Just my imagining of what happened at the hospital before Emily woke up in 3x02.

A/N. All mistakes are my own, even though I've reread it back a dozen times. Hope you enjoy and please leave a review :)

Keeping Vigil

"Stay with me, okay? You made it to the hospital, you're gonna be okay. Alright? Just stay with me."

Cal woke up with a start, his eyes immediately closing again from the brightness of the fluorescent lights in the hospital waiting room. He kept reliving it. Seeing Emily prone on the floor. There was so much blood. So much blood. He should have gotten there sooner. He should have been there to protect her. God, if she didn't make it.. he shook his head. No. He could not think like that. Emily was a survivor. She had survived worse than this. She'd make it. She had to.

"Hey."

His head snapped to up to seeing the doctor standing in front of him.

"How do you know my sister?"

Cal blinked, momentarily confused. Oh, this was her brother.

"I'm Cal Isaac. I'm Emily's partner."

The man, Emily's brother, just looked at him.

"At the FBI! Her partner at the FBI. And I'm her friend too."

"Oh. I'm Jack Byrne."

Cal accepted the man's hand.

"How is she?"

"She'll be okay. Luckily, the knife managed to miss her abdominal aorta. She's stable. Some painkillers and rest and she'll be fine. Getting her to rest, well that might be a whole other problem," Jack chuckled, shaking his head.

Cal sagged back onto his seat in relief. She was going to be okay.

"What the hell happened?"

"She called saying that Nick was in trouble and she was heading back to the house, by the time I got there it was too late. Nick was gone and Emily had been.." Cal swallowed hard. "Stabbed."

"What? Nick's been taken?"

Cal nodded. "We think it was to do with the case that he's working on. They're already investigating at the FBI."

"Jesus."

Both men stood in silence for a moment.

"Can I see her?"

"She's still in and out of consciousness but you can sit with her. Just, when she wakes up make sure she stays calm. She'll be okay but she's still seriously injured."

"Thank you," Cal nodded and walked towards Emily's room.

Cal froze when he saw her lying there, tubes attached to her arm. He blinked away tears and sat down next to her. He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. Warm. It felt warm. Thank god for that.

Releasing a shaky breath, Cal brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. His own hands stained with her blood. More red caught his eye on his shirt, her blood a stark contrast to the white.

"Damn Byrne, trouble follows you around, huh?"

He kept his eyes glued to her hand in his. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, Em. I should have drove faster, I should have –."

"Who the hell are you?"

Cal jumped at the voice and looked up to see an older man stood in the doorway.

"Oh, uh," he dropped her hand and stood up quickly. "I'm Cal Isaac, sir."

The man glared at him as he got closer.

"I'm Emily's partner at the bureau."

The man, Emily's father Cal had guessed by now, glared at him even more at that.

"The bureau," he scoffed and sat down on the chair at the opposite side of Emily's bed. "So, this is something to do with a case. It figures. Even after she's suspended you guys still drag her back in."

His demeanour softened as he ran a hand over Emily's forehead, brushing her hair back.

"Who did this to my little girl?" His voice fierce and gruff.

Cal sat back down. "I don't know. She called and said that Nick was in trouble and asked me to meet her at the house but by the time I got there they were gone, Nick too and Emily was left bleeding on the floor. I carried her out and brought her here."

His eyes returned to his daughter.

The silence stretched between them. Cal was glad that at least Emily's dad had let him stay, not that he would be able to leave now, not until he saw with his own eyes that she was okay, not until she woke up and he saw those hazel eyes of hers.

"She's mentioned you."

His head snapped up. "She has?"

"In passing. From what she said you've had her back for a while now. I'm glad someone does."

"We're partners," Cal replied.

"Can't say I was this close to my partners at BPD," he said pointedly.

Cal shrugged unwilling to acknowledge how he was feeling right now, how he had felt about her for a while now especially to her father.

"As her partner you need to catch the son of a bitch who did this to her and get my grandson his dad back." His eyes met his. "She doesn't deserve this."

"I know," Cal replied softly. His eyes going back to Emily again, her pull always so strong.

"Good. And thank you." He paused and looked up at Cal. "For finding her. If we'd lost her I - "

He cleared his throat.

Again, there was silence apart from the steady beep of the heart monitor, comforting to both men in that moment.

Cal reached out and took Emily's hand in both of his rested his forehead on their joined hands.

"She's okay," he whispered to himself.

"Hey."

Both men looked up and saw Jack in the doorway.

"I brought you guys some coffee."

"Thanks son."

"Yeah, thanks," Cal mumbled, his hands still entwined with Emily's.

"I didn't know what you drank Cal so I just got it black."

"That's fine."

"And dad, I got you a decaf."

"Decaf," he grumbled. "What's the point in having it at all?"

Jack rolled his eyes. Placing both coffees on the side table, he walked up the monitors.

"Her vitals are all good, her body's just resting now. She'll wake up when she's ready."

Cal nodded, his eyes once again catching sight of the red stains marring his shirt. He was too exhausted to speak.

"When does Flynn get home?"

Emily's dad sighed. "A couple of days."

"Well, obviously Em and Flynn will stay with me until they find Nick and get who did this," Jack said.

Cal felt both their eyes on him but kept his eyes on the blankets covering Emily. He would find the son of a bitch who did this or die trying.

"I've got some patients to see but I'll be back soon," Jack promised before exiting the room.

Both men sat in silence again, neither interested in making conversation.

Minutes or maybe even hours passed before Cal felt a sensation of being watched, he looked up at her and found her dazed but beautiful, always beautiful, eyes looking back at him. Relief coursed through him.

"Hey. You're okay. You're gonna be okay."

The End