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Title: Code Blue
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters and/or places belong to Annie Proulx. No profit is being made.

Ennis rolled over, the all too familiar stabbing pain in his gut had woken him once again. He was never much of one to cry, but hot tears welled in his eyes. "Oh fuck, this hurts." He grasped at the searing pain, trying to rip it out. There was a deep red splotch on his hospital gown, with a twin forming on his back. The wound had again opened. "Oh my god!" He needed help and fast, but wasn't sure how to get it. His hand ran over the wall, searching for the blue button that would summon the current nurse on duty. An IV ripped out of the crook of his elbow and he cried out in more pain.

Blood dribbled back to his bicep, dripping off his arm onto the sheets. "God dammit, I need someone!" His voice thundered out of his mouth, scaring his roommate, who had already been disturbed by the ruckus. His hand continued to search the dark wall, warm blood bubbling out of his mouth as he dry heaved. The metallic taste coated his throat, his tongue, his teeth. He spat onto the floor, but it kept coming.

"Where are you!" His world started fading to black. The floor slowly tilting out of view as he fell. Time seemed to slow to a halt; he gripped the edge of the thin mattress, falling uncontrollably. The black rolled up his eyes like a window, starting from the bottom and working its way up. His eyes rolled feverishly, searching for a bit of light. He fought with the gown that had scrunched under him and was cutting off his air supply. The nurse found him laying side ways on the bed, body limp. She pressed a button next to her and started screaming "Code blue!"

Ennis remembered this all to well, the occurrence shook him every time he thought of it. He wasn't sure how many times he had been near death, but he knew this was the closest he had ever gotten. He woke up four days later on an even thinner mattress than he was used too, and a nurse told him Jack was coming to visit, bringing their daughters. Ennis didn't bother to tell the nurse the girls weren't Jack's, because he thought it didn't really matter.

Now Jack was bringing the girls again, to visit. Ennis wasn't in a bed, and wasn't hooked up to machines. So many things had changed. He felt that the girls were his and Jack's now, not just his. He couldn't wait to see them, see Jack. He just wanted to go home, he knew it would be soon.

The pale yellow door behind him creaked open, and a nurse in flat, white sneakers spoke quietly. "Mr. Del Mar? Jack is here to see you. He's got two young girls with him."

Ennis waved his hand at the nurse without turning around, "Betsy, yeh know yeh don' even havta ask."

He felt warm hands on his shoulders, rubbing back and forth, just a moment later, and his daughters were in front of him smiling. It felt good to see them, but something looked wrong. Behind their smiles, he saw...sadness, emptiness, loneliness...he just couldn't place it. But it wasn't good. Jack continued to knead Ennis' stiff shoulders, his hands causing the man's muscles to slowly putty. He placed a kiss on the top of Ennis' head, and walked out of the room.

"Daddy, can I talk to you?"

"What about, darlin'?" Junior looked scared, like she had just crashed their truck, or something. He folding his hands on his lap, and looked at Francine, also frightened. She edged to the corner of the room, sat in a small chair. Ennis could see both his daughters were shaking.

"Daddy, I don't know how to tell you this..." Tears dripped silently down the young girl's cheeks, but she held her composure, licking the salty tears away as they slipped off her nose.

"What is it, Junior?" He was worried now, whatever had happened was no good.

"Jack said, if we didn't tell you, he would..." She sucked in a deep breath, now he really knew it was bad.

"Tell me what, Junior?" Francine still sat in the corner of the room, not crying, not making a noise. Just...sitting.

"Ok, well...You know Monroe?"

"Yeah, the guy yer mama married?"

"Uh huh..." she drew in a ragged breath; it was as though the air was catching on her teeth on its way in.

"What about 'im?" Ennis cocked his head to the side, curious, and honestly confused now.

"Well, he..." she wasn't sure how to say it. Girls those days didn't just tell their fathers things like that. She tried motioning around her pelvic area, moving her hands up toward her chin, then back down. She opened her hands, and closed them. She wished he would just get it.

"He what?" Ennis raised an eyebrow now, he thought he understood, but he didn't want to.

"Daddy...he...I cain't say it...Jack!" Jack must've been standing right outside the room, because he stepped in right after the child calledhim. He walked over to her, put his hands on her shoulders, just as they had been on Ennis', not so long ago. His fingers wrapped tightly around bone, and she smiled shyly at his comfort.

"Daddy, Monroe, he...he raped us."