"Just what do you mean by serious?" Chris was pretty sure he knew the answer but wasn't taking any chances. He stopped himself from turning to look at his men, knowing what he'd see and not certain he could handle dealing with that right now.

"I don't have too much information sir. Only that I was told to come out here to notify you and offer any assistance you might need." Keeping himself calm was more of a challenge that the young man had expected. It was one of the first such notifications he'd had to do and addressing the news to Chris Larabee was not making it easier. Having 5 other men glaring at him as he spoke didn't help matters. He'd never had occasion to meet these men, but anyone in law enforcement knew their reputation.

"What happened?" Buck had found his voice and wanted answers. The tone of his question clearly indicated he expected details.

"As I said sir, I really have no further information I can share at this point –"

"Bullshit. You know something, and we need to know it too."

"Quiet Buck. He's just doing his job." Vin looked back at the uniformed officer. "I don't know if you are aware of who we are. All of us are ATF, as is the man you're telling us about. More than a few people would be pleased to see him dead, and if there is any chance this was more than just an accident, we need to know."

"Yes sir, I know who you are, and who Mr. Standish is. I really don't know anything more than what I've told you." He looked at the solemn faces staring him down. "I can tell you that at least one of the people in the accident was airlifted to the hospital, and another needed the jaws of life to be freed from the vehicle." He hesitated, certain he should not be sharing the next piece of information yet knowing he would be. "I can also say that from the preliminary reports, it appears alcohol was involved."

That brought a slew of responses. "Son of a bitch." "I can't believe it." "Should have seen that coming." Vin's voice stood out. "He's not that stupid Chris."

The comment brought them all up, and Chris broke his own silence. "He was that upset. That angry."

JD was siding with Vin on this argument. "No. No way. No way someone as smart and together as Ezra is makes that kind of dumbass decision. Hell Chris, he locks his keys in the drawer when we've gone out for a beer at lunch. He's got a cab on speed dial – I know, I put it in for him."

Moving to the front of the group, Josiah tried to bring attention back to where it needed to be. "I said I can't believe it, and I mean that. But right now, it doesn't matter. We need to get to where we are needed. I'll stay here with Nathan and clean up. The rest of you should get your asses in gear and get to the hospital."

"Right. Vin, you're with me." He turned back to the patiently waiting officer. "I'm assuming he's at University?" After getting a nod, he followed up his question. "Where was the accident, and who's in charge there?"

"Lincoln Ave, near Jordan." Chris cursed softly. That wasn't all that far from the ranch. "Sgt. Peters is our accident investigator at the scene."

"Buck, you and JD head there and see if there is anything that seems off. Then join us." Neither man was happy about being shuffled aside, but knew when to follow orders, and this was just such a time.

Nothing more was said as they men grabbed keys and coats and set off. Josiah and Nathan set about getting things back in order at the house. After a few moments, Nathan couldn't take the silence. "Why?"

"Why what? Why are we cleaning up? Because if the news is good we are going to want to come back out here and have a bit of a celebration. And if, God forbid, it's bad, we're going to be needing the sustenance over the next few days."

"I get that. Why did you want me to stay behind? You could have done this on your own just as easily."

Josiah leaned back on the counter, tossing his cloth into the sink as he did. "Well, I could say it was for the company, or so that I wouldn't have to drive alone back to town to the hospital. But then you'd ask me if there was more to it, and I'd have to say yes. Why were you so ready to accept Ezra is to blame in this? Why should you have seen it coming?"

"You saw how drunk he got yesterday. How upset he was about everything this morning. Besides, from what you said, you didn't seem totally shocked by the idea."

"I said I couldn't believe it."

"In a tone that implied you didn't want to, not that you couldn't."

He hated to acknowledge the truth of the statement. "Yes, I had a moment of doubt, and I will allow that shock played a role, as did my own personal failings. But my gut tells me otherwise, and there is the little matter of proof. But I'd still like to get back to the reasoning for your comment. You seemed, and still seem, sure of your assessment."

Not being entirely sure how to answer, Nathan stalled, going to the closet for his coat. Yes, his first instinct was to accept the blame lay squarely at Ezra's feet. It was an easy answer, and as he thought that, he realized that was the problem. It was always easy to place blame there, mostly because the man didn't challenge it. Even though, time and time again, the evidence ended up giving them a different solution. Maybe it was time to consider that 'innocent until proven guilty' applied to Ezra as well.

"Blame it on a gut reaction and a mindset that needs some attitude adjustment. For now, let's get out there. We should be together for – well, whatever happens."

Smiling for the first time, Josiah joined him as they made their way to join the team.

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JD had been quiet since he climbed back into the passenger seat of the car, looking more than a little green. The sight of the crumpled Jag was enough to make anyone feel sick and knowing Ezra had been inside was tearing him apart. It was still on the road, now at the far side of the intersection, turned 180 degrees from the direction he would have been driving on his way to Chris's. The pick-up truck that had hit it remained in the centre of the cross-road with the front end smashed. The Jag had been T-boned, the passenger side caved in. One tire lay several feet down the road, torn off from the impact. The windshield was gone. Removed, according to Sgt. Peters, by the rescue squad trying to get Ezra freed.

"Didn't see the process myself. I only got out here after the ambulances had left."

He'd spoken to Buck the whole time as JD stood mutely staring.

"Any idea what happened?"

"Too early yet. I've only just started looking over the scene. Haven't even talked to the witnesses yet. I understand you are worried about your friend, but I can't tell you what I don't know. I will keep you guys as much in the loop on this as I can, but right now, I think you'll be doing more good at the hospital than here."

Looking over at the damage, Buck had to wonder what kind of help they could be anywhere. He did know that getting JD out of there was a good idea, and he wasn't any to anxious to hang around either. So the two men offered their thanks and left.

"Kid, if you're gonna be sick, try to give me enough notice to pull over."

"Not gonna puke Buck." He took a deep breath to try to calm himself and make sure his stomach didn't make a liar of him. "I am glad we didn't eat though." A look toward the driver reassured him that he wasn't alone in that thought.

After several blocks in silence JD gathered his nerve. "I feel bad Buck."

"So I do need to stop?"

"Not that way. About the way we treat Ezra sometimes. We were all ready to assume the worst. Not just now, but when the case went south, and well – most of the time."

"He's got a lot of baggage JD, and he doesn't seem any to willing to share the history."

"Why should he though? I mean, nobody ever proved he did anything wrong so why should he spend all of his time proving he didn't."

Buck had been having the same thoughts himself, even before this happened. "Problem with Ezra is that he doesn't seem to want to prove himself. And when someone is always expecting people to think the worst of him, he makes it damned easy for them to do just that. I don't know why he'd be like that, although I'd guess that mother of his has a lot to do with it."

"Yeah, how could she talk to him that way Buck. My ma never would have thought like that, and sure wouldn't be saying it even if she did."

With a grin, Buck nodded. "You got one of the good ones there, kid. Guessing Ezra wasn't so lucky."

"Then maybe we should think about giving him the kind of family support he deserves."

Hoping they weren't too late with that, Buck smiled his support, tinged with a good deal of big brotherly pride. "Yeah kid, I think maybe we should."

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Staring at a hospital door was as much of a wasted effort as staring at a pot on the stove. Chris found that revelation both useless and frustrating. No one had been able to give him any decent answers. Only that the accident victims had been brought in, and he would be informed as soon as they had some news to share. Excuses of being short staffed on Christmas Eve were of no comfort.

"He's gonna be OK Chris."

"And you know that how?"

Vin shrugged slightly. "Same was I knew he was coming to the ranch."

"And if he hadn't been, none of this would have happened. If I hadn't pushed him – forced him…"

Guilt. The last thing any of them needed right now. "You didn't force him Chris. Push comes to shove I would say nobody is forcing Ezra into doing anything he doesn't want to. And like I said before, Ezra wanted – needed – to come out tonight. It was his call, and he'd be the first to tell you that."

"He's not going to be telling anyone anything."

"You can't know that."

"Yeah, well you have your gut feelings, I have mine. And this one feels like – I don't know. Like we blew it. Like I blew it. Damn him."

Words weren't going to help, so Vin remained quiet. Chris needed to talk this out and didn't need any input to do so. Sure enough, a minute later he continued.

"He didn't have to fight me on everything, every step of the way. Wouldn't have asked him to join the team if I didn't think he was good for it. Why couldn't he see that?" He stood and began pacing, stopping after a bit to look at Vin.

"You really want an answer to that? Because I think you already have it."

"Because nobody's told him that before."

"Yup." The corner of Vin's mouth turned up ever so slightly. "Got it in one. He's used to not being accepted Chris and is ready to turn and bolt at the first sign things are blowing up on him. Likely done that all of his life. The fact he was coming tonight shows he might just be ready to try to change that."

Staring back down the quiet hallway to the examining rooms, Chris's face fell again. "Except he won't get the chance to."

Voices coming through the door stopped Vin from answering. "Any news?" Buck and JD trotted down the hallway. As they approached, the doors opened again with the arrival of the final duo.

"Not yet." Chris took one look at JD and felt his stomach drop. "What did you guys find out."

"That Ezra is going to need a new car when he gets out of here." The forced certainty was wasted as JD undermined Buck's effort to sound positive.

"They don't know what happened, but I can tell you Ezra's car is a write-off. I can't believe they even got him out of if Chris. It's a mess." His voice was wavering at the end of the sentence.

"This is a good hospital. One of the best trauma units around." Nathan hoped he was sounding more confident than he felt.

"And we mustn't forget that Ezra is one stubborn southerner. He is not about to go quietly into the light." Josiah added.

"Ezra Standish doesn't go anywhere quietly." Buck added. "He lives for a good fight, so this is right up his alley. You just wait. Any second now some frustrated intern is going to come through those doors and tell us to come and get the man to shut up long enough to listen to the doctor." They all turned toward the door as if expecting Buck's prophecy to play out. "Any second now."

The doors remained still.

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tbc