Less than 12 hours after Chloe had made the call to Chase she was in a helicopter on her way to the freight ship that Jack had been on for a least a few months, if not the entire time he was gone. Using satellites and the information she found when she hacked into the Chinese's security system she helped lead Chase and nearly twenty other men get safely aboard and get Jack to safety.
That was the way she summed up the mission to Buchanan later. She left out the men who tried to take down her helicopter, the five men that hadn't return alive and the fact that Jack had been to weak it had taken four grown men to carry him to her. Or that he'd been so bruised and bloody, so still when she saw him that for one second she had thought he was dead. She was sure it had been the longest second of her life waiting for his chest to move up and down, proof that he could breathe proof that she hadn't failed him.
By the time they got him to the hospital Mr. Buchanan and Karen Hayes and Martha Logan were waiting for her. She had calmly told them that as soon as she had news on Jack they could arrest her and she would tell them whatever they wanted to know. A smiling Martha Logan told her that she was not being arrested and President Palmer wanted to personally thank her for her efforts in saving Jack. A few minutes later the doctor came out to tell everyone that Jack was alive, and though it would take a long time for him to completely recover physically, to say nothing of his mental wounds, he was strong, and he was going to make it. Chloe had been so happy she'd actually hugged Mr. Buchanan….and then she passed out.
When she came to she was in a hospital bed and Chase was watching her, concern written all over her face.
"Hey, Chloe, how are you feeling?"
"Like crap, and don't call me Chloe."
He smiled, but his face became concerned again, "The doctor said you'll be fine. You're just dehydrated and exhausted. How much sleep have you been getting?"
"Enough."
"Damn it Chloe, not enough, obviously, since you just passed out two hours ago."
"Okay, maybe not enough, but, Chase, how could I sleep, when Jack was out there being tortured. Ever minute I slept could be a minute he was drifting farther away, even being killed. I was the only one looking. So, I need to get some sleep now and I will, but I won't apologize for doing whatever it took to get Jack home. How is he by the way?"
"How is…" Chase stopped and stared at her, "You're in love with him."
"No."
"You are," he said it and let out a slightly hysterical laugh, "Oh, I cannot believe this. You're in love with Jack Bauer."
"Would you lower your voice?" she hissed as she waved her arm and gestured for him to come sit back down next to her. He was currently pacing by the door, where anyone could hear his lunatic ravings.
He did as she asked, but wouldn't let up, "Don't bother lying, it's written all over you face."
"Okay, so you figured me out. Rah-rah for Chase. Now, I want you forget this conversation ever happened?"
"The conversation about how you're in love with Jack."
"CHASE!" she screeched and then lowered her voice, "Stop saying that. Seriously it's not funny!" Suddenly she wasn't just upset at someone hearing, she was downright freaking out.
"Okay," he said, his voice soft, "I'm sorry. I won't tell anyone, Chloe really, just clam down."
She hadn't even realized she'd started crying. The past few months, the past few hours, and finally hearing her feelings out loud had all rushed up on her, "If anyone hears that, if anyone tells him, I'd…I'd just die Chase. I'd have to run far away and never come back."
"Chloe…"
"I'm serious. He doesn't feel like that about me. He's in love with Audrey and I'm fine with that really. It's enough for me just to be around him, but if he knew how I felt, it…it would be too much."
"Okay, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make fun of you. I won't tell Jack, or anyone else. I promise."
"Good, now how is he?"
Chase shook his head, she had it worse than even she knew, and "He's still stable. He still hasn't regained consciousness, but the doctors think that's normal considering the amount of damage done to his body and mind."
"Good."
"Listen, I've got my mom watching Angela, so I thought I'd stay for a few days. Just to make sure you're back on your feet. And I'd like to talk to Jack before I go. Is it all right if I stay with you?"
"Yeah of course. Are they going to let me out of here soon?"
"The doctor is going to come check on you. He said he could probably let you out, if you have some supervision, which would be me. And don't even argue that you don't need it. You are going to go home and rest."
"But…"
"I know you want to see Jack, but he defiantly won't wake up until tomorrow, if not later. You let me take you home, feed you some real food and then you get a full eight hours of sleep and I will bring you back here tomorrow."
Chloe gave him her nastiest glare, but having no real choice agreed.
"Okay, I'm going to go get the doctor. Then we're going to spring you."
"Well, hurry up. I'm already tired of being here."
Chase nodded, glad Chloe's was getting back to her sarcastic self. He walked out the door and literally ran straight into someone. He lifted his arms to right the woman before she fell when he heard a voice he knew all too well, "Chase." He looked up and saw that he'd run straight into Kim Bauer.