Chapter Title: The Waiting Game (part 2)

Author:DreamBrother

Disclaimer:Not mine. I didn't know the name Eppes existed before the show.

Author's Note:Let's see how this one turns out, shall we? Chris Cornell is out with his new album so my muse should be active but you never know...

The Waiting Game (part 2)

The surgical waiting room was definitely more spacious and a tiny bit more comfortable than the ER waiting room. In the ER, the severity of the injuries and ailments varied, you could wait without having to worry too deeply that the person you were waiting for in a very unkind chair was in mortal danger. But if your loved one was in surgery, then something was up. To Charlie, the level of comfort of the chairs and the room didn't matter at all. He could have been sitting on a bed of nails for all that he cared. He had lain on a bed of nails once, with a block on concrete on him. The memory of his brother's horrified expression as he walked into Charlie's office to see Larry holding a sledge-hammer over his baby brother still caused a smirk to grace Charlie's face. And with a small amount of satisfaction, he remembered the reaction of Agent Ian Edgerton, who had accompanied Don. Not much probably rattled the experienced agent, so a glow of pride always filled Charlie as he thought of Edgerton's shocked expression as he saw Larry attempt to "perforate" Charlie.

However, Charlie's mind was not on the events of that day. His concerns were related to the present time. His brother was in surgery and the doctors weren't sure if he would live through it. His father had yet to arrive, and he had nothing to do but wait. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, the lure of P vs NP was calling to him, but he angrily pushed it aside. That problem had caused him to avoid his dying mother when she most needed him, had caused Don to resent Charlie for his actions, had even worried his brother deeply when Charlie had resorted to solving the problem instead of dealing with the dangers of his brother's job during the Charm School Boys case. That problem had caused him nothing but trouble and in an irrational moment, he wished with deep sincerity that no-one ever solved the damn thing.

It occurred to Charlie suddenly that every second that passed, every minute, was one granted to him by his brother's actions. The gunman on the street had not aimed at any of the armed FBI agents who stood near Charlie, but at the unarmed mathematician. Charlie harbored no illusions about his ability to survive a bullet to the chest. It was Don who was the strong one in the family, and the only one who could survive his current predicament. Charlie wouldn't have made it to the hospital, that much he knew. Charlie realized that he should be appreciating his new lease on life, his second chance, but at the moment all he felt was anger; anger that his brother do something so completely… idiotic, but at the same time, heroic. Charlie hadn't asked anyone to save him, hadn't asked his brother to jump in front of a bullet that for once, wasn't meant for him. How was Charlie supposed to feel knowing he had lived at the cost of his brother's life? Deep down, Charlie knew that the anger was just a defense mechanism against other emotions that would have broken him. But by being angry, he could remain in control, he could hold himself together. And right now, he needed to be in control of himself. Charlie Eppes was not going to retreat into his mind this time. To an outsider, the only indication of the war raging in the young genius's mind as he sat in the OR waiting room would have been through his body language; the leg constantly in motion, the arms crossed in front, head semi-bowed with a frown on his face.

Oblivious to his surroundings, Charlie didn't immediately notice his father enter the room, David following close behind. It was only when he was shaken out of his reverie by the feel of his father's hand on his shoulder did he automatically jump up, only to be engulfed in his father's arms.

Pulling away but keeping both hands on the sides of his son's shoulders as though physically holding him together, Alan gave his son an appraising look.

"Charlie. Thank God. Are you alright? David filled me in. What have the doctors said?" asked Alan rapidly, his worry and fear telegraphed in his eyes.

Charlie simply stood there and blinked, waiting for his mind to process the new character in the saga being played out, before his mind jumpstarted and he hurried to answer his father's questions, "Dad, I'm fine. It's… Don we need to worry about. He's been taken into surgery. They'll tell us more when they're done,'' Charlie couldn't bring himself to tell his father just what the ER doctor had said, the carefully worded explanation he had received, the guarded prognosis. His father couldn't turn back time and stop what had happened, so why should he have to worry? Nothing either of them could do would help Don in the operating room, and Charlie was determined not to cause anyone anymore pain as a result of his actions. Don had suffered enough for him in any case.

He felt his father giving him the Evil Eye, as Don had once called it, the appraising look they knew well from childhood when either parent was trying to deduce whether he or Don were lying or hiding something. Right now, his father was probably trying to deduce why Charlie was not falling apart or having a stronger reaction to all that had happened, as well as trying to coax him into elaborating on what the doctor had said. Once in a while, he and Don would foil the Evil Eye. Now was one of those times.

"Ok," said Alan, finally letting go of his son's shoulders and making them both sit down. Megan, who had been filling in David in the meantime, came up to them.

"Alan, Charlie, I have to get back to the office, get started into who that gunman was and why he was after you. Don will rip me a new one if he finds out I took so long getting back to work. David's going to stay here with you, make sure nothing else happens, just in case, alright? There's nothing to worry about. Call me once you know more about Don, ok?" Megan smiled assuredly even though confident was the last thing she felt. But she needed to put up a strong front for the Eppes. They would need strength from wherever they could get it, whatever happened. She wished she could stay, but she had a responsibility to fulfill towards Don, to protect his family when he couldn't and the last thing she was going to do was let him down, especially now.

Both Alan and Charlie nodded their understanding and with that, Megan swept out of the room whilst David took a seat near them, ready to move into action at the slightest threat. Charlie idly wondered why he wasn't more worried about his safety, considering one man had already tried to kill him that day and he might have friends who would be willing to finish the job but pushed the thought out of his mind. He had better things to worry about.

After an eternity later, or so it seemed, the doctor from the ER made her way into the room and walked towards them, all 3 standing upon seeing her enter. Looking back, Charlie was surprised to learn that only 3 hours had passed in the waiting room, he could have sworn they waited a lot longer. Time really was relative. All 3 men stood at rapt attention as they waited for the doctor's next few words.

TBC

It's best I not get into medical mumbo jumbo at 4 in the morning, as I might regret it later. And it's not like you guys don't technically know what happens next. Hope there aren't too many typos or mistakes, tried my best to catch them all.

No senses in this one, sorry. Reviews make me happy. You want to make me happy, don't you? (I mean that in the non-kinkiest way possible)

Let me know what you think of chapter 3 of an original Oneshot.