Chapter 7: Bad news and a glimmer of hope

Kim felt pain at her back. She gave a cry and fell to the floor. Ma-Ti, who was closest to her, knelt down beside her and gasped when he saw the wound in the woman's back.

"Help me…" Kim got out. Her voice was a whisper.

"She has been shot!" the Kayapo exclaimed. "We have to call an ambulance."

Kwame swept his eyes over the hall, hoping to see a phone. Instead, he saw Bleak standing a short distance away with a smoking gun.

"Very observant of you, Eco-Brat." Plunder's lackey grinned and approached Kim.

Wheeler sprang into action. "No, you don't!" Pointing his ring at Bleak's gun, he shouted, "Fire!"

The weapon grew hot in the Aussie's hand. Bleak yelped in pain and dropped it. He growled and reached into one of his pockets.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a voice from the direction of the door. The Planeteers turned to look toward the door. The man who had spoken was sporting a gun of his own at Bleak. The Aussie thought it better to get his feet under him and scram.

"Clash! What are you doing here?" Gi asked. She was glad he had driven Bleak away.

Clash holstered his weapon and walked over to them. "Got a message from Gaia. She told me you guys needed help. It's a good thing I happened to be nearby." He knelt down beside Kim and looked her over. "Looks bad. We better go before it's too late."

"How far is the hospital?" Linka asked.

"Too far," Clash stated. "I know a place that's closer." He lifted Kim onto his arms. "Hold on, miss."

She gasped as a wave of pain went through her. "I'll try…"

They got outside where a Humvee was waiting. The Planeteers got aboard the Geo-Cruiser after Clash had given them the co-ordinates to their destination. Clash handed Kim to the man at the back, climbed in the driver's seat and started the vehicle, speeding off as fast as he dared. It wouldn't do to get pulled over right now. The man who was with Kim tried to stop the bleeding. Her breathing was getting ragged and broken.

"That doesn't sound good," Clash commented. He contacted the compound they were headed for and told that he was bringing a patient. "I know she's not military personnel, but if we don't help her she's going to die, damn it!"

Kim grimaced again. "It hurts…"

"Just hold on," the other man said and turned to Clash. "Did you get permission?"

"Yeah, but she has to be transferred to a hospital after the operation," Clash replied. "Just try to keep her awake."

Finally they arrived at the base. It was a rectangular building with an inner courtyard in the middle. Men with a stretcher between them came outside and waited for the Humvee. As the vehicle stopped in front of the doors Clash and the other man didn't waste any time and got out, lifting Kim out of the car and lowering her onto the stretcher.

The Geo-Cruiser landed. The Planeteers climbed out and followed the others into the base. The five watched as she was taken away to an OR. On the way Kim lost the battle to stay awake and closed her eyes.

"Captain Planet has to be told about this," Ma-Ti stated. The Heart Planeteer knew the superhero wouldn't like the news.

"Why wasn't he there to stop that guy, by the way?" Clash asked.

"He had to recharge," Wheeler told him. "Radiation."

"I see. Who is that woman, by the way?" Clash enquired. "A friend of yours?"

The Planeteers told him the whole story. "Oh, so that's how things are, huh?" Clash commented. Wonders never seized. "Then I understand. He should know what's happened."

The five of them went outside, followed by the soldier. "Let our powers combine!" Kwame initiated. "Earth!"

"Fire!"

"Wind!"

"Water!"

"Heart!"

The five powers met at a mutual point in the sky and took on a humanoid shape. Cap didn't bother with the powers combining stuff. He looked around and discovered that they were not at the cabin like he had expected.

He landed in front of the Planeteers and Clash, acknowledging the presence of the latter with a smile. He did wonder why he was there, though. "Where are we?" he asked.

"At a medical compound," Clash replied.

"A medical…?" A feeling of dread came over him. "What's happened? And where's Kim?"

"Let's go inside and we'll tell you everything," the soldier said, indicating they should follow him with a wave of his hand.

The group went back inside, with a confused superhero in tow. "Alright, tell me what's going on," Cap demanded.

"You better sit down first," Clash told him. He wasn't sure how hard he would take the news. But if his feelings for the woman were as strong as the Planeteers had told him they were, the news would be a shock.

"Fine." The eco-hero sat down on a nearby chair. Looking at their faces, he could tell something was wrong. And that it was something serious. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?"

"It's about Kim," Gi began. "After you left, Bleak showed up and he…"

"He what?" Cap prompted.

There was no easy way to tell something like this so Clash just came right out with it. "He shot her."

The superhero stared at his friends, thinking he surely hadn't heard right. "Did you say he… shot Kim?"

Clash nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"How bad is it?" the eco-hero wanted to know, although he guessed it was quite serious since the woman wasn't there with them.

Clash sighed. "I'll be honest with you. She may not make it."

"What? She may not…?" Cap had blank look on his face.

Clash sat down beside the superhero. "I promise we will do everything we can for her. She's in surgery now." When there was no reaction at all, the man placed a hand on Cap's shoulder. "Did you hear what I just said?"

The superhero's face turned into a proverbial thundercloud. Without a word, he stood up and ran outside.

"That went well," Clash commented.

The Planeteers went to check on Cap, but he was nowhere to be found. There was no precedent so they didn't know what the superhero would do in a situation like this.

"Let's just hope he'll come back, wherever he went," Gi said, hoping their friend wouldn't do anything he would regret later.

"I think I'll ask how they're doing with her," Clash decided. "At least we'll have something to tell him when he comes back." He went to a phone and selected an internal line.

He received news that the bullet had grazed the spine and gone through the right lung and hit a rib and become stuck in the sternum, luckily missing the heart. He was also told that Kim's heart had arrested once already, but that they had been able to get it going again.

Cap had jumped into the air. His thoughts were a jumble, he could hardly see through the tears streaming down his cheeks. His only coherent thought now was to get revenge on Bleak.

"Planet! Stop this!" Gaia shouted in his mind.

"Stay out of this!" Cap shouted back. "Because of Bleak Kim could die! He's going to pay!"

"What would that accomplish?" the spirit of the Earth asked, troubled by his behavior. "Besides, this is not who you are. You wouldn't use violence."

"I'm willing to do an exception this time." Gaia could tell he actually meant what he said. It shocked her.

"NO!" the spirit exclaimed. Cap winced and had to hold his head for a while after that mental shout. But it did the trick and got him out of his rage. "I won't let you do it."

The superhero stopped and hovered in the air, glad the spirit had managed to stop him from doing something he would regret later. He was almost to Plunder's office building. "Maybe I could've stopped this from happening if…"

"You don't know that," Gaia told him reassuringly, knowing what he had been going to say. The spirit was relieved he was back to normal again. "Besides, you could hardly stand at the time."

Cap sighed, having to admit she was right. "Well, thanks for sending Clash to help her."

"It was the only thing I could think of to do." The spirit was glad the man had got there in time. "I hope she'll be alright. I really do."

"What do you care?" Cap asked bitterly. "As I remember it, you didn't approve of me having feelings for her in the first place."

This was still a touchy subject between them. "For that, I am sorry," Gaia said. "I shouldn't have expected you to dismiss your feelings like that. And you know I care about all the people on Earth."

"I care about the Earth and its people, too," he told her. "But Kim is not just anyone. I couldn't bear it if she…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. The idea was unthinkable. "If there possibly is anything I could do to save her life, I'd do it without hesitating." He would go to the ends of the earth for her. For anyone really, but especially for her. It scared the superhero a bit to realize how important the woman had become to him. But to entertain thoughts that went against his convictions…

Gaia had to admire her son's devotion. He loved the woman more than the spirit had realized. "All you can do now is give her your support," she said gently. "Go back. She'll need you to be there."

Cap did want to be there for her. Without giving the building that had been his goal moments before another glance he turned back. He landed in the courtyard and didn't have to go looking for his friends, since they came to him. The girls gave him a hug, seeing that he needed it.

"Glad to have you with us again," Clash said, clapping the eco-hero on the shoulder.

Cap looked embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry I took off like that." He didn't want to tell his friends what he had been planning to do. "Just had to blow off some steam. Any news on Kim?"

"She's in surgery now and I was in touch with the people working on her…" the soldier began.

"Yeah, I thought I heard something to that effect," Cap said. He had heard something despite his shock, just hadn't been sure. "What did they say?"

The man told the superhero what he had been told on the phone. "We just have to hope for the best," Clash finished.

"Oh, I will, believe me," the eco-hero said firmly. "Could Kim's dog be brought here? I assume she's not going home any time soon so…" They had left the dog at the verandah, thinking they would return soon enough. Things had really gone awry.

"Actually, she's going to be transferred to a hospital once she gets out of surgery," Clash told him.

Cap was going to ask why couldn't the woman stay where she was. It was a medical compound after all. "Well, as long as she's going to be taken good care of, anything works for me," the superhero said instead. "Have you been in contact with the hospital yet?"

"No yet, but I'll do that soon," Clash replied.

"Could you ask if these five can be accommodated near the hospital with Buddy?" Cap indicated the Planeteers. That way they didn't have to zigzag between the cabin and the hospital.

The soldier promised to do so. He advised them to go and get the dog now since it was going to take at least two hours before Kim got out from surgery. He left to make the call.

Ma-Ti smiled. "Good idea. That way we can be there for you and save the trips to and from the cabin."

"My thought exactly," the eco-hero said.

They left to go and get Buddy.

Buddy was waiting on the verandah where they had left him. He stood up when he saw Cap and the Geo-Cruiser coming. Cap was the first to touch down. Buddy ran to him, or rather limped what with the injured leg and all. The eco-hero gave the dog a scratch.

The Geo-Cruiser landed and the five got out. Buddy greeted them and then went to Cap again, looked around and at him again questioningly, tilting his head.

Cap sighed and knelt down and stroked the dog's back. "Sorry, boy. She's not with us because she's hurt. By the same creep who left that trap you stepped in." The dog growled and the superhero gave a laugh.

"What did he say?" Wheeler asked.

"He said that if he ever sees Bleak again, he'll sink his teeth in his rear end," Cap said, clearly amused by the idea.

The New Yorker grinned. "Yeah, that'd teach him a lesson."

"Or not," Linka stated. The Aussie would probably just try to get rid of the nuisance.

"Listen, boy," Cap said to the dog. "We came to get you where she's been taken." Buddy gave a 'woof'. Cap patted the dog's head. "I thought so."

They gathered some of the dog's stuff and headed back to the compound.

Clash came to the plane as the five and the dog climbed out. "So this is Buddy?" the soldier asked. "Hello, boy."

Buddy wasn't sure what to do so he decided to growl at the man. "Buddy! Stop that," Cap reprimanded the dog. He realized he should have cautioned the man of the dog's quirk. "He's the one who saved your mistress and brought her here."

Buddy stopped growling and glanced at the superhero, looking as if he was sorry. The dog sniffed at Clash and then wagged his tail. The soldier patted the dog's head a little.

"That's better," Cap said and looked at Clash. "Any news on Kim?"

"I checked on her a while ago," the man replied. "It's going to take at least another hour."

They went inside and Clash told them to sit down and wait. Cap couldn't sit still, pacing the room impatiently and glancing at the corridor occasionally.

The hour felt like a million years to the superhero. But finally, Clash came to tell him that Kim would be out of surgery soon, and would be brought to wait for the helicopter ride after she woke up.

"I've told the nurse she can answer any questions you might have," he told Cap.

"Thank you," the eco-hero said gratefully.

"Oh, and the hospital promised to provide rooms for the Planeteers and Buddy nearby."

"Hear that, guys?" Cap asked. "Now you can bug me every day." He grinned.

"You couldn't keep us away even if you tried, Cap," Wheeler told him.

After about a half an hour the beeping of a heart monitor was heard. Cap contained himself from running and just walked briskly to the approaching bed. The Planeteers followed with Buddy a few steps behind.

The nurse gasped a little when she saw who was coming. Before Cap could say anything, she said, "I know who you are, Captain Planet. It just surprised me to see someone I've only heard about."

It seemed their reputation preceded them wherever they went. "Well, I'd rather be somewhere else right now," the superhero told her. "No offence of course."

The nurse smiled. "None taken, I understand what you mean."

"Hey, honey," Cap greeted her and smiled affectionately, stroking her hair. Kim smiled a little at him. She still seemed a little tired. She had an IV drip attached to the back of her right hand, giving her blood.

"How is she?" the superhero asked the nurse, glancing at the heart monitor. He was no expert, but the woman's heartbeat seemed to be steady.

He and the nurse went to talk a ways to the side. "Her condition is stable but she's not out of the woods yet," she said. "The following days will be decisive. There could be complications."

"What kind of complications?" Cap wanted to be prepared for such things if something came up, although he knew very well there was nothing he could do about them himself.

"Fluid in her lungs or maybe a pneumothorax," the nurse listed.

He hoped either of them would happen. "I heard she's going to be transferred to a hospital. When will that happen?"

"Soon. The helicopter will be here any minute."

"But she's still weak. Can't it wait?"

"I'm sorry, but we simply don't have the equipment if something happens." In that case the hospital was a far better option.

The superhero was informed that the damage the bullet had done had been able to be repaired. It had been tricky but the lung had been mended. The bullet hadn't done any damage to her spine so there was no danger of paralysis. Cap was relieved about the good news and asked if they had gotten the bullet out. In answer, the nurse showed him a plastic bag with a lump of lead in it. Giving the offensive object only a passing glance, he thanked the nurse for all they had done for Kim.

The nurse smiled. "Don't mention it." She placed the bed near the door and left.

Cap turned to Kim. He smiled and took her hand in his. "Just take it easy now." He found a chair and sat down to wait. "Oh, and there's someone here who wants to see you." He looked to the Planeteers and nodded. They let Buddy come to the bed. Kim smiled a little as she saw her dog.

The door was open a little and the sound of a helicopter's rotors was heard. "Your ride's here," Cap said. "You're going to travel the scenic route to the hospital."

When the men had taken her aboard the helicopter and were getting ready to take off again, Kim looked to Cap, who was sitting beside her, holding her hand.

He smiled at her and gave her hand a light squeeze. "Everything's going to be alright."

Clash came to see them off. Cap thanked the man for his help.

"Don't mention it." They shook hands and Clash left.

The helicopter lifted off the ground. The Geo-Cruiser followed.

The trip to the hospital went without any problems. The men took her inside the hospital, followed by a very worried superhero. Because of what had happened to her, Kim was taken to the ICU. If she had any complications, help was nearby. There were no other patients in the room with her.

Kim looked to Cap with weary eyes. He could feel how she squeezed his hand. There seemed to be something frantic about it, as if she was afraid he'd leave her. That'll be the day. "It's alright," the eco-hero said reassuringly. "I'm not going anywhere."

The doctor came to check on her and get her information. "Dawson," Kim said in a whisper. "Kimberly Dawson."

"Do you have your ID with you?" the doctor asked.

"We didn't exactly have time to stop by at her place before coming here," Cap answered for her.

Once the woman had managed to tell her social security number, her info was found on the hospital computer. The nurse called Kim's parents' first and then her place of work. It turned out Kim's folks were on a trip right now and couldn't be reached. At first, her boss didn't believe what had happened, but eventually he did and asked to tell Kim that she could have as long a sick leave as she needed. He wanted her to get well.

"So like them…" Kim said, closing her eyes for a moment when Cap had passed the information on to her. "Go on a trip and don't take their cell phones with them…" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Cap took her hand in his again. "Don't try to talk, love," he told her gently. "Save your strength for getting better. Have a nap if you can. I'll still be here when you wake up."

Kim smiled a little, grateful for his support and took a ragged breath, grimacing a little. She wasn't sure if she dared to take a nap. "It's so hard to breathe…" She coughed.

The woman's breathing didn't sound that good to the superhero. He decided her lungs should be checked out and pushed the call button. Better be safe than sorry.

"Could you check her lungs?" Cap asked as a nurse arrived. "She said it's hard to breathe."

The nurse went to get a doctor. The same one, who had checked on Kim a while ago. He took a stethoscope and listened to Kim's lungs and heart with it.

What happened next was a jumble in Cap's head. When he later tried to remember what had happened, he could only remember a bustle of people around Kim's bed and the shrieking of the heart monitor.

He was asked to move aside. The superhero realized he would only be in the way and wandered outside and sat on a bench. The Planeteers, who had been waiting outside, asked what was wrong.

"Kim's had complications," Cap replied.

Soon a doctor came to find him. The eco-hero looked up as the doctor sat down next to him. "Is she alright?"

"We managed to get her heart stabilized and the fluid out of her lungs. It's a miracle she's even alive after being shot in the back like that."

Cap was sure Kim would be dead now if Bleak had really wanted to kill her but didn't say this aloud.

"It's too soon to tell if she'll recover, though," the doctor continued. "It's a touch and go situation. The sooner she wakes up, the better her chances are."

"Wakes up?" the superhero echoed. "Did she fall into a coma or something?"

"No, but she's unconscious," the doctor said as they went inside. "You can go to her. Just don't be alarmed about the drain she has on her chest. That's just to ensure no more fluid will gather in the lungs."

With a nod, the superhero went straight to Kim's room. In addition to the drain the doctor had told him about, the woman had an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. She had been moved onto her side so that nothing would obstruct her airways. The only indications that she was alive was the beeping of the heart monitor and her chest that was rising and falling in rhythm with her breathing.

Cap sat down beside the bed again. He took her hand in his and put it against his cheek. "Hey, Kim. It's me, Blue." He didn't know why he had used the nickname she had given him, nor if she heard him or not. He knew it was common to talk to people in a coma so why not unconscious people, too. "I can't believe it's been three years since we met. If the kids had found me before you did, we wouldn't have met at all. I'm glad we did. You changed my life. Thanks to you, I know how it feels to love someone."

"Can we come in?" came a voice from the door. Cap looked up to see the Planeteers there, sans Ma-Ti, who had been left with Buddy. They couldn't very well leave him outside unattended, even if he might have stayed put.

The eco-hero smiled. "Sure, come on in. Have you settled in?" He had been so shocked about what had happened to Kim that he had forgotten to ask earlier.

"Didn't get there yet," Wheeler replied. The Planeteers came to stand on the other side of the bed. "How is she?"

"Hanging in there," Cap replied, gazing at Kim and stroking her hair gently. "You know, I just realized how little I know about her. For example that her full first name is Kimberly. I always thought it was just Kim. Well, after she gets better I will get to know her a lot better."

"I know you do not want to hear this, but what if she will not get better?" Kwame asked.

Cap sighed. He didn't want to even consider that. "She has to."

The next thing they knew, the Planeteers were asked to leave and they were reminded of the hospital rules. Only one or two visitors at a time. So it was Gi who stayed with Cap as the others left the room and finally the hospital itself to find the accommodations Clash had arranged for them to settle in for the night.

Later, Cap, who was alone now that Gi also had left for the night, hadn't left Kim's side even for a moment, was feeling stiff from all the sitting down. He wasn't used to sitting still. "I'd hate to leave you even for a minute but I need to stretch my legs. I'll be right back," he said and gave Kim a kiss. The eco-hero left the room and went outside. The sky was clear and the stars were visible.

Cap walked a lap around the hospital. He happened to see a shooting star. Despite not being of the superstitious sort, the superhero made a wish. He was that desperate.

As he returned to Kim's room, there was a nurse with her. "Oh," the nurse said as she saw him. "It is you, Captain Planet. I didn't really believe it when I heard you'd be here with this woman."

Cap smiled a little at the nurse. "Believe it, miss. I'm going to stay with her all the way. Is there any improvement?"

"I'm afraid not. Her blood pressure is quite low but that's normal after the kind of operation she was in."

"Do you have any idea about her recovering?" Cap asked. "Or when she'll wake up?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't," the nurse said apologetically.

When the nurse left, Cap sat down beside the bed again. "I'm back," he said.

Taking her hand in his, the superhero leaned down and kissed her on the cheek lightly. "Remember how happy we were just this morning? Not a care in the world. I made breakfast for you and wanted to bring it to you upstairs but you beat me to it. I didn't mind. Like you said, there's always a next time. But will there be a next time now? I really hope so."

"Planet."

"Yes, Gaia?" Cap replied, becoming alert in the blink of an eye. "Please don't tell me there's an eco-emergency. I wouldn't want to leave her right now."

"Relax," the spirit told him. "That's not why I wanted to talk to you." There was a pause. "You told me earlier you'd do anything to help her, if there was a way. Well, there is."

The superhero frowned. "What can I possibly do?" The only thing he could think of was a trip to the rainforest for some medicinal plant.

Gaia's suggestion was totally unexpected. "You could give her a small dose of your blood."

"What? My blood?" Cap asked in his resolve to help Kim if he possibly could, the idea of giving her his blood felt… strange. There was no telling what it would do to her.

"Look, if she has a turn for the worse, she won't make it," the spirit pointed out, sensing his hesitation. "Is that what you want?"

"Of course not." Cap looked at Kim. He still blamed himself for not being there for her. He did know the real blame lay on Bleak but couldn't help it. Maybe by giving her some of his blood he could make amends. "But it's not as if I can just go and ask for someone to take the blood, can I."

A syringe appeared on the bed. "Use that. But only as a last resort. If it looks like her condition won't improve on its own, mix the dose you take with the blood in the IV bag."

"Do you happen to know how big a dose it's safe to give her?" Cap enquired, taking the syringe.

"Five mil will do," Gaia replied.

Putting the syringe in the drawer of the bedside table, he hoped it wouldn't be needed, Kim recovering on her own. Cap sat back down beside the bed and took the woman's hand in his. "Please come back to me, love."