Okay here's the latest. This update kinda jumps around and brings in lots of different faces but I hope it reads well. More to follow soon. And thanks so much Bookworm for reviewing. :)

"Hey," Sloan greeted, approaching the nurse who was sitting on a bench in the hallway, examining the mark on her right wrist.

"Thought you might need some gauze or something."

"It's fine, I'm fine," Jen sighed.

"No, you're not," Sloan said knowingly, sitting beside her.

"C'mon. Talk to me. What the fuck happened in there?"

"Well I was making rounds, and I heard this patient mumbling. Loud enough for me to hear him out in the hall. I walked in to see what was wrong and after he noticed me, he stared for a minute before he reached out, clutched onto my arm."

"And left you with that bruise!" the brunette exclaimed.

"I don't think he was trying to hurt me, Sloan. He didn't seem angry. He seemed scared."

"Of what?"

"I'm not sure. He just kept asking me if I was okay," Jen sighed, pushing her shoulder length blonde hair back and away from her face.

"Really?"

"He kept saying that I had to be okay. That I had to be safe."

"Whoa."

"I told him that I was fine. Just to try and settle him down. And then Dr. Stevens walked in."

"You mean Arty?" Sloan teased as Jen rolled her eyes.

"No, I mean Dr. Stevens. God, I fuck the guy once in the break room and he thinks he has a claim on me or something."

"Shit, really? I thought you guys were way into each other."

"It's not mutual. He flipped a shit seeing me that close to the patient. Got between us and just started yelling at him. Said he had to get his hands off me, leave me alone."

"Did he listen to him? The patient?"

"No," Jen sighed. "He started yelling back! Swearing at him too. In English and I think even in Arabic."

"Bilingual cursing out. Jeez."

"I recognized it from when I did that stint at Walter Reed. Sometimes the patients with really bad PTSD, from when they were over there.."

"Wait, wasn't the guy in there a former POW?"

"Maybe, I don't know. I was too busy trying to keep him calm to pay much attention. Either way he didn't get away from me. And then the asshole in scrubs made everything worse."

"By doing what?"

"Stevens shoved me, off to the side of the room. The patient lost it. Said if he saw him ever lay another hand on me he'd snap his neck."

"Jesus," Sloan breathed as Stevens walked out of Brody's room. Approaching Jen he grabbed her by the arm, hauled her to her feet.

"Hey!" the brunette snapped. "Leave her alone, asshole! She's already been through-"

"Shut up," Stevens spat, looking to Jen.

"We're getting out of here. And getting that maniac in there fitted for a muzzle."

Yanking her arm back Jen glared at him.

"I'm not through with my shift yet," she said coldly.

"I can get you out of it early. It's fine."

"No thank you, Dr. Stevens."

"Hey, I thought I told you to call me Arty."

"And I'm telling you I have patients to tend to, Dr. Stevens," Jen retorted. "I'll look into that muzzle though. How big is that empty fucking head of yours so I can size it?"

"Hey!" Stevens sputtered. "Look, that lunatic in there came after me! He tore his fucking IV out trying to attack me!"

"And you're worried about yourself?" Jen snorted. "What kind of doctor are you?"

"The kind that makes Dr. Evil look great," Sloan smirked.

Ignoring her, Stevens looked incredulously at Jen.

"I can't believe you. You're defending that asshole in there?"

"The only asshole I'm seeing is right here and standing in front of me. Clearly the patient's not in his right mind!"

"Well clearly you're not in yours if you're blaming me for how he behaved!"

Met with a slap that left a red handprint across his cheek, swearing, Stevens stomped back over to Brody's room. Looking in the window he rolled his eyes, saw him cowering in the corner.

"Fucking Christ."

Shaking his head in disgust he walked down the hall, left through the closest exit he could find.

…

After Sloan checked that the coast was clear, thanking her Jen cut over to Brody's room. Bit her lip seeing the state he was in and that he was no longer in bed.

"Damn it, Nick. You really can't stay on the floor," she sighed, kneeling in front of him as he shook.

"C'mon, I'll help you get back into-"

When he flinched, shied away, Jen shook her head, reached onto the supply cart in the corner.

"At least let me clean this up, okay?"

After disinfecting, bandaging up where his IV had been torn out, Jen stood, went to find an orderly to help her get Brody back into bed.

Leaving his room though she saw an agitated older man pacing back and forth, and a thirty something brunette standing close by.

Going to cut around them she was surprised when the man called after, cut in front of her.

"Excuse me sir, but I have to-"

"You assigned to Nick Brody's room? The lady at the desk said it was around here someplace."

"Are you family?"

"I'm..I'm his dad, yeah." Nathaniel muttered, reaching into his back pocket for his cigarettes. Taking one from the pack much to Jen's horror.

"Sir! Smoking is forbidden in this-"

"Settle down, I'm not gonna fucking light it."

Rolling her eyes, Nancy took the cigarette from his mouth and the pack out of his hand, slipped them both into her purse.

"I'm sorry about that. I told him to leave them at home."

Nodding, Jen turned back to Nathaniel.

"Feel free to go on in and see him. I think it'll do him some good. He's in quite a state. Hopefully having family around him will help."

"Can I go in and see him too?" Nancy asked.

"Are you family as well?"

"No, just a friend. But I feel like I could really be of some help-"

"I'm sorry, but only immediate family is permitted in this unit."

"But I just-"

"Nan, just go get a cup of coffee or something!" Nathaniel hissed. "Don't make a goddamn spectacle," he said gruffly as Nancy snorted, crossed her arms.

"Just through here Mr. Brody," Jen said, walking him over to the room. Two orderlies were attempting to get Brody off the floor and back into bed, getting him cowering and flinching away.

"Please…enough, I..I've had enough, please stop hurting me! I..I'll do anything I swear just please stop hurting me…" he pleaded, his head bowed as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Jesus, son," Nathaniel breathed, waving the two men aside as he approached, crouched down.

"Hey, you look here now Nicholas. You're in a hospital right now and you're fine, you understand? Nobody's gonna lay a goddamn hand on you."

Snapping his fingers at one of the orderlies, he got him to hand over the blanket from the bed.

"Hurry up and give that here. He's fucking shaking like a leaf."

Moving to drape it over Brody's shoulders, Nathaniel tried to hide his shock at his son resting his head on his.

"Make it stop Nazir, please. Make it stop."

Shutting his eyes, shaken to the core hearing that but trying not to let on, Nathaniel patted him on the back. "Shhh, easy, son. S'alright. I…I'll get you through this."

...

After getting coffee, waiting in the lounge for about an hour, cutting over to outside of Brody's room Nancy peered in the window. Saw Nathaniel shift uncomfortably in his spot on the floor.

Smile forming on her face, seeing the hall was deserted and that pesky nurse was gone, entering the room she shut the door behind her.

Shaking his head seeing her, Nathaniel got to his feet, careful not to disturb Brody.

"For Christ's sake, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Giving you a reprieve. You've been on that floor for almost an hour, Nate."

"You're not supposed to know that, you're not even supposed to be in here!" he hissed.

"It's fine, nobody saw. What's the latest on Nick?"

"He was flashing back. Hallucinating. They said it could be the meds he's on making him loopy, just the beating itself triggering shit."

Trailing off Nathaniel bit his lip.

"You holding up okay?" Nancy asked.

"He thought I was Abu fucking Nazir, Nan."

"Jesus, Nate," she sighed. "How long's that supposed to go on for?"

"Should wear off soon they said. It's just…I think I gotta take a minute. Get a cigarette or something."

"Sure, that's fine."

"Just, keep an eye on him so long as no one's here to kick you out."

"Of course, go on."

After Nathaniel reclaimed his cigarettes, stepped out, Nancy knelt down in front of Brody. Stroked the side of his face as he slept. "Been to hell and back but still so damn handsome," she sighed.

"Didn't see any blonde station chiefs outside. Guess I'll have to keep you company."

Smiling she leaned in as he stirred, flinched at her touch.

"Shh, hey. It's okay."

Feeling a hand settle on his face again Brody's eyes fluttered open, locked with her blue ones. Too bleary to focus on anything else.

"You okay?" he asked fearfully. "You okay, Carrie?"

"I'm fine. I'm right here, I promise," Nancy whispered, leaning in so they were nose to nose.

"I promise…"

Kissing him, gently at first before making it more passionate, Nancy softly moaned, shifted onto his lap.

"Wait, wait.."

"It's fine, just a little kiss, honey. It's fine."

About to start his next shift, Khan decided to take the longer route up to the oncology wing. Stop by a certain room and if he had time, give a progress report to a certain friend.

Glancing in the window, wanting to make sure he had the right one, he froze then frowned. Shook his head in awe and disgust.

"Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable."