"Logan! Barek!"

The two detectives looked up from their desks, and Deakins waved them to his office. They walked into the office, and Logan asked "You bellowed, boss?"

"Two things. First, they found something on Central Park West. Get down there now."

"And the other thing?"

"Call from the hospital."

"Eames?"

"No. Goren took a turn for the worse." Logan looked away from the captain and Barek shook her head. "Now get out of here." He didn't want to talk about it. His day had started out badly, and it was getting worse.

Logan didn't say a word, which wasn't like him. He slid behind the steering wheel, started the engine and pulled away from the curb. Blocks slid by, one by one…then Barek sat up a little straighter. "This isn't the way to Central Park West."

"It is today."

"What the hell are you doing, Mike?"

"You'll see."

Thirty minutes later, she found herself following him through the corridors of the hospital. "Mike…"

He refused to answer her. They entered the ICU and walked to Goren's cubicle. Logan stood there studying him. He looked ok. He knew that Goren wasn't ok but the fact that he looked ok let him feel right for what he was about to do. "C'mon, Barek."

She followed him from the ICU to the elevators. He stabbed the 'up' button. "Mike, what are you doing?"

"This is called an act of desperation."

"What…?"

"Just come on."

She followed him off the elevator and down the hall. Stopping outside Eames' door, he straightened his tie and tried to relax. He walked into the room.

Eames winced as she adjusted herself in her bed. Geez, this was getting old. They got her up every three hours and made her walk the halls. She could feel herself recovering, even though it had only been three days. But they still would not take her down to see her partner. She felt angry and frustrated.

"Hey there, Eames. How are you feeling?"

She looked up, surprised to see Logan and Barek walk into the room. She looked at the clock…10 am. They should be working… "What are you guys doing here?"

"We were in the neighborhood. Just wanted to drop by and say hi." He looked around the room. "Say, have they let you go down to the ICU to see him?"

"No. Why?"

"Just wondering. Do you want to go?"

"Mike!"

He shushed his partner and looked at Eames. "Well?"

She frowned at Logan. "What's going on, Mike? What's wrong?"

"Truth?"

"Yes, of course. No one has been telling me anything." She tried to hide her desperation and worry. "Mike…"

He walked to the bed and said, "He needs you, Alex. He needs to hear your voice, to know you're ok. And I think you need to see him just as badly." His frustration bubbled to the surface. "Goddammit, Eames, if we don't take you down to see him, he's not gonna make it."

Neither detective missed the look of panic that filled her face. "Has he been awake?"

Logan looked at Barek before he answered, "No. He…he needs a machine to breathe for him. He's had a rough time, Alex, and it's not getting any easier for him. This isn't going to be easy for you, either. Prepare yourself."

She didn't have to give it a second thought. She had to see her partner. "Go find a wheelchair, Mike. Carolyn, help me get up."

They stopped in the doorway of the ICU cubicle. Eames slowly got to her feet with Logan's support. She patted his good arm where it encircled her shoulders and steadied her. "It's ok, Mike." He stepped away from her side, releasing his helping arm. She walked slowly toward the bed and stopped at her partner's bedside. "Oh, my God, Bobby. What the hell did you do?" She reached out and touched his face. She listened to the machine, breathing for him, wiping at a tear that escaped her eye. She leaned down, resting her head on his chest, listening to his heart. Her mind flew back to the last time he'd hugged her, a hug of comfort she'd really needed. She'd listened to his heart beat then, too;it still sounded strong. She didn't even try to stop the tears; she knew she couldn't. She rested an arm gently across his body, the closest she could come to a hug. Several minutes passed before she stood up. Wiping her tears, she said, "You listen to me, you big horse's ass. If you die on me, I will never forgive you. Do you hear me, Bobby?" Her voice broke and lost nearly all its volume. "I will never forgive you. You always worried about me leaving you. Well, you had better not leave me, mister. Got it?" She leaned down again and rested her cheek against his. "Come on, Goren. Don't let me down." Gently she kissed his cheek. "I've gotta get back to my room, before they come looking for me. I'll be back, though. I promise." She caressed his face. "I promise."

She walked slowly to the cubicle doorway, where Logan and Barek were waiting for her just outside the small room. She wiped more tears from her face and looked from one detective to the other. "Thank you," she said. She hugged Logan, holding him tight for a minute. "Thank you very much."

Logan let her hold him, resting his free hand against her hair. "Hey, it's not Major Case without Goren and Eames. It's just not right to keep you in the dark, and if this is what it's going to take for him to turn the corner…well…" He shrugged slightly.

"What do you mean, 'for him to turn the corner'?" she asked as he helped her back into her wheelchair.

"Well, we've been to see him, and Deakins comes by. Everyone has come by to see him but you. I am betting a month's pay that your voice is the one voice he's been wanting to hear, and not hearing it, he assumes the worst. Last time he saw you, you were dropping to the ground with a bullet in you."

She was silent as he pushed her back to her room. Logan waited outside as Barek helped her get back into her bed. "Come in here, Logan."

He walked back into the room. Eames looked at him. "Thank you, Mike. No one has been telling me anything. I want you to keep coming by and I am going to trust the two of you to let me know how he is doing. I want your word."

Logan nodded. "I have no problem promising that."

Eames looked at Barek. "I promise, too."

"We gotta run now. We kinda took a detour on our way to Central Park West."

"They find something?"

"Dunno yet. We'll let you know."

She watched them leave her room. Leaning back on her bed, she watched the ceiling, but all she saw was her partner…brought down by a sniper's bullet…needing a machine to breathe for him…and waiting…waiting for her to come to see him, to know she was ok. She wiped her tears again. 'Oh, Bobby…'