Bye Bye Baby

Chapter 17

Steve was sure he heard Mike's voice as he was being wheeled away. He hadn't got the strength left to open his eyes but he flailed his hand against the cold sheet in the hope that Mike would grasp it. When no grip followed, he tried to call Mike's name but while his lips moved under the mask, the sound refused to leave his lips. He tried again to search with his hand but this time a cold, clinical hand settled on top of his and a woman's voice responded instead.

"Relax Mr. Keller. You're on your way to the OR. We'll have you fixed up in no time."

Without the comforting grip of Mike's hand, Steve allowed the darkness to pull him away again and he drifted back into merciful oblivion.

As Mike stood staring down the empty corridor, Olsen's voice drew his attention once more.

"Mike? What's the matter? Did I miss something?"

"They ah ... just wheeled Steve off to the Operating Theater. They're going to take the knife out of his leg ..."

Olsen could see that Mike was highly perturbed and his own worry peaked.

"Did ... did you talk to his Doctor?"

"Just briefly ... He said he was holding his own and he'd update me further after the surgery."

Rudy let out a quiet sigh of relief and patted Mike's shoulder comfortingly.

"Well there you go! That sounds fairly positive. He'll be fine Mike, you'll see. The kid's a fighter."

To Rudy's dismay, his words hadn't seemed to comfort the fraught Lieutenant and instead Mike shook his head and returned his gaze back down the corridor where he had caught his last sighting of Steve.

"No ... No he didn't look good. He was practically grey in the face. I'm worried Rudy. You ... you didn't see him."

Rudy tightened his grip on Mike's shoulder and spoke more firmly.

"Mike, come on. Sit back down with me will you before you fall down. Finish your coffee. Look, I know the kid looked rough but he's in the right place now. They'll take good care of him. You have to trust them to do their job. Keller's no quitter. Next time you see him, he'll look a lot better, mark my words!"

Mike allowed Olsen to guide him back towards the seating area and they both sat down as Mike mumbled dolefully.

"I hope you're right Rudy ... God I hope you're right ..."

With the two men now seated side by side, Mike took another long drink from his coffee cup and then spoke purposefully.

"So ... you said you'd fill me in on what you gleaned from Collins. Did we arrest many?"

Rudy's face darkened and he shook his head.

"Only two ... "

Mike's jaw dropped open and he repeated Olsen's words in an unnerving tone.

"Only TWO?"

"Yeah ... and one of those is critically injured. They weren't going to be taken alive Mike. Collins gave them every opportunity to lay down their weapons and surrender but they wouldn't. Damacov had them all well coached. It was a bloody crime scene. We just have to be grateful we didn't lose any of our own guys in the process. Ah ... Collins said Damacov had you in his sights."

Mike looked away from Olsen's worried stare and stared instead down at his reflection in the cooling coffee in his cup before nodding shamefully.

"That's right. I hadn't even seen him. Steve was bleeding from a cut on his side. I was so engrossed in trying to stop it that I ... I never saw Damacov. Steve asked me to sit him up. His ah ... breathing wasn't too good and when I helped him up, he saw him. My gun was on the ground beside his hand where I'd left it when I found him and Steve picked it up and shot him. I didn't realize it until afterwards but Collins had seen Damacov aim at me as he came through the roof doorway and he fired at the same time. Both bullets hit their mark and saved my life."

"Well thank God they did!" Olsen responded in a grateful tone. "But Bernie's going to have his work cut out for himself down there. Damacov had at least thirty men. Only two Russians left that Warehouse alive. Oh and there's something else you should know ... Collins made a grizzly discovery in the Warehouse."

Mike's interest was piqued and he whipped his head around to stare at his friend and Captain.

"Grizzly discovery ... What? A body?"

"Try plural. Bodies ... He figures at least six or seven. Three in one room and at least four in another in various stages of decomposition. Looks like we found Damacov's dumping ground. We could be solving some missing person's cases in the midst of this investigation, by the looks of it. And ah ... Mike, there's something else you should be aware of."

Mike didn't like Olsen's tone and he swallowed hard as he responded.

"Oh ... What's that?"

"Collins found restraints and a bloodied tissue and other indications that ah ... Steve was kept in one of those rooms while he was there. It would have been pitch dark so I'm sure he wouldn't have seen anything distressing but ... well Collins said the smell in there was fairly overpowering ... and ... and there were rats in there too."

Mike inhaled sharply and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Oh dear God ... Steve HATES rats ... "

"Mike, when he's feeling better of course he ... well he's going to have to talk to Lenny about what he went through. It must have been fairly traumatic and he's going to bear the emotional scars as well as the physical ones. You know that right?"

Mike merely nodded dolefully.

"I'll expect you to help me convince him of the need for Lenny's assistance when the time comes. I ... can count on you with that ... Can't I?"

Mike dry swallowed again and drank another mouthful of coffee before nodding reluctantly.

"Yes, yes you can count on me but ... well he's not going to like it. You know how he feels about talking about things at the best of times. Steve prefers to just try and forget things and put them behind him. Lenny had better tread very carefully. You tell him that, ok?"

"Sure Mike ... Sure ... I will ..."

It was a full three days later before Steve started to finally pick up. His surgery had gone well and the knife had been removed successfully. Thankfully, to Mike's and Olsen's relief the knife itself had not severed any major artery or muscle and wasn't as deep a blade as they had feared initially. There was very little tissue and nerve damage but what there had been had been successfully repaired. The infection on the other hand had taken full hold and had proved difficult to get a handle on. Steve had been gripped with a fever for almost forty eight hours before the strong antibiotics finally seemed to start making a difference and over the last twenty four hours his temperature had finally started to come back down to a more acceptable level. He had three broken ribs on his left side which had been firmly strapped and his stomach had been slightly swollen from the heavy punches he had received.

He had received fifteen stitches to his right side but again the damage had been mostly superficial and he also had three small stitches placed in his split lip and another eight stitches behind his ear, where he now had a thin patch where the hair had been removed. and a crisp white, sterile dressing taped over it. Another complication had been a slight chest infection that had been present on his arrival to San Francisco General, the skimpy, soaked attire and the damp, dusty conditions he had been held in, exacerbating the condition further. So for the last three days Steve had been practically unresponsive. Heavily sedated and on strong pain meds, Steve had barely registered Mike's presence at all. He had mumbled, groaned and tossed feverishly for the first two days as Mike and the nursing staff had tried valiantly to sponge the young man down and keep him as comfortable as possible, and Steve's brief waking moments were filled with wracking coughs and little else. A nebulizer was being used on and off to help Steve breathe and to control the hacking coughs when they refused to let up but as soon as his coughing fits eased he would drift off to sleep again without word or reaction.

It was well into the third evening when Steve showed signs of waking properly. Mike had been practically camped out at his partner's bedside for the last three days which showed by the fine layer of stubble now growing around Mike's chin and the dark circles around his eyes. He looked almost as bad as the young patient in the bed but despite Olsen's numerous pleas for him to go home and clean up and get a good night's sleep, Mike was still refusing to budge until the young man was doing better. Olsen had resorted instead to bringing food in for his Lieutenant so that at least if nothing else he was eating properly. He had tried to keep Mike company as best as he could during the long three day wait but he wasn't as cut out for sleeping in chairs like Mike seemed to be and had gone home several hours before. Mike's watch was coming up to eleven pm when Steve stirred again for the umpteenth time. Mike straightened up in his chair like all the times it had happened before. He waited for the coughing to start as it had all the other times and prepared to reach for the nebulizer mask to assist him if necessary as had been the previous ritual but this time Steve's breathing didn't sound as constricted as before. His hand hovered near the mask just in case as a low moan erupted from Steve's lips and his eyes started to flicker open.

It took several painstaking attempts for Steve to get his eyes fully open, as if his eyelids were suddenly made out of lead but when he did, Mike noticed him staring at the ceiling anxiously. He seemed to be trying to figure out where he was and Mike felt a palpable anxiety coursing through his partner. Reaching out, Mike laid a gentle hand on Steve's arm, which stiffened under his unexpected touch.

"Easy now Buddy boy. You're safe. Everything's ok ..."

The arm beneath his touch relaxed at his words and a very thin smile of relief crossed Steve's face, much to Mike's delight, as the two green eyes drifted closed again briefly as Mike watched Steve's head then turn very slightly to the right before he forced them open again with the same amount of effort required to do so as before. This time as the two eyes opened and caught sight of Mike, Steve's smile widened and Mike was sure he saw increased moisture building within their emerald depths.

"Mi ... ke " was the only word that came out in a low rasp but the tone of relief and gratitude behind the spoken word spoke volumes.

"Hey Buddy boy ... Well it's about time you woke up. I was beginning to become part of the fixtures and fittings around here. I was even starting to talk to myself which was drawing very strange looks from the nursing staff, let me tell you."

That statement drew another grin from Steve as he visibly struggled to keep his eyes open before attempting to find the energy to prolong the very one-sided conversation so far.

"Which ... Hospital ... is this?"

Mike worried at the effort it was taking for Steve to just string a mere few words together and he moved the nurse's call button closer to him just in case he needed to call for medical assistance.

Reaching out with his other hand, leaving the first still resting on Steve's arm, he stroked Steve's clammy forehead gently as he answered and reveled in the simple act of Steve being awake and responsive after so long.

"You're in The General. But you've been very sick Buddy boy. You've had us worried."

Steve frowned at those words and once more tried to get some answers to make sense of the blurry and brief recollections he had about his Hospital stay so far. He remembered seeing Mike but being unable to talk and brief moments of lucidity where he had seen nurses and other medical staff prodding and fixing him and injecting him with things.

"How ... long ... have I ... ?" Steve began but a sudden over powering weariness washed over him and he stopped halfway to close his eyes and take a deep breath, feeling unable to finish his sentence.

"Have you been here? " Mike helped him out. "Oh, just almost three days now ... But you were out of it for most of that time. You had a doozy of a fever. But you're coming out of it now. You're going to be just fine. There's no need to be alarmed."

Steve coughed heavily twice and Mike once more gripped the nebulizer mask in case Steve struggled to control it like all the times before but this time, Steve seemed to manage to stop on his own, however he did see Steve grasp his chest as he did and figured his chest was still very sore and tender. He watched Steve try to lick his parched lips and reaching across he grabbed a small sponge from the bedside locker and dipping it in some cool water, he reached across and pressed the sponge against Steve's lips and grinned as Steve sucked greedily at the welcome moisture.

Removing it moments later, he asked softly.

"Is that better? Do you need another one?"

Steve shook his head carefully, his eyes remaining shut.

"No ... no that's ok. Thanks ..."

Seeing Steve visibly struggling to keep up the conversation and to keep awake, Mike's hand came to rest at the top of Steve's head and remained there comfortingly as he spoke in a softer and more purposefully relaxing tone.

"Don't over do it now Steve. You've been through the wars. You need to rest and get your strength back. There'll be plenty of time for us to talk when you're feeling better and stronger."

Steve remained with his eyes closed, seemingly resting as Mike had suggested but his mind inside was racing as he desperately tried to remember why he was here in the first place. Had he been shot? Why couldn't he remember? He allowed himself a few minutes respite and tried to focus on the parts of his body that hurt. His lip was sore and behind his right ear there was an annoying stinging sensation. His chest felt tight and restricted but ... no ... his left leg was the worst. There was a deep stabbing pain making itself known in the middle of his thigh and ... Stabbing pain ...The knife ...The warehouse!

In one chilling moment, Steve's horrific ordeal at the hands of Damacov and his gang came rushing back through his memories and Mike saw his facial expression change and heard him suck in a deep and angst filled breath.

"STEVE? What's the matter? Are you in pain?"

Steve didn't answer but instead his eyes flew open again and he turned to stare unnervingly at Mike.

"Mike ... the baby? What happened ... to the baby?"

As he stammered out his question he moved his sore leg subconsciously and a hiss of pain left his lips as the movement sent a ripple of discomfort through his leg that robbed him of breath for a second or two.

Seeing what happened, Mike grabbed Steve's shoulders firmly and held him still as he spoke soothingly, watching Steve's face all the while for signs that the nurse was needed.

"Hey, hey! Easy now. No moving that leg. Brigitte is fine Steve. She's down in Pediatrics and she's been reunited with her Mother. She was a little dehydrated when she was brought in at first but other than that there wasn't a thing wrong with her. I saw her myself just this morning and the Doctors are so pleased with her that they're talking of maybe releasing her sometime tomorrow. You did a good job keeping her safe Buddy boy. So relax, ok?"

As Mike watched Steve's pain ease, he also saw the relief that he knew Steve felt at hearing that news but it bothered him that Steve seemed to be remembering his harrowing ordeal and seemed to be troubled by the memories. Sure enough to further confirm Mike's suspicions that he was dwelling on the whole unpleasant affair he heard Steve's next question.

"What about the girl ... Elena? Is she ok Mike?"

Mike smiled reassuringly.

"Yes, she's fine too. She's going to testify against Balashov and Gerry O'Brien is arranging for her to then go into the witness protection programme. She'll get a new name and a new life so that she can start over."

Steve allowed a smile to briefly cross his lips at that news before it faded just as fast and his trembling voice continued but his eyes flickered down to his chest never meeting Mike's.

"She ah ... she really helped me, you know? I mean if she hadn't ... I ... I'm not sure exactly what would have happened to us ..."

Mike's smile faded too at that news and he nodded understandingly.

"Yeah ... Yeah I know she did. And Thank God she did ... I was having trouble finding you Buddy boy ... But ... the main thing is that you're both alright and everything worked out ok, huh?."

Steve finally looked sideways and Mike saw something disturbing in the two anguished green eyes.

"Damacov ... He was going to kill you Mike ... He ... he was aiming at your back ..."

Mike swallowed hard. He had hoped that Steve wouldn't remember that part.

"Yeah, yeah I know that too. But you got him Steve. Don't ask me how from where you were lying and in your condition but you always were an ace marksman, you know that."

Steve half smiled.

"I was so afraid he was going to kill you Mike ... I ... I couldn't let him ... I don't know what I would have done if he ..."

"Hey come on now. I'm here. It worked out. Don't dwell on it. It's over. Now you just have to heal and get back to work. But right NOW, you have to REST. No more questions, ok?"

Steve let out a long drawn out, weary sigh and nodded. Mike was right. He was ok, Mike was ok and Brigitte and Elena were ok and Damacov was dead! He wouldn't be hurting anyone ever again. That was reason enough to relax for now but he couldn't get the thought of that room in the warehouse out of his head. He thought about the darkened, eerie room, the debris covered floor and the rats and he shuddered subconsciously.

Mike spotted the shudder and spoke in a worried tone.

"Are you cold?"

Steve came out of his unpleasant thoughts and looked up blankly at Mike, not having heard what he was asked.

"Sorry ... What?"

"I asked if you were cold? You shivered."

Steve blushed slightly and shook his head.

"No, no I'm fine."

Then as he remembered the overpowering smell in his rat infested prison, he suddenly remembered he hadn't told anyone. Almost moving again unintentionally, but this time catching himself before he could cause himself anymore pain, he spoke urgently instead.

"MIKE! I almost forgot. There was another dead body in the warehouse! It was being kept in the room they held me in. It could be the body from the alley. I couldn't see it but ... but I could smell it. You know that horrible smell of decomposing flesh Mike? The air was thick with it."

He shuddered again as the mere thought of it made him feel sick and he swore the wretched smell was still stuck in his nose as he could almost still smell it. Mike saw the effect that memory had on him and once again tried to stop the young man from dwelling on the more nasty aspects of his captivity.

"Steve, I told you not to dwell on it. You're just going to make yourself feel sick." he cajoled. "Besides ... I already know about the body ..."

That revelation drew Steve's attention again and he looked back towards Mike.

"You do? Did ... did you find it?"

Mike wasn't sure that Steve was up to hearing about the actual number of dead bodies that had been discovered in the warehouse, especially noting the green tinge to his young partner's complexion when even discussing him being held in the same room as one, so he skirted around the subject casually.

"Ah yeah ... Collins' men did."

Steve noted a certain reluctance behind Mike's answer and watched as Mike fingered his collar uncomfortably and recognized the telltale action from their many years as partners.

"Wait a minute ... There's something you're not telling me. What is it? You're holding out on me Mike, I can feel it."

Mike shifted in his seat and cursed Steve's perception.

"Steve, let's just forget about that for now, ok? You should be concentrating on getting better. There'll be plenty of time to discuss the case later on when you're back at work, alright?"

Mike's continued stalling made Steve worry even more.

"No ... No Mike, we'll talk about it now. What else did they FIND?"

Mike scowled and flustered.

"Damn it Steve why did you have to be so pigheaded? I told you to drop it ..."

In that instant Steve got a sinking sensation in his stomach. There were was only one reason that he could think of why Mike would be so reluctant to tell him what they had found and that was if they had found ... more than one body! Steve's eyes widened and he stuttered.

"Oh my God ... They found more than one body didn't they? Mike? Tell me. How many?"

"Steve, look I don't think it's a good idea ..."

"How MANY Mike?" Steve insisted and Mike lifted his head defeated.

"Eight ... at last count. "

"EIGHT?" Steve repeated incredulously before sinking back into the pillow heavily as he drew his right hand through his hair. "All in the room ... me and Brigitte were in?"

Mike quickly countered that idea.

"NO! Not all in that room ... There were ah ... four in your room and four in another. The boys are still searching the rest of the warehouse. They believe there could be more ... many more. Bernie's going to have his work cut out for him trying to identify them all. They were all in various stages of decomposition and the ... well the environment they were in apparently wasn't ideal. But the most recent one seems to have been the one that Damacov shot in the alley just like you thought."

Steve had gone very quiet and that bothered Mike greatly. He allowed the young man a minute or two to come to terms with that latest revelation and then nudged him gently.

"Steve? You ok?"

Steve looked sideways at Mike again and stammered awkwardly.

"What did you mean by the ... environment they were kept in wasn't ideal?"

"STEVE, will you just DROP the subject ... PLEASE?"

But Steve was caught up in his memories and there was no dragging him from them at the minute.

"You were talking about the rats weren't you? They were feeding on the bodies weren't they?"

"Steve for heaven's sake!"

"They were. I heard them ... They were scrambling in that corner ... They ... they climbed on me Mike ..."

Mike was getting exasperated by Steve's stubbornness. He had started to wag his finger in a scolding fashion when Steve's latest sentence floored him. He dropped his finger and dry swallowed.

"They climbed on you?"

Steve wasn't looking at Mike anymore. He was caught in that moment in time and he shuddered as he stared into space and nodded .

"Yeah ... After Dmitriy beat me they ah ... dropped me on the floor ... I was sick and then I felt something on my ankle. There was two of them Mike. They must have smelled the blood from my leg ..."

Mike closed his eyes in sympathy and exhaled loudly and found his hand tightening around Steve's arm in support.

"They didn't ... bite you ... did they?"

Steve finally looked at Mike and shook his head.

"No ... No, I ah ... I kicked out at them and they ran off ..."

"Well thank God for that ..." Mike mumbled under his breath and then decided it was time to end this conversation once and for all as he saw the tortuous look on Steve's face that was NOT helping his recuperation right now.

"Ok, that's enough now. YOU my friend need to rest. You're only torturing yourself dwelling on that stuff. Settle down now and try to go back to sleep, ok?" Mike said firmly, pulling the covers up and tucking them around his partner.

"Aw Mike ... I've been sleeping for three days!"

"Yes I know but your body needs the rest to heal ... Come on, do as I tell you."

Steve scowled but knew Mike in fussing mode was a force to be reckoned with and he wasn't quite up to protesting strongly just yet so he turned his head into the pillow, however the movement pulled at the dressing behind his ear and he winced.

"OW!" Steve yelped, reaching up to gingerly feel the sore spot behind his ear.

"Careful! You have a few stitches back there ..." Mike warned as he grabbed Steve's hand and pulled it gently away from the dressing.

"Stitches?" Steve asked, at first confused, but as the gruesome memory returned, he dry swallowed and then nodded uneasily. "Oh ... yeah ... Did ... did you ... get that message? ...'

Mike knew what message Steve was talking about and spoke shakily.

"Yes ... Elena brought it. I don't mind admitting that it fairly chilled me to the bone when I did ... Did ... Damacov do that? "

Steve nodded.

"Yeah ... For a minute I ah ... I thought he was going to take my ear instead ..."

Mike saw the anguish and tension return in his young partner from the grizzly memory and he squeezed the hand he still held. Suddenly Steve seemed to tense further and he asked in a serious and upsetting tone.

"Wait a minute ... Stitches? Did they shave my head on that side?"

He wrenched his hand from Mike's grip and started probing the dressing anxiously.

Mike couldn't help a small grin at Steve's concerns over his hair. Steve's hair was always his pride and joy and he knew the young man would be horrified by such an action. Trying to stifle a laugh, he spoke reassuringly.

"Will you RELAX? They didn't shave anything ... But ... well you do have a small patch where the hair was taken ..."

Before Mike could reassure Steve that it wasn't that bad, he heard Steve gasp and panic some more.

"A patch? You mean a BALD patch? MIKE!"

Mike watched the horror cross Steve's face and he couldn't hold back the chuckle that escaped.

"STEVE! It's not that bad. Besides ... it's behind your ear. No-one will even know it's there."

"I'LL know it's there! " Steve moaned and as Mike chuckled again, he swatted out at Mike's arm. "MIKE! It's NOT funny ..."

"Ok ... ok ... I know it's not. I'm sorry. Look it's really not that bad, ok? "

Steve frowned and rubbed at his head again in annoyance but then realized that Mike was right. It could have been a lot worse. He looked at Mike and for the first time he saw the stubble covering his chin and how rough his partner looked. Knowing that the older man had probably lived in the Hospital since he had been admitted, he felt slightly guilty. He didn't know exactly what time it was but a quick glance across at the window showed him that it was still very dark outside.

"Hey Mike. Why don't you go home and get some sleep? Knowing you, you probably haven't left this Hospital recently, have you? You look pretty rough. "

Mike grinned and rubbed at his stubbled chin before ruffling the top of Steve's hair playfully.

"Hey, watch it! You don't exactly look too great yourself, you know?"

Steve grinned back and then spoke again firmly.

"I mean it Mike. Go HOME! I'll survive without you for a while."

Mike studied Steve to see if he was just saying that or if he truly felt up to being left to fend for himself for a while. Coming to the conclusion from his observations that Steve was truly ok with him leaving, he patted his chin one more time and spoke wearily, stifling a yawn in the process.

"Well ... If you're sure, I ... I guess I could use a shower and a shave and a few hours sleep in my own bed. These chairs are ok but they're really not built for sleeping in ... Are you sure you'll be ok?"

Steve chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I AM a big boy now Mike ..." he added playfully, earning himself a playful swat across his upper arm.

"Wiseguy!"

Steve chuckled but then winced as his various aches and pains began to make themselves known in vivid detail. Seeing Steve wince, Mike halted his ascent from the chair and grabbed Steve's hand.

"What's the matter? You sore?"

Steve merely nodded as the weariness returned along with the aches and pains.

"Just a little ... " Steve lied not wanting Mike to become unbearably fussy again. "Maybe just send the nurse in on your way out though, huh? I think I might need a top up on those painkillers ..."

Mike frowned, suddenly torn about whether he should be going or not. Sensing Mike's hesitation, Steve forced another smile and spoke as casually as the throbbing pain would allow.

"GOODNIGHT Mike!"

Mike scowled and then patted Steve's arm.

"Ok, ok I'm GOING! But I'll send in the nurse and ... well ... I'll be back first thing, ok?"

Shaking his head in frustration, Steve spoke animatedly mostly from the searing pain now trying to rob him of his breath.

"MIKE ... You don't have to come back first thing. I'll be FINE. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, ok? Besides I'll probably sleep for most of that time anyway. Stop worrying will ya? Just promise me you'll get some rest for yourself, ok?"

Mike nodded, touched by the young man's concern.

'Ok, I promise. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. You do what they tell you now and take your meds."

Steve nodded.

"Yes Mom ..."

Another light swat followed and Mike turned to head for the door, but Steve shot out his hand and grabbed Mike's arm.

"Ah Mike ... Thanks for ... coming for me ... I never doubted you would ..."

Mike swallowed hard and patted the hand on his arm.

"I'm only sorry I didn't find you sooner. Maybe you wouldn't have been as hurt as you were."

"I'm OK Mike ..."

Mike nodded and smiled warmly.

" Yes ... Yes I know you are. Get some SLEEP ... And stop worrying about your bald patch!" he added with a smirk and a wink as Steve swatted at his back as he headed away.

Reaching the door he turned briefly and smiled.

"See ya!"

Steve waved a hand in response and watched Mike disappear through the door before sighing heavily and trying to adjust himself into a more comfortable position. The door opened again and a rather cranky looking nurse entered with a tray of medical supplies in hand.

"Ah Mr. Keller ... Nice to see you've rejoined us. Let's get that leg cleaned up and make you more comfortable, shall we?"

Steve's jaw dropped as he heard her words.

"What? You're going to clean it NOW?"

"Yes, but don't worry. It won't take but a moment."

Steve reached out a hand to stop her pulling away the covers and flustered at the thought of the already sore leg being stung with more antiseptic.

"WAIT! ... Couldn't that wait until the morning? It's just that ... it's quite sore at the minute."

"Now, now Mr. Keller. Let's not be difficult. The wound is sore because it needs to be cleaned. The quicker you let me see to it, the sooner you'll be able to get back to sleep ..."

Brushing his hand casually aside, the nurse placed her stone cold hand on Steve's thigh and without further sentiment, started peeling the discolored dressings from the wound. Sucking in a deep steadying breath and looking away towards the empty chair that Mike had recently vacated, Steve began to regret sending the older man home. As the painful wound cleaning began and he stifled back the groans that begged to be released and as the memories of his harrowing ordeal were still coming back thick and fast, Steve knew he was going to have a very long and difficult night ahead.