Teddy couldn't imagine what he was going through. Or what was going on in his head, behind these blue eyes.
From time to time, she dared to have a look at his face, while she put a last layer of bandages around his left forearm. The last time that she'd done something simple as putting in arm in plaster was years ago, but though it was simple, she was out of practice, plus, it didn't make it easier that she had to hide a ceramic knife and a plastic explosives between the layers. It was funny, but C4 was of the exact same color than the plaster and it was even easier to hide than the knife.

"How do you want to ignite that stuff?", she asked him, after a while. "Don't you need fuses for that?" Some lessons of her military basic training were still very vivid, like the one where they were introduced to explosives. She had hated that lesson. And she had hated it as well now, to touch that stuff. Everybody said that it was safe to touch the white mass, but knowing what sheer power lay there, right in front of her, made her feel uneasy, especially when having to remodel it or press it flat. She hadn't said a word and had just done it, for him.

"They would find the fuses right away. I'm sure they'll use a metal detector.", he answered, looking from all sides if somebody could see the pocket in which the ceramic knife was hidden. "maybe something will come up. There are some things which I could use as a fuse." Trying to improvise was the only idea he had.

"Do you want to blow up the whole ship?"

He sadly smiled. "No. That amount is not even enough to make a dent in such a hull." He didn't know yet what he would do with it or if he'd be able to ignite it at all. "It would take down a room with ten people, maximum. A freighter that size is almost built like a fortress."

She stowed away the dressing materials and came back over to him. He was still sitting at one of the chairs, holding up his arm to let the plaster of the splint get dry. He was drowned in thoughts, staring into the far.
Slowly she sat down on the other chair, opposite the small table. It was 3 a.m. in the morning right now. 5 hours to go until the exchange. She had never seen anyone who was willingly going to face death, or even worse. She found no words to say. Wish him luck? What for? He'd be on a Chinese freighter, travelling across the Pacific Ocean, all alone with enemies.
"Do you have any chance to get off the ship?", she finally dared to ask, afraid of an honest answer.

He took a deep breath. "They'll be loading for five hours and then they'll leave the port, travelling west at a speed of about 15 knots. If I manage to get off in the first six or seven hours there could be a chance to reach the coast." He got silent again.

Teddy feared the worst. "Will you even try to get off?"

He slid his chair a bit to the right until he could lean against the wall. "I will, don't worry.", he closed his eyes but even though he was tired, he just couldn't rest. "If I get a chance to.", he added, "They know that the first eight hours are the most critical ones. They're gonna grill me right in the beginning to keep me from running, even if they have to break my legs for that." He had no illusions about what was coming.

A cold shiver ran down her spine. She had only asked him because she wanted to have something to hope for – she desperately wanted to hear him say that he had a chance to flee again and that he had a chance to return.

He could read her thoughts. "Don't get your hopes up.", he silently added, resting his head against the wall.
He heard that she started to cry. Even though she tried to do it in silence, he heard her uneven breaths. "Don't, Teddy", he murmured, leaning over the table, resting his head on his right arm in a more comfortable position. "I'm not worth the tears."

She wiped them away and stood up. She couldn't stand to look at him.

He watched her back. She was still crying… of course, she was. This wasn't anything that words could make go by.
"Teddy", he tiredly called her name.

"What?", she spat, still not turning around.

"Come over", he said, adding "please"

She wiped the tears off her face and took a deep breath before she turned around. There he sat, tiredly leaning over the table, resting his head on his arm. Their eyes met, but she could hardly stand to look into them, knowing that he was going into an almost certain death. "I'm a doctor, Jack. I am used to saving people, I am used to having chances, no matter how little they are", she began "I would like to scream and shout at you, that you should get up and run for your life!", she hissed. She shook her head and went over to him. "I know you won't.", she whispered, looking down at him.
Tiredly she sat down across him, also resting her head on her arms, on the table.

Finally, she managed to get a grip of herself again. Their heads were only few inches apart. Damnit, run for your life, she still thought, as she looked into his eyes.

"I won't let her down", he whispered, thinking of the last time that he'd seen Audrey. The memories of her were the one thing that had kept him alive. And they'd do it again.

"She must be someone special." She tried to guess how the woman would be who made him give his life for her.

"She is" Thinking of Audrey even drew a little smile on his face. "Can I ask you one last favor, Teddy? Will you take care of her?"

She froze. "What do you mean with that?"

"I'm sure they haven't treated her nicely", he began, and this time it was him, who was close to tears, saying "I hope not as bad as me but she'll need medical attention. The DoD team coordinating the exchange already ordered a standby ambulance and a friend of mine rerouted the call and made sure it's gonna be one of yours, leaving from here. You'll get a call in the morning, Teddy, requesting you to be on board and I will go with you. That's the only way how I can get into the pier without anyone noticing. I swear, you will not be dragged into this any further, I give you my word. You're gonna stay in the car and wait until it's all over and they hand her over to you."

Frozen stiff, she listened and tried to imagine what his plan looked like. "Why don't you just call DoD to let them pick you up here?"

"Too dangerous. The Chinese could get to me first the exchange won't happen and we lose the last chance to get Audrey out." He had thought it all through. Every possibility, every danger, every possible change in plans. "Will you take care of her?", he asked her again.

"Jack, I took an oath to care, I'm a doctor. Of course I will."

"I know you did… and you're a good one. But that was not what I meant." He didn't know how to tell Teddy what he wanted her to do. He didn't know it either what he actually wanted. "When I came here, Teddy, you saved my life. But you did far more for me… I'm pretty sure that's not on your usual job description" He slid his left hand slowly over the table, until he could grab hers, "You're the only friend I have right now.", he spoke, looking into her eyes for a last time, before he rested his head to sleep.

She knew what he wanted from her. He wanted her to be there for Audrey, to be that friend, like she had been for him.
"I'll be there for her", she answered, knowing that it was big promise that she had to keep. "You have to get some rest before tomorrow", she added, standing back up again, "I know a place."

They repeated the routine for the CCTV cameras… if anyone would ever look at the tapes. He let her go ahead and followed her closely behind, through the empty corridors of the nightly hospital. He carried his jacket over his arm, making it look like he was hiding a gun thereunder, threatening her.

She brought them to one of the furnished staff rooms, closing the door behind them, locking it. "Lie down.", she told him, pointing at the only bed in the small room.

"Where are you gonna sleep?"

Teddy watched him place the gun right next to his pillow. He lay in bed, fully clothed, ready to jump up and defend himself upon the slightest evidence of threat.
"This time it's my turn to stay awake.", she silently answered, sitting down on a chair, next to the bed. "It's only four hours until you have to get up."

He was way too tired to protest or even say anything.
He closed his eyes and hoped that sleep would get him faster than all the thoughts about the future, which would only make him cry himself to sleep. Many nights of darkness were to follow. The good ones were over, for once and for all.

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OMG, that was hard to write... poor Jack, but he has to suffer... otherwise this wouldn't be 24, right?