Thanks to: dreamcatcher33, Aayla Security, Valandil Eluch, w84u, and YputhAwareness for their complimentary reviews. It's great to see some of the past readers back an reviewing. To all of you silent readers, it would be great to get one review from you, just to know what you think, at least. Thanks,
Kaitlin

Title: We Don't Recognize That Here
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters and/or place belong to Annie Proulx. No profit is being made.

The young doctor stared at the bullet for a moment before coming back to his senses. He used a pair of what looked like scissor-tweezers, to Jack, to pick it up. Then he dropped it in a metal basin of liquid before turning back to face Jack.

"Funny place for it to end up, huh?"

"Shore..."

"Can you lie back please?" He gently pressed Jack's shoulder to lay him back on the cold mattress. He put a flat palm on Jack's stomach and pressed lightly.

"Does that hurt?"

"No."

He moved his hand, and suddenly Jack was up and spitting blood every which way. The doctor stepped back and sighed. "I'm sorry, but at least we found it."

"How hard would that be?" Jack asked angrily, wiping red from his chin with the back of his fist. "There's a huge bump right there."

"CODE BLUE!" a nurse shrieked from where Ennis was.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to go." The doctor's face told Jack this was very bad. He flew from the bed, left his shirt on the floor. Two men stopped him just outside Ennis' 'room'.

"What're yeh doin'!" he yelped, trying to force his way past them. He struggled fiercely, thrashing, but they held strong, gripping him under the arms. "You can't go in there bud."

"Why not?"

"You're not family."

"I am too!" He grunted through gritted teeth, straining against the stronger doctors.

"How so?"

"Argh!" His stomach gave again, he watched the doctors press Ennis' chest repeatedly. He had seen this before, it was CPR.

"LET ME IN!" Blood was everywhere, he wasn't sure if it was his or Ennis'. He didn't care.

"How are you related?"

"I'M HIS GOD DAMN HUSBAND!"

They pushed him to the floor, both with a look of disgust on their faces. "We don't recognize that here." And turned back to the dying patient. Jack collapsed on the floor, a mess of blood, sore limbs, and denim. He hugged his knees to his chest and waited.

Eventually, the doctors stopped electrocuting Ennis, a beep radiated through the hall once again, and oxygen was pumped into the man's body. And all Jack wanted was to be with him.