Uncertainty
Part two
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A/N: I'm so sorry this took me forever. The last two weeks weren't exactly brilliant for me. Let's keep it at that and continue this fic? Oh and thank you so much for your support. I loved every single review and I hope you'll continue to enjoy this fic. Thank you. PS: Still unbeta'd. Annoying typos are mine, unfortunately.
Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters. I'd love to, but I don't.
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"What happened?"
Explaining horrible things to family members was always difficult. It didn't get better with time. It wasn't something an FBI agent got used to doing. David knew that would mean giving up a part of his humanity. They were all human, vulnerable even. Being an FBI agent didn't make it any easier.
"We don't know. Don didn't say much, he told me he didn't remember."
David recognized the look on Alan's face.
"Don's going to be okay. We need to trust him. He's going to fight this."
"I know," Alan admitted, "I know." He repeated the words to comfort himself. He couldn't help it, it was the only thing keeping him going.
David looked at his boss's brother. The younger man was sitting down, forehead leaning on his hand palm. Amita was right beside him, her right hand on Charlie's thigh.
"Robin?" David asked Alan.
"We can't reach her."
"I'll try again," Amita offered. She patted Charlie's thigh once more before digging out her cell phone.
"David?" That was Colby. David turned around and faced his colleague. Not only did he hear the urgency in Colby's voice, he could also see it in his eyes.
"I'll be right back," he told Alan.
"What's wrong?"
On a day like this one, he didn't want to be the boss.
"I don't know yet. You'll know as soon as I know." He could give the older man that much.
"Thank you."
Alan was worried out of his mind, but he still had the decency to recognize the effort David and the rest of the team were putting into this.
David followed Colby to a room where Nikki and Liz were still going through some of Don's stuff. What got his attention was the opened envelope and the typed letter on the table.
"I don't want to read it, do I?"
"It's pretty disturbing," Nikki stated matter-of-factly.
David read the letter anyway.
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Don didn't know what brought him back to the land of the living this time. If he could've held expectations while he was unconscious, he wouldn't have expected to return. He woke up confused and alone, but on a soft bed. He remembered waking up a couple of times, but he couldn't recollect seeing his dad or Charlie. He didn't remember saying anything or doing anything, but he knew he'd opened his eyes at one point, or maybe two.
He looked through the glass on his right. A nurse looked up from the computer at the nurse's station and gave him a smile. He couldn't help but wonder if he was supposed to recognize her face. His focus went back to the ceiling when she stopped working and left his line of sight.
Don didn't feel much of anything, his body felt numb but he tried to move anyway. He panicked a little when his limbs didn't move the way he wanted them to. Deep down he knew meds were to blame for their uncooperative behavior, but that didn't change the unnatural feeling, the complete lack of control.
He wanted to let sleep take over, but he managed to stay awake until the doctor entered and told him they'd be taking him into surgery soon. His day couldn't get any better.
His body kept ordering him to doze off and he could no longer ignore its persistent nagging. His dad and brother were the last people on his mind before he finally gave in.
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David guided the Eppes and Amita to a room where they could speak privately. It was Amita who spoke first, subconsciously mirroring Alan's previous words.
"What's wrong?"
They could choose to ignore it, but they all knew something was terribly wrong.
"We found a letter. Don had it on him when we found him."
"Does it tell us who's responsible?" Amita whispered. She wasn't fully aware she'd lowered her voice.
"It doesn't. Maybe you should sit down," David replied.
Alan thought his legs were going to collapse. He moved his hands behind him and searched for the chair he knew was there somewhere. When he found it he resisted his body's natural impulse to fall down.
All three of them let David explain the content of the letter, allowed his words to sink in.
Charlie was the first to respond. "Let me analyze the letter," he offered.
"Charlie, I don't know if that's a –"
"I didn't say it was a good idea. I… need to do this."
Please let me.
"I can help."
Charlie grabbed Amita's hand and squeezed it gratefully.
"Any help is welcome," David admitted.
Charlie threw a quick glance at his dad, who nodded in return. "I'll call as soon as I know more."
A knock on the door interrupted their thoughts and Alan immediately hoped it was the doctor with an update, with good news.
When he saw Robin's face he couldn't be entirely disappointed. It wasn't the good news he was hoping for but he was happy she'd arrived. He wouldn't be waiting alone, they could support each other.
"I'll tell her," Alan said.
"Tell me what? Is Don okay?"
Alan took the lead by grabbing Robin's arm and guiding her to a chair.
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'I'm leaving you a little something to remember me by.'
Charlie didn't decide if those were the words disturbing him the most. He still didn't know if the writer meant scars he'd left on his brother's body, or what scared him even more, something else entirely. At the same time doctors were trying to figure it out. There was something sinister about the letter, something which told him there was more to it than visible on the surface.
'Don't try to find me. You can't.'
He'd do everything in his power to prove this person wrong.
Charlie didn't want to continue reading the letter, but if this was the way he could help his brother, he'd do it even if it hurt him.
Amita was his rock of support. Just her presence helped him look past the obscure words.
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"Don Eppes?"
Robin shot up at the mention of her boyfriend's name. Alan wasn't far behind.
"I'm doctor Meyer, Don's attending physician."
"How is he?" Alan barely gave the man time to introduce himself. He appreciated the man's care for his son, but the need to know specifics overtook rationality.
The doctor smiled reassuringly and nodded. The man understood, he'd dealt with family members plenty of times. He'd been on both sides.
"Don is doing remarkably well. He has quite a recovery ahead of him, but he's doing great all things considered. What worries me the most is the knife wound on the right side of his chest."
Alan's eyes widened at that.
Doctor Meyer nodded, sympathy in his eyes. "I've seen the scar on the left. This wound isn't as deep and won't scar as much."
Robin nodded in reply and waited for him to continue. She could feel Alan grabbing her hand and squeezing it in support. She immediately returned the squeeze.
"We surgically repaired the damage and removed…"
"Removed?" Robin asked.
"This is what agent … Sinclair?" he continued when he got two nods, "what agent Sinclair was worried about. We found a bullet."
Alan didn't bother masking the gasp escaping his lips.
"We managed to remove it safely. The damage is minimal. It seems like someone placed it inside, via the knife wound."
"What else?" Robin pried. Maybe it was the attorney in her surfacing.
"Cracked collarbone, three broken ribs and a mild concussion. Nothing that won't heal with time." Doctor Meyer was an optimist, Alan and Robin had to give the man that at least.
"Can we see him?" Robin almost interrupted him for a second time. She didn't mean to be impolite, but circumstances had a way of making her a little pushy.
The doctor nodded. "Follow me."
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Robin softly pressed her lips against Don's left sleep. She didn't want to move the oxygen mask, but she couldn't resist kissing him. He opened his eyes and she even got a big smile in return.
"Hey you," she said.
"'bin, dad." His voice was barely audible under the mask but they understood every word.
Don felt the warmth of his father's hand. He avoided using the French words déjà-vu. His father wouldn't have deemed it funny. The agent realized he needed his father's touch and presence just as much. He didn't use any words at all. Sometimes silence was just as good, maybe even better.
He jumped a little when he felt Robin's hand on his cheek. Apparently he'd closed his eyes again.
"Sorry," she immediately apologized.
When did he get jumpy like this? "Don't be. Don't wanna sleep yet."
His right shoulder protested when he tried to reach for her hand, another reminder of what had happened. If only he knew what that was exactly.
She stopped his movements and brought her own hand to his instead.
"We were worried." It was the obvious thing to say, but she still needed to say it, express her feelings. The entire way to the hospital she'd been worried sick. Again.
"Sorry. What happened?" he asked the million dollar question.
"We were all hoping you'd remember," Alan informed his son.
The younger Eppes furrowed his brow. "I… don't."
Alan felt sorry for answering Don's question. His son didn't need any of this right now.
"Chuck?"
He could've hugged his son for changing the subject.
"Charlie and Amita are helping David and the rest of your team. They'll find whoever did this. You just concentrate on getting better, Donnie."
"Hmm…"
Alan didn't know how they'd done it, but they'd avoided the letter subject… for now anyway.
"Sleeping like a baby," Alan whispered a few minutes later.
"Not a baby," Don mumbled in reply.
"Almost," Robin whispered back, she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
Alan realized the smile had nothing to do with the situation. His future daughter-in-law was relieved beyond words.
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"Don."
"Mom?"
He couldn't see her, but that was definitely her voice. She was calling his name. She needed him.
"Mom?" he repeated.
"Be careful, Don."
She was gone. Just like that. She didn't need him, he felt like he needed her.
He felt a sudden sharp pain in his belly, like someone had just stabbed him.
"Agent Eppes?"
He couldn't breathe.
"I need you to calm down and breathe."
He felt pressure on his left shoulder. Someone was trying to keep him still.
He opened his eyes as soon as the words registered, they fell on her name tag, Margaret. One hell of a coincidence.
The doctor was standing in his room as well.
He recognized these people, they weren't part of a nightmare he couldn't get out of.
He'd seen the man before, his doctor. He'd seen him before surgery and a few times more after. The doctor had explained his injuries. He'd spoken to his family. Don was sure the man had mentioned his name, but couldn't recall it.
The nurse had been a frequent 'visitor' as well and he'd also seen a second nurse. Things were starting to become a little clearer.
He still couldn't remember what had landed him here, which frustrated him to no end. He caught himself hoping the meds were to blame for that.
"Agent Eppes?"
At least he wasn't having another panic attack.
"Don," he clarified.
She gave him a genuine smile.
"You're going to be fine," the doctor repeated the words he'd missed before, "just keep breathing."
Don wasn't sure if he believed them.
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"We're nowhere."
David looked up at that and found Colby leaning against his desk.
"We're not supposed to find anything," Colby continued.
"Charlie's still working on that letter," David pointed out. Colby wasn't the only one who needed to be reminded of that. He caught himself doubting a possible positive outcome. He didn't want his mind to go there, but he couldn't stop it.
"Speak of the devil."
David got up and met the math professor halfway. "Any luck?"
Charlie eyed him for a moment. He wouldn't call his calculated results luck, but he let it slide. They were all tired and what truly mattered was finding whoever had put his brother in hospital.
"Not yet. I need more time," Charlie admitted, "Amita's helping me out at the moment."
Normally he'd explain how looking for certain patterns would help them solve the case. This time he doubted his skills just like he'd doubted them before. Recent history had a way of happening again.
"I'm going…"
David nodded before Charlie could finish his sentence. The younger man needed to see his brother, know he was still alive. Talk to him if possible.
He wanted this thing to work. "Amita's going to call me as soon as the analysis…"
David grabbed Charlie's shoulder and squeezed it. "I know. Go see Don."
"Thank you," Charlie added. He didn't bother saying more, he went straight for the elevator.
Don's family kept thanking him for the most logical things. It just reminded him he needed to keep going and find these bastards.
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"You can't go in there, sir."
Charlie froze.
"I'm going to need some ID."
An agent in civilian clothing?
"Uh," he mumbled while he managed to dig his ID out of his coat pocket, "here."
The agent took his time to study the picture and information. "You're allowed to go in," he finally said.
Charlie eyed the man suspiciously. No, really? It's only my brother in there. He kept the snappy thoughts to himself and entered his brother's room. No need to waste more time.
Don's bed was raised slightly to help him breathe. The horrific oxygen mask his father had warned him about on the phone seemed to be gone and his brother looked pale, but okay, alive.
Robin was asleep on the left side of the bed, her hand still on Don's thigh.
"Hey buddy," Don greeted him.
"Where's dad?" the younger brother whispered.
"Cafeteria. He wasn't very happy when they kicked him out last night."
"How did Robin take that?"
"A lot better."
Don grew a little distant all of a sudden.
"You okay?"
"I think I'm starting to remember things," he informed his brother.
TBC
Reviews are welcome, as always. I'll try to post the next chapter a little faster (if life lets me).