A.N.: I just realized that I missed to fill in some words in the last
chapter... Sorry! I'm gonna
repost it as soon as I find some time.
Chapter 27:
Vivian and Sam reached the waiting room of surgery about an hour later. They were nervous, they were tensed and they were afraid. Cause up to now they still hadn't received any news - at last nobody had told them about. Jack's call, which had informed them about Danny being injured, already being two and a half hours ago, didn't help calming them at all. It wasn't a good sign, if the doctors kept silent that long . They were worrying – both of them. And at last Sam was angry about Jack's behavior – she would've wished to be informed about the fact that Danny was in surgery. That he was still alive! But she didn't even get a chance to blame him about this. Because not even a minute after their arrival, the surgeon entered the waiting room.
"You're here for Daniel Taylor?"
She asked and Jack answered her question positively.
"Who of you is Andrea?"
She looked at the three women and Andrea took a step towards her without saying a word. This time Sam played the part Jack had done down in the ER.
"We would all like to know how he is."
She had waited for any news long enough, she wanted to know about it now. The surgeon turned to Andrea, that gave her permission by nodding. She was completely fed up with this see-saw.
"We were able to stop the bleeding and repair the injured artery. But we had to remove the spleen, the injury was too severe. But that's not life threatening – we can balance this by medication and we were also able to balance the blood loss. His life's no longer in danger. The only thing I'm really worried about is his breathing. It's still pretty low, so we'll keep the tube in until his breathing normalizes. It'll take a few days, but you have to put into consideration that it was a severe injury. But he will be better soon."
"He survives?"
Jack asked in a thankful tone and the surgeon approved.
"Yes."
"Can I see him?"
Andrea asked with a soundless voice.
"Yeah, of course. He's still unconscious due to the medication for surgery, but he should wake up in about half an hour."
Jack stepped closer to the surgeon and took her aside.
"She shouldn't go in there all alone. I'm not sure this would be good for her, she receives psychological treatment. Maybe somebody should look after her."
The surgeon interpreted his proposal slightly different from it's actual meaning. "You wanna join her?"
"Yeah sure – why not."
When they entered Danny's room, something was happening with Andrea, Jack had believed would happen earlier, but he hadn't seen up to the moment they had arrived in hospital– she started crying. She didn't even make a sound, but he could see the tears running down her cheeks. What had happened to her brother visibly touched her heart. He lay still on his bed, with his eyes closed. The tube entered his mouth and was connected to a respirator, with which hissing Danny's chest was rising and falling in a completely unnatural way. He had a needle stuck to the back of his right hand leading to an IV-bag with saline and another canula in a vein of his left arm, so they wouldn't have to stuck a needle to it every time they had to give the various medicaments to him, he would receive in the next few days and weeks. He had an ECG going too, which checked his vitals and Jack could hear the steady beeping of the heart- monitor.
The scene was that unreal and the person in bed seemed so much unlike Danny. He seemed so helpless, that much in need of protection and so vulnerable. Jack couldn't remember to ever have seen him like this and he never wanted to have to see this ever again. This was wrong and it could have been anticipated, but this wasn't the time to blame anyone for what had happened. Danny had followed his instincts, came to a decision and had made a mistake – this were the consequences. But he would make it, everything would be alright. They had managed the situation and nobody had been killed – at least no one who didn't deserve to. They had found both of them in time and Andrea wouldn't have to testify. She never ever would have to think about Brooks and his motivations, wouldn't have to be afraid of him ever again.
She stepped to her brother's bed and sat down, Jack was still at her side. None of them said a word and Andrea didn't do anything, she was just sitting there. Finally she wiped the tears from her face. Jack wished to give assistance to her in some way, but he knew exactly how she would react, if he touched her. So he didn't do it.
"Don't be afraid."
He said in a calm voice. Her reaction proved once again how less contact she had to the outside world in the past few years. She wasn't thankful for him trying to show sympathy, she didn't trust him. Her previous bit of trust had just been a temporary solution.
"I'm not. I listened to the surgeon, too. I know he'll get well."
He silenced, just didn't say anything more.
The sounds of the heart-monitor were changing, they we're still steady – so there was nothing to worry about, but they were different. Faster and more forceful, too. Something must been happening – his condition was changing, improving. Jack had a slight look at Andrea, but she rather didn't have seemed to realize or she didn't care. At least there was no movement from her.
They had been waiting for something to happen, for the situation to somehow change, for Danny to wake up. Although she had told him otherwise, Jack was sure Andrea was tensed and she was concerned, but she wasn't willing to talk about it, especially not with him. She seemed uneasy about not being alone in here, but sharing the room and her emotions with someone she barely knew, didn't trust and didn't want to know. But there was nothing to do to help that – Jack couldn't leave her alone and he was the next best thing to a person she could have faith in. Danny had told her she could.
Jack himself moved a bit closer to the bed and had a look at his fallen agent's face. He was waking up – he could see it. His eyelids were fluttering and finally he managed to open his eyes. Jack wasn't sure if he was in pain or not, for the moment he just seemed deeply confused and somehow afraid. Of course he was – in contrary to his surrounding he still didn't know what had happened to his sister: if they had found her, if she had trusted them and joined them, if she was alright or if she was injured in any way. He had been unconscious before they had searched for his sister and he had been deeply uncertain about her even making the way through the cave. On the other hand – this was about his own situation – he didn't know where he was, since when and if he was okay. So Jack would have the difficult task to calm him and he would have to do it alone because he honestly didn't believe Andrea would be a help. He hurried to explain to Danny, before he was fully awake and would remember the events of the past few hours completely – this would just fear and upset him even more.
"Danny – it's me Jack, do you understand me? Don't you worry, you're in hospital. You were attacked by Brooks and severely injured, but the doctor's in surgery were able to help you. Everything's okay. You'll be better soon."
He could literally see his agent calm down by the sound of his soothing words. The expression on his face became softer and he didn't seem so troubled any longer. He closed his eyes for a moment and Jack was just about to ask him if he was okay, when his former tension came back and his eyes widened in terror. He must've remembered something, realized something. He forcefully grabbed for Jack's arm and looked at him with an expression of absolute fear on his face. Jack tried to understand what he had said to him, that feared him so.
He had just tried to explain what had happened... What had happened? The attack. Brooks. Danny was worried about Brooks, deeply afraid if Brooks had managed to escape or even worse, had managed to harm Andrea or if he had been able to take him down. He didn't know it and probably – due to the severe injury, the blood loss or the state of shock he had been in – whatever it was, couldn't remember what had happened to Brooks.
"He's dead, Danny. We had to shoot him. He's gone, he won't do any harm no more."
Once again he seemed to relax and the fear that had overwhelmed him, had tensed his senses and made him focus on Jack completely, was falling from him. But unfortunately this was letting his senses get more able to realize other things, different things going on around him. As the fact that he wasn't able to talk and even worse: wasn't able to breathe on his own. That there was something stuck in his moth, shoved down his throat and didn't allow him to use his voice. Jack wasn't able to imagine what kind of a feeling it was to have a tube running down one's throat. He didn't even have the slightest idea, but he was pretty sure it was one of the most uncomfortable and disturbing situations one could be in. And for Danny it was obviously was, as Jack could see. He widened his eyes in absolute horror and panic, tried to gasp for air and finally was about to grab for the tube. It was a normal, a natural reflex – an instinct. He wanted to get this thing out of his throat, removed from the place where it was right now and with the emotions washing over him, he wasn't able to think about the consequences. He probably wasn't even able to think after all. So he went to grab for it, but Jack, who halfway had expected this since the doctor in ER had told him about it, was quicker than him. He was holding his arms before he was able to reach the tube and held him down.
"Danny, Daniel – calm down! It's okay. Don't worry, it's all good, there's no need to worry. It's a tube, the doctor's had to put in a tube. It's helping you breathe. Please try to relax – your breathing is labored and you won't get enough air , breathing on your own. So please come down, calm yourself and relax."
Danny was still struggling against him, still trying to get rid of the grip on his arms, but his resistance lessened. He seemed to have listened to Jack and at last tried to relax, although it probably really wasn't easy. Jack could see it by the younger agent's still troubled and tensed expression on his face. But the heart-monitor's beeping slowed down again – his heartbeat was normalizing, his panic got less. Jack waited another few moments before he let go of Danny's arms and was sure he wouldn't try to grab the tube once again. But he seemed to have released him to early, because all of a sudden there was tension rising again. Something was wrong – of course something was wrong, he wasn't able to breathe – but there was something else. It was nothing physical, but whatever it was, it was deeply troubling his agent. He hardly grabbed for Jack's arm and tried to speak, but due to the tube no words could be heard. Jack moved closer and tried to focus on Danny's lip movement.
"Andrea?"
Jack didn't really get the problem. She was here, by his side... But she hadn't said a word and she had reached any closer and Jack – sitting right in front of him – was probably blocking his view.
"She's here, she's okay – don't worry. Everything's alright – we found her and she wasn't hurt. A little scared perhaps, but nothing more. Everything's okay. "
Jack moved aside to give him some space and a chance to see Andrea. The slight smile on Danny's face showed him that he actually had. He was reaching out a hand for her and Jack halfway expected Andrea to move back as she had done with everybody else. But he was wrong – suddenly there came a reaction from her. She moved closer to her brother, took his hand and – Jack couldn't believe it was really happening – her emotionless face showed a smile. She was smiling. Danny was gently squeezing her hand and gave her a questioning look.
"I'm okay."
She whispered in a choking voice. She was showing emotion for the first time since they had found her. He could see a smile appearing on Danny's face, before he sank back to the bed completely and closed his eyes. He probably was tired and exhausted – he had just gone through surgery and he had received narcotics and still got pain medication, so this was understandable. He needed to rest, he needed to recover. Jack could see Andrea letting go of her brother's hand and gently putting it down on the sheets of the bed. Then she rose and left the room without saying another word.
Jack sat down there some more moments just being thankful for the final ending of this situation, because it could have finished worse, much worse then it had. Finally he rose, gently squeezed the younger man's shoulder and smiled slightly. He knew he was already asleep, but he needed to say it out loud – not to calm him, but more so he could believe it himself.
"It's over, Danny. It's over..."
repost it as soon as I find some time.
Chapter 27:
Vivian and Sam reached the waiting room of surgery about an hour later. They were nervous, they were tensed and they were afraid. Cause up to now they still hadn't received any news - at last nobody had told them about. Jack's call, which had informed them about Danny being injured, already being two and a half hours ago, didn't help calming them at all. It wasn't a good sign, if the doctors kept silent that long . They were worrying – both of them. And at last Sam was angry about Jack's behavior – she would've wished to be informed about the fact that Danny was in surgery. That he was still alive! But she didn't even get a chance to blame him about this. Because not even a minute after their arrival, the surgeon entered the waiting room.
"You're here for Daniel Taylor?"
She asked and Jack answered her question positively.
"Who of you is Andrea?"
She looked at the three women and Andrea took a step towards her without saying a word. This time Sam played the part Jack had done down in the ER.
"We would all like to know how he is."
She had waited for any news long enough, she wanted to know about it now. The surgeon turned to Andrea, that gave her permission by nodding. She was completely fed up with this see-saw.
"We were able to stop the bleeding and repair the injured artery. But we had to remove the spleen, the injury was too severe. But that's not life threatening – we can balance this by medication and we were also able to balance the blood loss. His life's no longer in danger. The only thing I'm really worried about is his breathing. It's still pretty low, so we'll keep the tube in until his breathing normalizes. It'll take a few days, but you have to put into consideration that it was a severe injury. But he will be better soon."
"He survives?"
Jack asked in a thankful tone and the surgeon approved.
"Yes."
"Can I see him?"
Andrea asked with a soundless voice.
"Yeah, of course. He's still unconscious due to the medication for surgery, but he should wake up in about half an hour."
Jack stepped closer to the surgeon and took her aside.
"She shouldn't go in there all alone. I'm not sure this would be good for her, she receives psychological treatment. Maybe somebody should look after her."
The surgeon interpreted his proposal slightly different from it's actual meaning. "You wanna join her?"
"Yeah sure – why not."
When they entered Danny's room, something was happening with Andrea, Jack had believed would happen earlier, but he hadn't seen up to the moment they had arrived in hospital– she started crying. She didn't even make a sound, but he could see the tears running down her cheeks. What had happened to her brother visibly touched her heart. He lay still on his bed, with his eyes closed. The tube entered his mouth and was connected to a respirator, with which hissing Danny's chest was rising and falling in a completely unnatural way. He had a needle stuck to the back of his right hand leading to an IV-bag with saline and another canula in a vein of his left arm, so they wouldn't have to stuck a needle to it every time they had to give the various medicaments to him, he would receive in the next few days and weeks. He had an ECG going too, which checked his vitals and Jack could hear the steady beeping of the heart- monitor.
The scene was that unreal and the person in bed seemed so much unlike Danny. He seemed so helpless, that much in need of protection and so vulnerable. Jack couldn't remember to ever have seen him like this and he never wanted to have to see this ever again. This was wrong and it could have been anticipated, but this wasn't the time to blame anyone for what had happened. Danny had followed his instincts, came to a decision and had made a mistake – this were the consequences. But he would make it, everything would be alright. They had managed the situation and nobody had been killed – at least no one who didn't deserve to. They had found both of them in time and Andrea wouldn't have to testify. She never ever would have to think about Brooks and his motivations, wouldn't have to be afraid of him ever again.
She stepped to her brother's bed and sat down, Jack was still at her side. None of them said a word and Andrea didn't do anything, she was just sitting there. Finally she wiped the tears from her face. Jack wished to give assistance to her in some way, but he knew exactly how she would react, if he touched her. So he didn't do it.
"Don't be afraid."
He said in a calm voice. Her reaction proved once again how less contact she had to the outside world in the past few years. She wasn't thankful for him trying to show sympathy, she didn't trust him. Her previous bit of trust had just been a temporary solution.
"I'm not. I listened to the surgeon, too. I know he'll get well."
He silenced, just didn't say anything more.
The sounds of the heart-monitor were changing, they we're still steady – so there was nothing to worry about, but they were different. Faster and more forceful, too. Something must been happening – his condition was changing, improving. Jack had a slight look at Andrea, but she rather didn't have seemed to realize or she didn't care. At least there was no movement from her.
They had been waiting for something to happen, for the situation to somehow change, for Danny to wake up. Although she had told him otherwise, Jack was sure Andrea was tensed and she was concerned, but she wasn't willing to talk about it, especially not with him. She seemed uneasy about not being alone in here, but sharing the room and her emotions with someone she barely knew, didn't trust and didn't want to know. But there was nothing to do to help that – Jack couldn't leave her alone and he was the next best thing to a person she could have faith in. Danny had told her she could.
Jack himself moved a bit closer to the bed and had a look at his fallen agent's face. He was waking up – he could see it. His eyelids were fluttering and finally he managed to open his eyes. Jack wasn't sure if he was in pain or not, for the moment he just seemed deeply confused and somehow afraid. Of course he was – in contrary to his surrounding he still didn't know what had happened to his sister: if they had found her, if she had trusted them and joined them, if she was alright or if she was injured in any way. He had been unconscious before they had searched for his sister and he had been deeply uncertain about her even making the way through the cave. On the other hand – this was about his own situation – he didn't know where he was, since when and if he was okay. So Jack would have the difficult task to calm him and he would have to do it alone because he honestly didn't believe Andrea would be a help. He hurried to explain to Danny, before he was fully awake and would remember the events of the past few hours completely – this would just fear and upset him even more.
"Danny – it's me Jack, do you understand me? Don't you worry, you're in hospital. You were attacked by Brooks and severely injured, but the doctor's in surgery were able to help you. Everything's okay. You'll be better soon."
He could literally see his agent calm down by the sound of his soothing words. The expression on his face became softer and he didn't seem so troubled any longer. He closed his eyes for a moment and Jack was just about to ask him if he was okay, when his former tension came back and his eyes widened in terror. He must've remembered something, realized something. He forcefully grabbed for Jack's arm and looked at him with an expression of absolute fear on his face. Jack tried to understand what he had said to him, that feared him so.
He had just tried to explain what had happened... What had happened? The attack. Brooks. Danny was worried about Brooks, deeply afraid if Brooks had managed to escape or even worse, had managed to harm Andrea or if he had been able to take him down. He didn't know it and probably – due to the severe injury, the blood loss or the state of shock he had been in – whatever it was, couldn't remember what had happened to Brooks.
"He's dead, Danny. We had to shoot him. He's gone, he won't do any harm no more."
Once again he seemed to relax and the fear that had overwhelmed him, had tensed his senses and made him focus on Jack completely, was falling from him. But unfortunately this was letting his senses get more able to realize other things, different things going on around him. As the fact that he wasn't able to talk and even worse: wasn't able to breathe on his own. That there was something stuck in his moth, shoved down his throat and didn't allow him to use his voice. Jack wasn't able to imagine what kind of a feeling it was to have a tube running down one's throat. He didn't even have the slightest idea, but he was pretty sure it was one of the most uncomfortable and disturbing situations one could be in. And for Danny it was obviously was, as Jack could see. He widened his eyes in absolute horror and panic, tried to gasp for air and finally was about to grab for the tube. It was a normal, a natural reflex – an instinct. He wanted to get this thing out of his throat, removed from the place where it was right now and with the emotions washing over him, he wasn't able to think about the consequences. He probably wasn't even able to think after all. So he went to grab for it, but Jack, who halfway had expected this since the doctor in ER had told him about it, was quicker than him. He was holding his arms before he was able to reach the tube and held him down.
"Danny, Daniel – calm down! It's okay. Don't worry, it's all good, there's no need to worry. It's a tube, the doctor's had to put in a tube. It's helping you breathe. Please try to relax – your breathing is labored and you won't get enough air , breathing on your own. So please come down, calm yourself and relax."
Danny was still struggling against him, still trying to get rid of the grip on his arms, but his resistance lessened. He seemed to have listened to Jack and at last tried to relax, although it probably really wasn't easy. Jack could see it by the younger agent's still troubled and tensed expression on his face. But the heart-monitor's beeping slowed down again – his heartbeat was normalizing, his panic got less. Jack waited another few moments before he let go of Danny's arms and was sure he wouldn't try to grab the tube once again. But he seemed to have released him to early, because all of a sudden there was tension rising again. Something was wrong – of course something was wrong, he wasn't able to breathe – but there was something else. It was nothing physical, but whatever it was, it was deeply troubling his agent. He hardly grabbed for Jack's arm and tried to speak, but due to the tube no words could be heard. Jack moved closer and tried to focus on Danny's lip movement.
"Andrea?"
Jack didn't really get the problem. She was here, by his side... But she hadn't said a word and she had reached any closer and Jack – sitting right in front of him – was probably blocking his view.
"She's here, she's okay – don't worry. Everything's alright – we found her and she wasn't hurt. A little scared perhaps, but nothing more. Everything's okay. "
Jack moved aside to give him some space and a chance to see Andrea. The slight smile on Danny's face showed him that he actually had. He was reaching out a hand for her and Jack halfway expected Andrea to move back as she had done with everybody else. But he was wrong – suddenly there came a reaction from her. She moved closer to her brother, took his hand and – Jack couldn't believe it was really happening – her emotionless face showed a smile. She was smiling. Danny was gently squeezing her hand and gave her a questioning look.
"I'm okay."
She whispered in a choking voice. She was showing emotion for the first time since they had found her. He could see a smile appearing on Danny's face, before he sank back to the bed completely and closed his eyes. He probably was tired and exhausted – he had just gone through surgery and he had received narcotics and still got pain medication, so this was understandable. He needed to rest, he needed to recover. Jack could see Andrea letting go of her brother's hand and gently putting it down on the sheets of the bed. Then she rose and left the room without saying another word.
Jack sat down there some more moments just being thankful for the final ending of this situation, because it could have finished worse, much worse then it had. Finally he rose, gently squeezed the younger man's shoulder and smiled slightly. He knew he was already asleep, but he needed to say it out loud – not to calm him, but more so he could believe it himself.
"It's over, Danny. It's over..."