Chapter 2:

„You believe?"

He was stunned by her words – and he was deeply afraid. She knew everyone from the team – they had all seen each other face to face. She would know if it was one of his agents. The use of the word believe´caused an akward sickening feeling to rise in him. Why couldn't she be sure? What made it so difficult for her to be certain about the person's identity? He had an uncertain feeling of already knowing her trouble.

Whatever had happened to the individual they were talking about right now, had caused such severe outer damage, that she needed him to identify. He was pretty sure he didn't wanna see this. He didn't even wanna go on talking and - right now – he regretted to have asked any further, for he didn't want the certainty of his thoughts being simply the truth. But she wouldn't leave him any chance.

"I canot be sure of it. The injuries are – well – severe isn't a strong enough word for it, I'd say…"

Jack took his time to breathe audibly before he asked the question he actually didn't even want to. But he would receive the information from her either way – if he wanted or not. And he would have to get in there – to ICU – for identification. There was no way to escape that. Only the slight chance, that Dr. Collins maybe was wrong.

"So – to your believe – who is it?"

"I believe it's Agent Taylor."

Danny. Hopefully she was wrong, for nobody would have deserved whatever had happened and what Dr. Collins was about to tell him. He could hear his brain almost screaming – let her be wrong! Let her be wrong! But he knew she was a goddamn good surgeon and she knew all members of the team pretty well. Chances that she was wrong were low, but they were there.

He tried once again.

"But you can't be certain?"

"No, I can't. I need your help. I'm sorry I have to demand this from you, but there is no other way. He doesn't have any family, does he?"

"No, he doesn't."

"Well I'm sorry then, but you have to join me to his room to tell me if it's really him."

He took another breath and tried to mentally prepare himself for the task Dr. Collins had put up for him right now. He had done this before, had been asked to identify people before, but he had never really known them. They had been part of the job and after all they all stayed strangers to him. Maybe there had been some kind of an emotional connection in the one or other case, but this was something completely different.

He knew Danny for years – he was a friend, someone he really cared about and the emotional bond they shared was deeper than anything that had ever connected him to any of the missing people of a case. He wasn't sure he could do this, but he was sure he didn't want to. Dr. Collins forced him back to the present of this Monday morning.

"You ready?"

"Wait a sec – please. Can you tell me,…, what kind of injuries… Is it really that bad?"

"Maybe we sit down at some quiet place for some moments?"

He simply nodded and Dr. Collins let him to the ICU's waiting room. He sat down and she took a seat opposite of him.

"To put this right at first place: my patient, your agent – is barely alive. He's not breathing, his heartbeat's not regular and the function of his liver and kidneys are not like I would want them to be. His inner organs are barely working. He was suffering from multiple fractures, cuts, burns and bruises. He had severe inner bleedings and a head trauma we had to take care of. To be honest with you – I have no idea how the hell he survived up to the point we were able to begin our treatment. To my eyes it's a miracle he's still alive and we can't even be sure it'll stay this way. His condition is critical, very very critical. It takes nothing more but one simple infection of one of the numerous wounds. Only one infection that will cause fever and he'll probably die. His body couldn't cope with any more load. To answer your previous question: It really is that bad."

This was far worse then Jack had expected it to be. He had hoped Dr. Collins could tell him something that would assure him, make it easier for him to enter the rooms laying behind him. But actually she had only made it worse. Her words, her confession had been far more disturbing then he had believed they ever could be. He knew she only tried to be honest with him, tried to prepare him for what he would get to see. But he was pretty sure there were no words in the world that could help him to get through this.

"There is something else I need to tell you, although you already know, for you have been visiting patients at ICU before. But if it's someone you know it's always something different."

Jack nodded silently to give his okay and Dr. Collins went on with her little speech.

"I just would like to warn you – it's not a pretty sight to look at. Apart from the injuries, which – as I told you – are pretty severe and pretty nasty there are some other things of disturbance. As he's not breathing on his own we were forced to tube him, he is hooked to several machines monitoring his vitals and he has several IV-lines entering his body. Don't be disturbed by all of this – all these machines help him, they keep him alive. I know it's hard to accept, but it's the only way possible right now to keep him alive. I know that to unfamiliar, untrained – let's say not medically trained eyes – it looks awful, especially if it's someone you care for. But I can assure you – it doesn't harm him in any way…"

She left him some seconds of time to think about her words before she asked him her final question.

"You ready to go inside?"

He nodded, unable to say a word and followed her out of the waiting room to the doors of ICU. He had been to this part of the hospital so many times before, but this was the first time he felt afraid – and sick. Dr. Collins was walking in front of him, guiding him to the hall from one room to another, all of them with wide examination windows. She finally stopped in front of one of the rooms and gave him an assuring look and a smile.

"You may have a look inside as soon as you feel ready for it."

He knew he would never feel ready for it, so he didn't allow himself to have any more doubt and fear sink in and simply raised his head to just have a look. What came to his sight only allowed him to react in one way.

"Oh good lord!"

That was answer enough for Dr. Patricia Collins – she had positively identified her patient with the help of Agent Malone.