AN: I apologize for the three month wait, never expected to do that, but I have been having some personal issues, and life's been rough, I'll try to update this for you again without making you wait too long, anyways, here's is chapter ten, Not exactly what I had been hoping for, you tell me what you think...

My fingers had a mind of their own and they tapped around on the wall in front of me as I listened to the dial tone of the payphone I was standing at.

No answer, Chris's mom must still be asleep, so I had to leave a message.

"Hey Ms. Sanchez, it's Jim...um...Jim Street, I'm at the hospital and ...uh...the doctor's had some good news...uh...they um...said Chris is getting better...I...uh...yeah...I'll call again later...or maybe you'll come in, or um...yeah...ok..Bye."

That was a genius message Jim, good job. The woman is going to think I'm crazy. Now Hondo. I dialed the number, and waited. One ring...Two rings...Three, come on Hondo.

"Street?" His deep voice asked from the other side.

"Hondo." I answered.

"What is it? Is she ok?" He asked.

"They said that she showing signs of improvement."

"So she's getting better?"

"Yeah, that's what they said. She's not out of the woods yet, but the doctors are changing their minds and they think she had a fifty-fifty shot now."

"You ain't bullshitting me?" His voice was hard to read, like always. "I got to call the rest of the guys."

"Ok Hondo."

"A half an hour," Hondo stated and the line clicked dead. I knew from the start that was going to be an easy phone call.

I went quickly back to Chris's room, rubbing at my shoulders. It was so god damn cold in this place, and I still didn't have a shirt. My arm brushed against my chest, and a pang of pain shot through me. I looked down at myself, and the bruise on my chest had gotten darker and uglier. It was sore as hell. It had been one hell of a shot. I rubbed my hands together quickly to try to get some warmth into my body as I crossed the line into her room. What I saw, or didn't see, scared the hell out of me.

She wasn't there. There was an empty bed. I ran frantically to the bed and ripped at its sheets, as if she was hiding under the thin cloth. In my panic I almost failed to notice the little red button above the headboard of the bed. The call button. This seemed like as good an emergency as any, so I smashed my palm to it.

Within seconds a nurse had hurried to the door. An annoyed look came over her face when she saw that there was no patient in the room.

"Sir," she sighed, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know where Chris went, I mean, I left her here for a second to go make a phone call, then I came back and she was gone. It's not like she could have just walked out herself because she's ya know, unconscious, so somebody must have taken her somewhere, but they should have told me or at least waited until I got back because you know, that's not really fair just messing with my head like that. Or maybe if you guys don't know where she is, than someone else came and took her. Oh god, where the hell did she go? Who would want to kidnap Chris? She's just not the ty-"

"Sir," She forced. I stopped talking at once, amazed at how someone could be so loud and still sound calm. She smiled tiredly.

"You, my friend, are rambling."

I rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed. I hadn't even noticed that I had said so much.

"Well," I asked a little slower. "I just want to know where, Chris, my partner went."

"The young lady who was in this room is up getting some scans done. She should be back within a half an hour," The nurse smiled sweetly.

I breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed into my familiar chair. I was very tired all of a sudden, and the nurse must have sensed this because she excused herself and let me be alone. I had drifted off way too easily, and soon found Hondo was shaking me awake.

"Street? You in there man?" Hondo was looking into my eyes, concerned. I nodded shortly

"Yeah, yeah, Hondo, I'm good."

"Street, don't bullshit me, your eyes aren't right." he said. Then he reached behind himself to the floor and threw a white object into my lap.

"Put that on, it'll help." He commanded. It was a white hoodie, and the instant it was pulled over my bruised chest, a warm fuzzy feeling came through my body. I was finally retaining heat. My eyes darted back and forth.

"Where's Chris?" She should be back by now. It didn't make any sense.

"Testing was taking longer than expected, but she will be back any minute." Hondo replied. "Sanchez's mom went up to find her, and Deke had to tag along, because she looked ready to tear the head off of anyone who got close enough to her."

"Deke's here?" I squinted my eyes, confused.

"Yeah, Deke's up with Sanchez's mama, Boxer is waiting outside, and Jesse is with him."

"What about Eliza?"

"With a baby sitter. It seems that the older Ms. Sanchez decided it was best for her not be here." I nodded my head in agreement. One stressful day like the last would probably be enough for Eliza at the moment.

I stood up to shake my legs out, and realized how tired and cramped I really was. I wanted to just go home, fall into bed, and sleep for days. But my heart wouldn't allow it.

Hondo's eyes met mine and they shifted towards the door, I nodded in approval, and we both headed that way. We opened the door to the hall just in time to hear Chris's mother swearing up a storm at the orderlies walking with her.

"Cayete," She silenced him, "Don't you even know nothing about what's wrong with her? Idiota! Estupido! Hijo de puta!" Deke was jogging behind them, just holding his head in his hand.

"Hondo," He called over their heads. "I tried man, I tried to keep her calm, but it's impossible."

"It's all good Deke," Hondo returned.

"Thank you for… going to there with me Deacon," Ms. Sanchez said, suddenly calm again. The orderlies that were behind her wheeled Chris back into her room, and to my disappointment, but I expected it, she was still out like a light. Chris's mom followed her bed back into the room, but she stopped when she saw me.

"Jim? You call me today before?" She asked, looking a little confused.

"Yeah, Jim, I am Jim," I replied. I stuttered a little, surprised that she remembered my idiotic phone call from this morning.

"Christina speaks much of you," She smiled a sort of little half smile, and continued into the room. I tried to follow behind her, but Hondo pulled me back.

"Let her be with her daughter alone for a while Street." Hondo suggested simply. As much as it killed me to even consider being without Chris, I conceded to his point. So I stumbled in my half awake mode towards the row of chairs against the wall. Boxer and Jesse were already taking of three chairs between the two of them, so I curled up in the last one, trying to keep warm and not think about everything that had been happening.