Chapter 9
One week passed by and nothing important happened in Sam's and John's life. They lived in the firehouse Bailey offered them with the best security he could get.
Against his will, John spent every day of the week at home with reading, watching sports or sleeping. Bailey forbid him to come into the headquarters until he recovered from his gunshot and Sam had to take care that he did so.
To be on the safe side, Sam decided to bring Chloe to her grandparents for the rest of her summer holidays. Her daughter always liked to visit them because they allow her all those things she didn't get from her mum. Sam always told them that they shouldn't spoil her too much, but she was their only grandchild and they didn't see her that much.
Angel was still in New York helping a friend of hers to organize an art exhibition. She called her three days ago and told Sam she would stay a few weeks longer than expected.
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Monday morning - Firehouse
It was 8 o'clock in the morning and another week began. John came out from the guestroom and walked into the kitchen where he stopped at the door, leaning against the doorframe. He was wearing boxers and an unbuttoned shirt. Still sleepy he ran his fingers through his hair and looked at Sam, who was taking a sip from her coffee cup.
"Hi" he began.
Sam turned round and said confusing, "John, it's 8… why you aren't sleeping?" She looked into his eyes, but then her eyes glided down to his bare chest and the bandage around his waist.
"I'm coming with you today..." he commented.
"What?"
"I'm going to work today."
"Does Bailey know that? Did you talk to him?" Sam asked, placing her mug back on the counter.
"Bailey doesn't know how I feel. But I do. And I can say that I've healed enough. Come on, Sam. I didn't do anything for a week. A week!"
"But you need to recover and…" Sam began.
"…and what, Sam? I'm recovered. I know I can't go on the field… but I'm sick of sitting here all day with nothing to do." John told her.
Sam knew it was unnecessary to argue with John when he was determined to do something.
"Yeah okay… but you have to hurry… or do you think you can go like this?" she looked at him with a smile.
"Uhm… I don't think so… okay, I'll be right back." he said and walked into the bathroom for a shower and put on some clothes.
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30 minutes later - Headquarters
Sam and John stood in the elevator, doing some small talk while they stopped almost on every floor.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked and made a step closer to him, while more people climbed into the elevator.
"Since you're not giving me a punch on my wound… everything's gonna be okay." he answered with a sarcastic smile on his face.
"Oh, I'm sorry… I… I didn't mean to… did I hurt you?" Sam asked, concerning.
The elevator stopped at the 4 th floor and the door opened. "No, everything's okay. So, here we are."
Both got out of the elevator as Grace crossed their way.
"Hey Sam, hey John. I thought Bailey said you're off for a few weeks?" she looked at him.
"One week is enough… you know, the same walls a whole week and nothing to do… that's unbearable." he sighed.
Grace looked at Sam with a smile, "I see…then… welcome back." she patted on his shoulder and walked into her lab.
"Guess there's a lot of paperwork waiting for me, don't you think?" John sighed and looked at Sam.
"Yeah, I think so…" she smiled and walked with John to his office. "Have fun!"
"Oh yeah, thanks…" he answered and walked to his desk, while Sam headed towards her office and began with her work.
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Sam studied a few files on her desk when she heard a knock on her door. She looked up and saw Bailey in the doorframe, "Hey Bailey".
"Hey Sam… Command Center … in five minutes" he told her and walked away.
A few moments later Sam knocked on John's door and told him the same as Bailey told her. After five minutes everybody of the team sat around the big table and waited for Bailey to arrive. When he rushed into the room, he threw his jacket over the chair and sat down with a sigh, "So…" he glanced around the table and saw John sitting on a chair next to Sam, playing with his pencil, "…John, what are you doing here?"
John looked at Bailey, "Nice to see you too Bailey, thanks."
"You know what I've told you John… and I don't think one week is enough to recover…" he looked at Sam and sighed.
"Yeah, but I'm fine" he gave Bailey a faked smile.
"So, what do we have?" Grace asked to change the subject.
"We still don't have a suspect yet of who did this to John. So I called around and the Atlanta PD told me, that a man called… Richard Manahan… escaped from the psychiatry a week ago." Bailey told them.
"Richard Manahan?" Sam whispered as pictures of his victims rushed through her head.
"Yeah, we… no Sam caught him 3 years ago… but the judge not decided to put him in jail because of his mental incapacity…" Bailey explained, "…George, we need everything you can find of Richard Manahan… Sam… we're going to the cottage where Julie Johnson's body was found… and John.." he stopped and looked at his young agent.
John looked at him and stood up, "Yeah?"
"You're staying with George… help him, or whatever…" he ordered and walked to the door.
"Bailey wait… " John started.
"I thought I made myself clear."
"I'm fine. I want to come with you."
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Because I say so. You should be in bed anyway. So don't argue with me about going on the field with us." Bailey told him, upset.
"But I..."
"John, just do what I've told you. Sam, let's go." He took his jacket and left the conference room. Sam turned around to John, "He's right John. See you later." she smiled and followed Bailey.
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John sat in his office and read through a pile of files on his desk, as somebody knocked on the door. Without looking up, he said, "Yeah, come in".
Grace opened the door and walked to John's desk, where she sat down on the chair in front of him, "Hey John. How's it going?"
He massaged his temples and looked at her, "How's what going?"
"I don't know… everything." She looked at the file he was reading, "Is this the Manahan case?" she asked.
"Yep…" he answered shortly.
Grace looked at him, "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, why not?" he looked at her, questionably.
"You look a bit tired."
"I'm fine… just a little headache." John replied.
"Oh…" she looked at her watch, "George and I are trying the new Chinese restaurant two blocks away. May you come with us?" she asked with a smile.
"Uhm, no thanks… I'm not hungry."
"Oh wow, there's definitely something wrong. The John Grant I know would kill for Chinese food." she said, grinning.
"But not today, I'm sorry. Have a nice time." he said, half smiling.
"Well okay. Thanks" Grace answered and left his office.
A few moments later, there's another knock on his door.
"What?" he said a bit upset.
A courier opened the door, "John Grant?"
"Yeah, that's me."
The man walked into his office, "I have a package for you." he put it on John's desk, "And there I need your signature." John signed and looked at the package. "Thanks"
The courier left his office and John sat down on his chair, looking at the small package.
"No sender?" he said to himself, then he shrugged and opened it. He took out a white card with the letters "IT'S NOT OVER YET!"
He read it twice and frowned, "Fantastic!" he muttered. With a sigh he got up and left his office. Slowly he made his way to one of the men's restrooms and walked to a sink where he washed his face with cold water. He looked into the mirror and saw his pale face, "How great, I look exactly how I feel."
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To be continued... Please R&R!