Chapter 15
"Get the hell off me Lady! I said I'm fine!" Hawke growled as he fought with the bed covers in attempt to heave himself out of bed. The young, dark haired nurse dodged a flailing arm expertly, before making an effort to push him back down onto the bed.
"Please, Mr Hawke " She replied, her brown eyes pleading with the Pilot. "You've got a nasty head injury! You must stay in bed!"
Hawke pushed himself unsteadily to his feet as a wave of nausea engulfed him. Running on autopilot, he swatted away the nurses attempts to grab hold of him and their eyes collided and held.
"I . Told. You. I'm fine"
"One wouldn't know it to look at you"
At the sound of the familiar southern drawl, Hawke's head whipped round and frowned accusingly on the owner before he set about pulling out the IV wires attached to a half empty bag that he presumed contained a concoction of painkillers.
Pulling out out the last wire and throwing them onto the bed, Hawke finally looked up at his unwanted visitor . Hawke allowed his gaze to travel over the older man, and reluctantly allowed his burgeoning anger to simmer a little. The Spy had eschewed his white three piece suit, instead opting for a casual white knitted sweater and slacks.. His usually immaculate sandy hair was slightly disheveled and there were dark circles beginning to form beneath his eyes. The light dusting of stubble on his jaw suggested he'd had a rough few days, and whatever Michael was mixed up in, it looked like it was beginning to take it's toll on the otherwise consummate spy.
"Michael " Hawke bit out, without any real heat behind it.
"Hawke." Michael returned, stepping fully into the room despite Hawke's lack of invitation
He ignored the resulting scowl as he gaze swept over the pilot. A large white dressing covered most of the right side of his forehead, and apart from a zig zag of bloody cuts just below his left cheekbone, he seemed relatively in one piece considering the gravity of the crash he'd been involved in. The resulting concussion that he'd sustained had caused the most consternation for the FIRM doctors, and they'd kept him well sedated in order for his brain to heal. It had been Lydia who had informed him of the incident involving Santini's jeep, clattering through his office door in a most undignified manner. Michael had opened his mouth to reprimand his aide, but the look in her eye had the words stuck fast in his throat. It quickly became apparent Lydia and Cait had become friends over the past few weeks, ever since they joined forces to rescue Hawke and Dominic from a corrupt South American General. Angel One had circled the site of the accident, and from the view from above, he could see the prone form of Stringfellow Hawke, half in, half out of the jeep, covered with the unmoving body of Caitlin O' Shannessy. For a split second, he'd thought they were...
Michael swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.
"I heard you were awake terrorising the nurses. I thought I'd pay a sick call and come and see for myself"
Hawke sat gingerly on the bed and propped himself up against the pillows.
"How thoughtful of you" he replied glibly.
"I thought so"
Michael turned to face the nurse and flashed her a pearly white smile.
" Thank you Camille" he said, instantly dismissing her. Glancing between the two men, she quickly hurried out of the room.
"I also took the liberty of consulting with Doctor Shipp" Michael continued, stroking his moustache thoughtfully " He's confident that with some rest, you should make a full recovery "
"What the hell happened?" Hawke asked, the throbbing pain in his temple providing a vague recollection of the Santini Jeep smashing onto its side. "How'd I get here?" The pain killers were definitely beginning to wear off.
"Santini raised the alarm when you failed to return from the movie set" Michael tapped his cane on the floor
"My people found you and brought you to the FIRM medical facility in Foxridge" he finished, deliberately omitting his own presence at the scene. The less Hawke knew, the better.
Hawke rested his head back against the pillow as he absorbed the new information . Dominic. Of course he did. Hawke made a mental note to speak to Dom about that later.
For the first time Hawke took in his surroundings. The small room was sparcely decorated, the on,y furniture a solitary chair in the far corner of the room and a table next to his bed, the former surrounded by a myriad of medical equipment. A vase full of yellow Gerbera daisies occupying the table caught his eye in a room otherwise devoid of colour and almost smiled as his thoughts turned to the obvious culprit.
He grunted as he shifted position, and began to seriously doubt the wisdom of his self deprivation of painkillers. He closed his eyes for a moment.
"How long have I been out?"
He heard Michael clear his throat
"Five days"
Hawkes breath caught in his chest as for a moment he found himself unable to breathe .Visions of the firefight five days ago came flooding back. The Red Toyota Pick-Up, the front windshield shattering into thousands of tiny shards, fighting with steering wheel to regain control of the runaway Jeep. Awareness slammed through his battered and bruised body as he remembered the Jeep hitting a rock and slamming onto its side before coming to a skidding halt, the mournful cry of an Eagle, the weight of Caitlin's unmoving body on top of his own...
Hawke's eyes snapped open
"I need to see Cait!" Hawke exclaimed, sheer adrenaline preventing himself from yelling out in pain as he hurled himself off the bed.
"Take it easy, Hawke" Michael urged, taking a step towards the pilot in an effort to block his exit.
"Don't stonewall me Archangel" Hawke growled, the anger roaring to the surface as he suddenly remembered with clarity why he was so furious with the Spy in the first place. "Caitlin was in the Jeep. Where is she? Is she here?"
Michael met Hawke's steely glare, his gaze unwavering. If he was honest, his motives for keeping Hawke in the dark over Caitlin's whereabouts weren't entirely altruistic, but quickly decided against antagonising the dangerously simmering pilot. That course of action would inevitably lead to him becoming personally acquainted to Hawkes famous right hook.
"Cait was discharged yesterday" Michael told him, his mouth twitching as Hawke visibly relaxed. "As you were.. Incapacitated and Dominic otherwise engaged " Michael gestured with his cane, encompassing the room " I had Lydia fly her back to the cabin"
As the wave of panic subsided, Hawke perched on the edge of the bed, a slight frown creasing his brow as he wondered briefly what could have prevented Dom from picking Cait up from the hospital. Noticing the Pilots sudden change in demeanour, Michaels gaze shifted to the vase of flowers on the nightstand.
Of course he'd been well informed that Cait had been somewhat of a regular fixture at the cabin since Hawke had taken custody of Le. He was in the intelligence business after all, but the news that Hawke had moved Caitlin into the cabin had caught him completely off guard and he briefly wondered if he'd missed a shift in the couples relationship. On a personal level, he was pleased that Hawke might actually dispel this curse he seemed to think he had, and allow himself some happiness, but professionally it was one huge variable he couldn't afford to play with.
He moved to the nightstand and gently brushed his fingers over the delicate petals.
"I have to say, Hawke I was more than a little surprised at your choice of roommate"
Hawke scowled and ignored the flicker of amusement in the Spy's good eye as he made a show of heaving his aching body back onto the bed. Hawke sunk back wearily against the plush pillows and closed his eyes. The brass band that had seemingly taken up residence in his head had come back with a vengeance as he fought to make sense of the ambush on the Santini Jeep.
"I had no idea my personal life was subject to idle FIRM gossip. I'm flattered"
Hawke cracked open an eye to gauge the Spy's reaction and couldn't help but bristle when there was none.
" Get to the point, Michael. I'm in no mood"
Michael slid his glasses up to the bridge of his nose as he sauntered back to Hawke's bedside.
" Caitlin provided us with a description of the vehicle involved " Michael continued, shelving the discussion about Hawkes personal life for the time being.
"But so far we've unable to locate it"
"Figures" Hawke replied grimly, curling an arm around his stomach to protect his already injured ribs . "You can run it through your fancy computers all you want Michael, but this was no accident"
Suddenly a thought occurred to him.
He lifted his head and eyed the Spy suspiciously.
"How did you know where to find us?"
The question hung starkly in the air between the two men. Hawke was certain Dom hadn't told Archangel about the tracker they'd installed in the jeep after Cait's run in with Ken Sawyer, and Dom had agreed under heavy duress not to tell Cait about their little safeguard policy. He'd made doubly sure it hadn't been turned on at the time they'd left for the movie set and neither Dom or Cait had previously been aware of the short cut they'd taken. That left only one other option. He held the Spy's gaze, and Michael almost recoiled at the storm behind his eyes. Whoever it was had almost killed Cait, and he was determined to make those responsible pay.
Suddenly Hawkes blue eyes snapped towards the door as a voice outside the room teased the edge of his hearing. One voice turned into two as they drew closer until the door flew open and Dom's burly frame barrelled through, with an exasperated- looking Caitlin hot on his heels.
"Did I, or did I not say all hell would break loose, huh?" Dom bellowed as he turned to face the red head. Hawkes lips twitched with amusement as he watched the exchange.
"She'll patch Dom" Cait replied, referring to the Jet Ranger that had been damaged in the set explosion. "Besides, if we don't collect on those invoices-"
"Easy for you to say" Dom blustered, cutting her off mid sentence. He wagged a meaty finger " and don't change the subject. "
Cait almost smiled at Dom's rejoinder.
Their jovial banter seemed to sober a little, and the mood in the room instantly shifted.
Dom removed his cap and swiped a hand across his forehead. " I don't know Cait, first my chopper, then my Jeep. I don't like this one little-"
"Hawke!" Cait's eyes lit up at the sight of the Pilot, sitting up in bed looking a lot healthier than he had done five days ago.
She shot Michael a look he couldn't quite decipher, before she rounded the bed and slid her hand over Hawkes.
"Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes" Dom said with a gap tooth grin as he shouldered his way past the white clad spy, causing him to take a few steps back. Michael rolled his eyes.
"Dominic. " Michael greeted " Still socially couth I see" he commented faceasouly. Dominic shot him the famous Santini glare before turning his attentions back to Hawke, laying his red satin cap on the bed.
"Caitlin. You're looking well. "
Cait looked up at the Spy.
"You and I both know that's not true, but thank you" Cait replied with a half smile. Her gaze flickered back to Hawke
""Hey you"
"Hey Yourself" he smiled a genuine smile as she leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek which he greedily accepted. He instantly felt the loss as she pulled away, and realised with some chagrin that he'd secretly enjoyed her attention. In fact, his cheek was still burning where her lips had touched his skin.
Michaels gaze slid from Hawke to Caitlin as he surveyed the pair with interest.
"How'ya feelin, kid?" Dom asked, placing a meaty hand on his shoulder and squeezing it lightly.
Hawke reluctantly pulled his hand from Cait's and rubbed his chest as he glanced at Michael who thankfully, had chosen to remain silent.
"I'll live" Hawke replied gruffly, not wanting to clue His friends in on just how much his injuries had taken their toll on his aching body. Michael knowing was already one too many.
" Sorry about the Jeep, Dom"
"Ah now, don't you worry about it, ya hear?" Dom replied, waving a hand dismissively "I'll take you kids any day of the week."
The three smiled happily at each other before Michael cleared his throat.
"I hate to interrupt the reunion-" Michael began, his good eye glittering with what Hawke could only describe as mirth.
Dom harrumphed emphatically and jammed his hands on his hips.
"Oh sure. I've heard that one bef-"
"Dominic- a word?" Michael said, inclining his head towards the door. Dom arms lowered to his side and he glanced back at Hawke and Cait's questioning looks.
"Only one, huh? That'll be a first "Dom grabbed his cap and jammed it over his grey curls, before following the Spy out of the room leaving Hawke and Cait alone.
AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA
Cait waited for the door to close before she sat in the chair and held up the detached IV wires.
"You'll live, huh?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Caitlin-" Hawke growled
"Fine. Have it your way" Cait replied, knowing a warning when she heard one.
She tossed the redundant wires back onto the bed. For the first time since she arrived, Hawke allowed his gaze to sweep over the red headed pilot sitting beside him. She wore a simple blue sweater and jeans, and her strawberry blonde hair, softened by the Californian sun, fell loosely about her shoulders. Her left arm rested in a sling as a result of the gunshot wound she'd sustained in the firefight and other than an angry scrape across her cheek, she seemed relatively unharmed.
Hawke reached across with his one good arm and linked his fingers with Cait's, wincing at the raw, bloody scrapes across her knuckles. Inpulsively, he ran the pad of his thumb over the wounds.
"Are you alright?" He asked hoarsely, his ice blue eyes meeting hers. For a split second, Cait almost found herself overwhelmed by the look of concern that had temporarily replaced the impassive mask he usually wore.
"Am I alright?!" Cait exclaimed, squeezing his hand a little tighter. "Stringfella Hawke, don't you ever do that to me again, ya hear?"
She felt a tear prick at the corner of her eye as her gaze dropped to their joined hands.
"You scared me to death"
Hawke opened his mouth to mutter an apology, anything that would offer some comfort to the woman in front of him, but the words stuck fast in his throat. In one swift movement, Hawke swung himself off the bed, wrapped and arm around her waist and pulled Cait into his embrace, closing his eyes as she buried her face into his chest.
"I'm sorry" he said finally, indulging himself as he ran his fingers through her soft hair.
"Apology accepted"
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he felt her Texan twang rumble against his chest. She pulled away slightly and looked into his his eyes.
"Just don't let it happen again, ok flyboy?"
A rare smile graced his boyish features as one hand slid to Cait's hip and the other he placed over his heart.
"I wasn't plannin' on it" Hawke said roughly as Cait raised an eyebrow quizzically
"Scouts honour"
"Scouts honour?! "Cait exclaimed as Hawke relinquished his hold on her waist and sat back down on the bed. "You were a scout?"
Hawke nodded
"For a month" Hawke glanced at Cait as she folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"OK a week before Sinj and I were kicked out"
Cait's eyes searched Hawkes
"What'd ya do?"
"Set fire to a tent"
Hawke couldn't help but smile as Cait exploded into fits of laughter and quickly decided it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. He wanted to hear it again. And soon.
"Ohmygod Hawke!" Cait exclaimed as she regained her composure. "I bet Dom was furious!"
She shook her head at the mischievous glint in his eye.
"Listen, String-" Cait said, causing Hawke to frown at the seriousness in her voice.
She quickly filled Hawke in on the events of the last few days, from the bugs Dom had found in the hangar, to the call Dom had made to the FIRM when they failed to return from the stunt.
"Yeah"
Hawke replied, getting to his feet and searching through the cabinet beside his bed
"Michael filled me in with the classified version"
He stood up and looked around the room with a scowl
"Where are my clothes?"
"You think Michael had something to do with the accident?" Cait asked wide eyed, her hand coming to rest on her sling.
Caitlin was conflicted. Over the past three years and everything the team had been through together, she'd come to think of the Assistant Director of the FIRM as a friend and struggled to believe that Archangel had made such a blatant attempt on their lives. She knew from experience, if Michael wanted someone eliminated, the person would simply disappear. She also knew that if Hawke had been thinking rationally, he'd come to the same conclusion, as the attack on the Jeep had been sloppy and certainly didn't bear the hallmarks of a FIRM hit. Yet Hawke was afraid, yo yo-ing between drawing her close and pushing her away. All the facts were just a fog in her normally sharp mind, but one thing she was sure of, she trusted Hawke with her life.
"I'm not sure of anything anymore, Cait" Hawke replied, turning to face her. Blue eyes collided with hers. " one thing I am sure of, I don't believe in coincidences. Michaels people knew right where to find us. Everything points to him, Cait and it sets my guts on fire"
Cait desperately wanted to tell Hawke he was wrong, offer some sort of plausible explanation for Michael's recent aloofness, but words failed her.
" Where's Half Pint?"
"He's at Billy's" Cait replied, chiding herself for not mentioning it sooner. With all the commotion, Cait had almost forgotten that Le had gone to the Oshiro's for a sleepover all weekend.
" Don't worry " Cait smiled softly, taking a step towards Hawke. Hawke's gaze dropped as Cait rested a hand gently on his forearm. " I called Carol. He's fine."
Hawke gave a brief nod before his gaze alighted on a small cupboard in the far corner of the room.
"Hawke- what about my place?"
Hawke hesitated and turned to face his friend
"Your place?"
"Yeah, I mean if the FIRM bugged the hangar, and I'm sayin' IF-" Cait replied, holding up a hand as she recognised the shift in Hawke's eyes "Logically they would have done the same to my apartment if they wanted information about Airwolf"
"And they'd have you under surveillance" Hawke replied as he flung open the cupboard doors in search of his clothes only to find it empty.
"They know you're staying at the cabin, Cait. Dammit ! Where the hell are my clothes?!"
Their heads swivelled towards the door as Michael sauntered through, followed by one of his aides who carried the elusive garments on a hangar.
"Looking for these, Hawke?" Michael asked, a smile tugging at his lips.
Hawke scowled at the Spy. If he didn't know better, he could've sworn Michael was enjoying this. Michael inclined his head towards his aide and she dutifully obeyed, laying his clothes neatly on the bed before leaving the room.
" I thought you of all people would be able to talk him out of this rash course of action" Michael said to Cait with a resigned smile. Cait shrugged her good shoulder in response.
"You thought wrong, Michael" Hawke said gruffly, vaguely wondering where the hell Dom had got to. "I'm checking out"
"Yes, so it seems" Michael turned, as a short, stern looking, curly haired nurse appeared, framed in the doorway.
"Just what is going on here?" She asked with a frown that accentuated her pinched features. She surveyed the guilty looking trio over her half moon glasses before she scurried to Hawke's bedside. Before he could protest she grabbed his wrist, studying the watch attached to her uniform as she monitored his pulse.
"Mr Hawke, you are in no condition-"
"Look Lady-" Hawke began, ignoring Cait's reproachful look. "I told your colleague. I'm fine. I need to get-"
Hawke almost growled as a sudden pain rippled through his fragile body. He doubled over, and fell back onto the bed as the nurse folded her arms across her ample bust.
"I'm sorry. Mr Hawke, I have my orders"
"Then change 'em"
Hawke glared at Michael before he felt the warmth of Cait by his side.
"String-" She laid a hand on his shoulder
"Tell her Cait. I mean what I say"
"It's true." Cait said, looking at the nurse sympathetically "He does"
The nurse looked beseechingly at Michael before raising her hands in defeat
"Fine. "The nurse replied" You'll complete all the paperwork I presume? Saying Mr Hawke left against all medical advice?"
Hawke gave a brief nod of acquiescence as she turned to Michael, deliberately ignoring the mulish pilot. She'd raised four sons into adulthood and quickly came to the conclusion they'd all been a breeze compared to one patient named Stringfellow Hawke.
"Of course Greta. I'll make the necessary arrangements" Michael replied. He forced smile as he glanced between Hawke and Cait before he swivelled on his heel and limped towards the door, leaning heavily on his cane. His fingers froze around the handle and feeling The Pilots impenetrable gaze on the back of his neck, he turned back to face him
"It's good to see you, Hawke"
Then he was gone.
Cait glanced down at Hawke once the Michael had left the room, wondering if he too had sensed the hint of regret in the Spy's voice.
She quickly got her answer as a wave of tiredness suddenly engulfed him, and Hawke collapsed back onto the pillows as Greta began to tidy away all the equipment from around his bed. He closed his eyes as he allowed the sounds to lull him into a light sleep and Cait couldn't help but smile as she watched him, his long, dark lashes fanned out against his cheekbones. She reached across and gently pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes.
"We used to be like that, you know"
Cait had been so focussed on Hawke, she'd barely heard the nurse speak.
"Huh?"
"My husband and I" The nurse replied, pacing some tubes on a trolley. "When we were your age"
"Oh-" Cait replied attempting to hide the flush that rose to her cheeks . She withdrew her hand and clasped them in her lap. She bit her lip as she considered her next response
"Like what?"
Greta smiled a smile that set off her deep blue eyes, so full of wisdom.
"In love" She replied simply.
"Oh no- we're not-"
Greta gave a huff of laughter at Cait's vehement denial.
"Honey, If I had a dollar for every time someone said that, I wouldn't be working here" She rounded the bed "Caitlin is it?"
Cait nodded
"He's a lucky man" Greta replied, looking down at Hawkes sleeping form.
"I'm sorry Ma'am if you've got the wrong impression-" Cait began, her brow furrowing.
"My husband worked for the FIRM for thirty years" Greta told her, regret lacing her every word. "Towards the end, he became a stranger. To me. To his children. Full of secrets"
She shook her head sadly.
Cait glanced at Hawke and reached across to take a sip of the water on his nightstand
"What happened?"
"My youngest son was four " Greta replied, throwing Cait a knowing look. "He was killed on an assignment with a young Rookie"
Cait's stomach swooped as she digested the older woman's words.
"Michael" Cait whispered, the water turning to ashen in her mouth. Greta nodded.
"We lost so many years because of this business" She took a deep breath
"Don't make the same mistake I did"
Cait's gaze dropped to Hawkes sleeping form.
"It's complicated "
"It always is. My husband was just as stubborn as this one, and he needs a good woman like you to set him straight"
Cait smiled
"He's stubborn as a mule. That's part of what I love about him-" Cait caught herself, before she revealed any more. Cait stood and squeezed the nurses hand.
"I'm gonna find Michael. If he tries to escape in the next twenty minutes, you have my permission to hog tie him to the bed. "
Cait grinned at the older woman before she left the room in search of the Deputy Director of the FIRM. Greta took one last look at Hawke before following Cait out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her. In the silence of the room, eyes of cerulean blue gently fluttered open.