Chapter 38

As one of the floor nurses, this routine had gotten very familiar over the last two days. She had made this trip many times in the last two days between these rooms, checking on the patient in the one room, and bringing information to the patient in the other.

Sav slowly opened the door to Bobby Manning's room, pushing a wheelchair. Looking down at the quiet blonde, she noticed Sue's troubled blue eyes were transfixed on the dark haired man asleep in the chair beside the bed.

Smiling slightly, Sav eased her closer to the bed, practically feeling the love in the room. The love included the man lying in the hospital bed, not just the man and woman who had so faithful visited him, despite him remaining unconscious. Even with her own injuries, as soon as Sue could, she had Sav sneak her in to see Bobby, sitting beside his bedside until she was forced to return to her room.

When Jack wasn't with Sue, Sav knew he came down here, even when Sue tried to send him home to rest. In the forty-eight hours since the two of them had been brought in, he'd only gone home once to change and shower, but he was back in less than an hour, standing guard again over his friends.

Making sure Sue was comfortable, Sav told her she'd check on her later, and then moved towards the door. Turning, she scanned the scene before her once more, marveling at the close bond the three of them had. She saw it when they were in Chantilly, and it had only strengthened since then.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sue saw the door swing shut behind Sav as she left. Looking at the exhausted man before her, curled uncomfortably on the chair, she thought about how Jack had retreated inside himself the last two days since the explosion.

Sue knew he was always used to being in control, so the turn of events had thrown him into a tailspin. Not only was Sue in the hospital as a result of the stalker, but his best friend was lying in a bed three doors down in a coma. While trying to be strong for everyone else on the team, the way he felt a leader should be, Jack was shutting out the one person that needed him, and probably he needed most.

Biting her bottom lip worriedly, Sue leaned forward to lightly brush his hair from his forehead with her fingertips. She felt him move under her hand, pulling back and saw his lips move as his eyes blinked open. Momentarily disoriented, he just stared at her so she smiled back.

"I don't think this is what I had in mind when I told you to get some sleep," Sue teased, putting her hand on his arm comfortingly.

"Oh," Jack blinked, running his hand through his hair as he sat up. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Sorry, I didn't get that," Sue told him. "Your hand was in front of your face."

SORRY, he signed. SLEEP LONG? he questioned.

"No, you left me about two and it's only 4 now," Sue admitted looking at the clock on the wall. "You really should go home and get some sleep, Jack," she insisted, her eyes pleading. "You're not going to do us any good if you end up in here from exhaustion."

"I'm fine!" Jack snapped. SORRY, he signed, putting his head down in his hands.

"Jack, you're not fine," she commented quietly. "You're drained, you won't talk to anyone," she tugged at his arm to get him to look at her. "If you're not in my room, you're down here. You can't keep doing this, Jack," she paused. "We don't know if he's going to…"

"BOBBY'S GOING TO BE FINE!" Jack bellowed, coming out of his chair. Sue's head snapped back in fear at his rage as he stomped across the room. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT 'IFS'. BOBBY MANNING IS STRONG AND HE'S GOING TO BE FINE!" he shouted, turning around at the window to face her.

"I understand, Jack…" Sue started, her hands shaking on her lap in front of her. His yelling made it hard to read what he was saying, but she could empathize with the pain he was feeling, because she loved Bobby too.

"You DON'T understand!" he countered. "That's my best friend. We gone through so much together, and now all I keep hearing is he might not wake up again. If he wakes up, he might not be the same," Jack shouted, his pent up fury raging. "You can't tell me know how I feel!"

"What's going on in here?" Sav came rushing through the door, followed closely by Myles and D. Hurrying to Sue's side, she kneel next to her and saw the anguish on the blonde's face as she peered up as dark hair man, who she was so lovingly gazing at just moments before.

"You okay?" Sav questioned, getting Sue's attention by clasping her hand around her wrist to check her pulse when she noticed how pale Sue looked.

"Can I go back to my room now?" Sue asked, a barely discernable whisper, lowering her eyes dejectedly to the floor. Sav cut her eyes over to Jack, angry at whatever he could have done to cause her pain. Patting Sue's hand gently, Sav stood and quickly pushed her wheelchair out of the room, nodding at Myles as he held the door for them.

Chapter 39

"Want to tell us what's going on?" D asked as Myles closed the door after the ladies and came to join them by the window.

"NO!" Jack barked, turning his back on them. He was still wound so tight and really didn't want to deal with them right now. The last thing he'd meant to do was upset Sue, but he was tired of people telling him his best friend might never wake up, since it was his fault Bobby was there in the first place.

"Too bad," Myles snatched his arm and spun him back. "We've been letting you act like some boorish bear for the past two days, because we figured it was rough enough having Sue and Bobby in here," he roared, getting in Jack's face as his own anger got the better of him. "But this was too much, Hudson!"

"Myles," D grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Take it easy."

"I will not take it easy, D!" he exclaimed. "Sue's been through the stalker, almost getting shot in the mountains, and the explosion. Then we come in and hear YOU shouting at her!" Myles thumped his hands against Jack's chest, slamming him into the wall before D could move between them.

"Cool it, Myles!" D ordered, glaring at the blonde agent until he stalked off, leaning stiffly against the other wall. The older man watched Myles for a moment, before turning back to Jack, who was rubbing his chest where Myles hit him.

"Look, Jack," D started. "We don't want to get into your business, but when it starts affecting the team as a whole it becomes our business too," he stated calmly, moving to stand beside the younger man.

"You've had a lot going on yourself lately, with this case as well as Bobby and Sue in the hospital," he declared, putting his hand on the dark-haired agent's shoulder. "SOG said you've been staying here most of the time, so we know you've been under a lot of pressure."

"But that still doesn't excuse what I did…" Jack ran his hand through his hair, leaving the rest of the sentence unfinished. D glanced briefly at Myles, and then returned his attention to Jack.

"We know you're worried about Bobby, we all are, but you've got to talk about it to someone," D explained. "You know we are all here for you, but if you won't talk to one of us, at least talk to Sue."

"Sue's the best thing that ever happened to you, Jack," Myles told him from the other side of the room. "Don't let your stubborn short-sightedness ruin what you have…"

"Ah…" Jack tried to interrupt.

"Don't say there is nothing between you, because we all know there is," Myles said, slowly approaching again. "Truce," he put out his hand and Jack clasped it firmly, pulling him into a manly hug.

"Thanks for trying to knock some sense into me," Jack smiled, slapping him on the back.

"Someone had to," Myles scoffed. "But if you do it again…D won't be able to hold me back," his eyes expressing far more meaning than his words. When he saw D and Jack's expressions, he almost laughed.

"I might not have thought she belonged when you first brought her on the team, Jack," Myles sneered, turning away from them. "But as time went on, I learned how valuable Sue was, not just to the team, but to each of us," he pronounced, his eyes darting uncomfortably around the room.

"She doesn't have the jaded sense of the world a lot of people do, so she gives people more chances than most people would," he laughed halfhearted. "We're lucky to meet someone like that, let alone actually get to know them," Myles turned back to Jack.

"And to be blessed with the love of someone like her, the true love that she has for you Jack, that's once in a lifetime," Myles paused to stopped in front of him. "Don't let some arrogant, pompous attitude prevent you from accepting this wonderful gift."

"You know, if you insist on all this 'earbashing', I really wish you'd take it outside," came a weak voice from the bed before Jack could respond.

"Bobby!" Jack exclaimed as Myles rushed out to let a doctor know he'd woken up.

"Hey, mate," Bobby whispered hoarsely. "What's everyone doing hanging out here? Don't we have a case?"

"Heh, yeah, but someone chose to goof off and spend two days sleeping, so we were just waiting for him to decide to join us," D smirked as he approached Bobby's right side.

"Welcome back, Crash," Jack smiled broadly from his left.

"He's right, mate," Bobby stated simply, indicating Myles.

"What?" Jack asked confused.

"What he was saying earlier about you and Sue," he explained, growing tired.

"He's agreeing with Myles," D teased, cutting his eyes over at Jack. "His head injury must be worse than we thought!" he grinned.

"Don't let what you two have get away, Jack; fight for it," Bobby smiled feebly. "Or I'll get out of this bed and come after you, Sparky," he winked.

"Can't have that, Crash," Jack grinned. "The nurses around here kind of like having you around, and I don't want to get on their bad sides," he slapped his friend gently on the shoulder.

"Go after her, Jack," Bobby insisted, before falling back off to sleep just as Myles returned with the doctor.

Jack watched his friend's eyes drift shut, before nodding to the two other agents in the room and heading for the door. With a new mission in mind, he had to figure out a plan and he knew someone who might be able to help him.

Chapter 40

Making his way back to Sue's room, Jack didn't know what he was going to tell her. It seemed as if he was constantly apologizing to her, particularly since admitting his true feelings for her at the cabin in West Virginia.

His purposeful footsteps slowed as he got closer to her hospital room. Jack knew all relationships had their problems, but they were starting out with a lot of issues already stacked against them. Hiding out from someone trying to kill them for doing their jobs, they still had to worry about what to do about the rules when they returned to work.

Standing outside her room, Jack thought about his jealousy watching her with Matt as they signed. Sue seemed so comfortable with him, even though they had only known each other a short time.

Am I being fair to Sue? he wondered. Is what we have enough or does she need more than I can give? Before he could think about this further, a familiar voice broke into his reverie.

"What are you doing here?" snapped Nurse Sav as she closed the door to Sue's room, coming into the hallway with him. "Wanting to finish the job of making her feel miserable?" she cocked her head defiantly as she stood before him.

"I didn't mean…" Jack stammered, surprised at the anger flashing through her eyes.

"You know you have a lot of nerve," Sav interrupted, poking him in the chest with her finger. "Sue loves you, and the last couple of days, despite being in explosion that almost cost her life, she's been sitting with you at Agent Manning's bedside because she knows the relationship you have with him," she continued, hands on her hips. "And you pay her back by yelling at her."

"I…uh…" Jack looked uncomfortably down at his feet his face crestfallen. Myles and D were bad enough, but now he had someone outside is 'inner circle' telling him what a jerk he'd been. Yeah, he and Sav had dated but it hadn't gotten passed a couple of dinners. However, Sav and Sue had remained close, obviously developing a strong friendship.

"Come here," Sav instructed, pulling him into the nurses' lounge across the hall. She could see the myriad of emotions crossing his face and knew he was struggling himself over what he had done. Though she wanted to show compassion for his pain, Sav couldn't quite get over her anger.

"What do you want from Sue?" she asked him directly.

"Huh?" Jack's head snapped up from where he was staring at the floor. Taking a deep calming breath, Sav led him to table and pushing him into a chair, sitting down beside him. She watched him put his head into his hands, noticing the tension in his body.

"Jack," Sav started, putting her hand on his shoulder. As he looked up, she continued, "It's obvious to anyone that sees you that you care as deeply about Sue as she cares about you. Even the couple of times we went to dinner, you talked about her a lot…more than anybody else on the team." She watched with amusement as Jack opened his mouth to explain, his face turning pink as nothing came out.

"You don't have to explain about us, Jack," Sav interjected finally, letting him off the hook. "When Sue was in the hospital…the first time," she smiled, "I could tell what a strong bond the three of you had. While the others came later, you and Agent Manning barely left her side the entire time she was in the hospital," Sav explained. "At the time, I thought it was some 'law enforcement' type relationship, where partners are more than family…like you see in the movies." She sifted in her chair in order to look at him more fully.

"I realized now there was something more…on both sides," Sav put up her hand when Jack tried to interrupt her. "I don't know what has happened in the last couple of days, and I don't care," she told him distinctively. "I do know that Sue changed, and she's not looking at just a co-worker and friend anymore." Searching his face, Sav could see that he was fighting an internal battle with himself.

"I'm not either," Jack replied quietly.

"Are you sure?" Sav asked, causing Jack's dark eyes to meet hers. "What are you looking for with Sue?"

"I don't know," Jack retorted, running his hand through his hair.

"Maybe you need to figure that out, before you go any farther with Sue," Sav insisted firmly. Jack looked at her with shock and bewilderment. "You know, as well as I do, that when Sue places her trust in someone, it means a lot to her," she stated, pausing slightly as she took a deep breath. "She's been hurt before…do you want to be someone else that hurts her too?"

"I'd never hurt her," Jack maintained, getting a tad irate at what he though Sav was suggesting.

"I didn't say you would…intentionally," Sav proclaimed. "But if you continued to pursue this new relationship, and she becomes totally committed…which in my opinion won't take much…you have to know that you will be totally invested in this relationship too."

"I think I am…" Jack stammered.

"Is thinking enough?" Sav questioned. "Do you want to risk your friendship with her because you THINK you want something more?" They sat in silence, eying each other as Jack contemplated what Sav had told him.

While he wanted to be angry with her, Jack had to consider that he was thinking the same thing just moments before. Was their relationship predestined to remain a close friendship or could they work out something more? Jack didn't know.

Chapter 41

"You'd think after a two day sleep, I wouldn't be feeling so bloody tired," Bobby yawned, shifting gingerly in the bed, careful of his sore ribs. Despite the discomfort, he knew he was lucky to have escaped with just a concussion, a couple of broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a fractured right forearm.

"Well, you deserve a couple of days rest, buddy," D consoled him as he stood next to Myles at his bedside. "You gave us quite a scare."

"Me too, mate," Bobby admitted as the door swung open revealing a fragile looking Sue, peeking through the opening.

Seeing her leaning heavily against the door jam unsteady on her feet, Myles and D rushed to her side. D quickly wrapped his arm around her waist, gently leading her to the chair next to the bed.

"Are you supposed to be out running the halls by yourself, young lady?" D admonished with a smile, in his best fatherly tone when she looked up to thank him as he lowered her into the seat.

"The doctor wants to me out walking, so I can get out tomorrow," Sue explained, slightly breathless from her excursion. "I wasn't planning on coming this far, but I saw two nurses talking about Bobby, and I wanted to check on him myself," she smiled at the handsome agent lying in the bed in front of her.

Noticing how pale she was as she leaned heavily against the back of the chair, D wondered whether he should call a doctor for her. Shifting into the chair beside her as he held her hand in his, he looked back over his shoulder as Myles came back through the door with a scowl on his face.

"Where is the man we had on her room?" Myles demanded, storming into the room. "He should have been with her."

"Sue, did you walk all the way down here on your own?" D asked touching her arm to get her to look at him.

"I haven't seen Sav since we went back to the room earlier," Sue stated, the color finally returning to her cheeks. "Tom wasn't outside my room when I left it," she told them. "He probably went to get a cup of coffee or something. I figured I'd meet him in the hall somewhere, but I didn't see him."

"What about Jack?" Myles questioned, coming around to stand in front of her. Seeing the shadow come across her face, he immediately wanted to kick himself. Apparently the apology didn't go as planned, Myles thought to himself as he saw the pain mirrored in her eyes.

"I don't know where Jack is," Sue confessed, her tenacity apparent as she sat up a little straighter in her chair. "The last time I saw him he was in here with Bobby," she muttered, looking down at her hands as she recalled the moment in her mind.

Her attention diverted, she missed the concerned glances shared between the three male agents. The missing guard on Sue's room, and now Jack disappearing, just seemed a little too coincidental. Could this be related to the stalker? they all thought.

Not wanting to alarm Sue, Bobby nodded his head towards the door, his eyes conveying his request for them to go find his best friend. There's no way Jack would be out of touch for five hours without calling in, especially during this case, unless something was wrong, Bobby knew instinctively.

"Sue," D said softly, getting Sue's attention with the wave of his hand. "Do you think you can keep an eye on Bobby for us? Myles and I need to run some, uh, errands," he requested, knowing how upset she'd be if they tried to coddle her.

At the same time, he knew how important it was not to scare her until they had the facts about Jack's whereabouts. After what she'd been through, especially the last two days, they didn't need to add to her stress.

"We'll let the nurse know you're in here and Koala Boy can call when you're ready to go back to her room," Myles told her kneeling before her and placing a comforting hand over hers in her lap. "It's kind of far to try walking back on your own," he explained concerned.

"Okay," Sue declared, sensing they were hiding something, but unable to read it from their faces.

Bobby watched them from the bed as D and Myles made their way out the door. As it swung shut behind them, he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as he wished he was with them instead of stuck in a hospital bed.

However, looking at the blonde sitting before him, Bobby knew he had another assignment. The woman who always seemed to know the right thing to say when one of the team was hurting now was the one in pain, and it was his job to figure out the right thing to say to her.