shouldn't ask, but before he could even begin to wonder if he had asked too much of his only friend, Darryl answered him.
When Darryl had felt Cole stop shaking he knew he was getting through to him so he just kept on repeating his words. Finally he heard the heart monitor that sat above the bed begin to regain a more natural pace as Cole's breathing evened out. Darryl knew that if he had not been so close to his friend he never would have heard his whispered plea, and even knowing that he shouldn't he found himself answering the plea.
"Yes Cole I promise. He is gone and he can't hurt you anymore. I won't let him. So just close your eyes and go to sleep. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
He had expected to feel guilty about lying to Cole but for some reason, one he couldn't even begin to guess at right then, the guilt he was waiting for never came. Instead, as he felt Cole finally let go and surrender to some much needed sleep; he found himself also letting go and beginning to drift off. He was vaguely aware of Dr. Blackwell raising the metal guard on Cole's side of the bed and quietly locking it into place. She had a smile on her face and there was suddenly something very familiar about her eyes but when he blinked she had disappeared. Startled he automatically began to try and get up but a firm hand pushed him back down as he heard her quiet voice in his ear.
"Sh Darryl. It's only me. I'm putting up the bed guards so neither of you boys rolls out of bed accidentally. Now I suggest that you take your own advice and go with it. Cole is going to need you in the coming week and you need to rest or you won't be able to help him. Don't worry, this time he will sleep through till morning. I promise. Now go to sleep."
Her voice had a soothing quality to it and Darryl found himself taking his own advice for a change. Even as he relaxed though he never loosened his hold on Cole. A ghost of a smile played across his lips a moment later as he felt Cole burrow in next to him, nestling his face against his shoulder before crossing over into sleep. An image of a puppy burrowing for warmth flashed though his mind as he followed his friend into sleep.
Well another chapter over and the story has only just begun. please review!!! Let me know if I should continue posting this story. please review!!!! Oh and for the person who asked if this was a slash fic. it's not. Sorry but there is a wonderful woman in each of the boys lives. and for the Cole and Phoebe fans, sorry it's not Phoebe.