A groan startled Sofia out of her sleep. Then she felt him jerk. Jim was waking up. She buzzed for help; he was fighting the tube in his throat.

A nurse appeared in the doorway, realized what was happening and immediately called for a doctor.

"Jim," Sofia struggled to sound calm. "Honey, be still….they had to intubate you to help you breathe. That's what you feel in your throat and mouth. They'll want to take it out now but you need to stay quiet."

Jim's eyes were still swollen but he managed to open them slightly. She saw a little glimpse of blue and recognition as he relaxed a little. The doctor came in and checked Jim. "Jim, we're going to remove the tube. You have a broken jaw, so don't try to talk when we get it out. Your throat will be dry and sore, that will go away. I'm going to count to three and then pull it…ready?"

There was a slight nod from Jim and Sofia could tell he was stealing himself. The doctor counted and then slid the tube up and out. Jim gasped and immediately winced, the pain from his jaw searing him. Checking him again, the doctor seemed satisfied. "We'll have to get that jaw set and wired, but everything looks good for now…"

"Thank you," said Sofia. He left, stopping in the hallway and talking to the nurse.

Jim watched him leave and then looked back at Sofia. He wanted to talk, but the pain in his face told him to be quiet.

She smiled at him, simply happy to see him awake. "You've been out for two days. You took a really bad beating. Some ribs were cracked and one broken so you won't want to laugh for awhile. And your face is a mess; broken jaw, eyes sockets…. You scared me, Jim."

He wanted to hold her, comfort her….and himself. He tried to reach for her, willing his left arm to move but nothing happened. He grimaced in pain as he tried again, still nothing. Sofia saw his grimace and knew something was wrong. "Honey?"

He looked down at his left hand, trying to move his fingers. She realized what he was doing and watched intently for signs of movement. Nothing. Sofia stepped into the hall, catching the doctor just as he was about to walk away. "Doctor Williams, Jim can't move his hand…."

Williams stepped back into the room and walked straight to Jim. He watched Jim's concentration as he tried again to move his left arm. "Jim, can you wiggle your toes?" he asked as he lifted the covers from Jim's feet.

Jim tried to wiggle but nothing was happening. Panic was filling his eyes he began to understand the implications. The doctor first tickled and the poked Jim's foot to see if there was any response. There was none. "Okay Jim, let's try the other side."

As Jim concentrated, the toes on his right foot began to move. The doctor recovered his feet and then walked to his right hand. "And your fingers?" Jim began to move his fingers. It took effort and they were stiff, but they moved.

Doctor Williams moved back around to Jim's left side and held his fingers over Jim's wrist, checking for pulse. "You have a strong pulse in your wrist….that's a good sign, means circulation is good." The doctor stood in thought for a moment before continuing. "Okay Jim, this really isn't unexpected with the kind of head trauma you suffered. Your brain took a beating inside that hard skull of yours; the pressure from the swelling added insult to injury. With any luck at all, things will improve over the next few days. As you are able, we will start physical therapy to help things along. But there is a possibility that the damage is more permanent. PT might still improve the situation but if the brain cells that control those skills are actually dead, then some paralysis would be permanent." He paused, giving them time to digest his explanation. "Don't assume the worst just yet. I believe that we got were able alleviate the pressure quickly enough that little or no permanent damage was done."

"So, a couple of days, you think?" asked Sofia.

"Possibly a little longer. Right now, we need to see about getting the jaw set. But as we move through the next few hours, other signs of trauma may become evident. There were some things we couldn't determine while Jim was unconscious. But again, I expect that any problems we find will be temporary, improving with time and therapy."

Sofia sighed with relief. As she held Jim's good hand, she felt tension drain from him. "Thank you," she said to the doctor. He nodded and left.

Sofia looked down at her husband. His face was still swollen and bruised. It seemed that it was every color but the one that was natural for him. It seemed that as one bruise began to change and improve, another would appear. The nurse had told her that bruising could continue to appear for several days. He had closed his eyes, tears working their way out; his only way to release the fear that had boiled inside of him.

Jim had listened to the doctor, his head swimming. When he couldn't move his arm or his leg, panic had gripped him for all the obvious reasons. No one wanted to be an invalid. But he had a much younger vibrant wife. He lived daily with apprehension, certain that one day she would tell him that she was leaving for a younger man. If he were a cripple, that day was sure to come sooner. He knew she loved him but he could never get over the feeling that she deserved so much more than he had to offer.

He had been living a dream since the day she had come into his office, closed the door, and all but sexually assaulted him. It had scared him beyond belief when she approached his desk and then walked around, her hands going immediately to his face with her lips following. He had just about been shocked out of his shorts by the intensity of her passion. They had not been partnered for a while; he had made sure of that when he did the scheduling. His feelings for her had grown and he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to contain them any longer with them always so close together. He had no idea that she had similar feelings. On that day, their crimes had overlapped and they'd spent the last six hours in close proximity.

As the cases moved along, he had become more and more grouchy, he knew. A battle was raging inside him as he fought to keep his hands off of her, keep the fire in his groin under control. And then suddenly she was there, all over him…in his office. Her hands had worked themselves between the buttons of his shirt, sending him into another zone. Huskily he had suggested that his office was probably not a good place for what was sure to come next.

Her expression had warned him not to take too long. He arrived at her place about five minutes behind her. The night that followed was filled with emotional as well as physical discovery. She had told him that she loved him, had slowly fallen in love with him over the years they had worked together. As she had seen beyond Captain Jim Brass, seen more and more of the man under the façade, she had wanted him more and more. Him in his shirt sleeves all day had driven her wild. It had been a hot day and he had removed his tie and unbuttoned his collar too. She confessed that it had been difficult to concentrate on the case with him in such close proximity.

Life had been a fantasy since then. They were married a few moths later and Jeb had come a year after that. And now this. In his mind, it threatened everything.

Sofia sensed his concern. She leaned over and timidly kissed him, afraid of causing pain. "No matter what Jim, I love you." She wiped the tears from his face and smiled. "You're going to get better, but if…." She couldn't say it. Swallowing she tried again. "I'm not going anywhere. You are my life; you and Jeb."

More tears formed in his eyes as he looked into hers. He saw her love and felt it. Feeling a little selfish he clung to it, needing her. Yeah, she deserved so much more.

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