His coffee was cold and he grimaced as it went down.
He got up from the chair in the waiting lounge where he'd been posted since they first brought Joss in. His legs complained at the movement, he'd hardly gotten up except to get two cups of coffee, the last one that was now cold in his hand.
He watched nurses and doctors file into her room.
Officers came to check on her, Tierney, Olson, a few others he didn't recognize and Fusco.
Loud voices, questions asked, not many answers to give since there were no witnesses. There was a manhunt going on for the men, but there were no leads.
It didn't matter what they had or didn't have. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that they would not be of this earth for much longer.
He waited.
While Joss' mother and Taylor came by, he waited. He heard their tears, concerned voices, and he waited.
The doctors continued to monitor her and so far she remained stable. Finch had left a few hours ago, but he couldn't leave. He had to be here.
And so he continued to wait.
The hospital was almost empty now. Late night staffers had started their shift about an hour ago. The two on this floor at the desk looked fresh out of nursing school. Wet behind the ears, but eager to do a good job. Joss' doctor was gone, confident that she would be fine under the supervision of the nurses.
He needed to see her. He couldn't wait any longer.
He walked into the men's restroom throwing his coffee down the drain and splashed some water over his face.
He was tired. And the lines by his eyes looked deeper than normal. He grabbed some hand towels from the dispenser and wiped at his face, taking a deep breath.
He walked out into the hallway again, seeing a nurse leave Joss' room. He waited until she disappeared down the hall and then he quietly went inside.
He thought he was ready. He really thought he was, but the sight of her lying in that bed, hit him like a punch to the gut.
Tears stung his eyes and he walked over to her sitting in the chair next to the bed.
"I'm Carter. You didn't give us a name."
"Thank you, for saving my life."
"I looked for a…..I'm sorry I got you shot card, but, they were all out."
"Good to know you keep your promises."
"Looks like you could use some help…come on...hold onto me…."
"Ever been in love?"
His mind replayed conversations, remembered looks, words she said.
Ever smile that crossed her lips.
So many moments. Sometimes sadly taken for granted. But they'd brought him here to a place he never in his wildest dreams thought he'd end up.
Needing her.
"Joss…." his voice was low, raspy, broken.
He reached over, gripping her hand. It was warm to the touch, and brought him a sense of comfort he hadn't felt since he'd found her on her back in the alley.
He sat there as the minutes rolled by. He was bent over her hand, cradling it against his face, while his head rested on the bed. Minutes turned into an hour and he started to feel fatigue setting in. He didn't want to leave her, but his body was begging for a few hours of rest.
He slowly rose from the chair, rubbing his eyes. He felt a slight tug on his hand just as he was about to let go and looked at her face to see her eyes were fluttering open.
"John…."