Author's Note:
Thank you for the reviews, followers and favourites.
Here's the next chapter… Enjoy!
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Lisbon felt a chill run down her spine as she turned to look at Jane. He was lying prone on the ground, an arrow sticking out of his torso.
"Oh no, Jane!" She shouted and started running towards him.
Cho, Van Pelt and Rigsby followed.
"Oh God, oh God! Jane!" Lisbon cried out as she kneeled beside him, her fingers pressing into his neck. Relief flooded her body as she found his pulse.
"I'll call the paramedics." Cho said, but his back was towards her and Jane, his weapon drawn and his eyed scanned the surroundings. Rigsby and Van Pelt mirrored his actions.
"I'll get the blue and whites to provide backup. We're too exposed out here." Rigsby said.
"Is he …?" Van Pelt asked.
"He's alive." Lisbon said, her eyes moving to the bright red shaft of an arrow sticking out of Jane's upper chest slightly to left, a pool of blood spreading around it against Jane's white shirt.
"Argh…" Jane moaned.
"Oh God, Jane." Lisbon said, placing her hand against his cheek. "Don't move. Please just lie still."
"Mmm … argh … Lisbon…" Jane opened his eyes and starred at her.
"I'm here. Just stay calm."
"What … argh… it hurts…" Jane blinked back confusion before pain clouded his eyes.
"I know." Lisbon said, slipping one hand into his while still caressing his cheek with her other hand.
"Tell me about it." Jane grimaced. "Did you… shoot me…?" he asked lifting his head.
"For God's sake, don't move." Lisbon admonished.
"Oh… OH… OHHH no!" he moaned, his eyes widening. "There's an arr …
"Jane… it's going to be okay."
"Arrow?!"
"The paramedics are on their way. You're going to be okay."
"An ARROW … argh, Lisbon." Jane moaned, dropping his head back.
"Jane, look at me. You need to calm down."
"I'm looking." He murmured, moving his eyes rapidly as he started trembling.
"I'm right here." Lisbon said, tears in her eyes.
"Don't cry, it's just an… an… arrow… argh…" He said before squeezing his eyes shut in pain.
"Oh Jane." Lisbon soothed. "Did you see who did this?"
"I don't know." Jane blinked rapidly. "Do I look like a … bloody deer… or something?"
"A hunting accident?" Van Pelt questioned.
"Unlikely." Cho said.
"Why not…" Jane demanded, as his trembling got worse.
"A hunter would have come to check on his kill." Cho replied.
"Yeah… there's… that." Jane remarked.
"Someone … just … tried to … kill me!" Realization dawned. The atmosphere changed. Jane tensed and started shivering now.
"Jane. It's going to be okay."
"Lisbon," Jane murmured. "Someone tried … to kill … kill … me."
"I won't let anything happen to you." Lisbon said.
"Know… you won't … but I think … I'm going…" he shivered.
"Going?"
"Going… into… shock…" Jane shuddered.
"Jane, look at me." Lisbon insisted, as Jane's complexion became ashen and his skin cold to the touch.
"Love looking … at you… Lisbon … but … so tired." Jane said, shivering uncontrollably.
Just then the sirens of emergency vehicles could be heard.
"Jane, you need to stay awake." Lisbon said. "Please Jane."
"Sorry… so tired…" Jane whispered as he passed out.
"Cho, you're in charge. I'm going with Jane to the hospital. Tear this park apart. I want to know who attacked Jane. Is it linked to Sasha's death or something else?" Lisbon said as the paramedics approached them.
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At the hospital, Jane was rushed into a trauma unit and Lisbon was directed to a waiting room.
She held onto the cross on her necklace and prayed again for Jane to come through this ordeal okay. She dashed away the tears that stained her face just as her phone rang.
"Lisbon."
"Agent Lisbon, how is Patrick Jane?" Director Bertram asked.
"Director, I'm waiting for news from the doctors. The paramedics stabilized the wound and started him on fluids. They didn't speculate about his injury, but the arrow went all the way through. It was protruding out of his back."
"Oh, that's terrible." Bertram shuddered. "But how are you holding up?"
"I'm okay, sir. My teams' working the crime scene and I believe the FBI's been called in to assist."
"That's correct. When one of the CBI's own is attacked we will use all resources available to see justice prevail."
"Sir, I want to stay here until I speak to the doctors. Then I'll join my team…"
"No, Agent Lisbon. Patrick Jane was just viciously attacked and we don't have any idea what we're dealing with. I want you to stay with Patrick until further notice. His life may very well still be in danger."
"Yes, Sir."
"I will call you later for an update."
"Thank you, Sir." Lisbon said as she cut the call.
Oh Jane? Lisbon took her cross between her fingers again and prayed for the golden haired that man who had come to mean so much to her.
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Consciousness returned now as Jane lay in the ER. The pain Jane felt now was horrendous, like nothing he had felt before. He was so cold and it was getting difficult to breathe.
An arrow…
HHHis attacker wanted to make a statement.
Jane watched as the nurses and doctors moved around him. He lay on his side, pillows supporting his back. No one told him how bad it was but he could guess and more importantly, he could feel. He felt his clothes being cut away from his body. Darn it, this was a new suit.
Why attack me like this?
Why in the park?
"Mr. Jane," A nurse's voice broke though the cacophony of sounds around him. "We're going to draw some bloods and take you to radiology. Are you allergic to anything?"
"No… Where's … Lisbon?"
"Agent Lisbon is waiting outside. She's not allowed in here." The nurse said, extending Jane's right arm and tapping a vein on the inside of his elbow.
"She okay… She was … crying."
"She's worried about you I'm sure." The nurse said.
Jane gasped as she slipped a needle into his vein and started filling vials with blood.
"Yeah… I cause her … lots of grief… like this." Jane grimaced as pain sizzled through his chest.
"Surely not." The nurse admonished. "This was not your fault."
"When… when are you going to take this … this… "
"You'll be prepped for surgery soon to remove the arrow."
"Will I be okay?" Jane swallowed.
He hated feeling so afraid. He didn't mind dying, but not until he'd avenged his wife and daughter's deaths. He had to survive long enough to get Red John.
And Lisbon… what about Lisbon… He had to…
"Mr. Jane, you will be just fine. We have the best doctors taking care of you." The nurse said as she filled another vial of blood.
"Hey, not too much now. I'm bleeding out… as it is." Jane said humour the last thing on his mind.
"Oh, definitely, you will be okay. There we go, I'm all done." The nurse said as she withdrew the needle and placed a band aid across the puncture wound.
"Can you tell me when last you ate or drank anything?"
"Tea, this morning."
"That all."
"Ah… muffin… blueberry… Not sure." Jane grimaced, he was so cold, practically naked now and the doctors examining him were none too gentle. The noise all around him was nauseating.
"Okay. Just stay calm and I'll be right back." The nurse said.
"Ah... hurry, please… I feel… I'm gonna …" Jane made the expression of wanting to throw up and the nurse quickly placed a kidney pan below his lips as he heaved.
"Easy Mr. Jane." The nurse said as she supported him after the ordeal.
"Argh!" Jane groaned as intense pain rocked through his body. "Get this stick out of me, argh…"
The activity around him increased and soon he was being wheeled down a corridor, the overhead lights worsening his nausea, his pain, his fear.
"Jane." It was Lisbon. She was walking next to him. His Lisbon was with him. Jane heard the nurse tell her what was going on.
"Teresa…" he groaned.
"I'm here." Lisbon replied, surprised and scared that he called her by her first name. She took his hand into hers.
"Teresa… I'm sorry…"
"No, Jane." she said, gently squeezing his hand. "You have nothing to be sorry about."
Jane squeezed her hand back, the lack of strength in his body clearly evident to her.
"Love you, Teresa." He said, his eyes locked with hers for a second, before he squeezed them shut in abject pain.
"Oh Jane."
Lisbon let the tears roll down her face as Jane was wheeled through heavy double doors away from her.
"Love you, too." She whispered.
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