Well, I didn't quite make the weekend once again. Sorry about that! Once again, thanks so much for the wonderful reviews and your continued support! There are no spoilers in this chapter.

"Blair? Blair, can you wake up for me?"

Blair flinched, startled by the hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes blearily and found himself looking up at Doctor Simmons. "Hi!" he mumbled groggily. He tried to focus on the doctor's face, but couldn't seem to control his eyes very well. They crossed briefly and then rolled lazily as he fought to concentrate.

He was distracted from his focus by the muffled snorts of laughter coming from the side of his bed. He automatically turned his head to look.

"Hold still, Blair. You can't move yet." Doctor Simmons sounded stern as he held Blair's head still. "I know you probably aren't wide awake yet, but you need to hold still."

"Sorry." Blair blinked, making a concerted effort to bring himself to a fully alert state. "Guys, that's very funny."

Jim and Simon stepped up beside the bed so Blair could see them without turning his head. "Sorry, Chief. You just looked a little funny there for a minute. We didn't mean to get you in trouble." He was making an obvious effort to control his laughter. "I should have had a video camera."

Simmons shook his head, smiling. "I don't know, Blair. Are you sure you want these guys in here? I could make them leave for you."

Sandburg grinned crookedly. "No, that's okay. They'll behave, won't you guys?"

Once the two visitors had assured the doctor that they would indeed behave, Simmons checked Blair's vitals. "Are you awake enough to listen to an explanation of how things went?"

Blair started to nod, but stopped himself with a smirk. "See, I must be more awake. I remembered this time! I'm tired, but I'm not too sleepy any more. I want to know what happened."

"Okay. Well, we inserted catheters through both legs at the groin, and we attempted to put another in through your arm. You have a bandage there to cover the wound, but it didn't work; so we had to go in through your neck. Once we got the catheters into your heart, we used electrical current through the catheters to stimulate the arrhythmia. What we found was a bit of a surprise. We actually found multiple arrhythmias. We pinpointed the location of the primary short circuited pathway that we needed to ablate, and once we had gotten rid of that, we were able to locate a second one. The first two pathways were fairly easy to get rid of.

"Once we had gotten rid of them, we stimulated your heart again, and we were able to tell that there was a third short circuit we needed to ablate. The only problem was that this one was hiding, and it took quite some time to find. We finally did locate it, though, and we were able to ablate that one also. So the procedure took quite a while longer to do than we had originally thought, and your body has been through quite an exhausting time.

"This is why we decided to keep you overnight. I know you're probably feeling like you want to move around after being still for so long, but I'm afraid we need you to lie still for a while longer. We want you to lie still and flat until we're sure that all three of your incisions have sealed properly. Someone will be in to check them periodically, but you can probably expect to stay the way you are for another four or five hours. After that, you can have a pillow, and we'll take out the Foley so you can get up and move around."

Blair sighed. "Well, you're right. I would like to move around. I'm getting restless. But I'll behave. I so don't want to have any more problems!"

Simmons nodded. "Good. I promise we'll get you moving as soon as we can. Now, you know you still have the Foley and your IV is still connected. We'll also leave the automatic blood pressure cuff on for a while. You may not feel like it, but you're still connected to a heart monitor. You still have the pads and electrodes, but they're hooked up to this box." He lifted a small black box up from the bed. "The signal is broadcast continuously from this box to the monitors at the nurses' station. So they are monitoring you all the time and they'll notice if anything unusual shows up."

"Wow, I'm all wired up, huh?" Blair blinked wearily. "Why am I so tired still? I've slept all day!"

Simmons laughed. "Give yourself a break, Blair. Sleep is the best thing for you right now. Your body has been through quite an ordeal today. We may need to give you a low dosage of one of your heart medications for a little while to keep things stable until your heart heals, but for right now we want to see how it's working, so we want to leave you drug free. Are you hungry?"

Blair thought about it for a moment and then moved to shift to a more comfortable position on the bed. "Yeah, I could eat."

"Please try to remember not to move," Simmons cautioned. "I'll have one of the nurses bring in a tray. Unfortunately, you'll have to eat it lying down. I'm sure your friends can help you with that."

Jim, who had remained silent up until now, jumped into the conversation. "Don't worry, Chief. I'll help you eat your dinner."

Blair closed his eyes; this could be embarrassing. He sighed. "Thanks, Jim. That's great." He relaxed his muscles with effort and concentrated on lying still.

He must have fallen asleep again, listening drowsily to Jim and Simon conversing in hushed tones in the corner of the room. He opened his eyes again when a nurse bustled into the room with a meal tray.

"Okay, Mr. Sandburg. Here's your dinner. Now remember, you can't sit up or even lift your head to eat this. Did you want me to help you with it?"

Jim stepped forward. "That's okay, thank you. I've got it covered."

The nurse nodded, smiling at Blair. "Enjoy your dinner!" She moved on to her next patient, leaving Blair alone with Jim and Simon.

Blair glanced up at his two companions, feeling his cheeks grow warm. "Well, this is awkward." He chuckled self-consciously.

Jim looked at Simon, and then picked up the tray. Simon, picking up on Jim's cue, stood up and headed for the door. "Hey, Sandburg, I'm really glad you're doing well. Hang in there, and do everything the doctors and Jim tell you, and I'm sure you'll be back on your feet in no time. I need to head back to the station now and make sure Henri and Rafe got their paperwork done."

"Hey Simon, thanks so much for staying all day. I really appreciate it." Blair fixed Simon with an earnest look.

Simon grinned. "No problem, kid. You just get well soon." He waved as he left the room.

"Well, it's just you and me." Jim gave Blair a half smile as he peeled the cover off of the tray of food. "Let's see what they gave you. Oh, terrific. Noodles - looks like some kind of stroganoff. That should be fun."

Blair snorted. "Let's just see if I can actually eat it and not wear it."

"I'm highly offended that you don't think I can do a good job with this." Jim faked a hurt look, and Blair laughed, appreciating that Jim was trying to lighten up an uncomfortable moment.

It took a few minutes to get it right, but before long Jim was doing a fairly decent job of feeding his roommate. The first few forkfuls were a little shaky, and Blair discovered it was incredibly difficult to drink while lying flat, even with a straw. The two men were mostly silent during the whole awkward project, and Blair breathed a sigh of relief when he had finished the tray. Jim helped to clean him up and set the tray on the bedside table.

"Well, now it's time for a nap. I'll be here if you need anything, but just go ahead and get some sleep, okay?"

"Yeah, now that I can handle!" Blair relaxed again, closing his eyes in relief. It was definitely time for a nap.

*****

Jim sat silently in his chair and watched his partner sleep. It had been a long day, and he really needed to get some rest, too, but he hated to leave Blair alone while he was so helpless in the hospital. Once he was able to move around, Jim would feel better about leaving. He glanced at his watch and did a double-take. It was now after eight o'clock in the evening, which meant that Jim's stressful day had started almost sixteen hours ago. No wonder he was tired! Unlike Blair, he had been awake and worried for most of that time.

He couldn't wait for the movement restriction to be removed; Blair looked incredibly uncomfortable, even in sleep. Jim was sure that the younger man would feel much more comfortable once he could rest his head on a pillow and stretch his legs. The nurse had been in twice since Blair fell asleep, checking his pulse, blood pressure, temperature and the incision sites, while Jim waited in the hall. Amazingly, Blair had barely even woken, drifting back to sleep almost immediately. Jim wondered if Blair would be able to sleep all night as well, or if he would end up awake during the night after all of the sleeping he had done today.

Jim had been listening to Blair's heart rate for the past couple of hours, and although it stumbled and sped up occasionally, apparently the nurses didn't feel that was a problem. He kept alert though, just in case. His musing was interrupted as Doctor Simmons stepped back into the room, followed by the nurse.

"Hey, Doc. What are you still doing here? I would have thought your day would have been over hours ago!"

Simmons smiled wearily. "After an ablation, I usually like to stick around until my patient is mobile again. Usually, that doesn't take too long, but every once in a while I get a case like Blair's where it turns into a long day. I'm going to check the incisions and see if we can get him up soon. Then I'll head home for the night."

Jim nodded, standing up stiffly, his body uncomfortable after sitting for so long. "I'll just wait in the hall." Suddenly, Blair's heart rate picked up speed, and Jim glanced over at the bed.

*****

Blair woke to voices in the room. It took him a minute to place them, but he finally realized it was Jim and Doctor Simmons. He opened his eyes, curious to see what was going on. Jim was standing beside his bed talking to the doctor. He turned and smiled at Blair as soon as his eyes opened, so he knew his partner had been monitoring his heart rate.

"Hey, Chief! How're you feeling?"

Blair thought for a moment, taking stock of his well being. The incision sites still hurt, a deep bruised feeling, and the rest of him felt stiff and sore. He really, really wanted to move, certain that movement would help the stiffness and ache in his body. He opened his mouth to reply, but both Jim and Doctor Simmons started to chuckle, stopping him. He looked back at his partner, confused.

"If you have to think about it that hard, I don't think I want to know!" Jim explained, still grinning.

"Maybe not, but I do!" Doctor Simmons shooed Jim toward the door. "You were going to wait outside, weren't you? I need a few minutes with my patient."

Jim nodded. "I'm going. Chief, I'm going to get a drink from the cafeteria. I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

Blair started to nod in response, but remembered that he was not supposed to do that. "Yeah, Jim. I'll be here when you get back." He attempted a smile, which disappeared wearily once his partner had left. "So, Doctor Simmons, why are you still here? I thought you would have gone home hours ago!"

Simmons smiled, stepping forward toward Blair's bed. "Oh, I wasn't about to go home without making sure we could get you mobile! How would you like to get up and move around?"

"You have no idea how much I want to do that!" Blair's fervent response prompted another round of chuckling from the doctor, and this time the nurse joined in. "Why is everyone laughing at me?"

Simmons sobered with effort. "Sorry, Blair. Why don't we see how you're doing, and I'll let you sit up to make up for it?"

"Oh, that would be great!" Blair enthused. "You can laugh at me all you want if I can just sit up!"

Still chuckling, Simmons had the nurse check Blair's vitals once again, and then he pulled the covers down and the gown up. Blair turned his eyes toward the ceiling, blushing with embarrassment as the doctor carefully palpated the incisions, making sure the seals were holding. He tried to ignore the dull throb of pain that shot through the incision sites, thinking instead of how good it would feel to sit up.

Finally Simmons stood up straight. "Okay, Blair. Everything is looking good, so I'm going to let you sit up now. I'll have the nurse remove the Foley, because I know you want to get rid of it. That should help make you more comfortable. I want you to sit up for a while and see how that feels. In a half hour or so, if all goes well, we'll get you up on your feet. How does that sound?"

Blair grinned so broadly that his face hurt. "That sounds fantastic! I can't wait to get rid of this stupid catheter, and getting up sounds wonderful."

Simmons grinned back. "Now remember, if you start to feel strange or if you notice any bleeding at any of the incision sites, including your neck, please call for the nurse. They're still monitoring your EKG at the nurses' station, but there are some things they wouldn't notice. So you need to keep them aware of how you feel. I'm going to head home now and get some rest, but I'll be back in the morning to check you again. As long as you have no problems between now and then, you should be able to go home then."

"Thanks again, Doctor Simmons. I really appreciate everything!" Blair turned his attention back to the nurse as Simmons left the room with a wave. He tried to ignore what the nurse was doing when she removed the catheter, but it was uncomfortable enough that he couldn't concentrate on anything else. He heaved a sigh of relief once it was gone. "Thank you so much! I feel better already."

The nurse laughed, producing a pillow which she slipped under Blair's head. He was feeling better by the minute until she moved the head of the bed up to a forty-five degree angle. Then all the blood drained from his head, and he started to feel light-headed.

"Now don't worry if you're feeling light-headed," the nurse soothed. "You've been lying flat for a long time, and it's normal to experience some wooziness while you're getting accustomed to sitting up again. We'll leave you at this angle for a little while and then move you up further. In about a half hour or so, we'll try standing, and see if you can walk over to the chair." She smiled at her patient. "You just stay there and get used to it, and I'll go get your friend. He's probably back from the cafeteria by now."

She bustled from the room, returning in a moment with Jim, who was sipping from a hot cup of coffee. "Hey, Chief. Looking good, buddy!" Ellison sat down in his chair beside the bed. "Before you know it, you'll be walking around!"

Blair sighed in relief as the light-headedness began to dissipate. That had not been fun! He turned his head toward Jim, just because he could, and smiled. "Yeah, I'm feeling better already. Doctor Simmons is going to let me get up and walk around in a half hour, and I got rid of the catheter!"

Jim chuckled at Blair's earnest look. "I'm sure you were glad to get rid of that one! Well, Chief, if you're doing okay now, I think I'm going to head home and go to bed. I'm beat, and you're doing better. Unless you wanted me to stay until they get you up?"

Blair shook his head, enjoying the movement. "No way, man. You've been here long enough. Go home and get some rest. I should be ready to go home in the morning, and I'll see you then, okay?"

Jim nodded, finished his coffee and dumped the cup in the trash can, rising smoothly to his feet. "Okay, Chief. You get some rest tonight and take it easy. I'll be back for you in the morning. "

Once he had left the room, Blair noticed the remote for the wall-mounted television was fastened to the railing beside his bed. He grasped it and turned the television on. At least he would have something to do until he could get up.

*****

Jim called Simon as he headed out to the truck. "It's Ellison, sir. I just wanted to let you know that I'm heading home. They're letting Blair move around now, and Doctor Simmons just left to go home for the night. Unless there are any problems tonight, I should be able to pick him up in the morning and bring him home."

"That's great, Jim." Simon sounded pleased. "You take it easy and take care of your partner tomorrow. For now, go get some sleep!"

Jim got into his truck and started the engine, cradling the phone between his neck and shoulder. "Yes, sir. That's where I'm headed now. I'll talk to you in the morning."

The two men ended the conversation, and Jim headed toward the loft, eagerly anticipating a hot shower and his soft bed.

*****

Blair had sat in his bed at increasing degrees of angle, and after his half hour was up the nurse returned as promised to get him out of bed. It was amazing how good it felt to stretch his legs, although he was stiff and achy from lying still for so long. His legs hurt at the incision site, and he made sure to move carefully, wary of reopening the sealed wounds. It was amazing how tiring it was just to walk to the chair across the room and sit down.

The nurse, not wanting him to overdo it, only let him stay up for a short while, and then it was time for bed. Blair wondered how he would ever sleep tonight after sleeping nearly the entire day away. Strangely, it didn't take him long to nod off.

Unfortunately, it also didn't take him long to wake up to a different nurse checking his pulse. "What time is it?"

The nurse smiled. "Sorry to wake you, but it's time for your vitals check. It's eleven o'clock. Go back to sleep, if you can."

Blair nodded sleepily and forced his eyes closed. It took a little while, but eventually he felt himself drifting off to sleep again . . . only to wake up to the same nurse standing at his bedside checking his blood pressure.

"You still here?" he rasped, confused how he could have fallen asleep so quickly.

The nurse smiled. "Actually, no. I'm back. It's one o'clock in the morning, and it's time for your next check."

Wow, no wonder people claimed they couldn't sleep in the hospital. Every time he fell asleep, they woke him up. It was a good thing he was only in for one night! Three vitals checks later, he was treated to the sight of a much refreshed electrophysiologist accompanying the nurse.

"Good morning, Blair. How did you sleep last night?" Simmons laughed out loud at the expression on Blair's face. "Never mind. I can guess – you woke up every two hours all night long, right?"

"You got that right!" Blair shook his head. "I can't wait to go home and go to sleep!"

Simmons checked all three incision sites for bleeding and swelling while the nurse checked Blair's blood pressure, pulse and temperature. Simmons wrote something down on his chart and handed it to the nurse. The nurse glanced at the chart and headed out of the room.

"Okay, Blair, I think we can go ahead and send you home this morning, but before we do that I want to try a new medication as a temporary measure while your heart is healing. It's called Rythmol, and it's a fairly strong drug. We're going to give you your first dose while you're here so we can monitor you for any side effects. Barring any problems, you should be home in time for lunch."

The nurse returned carrying a small cup, which she handed to Blair with a smile. There was a round white pill in the bottom of the cup. Blair took the pill and drank the water that the doctor handed him. Leaning back against his pillow, he looked up at Simmons expectantly. "Now what?"

Simmons smiled calmly. "Now we wait."

TBC . . .

We should be getting fairly close to the end now, only two or three chapters left. You will notice I said we should be close. This story has taken on a life of its own, and about half of it was unplanned! So we'll see what happens! Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks so much for reading this!