Carla quickly got ready and started working the phones after Face awakened her to tell her the news about Murdock. While she was busy with the task of getting the pilot to the nearest US medical facility, Face had the unpleasant duty of waking his other sister and telling her what happened to her husband. As expected, it took him and Maggie both to calm Ellen down enough so he could tell her where they were sending Murdock."
"I have to go him, Face!" Ellen said pleadingly. "Please take me to him!"
"I suppose we can," Face said giving Ellen a firm hug while looking over toward Carla who nodded.
"I'll make all the arrangements," Carla said evenly.
"What about Templeton?" Ellen asked breaking the embrace with Face.
"I don't think Gloria should make such a long trip so I'm sure she wouldn't mind watching the baby while we're gone," Face said with a smile. "Besides, it'll be good practice for her."
"If she's okay with it," Ellen said with a nod. "It fine with me."
Maggie stepped away from where Ellen slept peacefully on the leather couch in Stockwell's back up jet as Face yawned and stretched his back in the recliner nearby. He frowned when he saw Maggie watching him. "What?" he said before putting his hands up in surrender.
"Did you take that nap earlier like I told you to?" Maggie admonished as his face turned slightly red. "I didn't think so. When was the last time you actually slept?"
"I'll sleep after I know Murdock's okay," Face replied more curtly than he intended to. "That's all that matters right now."
"Face," Maggie said quietly before taking a seat next to him. "You know, none of this is your fault. I hope you're not blaming yourself for Murdock's injury."
"He's the only brother I have, Doc," Face said softly. "If anything happens to him...I couldn't face it or Ellen. What about her, she'd lose her husband and the father of her son and it would be my fault! This whole thing was my choice! I did this, I sent them there and look what happened!"
"Bad guys happened and someone got hurt," Maggie replied harshly. "It could have been anyone of them."
"It doesn't make it any easier to take," Face said wearily rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"I'd like some coffee," Maggie said getting to her feet. "Can I make you a cup?"
"That'd be great," Face said with a slight nod as Maggie got up and headed into the small galley. Pouring them both a cup, Maggie pulled out a small bottle from her pocket and added a few drops to Face's cup before sweetening it with sugar and cream.
"Here we go," she said handing the cup to him and watching with a satisfied smirk as he took several sips of the hot beverage. "Twelve hours to Italy?"
"Yeah," Face said stifling a yawn. "That's what the pilot said."
"That's plenty of time for you to get some rest then," Maggie said as Face finished half his coffee.
"You sure are persistent, aren't you Doc?" Face said with a sideways smile.
Maggie nodded and returned the smile. "John hates it," she said crossing her arms.
"I bet he does," Face replied finishing his coffee. "But, I'm not him and I already told you, I'm fine."
"No, you're not," Maggie said grinning as Face slightly swayed in the recliner. "But, you will be."
"What did you do?" He asked as Maggie gently pushed him back into the seat.
"What needed to be done for your own good," she said before grabbing a blanket to cover him with. "Maybe next time you'll take my advice and get some rest!"
"Maybe," Face mumbled as his eyes slowly closed.
Maggie watched his breathing for a moment to ensure he was asleep before dimming the lights and settling into a recliner herself. She knew there was likely to be many sleepless nights ahead so a little rest wouldn't hurt anyone.
Hannibal rolled a cigar between his fingers before shoving it into his mouth and pacing the floor in the small waiting area for the hundredth time. "What is taking those doctors so long?" He growled as BA sighed.
"I don't know man but your about to tear that floor up with all your pacing!"
Hannibal grinned as the door behind him opened and Face, Maggie and Ellen walked in. The subdued expressions from the new arrivals filled the already tense atmosphere of the room.
"Any news?" Ellen asked as Hannibal shook his head no before putting an arm around Maggie.
"I sure am glad you're here," he said as Face stepped forward.
"What happened anyway?"
"It was a sniper, kid," Hannibal said looking over at BA who nodded. "We didn't see him until after Murdock was hit."
"We blew up the building though," BA said evenly. "Murdock got you all kinds of pictures to."
"We were on our way back to the airfield when we heard the shot," Hannibal finished.
Face nodded thoughtfully as he took in Hannibal's words. "I know it's not your fault," he said turning around as the door the the waiting room opened. An older, slightly grayish haired man in a white lab coat walked in and looked around the room.
"Captain Murdock's family?" He said as Ellen stepped forward with Face at her side.
"I'm his wife," she said eagerly as the man nodded slightly.
"I'm Doctor O'Fallon," he said in a slight Irish accent. "Captain Murdock is out of surgery and is currently in recovery."
"Thank god," Ellen said with a slight smile. "How badly is he hurt, Doctor?"
"O'Fallon looked around the room uneasily before speaking. "Perhaps, you'd like to have an American doctor explain it to you?"
"I'm Captain Sullivan, MD," Maggie said meeting the other doctors eyes. "You can tell us, what's the damage, Doctor?"
"The Captain suffered a gunshot wound to the right side of the chest which penetrated the lung and caused a pneumothorax. We were unable to adequately repair the damage to the lung which resulted in its removal," O'Fallon said looking over his notes. "At approximately two hours into the surgery, the patient suffered full cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated. He has yet to regain consciousness. Do you have any other questions?"
"What does that mean?" Ellen said worriedly before looking from the older doctor to Maggie.
"When can we see him?" Maggie replied politely.
"I'll be back to get you after he's been moved to our ICU," O'Fallon said with a slight nod before quickly backing out the door.
"I don't understand," Ellen said turning to Maggie. "Resuscitation usually means..."
"It doesn't matter, El," Face said calmly grasping her hand. "He's alive and that's all that matters!"
"Face is right," Maggie said gently. "We don't need to worry about what happened during surgery so much as what's going to happen now that he's out."
*Sorry for the delayed post, my 5 year old has had the flu for the last week and been in and out of the hospital because of high fever and dehydration*