Chapter 4- the penalty

Lisbon lay on a soft white hospital bed, asleep, broken. From the next room watched Jane and Marcus, neither of them speaking to the other. Lisbon had just come out of surgery but she hadn't awoken yet. Jane had no idea how her reaction would be when she finally did wake up.

Marcus' eyes were wide and Jane was sure that he hadn't blinked at all for the past few minutes. Jane wondered how all of the other guests were. In the attempt to save the wedding, Kim had insisted they all go round her house (where the after-party had been due to start) and wait for news on Lisbon. If Lisbon did come out of hospital sooner than expected, there was a chance that the party could still happen- but the wedding: Jane had no idea about that.

Marcus seemed almost scared of Lisbon – the way he stared at her was almost cautious, as though fearing her.

Jane knew that this accident wouldn't change who Lisbon was, though he admitted that she was definitely going to be shocked and perhaps a little shaken.

The doctor that had spoken to them outside the ambulance walked up towards Jane and Marcus and said, 'you can go in now. She'll be waking up in a couple of minutes.'

Marcus gulped however Jane immediately walked in, though rather slower than he usually would've done. He approached Lisbon and, when he saw her face, took a sharp intake of breath. Her eyes were closed; they hadn't yet faced the consequences of the wedding. Jane drew up a chair and sat close to her, tucking her hair tenderly behind her ear so that there was none on her face.

From the next room, Marcus stood frozen, not really sure where to go or what to do. He didn't even know what he wanted anymore. He had planned it all out: him and Lisbon, a life together, living happily, both with stable jobs. He had never at all imagined this would happen- not in a million years.

Lisbon stirred and Jane's eyes grew wider. This was it, she was waking up.

She grunted as her eyes opened a crack. Her brow furrowed as the bright light of the hospital ward hit her.

'Hey,' Jane whispered as her head turned and her gaze found him.
'Hi,' she replied in a low quiet tone. Then, she remembered about what had happened at the wedding. She tried to sit up quickly but Jane placed a hand on her shoulder.

'Easy there,' he murmured.

Lisbon gulped and shook her head, 'the wedding. The- what happened?' She looked up and saw Marcus staring at her through the window. His fearful expression made her wonder what on earth had happened. All she could remember was a stabbing pain in her foot and then she had completely blacked out.

She looked at Marcus and then immediately down at her left foot, despite Jane's small protest. She then saw it, the reason Jane was acting so compassionate, the reason Marcus wasn't daring to approach her.

Her left foot was gone.

All that was there was an ugly, stitched up stump.

She suddenly began to struggle against Jane's hand, her breathing rapid and jumpy.

'No, Jane,' she wailed as she grabbed his hand and tried to push him away.

'Lisbon please,' said Jane, tears cascading down his own face, 'you're alive and that's what matters.'
'No,' Lisbon shook her head, 'the wedding. Everything is ruined.'
Jane looked around at Pike and gestured for him to come in- perhaps he could calm Lisbon down. Marcus hesitantly made his way into the room however when he came close enough to see the stitches, he shook his head and screwed up his eyes in pain.

'I can't do this,' he hissed, 'I can't.'

'Marcus,' said Lisbon pleadingly, crying uncontrollably.

'I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry.' Pike backed away slowly until he hit the wall. There was no mistaking it now: he definitely looked scared. Jane thought that this was the worst way possible to make Lisbon feel better. She was panting and sobbing at the same time, hardly daring to believe that Marcus had changed so much in such a small amount of time.

Marcus fumbled for the door handle for a few seconds before frantically opening it and scurrying outside. Lisbon watched him go, howling in uncontainable despair.

'Lisbon,' Jane soothed her. Still crying, she buried her head in his chest, trembling and grasping his arms so that they hurt.

Jane couldn't stand to hear her like this. He held her, promising to himself that he would see her through this even if Marcus wouldn't.

Jane had been right: the wedding day had descended into chaos. Whether that was down to him or merely the old and unstable building in which it had occurred, he hadn't yet worked out. Still, he was too angry with Pike right now to dwell on that. How could he have just abandoned Lisbon. Jane didn't know where he'd gone and he didn't know when him and Lisbon would see him again or if indeed, they would even see him again. Had he fled? Chickened out, perhaps?

Either way he was being cowardly.

He was supposed to be Lisbon's fiancée and he was refusing to be there for her, leaving Jane to be the shoulder she was crying on.

But then again, perhaps Jane liked it this way. He'd missed being so important to Lisbon and he'd missed being the one she'd retreat to whenever she was troubled.

However it didn't stop him wishing that she was alright and that none of this had happened in the first place.

Lisbon should've been at the after-party right now, enjoying herself, enjoying her new marriage. Now though, there was no marriage, no Marcus and possibly no party at all.