Friends and Lovers
Chapter 7
Disclaimers: the usual
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Hospital
Jack and D found Sue sitting pensively in the waiting area. Seeing her friends, she stood as they came closer.
"How is he?" asked Jack as he handed her Levi's leash.
"The doctor's with him now. They chased me out while they examine him," she answered a little tiredly. The adrenaline from the past few hours was completely gone. "I think they're worried about the smoke inhalation mor than anything else."
Myles emerged from another examining room. Frowning, he snapped his notepad shut and joined his teammates.
"How's the suspect?" asked D.
"Mainly smoke inhalation," remarked Myles. "He burnt his hands searching for his accomplice. Between the burns and the confusion of what's happened, he's been crying. It's really quite sad."
Myles couldn't help but notice their surprise at his compassion but he tried to cover his momentary show of emotion with sarcasm. "What? You don't think I have a heart?"
"It's not that, Myles," assured Sue. "We know you have a heart but you usually choose not to show it. We're just wondering what makes this suspect so different."
Myles took a breath to protest the backhanded compliment but decided to let it pass. Instead he shrugged. "Danny, as the suspect likes to be called, has the mental capacity of a four-year old. From the little I could make sense of, Jason—the deceased suspect—took Danny under his wing several years ago and has been taking care of him ever since. There was an accident, Jason couldn't work and the money dried up. He said Jason told him this morning, 'Let's go play cops and robbers and get some money.'" Myles shook his head in chagrin. "He wasn't even using a real gun."
There was silence as the group assimilated the pathetic little story.
"Does he know why his friend blew himself up?" questioned Jack.
"He doesn't even realize his friend is dead," Myles stated bluntly. "He keeps asking when is Jason coming to pick him up and take him home."
D shook his head. "Doesn't seem necessary, but we'll need to have an agent posted until he's ready to be transferred to a Federal holding facility," he announced. "He's still a suspect in a bank robbery."
"I'll take care of it," offered Myles striding off to make the arrangements.
"It'll be hard to get a conviction out of this one," commented D.
"Yeah," agreed Jack.
At that moment, the doctor came out of Bobby's examining room. "Miss Thomas?"
With her back to the door, Sue was unaware of the doctor until D and Jack pointed her in his direction.
He tried again. "Miss Thomas?"
"Yes?" Sue replied worriedly, concern etched on her face.
"Agent Manning will be fine but I'd like to keep him overnight for observation. He has a slight hoarseness and cough which I'd like to monitor to be on the safe side. Externally, he has some scrapes and bruises and a second degree burn on his left hand, but other than that, he should be fine in a week or so. If the hoarseness and cough continue to improve, he could theoretically go back to work tomorrow but I'd really recommend at least a day or two of rest."
"Thank you, doctor," she smiled relief evident in her voice.
"I understand he went in a burning building for one of the suspects."
Sue nodded, not quite managing to mask her shiver of fear at the memory.
"He must have a guardian angel watching over him," the doctor remarked, shaking his head.
Jack's eyebrows rose in agreement after a quick glance at Sue. "I think he does."
"Can we see him?" asked Sue anxiously.
"Go right in. They'll be moving him as soon as there's a room available. Do you have any questions?"
"Um...when will he be discharged?" D asked.
"Like I said if his hoarseness and coughing improve as we expect, probably tomorrow morning."
"Thank you," Sue said gratefully.
She turned towards the two men but before she could say a word, Jack managed to say, "Why don't you see him first? We'll wait for Myles."
She paused before going in, signing her thanks for his consideration.
D looked at Jack in compassion. "That was generous of you."
"Who's being generous?" Jack joked unconvincingly. "I know I'd rather see a pretty girl instead of our ugly mugs after an experience like that."
D wasn't fooled by Jack's flippant tone. He knew Jack was still struggling to come to grips with the unexpectedness of the pairing of his best friend and Sue. So all he said the only thing he could, "Works for me."
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