When they landed, they found the medical transport as promised. No one batted an eye as Toby climbed into the ambulance.
Cabe leaned over to Paige, "Did you see him sleep at all?"
Paige shook her head.
"I didn't think so. Once we are at the hospital we need to make sure he sleeps if have to get the docs to sedate him." Cabe said.
Paige nodded. She couldn't help but think of how she always likened Walter to an android. But really could an android inspire people to care for them so deeply as Toby, Cabe, Happy, Sly, Ralph and even she cared for Walter? She began to think that her efforts to change Walter were misplaced. Teaching him how others expressed emotion was good but forcing him to express his emotions the same was perhaps the wrong idea.
"I'm driving," Cabe said as the rest of them piled into his SUV.
Tim stopped her at the door of the SUV. "I'm going to head home." She was shocked.
"You don't want to come to the hospital?" You put him there, after all. She couldn't help but think.
"I'm tired and I'm not sure anyone wants me there."
Paige thought perhaps he was expecting her to disagree but found that she couldn't.
"Okay. I'll let you know how he's doing, and you can come by later." Paige offered, knowing it was unlikely Tim would ever feel the need to come to the hospital.
She got into the car and found three people staring at her. She sighed. "I don't think Tim and I are going to work out if that's what you want to know."
"That's a relief. I can't look at the jerk without wanting to punch him." Happy said.
Paige called the sitter and asked her to bring Ralph to the hospital and the rest of the short drive was spent in peaceful silence.
When they reached the hospital, they were led to the waiting room where Toby was pacing.
"Doc?" Happy asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Toby jumped at the contact but then wrapped her arms around her.
"Toby, what happened?" Cabe asked.
Toby shook his head. "I don't…. His heart rate had been slowing and his breathing was shallow but then it just stopped. They wanted to do chest compressions, but I said his ribs were already too compromised. They tried to shock him but the force of his chest rising must have caused a tear in the stitching from when they fixed the bullet wound, he just started bleeding. They took him right back to surgery."
"Did they get his heart going again?" Cabe asked.
Toby nodded. He was pale and his hands were shaking.
"Look the only thing you can do for him now is sleep. You're going on 40 hours kid in high stress. You need rest if you are to be any good to anyone including Walter." Cabe said.
Toby nodded and allowed Happy to lead him to a bench. She sat down and pulled Toby next to her and in a rare moment of affection allowed Toby to lay his head in her lap. She sent a glare to anyone who even thought about mentioning what they were seeing but all anyone cared about was that Toby was getting some sleep.
Paige smiled and felt a little regret that Tim didn't come. She could have used a shoulder to cry on. But then she had cried on that shoulder so many times while he knew the reason for her tears was alive.
The time in the waiting room passed just like the plane. Eventually, Ralph joined them and they took turns telling him what had happened.
"O'Brien family?" The doctor emerged from the long hallway.
"That's us," Cabe said indicating the group that was quickly congregating around the doctor.
"He is a strong one. There was a broken rib that shifted and caused some damage to the repairs made in his prior surgery. We were able to stop the bleeding and suture up the gunshot wound again. There are a number of cauterized puncture wounds that we are going to try and encourage to close on their own otherwise we will need to cut out the cauterized tissue to give the skin a fresh wound to adhere to. We are going to do an EKG to make sure the electrocution didn't damage his heart, I don't expect it did, it's more likely to have caused neurological or nerve damage. We won't know how much until he's more awake and we can run tests. There are a few broken bones but most are clean breaks so we don't have concerns about those healing. The leg is a concern that we will have to address soon before it is too late. Other than that, we just need to get fluids and nutrients into him as he is weak, dehydrated, and showing signs of malnourishment. One major concern over the next few days is going to be infection, we don't know what he was stabbed with and if there are any foreign particles in his body, and with so many deep wounds infection is always a problem."
Paige felt sick and wished she had asked Ralph to leave the room while they talked to the doctor.
"But he's going to be okay." Cabe pressed.
The doctor sighed. "We'll know more in the next few days whether or not a full recovery is possible. Right now, his body needs to rest and start healing, once he is more stable and stronger we will be able to do surgery to address some of the other injuries."
"Thank you doctor. Can we sit with him?" Paige asked the question that was on their minds even though Scorpion had barely left Walter's side since he had been rescued.
"Yes. Homeland said he was a government asset and needed his own room. It's small but there is room for all of you. He's just coming out of anesthesia and nurses say he's responding well."
The doctor led them back to Walter's room. Paige felt tears come to her eyes as she saw Walter shine his quirky smile at the nurse. His eyes were still cloudy with pain but they were bright and more open than they had been before.
"Walter!" Ralph ran over to him. For a second Paige forgot Ralph's intelligence and thought he would throw himself into Walter for a hug, but Ralph stopped short and just smiled.
"Hey, Ralph. I missed you. Did you really threaten to make a Paper Mache volcano?" Walter opened his hand for Ralph to take and the boy grabbed it.
Ralph smiled. "Yep, and I still will if you don't get better."
"Hey, don't worry about me. I'll be out of here in no time." Walter replied.
"Dream on Pal. With the number of heart attacks you've given me over the past 48 hours you owe me a nice long hospital stay." Toby said.
"I will stay as long as necessary and no longer," Walter said.
"I'm with Toby kid. You stay as long as Toby says not as long as that big brain of yours says. I thought I had lost both my kids. I can't take losing you again." Cabe said as he placed a hand on Walter's shoulder.
'Fine, but I'm going to need my laptop, and Happy I'll need you to boost the wifi." Walter said.
Toby knew that much of Walter's energy and bravado was for Ralph's benefit because while he was talking a big game his voice was just above a whisper and his breathing was strained.
"Okay everyone, Mr. O'Brien needs to rest and it's time for another dose of pain medication so he might not be very responsive soon." The nurse said.
Walter opened his mouth to protest but Toby shook his head. "You need them so you can sleep. The better you sleep the sooner you get out of here."
"Can I stay?" Cabe asked.
"Of course, but he'll be asleep, and from what I hear all of you could some rest." The nurse said with a smile that clearly meant Team Scorpion was the day's hospital gossip.
When they were finally alone Walter fought sleep to just be able to talk with Cabe again. Hanging in that cell there were a lot of things he wanted to be able to tell Cabe but not the words caught his throat.
"Thanks for coming to get me. Shows how much trouble I get into without my team." Walter said his voice rasping a bit.
"I'll always come for you kid. Especially after seeing what the world is like without you in it."
His eyes were heavy and the merciful reprieve from pain was everything Walter needed to sleep.
"I'm sorry Cabe. I didn't want to and I tried to contact you. Homeland was insistent that their way was the only way and Tim refused to tell you. I guess it was worth it."
Cabe sighed, unsure of how he felt about the whole situation. "Getting that weapon out of the hands of terrorists was good work but it doesn't sit right with me. With how easily Scorpion was able to get you with Corbett's men, I feel like Scorpion could have accomplished the mission without you getting hurt. Must be some bullshit politics behind it."
Walter nodded. He had thought much the same. "Don't hate Homeland for this. You love your job and we still do good with them." Walter said as his eyes slid closed.
"Yeah, get some sleep kid. You're safe now. You're home." Cabe said as he settled into the chair to sleep as well.