Chapter Seven: Sleepless Nights
A/N: I'm back from Washington DC! It was absolutely wonderful! I loved it! Call me strange, but I like the subway system (when it's not crowded) I don't have one in my city, so it was a fairly new experience for me. I had a great time, played tourist. I live in a tourist town normally, so I'm used to yelling at the tourists, not BEING one. Hehe... Nearly got run over by a taxi cab and came oh so close to flicking him off, but my parents were right there. I want to the National Spy Museum! But I didn't like it very well... Too crowded and geared towards younger people, I think. I did get a CIA T-shirt and baseball cap! I thought of dear Sheldon while buying it... hehe... Thought of what I'd do to him when I came back! Anyway, onto writing.
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"I know nothing of it."
Ramirez looked from the doctor, to El, back to the doctor, and then to the tossing American agent on the bed. Sands was pale and shaky as he lay there, fingers clenched tightly into a fist around the sheets and his mouth closed as if to keep himself from yelling out in pain. He shuddered violently, turning from one side to another. If he had had the strength, he would have felt humiliated.
"You have to know something of it," El told the doctor. "Anything."
The doctor shook his head. "I know an American. He might know. But I do not."
Ramirez nodded as he showed the doctor out, leaving El alone with the American man. The mariachi moved closer to him, careful not to startle him. "Sands?"
Sands froze where he was tossing and turned his head in the other man's general direction. "What?" he growled through clenched teeth. "What'd your doctor have to say, hmm?"
"He knows nothing."
"Oh there's a shocker," Sands grumbled as he curled up in a ball on his side, back to El. "So I just cold turkey this and hope it's not poison, is that it?"
"He said he knows an American doctor..."
This brought the former CIA agent strait up into a sitting position. "No! No... That's not just a no that's a hell no! El, I swear I'll shoot you strait between the eyes if you even THINK about bringing an American doctor in here..."
"I would have thought you'd have jumped on it," Ramirez said from the door.
"American doctors have connections, Jorge my dear friend. He'll rat me out to the CIA in no time."
"And what if they could help you more than the doctors here?" Ramirez shot back. "You'll curl up and die here because of your insufferable pride?"
"There's a reason they didn't come for me after everything went to hell in a hand basket a year ago. I don't plan to find out any time soon what that is."
Ramirez and El exchanged glances. "Fine," the former FBI agent said at last. "But if you wake me up in the middle of the night screaming in pain then I'm calling that doctor, deal?"
"Whatever."
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Sands had his back to the mariachi and he was curled as tight as he could get. Sweat poured off of him as he shivered beneath three thick quilts. He groaned as he turned again, this time onto his back. "Why are you still here?" he grumbled.
"I didn't want to find a dead body in the morning," El answered. "Anyway, you still might be useful."
"Ah, well listen here, El, I'm not going to be your toy if that's what you think... I may be out of it now, but that doesn't mean-"
"I never said it did."
"Well good." Sands bit his bottom lip and turned his face into his pillow, letting out a loud groan that was muffled by the feathers. He shuddered once and El was certain he was trying to contain a scream of pain. He could only contain it so long.
"If you woke Jorge, the doctor will be here soon."
"I didn't wake him..." Sands mumbled breathlessly as he shivered. His body heaved as a coughing fit overtook him and he tried to push himself into a sitting position, failed miserably, and fell back against the bed.
El leaned forward cautiously and saw the crimson that stained the American's hand and pillow beneath his lips. He gritted his teeth in frustration. "Sands?" There was no response as the other man went limp. Too limp. "Sands?" The mariachi shook him once and then once more rougher than the first time. "Shit. Jorge!"
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The doctor stepped out of the room and closed the door. "He's awake."
"He probably wasn't very pleased with your presence," Ramirez muttered. "Stubborn son of a-"
The doctor held up his hand with a tired smile on his lips, cutting the smaller man off. "The poison that was injected into Mr. Sands' system is ripping him apart from the inside out. There's little I can do here, but I'll call for some medicines that should help. It will reverse some of the damage done, if he follows instructions well enough. If you'd waited any longer...."
"Thank you for coming," El said quietly.
"Why... Why didn't he want an American doctor? I saw he's obviously been through quite a bit. I'm guessing he's some sort of rouge American agent of the government. I told him if that was the case, I would not turn him in. My duty is only to get him well, not toss him over to his government."
The two other men nodded as he left, promising to return with the medicine in the morning. Until then, they were to keep Sands as comfortable as possible.
"You go sleep," Ramirez said. "I'll take my turn with the monster."
"I heard that," Sands grumbled.
"You hear everything," Ramirez retorted as he closed the door. "Now just sleep. That lets me sleep too. Then neither of us will be cranky in the morning."
This brought a weak chuckle from the former CIA agent. "You know..."
"Let me guess, 'if this isn't inter agency cooperation, you don't know what is'?"
"That too," Sands mumbled, his words getting slurred from the drugs the doctor had obviously been able to give him to dull the pain of the poison running through his system. He shuddered suddenly and sat up, reaching for a trashcan he knew was there.
Ramirez looked away out of respect for the other man as he wretched. When he looked back around, Sands was falling weakly to the bed and shivering again. "You know," he started again, his voice scratchy this time, "you two – you and El – are the closest things to friends I've got here." His voice trailed off in the last couple of words as his head lulled to one side and Ramirez realized he'd drifted off, body unable to stay awake under the pressure it was under.
The former FBI agent gave a long sigh as he reached over to lightly check the other man's face for the fever that was burning him up. A small smile made its way to his lips. "Yeah, I know."
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A/N: ::points at Sands:: That's how I felt Saturday morning! Just incase anyone wants to know... I managed to get sick on my lovely trip, but Sands is going to go through a bit more than I am. ::evil grin:: Me, I got over it in a couple of hours.... Sands... C'mon, Saiko's the author. He'll be lucky if he gets out of it at all....
LaVieSansAmour: Awesome! Caribbean! Jack! ::giggles:: Well have fun, mate! I suppose by the time you read this you'll have been there and back. I've never been on a cruise before, but I'd like to. My senior class was talking about taking a cruise next year, but we decided against it. Not enough money really. Ah well. Have fun!
Raphe1: Thank you so much for pointing that out! I'd love to sit there and go "yes... umm.. that's it, he's just paranoid.." but I can't. ::sigh:: That was just my brain being sound to sleep. I probably should look into getting a beta reader (or simply doing more than skimming the chapter before posting). Oh, and yes, I am evil. Thanks very much :)
E.S.Young: Yeah, he's dead. Ramirez got him GOOD this time. Yes, we all feel bad for Sands, but we also all love it in some twisted and thoroughly warped way...
Charm65: You don't know how happy it makes me when I hear I've got Sands in character! I was so scared about that when I started this fic. I hope to continue that way... Oh, my interview went really well, and I think I got the job, but crazy me, I don't think I'm going to take it... Not enough time to do that and some other things. Though I'm sure I'll try to do it during my first school break
VanillaFluffy: Hint to you and all other reviewers: I'm oblivious. I thought that was what you meant, but I wasn't entirely sure. My boyfriend was over when I picked your review up and I went, "huh, what's that?" and he made a guess.... THAT was interesting to say the least.
Kaiji West: Thanks very much!
Naomi: Well, you still don't know if he's okay, but I did struggle to get this chapter out just for you. I'm exhausted and about to fall over, but I've got that sleep deprived energy thing going right now, so I thought, "hey! Poor Sands needs me to write on his story!" Haha! So here it is! Glad you like the story and hopefully I'll see ya back on the reviews when you get back, ne?
Empath89: I updated as soon as I could, per your request! Glad you like it!
Sleepy time calls to Saiko-chan.... ::wanders off like a zombie and promptly falls down the stairs in a heap::
A/N: I'm back from Washington DC! It was absolutely wonderful! I loved it! Call me strange, but I like the subway system (when it's not crowded) I don't have one in my city, so it was a fairly new experience for me. I had a great time, played tourist. I live in a tourist town normally, so I'm used to yelling at the tourists, not BEING one. Hehe... Nearly got run over by a taxi cab and came oh so close to flicking him off, but my parents were right there. I want to the National Spy Museum! But I didn't like it very well... Too crowded and geared towards younger people, I think. I did get a CIA T-shirt and baseball cap! I thought of dear Sheldon while buying it... hehe... Thought of what I'd do to him when I came back! Anyway, onto writing.
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"I know nothing of it."
Ramirez looked from the doctor, to El, back to the doctor, and then to the tossing American agent on the bed. Sands was pale and shaky as he lay there, fingers clenched tightly into a fist around the sheets and his mouth closed as if to keep himself from yelling out in pain. He shuddered violently, turning from one side to another. If he had had the strength, he would have felt humiliated.
"You have to know something of it," El told the doctor. "Anything."
The doctor shook his head. "I know an American. He might know. But I do not."
Ramirez nodded as he showed the doctor out, leaving El alone with the American man. The mariachi moved closer to him, careful not to startle him. "Sands?"
Sands froze where he was tossing and turned his head in the other man's general direction. "What?" he growled through clenched teeth. "What'd your doctor have to say, hmm?"
"He knows nothing."
"Oh there's a shocker," Sands grumbled as he curled up in a ball on his side, back to El. "So I just cold turkey this and hope it's not poison, is that it?"
"He said he knows an American doctor..."
This brought the former CIA agent strait up into a sitting position. "No! No... That's not just a no that's a hell no! El, I swear I'll shoot you strait between the eyes if you even THINK about bringing an American doctor in here..."
"I would have thought you'd have jumped on it," Ramirez said from the door.
"American doctors have connections, Jorge my dear friend. He'll rat me out to the CIA in no time."
"And what if they could help you more than the doctors here?" Ramirez shot back. "You'll curl up and die here because of your insufferable pride?"
"There's a reason they didn't come for me after everything went to hell in a hand basket a year ago. I don't plan to find out any time soon what that is."
Ramirez and El exchanged glances. "Fine," the former FBI agent said at last. "But if you wake me up in the middle of the night screaming in pain then I'm calling that doctor, deal?"
"Whatever."
-----------------------
Sands had his back to the mariachi and he was curled as tight as he could get. Sweat poured off of him as he shivered beneath three thick quilts. He groaned as he turned again, this time onto his back. "Why are you still here?" he grumbled.
"I didn't want to find a dead body in the morning," El answered. "Anyway, you still might be useful."
"Ah, well listen here, El, I'm not going to be your toy if that's what you think... I may be out of it now, but that doesn't mean-"
"I never said it did."
"Well good." Sands bit his bottom lip and turned his face into his pillow, letting out a loud groan that was muffled by the feathers. He shuddered once and El was certain he was trying to contain a scream of pain. He could only contain it so long.
"If you woke Jorge, the doctor will be here soon."
"I didn't wake him..." Sands mumbled breathlessly as he shivered. His body heaved as a coughing fit overtook him and he tried to push himself into a sitting position, failed miserably, and fell back against the bed.
El leaned forward cautiously and saw the crimson that stained the American's hand and pillow beneath his lips. He gritted his teeth in frustration. "Sands?" There was no response as the other man went limp. Too limp. "Sands?" The mariachi shook him once and then once more rougher than the first time. "Shit. Jorge!"
-------------------
The doctor stepped out of the room and closed the door. "He's awake."
"He probably wasn't very pleased with your presence," Ramirez muttered. "Stubborn son of a-"
The doctor held up his hand with a tired smile on his lips, cutting the smaller man off. "The poison that was injected into Mr. Sands' system is ripping him apart from the inside out. There's little I can do here, but I'll call for some medicines that should help. It will reverse some of the damage done, if he follows instructions well enough. If you'd waited any longer...."
"Thank you for coming," El said quietly.
"Why... Why didn't he want an American doctor? I saw he's obviously been through quite a bit. I'm guessing he's some sort of rouge American agent of the government. I told him if that was the case, I would not turn him in. My duty is only to get him well, not toss him over to his government."
The two other men nodded as he left, promising to return with the medicine in the morning. Until then, they were to keep Sands as comfortable as possible.
"You go sleep," Ramirez said. "I'll take my turn with the monster."
"I heard that," Sands grumbled.
"You hear everything," Ramirez retorted as he closed the door. "Now just sleep. That lets me sleep too. Then neither of us will be cranky in the morning."
This brought a weak chuckle from the former CIA agent. "You know..."
"Let me guess, 'if this isn't inter agency cooperation, you don't know what is'?"
"That too," Sands mumbled, his words getting slurred from the drugs the doctor had obviously been able to give him to dull the pain of the poison running through his system. He shuddered suddenly and sat up, reaching for a trashcan he knew was there.
Ramirez looked away out of respect for the other man as he wretched. When he looked back around, Sands was falling weakly to the bed and shivering again. "You know," he started again, his voice scratchy this time, "you two – you and El – are the closest things to friends I've got here." His voice trailed off in the last couple of words as his head lulled to one side and Ramirez realized he'd drifted off, body unable to stay awake under the pressure it was under.
The former FBI agent gave a long sigh as he reached over to lightly check the other man's face for the fever that was burning him up. A small smile made its way to his lips. "Yeah, I know."
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A/N: ::points at Sands:: That's how I felt Saturday morning! Just incase anyone wants to know... I managed to get sick on my lovely trip, but Sands is going to go through a bit more than I am. ::evil grin:: Me, I got over it in a couple of hours.... Sands... C'mon, Saiko's the author. He'll be lucky if he gets out of it at all....
LaVieSansAmour: Awesome! Caribbean! Jack! ::giggles:: Well have fun, mate! I suppose by the time you read this you'll have been there and back. I've never been on a cruise before, but I'd like to. My senior class was talking about taking a cruise next year, but we decided against it. Not enough money really. Ah well. Have fun!
Raphe1: Thank you so much for pointing that out! I'd love to sit there and go "yes... umm.. that's it, he's just paranoid.." but I can't. ::sigh:: That was just my brain being sound to sleep. I probably should look into getting a beta reader (or simply doing more than skimming the chapter before posting). Oh, and yes, I am evil. Thanks very much :)
E.S.Young: Yeah, he's dead. Ramirez got him GOOD this time. Yes, we all feel bad for Sands, but we also all love it in some twisted and thoroughly warped way...
Charm65: You don't know how happy it makes me when I hear I've got Sands in character! I was so scared about that when I started this fic. I hope to continue that way... Oh, my interview went really well, and I think I got the job, but crazy me, I don't think I'm going to take it... Not enough time to do that and some other things. Though I'm sure I'll try to do it during my first school break
VanillaFluffy: Hint to you and all other reviewers: I'm oblivious. I thought that was what you meant, but I wasn't entirely sure. My boyfriend was over when I picked your review up and I went, "huh, what's that?" and he made a guess.... THAT was interesting to say the least.
Kaiji West: Thanks very much!
Naomi: Well, you still don't know if he's okay, but I did struggle to get this chapter out just for you. I'm exhausted and about to fall over, but I've got that sleep deprived energy thing going right now, so I thought, "hey! Poor Sands needs me to write on his story!" Haha! So here it is! Glad you like the story and hopefully I'll see ya back on the reviews when you get back, ne?
Empath89: I updated as soon as I could, per your request! Glad you like it!
Sleepy time calls to Saiko-chan.... ::wanders off like a zombie and promptly falls down the stairs in a heap::