#A/N: THANKS FOR ALL THE NICE REVIEWS. I KNOW IT'S MOVING SLOW, BUT THERE IS A METHOD TO MY MADNESS. HOPE YOU LIKE THIS ONE. AND NO, I STILL DON'T OWN THEM.

CHAPTER 6: NURSING THE WOUNDS

The next morning, Woody was taken off of the ventilator, but kept sedated until that evening. He slowly woke up in the same room he was in two days before. It was softly lit by only the light behind the bed, the window blinds having been shut, and the door closed.

As he stirred, Jordan got up from the recliner across the room to the chair next to his bed. Woody's heavy eyes darted around the room, finally settling on Jordan's smiling face. He turned his head away, trying to speak, but only a dry grunt came out. He glanced back at Jordan with a panicked look on his face, and she soothed him with a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Woody, your throat is just dry from the et tube and the medication. I'll go get you some ice chips."

Jordan hurried back into the room with a cup of ice chips and the ICU nurse. "Hello, Detective Hoyt", chirped the nurse, "my name is Sue, I'll be your nurse tonight. I'm on until tomorrow morning. Let's take your temp first, before we give you the ice chips", she explained, slipping the probe under his tongue. "Hmm, 100.7F, not bad...much better than the other day."

She nodded over to Jordan. "Here Woody", Jordan said spooning him some ice chips.

"Alright Detective, let's get these bandages changed so you can get some more rest," Sue stated before glancing over at Jordan "Doctor, would you mind helping?"

"Of course not," Jordan replied, putting the cup of ice down on the tray.

"No", Woody croaked.

"C'mon Woody, she can't turn you by herself," Jordan returned, pointing over her shoulder at the petite nurse.

"No, get someone else," he insisted.

"Oh Wood's, I promise I won't peek," Jordan tried teasingly. "It's after eleven, and there are a bunch of nurses out sick. They're short staffed tonight.

Woody just closed his eyes in defeat.

Sue put one hand on his shoulder and one on his hip, Jordan did the same on the opposite side. "On three", she said, "1,2,3." Sue pushed gently while Jordan pulled, causing Woody groan.

"Woody, did we hurt you?" Jordan asked concerned. He shook his head, but it was clear by the look on his face that he was in pain. Jordan watched with a doctors eye as Sue carefully changed his abdominal bandage. She commented on what a good job the surgeon did. "Not such a big scar."

Jordan smiled at his as she held the spoon of ice chip. After he willingly swallowed, Jordan moved around to observe his back wound. Sue began removing the bandage. It took all of Jordan's self control to not gasp out in shock. The nurse gave her a concerned look, but Jordan nodded back, signaling for her to continue. Jordan looked on horrified at the huge, red, stapled scar that ran down the middle of his back. Sue hurried to cover the wound and they gently returned Woody to his back so she could then administered his medications, and updated his charts.

Sue waived as she moved toward the door. "I'll be back soon, if you need anything," she called out. "In the mean time, the call button is on the side rail of the bed."

Jordan nodded for the both of them, then stepped back to Woody's bedside. "Need more ice chips?" she asked, trying to sound upbeat and positive. He nodded weakly.

Woody's gaze was fixed somewhere on the far wall. "I'm alright now, you can leave." When she didn't respond, he looked up at her with such sadness in those beautiful blue eyes. "It's late Jordan, go home."

Jordan moved closer and ran her fingers through his hair. "They said I could stay the night, I would really like to," she told him.

As much as he wanted to flinch away, Woody knew the slightest movement would cause him agony; so he simply shrugged and looked away.

What am I supposed to do? he wondered, watching her as she unconsciously checked the machines he was hooked up to. She is all I have now, all I've ever wanted. No, I can't do this to her. It's not fair.

But before he could tell her to leave again, Woody yawned and succumbed to the effects of his medication.