Happy Monday everyone! I hope you enjoy this next chapter of the Bebop's crazy saga...and if you want to leave a review, I won't complain ;) Thanks to all those who have favorited, followed, or reviewed the story so far. It means a lot to me to know that you all are reading my story!

Session Twenty Three

Jet sat in the hospital waiting room, nervously wringing his hat in his hands. He'd been staring at the clock on the wall for the past several hours, watching the hands make slow, excruciating rounds. They'd been sitting at 8:59 for so long now, Jet swore the clock had stopped. He decided to stare at his shoes instead.

He still wore the security outfit from The Ares, but he'd removed the name badge and stashed it in his pocket. After getting Ed transported to the hospital, he'd sent Faye to the Bebop in a taxi. She was such an emotional wreck, he didn't think it was a good idea to bring her to the hospital. He'd had enough on his plate explaining Ed's gunshot wound without raising suspicion. He'd never seen Faye this empty before. Not even when Spike died. He wasn't sure what had her so emotionally wrung out, but he got the feeling he was playing shogi with only half an army.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jet realized he was running on only three hours of sleep in the last two days, but right now he couldn't even close his eyes. Not while Ed's life hung in the balance. He shook his head. Any amount of bounty the Bebop might get out of this mission was probably going to hospital bills now. But this time, he didn't mind. He'd give up all the bounties to keep his crew alive, Leon included. He realized that he wasn't sure what he'd do without the familiar crew.

"Just let her be ok," he muttered, although to who, he wasn't sure.

"Mr. Black," a voice interrupted his thoughts.

Jet looked up to see a nurse dressed in pale blue scrubs standing at the waiting room door. Jet put his hat back on and took a deep breath, then stood up and followed her. His heart pounded like crazy and his knees felt weak. They walked down a hall and took a left turn, stopping in front of the third door on the right.

"After we got the bullet out and her blood pressure up, she responded well," the nurse said. "She's stable now. You can go in." She held the door open. "Call if you need me," she said, gesturing at a nurses station just down the hall. "I'll give you a few minutes."

Jet stepped into the room, suddenly unsure. Ed lay in the middle of a hospital bed, white sheets pulled up to her chest, her arms lying limp by her sides. She breathed gently, machines keeping track of her heartbeat and oxygen levels. An oxygen tube ran across her face and an IV snaked from her arm. Ed opened her eyes as Jet stopped at the side of the bed.

"Hey, Ed," Jet said. "How ya feelin'?"

"Strange," Ed said. She looked behind Jet, as if expecting someone else to be there.

"I sent Faye back to the ship," he said.

Ed swallowed. "And Leo?" she asked.

"The Dragon...got him," Jet said quietly.

"No," Ed said, trying to sit up. "No!"

Jet put a gentle hand on her shoulder and pushed her down. "Stay calm, Edward," he said.

Ed breathed deeply for a few seconds. "The Dragon took Leo?" she asked slowly.

Jet nodded.

Tears leaked from the corner of Ed's eyes. "We have to save him," she said. "We have to get him back."

Jet nodded again. "Yes. But we had to save you first," he said.

Ed looked around herself, as if noticing where she was for the first time. She frowned. "It hurt," she said, laying a hand on her stomach.

"I know," Jet said. "But they say you're stable now."

"Ed...got shot?" she asked.

"Yes."

Ed shuddered. "Jet…"

Jet slipped his hand in Ed's and she squeezed it hard. "Wounds heal, Edward," he said. "At least you get out of this one with all your arms and legs," he joked.

Ed smiled weakly, then frowned. "What about Leo?" she asked.

Jet gave her what he hoped was a confident smile. "We'll get him back. I promise."

"Ed wants to help," she said.

"Ed, you're in no shape to -"

"Where's Tomato?" she interrupted, some of the usual fire returning to her gaze.

"Faye took it back to the Bebop."

"I can still type," she grinned. "Can you get it to me?"

There was a knock at the door. Jet glanced over his shoulder to see the nurse silhouetted against the frosted glass.

"I think that's my signal to go," he said. "But I'll bring your computer back. In the meantime, how about you get some rest?"

"Ok," Ed agreed.

The nurse opened the door and beckoned for Jet to leave. Jet gently pulled his hand out of Ed's grip and stood up. "I'll be back, Ed," he promised. "I'm just glad to see you...a-" he stopped himself from saying "alive." "Awake." he finished.

Ed smiled at him. "Just wait till Ed's back on her feet." She winked.

The nurse ushered him out of Ed's hospital room. On his way out, Jet stopped at the front desk to ask about delivering a Tomato.

When Jet got back to the Bebop, he found Ein pacing the deck nervously, whining softly.

"What's wrong, boy?" Jet asked, feeling his stomach sink.

Ein barked and ran to the stairs leading to Bebop's main deck. Jet followed. Had he been wrong to send Faye back to the Bebop by herself? Had the Dragon come while he was gone? Ein ran into the living room and Jet followed, feeling his heart beat heavy against his ribcage.

To his relief, he found Faye sprawled on the couch, very much alive. Empty shot glasses lined the table in front of her. She looked like she was about to fall over or fall apart or both. She still wore her ripped purple dress and bloody black gloves. Shards of glass still sparkled in her hair and her makeup was smudged from crying. She looked up at him with bloodshot eyes.

"Ed?" she asked.

"She's gonna be ok, Faye," Jet said. "Which is more than I can say for you." Jet frowned and crossed his arms. Ein barked at Faye, standing with his legs splayed beside Jet.

A look of relief passed over Faye's face and then one of concentration, like she was trying to recall something important. "It's gone," she finally slurred.

"What?" Jet asked.

"The drugs," Faye said.

"Damn it!" Jet swore. The Red Dragon truck had been sitting in the warehouse beside the Bebop, just like it had been before, so Jet hadn't bothered to check it. "What about Andross?"

Faye shrugged and gestured toward the lower decks. "Asleep," she mumbled. Jet sighed. At least they still had one bargaining chip.

"And this?" Jet asked, gesturing to the glasses on the table. Ein growled at the glasses.

Faye looked at them for a long moment, like she was counting them. But she never came up with the same number. "It seemed like...a good idea at the time."

For a moment, Jet felt the urge to join her. But then he shook his head and walked up to the couch. "C'mon, Faye, pull yourself together. And take a bath. You're a mess." He held out a hand to her.

"Ok," she nodded, taking his hand. She stood up, a little unsteady, but at least she'd taken her heels off earlier, Jet noticed. She wobbled and grabbed his arm for support. Jet sighed. Guess he'd had to escort her to the tub. He started walking toward the stairs. Faye obediently walked beside him, clutching his metal arm.

"Jet?" she asked. "There's something I have to...say."

"Yes, Faye?" Jet said, as he started down the stairs with her.

She paused, as if lost for words again. "It was me," she finally said, and then burst into tears. She buried her face in Jet's jumpsuit, instantly soaking him with a waterfall of tears.

Jet was taken completely aback and settled for patting her back awkwardly. He met Ein's gaze over Faye's shoulder and the Corgi tilted his head and whined as if he was just as confused as Jet. Jet had no idea what Faye was talking about. Maybe she was referring to the empty bottles of alcohol he'd find when he went to the kitchen? Whatever it was, she was more upset than he'd seen her in a long time. Jet decided now was not the time to figure it out. He was too tired and Faye was too drunk. Whatever it was, they could deal with it after they both had some sleep. "It's ok, Faye," he said, pushing her away gently. "Just take a bath, alright?"

"You mean…" she hiccupped as the tears slowed. "You're not mad?" She blinked owlishly at him, smudged mascara making her look like some sort of Halloween decoration.

"No," Jet answered slowly. Should I be?

"You...forgive me?" Faye asked.

Jet sighed. "I forgive you, Faye," he said, even though he had no idea what he was forgiving Faye for.

She looked immensely relieved and they reached the bottom of the stairs without further incident. After running a hot bath for Faye, Jet headed back upstairs. He sat down on the couch and stared at the shot glasses. They were lined up with almost military precision on the edge of the table and all empty. He shook his head. Faye only did stuff like this when she suffered from a particularly strong sense of guilt. So what was she feeling guilty about now? She hadn't done anything more than complain about the mission. Maybe she thought she didn't give it her best and it was her fault Leon was caught?

Jet rubbed his eyes. He wished for the thousandth time he'd been down in that hallway instead of trapped in the security room. While he'd seen most of what had gone down on the security cameras, he had no audio and no explanation for Faye and Leon's absolute horror right before Villanova took Leon. Somebody told the kid something that had basically destroyed him. Was it something Faye said? But what could she tell Leon that would make him give up like that?

Jet desperately wanted answers, but his body desperately wanted sleep. In the end, his body won out and he found his eyes closing of their own accord.

He didn't even stop snoring as Faye stumbled through the living room on her way to her room an hour later.