So - anyone who knows my writing knows that I love two things: romance and whump. I feel like there is too little Jane/Teresa whump out there, so decided to add some in this story. Sorry to those of you who don't like it but I couldn't help myself.
A huge bouquet of balloons to my faithful and new reviewers. As long as they keep coming, the faster I'll write. Thank you!
Warning! Your computer will shut down in ten minutes. Save your work now.
"What the heck?" Teresa stared at her computer screen, wondering what was going on. She hit a couple of keys but the message remained. It was only after she hit save that the message disappeared from her screen.
She wished Wylie was here so that she could ask him what had just happened, but he was with Jane, Cho, Vega and Abbott working on a kidnapping case in Memphis. Abbott had claimed he needed a 'techy' on the job, but she figured it was more of a reward for the young computer genius after his great work on the last couple of cases.
She was happy for the young man, but hated the fact that everyone was gone and she was forced to stay behind. And right now she really wished someone was here to tell her what was wrong with her computer.
She kept typing, hoping to get her report done today. There was really no reason it had to be done so quickly – no reason except her own driven nature.
Your computer will shut down in five minutes. If you haven't saved your work, do it now Lisbon.
Okay, this was ridiculous. She looked around the room but no one was looking at her. This had to be a joke. She growled at her machine, hit save again and then started typing furiously.
This is your one minute warning. I'm serious Lisbon – it's time to close your computer and go home!
"Aaargh!" she screamed. That made people turn and look at her although it was attention she had rather not have. "Sorry", she smiled at the few who looked concerned. "Computer problem." She got a lot of nods and sympathetic looks for that. Everyone had been there at one time or another.
Except this was different. This was a computer that was out to get her personally, that had a vendetta against her.
The computer is shutting down now. You will not be able to access it again until 8:00 am tomorrow morning. Go home, east a healthy supper and put your feet up. Relax Lisbon. There's lots of time for reports. LOOK AFTER YOURSELF.
Of course she knew who was responsible for this, even if he couldn't have done the programming by himself. "Jane", she whispered. "You corrupted Wylie, didn't you?" Since the man wasn't here to defend himself, Teresa sighed and began to pack up her things for the day. She was pretty sure that no one on staff could fix the damn computer so she had might as well go home.
By the time she got home she was laughing. Leave it to Jane! The man knew her too well and had obviously conned Wylie into helping him ensure she didn't overdo things. She shook her head – wondering what would have happened if she really had needed her machine. She was definitely going to have to get back at the man. She couldn't let him think that he could control her to this extent.
She'd barely gotten into the house and put her things away when her doorbell rang. Wondering who could be visiting at 6:00 pm, she answered the door, only to find a delivery man standing there.
"Here you go miss", he held out a bag. "Delivery for Teresa Lisbon."
"What? Yeah that's -" But she was speaking to the wind as the man turned and quickly headed back to his car. With a sigh she turned and re-entered her house.
Whatever was in the bag smelt heavenly. She got to the kitchen and opened it, only to find a full meal of healthy food. There was a card attached to it. When she opened it all it said was EAT! Jane had struck again.
Carting the bag of food back to the kitchen Teresa couldn't help but laugh again. She knew she should be peeved at his taking over her life, but right now it just felt good to have someone who cared about her. She rubbed her belly. "Your daddy's quite a guy kiddo."
"I look like a hippopotamus", she complained the following week, looking at her seven-month pregnant body in profile.
"No you don't", he told her mildly. He considered her seriously for a moment. "You look more like a -"
"Don't say it!" she glared. "If you value your life you won't say it."
"I was just going to say you look like a beautiful Madonna", he told her calmly. The twinkle in his eyes told her he had been about to say something else but had thought better of it when he realized there was nothing more dangerous than an angry Lisbon with a gun. He valued his life.
She narrowed her eyes. "That's not what you were going to say."
He approached her and drew her to him. "Oh ye of little faith." He leaned back and gave her a quick kiss. "And it's completely true. With your dark hair you look just like some of those medieval pictures of the Madonna with child. You're gorgeous."
This time she couldn't fault him. There was too much sincerity in his words and his eyes showed that he was perfectly serious. She melted into him, allowing him to hold her for a moment. Finally she sighed. "Time to go."
He kissed her one more time and gave her a hug. "You're going too hard", he told her. "You need to rest."
"I do rest. I'm stuck in the office all day at my desk. What I need is a change of scene!"
"Why don't we go away for the weekend", he suggested. "We could go to a little bed and breakfast somewhere and just relax."
"Sounds nice", she smiled. This was one of the things she loved about Jane – he could be spontaneous like this and always seemed to know what she needed. Now that he was no longer focused on finding a serial killer, he seemed to concentrate his amazing powers of observation and intuition on her. She loved it – at least most of the time.
"Good, I'll make the reservations. Now Ms. Lisbon – time to go to work."
Jane parked in the FBI lot and he and Teresa headed towards the building. He turned to make a casual comment to her when they heard a shout behind them.
Both of them turned, to see Randall Eckert standing in the parking lot, a gun in his hand. "You destroyed my life you bastard!" he yelled. "Now I'm gonna destroy yours!"
Jason Eckert had been convicted of the rape and murder of Christina Scott and was awaiting sentencing. The prosecutor was trying for the death penalty. His father, Randall, was awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy but was presently out on bail.
"I'm gonna make you suffer Jane", he shouted. "I'm gonna take someone you love away from you and see how you like it!" He lifted the gun and pointed it directly at Teresa.
In that moment a myriad of things passed through Patrick's mind. He thought of the many times that Teresa had protected him in just this situation. He thought of his cowardice, of running to hide behind her or one of his teammates when threatened with violence or death. He thought of the many times he hadn't come through for her. – and then he thought of the fact that to lose Teresa and his child now would be the end of him. He couldn't – and wouldn't – survive this again.
He watched as if everything was in slow motion. Out of the corner of his eye he saw other agents converging on Eckert, their guns drawn. He saw Teresa's face, white with shock and fear and he saw Eckert begin to squeeze the trigger.
Without another thought he pushed Teresa to the side, praying that he wouldn't harm her or the baby, but knowing this was better than her getting shot.
He heard the sound of the gun firing, although strangely it seemed muffled. He heard the impact – felt it swing him around and knock him to the ground. He heard a scream and shouts and then other shots - but strangely he felt no pain. Things continued to sound muffled and to seem unreal, distant. All he cared about, all he needed was to know that Teresa and his child were okay.
He had to ask. He had to speak, to tell them he needed to know, but for some reason he couldn't speak. He blinked slowly, his eyes losing focus. He thought he saw someone leaning over him, but that person soon disappeared. A moment later it was replaced by another face – a familiar face, although he couldn't remember who it was. His eyes slowly began to close. Please, wouldn't someone tell him?
"Jane! Jane!" Cho knelt beside the consultant, frantically trying to stop the bleeding. "Did someone call 911?" he yelled.
"Yes", someone called in response. "The ambulance is on its way."
"Jane, stay with me. Come on man – keep your eyes open. The ambulance is coming and you'll be fine. Come on! JANE!"
Jane managed to open his eyes although he didn't know what was happening. He just wanted someone to tell him that Teresa was safe. "Plee –ease", he whispered.
"What is it?" Cho leaned forward, trying to hear. "What Jane? Come on – talk to me."
"Li –" he gasped. The numbness was wearing off and the pain was beginning. He could feel tears gather in his eyes – mostly from the pain of not knowing. "Plee –ease", he whispered again.
Cho suddenly got it! He glanced over to where some people were helping Lisbon. She looked shaken up, but otherwise okay. In fact she was desperately trying to get to Jane but people were holding her back, telling her to take it easy.
"She's fine Jane – Teresa is fine and so is the baby."
He gasped again, this time from relief. He could sleep now – his wife and child were fine. This time he'd saved them. He felt a sense of peace overtake him. Maybe in giving his life to save theirs he had finally redeemed himself.
"Jane! Don't you dare die on me or Lisbon is going to have my ass on a plate. Open your eyes damn it!"
Was that Cho? Jane frowned slightly. He didn't think he'd ever heard the man swear before – or get angry for that matter. He forced his eyes open, although the pain was getting so bad all he wanted to do was pass out. Still, an upset Cho was rare enough he had to see.
"There you go Jane – just stay with me, okay. The ambulance is almost here."
Ambulance? Why did they need an ambulance? Was someone hurt? Oh god – Teresa. "Ter -"
"She's fine Jane", Cho said again. "In fact – here she is." He moved slightly, allowing a clearly shocked Lisbon to kneel on the ground beside Jane.
"Oh God – Jane! What did you do?" she cried. She looked at the blood seeping from his chest – so much blood, too much blood. "Why did you do it Patrick? Why?" she cried.
"Save you – baby", he gasped, although he tried to smile.
She sobbed and took his hand. "Where is that god-damned ambulance!"
As if in answer to her prayer, the sound of a siren suddenly split the morning air. The emergency vehicle screeched to a halt just feet away and an EMT jumped out and raced to the man lying on the ground. He was quickly followed by two others carrying equipment.
"What happened?" he asked quickly.
"Gunshot wound to the chest", Cho answered. "I tried to stop the bleeding, without much luck."
The EMT nodded and, working in concert with the other two, quickly assessed and began triaging the patient. Within a couple of minutes they had Jane hooked up to an IV, a bandage on his wound and they were lifting him to a gurney.
"You'll have to follow", one of the men called as they hurried to their vehicle. "I'm afraid we don't have room."
"Come on Lisbon – I'll drive you." She nodded but seemed unable to stand. It was Abbott who carefully lifted her from the pavement and gently walked her to Cho's car. "We'll follow", he told the Korean agent. "She needs to get checked out too. She had a nasty fall."
Cho nodded. "I'll make sure. Thanks." He quickly got behind the wheel as Abbott helped Teresa in to the passenger seat and buckled her in. With a nod the chief agent closed the door and watched as the car streaked away.
Cho barely noticed that his hands were covered in Jane's blood although even if he had he wouldn't have cared at this moment, more concerned with the woman beside him. "You okay?"
"No", she answered softly.
"The baby?" Cho asked worriedly.
"No – no, I'm fine– just a bit bruised and scraped. I meant – oh God Cho, what if he dies? He can't die!" she sobbed.
"Jane's tough", he told her. "Remember when he drowned? They were able to bring him back. And he drank the Belladonna tea – it was enough to kill anyone else, but he was fine. He's like a cat."
"But there was so much blood", she cried. "He looked – Cho, he looked like the pictures of Red Johns victims – with blood all over his chest."
"He wasn't stabbed Teresa – it wasn't like Red John at all. I know this is hard but he'll be okay!"
They arrived at the hospital and were met by a gurney. Although Teresa protested, Cho insisted that she let the emergency staff check her out carefully. "Jane will have my butt if I let anything happen to you or the baby", he told her. "Just do it for him if for nothing else."
That got her and she nodded, allowing the orderly to wheel her away. "Find out how he is and come tell me" she called out.
"I will, don't worry."
Of course that was easier said then done. The emergency nurse knew nothing, other than the fact that someone had just been wheeled in. And to find someone else – anyone else with news seemed impossible. It wasn't until he saw a Chaplin walk by that he could even get anyone's attention.
"Father?" he asked as the priest walked by.
"Yes, I'm Father Vincent. Can I help you?"
"I'm trying to find out some information about a patient who was just bought in with a gunshot wound. His name is Patrick Jane. His wife is pregnant and is frantic to find out what's happening." Cho figured that a bit of creative license was called for at a time like this. He figured that 'wife' would get more attention than 'girlfriend'.
"I'll check for you", the priest told him. "Just wait here."
He returned a few minutes later, a serious look on his face. "I spoke with one of the nurses. He's still in triage, but they're taking him to surgery as soon as possible. I'm afraid it doesn't look good – they almost lost him once all ready – but they're doing everything they can."
Cho nodded, not surprised. He'd seen how much blood Jane had lost and had known it was bad. "Thank you."
Just then a nurse came out of the ER, a harried look on her face. "Is there a Mr. Cho here?"
"That's me."
"Teresa Lisbon is asking for you. Just follow me."
Cho turned to the priest and again thanked him.
"I'll wait here in case you need me", Father Victor told him. He gave a small smile. "In the meantime I'll pray for Patrick."
"Thanks." Cho made his way back into the emergency department, walking by other curtained off beds. There was a hustle and bustle about the place as nurses, doctors and emergency personnel walked between the various emergency patients and the center desk.
"Teresa?" Cho poked his head around the curtain that the nurse pointed out. She was lying there, monitors hooked up to her stomach. Her face was white and she looked at him with terrified eyes.
"Jane?"
"He's still being triaged although they're about to take him to surgery."
"Is he going to be okay?" she asked, her voice breaking.
Cho walked up to the side of the bed and took her hands in his. "He's in rough shape, but they're doing everything they can. You have to have faith Teresa."
She laughed bitterly. "Oh God Cho – why did this have to happen? Everything was so good. We were so happy and now – and now -", she sobbed again.
"Hey", he squeezed her hands. "Don't give up. Jane's obstinate. He's not about to give up, not when he has you." Cho glanced over at the monitor. "Everything okay?"
"Yes", she sniffed. "They're just keeping an eye on me but the doctor said the baby is fine. I just got a bit scraped up when I fell. Cho", her eyes filled with tears. "What am I going to do?"
He reached out at that point, knowing that she needed him. He wrapped his arms around her and spoke soothingly to her, continuing to remind her that Jane was tough, that he had too much to lose to let go, that he'd make it through this. Eventually her tears stopped and she calmed down.
"Hey", he told her. "I met the Chaplin out there, Father Vincent. Did you want to see him? It might help to talk to him."
She nodded slightly, knowing that now, more than ever, she needed to rely on her faith. "I'd like that", she told him, reaching up and grasping her cross.
That instantly brought on the tears again as she remembered Jane's 'cold reading' after he'd almost drowned. He had been correct though – her cross gave her comfort.
Father Victor arrived a few minutes later and Cho excused himself. He left Lisbon praying with the priest. Cho, like Jane, wasn't a believer, but he understood that for many people their faith brought comfort at a time like this.
He wandered out by the desk area. "Excuse me", he asked one of the nurses sitting there. "Is there any word on Patrick Jane? He was brought in a while ago – gunshot wound to the chest."
The nurse nodded and gave him a kind smile. "He was just taken up to surgery", she told him. "They were able to stabilize him. We'll try and keep you and Ms. Lisbon informed as often as we can, but it will probably be quite a few hours until he's out of surgery. You can stay here – we're not too busy tonight so she can stay in the bed as long as we have room."
"Thank you. Uh – if she asks for me can you tell her I've gone to give an update to our co-workers?"
"Sure."
Cho left he emergency ward and walked into the waiting room. Vega, Wylie and Abbott were all sitting there, anxious looks on their faces. Abbott stood up as soon as he saw the serious looking agent approach.
"What's happening? How is he?"
"He's in surgery. It's not good, although they were able to stabilize him. We won't know anything for quite a few hours."
"How's Teresa?" Vega asked.
"She's okay – there's a priest with her now. They're keeping her in Emergency, but I think that's only because it'll be more comfortable for her then sitting in the waiting room. I'll go back in in a few minutes."
Abbott nodded, knowing there was nothing any of them could do but sit and wait – and hope. He thought of the man who he'd started out detesting, and who he had come to like and respect.
When he'd first heard about Jane and then had met him, he'd thought him nothing but a vengeance obsessed con-man – interested only in revenge but lacking any real sense of justice or honor. That impression had intensified when he'd first met the man and for the first little while he'd worked for the FBI.
It had been over the next few weeks and months that he realized that Jane was, in fact, a good man but one who had been damaged, almost beyond repair, to the point that he didn't know quite how to fit in with regular people. Then he'd seen Jane finally realize – or admit, Abbott wasn't quite sure which – how much Teresa meant to him and take the step of telling her.
Although he was still very much a unique individual, over the succeeding months he'd begun to heal in ways Abbott didn't think even Jane realized. He was opening up to people – and actually cared what others thought. It would be a horrible tragedy if he didn't make it, just as he was beginning to live and to love again.
"This is horrible", Vega whispered. She too had grown to respect Jane, if not quite like him yet. Still, he was growing on her and she suspected that it wouldn't take much for her to turn into another one of the people who cared for him – often in spite of himself. She hated that this had happened. It was so unfair.
"What happened to Eckert?" Cho suddenly asked. He'd completely forgotten the man who'd been the cause of this.
"He was shot multiple times and they don't know if he's going to make it. They took him to a different hospital and I haven't heard anything in the last little while. I don't particularly care if he makes it or not and will be angry if he does and Jane -". He stopped for a moment, trying to regain his composure. "If he does survive – well, he'll spend the rest of his life in prison."
Everyone was quiet with nothing left to say. Cho excused himself to make an important phone call, but returned a few minutes later. "I'm going to go check on Teresa."
Father Victor was just leaving as Cho got there. "I'm going to see if there's any word on Patrick, but the fact that we haven't heard is a good sign", he said encouragingly. "I'm also going to go and bring you something to eat and drink." He put us his hand to forestall any objections. "I know you're not hungry, but try and eat, at least a little. It's important that you stay strong. He's going to need you when he's recuperating." With a smile at Cho he gave Lisbon's arm a squeeze and then left.
Teresa's eyes once again filled with tears. She couldn't help but remember Jane constantly telling her she had to eat. "Cho", she cried. Again he took her in his arms and just held her.
The next few hours were hard on everyone, but especially Teresa. She tried to eat a few bites but had to stop when she began to feel sick. She knew she had to think of the baby, but right now all she could do was remember Patrick, covered in his own blood. Each time the memory rose she felt herself become nauseated. The sight and smell of blood was different when it belonged to someone you loved.
She knew that the sight of him lying there, his shirt drenched in red, would forever be a nightmare that would haunt her. At that moment she thought of Jane – and what he must live with. She'd seen pictures of his wife and daughter after they'd been murdered, but she knew a photo could never portray the true horror. She felt the bile rise in her throat at the thought and without warning began to vomit.
Cho instantly called for the nurse and sat with her until she had emptied her stomach.
"I'm sorry", she gasped.
"Hey, don't worry about it." He stood up as the nurse arrived and then left to give Teresa some privacy as the woman helped her clean up."
After a few moments he was told it was okay to come back in. "I'm going to get the doctor and to have him give you something to calm down Teresa", the young nurse told her.
"No", she mumbled. "I don't want anything."
"But we can give you something that's safe for the baby and it will make you feel better."
"No – no, I don't want anything", she insisted. She wouldn't, couldn't take anything, no matter what the nurse said.
"I'll have some chamomile tea", she finally murmured, her voice cracking. "That will settle me down. Please, can I have some tea?"
It was the first time that Cho felt like he was going to lose it. He'd held on, for Teresa's sake, but something about her asking for tea made him want to curse and to shout – and maybe, even though it wasn't manly, to cry.
It was so damned unfair! The last person in the world who deserved more pain in his life was Patrick Jane. Hadn't he been through enough? "I'll get if for you", he told her, needing to get away for a few minutes so he could compose himself.
He laughed softly – bitterly – as he made his way down the hallway to the cafeteria. Who would have thought that a damned cup of tea would drive him over the edge. If Jane could see him now!
They'd been there for hours – getting the occasional update that Patrick was still alive, still in surgery. Teresa had calmed down a bit – whether the tea had actually relaxed her or not it was impossible to say, but she did doze a bit. She would awaken every few minutes and check whether there was any news.
The Chaplin came by a few times, offering food, comfort and any information he could glean from the staff. Abbott had come back at one point and had given Teresa a hug and told her to hang on. "He'll make it Teresa – just you watch."
She'd smiled at him, although it was a feeble attempt. She knew that all the reassurances in the world wouldn't change whether Patrick would live – or not – but it did help to have her friends appear so confident around her.
"Grace? Wayne?" she whispered suddenly. "We need to let them know. Oh God – they don't know."
"Yes they do", Cho assured her. "I called them just after they took Jane to surgery. They're on their way."
"Thank you", she said, crumpling again into tears. She couldn't seem to stop. She rubbed her stomach as her baby began to move and the tears continued. Jane should be here. He should be touching her, talking to the baby, telling her to eat, to rest, to take it easy. He needed to tell her he loved her and would never leave her.
"Jane", she cried out.
Cho felt the tears gather in his own eyes. All he could do was be here for Teresa – be here and make sure she would be okay. He owed Jane that much – and more.
"Teresa?" Father Victor approached the bed, a small smile on his face. "They've just brought him out of surgery. He made it through and he's in recovery. He'll be there for a while and then they'll take him to the ICU."
"Oh thank God! When can I see him?"
"It'll be an hour or two more. They want to make sure he's as stable as possible before moving him. As soon as they do they'll come and get you. Unfortunately you can only stay with him for a few minutes."
"And he'll be okay?" she asked, hoping and praying that the worst was over.
He gave her a gentle look. "I don't know the details Teresa. His doctor will be here shortly and will explain everything. I'll continue to pray for him, and so must you." He reached out and took her hand. "Remember – have faith."
She nodded, but wasn't sure if her faith was strong enough at this point. And if he died – she wondered seriously if she would have any faith at all. She understood Patrick better now. He'd admitted once that he'd grown up being taught to believe in God. He hadn't said anymore than that, but she suspected that any belief had died along with his wife and child.
"Okay – thank you Father."
Cho excused himself to go and tell the others the news. He returned in a few short minutes and waited with her for the doctor to arrive. It was almost twenty minutes later before a tired looking man in his late forties appeared.
"Mrs. Jane?" he asked, smiling gently.
She nodded – suddenly wishing she was married to Jane. Cho had explained what he'd told them and she was glad. "Yes. How is he?"
The doctor took a deep breath but looked at her with kind eyes. "It was touch and go", he told her honestly, "but he made it through. As soon as everything looks stable we're going to be taking him to the ICU. I won't lie, he's in critical condition. We're monitoring him closely and we'll do all we can to make sure he makes it, but the next 24 to 48 hours will be crucial." He took another breath. "He lost a lot of blood and the bullet tore things up pretty badly – that's why the surgery took so long. We had a lot of tissue to repair. The good news is the bullet missed his heart."
Teresa nodded, knowing the news wasn't good – but at least he was alive. And that meant there was still hope.
"We have him on a ventilator and he'll stay on it for the next couple of days. I'll have one of the nurses get you once he's transferred to the ICU. Did they explain you can't stay for long?"
"Yes", she whispered.
"I know it's hard – but the nurses have to have access and monitor him closely – and there really isn't room for visitors. We'll make sure to keep you updated. There's a family room available and it has some cots in it, so you can rest in there." He looked down at her stomach. "I know this is hard, but don't forget to look after yourself. The last thing Patrick needs, when he regains consciousness, is to worry about you!"
"Thank you", she said. "Thank you for keeping him alive."
"Of course – that's why I do what I do", he smiled. "And don't worry – the staff here are wonderful and we'll do absolutely everything we can."
After he'd gone she had another breakdown. "I'm sorry", she hiccupped into Cho's shoulder. "All I do is cry."
"Don't apologize", he told her. "You have every right and we're all here for you. You can use my shoulder any time you need it."
"Thank you Kimball", she said, wiping her face with her arm. "You don't know how much it means to me to have you here."
"I wouldn't be anywhere else."
It was almost an hour before the nurse came to tell her that she could see her 'husband'. Cho helped her up and then stuck with her as they followed the nurse down the hallway and to the elevator. She was grateful for his supporting arm, because she felt so weak it was hard to walk.
"This is Mrs. Jane", the nurse spoke to her colleague at the ICU desk.
"Hello", the ICU nurse smiled. "We've just gotten your husband settled. You can visit him for 5 minutes every hour. I know that's hard, but it's a small room and we have to be in with him checking on him every few minutes."
"The doctor explained. Can I see him now?"
"Of course", she stood and smiled a thank you at her colleague. "I need to warn you that he's going to look rough. He's on a ventilator and lots of monitors and machines. Did the doctor also explain that he lost a lot of blood?"
"Yes", she replied, although she hadn't needed him to say anything. She had seen it for herself.
"Yes – well, that means he looks terribly pale. Just remember that we're looking after him very carefully. Would you like your friend to come with you?"
"Yes, please." She looked at Cho beseechingly and he nodded. He knew that she needed the support.
The first look at Jane almost sent her back into tears. He looked so – small – so small and still. If it hadn't been for the ventilator, pumping air into him and making his chest rise and fall, she would have thought he was dead. His face wasn't just pale – it was grey – completely grey and his lips and eyelids were blue.
"Oh Jane", she whispered. "What did you do?" She walked over and carefully took his hand in hers. It was hot and very dry – and totally lifeless. This wasn't Jane – this wasn't the man with the twinkling eyes, the wicked smile, the discerning eyes.
"Oh God Cho – look at him."
"He's alive Teresa. Just remember that – he's alive and he will get better."
She nodded but continued to look at him, at the man she loved with a fierceness she had never expected. She continued to hold his hand, but leaned over until her face was close to his. "Don't you dare die. Do you hear me Patrick Jane? Don't you die on me. I need you. The baby needs you. Your friends need you. You just tell yourself to get better because we haven't named the baby." She sobbed quietly. "I'll even let you name the baby Merlin or Houdini or whatever you want. Just do not die!" She kissed his cheek tenderly. "I love you."
The nurse approached her with a smile and gently touched her arm. "I'm sure he heard you. Patients seem to know when there are people who love them close by. I'm afraid I'm going to have to have you leave now, but you can come back in an hour. We'll make sure to tell you how he's doing, but I suggest you get something to eat before coming back. I can tell, just by looking at him, that this one is going to be trouble when he's awake, and you're going to need all your strength to deal with him."
Teresa let out a small gurgle of laughter, verging on more tears. "You have no idea", she told the nurse. "Trouble is his middle name."
The nurse grinned. "Good. They're the ones that do the best. Now go on and get something to eat. I'll look after him carefully."
Teresa looked at him once more before leaving. It felt like her heart was being ripped out to leave him, but she knew she could trust the nurse. "I love you", she said softly, one more time, as she left his room.
"You okay?" Kimball was watching her carefully. He worried that the sight of the very sick man had been hard on her but if anything she looked a bit calmer.
"No – but better than I was I think. I hated seeing him like that, but at least he's alive Cho. I don't think I really believed that, until now."
They made their way down to the waiting room where the others all gave Teresa a hug and asked after Jane. They then insisted on accompanying her to the cafeteria for something to eat. As they walked Teresa couldn't help but appreciate how lucky she was to have such friends.
She visited him every hour like clockwork. His condition stayed much the same, although she knew there had been a few moments when the nurses grew worried. After readjusting his medication his vitals seemed to improve slightly and she got a nod and a smile from the nurse. She felt herself relax and she could breathe again.
She knew the worry wasn't over. He was still in critical condition and things could change in a moment.
It was Abbott who finally made her go lie down and try and sleep. "You're going to make yourself sick Teresa. I'll make sure the nurses know where you are."
She finally fell asleep, exhausted from the fear and trauma of the day. She slept deeply, thankfully not disturbed by any dreams or nightmares.
When she awoke it took her a moment to remember where she was. When she did she let out a small sound of distress and swung her legs over the side of the cot. She had to check on Patrick, her mind told her. She started to panic but finally reasoned that if something had happened they would have come to her. That allowed her to slow down while she put on her shoes and then went in and washed her face. When she returned it was to see Cho dozing in a chair on the other side of the room.
She decided to leave him sleep. He had to be exhausted and he hadn't had the luxury of a cot. Giving him a look of real gratitude, she left the family room and headed down the hall towards ICU.
When she arrived she was surprised that no one was sitting at the nurses station. It only took a moment to realize that it was because everyone was in Jane's room. She rushed to the door, only to be stopped when a nurse came out and stopped her.
"You'll have to stay out here Mrs. Jane", she said in a rush. "I'm sorry."
"But what's going on?"
She heard people calling out instructions and could see the doctor bent over Patrick. "Please, what's happening?"
The nurse took her arm and tried to steer her away. "Come with me. You shouldn't be here right now."
She stopped, refusing to move. "What is it! What's going on? Tell me, please!"
"I'm sorry", the nurse said. "It's not looking good right now. He's bleeding internally. They have to take him back to surgery. I'm sorry", she said again. "You may have to prepare yourself."
She collapsed to the floor, tears streaking down her face. "Noooooo" she cried. "Please God - noooooo!"