Sue sat back in the corner of the crowded ambulance, watching them work on Jack. Her eyes were blurred with tears so she couldn't clearly read what their lips were saying, but she could tell by their frantic activity and heavy dread in the air that things were not good! She endlessly prayed in her mind and heart for Jack's deliverance out of this. He couldn't...he couldn't die! She needed him, she wanted to be there for him. She wanted...she wanted to be his soul mate. By looking at the monitors in the truck, Sue could see that Jack's vitals were crazed: his blood pressure was very low, his heart rate was erratic. To Sue, he looked more pale than when he'd first been loaded into here, and the oxygen mask on his face made him look so...so...so hopeless. Mark and the paramedics had stripped his uniform and shirt off. Sue gulped when she saw his bruised and bleeding torso and squeezed her eyes shut in horror.

Mark listened with his stethoscope to Jack's chest, then moved it to his ribcage. "His heart rate's flying. Tell them we need trauma 1 on arrival, mobile x-ray, and an open OR! And keep the pressure on that wound!" In the midst of the chaos, Mark glanced over at Sue. She was leaning against the wall, hugging herself and biting on ceaseless tears. "We'll do everything we can." Mark tried to say reassuringly, making sure his lips were within her eye line. "We'll take care of him." Sue just gulped and nodded. Mark noticed that she was also pale and her gentle face features were pained. "Just sit still, Sue." He said, worrying that she was also going into a grave physical frenzy. "We'll get you some help in a few minutes, okay? Just try to relax as much as you can." Sue bit her lip. She was in pain, and the emotional trauma she was rolling through right now was only adding to her physical suffering.

Mark was very concerned about the two young people under his care inside this ambulance. Jack's life was hanging in the balance, and Mark prayed every minute that he'd survive, though the chances looked grim. The broken ribs, the bullet wound, and most likely a punctured lung. Mark had seen much worse before, and the patients survived, yet there had been other cases where they hadn't. Boy, was he thankful he'd brought the paramedics with them to the scene! If he hadn't, Jack might not have a chance. Jack was a fine young man, and Mark was determined to see him pull through this! And Sue? She looked so much worse than when she'd been in the hospital: more mauled, weak, and in a lot of pain. Well, this time she'd be safer at the hospital, this time no one would get in to hurt her! But Mark was worried about her emotional state even more. She'd been through a great deal, too much, and her body needed time to recover from the abuse, but so did her psychological mind. She'd been badly bashed, then in a coma, kidnapped, who knows how much more physical torture, regaining consciousness only to wake up to another nightmare, and to top that off, she'd been roughly handled and had been forced to watch a horrible scene unfold in front of her.

Mark gently stroked Jack's forehead, then the monitors went whack. "Jack! JACK! Can you hear me?!" Mark shouted loudly, but got no response. He took out his pen light and looked into Jack's eyes. They were dilated and unresponsive. "We need to intubate!" Mark ordered as Jack's pressure and pulse dropped even further.


They arrived at Community General in 3 minutes, and Jack was breathlessly rushed into the emergency room. Jessie was right on hand and met Mark. Sue slowly followed behind and reached the doors as they took Jack to trauma 1. Sue staggered towards the wall. Mark had told her to stay in the ambulance till he could bring a gurney to her, but in her anxiety about Jack, she hadn't listened. Just as quickly as Jack had been rolled into the room, he was rolled out on his way to the operating room. Sue suddenly grew very dizzy and felt her legs grow rapidly weak. Mark noticed her as he came out of the trauma room and quickly rushed over to her as she was about to collapse. He caught her just before she fell and Susan Hilliard appeared. "Susan, I need a hand over here!" Mark ordered and the nurse ran to him. Together, they helped Sue to a chair.

"Oh my...Mark, what happened?" Susan gasped, noticing Sue's appearance that looked so much worse than when she'd been hospitalized.

"Sue? Sue?" Mark tried to get her attention. He held her chin to direct her eyes to face him and read his lips. "Sue, can you see what I'm saying?" Sue nodded. "I want you to stay right here, okay? We'll take care of Jack, I promise. Jessie will be right there with him." Sue nodded again and Mark rose to his feet. "Susan, get her a wheelchair and take to her to minor trauma 2." Susan nodded. "Sue, I'll be right back. We're gonna get you taken care of right away, but I want you to stay there, you understand?" Mark asked, pointing his finger. Sue nodded and Mark went make sure the bed they needed was open.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." Susan said softly and turned to grab a wheelchair. Sue stared straight ahead, scared and terribly dizzy. She hurt all over and was growing confused. Susan was at her side again with a wheelchair. "All right, come on." She said. "Just lean on me." She put her arms around Sue and gingerly helped her to her feet, but before she could get her to sit in the wheelchair, Sue reached a hand to her head, moaning and started to collapse. "Help me!" Susan yelled. "Doctor! Somebody! Give me a hand! This woman needs help!"

Three pairs of strong hands were instantly nearby and caught Sue before she hit the floor. Susan looked up in relief to find Mark, Steve, and Bobby each holding Sue up. "Susan, get a gurney over here now." Mark ordered. A gathering crowd of nurses were forming around them. "Guys, can you bring her?" Mark asked. Bobby and Steve each slipped one of Sue's arms around their necks and together they both lifted her legs off the ground and followed Mark. They set her down gently on the stretcher and Susan followed Mark with it.

Bobby panted, half from excursion, half from worry. He didn't stop sucking in his sharp breaths. Steve noticed and touched his shoulder. "Bobby? You all right, man?" He asked. Bobby closed his eyes and nodded, but still heavily panted. "Come on." Steve said kindly and helped him to the waiting area. Bobby slumped down into the chair with his arms between his legs. He bit his lip hard and shook his head. "Dad will look after Sue. Hey, Jessie will take care of Jack, Bobby." Steve said confidently. "He's as good at his work as Dad is and I trust him with my life!"

"I don't doubt it." Bobby answered feebly. "Look, I appreciate your concern, mate. It's just...Jack's my best friend. The greatest guy I've ever known. And...I'm just...I'm not ready for him to hang up his badge, so soon. Ya know?" Bobby tried to joke. Steve grinned sympathetically and gripped Bobby's shoulder.

"Yeah. I do." Steve nodded, then blew out a long breath. "Well, thank God we got White!"

"Mmm." Bobby grunted quietly and leaned his head back against the wall.


"Where am I?" Sue asked. She'd only been out for a few minutes then had come to and found herself on a hospital bed with Mark and Susan standing next it.

"It's all right, Sue. You're safe now. You're at the hospital. No one's going to hurt you, I promise." Mark said reassuringly. Sue glanced around then looked frightened.

"J-Jack? Where is he?" She asked anxiously, and tried to sit up but Mark and Susan helped her lie back down. They really needn't have bothered, the pain in her body would've stopped her.

"Now just calm down." Susan said. "He's in surgery."

"Will he be all right?" Sue asked, looking into Mark's eyes hopefully.

"They'll take care of him, Sue. Jessie's with him." Mark said, not wanting to give her false hope. "Right now we're gonna concentrate on you. Now I know this is gonna sound like a stupid question," He chuckled, "but, Sue, are you in pain?"

"Yes," Sue nodded emphatically.

"All right. Where? Just tell me."

"All over." Sue moaned.

"Okay, we'll just have a look here." Mark checked Sue over thoroughly. Her face was swollen, she had a lump on the back of her head from when the thugs had dropped her on the floor, Mark could feel cracked ribs as he examined her thorax, her abdomen was badly bruised and sensitive to touch, and her right leg was badly bruised at the shin. Susan administered morphine and Mark sent Sue down to X-ray. When Sue was brought back, she was much more calm. They wrapped an ice pack around her face to get the swelling down, on her leg too. The x-rays arrived and Mark inspected them. "Well, it looks like your leg isn't mangled on the inside, just a very ugly bruise on the surface. You have a little goose egg behind your head, but that will pass. You do, however, have four broken ribs. We're gonna keep you here for a while. You think you're up to that?"

"Sure." Sue slightly smiled. "Where's Lucy and Levi? Is Jack still in surgery?"

"Lucy and Levi are on their way. They'll both be very happy to see you! Yes, Jack's still in the operating room. But the minute I hear anything, the minute he's out, I promise you'll be the first to know!"

"Thank you, Mark." Sue whimpered.

"Now, we're gonna get you into a room."


Amanda appeared with Tara, Lucy, and Levi behind her. They saw Bobby and Steve in the waiting area and approached them. "Any news yet?" Amanda asked. Steve shook his head.

"Nope." Bobby whispered, sadly looking up at Lucy and Tara. Their faces both fell. Levi pattered over to Bobby and set his head in his lap. Bobby smiled and rubbed his ears. "Aw, no need to look so down in the mouth, mate." Bobby tried to say cheerfully. "Sue will be fine, you'll see. And Jack's a tough, young bronco. It'll take more than a bullet and a tussle to keep him down, eh?" Steve could see that Bobby was not at all as confident as he felt, but the Aussie was trying to hold out hope. Levi licked Bobby, making him giggle. "Thanks, mate. I needed that. That makes me feel a whole lot better more than ya know."

"Any word on Sue yet?" Tara asked.

"No." Steve shook his head. "She passed out as we came in and we had to help Dad get her on a stretcher. But he's with her." Lucy's face darkened as tears came into her eyes. She'd been forced to watch those two mugs hurt her friend, and it made her very mad. She scowled and Tara put her arm around her.

"I'm sure you'll hear something soon." Amanda said with a smile. "Come on, Lucy. I want to make sure you're all right."

Steve knew that facade of optimism in the face of adverse circumstances all too well. He knew Bobby was trying to remain strong through his fear about his friend, but it was obvious that he was struggling. "So," Steve clapped his hands together, trying to lighten the agent's mood a little and lift his spirits, "can you tell me how an intelligent guy like Jack earned the nickname 'Sparky'?" He asked sneakily. Bobby glanced up at him and sadly but widely smiled with a chuckle.


"I'm fine." Lucy muttered as she followed the pathologist.

"Oh, they're bringing Lance in. I told them to bring him to my lab."

"Amanda, the snipers took him down." Steve said.

"I know, but it's my job. And I want to be sure of everything."


"Well, aside from some slight dehydration, looks like you're fit as a fiddle, Lucy." Amanda smiled.

"Thanks." Lucy stared down at her feet.

"Hey, I'm really glad you're all right!" Tara interjected. "You don't sound very happy for someone who was just rescued and got good news from a doctor."

"That's because I'd like a chance to use the same hospitality on those two skunks that they did to Sue!" Lucy declared vehemently. "And no law officer in this city is going to let me!"

"Would you like a ride downtown to see them grill him good and crisp?" Amanda asked, snickering.

"I sure would!" Lucy snarled.

"I'm sure Steve would be happy to take you."

"I'd appreciate that very much. But, not till I know how Sue is, and...and Jack." Lucy said more softly now.

"Okay."

"Can I go now?"

"Sure." Amanda nodded. "I have to perform an autopsy on Howard Lance. He went down in a shootout at the funeral home. You're both more than welcome to watch."

"Thanks, but...I think I'll pass." Lucy scrunched up her nose and cringed, gaining some of her wit back. Tara shook her head with a smile and walked out with her friend.

"You want to try to get a bite to eat? I'm sure you must be starving." Tara suggested.

"I sure am!" Lucy agreed. "But, can we wait?"

"Sure." They joined Steve and Bobby in the waiting room.

"Good to see ya back with us, Luce." Bobby said with a smile.

"Same here!" Lucy exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Lucy, I know you've been through a great deal, but..." Steve said hesitantly, "but, as you probably know, you're gonna have to come downtown with me to give a statement."

"I don't think she'll have a problem with that." Tara grinned.

"You bet I won't. You want a statement, Lt.? I'll give you a statement!" Lucy growled. "I'll tell you everything you want to know, if it means that bloody White will be in prison where he belongs!" Steve raised his eyebrows. This was the first time he'd ever seen Lucy Dotson's temper flare up, and, well...he had no doubt she'd make good her threat.

"Anything you can give us will be helpful." He finally said. Tara furrowed her brows and cocked her head at the ceiling.

"Tara?" Bobby prodded.

"I was just thinking." She said casually. "Bloody White. Hmm. Somehow I can't picture those two ever getting together. Sounds like one of our long departed tyrants from the Dark Ages." Steve snickered and shook his head. He was definitely right about one thing: Tara could always produce a good comeback. Just then, Myles and Dimitrius appeared. Myles raised his eyebrows, but Tara bit her lip and shook her head.

"Well, they've brought Lance." Myles sighed.

"I'll tell Amanda." Steve said and rose to his feet, then walked down the hall toward his friend's morgue.

"Lucy, you okay?" Dimitrius asked quietly.

"I'm fine." Lucy rolled her eyes.

"White's still out like a light." Dimitrius added. "Chief Masters dropped us off here because he knew we'd want to find out about Jack."

"Well, we haven't heard anything yet." Bobby shook his head. Just then, Mark appeared. Tara, Lucy, and Bobby rose to their feet. "Doc Sloan. How's Sue?"

"Is she okay?" Tara asked.

"She'll be fine, considering what she's been through." Mark smiled warmly. "She was badly beaten, and it's gonna take some time for her injuries to heal, but all in all, she's gonna be all right."

"Ohh," Tara sighed heavily and hugged Lucy. Everyone was so relieved beyond words. They'd thought they'd lost her, then finding her alive, and now? She was going to fully recover? They were very happy for that. It was almost impossible to believe, but it was true.

"Any news on Jack yet?" Myles asked.

"Not yet. I'm sorry." Mark shook his head. "But Jessie's very competent. Jack's in good hands, believe me."

"We'll take your word for it." Myles sighed, staring at the floor.

"Trust me, I hope he pulls through this almost as badly as you do."

"Can we see Sue?" Dimitrius asked.

"Certainly. I'll take you to her." Mark smiled warmly and they followed him to Sue's room.


"Huh. Now this is odd." Amanda stated, holding up the cover on top of Howard Lance.

"What?" Steve asked as he looked over her shoulder.

"I'd expect to find gunshot wounds on his back, considering that he stumbled backwards out the door," Amanda explained, "but not a direct one to the chest."

"What?" Steve sputtered and took a look for himself.

"Steve, none of you came into contact with Lance when you entered the building, did you?"

"No." Steve replied. "We were all searching for Lucy and Sue. And White. We heard shots on our wires and we heard that the snipers had taken Lance down."

"From the what Cheryl said, the snipers said he came out the door backwards, stumbling, he flinched, and then they opened fire on him. You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That White killed his own partner as he shoved him out for a shield." Steve muttered. "He panicked and decided to get rid of him, figured with all those gunshots no one would know the difference of who did it first. Everyone would assume that he'd just been gunned down in a shootout with the police."

"I'll get you the bullets when I find them." Amanda said.

"Thanks." Steve sighed and walked out.


"Susan?" Mark rose his eyebrows as they reached Sue's room.

"She's settled." Susan replied. "She's gonna be groggy though. We just gave her a sedative. So, don't stay too long, she needs lots of rest." Then she headed down the hall.

Mark approached the hospital bed. Sue was settled comfortably, bandaged, and this time no heart monitors! Sue was staring at the wall when a wet, friendly, cold nose eagerly nudged his head under her hand. She looked down to see…"Levi!" She gasped happily. The ecstatic dog put both paws on the bed and licked her face. "Ohhh, I've missed you too, boy." Sue smiled. "Oh, it's so good to see you again."

"I told you he'd be happy to see you." Mark chuckled as he came closer.

"Oh, hi." Sue smiled. "You know, just a little dose of Levi love can go a long way to making someone smile."

"That he can." Mark agreed. "Oh, excuse me, I believe you have some visitors." He stepped to the foot of the bed as her friends gathered around, the friends she thought she'd never see again and vice versa.

"Hi." Sue slowly smiled.

"Hey, girl." Tara grinned. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmm. I've been much better." Sue grunted. "But you all are sure a welcome sight!"

"Yeah, so are you." Bobby smiled warmly.

"Any word about Jack yet?" Sue asked hopefully then yawned.

"Not yet." Lucy shook her head.

"You gave us quite a scare, Thomas." Myles said.

"Oh, sorry." Sue said slowly.

"It wasn't your fault." Lucy said quickly. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"We got White, Sue." Dimitrius said.

"W-White?" Sue asked in confusion.

"Yeah," Bobby said with furrowed brows when she glanced at him. "You know, the serial killer."

"Oh, yeah. Right." Sue nodded with a yawn. "So, you really got him."

"Sure did." Tara responded. "But enough talk for now. You get some rest, Sue. We won't be far."

"Okay." Sue sighed. They quietly started to shuffle out. Bobby affectionately rubbed her cheek.

"Glad you're gonna be all right." He grinned with that look that only he could give.

"Thanks." Sue smiled fondly at her friend. Then he walked out but Lucy lingered. "Luce, you okay?"

"Sure." Lucy nodded, but her eyes were misty.

"What's wrong?"

"I just...I'm just glad you're safe." Lucy bit her lip. She'd come so close to never seeing her best friend again, and she was angered every time she thought of how she'd had to sit by and watch her get tortured.

"Well, thank you. But...something's bothering you, Luce. What is it?" Sue asked persistently, though she was feeling fatigued.

"It's nothing." Lucy shook her head.

"I don't believe you."

"We'll talk about it later, okay? Right now I want you to get some rest." Lucy smiled her sweet smile that Sue loved so much and Sue returned it. Lucy was afraid to hug her, with the terrible injuries she'd sustained, but she warmly gripped her hand. "You get some sleep. I'll be back. I promise!" Sue nodded and after one more loving look, Lucy left the room.

Sue stared down at Levi, who was staring back up at her and she affectionately rubbed his head. He reveled in the fond caress he'd been craving badly. Then he turned his head as a pair of long legs entered. Sue looked up to see Steve standing there. She slightly smiled. "Hi," she said quietly.

"Hey," Steve smiled. "Just thought I'd drop in. You okay?"

Sue raised her eyebrows. "I'm safe." She said emphatically. "At least, your father says I am."

"You are, Sue." Steve said confidently. "White is in custody, and all your friends are together." Sue glanced longingly at the door when he said that. She was aching to see him come in, but he didn't. Steve noticed her eyes shift and figured he knew who she was looking for. "We're all praying for Jack, okay?" He said kindly. "Jessie will do everything that's needed for him."

Sue tried to stifle a yawn. "I know," she sighed. "And we really appreciate that. I have so many things I want to know, things I need to know..."

"Yeah, well, why don't we save that for after you've gotten some rest and are feeling better, okay?" Steve interjected.

"Okay." Sue nodded. She was feeling more and more drowsy. "Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Th-thank you." She said feebly, signing as she did it. "Thank you for...getting us out of there...and helping Jack. It means a lot to me."

"That's all right." Steve smiled. "That's what friends do. And it's my job."

"Right."

"Well, I'll leave you alone so you can get some sleep."

"Mmm-hmm." Sue nodded. Steve gave one good petting to Levi then waved and departed. Sue waved back and her face grew solemn as another figure came in right after Steve. It was Mark.

"Everything all right?" He asked.

"You mean between..." Sue yawned. "You mean between your son and me? Yes."

"That's good. Look, Sue, I know you're very worried about Jack. But right now the best thing you can do is get some rest." Sue's eyelids drooped and her face grew sad.

"I don't want to. Not till I know how he is." She said dejectedly. Mark patted her shoulder.

"I know." He said sympathetically. "I'll come to you as soon as Jessie reports to me. You really love that boy, don't you?" Though she was in an obvious losing battle against the slumber trying to overtake her, Sue blushed and gazed thoughtfully at the kind elder doctor whom she'd come to respect and love very much.

"Can't hide much from you, can we?' She chuckled.

"Well, remember, I'm only a human being." Mark replied casually. "But in my profession, observance of symptoms are one of the most important things we're trained for. It's a bad habit of mine." Sue smiled but was starting to nod off. "You really need to sleep, honey. And I don't believe God brought you and Jack together just to separate you in the end. No, He has big plans for both of you. But you and Jack are the ones who need to step up to the plate and take initiative." Sue smiled at him again but this time as her eyes faded, she couldn't pry them back open no matter how hard she tried. "That's right. You rest now." Mark sighed with relief. Levi glanced up at him. "It's okay, Levi. She's just sleeping. So shh." Then he left.

"Look, Dad, I need to get to the station soon." Steve stated.

"Yeah." Mark nodded.

"But I want to stay and find out if Jack's gonna make it." Steve said quietly and Mark sighed. "Oh, Amanda noticed that Lance took a point blank gunshot wound to the chest."

"Point blank?" Mark furrowed his brows. "But as far as we know, the snipers shot him down."

"I know. Amanda will show us the bullets as soon as she can retrieve them, and we'll have them analyzed."

"Right." Mark agreed. He and Steve walked to the waiting room where the FBI team had retreated. They all looked up expectantly but Steve shook his head. "Jack's a very strong young man." Mark spoke up, trying to keep a positive outlook. "And I can see that he has a very full life. I'm sure he'd fight to hang on to that." He smiled.

"Dr. Sloan?" Tara asked nervously. "How...how is Jack, really? Do...do you think he'll make it?"

Mark sighed. "Tara, I'm only a human being. He's been severely injured, but I assure you he's getting the best care possible. We won't know anything until Jessie returns from the OR. I wish I could pretend everything's gonna be okay, but until we hear from Jessie, let's just keep hoping."

"No news is good news." Myles said with his hands in his pockets.


Within 45 minutes, Jessie finally came out of the OR and stepped into the waiting room. Everyone anxiously stood and faced him. His scrubs were blood splattered and his mob of blond hair was drenched in sweat. All the observant eyes were closely scrutinizing his appearance and dejected manner, which filled them all with dread. Jessie sadly looked up at them. "Jess?" Mark gently probed.

"He's in the ICU." Jessie exhaled heavily. "We've got him on a ventilator."

"So...Jack's alive?" Bobby asked emphatically.

"Yes, he's stabilized." Jessie answered feebly. "But he's not out of the woods yet. He's very sick right now."

"How sick?" Steve asked.

"How bad is it, Dr. Travis?" Dimitrius added.

Jessie faced them all directly in the eyes. "He's in a coma. He has multiple bruising, and...he's lost a lot of blood. We've got him on IV and antibiotics. Thankfully, the bullet went right through, there was an exit wound, but it did plenty of damage. We had to suture his large intestine. He's got six broken ribs. One of them...one of them punctured his lung." Jessie bit his lip before continuing. "He went flat-line on the table but we brought him back. We had to insert a chest tube and do a tracheotomy. He has a low grade fever. The next forty-eight hours are critical." Tara and Lucy wrapped their arms around each other. Myles stared at the floor as Dimitrius gazed at Bobby, who looked like he felt nauseous. Steve grimaced and hung his head. Mark walked to Jessie and patted his shoulder.

"It's not your fault, Jessie." He said. "You've done everything possible. All we can do now is wait, keep an eye on him, and pray."

Bobby gulped. "C-can we see him?" He asked pleadingly.

"Of course. But it'd be better if you went in two at a time." Jessie answered. Lucy agreed to go with him and they followed Jessie and Mark. Steve stayed back with the rest of the team.

Amanda walked up to them right at that moment, holding an evidence bag and a folder in her hands.

"Steve? I got..." She began but stopped when she saw their long faces. "Jack?" Steve nodded. "Ohhh."

"H-he's in the ICU, Amanda." Steve spoke up. "But, it doesn't look good."

Amanda's shoulders sagged. "I'm so sorry." Then she cleared her throat. "I, uhm...I found the bullets. Several of them were from the snipers' firearms, but the one that killed him wasn't, and I pulled that directly from his lungs."

"So, when our snipers fired..." Steve spoke.

"He was already dead." Amanda finished. "He was killed instantly from the point blank discharge."

"What's going on?" Dimitrius interrupted.

"It appears that White murdered his partner as he shoved him into our line of fire." Steve muttered. "Thanks, Amanda. I'll get these to the police lab." Amanda nodded and walked over to her new friends.

"I'm sorry to hear about Jack." She said softly. "But he couldn't be in a better place than here, with the condition he's in. I'm sure he'll be all right."

"I need to get a hold of Garrett." Dimitrius groaned and walked away, pulling out his cell phone.

"I'm glad that Sue's alive." Tara commented. It was all she could say.

"Amen to that." Amanda agreed.


Jessie quietly opened the door to Jack's room and stepped inside. Bobby found it ironic as he recognized the room: it had been Sue's when she was in here! The room was dimly lit, but Lucy and Bobby were devastated at the sight that lay before them. Jack was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor. The tube resting inside his chest bulged the exterior of his hospital gown, and there was another tube taped to his throat, with a filter sitting in his mouth. He looked so...so artificial! He looked like a corpse and was deathly pale. Lucy shuddered with tears in her eyes and Bobby put his arm around her. She leaned on his shoulder. Bobby was sick at heart and it was etched in every facial feature. At the moment he appeared as lost and shaken as Jack had...only this morning when they'd thought they'd lost Sue! Tears came to his eyes too. He'd never, ever seen Jack like this. Injured, yes; scared and worried, certainly; helpless with unanswered questions, of course; in a hospital bed, on occasion; but...but this? No, never this! Bobby's heart was cracking inside. Jack was the best friend he'd ever had, and to know how close he was on the brink of death...no! Jack was a fighter: he couldn't just die on his friends, on Sue this way! He just couldn't. Jessie gazed at the two friends with sympathy, wishing badly that he could do more for Jack, wishing he could ease their pain and tell them it wasn't as bad as it looked, but there wasn't much else he could do.

"Jess? Look after them, will you?" Mark whispered from the doorway. Jessie nodded. "I have another patient who needs me right now." Jessie waved him off and checked the monitors tracking Jack's vital signs.


Mark slowly walked to Sue's room. He entered quietly, but there was really no need for that, seeing as she couldn't hear him in the first place. He smiled sadly at Levi who was lying on Sue's bed, curled between her legs. The dog looked up and panted happily at him. Mark rubbed his head, then turned his attention on Sue. She was out like a light, but she looked so peaceful, which was what she needed most right now. Mark touched her shoulder but she slept on. "Sue?" He spoke dismally. "I'm not going to wake you because you need your rest, but I promised to let you know as soon as I found out about Jack." Mark sighed heavily. Secretly, he was thankful that she was overpowered by the sedative, it would pain him ten times worse to have to tell her this bad news to her face. She'd already been through a great deal of physical and emotional trauma, and this added burden could significantly threaten to cause further harm to her condition. "Sue, honey...you'll be glad to know that Jack's alive, but...he's very sick right now. He's...deathly sick! But I've seen him and I know he loves you, and I know he's not the kind of man to just up and quit when life gets rough for him. But, he needs you, all of you. We've done all we can, Sue. The rest is up to Jack. But I think you know as well as I do that every breath we breathe is given to us by someone much bigger than ourselves, and He's the only one who can truly help Jack. What do you say we ask Him together?" Mark gripped Sue's arm and bowed his head in silent prayer. When he looked up again, a soft paw touched his hand. Mark glanced down at Levi who gazed at him with understanding that he was unhappy about something. "You get some peace and rest, hon. You're gonna need all the strength you can get. Jack needs a miracle!"


Oh no, Jack! Will he survive? Is he going to recover? How will Sue react when they tell her?