"Hey," Kim greeted gently when she saw her father coming round again. She grabbed his hand from the floor and noticed how cold it felt, she tried to warm it up as she put her other palm softly against his forehead, he was freezing.
Jack smiled up at her drowsily; so it hadn't been a dream, she really was here. He was angry at himself for falling asleep on her; he knew this would be the last time he saw her, he was going to die here and they would not allow another visit. He was still confused as to why they had let her in at all.
The silence between them didn't last long, Jack needed to know what was happening in his daughters life. He needed proof that life was moving on outside of these four walls; it would give him something to hang on to once he was alone again, or with the sadistic guards who seemed to enjoy hurting him so damn much.
"What's been happening at home?" It felt alien to be referring to some place else as home, but he ignored it and tried to focus his full attention on his daughter, and not the pain which was freely coursing through his body.
Kim let out a short laugh, sure he was trying to divert the attention from himself.
"Its okay. Thing have been on hold since you left though."
She saw Jacks face scrunch up in anger and immediately regretted her choice of words; he hadn't left, he hadn't been given any choice in this at all.
"Chase has been even more overprotective of me since it happened," she said quickly trying to avert his attention, whilst putting his mind at rest about her safety. "He is in the city now. They wouldn't let him come, but he wouldn't let me see you unless he escorted me as far as he could."
Jack smiled at this as he croaked out a few more words. "Chase is a good man."
"He is," Kim agreed, wincing with concern as she watched her father begin to cough with the effort of talking.
Unable to stray away from the topic any longer, Kim decided to dive straight in and ask her the most troubling question on her mind. "Why did they do this to you?" The tears were falling again but she didn't care, she had no hopes of stopping them as she saw the glint of determination in Jacks eyes, trying to be strong again even though he wasn't capable of it. He would never stop trying though.
"I broke the law," he started, knowing how pathetic this excuse was. "I did it to save lives Kimberly, and I don't regret my actions."
She smiled, finally feeling some sense of comfort. He had done this for the greater good. She knew he would be happier as an innocent victim suffering for nothing, rather than knowing that lives had been lost and he hadn't done all he could to try and stop that. He was a patriot, and he had willingly sacrificed himself for the greater good. Again.
"I wish I could take you home," she cried, now leaning on his chest as her fists clenched around the bunched up material of her fathers clothes. This wasn't right - after everything he had done, how could they do this to him? How could they turn their backs on a man who was a legend, an American hero?
"Kim," Jack started; but he couldn't be herd over her cries. She was hysterical, she had faced reality and didn't like what she saw. She continued to cry into his shirt as she felt his hand weakly pat her on the back, it was the only comfort he could offer. She was mad at herself for allowing him to see her so upset, while Jack was angry that he had made her experience these emotions. It was a cycle never to be broken; not unless he were somehow freed from his determined fate.