Does a quick posting make up for a short previous chapter?
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White hot searing, followed by cold bone shaking chills. Ouch. It was only a tiny pin prick but the pain it generated was astounding. Everything hurt to touch and yet he didn't understand why.
Clouds? It was as though clouds were blocking his view. Every thought that began in his mind quickly retreated to a corner and locked itself away so he couldn't access it. Where is that pain in my arm coming from? Don felt a little strange, muddled, more clouded. A coolness steeled through his veins and he thought he heard his father's voice. What is dad doing here? Hang on, where is here?
"saline.."
A bright light swamped his vision and then left, leaving him blinded temporarily. Great, that helps.
He was in no way prepared for the final insult. In one foul move, his entire body floated off the ground. Something tugged at his arm and suddenly he was…what? Moving? He couldn't be sure but he certainly began to feel a little sick in the stomach on top of the muddled pain that was dabbing itself around his body. When can I just sleep?
"…open…just….sir….can you?"
Too many words. Too many conversations. Let me sleep.
Don tried his best to block out the annoying buzzes of conversation around him. Beneath his eyelids red and blue lights danced in time to a song he was humming to himself. Fuzzy though it was, he found it amusing and let himself become lost to the lights and…what was that?...the sound of…my car?. He was sure it was a siren. Maybe Colby is driving?
A warm hand on his cheek snapped him out of his clouded wanderings. It felt familiar. It was nice, comforting, but he could still hear conversation around him so he didn't want anyone to know. How embarrassing.
"Donnie. Please..."
Dad? Wow. Dad's driving my SUV? With the sirens on?
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"He said ten minutes."
"Are you serious? We obeyed the speed limit and still made it here quicker."
"Yeah, well, I guess, we didn't have to worry about broken bones or head wounds. He's still getting medical attention so that's all that matters."
Charlie threw his hands up in frustration, realizing Amita was right. A heavy sigh helped deposit him on an uncomfortable waiting chair and Amita cosied up next to him.
Amita brushed her hand through Charlie's curls enabling him to see a little better. Charlie responded with a smile and moved his hand to her leg in a bid to say thanks.
Together, they sat in silence, the only communication suitable for the situation.
Liz noticed the gestures first, then the faces. Instantly she clocked that they weren't crying, they seemed impatient. Surely that meant good news.
"Liz, David – hey guys." Amita got to her feet as she saw Don's crew enter the waiting room.
Megan went straight for Charlie and planted her hand on his shoulder, "What's the verdict?"
"Paramedics need faster cars." Charlie raised himself from his seat and starting pacing again.
Amita looked across to Megan. "They're still en-route. Maybe 'nother 5."
David surveyed the anxious group and nodded towards Megan. "Think I should fill Colby in. I'll be outside for a tick."
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The cool night air hit David instantly and he was relieved to be outside for a second. He'd seen enough hospitals of late to begin calling the nurses by their first names. Which wasn't so bad actually because there were a couple he wouldn't mind having look him over.
With a snap his phone was opened and the number dialled. "Hey to you too. Yeah, sorry. I forgot about the time difference." He paused while the voice on the other end clearly asked a question. "Yeah, it is. Don just turned up. I don't know details yet but I'll let you know as soon as I know. Maybe SMS unless it's real bad...yeah…sure…you too. Hey. Take care ok buddy."
No sooner had he shut his phone than the ambulance screamed to a halt at the emergency entrance. David could make out the panicked gestures of the medics and Alan slowly disembarking. David swore he could see the worry etched on his face despite the distance. Then he saw Don, wrapped in bandages and tied with tubes. He looked like any other patient, any other case, on the gurney. Of course, he wasn't any other patient or any other case.
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Alan's head nodded and jerked as he almost fell asleep, again.
"You're drooling." Charlie poked his father. It had been hours since Alan had stumbled into the waiting room to join the group. No one was really sure if Don was in surgery, checking himself out or in the morgue. Megan had ascertained that a bus had crashed nearby and several of the patients were in a critical condition. There was little chance of finding out information in a hurry even if any of the hospital staff had been loitering.
"We can call you guys. You don't have to wait." Charlie looked at Megan when he said this.
"Yeah, we can also stay. If that's ok."
"Of course. I don't know. Does it usually take this long?"
"Want to make sure he's getting his money's worth don't we?" Megan smiled, patted Charlie on the shoulder and then walked over to David and Liz. Megan could tell that Liz was desperately trying to distract herself from thinking about Don. "Why don't you fill me in on the Field case."
David got up and motioned towards the exit. They all began to wander outside, Megan nodding at Charlie as they did so to say 'come get us if anything happens'.
The cool air washed over each of the agents and they felt it was a little easier to breathe. "Sorry guys."
"Nah it's ok Megan, I needed some air too." David responded. Liz was staring back at the building with her arms tensed against a railing.
"Nah, I mean sorry I sent you out to do that tonight. How did Sophie take it?"
"Shock mainly." David began before Liz chipped in.
"Said she'd been to visit her mom in some home in Sacramento for the weekend, took an extra day. Apparently she does it once a month. She's the only child left in the family, cancer took a brother and father I think. Anyway the mom is like on her last legs and they reckon she might not need to come next month so this was like the last thing she needed." Finally Liz took a breath and continued staring back towards the hospital.
"Marcus doesn't go with her on these trips?" Megan was asking all the questions but had begun mirroring Liz by looking back at the hospital building.
"No, barely remembers her own daughter apparently, let alone him, so not much point." David noticed they were both looking at the building and paused.
"Right. Still, no calls? She doesn't think that's strange?" Megan spun around to concentrate on the conversation and distract herself from Don. This case helped them all in the distraction department.
"Not sure. She was in shock. It was hard enough to get that out of the woman. I guess. I don't know. I don't know what I'd do if it was my partner, the regrets, the what ifs, even if she had called what would it have done? Only ruin her last days with her mom and Marcus is still dead." Subconsciously David rubbed his hands together, trying not to think about his own what ifs. What if I had offered to help Don on Friday like I considered? Would he be in that hospital right now?
Megan clearly picked up David's thoughts. "Yeah. Classic default to lose yourself in your own re-writing of events, which is just pointless right? Nothing you can do. She got someone with her tonight?"
Liz finally dragged her eyes from the building and joined the conversation. "A neighbour offered. Think she's your typical sticky beak but she really didn't have anyone else."
"You think she'll do something?" Megan sat on the bench next to the railing.
"Not sure, don't think so. She was in shock but not out of her mind. She seemed pretty strong." Liz joined Megan on the bench and looked back towards the hospital building once more.
"Yeah, and so's Don. He'll be fine right?" David smiled down at them both, finally acknowledging the real reason they were outside.
"Hope so." Megan's hand gently patted Liz's knee and earned her a solemn smile from Liz. For the next five minutes they all sat there in silence, staring at the building, thinking.
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When Megan, David and Liz sauntered back inside Alan, Charlie and Amita were no longer in the waiting room.
It was half an hour before Amita came out to find them after David discovered the doctor had come out to speak to the family.
"Hey guys, sorry, didn't have time to come and get you before." Amita apologized.
"That's ok." Megan paused slightly before asking the next question. "What's the situation?"
Amita looked towards Liz, thinking about what she was going to say before continuing. "First up, he's ok. Few broken ribs, scratches y'know. Dehydration, and exhaustion on top of the gunshot wound." Another pause for everyone to take in what she'd just said. "It's only a graze. Looked worse than it was apparently. There was some bruising and swelling. The doctor reckons it was close range, but other than one hell of a headache the damage wasn't done by that."
"Damage?" Liz whispered.
"Yeah, he lost a lot of blood and the dehydration didn't help. He's pretty doped up on painkillers, antibiotics and being pumped full of juice to get him back to speed. They think though he'll make a full recovery."
"Oh my god." David collapsed onto a chair in relief.
"Assuming he didn't inflict the wound himself of course." Amita added and then joined David on the chair in fatigue.
"What do you mean?" Liz stood up straight and stared down at Amita.
"They're saying if it turns out he did this to himself then he'll be in a bit longer. Recovery won't be so…I don't know…guaranteed."
"Standard stuff. I'm sure he'll be fine. Thanks Amita. I assume Charlie and Alan are in with Don now?" Megan asked. Amita nodded and Megan continued. "I guess David, you and I should head home, not much point seeing him if he's out of it. Liz you want to stay?"
Liz stared at her feet and didn't know how to answer. She wanted to stay. She wanted to see Don. But did he want to see her? He certainly seemed to have made it pretty clear over the last week that he didn't, but now the tables were turned.
"Liz?" Megan prodded.
"Sorry, I'll come with you."
"Give our love to the Eppes will ya Amita? See you tomorrow." Megan grabbed her jacket and hurried the others out of the waiting room to give Amita some peace. Something was strange about all this and she needed some time to think about it. Now she could relax about Don being alive, recovering and hopefully being ok, she could concentrate on what was bugging her. How did a man who whose car was found outside San Diego end up shot and walking all the way to Pasadena?