Disclaimer: No ownership

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the wait! 2kool4school is my inspiration...keep the hits coming!

Previously...

"Jordan, we're here..."

She snapped from thought and jumped out of the car. "Woody,would you mind if I went to see him alone?"

He didn't hesitate, "I'll be in the waiting room with the rest of the gang."

She took off to find Nigel.

He thought to himself, 'Great,I think we're finally making headway and this happens. Jordan will never be mine. If Nigel is as bad off as they say she will never leave his side. Not after all the things he's done for her.'

He walked into the hospital and searched for the rest of their friends. It would be a long day of waiting.

-
CHAPTER 9: So Alone

The nurse quickly guided Jordan to Nigel's room. She informed her that he would look worse than he really was. He had already been through surgery to repair his severly broken right arm and leg. Recovery probably wouldn't be that bad.

Amazed by the way he was acting the nurse added, "For someone that's been through what this man has been through,he sure is full of sunshine. What do you feed this guy?"

Jordan had been observing the patient all this time and couldn't herself believe,even for Nigel,that he was so alert and trying his best to entertain the nurses tending to his wounds.

As the head nurse turned to walk away Jordan jokingly said, "Looks like someone ate their Wheaties and had their coffee,too."

The woman only laughed as she walked up the hallway. Jordan entered the room. It was then that Nigel caught sight of her.

"Please,ladies,don't make such a fuss over me. That's my girl there. I think she can handle the rest." He looked tired and she could tell he was putting up his bravest front.

The young interns giggled and gathered their things. Quickly they were out the door but not before they had managed to toss Jordan jealous glances.

"Wow,you sure bounce back nicely." Thinking about how she put it seeing as how he had just given her one of those famous 'really?' looks, "Geez,Nige'. I didn't mean it like that. Pardon the pun."

"Already forgiven,luv'. I'm just glad you made it. Everyone was worried for a bit,myself included..." He looked to see if she caught the humor in that and she had.

"Not funny,Townsend! You had me worried sick and now look at you. Except for the fact that half of you is hanging from the ceiling...you don't look hurt to me at all."

He finally felt like he could relax now. Jordan was by his side and if anything were seriously wrong she would tell him about it. This was his sign that he could open up all the way to her.

"Jordan" was all he managed to get out before the sobs came.

She sat on the edge of the bed and gathered him to her chest. She was rubbing her hand up and down his back and trying to comfort him without moving him too much. "It's okay,Nigel. I'm right here. You can let it all out."

"I was scared. I felt so alone...god...so alone!"

"You're not alone now. We are all here for you. You're gonna be okay."

"No,I meant when the accident happened." He didn't move,just laid there with his head on her chest,crying.

Surprised,she pushed forward. Apparently this was something he needed to get off of his mind. "Alright,tell me."

"I was totally focused on the road. I was just starting to feel the alcohol but I was only a block away from home. I wasn't worried about a thing."

She felt him tense up as he continued. "Then out of nowhere this car came from the side. I didn't even have time to think about a reaction. I just thought about you and all my friends and all the things I might not get to do. Laying there on the pavement,so cold,so quiet,so alone. I could just imagine myself already on a metal table in the morgue."

She cringed at the thought. "It had to have been terrifying for those moments,Nige',but you're safe now. You are surrounded by so much love." With that she leaned over and kissed his forehead.

It was at this time that all the morgue gang had come to check on Nigel. As they all stood around asking if he were ok Jordan took the distraction and crept around to see if Woody were waiting outside. She looked at him nervously to see if there was a reaction to what he just walked in on.

"Whew!" she pretended to wipe sweat away from her brow.

Woody just kept his gaze forward and agreed. "Ya,I heard it could've been a whole lot worse. Glad he's okay." He ducked his head in shame. He shouldn't be feeling this way towards Nigel. So much jealousy building. He knew they shared a deep friendship.

"Well,I'm sure recovery won't be fun but at least he's still here. We can all help him with that." She could tell he wasn't angry with her. He was fighting a demon within and only he could defeat it. She understood that from her own feelings. Lu Simmons had created that demon for her.

"Look,I gotta run to the station and get a few things settled. You just want me to pick you up from here when I'm done or...I mean...you wanna go with me or stay with Nigel?"

She caught the hidden meaning in that question and couldn't help but feel guilty. Again she had failed to keep things simple. She had,in a way, played with their heart strings without meaning to. A simple answer came to her in quick thought.

"I think I'll stay here and visit with Nigel for a bit. The accident hit him harder than he thought,'again with the puns',and I just want to make sure he's settled." She had placed her hand on his arm by this point.

Woody's jealousy now peaked. Obviously the sessions with his new shrink weren't helping he thought. 'I've let her down again. How can I be the man I was before the shooting?' It had been a few months since his last 'angry outburst'. Why was he feeling so upset?

He flipped. Jerking his arm out of her grasp he spat out, "You just do that! I'll be sure to be back A.S.A.P.,wouldn't want to have to keep Dr. Cavanaugh 'waiting'!" He turned on his heel and was already around the corner and gone by the time it hit her.

Jordan was just standing there with her jaw to the floor when Garret came up behind her and asked, "What was that all about? Did Detective Hoyt just throw a temper tantrum?"

In sudden amazement she replied,"Ya,I guess he did. I've done a lot of growing in the last year,Gar',and it never occured to me until now that I could finally look beyond my own pain and see others. Now that mine doesn't control me I see how Woody's is getting to him. All that junk he's been keeping deep down inside of him is now trying to surface."

Trailing off in her own thoughts, "He's been brave for so long..."

Garret only smiled deeply. 'By God,I think she's finally got it.' He patted her on the back and rejoined the gang standing next to Nigel's hospital bed.

She stood there thinking to herself for almost the whole time. 'How could I have not seen it before? I thought that Nigel would have been the one to need me the most. I've let Woody down. I have to tell Nigel the truth.'

The gang from the morgue were on their way out. All saying their goodbyes to Jordan as they left for work. She quietly made her way back in hoping that she wouldn't have to make a very long speech. 'How do things always get so complicated?'

Nigel had been asleep,soundly,for almost half an hour when Jordan decided to leave the room. She was trying desperately to close the door quietly when a figure standing next to her caused her to jump. The door ended up slamming shut. She stood there for a minute to hear if she had startled Nigel. When she received nothing but silence she turned.

"Damnit, Woods!"

"Sorry." She hadn't gotten her usual devilishly dimpled grin. She knew he meant sorry for more than just scaring her.

They were walking down the hallway to exit when both of them said, "We need to talk."

Then a mutual, "You first!"

Woody quickly asked, "What's the deal with you and Nigel?" He stood there looking at her then looking away as he blushed for even asking the question out loud.

Jordan turned and placed her hands on her hips,smirking, "I'm glad you asked that,Woodrow."