Jack stared through the small window in the door to the operating room, which he had not been permitted to go through. He didn't understand what was happening in there, but he thought that if he didn't take his eyes off of Sam, she would be ok. He wanted to burst through the door and threaten everyone in the room at gunpoint until they fixed her, but he knew it wouldn't help.

Several nurses had tried to get him to move, or sit down, or even get his own injuries looked at, but he refused to budge. They gave each other knowing glances behind his back; they knew a man in love when they saw one.

The head nurse, who had been through this before, thought she would give it a try. She walked up to Jack and put her hand on his back, "Sir?" Jack didn't even acknowledge her. She tried again, "Sir? Wouldn't you be more comfortable in our waiting room?"

Jack continued to stare through the window, but answered her with a soft, "No."

She nodded curtly, and surveyed the solemn blonde man in front of her. His face was badly bruised and bleeding, he was covered in blood, and he was absently rubbing his ribs. She asked, "At least let someone take a look at you."

He shook his head, but continued his vigilant stare. "No, I'm fine."

"Tell you what, there is a room right next door with a large window into this one. You can still keep watch over her while you get your injuries looked at. She's liable to be in surgery for hours."

He finally took his eyes off Sam and looked at the kind nurse. "Thank you." He allowed himself to be led into the adjoining room and sat down on the gurney facing the window, suddenly realizing how tired he was. He hadn't slept at all last night and his body ached where Felipe and Jose had beat him. But none of that mattered to him. He had only met the woman on the other side of the glass a few days ago, but she had changed his life somehow. She made him reconsider wanting to stay alone. And now he might lose her before he could really get the chance to know her.

The nurse interrupted his thoughts when she asked him to take off his shirt. He complied and let her clean his wounds. She tried to make small talk, to take his mind off the surgery in the next room. "If you look this bad, I'd hate to see the other guy."

Jack replied in a dispassionate voice, "He's dead."

The nurse bit her tongue. She continued in silence, then told him, "Dr. Keller will be in here in a minute to stitch you up and get some x-rays."

He thanked her and turned to leave, but stopped at the door, "My name is Terri. If you need anything, just let me know." He jerked his head around and stared at her, searching her face for any sign of malice. Finding only compassion in her eyes, he smiled briefly, "Thank you Terri."

She smiled back at him and added, "I'll go find out how she is doing." She pointed at the room next door. Jack nodded at her and turned his head back to Sam. She looked so small under the medical draping, with tubes and wires crisscrossing her body. He watched the nurse, Terri, enter the room and talk to the surgeon briefly, then walk out. She stuck her head in and gave him the report. "They finally found the bullet, but she's had some damage to her lung and they are trying to repair it now. She also has some swelling in her brain caused by the blow to the head, and they are going to try to alleviate that next. He is very optimistic, though."

He thanked her and she left. Jack let out the breath that he didn't even know he had been holding. He was not a religious man by any means, but he found himself silently praying for her life. He lay down gently on the gurney and faced Sam's operating room. His eyes became heavy and he fought to keep them open.

Kim left Chase in the waiting room to call Chloe and opened the door that the nurse pointed out. She found Jack shirtless and fast asleep on the gurney and was shocked by his severely bruised body. She went over to him and caressed his face, thankful that he would be ok. She had been through this with him too many times, and each time it became harder. She had already lost her mother, she couldn't bear to lose him too. Kim felt tears sting her eyes as she wished he would leave field ops like Chase, but she knew it would have to be his decision, she couldn't guilt him into it. She turned her head and looked into the operating room next to her, at the woman who had entranced her father. She must be special, she hadn't seen him react that way to a woman since her mom.

Jack fought against the drowsiness and opened one eye. Someone was in the room with him. He opened the other one and recognized Kim, even with her back facing him. He reached out his arm for her, "Kim, sweetheart, come here."

She turned away from the window, and wrapped him in a big hug. He winced in pain as she squeezed his ribs, "Sorry. Dad, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just going to need a few stitches." He looked past her into the surgery suite.

Kim followed his eyes, "Is she going to be ok?"

"I think—" Jack was interrupted when alarm monitors went off next door. He could sense the distress in the room when doctors and nurses began racing around. His heart skipped a beat when he heard a doctor say, "She's crashing!"