CHAPTER 11: Waking up

It took them hours before finally a doctor came to speak to the women. Lisa took Mia's hand when the doctor started to speak of Thomas's condition. Lisa listened carefully as the doctor went over the different injuries sustained. She felt Mia's cold palm in her hand start to shake. Lisa knew it was hard for Mia, she and the Thomas had been together for what seemed like forever, Mia once told her the thought of being without the old goat was just not possible.

"But is he going to be fine?" Mia asked tears in her eyes she was holding back.

"He should be ma'am once he heals. There might be some permanent damage but we can't tell at the moment, only time will be able to let us know."

Mia shook her head wiping the tears from her eyes, "What about Jack Bauer, the other man?"

"Are you family ma'am?" The doctor asked already knowing the answer.

"His only family is in California." Mia said, "But I've known him all of his adult life. Now young man help me out here."

"I'll get his doctor for you ma'am." The young doctor said smiling and walking away to find Jack's doctor.

A young woman walked into the waiting room about twenty minutes later, this time Mia took Lisa's hand, she had seen the worry in Lisa's eyes, and she knew the woman felt something for Jack, even if there had been nothing there yet.

"Are you two here for Mr. Bauer?"

"Yes doctor." Mia said, she knew she would do most of the speaking.

"Mr. Bauer is in stable condition and resting in one of the rooms on the sixth floor." The doctor said without giving any information.

"May I see him?" Lisa asked feeling horrible for asking when she should go with Mia to see Thomas.

"Yes ma'am. If you go to the sixth floor they can direct you to his room."

"What about Thomas?" Mia asked holding onto Lisa's hand.

"He's in intensive care, I believe and only family is allowed in." The woman answered with a frown on her face she hated giving out information on patients that weren't hers. "If you want ma'am I can take you to Mr. Anderson."

"Please." Mia said looking at Lisa.

"Mia if you need me call my cell phone please. I'll be ready to help round the clock." Lisa said as Mia walked off. She couldn't miss another day of work she was sure about that to many big cases coming up, and with all that has gone on in the past few days she was sure she would see a rise in her caseload even more. She had a big trail coming up too, she had to be there for. Opening tomorrow, she thought cussing herself as she waited for the elevator. What was she doing worrying over a man she barely knew, she had to get her head examined soon. She walked to the opening on the sixth floor and found the nurses station.

"Excuse me can you please tell me what room Jack Bauer is in?"

"Hold on please." The nurse typed into the computer and than looked back up, "He's right down the hallway second door on the left. I think he's still asleep."

"Thank you." Lisa said wondering if she should go visit him, it seemed sad that there was no one else there to visit him, and that thought gave her the internal justification she needed to continue on down the hallway to visit, she was doing it because there was no one else, and that's what a nice caring neighbor might do. She did not like this man because she barely knew him.

She walked into the room and saw his figure resting on the bed. An IV ran into his left arm which rested just outside the blanket. It was bandage up to the middle of his forearm, and his right arm was completely bandage all the way up to the shoulder. She sat down in the chair at the side of the bed and took note of his slowly rising and falling chest. His head was bandage, she wondered what had happened, she was to busy wondering what had happened to him, and who had done it to notice that he had woke up, his eyes open.

Jack had felt the eyes on him in his sleep, he had been struggling to come out of the fog for awhile now, and not knowing where he was or if he was in danger feeling the eyes on him helped him force his mind completely out of the fog and back into reality. He looked over at Lisa and saw her studying him, he spoke softly as to not scare here, "What happened?"

Lisa almost jumped when she heard the soft coarse voice. She looked up to his face and saw his eyes open, "I was hoping you could tell me." She said softly. "How do you feel?"

"Groggy." Jack said softly.

"No pain?"

Jack lifted his left hand up, "I think they have me connected to pain killers."

Lisa looked down sheepishly of course they did, he must think she's stupid. "I should probably go let them know your awake." She got up to leave quickly, but he stopped her.

"Don't worry. I can just press the button." Jack said looking at her. He could tell she was nervous being there, but he didn't think it was because she didn't want to be there.

"Of course." She said walking back to sit down.

The female doctor from earlier walked in a few minutes later and smiled, "Mr. Bauer."

Jack had already moved in the bed and was sitting up, he wanted out of there, but he knew it would be against doctors wishes. "I'm ready to leave." Jack said to her smiling to make it seem less like a command.

"You really should stay under observation. Your right arm was burnt, and you have many sever cuts. I had to suture your gun shot wound again, and you have a mild concussion." The doctor said, "What do you remember of getting the injuries?"

"It's a little foggy." Jack said looking away. He knew it was the conscious and the memory would be back soon, but he hated not remembering, just flashes. Men in mask, waking up, shit the house was on fire, someone was with him in the house, who was it? He struggled to remember. Than it hit him, it felt like someone hit him in the gut, "Is the Colonel ok?" He looked over at Lisa.

Lisa saw that Jack was worried, "He's here." She said not knowing all of his condition.

"SO he made it out of the house?"

"Yes." Lisa answered.

"What about the house is it?"

"By time the firemen got there it was mostly just to put out the fire. The house went up pretty quickly Jack. I'm sorry."

Jack wasn't worried that the house had burnt down with most of his stuff, but the Colonel had made it out. He must have taken Jack out with him? How did he get the cuts on his arms?

"Mr. Bauer where would you stay if you left?" The doctor found an avenue to try to keep him longer.

"A hotel." Jack said.

Lisa spoke before she thought, "You cant' stay in a hotel. Both of your hands are unusable. If you want you can stay with Liz and myself."

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