Once again I must tell you how glad I am that so many of you are enjoying this story. Now to answer the Booker question, although guilt is amajor player in the way he is acting, there is more than meets the eye in his case... so just stay tuned.

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"How goes things in here Iokage?" Penhall asked as he and Fuller stepped back in to the room his voice just slightly above a whisper. "Did he wake up yet?"

"Yeah, he just fell back asleep a few minutes ago." Harry stood and shoved his hands in his pockets heading towards the door where the two men had just entered. "Did you talk to the doctor?"

"Yeah..." Fuller closed the door behind himself before turning his attention back into the room, "He was just filling us in a bit on the situation at hand... I'll tell you about it later, how's he doing?"

"He's still pretty out of it." Ioki glanced toward the bed, "But all things considered he's handling it pretty well I guess..."

"He's strong." Fuller noted, "It's going to be rough for a while, but he'll pull through..."

"I know." Both of the younger cops said in unison.

"Where is Hoffs and Booker disappear to?"

"They headed for Bookers place, thought it was time for him to get out of those clothes, Judy said she would stop and pick up some burgers on the way back."

"That's good, I think he needed to get out of here, he seems to be taking this pretty hard." Penhall looked at his captain then to Harry.

"I think we are all dealing with what happened in our own way..."

"I guess..."

"Captain?" Tom's voice rang from behind the peach colored hospital curtain, sounding groggy and tired.

Fuller stepped further into the room pulling the curtain back slightly a fake light smile on his lips as he did so, "How you feelin' son?" He asked sympathetically taking a seat next to the bed.

"How am I supposed to feel?" He cleared his throat and slid his tongue across his lips.

"That was a stupid question..."

"Have you talked to the doctor yet?" His big brown eyes were hopeful as he shifted his gaze to look up at his captain.

"Yeah, yeah Tommy I did..." The older man let his eyes fall and study his lap.

"What did he say?"

"It's going to-" Fuller exhaled rubbing his beard, "It's going to take time Tom... before they can tell exactly what your prognosis is..."

"Is it permanent?"

"Tom-"

"Is it permanent?" He asked again interupting whatever the other man was going to say, Harry and Doug coming to stand by the bed now as well.

"There is a chance..." Fuller's hand instinctively came to rest on Hanson's arm, "There is a chance that yes, your condition is... that you are..."

Noticing the discomfort of all three man surrounding him... His insides torn apart like a dagger suddenly piercing his heart he smiled crookedly even as his lips quivered, swollowing hard he gave his captain's hand a squeexe, "It's alright, you can say it, there is a chance that I'm paralyzed,"

"I'm sorry Tommy..."

"What do you have to be sorry for? You didn't cause this..."

"I know but-"

"No but's." He stated matter of factly, his eyes then looking up at Penhall, his best friend his partner, his smile widened further and he felt as though his adam's apple was blocking his throat restricting any air from going in, yet he spoke anyway... his voice a high squeal. "So... This means your going to be getting a new partner then..."

"Don't." Doug begged sticking his fist into his mouth unable to look at him, "Don't say that. Your still my partner your always going to be, and...and..."

"I can't go out into the field like this man..."

"We'll think of something." Harry butted in trying as best he could to be optimistic, "Don't give up so easily..."

"I'm not giving up Iok, I'm just facing the facts..."

"Why don't you just try to get some rest, and we can talk about this later?" Fuller interjected patting the slightly quivering man's arm.

"I'm going to have plenty of time to rest." Tom shrugged, "Why should I try to cram it all into one day?"

"Hanson-"

"Seriously, I'm fine guys." He leaned his head up a little and looked at all three of them, "Did they tell you when I was going to be able to get outta here?"

"It's going to be a while..."

"I thought you might say that," He frowned. "The food here is shit." He grunted,

"Well Judy is going to be bringing some burgers," Penhall shifted on his feet more than a little alarmed by how peculiar his friend was acting, "Do you uh, want me to call her and have her bring you one?"

"Nah...I want you to call her and tell her to stay home."

"What?"

"There is no need for you to be here. Just because I'm stuck in this hell hole doesnt mean you have to be too..."

"But we want to be here."

"Well... What if I don't want you here?"

"Well then tough cookies because we're staying." Blowfishes voice sounded through the room as he entered

"Blow!" Tom smirked, "How goes things my man?"

"Good," Blowfish nodded eyeing him cautiously.. "And...How are you?"

"Numb." Tom grunted.

"I know... I spoke to the doctor before I came in, is... is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yeah, go home... and take all these guys with you..."

"We would not leave you in here alone." He leaned back against the far wall fixing his thick rimmed glasses on his nose. "Rosa said to give you her love..."

"Well that was nice of her."

"Yeah it's nice to know that to get her love all I'm gonna have to do is land myself in the hospital." Blowfish joked lamely in an attempt to lighten the mood some.

"Captain can I talk to you outside?" Penhall asked already moving toward the door, his face masked in worry.

"Yeah sure. We'll uh be right back guys." The captain already knew where this was going.

"Do you want to tell me what the hell is going on in there?" Penhall leaned back against the cream colored hospital walls his voice low yet stern and highly confused... "I mean one minute he's abo;ut to burst in to tears and the next he's cracking jokes and acting like everything is fine!"

Fuller bit the inside of his cheek taking a minute before figuring out how to answer taking in the fragile and confused man in front of him, "He's coping... He's certainly not thinking clearly, and he's putting on a front for all of us, he thinks that if we see he's strong then he will become strong... He's masking his feelings."

"Why?"

"Maybe to make it easier on us?... And maybe to make it easier on himself... He's just kinda lost right now you know?"

"I know...Captain?"

"Hmmm?"

"He's right you know?"

"About what?"

"I-I'm going to have to be assigned a new partner..."

"I know."

The next chapter is going to pick up three months after the "accident with Tom home and ready to move back into working at the chapel...