I huuuge thank you to the reviewers so far...But I wish there were more. Pouts If I look really sweet, (maybe there is some begging involved) – will you grant me with your opinions?
Love to you all,
Laura
You need a friend – I'll be around.
Michael
Another day, another needle. And a nurse who is wasn't the doctor he'd been hoping to see.
"Where is she?"
Katie looked at him blankly. "I don't see how that's any of your business, Mr. Scofield." Michael frowned, while worried out of his mind. If Sara didn't make it in, something must be wrong.
"But she's okay, right?" The nurse nodded and he sighed inwardly. Thank God.
"Arm, please." He rolled up his sleeve and complied. His fingers he kept to himself this time, her not being there to turn them to. But his thoughts went straight to her. "I'm okay, Michael . Stop worrying." Her soft voice sounded in his head. "Why do you even care so much?" Yes, why did he care so much? Why did his stomach clench when he didn't see her, and why did these mere minutes a day run through his head all the time.
He sighed. He has to leave her, he knew he has to. And maybe Sara was right, maybe it was a wrong thing to do to get attached to things that won't last. He has to leave her, and it will be the hardest thing he's ever had to do in his life. So the question that kept running through his head remained. Do I hold on, and break our hearts in the process, or do I let go, knowing I'll never anything like this again?
He knew he was selfish holding on to her, but damn it, he needed her. And he needed her to see that they would be together, despite the circumstances. That they will be together, them against the world.
"That was it for today, Mr. Scofield. We'll see you tomorrow." Katie shook him out of his thoughts. He swallowed hard and looked everywhere but at her. Because she wasn't Sara. And it was wrong to be in this room with anyone else.
"Could you tell her that ... that I missed her?" He bit his lip and jumped up from the chaise, muttering a 'thanks' and hurriedly disappearing through the doors.
Katie chuckled. "Oh boy."
SaraGrunting, she rolled over to retrieve her ringing cellphone. She loved having a double bed, but it seriously annoyed her when she had to get something from across of the 'great land'.
"Yeah?"
"Wow, doc." She heard Katie say. "You don't sound so good."
Sara sniffeld and pulled out yet another tissue. "You don't say?" She paused. "MAN! I hate being sick!"
"Well, yeah. We hate it too. You better get your butt back here quickly. We all miss you. One person in particular." Sara quit blowing her nose for just a second and felt her heart doing a somersault.
"Who?"
Katie laughed. "Woman, don't pretend as if you don't know who I'm talking about! That man was a wreck today!" A warm feeling, that had nothing to do with her fever, spread through her body. So Michael really did care. "I mean," her nurse continued. "At first he wanted to know everything – Where is she? What happened? Is she okay? – and then he just sat there, staring blankly into space. And then finally – this is so romantic – he asked me to tell you that he missed you. He missed you!" She squealed, but only silence answered her. "Sara?"
"He - He told you he missed me?" She wispered, her entire face lit by the huge smile currently decorating her face. Michael had actually missed her? "Katie – I think there's a good chance I'll be back tomorrow..."
The two women giggled uncontrolably. Definitely not feeling their age.
The next day
Michael
The next day, Michael entered the infirmary with a grin plastered on his face. He had a feeling she'd be back today – his mood had been chipper the moment he woke up.
"So –" he began as he walked through the doors. His grin faded when he saw Katie sitting in the chair where Sara was supposed to be. No.
Katie inwardly giggled at the sight of his face changing. Poor guy,she thought. He doesn't know what hit him. "Yes, Mr. Scofield?"
Damn it, Michael! You should have known better. But he'd known – he'd felt it. He shook his head a little, praying that Katie would drop the matter.
She, on the other hand, felt her heart breaking for him. If only, in another time and place...They could have had a chance. But she knew it was bull, she was sure of it. They did have a chance. In this time, and in this place. All they needed was a little private time and a confidant who could keep her mouth shut. She immediately applied for the job. She smiled. She had a mission.
"Just a minute."
And after that minute, Sara Tancredi walked in, just as she and Katie had planned to surprise Michael. She watched him as his eyes widened in surprise and he smiled. That smile of his would be the death of her one day. A smile like that wanted to make her run to him and hide in his arms forever.
He opened his mouth a little. "Oh, You're mean."
She tried to look innocent and smiled widely at their joyous game. "How so?"
He snorted. "You know darn well 'how so'. "
Uh, yeah. She was terrible at playing the innocent one. Grinning, she reached for his arm, but he stopped her hand and pressed their palms together mid-air. His eyes searched for hers. "What happened yesterday?"
She smiled a bit and kept her hand where it was, tinteling all over. " The Shawshank Redemption had kept me up all night, so I had a big sleep shortage." She tilted her head, never breaking the eyecontact. "Well, that and I'd been kissing far too many inmates...They passed a sick-thing onto me." Sighing, she added. "Ah – inmates these days.." The amused yet jealous look on his face was rewarded with one of her full smiles.
He huffed. "Funny... But you're okay now, right?"
"I'm okay, Michael.Stop worrying." She said, raising her eyebrows.
Getting that smug look of his again, he answered. "Who said I was worried?"
Right. She thought. But let the comment slide.
that evening
Sara
Sara sighed as she spotted the caller ID. "Yeah, dad?"
"You missed work yesterday." Well, hello to you too. Yes, I'm fine now, thank you for asking.
"Yes I did. I was sick."
"That's what you get working with those filthy inmates.." She rolled her eyes. Ding ding. Round 372, people. Prepare. "You know I don't want you there."
" I want to be here. But I guess that doesn't matter – what I want? Do you even care?"
He gasped audibly. "Of course I care. You're still my daughter."
"Am I now? I hadn't noticed. You haven't been all that fatherly, have you?" She spat out. And yes, she knew it would only add more fuel to the fire, but it needed to be said. She needed to speak it.
"Now, Sara. See – you act like this all the time. It's exactly why your mother was walking away from you." Sara squeezed her eyes shut at the hurt that shot through her entire body. His rational voice cut through her skin. But it was nothing compared to when his voice turned deadly, and he continued his little speech.
"Sara, we've been over this. She was saying goodbye to you. I was there, remember?She was leaving you, and we both know it."
Sara, her voice broken, whispered. "She wasn't."
"God Damn It, Sara! You know what, I wish he wasn't leaving you. I wish she'd taked you with her that night. Then you would have been right beside her when that dingy car crashed to the wall." The line went dead, and she felt, for a small part, so did she.
"KATIE!" She screamed with all the breath she had left in her lungs, that felt as if all air had been knocked out of them. Her friend hurriedly ran into the room and took in the scene. Sara was hunched on the floor with her arms thrown around herself and the telephone, discarded on the floor, resounded the dialtone. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was breathing unevenly. Hyperventilating.
Katie lowered herself and strained to her what her friend was whispering. "Michael." The one name came out of her trembling lips.
"What?"
"Get- Michael. Pl – please."
Katie took out her walkietalkie, made up some lame excuse and prayed for Michael to be here soon. She needs you, Scofield. Hurry.
MichaelMichael was laying on his bed, staring at a random spot on the wall and thinking of Sara, when the guard arrived at his cell and called out to him. "Scofield."
He jumped up, careful not to wake Sucre, and whispered. "What?"
"The infirmary gave you the wrong shot. You're needed there immediately."
Sara.
There was no way she'd given him the wrong shot, so something had to be seriously wrong. And he ran.
"SCOFIELD! Slow down!" He heard the guard call him and run after him, but he was too preoccupied to answer his demand. He'd never been so glad to see Katie waiting for him, but at the same time it confirmed his suspicions.
Sara. He mouthed at her.
"Michael," she stated, greeting him by the door with flushed cheeks. "Why don't you go to the office..." she widened her eyes, signaling to him that's where she was. So he rushed off in that direction. "I'll be right with you!" she threw over her shoulder, before explaining the 'wrong shot' to the guard.
He entered the small office, wher the dim light on the desk shed a soft glow over the room and the dialtone was resounding in the air. Frantically, he searched for her. "Sara?" A choked sob could be heard from the corner off the room, and he turned around to look at her. Her body was shaking with soundless sobs. He walked over to her, his steps as soundless as her sobs, not trying to scare her. He took in her appearance and marveled at the fact that even amidst of all this mess, she still managed to look beautiful.
"Oh, Sara." He softly whispered when she streched out her arms towards him. He grabbed her hand and went to sit right next to her on the floor. He pulled her close and gently stroked her head while she cried into his chest.
SaraHe pressed a kiss to her hair and threaded his fingers through the auburn strands. And in this state of complete brokenness, she felt safe. She felt loved. Wanted.
Something her father had told her she wasn't.
But Michael – he was here, always pulling her close and protecting her from it all. She silently prayed that it would always be this way.
"Sara...Sara." She looked up, tilting her head so her chin stayed connected to his chest. Those beautiful chrystal eyes look at her sweetly. "You want to talk about it?" She shook her head and kept on crying his chest wet. But he didn't care, as long as he was the one to keep her safe. To protect her. She'd wanted him to be with her in her state of vulnerability. And that meant so much to him...
"Come on." He softly kissed her cheek and lifted her in his arms with all the ease in the world. "Let's get you to bed." Walking over to the hospitalbeds, who he thankfully noted were empty, he gently lay her down. Just as he was tucking in, Katie appeared in the doorway, watching the two of them.
Sara stopped him from leaving. "Michael - " she croaked out hoarsely. "Could you – Could you stay with me?"
Michael hesitantly looked back at Katie, who nodded her head in consent and disappeared to make the arrangements. Yes, officer, there is a chance that he might get very sick during the night, due to the two shots working against each other. We're keeping him here for observation.
"Yeah," Michael said, smiling at her. "I'll stay." Pressing a kiss to her forhead, he pulled out a chair next to the bed and sat down.
"No, Michael..." Sara whispered and pulled back the covers. "Stay...with me."
His heart skipped a beat and he climbed in behind her, careful not to harm her in any way. She immediately snuggled up against him.
And laying there, in each others arms, they both finally knew what 'whole' felt like.