Author's Note:
Thank you for the reviews, followers and favourites.
Here's the next chapter… Enjoy!
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Lisbon called Cho and asked him to get the team together at the hospital. They met in Jane's room and Lisbon shared the note received from Red John.
"Is it okay to talk in here?" Van Pelt asked. Although Jane looked like he was sleeping, she didn't want them to disturb him.
"Jane knows. I read the note to him. And then I had to top up his morphine to get him to calm down. He's too delirious to be affected now." Lisbon said. She couldn't mask the stress in her voice.
Jane moaned softly distracting the team for a second.
"I'll get the note to forensics. They can check out the flowers as well." Rigsby said.
"How did Red John know about this?" Van Pelt asked.
"Jane's always believed Red John's got someone working for him in the CBI." Lisbon said.
"This confirms it." Rigsby said.
Jane sighed heavily.
"Red John isn't happy about this." Cho commented. "He's going to go after Jane's attacker."
"That's what bugs me. He's creating a physical link between Jane and himself and making it look like they are working together in some way or they're good friends. It's exactly what Agent Darcy accused Jane of in the past." Lisbon said.
"Anyone who knows Jane won't believe that." Van Pelt said. "Jane hates Red John and he will kill him, if he ever finds him."
Jane moaned and rolled his head to the side but didn't wake or say anything. The team moved closer together and kept their voices low.
"Okay, let's get focused." Lisbon said, more for her own benefit then the teams. Today was turning out to be one of the most trying days of her life. "Fill me in on where we are on the case."
"The witnesses are clear. There's nothing linking them to Sasha or Jane." Rigsby said.
"The House Mother at the House of Safety confirmed that Sasha had been staying there for the last 3 months. She was starting to heal from her ordeal at the hands of her stepfather and had even accepted an admin job at a local doctor's rooms. She was not involved with anyone and kept to herself most of the time. She'd miscarried a week after coming to the House." Van Pelt said.
"Anything linking her to Jane?" Lisbon asked.
"Nothing so far. Sasha and Jane have nothing in common." Van Pelt said.
"What about Jane's former clients or cases? Anything pop?"
"Still working through the list, but nothing so far." Rigsby said.
Lisbon thought for a moment, "Could Sasha have been randomly selected, murdered and staged to get to Jane?"
"Yes. Looks that way to me." Cho said.
"Yeah, me too." Lisbon said.
Jane mumbled incoherently, rolled his head on the pillow and looked agitated.
"Get back to the office," Lisbon said. "Run the forensics on the note, flowers and get me something on the tyre tracks from the scene. I'll stay with Jane tonight."
"I'll be by at 7am to take over." Van Pelt said and Lisbon nodded.
Once the team left Jane seemed to settle down. Lisbon sat down in the chair next to his bed.
I'll keep you safe she promised taking his hand into hers again.
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Jane had heard bits and pieces of the team's conversation. But the meds made responding or commenting impossible. He drifted between pleasant nothingness to scenes of murder and mayhem to the image of finding his daughter, covered in blood, in her bed, a red smiley face looking down at her.
It hurt so much seeing his little angel like that and knowing that he had not been there to save her.
I'm so sorry… Charlotte. I am so sorry…
Daddy…
You're back!
You called me…
I miss you so much my Angel.
I miss you too. But I'm okay… and I want you to be okay too.
I am okay…
No… you're not and you won't be until you stop this.
I can't. Red John killed you! I can't let him get away with it.
You must let it go before it kills you.
Charlotte, don't argue with me about this.
Please listen to me, Daddy…
I can't…
Fine…
Charlotte? No … Don't leave…
"Shhh, Jane." Lisbon caressed his head as he moaned loudly and moved his head from side to side on the bed. He was agitated, restless and delirious.
"Everything is okay. Jane listen to me. You are safe." She said.
You are safe…
"Charlotte?" Jane whispered suddenly awake.
"No, Jane." Lisbon's heart broke as she saw the unshed tears in his eyes. "It's me, Lisbon."
"Lisbon?" Jane said, taking a deep breathe, blinking his eyes rapidly. Lisbon could see the myriad of emotions flirting across his face.
"Ah… my Lisbon…"
"How are you feeling?"
"Confused..." Jane said. "Tired…"
"Are you in pain?" Lisbon asked.
Jane thought for a moment, "A bit."
Jane watched as Lisbon reached for the morphine pump.
"No, no, no… Please. I can't think with that stuff." Jane said, stopping her.
"But Jane."
"Please Lisbon. If the pain becomes worse, I'll press the pump myself. I just need to clear my head." Jane said.
"Okay, for a few minutes only."
"Thank you, you're so kind to me." Jane said looking up into her eyes. "You care about me, don't you Lisbon."
"Jane," Lisbon paused. "I care about all my agents."
"I'm not one of your agents, though." Jane smiled. "I'm your consult… consultant."
"Yes," Lisbon smiled. "You're my consultant."
"So you and I could …" Jane said, as a frown marred his forehead.
"Jane?" Lisbon questioned.
"Red John," Jane said. "He sent me … flowers."
Lisbon tensed but replied honestly. "Yes."
"He is not involved in my attack."
"We don't know for sure."
"No he isn't. It's not his style." An image of Charlotte's dead body flashed through his mind and he shuddered, causing pain to ride up his torso.
"Jane the pain's getting worse."
"No. I can… handle it. Help me think through this. I want to know what he is up to. It may help me catch him. I want to end this. I want Charlotte to stop being angry with me." Jane's eyes clouded with tears again.
"Oh Jane." Lisbon leaned forward, placed her hand against his cheek and kissed his other cheek.
"She… Charlotte… she wants me to stop. So I need to end it so that I can stop." Jane continued, tears rolling down his cheeks now.
"Shhh, Jane." Lisbon whispered, holding him close.
"I want to see her smile again. She is my Angel, Lisbon. Please help me."
"Shhh, Jane. I'm here for you. I'll help you. I'll take care of you." Lisbon said as she pressed the pump to administer the next dose of morphine.
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