chapter nine

Everything was running smoothly, in Jablonski's opinion. He was putting the finishing touches on Michael's stitches. The man was going to have to wear padding for a few weeks while the bone fused properly, but somehow he didn't think that was going to be a big deal. Chances were he would be too busy figuring out the neurolink with Kitt for Jablonski to worry about him hurting himself. He had just finished the last suture when Devon called over the intercom.

"Is Michael ready?"

Jablonski almost laughed at the slight tremor in the older man's voice. Briefly, he wondered how much longer Devon thought he could hide his changing relationship with Michael. For all practical purposes, the cat was out of the bag. Arguments with the FBI that included claiming someone else as kin usually got around FLAG pretty quickly. "He's almost done, Mr. Miles." he said reassuringly. "I'm going to take him off the anesthetic slowly. I'll let you know a few minutes before he's about to wake up, and Bonnie can activate Kitt then." It was his turn to hesitate. "How's Kitt coming?"

Devon chuckled. "Kitt is remarkably well. He's still able to talk to Bonnie and the techs, and for the moment he's watching the surgery." Jablonski automatically glanced at the upper east corner of the sterile room. Kitt had gotten his camera after all. "Bonnie was reassuring him you know what you're doing."

Jablonski laughed this time and smiled at the camera. "I'm a trained professional, Kitt. Done stuff like this since I was a young – "

"Dr. Jablonski!"

All the attention in the room suddenly focused on the man on the operating table. A nurse was by his side, one hand on his wrist as she took his pulse. Before she could say anything, the monitor for Michael's oxygen saturation levels began beeping in alarm.

"He's not breathing!"

/---/

Kitt was watching the entire thing. He knew a full thirty seconds before the nurse that something wasn't right. For the moment most of his receptors had been taken off-line for his 'surgery' and he was running on just enough power to use the camera and communicate with Bonnie.

"He's not breathing!"

Alarm swept through him. Of course, he had known it was a possibility. It was always a possibility every time a human went under, so to speak. However, he hadn't considered it happening to Michael. Why should he? The man had survived two gunshot wounds and more losses than any one person should ever have to endure. Why would something so carefully monitored become so dangerous?

The nurses were scrambling about, trying to get Michael breathing again. Kitt watched in horror as Michael's oxygen levels started falling drastically. The EKG monitor began to beep erratically.

He didn't hesitate. Kitt fired up the link, heedless of the machinery still attached to him and the danger it posed to himself, and sent all the power he had through it, reaching for Michael. It was a long shot, but it was the only shot he had.

/---/

Devon was standing as close to the glass window in the observatory as he could, watching in detached horror as Michael's vitals began to plummet. CPR had begun, and someone was charging the defibrillator. Distantly, Devon wondered what that would do to the neurolink, but decided it didn't matter. Michael's life was far more important.

The phone rang, and Devon was quick to answer it. "Yes?"

"Devon, Kitt just activated the link!" Bonnie, panicked and very, very scared. "He's trying to reach Michael. What's going on?!"

For the moment, the Englishman ignored Bonnie. He'd explain later. Now, he pressed the intercom button. "Jablonski! Do not use the defibrillator!"

Jablonski looked up at the window in shock. "Why? It's the only chance he has!"

"Kitt is trying to link with Michael. Use the paddles, and you'll kill Kitt." Despite his shock, his voice sounded so calm and clear. Someone had once told Devon that he had a cool head. He was just very good at faking it. "If we kill Kitt, we'll kill Michael."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Keep doing CPR." Devon instructed. "Let Kitt handle the rest."

/---/

Kitt found Michael's end of the link. It was a little like running into a brick wall, but this time Kitt couldn't punch through it like he could so many others. So he did something he never thought he would do.

He screamed, throwing every bit of energy he had at the link. It had to activate. It had to.

If Michael died –

Sudden pain rippled through him, and he screamed again. And suddenly, so very suddenly, Michael was there. In his processor, with him. Kitt could feel him in a way he never thought possible.

/Breathe!/ Kitt screamed, not knowing if Michael would even hear him. Not knowing if he was speaking aloud or in his own processor. /Please, Michael, breathe! You can't die because of my foolishness./

Power surged through Michael's link. His eyes snapped open and he took a shuddering gasp of air. Jablonski held him down as he coughed, trying to get air back into his collapsed lungs.

/Kitt?/ he gasped, reaching out for the presence he could feel in his mind.

/I'm here. Calm down now, Michael. You're scaring the doctor./

And slowly, oh so slowly, Michael calmed down. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep. The entire time, Kitt never left him.

/---/

Devon and Bonnie watched from the observatory as Michael rested. Every now and again he would mutter something under his breath, but no one paid him any mind. Jablonski and a nurse were there in case something should happen again. Kitt had been moved back into the Trans-Am, but so far was unresponsive. Bonnie figured he'd come back when he was certain Michael wasn't going to just up and die on him.

"What happened?" she murmured.

"Michael had a bad reaction to the anesthetic." Devon said darkly. "We were lucky that the surgery was already done when Michael reacted. Otherwise nothing Jablonski or Kitt could have done would have saved him."

Bonnie nodded. "Kitt forced the link open."

"I know. I wonder how that will affect the link."

"We'll find out." She turned to leave the observatory, but stopped. "Michael said you called him son."

Devon almost flinched. "I did."

Bonnie smiled. "Just so you know, he slipped once around me. He called you dad." She left then, but Devon stayed, to study the sleeping man and wonder just how much relationships were going to change for them all.

A warm feeling passed through him.

Dad. He could get used to that.