Author's notes: All right, the end in near. Thank all of you that have read or review this story. I've already been thinking about my next one. If you like Flashpoint, check in several days for my story, Broken Like Glass (Spike-entric, but whole team involved).
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He was sitting by a tree with his arms cuffed behind him. Megan and Charlie were almost finished with their first pass when they saw him. Charlie pulled out the radio and put out the word that Colby had been found.
Megan hurried over to him, Colby's eyes were closed and his lips were moving, but the words were muffled. "Colby, it's alright. It's Megan. We've got you." She ran a hand along his face and was surprised by the heat rising from the young man. "Charlie, tell them to have an ambulance ready."
Pulling out a handcuff key Megan went to the backside of the tree and unlocked the cuffs. The skin around Colby's wrists was chaffed raw and dried blood was crusted on his lower arms. "Help me lay him down Charlie." Megan lowered Colby's arms.
They lowered Colby to the ground and Megan continued her assessment of his injuries. Unbuttoning his shirt she carefully pulled away the blood soaked material, "He's got a nasty looking flesh wound. It looks infected. His leg is bloody also, looks like he's been bitten," Megan's tone was incredulous.
On the ground Colby had been unresponsive when suddenly he began moaning and flailing weakly. Charlie looked imploringly at Megan. "What's wrong with him."
"I don't know. It could be the infection or the change in position is causing him to cramp." Megan leaned over spoke firmly. "Colby, what's wrong? Can you tell me where you are hurting?"
Colby's eyes opened to slits and he voice was a raw, pain filled whisper. "Arms, on fire. Put'em out Dwayne."
"Here Charlie," Megan motioned to Colby's other side, "start massaging gently." She grasped Colby's arm and started lightly kneading the muscles in his arms. "Easy Colby. Easy." She murmured to him.
"Charlie! Megan!" Don's voice carried through the woods.
"I'll get him." Charlie moved from Colby's side and headed in the direction of Don's voice.
Minutes later Don, David and Nick had joined Megan and Charlie around Colby's prone form. David had water and he was giving it to Colby in small sips. It was evident that Colby, while conscious, wasn't fully aware of his surroundings.
"He was talking to Dwayne Carter earlier." Megan told Don. "How much longer until the rescue crew gets here?"
"They are probably 20 minutes out at least. We called them as soon as we heard from you." He looked over at his younger brother and had noticed that Charlie had moved further away from the group. Walking over to him, Don spoke quietly. "What's wrong Chuck?"
"What's wrong? Look at him Don. He's suffering from dehydration, a bullet wound and some kind of bite wound. If I hadn't had everyone looking in the wrong spot, perhaps we would have found him faster."
"Charlie, math isn't infallible. You gave us what park to look in, you gave us the general area and given the limited information you had to work with I think you've done a good job." Don motioned back to Colby. "Human nature can't always be expressed in numbers and equations. Doug Carter wanted revenge and he made decisions based on emotions, not because they made the most sense. Colby trusts you Charlie and you didn't let him down."
Don's words sunk in and Charlie knew that it was right; he would have to ignore the guilty message bouncing around his brain telling him that he could have done more. "I know you're right Don, but I just feel like I should have done more."
"That's what makes you human Charlie. Come on, let's see if we can do anything to help." Don led his brother back to the group.
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It seemed like forever before the rescue crew arrived. Once there they took over the care of Colby. With in minutes they had him ready and were beginning the task of carrying the rescue litter back to the narrow service road that the ambulance was waiting on. David and Don had insisted on accompanying them and offered to help with carrying Colby if needed.
Several of the rangers that had come along with the rescue crew were now photographing the scene and taking notes. Nick knew it wasn't at the same level of detail that the Las Vegas CSI's would do, but this was an open and shut case.
"Nick," Charlie and Megan, a very attractive FBI agent in Nick's opinion, walked over to the CSI. "Do you need anything else from us? We thought if we headed back now we could get to the hospital."
"If we need anything I can get in touch with your brother." Nick held out his hand to Charlie. "It was sure nice getting to know you Charlie and I'm sorry if I ever doubted your math."
Smiling, the curly haired professor shook the offered hand. "It's alright, Don has been known to be a skeptic too."
"Megan. Thanks for your help out there today."
"Nice meeting you Colby. Thanks to you for helping the guys with everything." Megan shook his hand.
"Be careful walking back. I'll stop by the hospital later and see how Colby's doing." Nick shot them a grateful smile, "I better see if these guys need any help with processing the scene. See you later."
Megan and Charlie made their way back down to where their vehicle was parked. Their conversation was subdued and primarily dealt with speculation on Carter and his now unsuccessful plan to kill Colby.
"Why wouldn't he have just shot Colby and leave the body?" Charlie asked. "I mean, if I wanted someone dead I would have made sure that it was done."
"I'm thinking Carter wanted to give Colby lots of time to think about it. Maybe that's why he only wounded him, so that he could suffer slowly. I'm sure Carter would say he had suffered because of his brother's death and his plan would cause Colby to feel pain."
"He didn't know Colby very well."
"Why do you say that Charlie?" Megan looked at the young man.
"You can beat on Colby all you want, but if you want to really hurt him, you need to hurt his friends."
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They hurried into the emergency room on the heels of those pushing the gurney. Colby's temperature had continued to climb and at one point he had become combative. Fortunately he had been strapped down but he had strained against the hold of the restraints. Now the fight had gone out of him, but he was still rambling about Dwayne Carter.
The doors to a treatment room were opened and a nurse approached David and Don. "And where do you two think you're going?"
"Agent Granger is one of my team." Don felt himself steeling for a battle.
"And you're going to help him because you're a doctor too?" The nurse had her hands on her hips and appeared to be a formidable opponent.
"No, but." Don was cut off
"No." Nurse "Ratchet" wasn't' going to budge. "So you two will sit in the waiting area until the doctor is done." She turned and disappeared into the room.
"I guess we wait." David, while worried about his friend, had to swallow back a smile at seeing the tough as nails Don Eppes being dealt with by the determined nurse.
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It was close to an hour later. Charlie and Megan had arrived and the foursome now sat in the waiting area drinking coffee. Don had tried to look at the Sports Illustrated that mercifully was only two weeks old, but his attention kept going back to the doors leading to Colby.
A short balding man wearing scrubs approached the group. "Are you folks with Colby Granger?"
"Agent Granger. Yes." Don wanted to make sure that this man realized that who Colby was. "How is he?"
"He'll be fine. He is severely dehydrated, so we are working to get fluids and electrolytes back into him. The gunshot wound to his side is infected so we've also got him on antibiotics. There is what appears to be a bite wound on his lower leg. Do you know what caused it?"
"No." Don answered. "He didn't have it when he was abducted."
"Well, unless Agent Granger can tell us we will start rabies shots as well."
"When can we see him?" Megan interjected.
"We're moving him upstairs now and they'll want a little time to get him settled. Why don't you grab a bite to eat and come back in an hour?"
Don shook the doctor's hand and thanked him for tending to their friend. He then turned to the rest of his team, "Come on. I'll buy."
"Colby's going to be sorry to miss this event." David quipped at the group headed towards the hospital cafeteria.
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Colby was lying quietly against the cool sheets. The hands had finally let him alone and he was trying to remember where he was.
"It's the hospital. You didn't think heaven would look like this did you." Dwayne's voice broke the silence.
"Not heaven cause you're here." Colby mumbled.
"Hey. Good to see you too." David's voice replied.
He attempted to open his eyes. David was standing by him; looking down at him. "David." Colby tried to smile, but he felt his eyelids sliding shut.
David turned at looked at the others, smiling. "Gotta love him, sicker than hell and he's cracking jokes."
"I guess I'd be hoping for prettier angels too." Don smiled, relieved that everyone was together again.
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He rubbed his face and could feel the stubble on his face, hadn't he shaved? Opening his eyes he could see balloons and flowers sitting on a table, a TV screen displayed a cooking show and in a chair to the other side was the sleeping form of Megan.
Licking his lips and trying to scare up some moisture in his mouth, he noticed a tray beside his bed with a cup. Reaching out for it he felt shaky. Grabbing a hold, he brought it back and put the straw between his lips. The water was cool and he savored the feel.
"Hey, you're awake again." Megan was yawning and stretching in the chair.
"Again?"
"The last time you opened your eyes you didn't seem to know me."
"Why?"
"The gunshot you have along your side was infected and you've been really out of it."
"How bad?"
"They've got it under control with a hefty dose of antibiotics."
"No. Out of it?"
"Oh, well. You've been talking to people who aren't here."
"Great."
"Doctor said it was common with the infection and the dehydration."
"Doug?" Colby's voice was still rough. He moved the glass to take another drink and Megan reached over to help.
"He was in a car accident and isn't doing very well. He's been in a coma and he has a broken back."
"A waste." Colby's tone conveyed regret.
"Colby, he tried to frame you for murder and then kill you. I don't think you need to feel bad about him."
"Convinced it was my fault about Dwayne." Colby looked over at the bright sun streaming in from the window.
"Yes, because you are the one who forced Dwayne to spy for the Chinese." Megan chided her friend. "We talked about this before Colby and you know that Dwayne made is own decisions."
"I know. Doesn't make it easier." He closed his eyes again and felt Megan stroke his hand.
"No it doesn't."
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He was released from the hospital and Megan was waiting for him; she was going to fly back with him. Before he left he had someone to see.
The fourth floor was a critical care unit. The nurse had shown him back to the room and then had left them alone.
Colby approached the bed. Doug Carter lay amid a variety of tubes and connections. According to the nurse he was no longer in a coma, but he hadn't spoken or appeared to comprehend what was happening.
"Hello Doug." Colby sat in a chair next to the bed. "I wanted to let you know that I forgive you. I know that you feel that I'm responsible for Dwayne's death, but I'm telling you the truth when I say that he was a good friend and there is always going to be a little bit of him with me. If I could go back and make things different, talk him out of spying or hell even go back to Afghanistan and keep him from saving my sorry ass, I would." He looked at the man on the bed. His eyes were still closed and it didn't appear that Colby's words were reaching him. "Anyway. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Colby stood up and without a backwards glance, left the room.
Two eyes opened and the anger reflected in them was unmistakable.
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The room was filled with laughter as men in tuxedos waited patiently for the time to pass.
"Here bro, let me fix that for you again." Matt Sinclair looked at David as he straightened the bow tie. "That's why Claudia should have let you get clip-on's"
"Baby Brother, this is why I have a wife, I know that it's best to let her do her think."
"She's not your wife yet. There's still time for her to come to her senses and head off with me for a quickie wedding in Vegas."
David laughed and looked at his best friend. "Colby, if you had any sense you'd stay the hell out of Vegas. Besides, Claudia has better taste than that."
"Yeah," Don Eppes replied. "I'm more her type."
A door opened and the robed minister entered. "Gentlemen, it's time."
Suddenly the silence was deafening as David looked towards the door. Taking a deep breath he turned to his brother and friends. "Alright. Remember all of you are still single, so if you mess up my wedding, paybacks are going to be hell."
The men all laughed as they walked out of the room.