Heller sighed as he gratefully took the cup of coffee from Kim as he leant against the counter. He took Sarah's from her too before plodding on to the guest room where Jack was stationed, fighting to stay awake. He placed Sarah's mug on the window ledge seeing she was still busy with Jack, repositioning the cast on the bed, trying to hold it in place with pillows.
"He keeps moving it in his sleep," she said with a chuckle, explaining her actions.
"Can that damage the limb even more?"
Sarah let out another laugh before quickly glancing behind her to make sure Kim was still in the kitchen.
"I don't think it could ever be any more damaged than it was when we brought him back," Sarah stated as Heller grimly nodded. "But the more he moves it the more discomfort he is going to feel. I think its better to be as cautious as possible, there are enough injuries on him discounting this leg, there's no need to make it even worse."
Heller nodded again, his eyes flickering to Jack ever so often as a frown covered his face and guilt quietly rang in his ears.
"Which is why I still disagree with your decision to move him here," Sarah continued, hoping to make Heller listen.
"Jack wasn't comfortable in the hospital," he replied gravely. "Right now I just want him to relax and try to get better, he needs to be in a place where he feels safe to do that," he spoke sympathetically.
"James… You could compromise his health by doing this."
"No I can't," he said, more strongly now, "you're here, the doctors are here more often than not. More importantly, Jacks here." He paused. "That wasn't Jack in the hospital, that was a scared and broken man. He can be himself here," he added gently patting Jacks bare arm as though trying to convince himself too.
"I disagree."
"Noted," Heller snapped as he began to get impatient. "Look," he added as he drained his mug, "I need to speak with Kim, help her continue her debrief. Would you please call me in when Jack awakes? I'd like to see him."
"Sure but it may be a while. He's exhausted. He had another nightmare, it really freaked him out."
Closing his eyes briefly Heller nodded as he left the room, gently closing the door shut behind himself.
He lingered in the hallway, his thumb still touching the handle as he squeezed his eyes shut. 'I'm sorry Jack,' he whispered to himself as he tried to pull himself together. Knowing he had to help Kim didn't make him feel any better, he would be hearing details of just what the Chinese had done to him. He knew he was too close to this, but he couldn't back out. They needed him.
He held his breath as he tried to ignore the image of Audrey in his mind, he still cringed when he thought of his own capture and how she had witnessed him sign the confession. It was frighteningly close to Jacks ordeal. He could relate to the humiliation and embarrassment Jack would be feeling. On top of this there was his physical suffering. This was going to be harder than hard, Heller knew, he just hoped he would be able to pull Jack out of the hole he himself had almost fallen down.