Disclaimer: JAG belongs to DPB, Paramount, CBS et al. This is for fun, no copyright infringement is intended.
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- A hospital room, early morning
The head part of the bed was propped up to an almost sitting position. Webb rested with closed eyes on the flat pillow, the receiver of a white phone on the mattress under his left hand. The other one was heavily bandaged up to the elbow. His features, though relaxed in sleep, still showed exhaustion and strain and even some traces of pain, embedded in the fine lines around eyes and mouth. He looked older than his age ... and at the same time younger.
For a moment Chegwidden just stood at the door, unsure if he should leave, then he shut it completely and walked over to the left side of the bed. Carefully avoiding any noise he pulled up a chair and sat down.
Pictures of last night flooded back in his mind; moments like frozen in time.
The wonderful taste of water as they had finally reached the improvised headquarters Special Agent Atef had set up.
How he had almost blown up as the requested doctor had checked out Webb's hand and eyes and flatly refused to give the agent any painkillers as long as the poison wasn't identified. Webb had just sighed with resignation; already too far over the edge to bother any more.
Nevertheless, the spy had pulled himself together with amazing strength one last time as he had introduced Chegwidden to Atef and his staff. An introduction and short explanation he had ended with the words 'But I'm the wrong man to talk to I've been blind all the time'. Then he had simply turned; a cryptic smile on his lips. 'Your show, AJ.'
Hectic activity had followed as they'd located the factory site according to Chegwidden's descriptions, organized roadblocks, put teams together, coordinated and instructed members of police and FBI and who knew else until they had finally went in. It had felt just like old times.
AJ grinned. And Special Agent Atef was really one of a kind ... although he could play a Hollywood-lunatic anytime with his dark piercing eyes. He had even sent one of his men to Chegwidden's house after he had explained his problem... Poor Dammit had been overjoyed to see someone who not only fed her but more important took her for a walk. In that point she sure had his full sympathy.
Suddenly AJ realized that the ongoing sound he was hearing was the dial tone of the phone. He reached out carefully and tried to disentangle the cord from the IV in Webb's left arm. Obviously not carefully enough: Webb stirred and blinked; his sleepy eyes moved as he turned his head on the pillow ... then focused on Chegwidden.
The former JAG let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."
He placed the receiver on the phone sitting on the small bedside table.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep," murmured Webb. He pushed his body a little bit higher and smiled. "Good to see you, AJ."
"Good to be seen. So your vision has recovered completely?"
"It's still a bit blurred but who am I to complain? They say it should return to normal within a day."
"So they found out what kind of poison they used? Was it a regular side effect or some kind of overreaction?"
"Yes to your first question and more or less to the second. A slightly blurred vision would have been normal but leave it to me to not only rub the damn thing into my eyes but to get a general overdose too."
Chegwidden was silent for a moment. Then he asked slowly: "And your hand?"
Webb glanced down and forced a smile. "Well, they pieced it together. Without complications they expect nothing more than a minor motor impairment. I should be able to compensate most of it ... it's a matter of time and training."
"Oh God," whispered AJ shocked, "What have I done?"
"What I asked you to do." Webb glanced at the older man - or better in his direction - but looked away quickly. "It was my idea. I was aware of the risks. And I ... I would have sacrificed more to..."
The unfinished sentence hung between them. And for a moment they were back in that room and Fahd's threat closed around them like a fist.
"He's dead." Chegwidden spoke very softly. "Fahd. Bastard killed himself and two of his men as he slammed his car into one of our roadblocks. We were lucky the police officers managed to run in time: It was quite some fireworks."
Webb swallowed hard and fought back his emotions. "Yes - yes, Achmed told me that."
"Atef was here again?"
"He came by after he had dropped you off to be checked out. Said he would have liked to meet you in your active SEAL days."
"Maybe I got a little bit carried away by the action," Chegwidden acknowledged with a slight grimace.
"Oh, he didn't complain more the contrary - and that means something we're talking about Achmed Atef, after all." Webb's lips almost twitched. "He said without your quick work they would have been gone by the time his men went in."
"Unfortunately one car is still missing. But they're searching for it." Chegwidden paused. "You know ... maybe we'll never know exactly what Fahd had planned. He was the man in charge the others are barely more than paid helpers. Our friend business-suit may be an exception but ... well, you know how difficult to understand people are with a broken jaw..."
"Don't remind me of that. I never knew how much gravity Roberts could put in his expression until..." Webb sighed then changed the subject. "What about you?"
"What do you mean?"
"What did the doctor told you?"
"Eight broken ribs, a light concussion, lost skin, bruises and scratches. Nothing essential."
"Uh-oh, I guess I'm to blame for ribs and concussion, right?"
"Well, this time I asked for it. Don't worry I'll heal. I'd even wanted to go home for the rest of the night but somehow I went out like a light after the last injection... Until that merciless nurse shook me awake and insisted that I participated in the hospital morning routine. After a shower and shave I really feel almost human again though."
Webb chuckled and touched his freshly shaved chin. "Had a similar experience. By the way, I've made some phone calls."
"Phone calls?"
"Concerning my so-called death. My suspicion was right: Everything started with these damn files."
"So?" growled Chegwidden, "Care to explain a bit further?"
Webb grimaced. "As I told you I had quite some trouble because some files had been mixed up. Due to ... the circumstances ... I never had an opportunity to inform anybody of the mistake and obviously J- my colleague didn't either. And on board the Thomas Lyon they told themselves that it was a classified mission after the accident and decided to ignore any discrepancy. So I was reported dead - at first without any details about how or where. By the time one of my bosses started wondering why on earth I should have been on that ship while I was supposed to be somewhere else... Well, it was already too late, the bureaucratic wheels were already turning. Correcting the mistake would have drawn too much attention to my real mission and - that's truly ironic - probably endangered my safe return. In the end they decided NOT to interrupt normal procedure within the Agency and just make sure the misinformation about my death would stay there. Unfortunately at this point JAG entered the stage."
Chegwidden shook his head. "The men of the Thomas Lyon didn't tell Turner the picture wasn't showing the real victim..."
"... and Mac approached my assistant who knew nothing but that a girlfriend would never be notified. Not officially. So she told her what she thought to be the truth," Webb finished sighing then groaned. "Damn it. I made her cry on the phone and now I feel like a real bastard. She did it with the best intentions." He glanced at Chegwidden. "She's lost her job of course. The Agency cannot tolerate that kind of thing, good intentions or not. We cannot afford it."
AJ nodded slowly while he mulled everything over in his head. He crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow.
"Who decided not to clear up this mess after it obviously hadn't stayed within the Agency?"
"AJ, please, the last thing I need is another one to rub it in. I'll probably get enough strange looks. Besides, my assistant simply didn't tell anyone that she had told Sarah."
"Strange looks?"
Webb produced something between a chuckle and a moan.
"Looks like mother stormed Langley."
"Excuse me?"
"Yes, yesterday afternoon, after she had recovered from your visit. I guess mother could deal with my death if she had to but not with being the last to know ... she can be very stubborn and ... uhm ... exclusive. Well, she walked straight into Kershaw's office. Word has it that for the next ten minutes there was heard only her voice giving him a harsh lecture about loyalty, respect and manners while Kershaw just stuttered 'Wha- wha-' without getting a full word out."
AJ laughed. "There I would have loved to be a fly on the wall!"
"I don't think Kershaw found it very amusing."
Growing serious again AJ looked at the phone. "You've called Mac?"
"Not ... yet. I was about to do it just as I took this unplanned nap." He glanced at his right hand. "Mother called her after her visit to Kershaw and told her that everything was a huge misunderstanding. I - I figured she could use a good night's sleep before I've got to break the news to her that I'm ... a bit damaged again."
He picked at the bandage.
"Talking of it... What am I going to tell her how THAT happened?"
Chegwidden snorted. "As you've said: It was your idea."
Webb searched his gaze and held it. He wished he could see AJ's face more clearly but on the other hand... he had learned to read his voice during the last night - better than ever before.
"Well...," he said quietly, "At least I'll only have to explain why I was willing to have my hand broken for her. You've got to explain why you were willing to break it."
Chegwidden met his eyes. Webb's gaze never wavered. There was no accusation in it. No anger. Just steady determination. And so it was the former JAG who broke the contact first and looked away.
AJ sighed. Of course it was more complicated than that. He hadn't done it just because of Mac nor had Webb offered - the agent knew that as well as he did. But it described well enough the unspoken question that hung between them since this strange and painfully open talk last night... A conversation they would never have had if they hadn't been both so exhausted and tired and drained not only of physical but of emotional strength too. And now the question was out in the open and waited for an answer.
Will you fight for her?
Would he? He felt more for Mac than he should considering their positions ... he always had and still did, he couldn't deny it. And who knew? If Rabb and Webb really went at each other - and he knew at least Webb wouldn't back down, he would fight for his love - maybe he would actually have a chance of persuading Mac to turn her back on both of them... She HAD once called him 'the sexy admiral' ... a long time ago. But did he want that? Did he really want that - this way? Or wouldn't it destroy whatever he was feeling for her ... and Mac for him?
Drawing in a deep breath AJ turned to Webb again who was waiting patiently ... only his involuntarily clenched fist betrayed his inner worry. Nevertheless, he felt somehow that the younger man was ready to accept and to put up with any decision of the former JAG. Even if it meant to fight against him. Exhaling AJ smiled sadly.
"You don't have to go into details."
Webb held his gaze a moment longer. Then he simply nodded. He had his answer ... to the spoken and to the unspoken question.
"Well," stated Chegwidden after a silence that for some strange reason wasn't as uncomfortable as it should have been. "I'll better go home now, catch up on some more sleep, start the paperwork... Darn it, that will be fun until we have everything back."
Webb looked slightly confused.
AJ snorted. "Didn't your friend tell you? Looks like Fahd destroyed anything his men had taken from us when they were about to leave their hiding place. Driver's licenses, ID cards, credit cards, my plane ticket for next week ... even our cell phones."
"Jesus, tell me this isn't true!"
"Thinking again it probably was your cover identity. That would leave it to me to-"
"No, damn it, I was traveling under my own name again after the last intermediate landing!" Webb looked upset. "It will take an ETERNITY to arrange everything!"
"Well, it isn't as if I haven't got enough time now," AJ said with a trace of bitterness. Webb glanced at him, once more cursing that his vision had not fully returned yet.
"AJ... About that..."
But Chegwidden shook his head. "Don't, Clay. Just ... don't."
Webb looked at him and was about to ignore his words but then just sighed. He had known that AJ was taking it hard ... but he also understood his wish for privacy.
"OK," he agreed softly.
AJ considered his hands. He hadn't meant to sound that bitter but... Yes, it hurt to remind himself that he had retired. Working with Atef last night had been ... like being alive again. Like he hadn't surrendered to politics.
"I should really go now." He forced a smile. "I must give Dammit a pat because she kept my house clean."
"Who? Oh! Your dog." Webb frowned. "I've got to admit I never thought about that."
"You were otherwise engaged."
Chegwidden got up while Webb nodded slowly. The younger man studied his lap lost in thought then lifted his head.
"His wife is pregnant with their second child," he said quietly. "My colleague who-"
A moment they just looked at each other.
"I'm glad you were there, AJ," Webb whispered finally. "I probably shouldn't say that but ... I - I'm glad you were there."
"Probably I shouldn't say that but ... I'm glad too," AJ answered slowly. Then he grinned wryly. "Guess your guardian angel has a very weird sense of humor."
"I owe you, AJ."
Chegwidden thought for a moment then shook his head. "I guess in overall score ... we're even."
"No, AJ. I mean it. You saved my life. You saved... I could not have gone through that without you. I couldn't."
Again Chegwidden considered the younger man for a long heartbeat. They both knew with strange clarity that the past day and night and even this morning had somehow changed ... everything. Although none of them knew into what. It wasn't like they had suddenly turned best of friends but ... too many things had been said. Too many things had been done. Too many raw emotions had been dragged out into the open. Most things they would mention never again. Some they would. Maybe. But not now. The heartbeat passed.
"What's your favorite team, Clayton?"
"What?" Webb blinked.
"What's your favorite team?" repeated AJ as if it was the most logical question in the world. "Baseball. When you're going to buy us tickets for a match it would be very unfortunate if we cheer different teams, wouldn't it."
And for once he had the pleasure of seeing a completely speechless Clayton Webb. The younger man gulped a few times then a smile started spreading across his face.
"I think we'll be able to find something suitable."
"Good." Chegwidden answered the smile and repeated almost softly: "Good."
He turned and walked to the door. Webb's voice stopped him as he reached for the handle.
"Oh, and by the way, AJ..."
"Yeah?"
The agent's grin was wicked.
"One thing's for sure: Now you really went with a bang."
For a moment Chegwidden just stood there while the words sunk in. Then a chuckle bubbled up in his chest ... at himself, at the irony of life... And at the thought of Sheffield's face as soon as he would hear of this night from different sides he threw back his head and the laughter broke free.
He was still laughing softly a long time after he had left the room.
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The end.
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Author's note:
Many, many thanks for your reviews; I'm happy when you enjoy my stories. Your encouragement is great.
Sandra S.