Sig opened his eyes slowly and gazed around the hospital room. He sighed heavily and tried to move his body into a more comfortable position. He'd been doing nothing but waiting to see Natalie for almost a week. After the first incident in ICU he'd tried a couple more times before being banned until she was stable enough to be moved to a regular room. He'd gotten a call from his brother Norman telling him the boat was on it's way to town with their final offload and then Jake Anderson would captain the vessel back to Seattle. Sig had insisted that Nick and Matt stay on the boat to help Jake with any unforeseen issues that could arise on the journey back to the boats home port.
Mike Fourtner entered the room and saw that Sig was awake. He placed a cup of hot coffee on the table hovering over his hospital bed. Sig reached for the cup and gingerly took a sip. His eyes widened and huge grin broke out over his face.
"Where did you get this?" asked Sig.
"I went on a little expedition to find some good coffee" said Mike, holding his own cup. "I even brought some to soften up the nurses."
"Do you think they will let me see her today?" asked Sig.
Mike's smile fell and he just looked up to the sky as if asking for divine assistance.
"Seriously, you are going to get yourself thrown out of the hospital" said Mike. "I think you should just try to be patient, which I know is difficult but at least make an effort."
"It's been a week" said Sig.
"Six days, but hey who's counting" said Mike.
"Me" said Sig with a huff.
Mike decided to change the subject.
"Did you have anyone else you wanted me to contact?" he asked. "I called both the boats and Edgar. Do you want me to call Natalie's family or something?"
"No" said Sig suddenly. "Nicole will handle all that."
Mike raised an eyebrow.
"She does't seem like the responsible type" said Mike.
"Yeah, well the family is a bit.." Sig faded out.
He didn't know how to explain Natalie's family, rich, powerful, prone to sending lawyers, crazy. The adjectives just kept coming and none of them made him want to call them.
"It'll be fine" said Sig. "When Natalie is out of the ICU, she'll know what to do."
"Ok" said Mike slowly, wondering what Sig was keeping back.
"What's on TV?" asked Sig.
"Let's find out" said Mike turning on the set.
The smell of antiseptic roused Natalie from the ether of sleep. Her eyelids were too heavy to open and her mouth too sore to speak. She let her ears tell her that she was in the hospital. She could hear the nurses talking around her. A cool hand brushed her arm as the nurse adjusted one of the IVs. Natalie's eyes fluttered open and she tried to focus in the glaring light of the room. The nurse sensed a change in her patient and looked up at Natalie's open eyes.
"Ah, Mrs. Hansen" she said with a smile. "It's nice to see you've rejoined us."
Natalie smiled slightly then closed her eyes. The nurse kept talking but Natalie returned to dreamless sleep, the effort to open her eyes completely exhausting her.
Samantha and Edgar walked into the hospital pushing a stroller holding their two sleeping children. Stopping at the front desk they were quickly directed to Sig's room. Making their way up to the appropriate floor they were surprised to see Mike Fourtner at the nurses station.
"Mike" said Edgar, walking up to shake hands.
"I am so glad to see you guys" said Mike.
"What the hell happened?" asked Edgar.
"I don't even know where to start" said Mike.
"How about from the beginning" said Samantha.
"Sure" said Mike.
He filled the couple in on everything that had happened, starting with Natalie's time on the Time Bandit until her arrival in the hospital. He explained that she had been close to death and that neither he nor Sig had seen her since their less than successful trip almost a week ago.
"How's Sig?" asked Samantha.
"Going crazy" said Mike. "He wants to see her so badly."
"I meant physically" said Samantha.
"Oh, he had surgery on his leg" said Mike. "He is probably in pain, but when you talk to him all he does is ask about Natalie."
"Can we see her?" asked Edgar.
"No one can see her until she is out of the ICU" explained Mike.
"When will that be?" asked Samantha.
"She needs to wake up first" said Mike ominously.
"She hasn't woken up yet?" asked Edgar in shock.
"I don't think she's opened her eyes since she was on the boat" said Mike sadly.
"Let's go see Sig" said Samantha. "We can talk to the nurses later about Natalie."
"His room is this way" said Mike.
He led Edgar and Samantha to the room. They'd almost reached the door when Erik decided to wake up. Mike scooped the little boy out of the stroller ensuring he wouldn't wake his still slumbering sister.
"Hey buddy" said Mike. "I'm Mike. I'm friends of your dad and mom."
Erik gave a slight wave and then turned towards his mom.
"He's fine Erik" said Samantha. "He's one of Natalie's friends."
Mike set Erik on the floor and then knelt next to him.
"You want to look around the hospital with me?" asked Mike.
Erik looked hesitant for a moment before nodding.
"You have my cell, if you need anything" said Mike to Edgar.
"Roger" said Edgar. "Just don't lose him."
"Got it" said Mike.
Sig threw the remote down in disgust. There was nothing good on TV and he was painfully bored. Searching the room he found a crossword puzzle book that Mike had brought for him. It was on the table across the room. He was just starting to try to get out of bed when the door opened.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" snapped his sister in law.
"Antha!" said Sig with a huge smile.
"Get back in bed" she said forcefully.
"I was just going to get that book" explained Sig.
"You have a broken leg" said Samantha.
"I know" said Sig. "I was there when it happened."
Edgar walked up to the bed and gave Sig a fierce hug.
"It's good to see you" said Edgar. "Glad to see your brush with death didn't make you any smarter."
"And a fuck you to you too" said Sig.
Samantha gave Sig a hug and then tucked him back into bed. She moved the stroller over to the bed so Sig could see his sleeping niece.
"Where's Erik?" asked Sig.
"Fourtner is taking him on a hospital tour" said Edgar.
"He's suppose to be finding out if I can see Natalie today" grumbled Sig.
Edgar and Samantha exchanged a glance and then sat down.
"Mike told us what happened" said Samantha. "But honestly I don't believe it."
"She was a psycho and she shot me" said Sig. "She was going to kill Natalie, she'd basically already done it, Mike said the doctors were surprised she survived her injuries."
"And then Nicole shot her" said Edgar.
"Yes, like without a second thought, she just blew her brains all over the Time Bandit wheelhouse" said Sig, his voice numb.
Edgar and Samantha sat in silence, a million different questions running through their respective minds.
"Where is Nicole now?" asked Samantha.
"On the Northwestern" said Sig. "Natalie wanted us to protect her, not have her blamed for anything. So the guys told the cops that Natalie was the one who fired the shot."
"Wow" said Edgar. "That's quite a request."
"Have you talked to Norman?" asked Sig.
"Yeah, their taking the last load to St. Paul" said Edgar. "Junior is going to captain the boat back to Ballard."
Edgar expected Sig to rage at the idea of letting Jake take over for the boats return. But Sig just nodded before looking out the window. The news was no surprise.
"When are you getting released?" asked Samantha.
"I'm not leaving here without Natalie" said Sig.
"Mike says she's not even awake yet" said Samantha. "It could be months before she could be released."
"So what" said Sig.
"So, they aren't going to let you just take up space in a hospital room until she's released" explained Natalie. "You aren't even related to her."
"About that" said Sig. "I told everyone she's my wife."
Edgar and Samantha's mouths dropped open in shock.
"Well that escalated quickly" said Edgar. "Congratulations. Does the bride know?"
"Not yet" said Sig with a smirk.
"Why would you tell them that?" asked Samantha.
"First of all, I wanted to see her and you have to be a family member" said Sig. "And I don't have any information about her medical coverage so I just added her onto mine."
"You called the insurance company and added her on?" asked Samantha.
"No, just gave them all my info" said Sig. "They'll work it all out later."
"Have you called her family?" asked Edgar.
"No" said Sig. "I don't think it's something she'd want."
Samantha raised an eyebrow but stayed silent.
Mike and Erik walked through the hospital hallway towards the ICU. They were both eating an ice cream and talking about how cool the cafeteria had been. Mike had become something of a fixture in the hospital and so Erik was the recipient of quite a few little trinkets as they walked through the various nursing stations. Walking up to the ICU desk Mike introduced Erik to the charge nurse.
"Well, aren't you a cutie" said the nurse.
"I'm Erik" said the little boy with a smile.
"This nice lady is taking care of Natalie" explained Mike.
"I love Natalie" said Erik, beaming. "We take walks and she helps my mommy and daddy. She has a train table in her house that she bought just for me."
"She sounds like a very good friend" said the nurse with a smile.
"She is my bestest friend" said Erik.
"Well Erik, would you like to go see her?" asked the Nurse.
"Is she ready for visitors?" asked Mike in surprise.
"I think she'd love to see her best friend" said the Nurse.
"Yes" said Erik, interrupting the adults. "I want to see her."
The nurse walked around the desk and took Erik by the hand. She led him to a sink and helped him to wash his hands. Mike followed suit and soon they were being led down the hall to a small private room.
The nurse took care to explain to Erik that Natalie might look a little different, but that the tubes and wires were there to help her feel better. She also said that she might be asleep and not to be too disappointed if she didn't wake up. Erik nodded and then anxiously looked at the closed door. The nurse smiled and then opened the door. Natalie was laying in the bed, the intubation tube had been removed and she just had a small nasal cannula. There was just one IV instead of four and the heart monitors had been muted. Mike noted all the changes and smiled, she was obviously very much on the mend.
"Natalie" said Erik tentatively.
Mike walked Erik over to the edge of the bed, instinctively he tried to climb in.
"Hey buddy" said Mike stopping him. "I don't think you can sit in the bed with her."
"It's ok" said a quiet voice.
"Natalie" said Mike, his voice awash with relief. "It's so good to hear your voice."
Natalie smiled and then her eyes slowly opened.
"Hi Erik" she said quietly.
"Natalie" said Erik, climbing into the bed. "Are you going to be ok?"
"Yes" replied Natalie. "I'm so glad to see you."
Erik began to regale Natalie with his adventures in the hospital. Natalie smiled and then slowly closed her eyes. Erik noticed that his stories had put Natalie to sleep. Carefully he moved off the bed.
"She's sleepy" he said to Mike.
"Yeah, maybe we should let her take a nap" suggested Mike.
Erik nodded in agreement and the pair went to tell Sig that sleeping beauty had finally woken up.
Sig sat in the darkened room watching the rise and fall of Natalie's chest. He'd arranged with his nurse to move Natalie into a larger room that they could share. The staff were finding such a room, but until one was ready he'd taken up residence in his wheelchair next to Natalie's bed. He'd occasionally reach out and touch her hand as a way to prove she was really there. Edgar and Samantha watched from the doorway. His devotion to Natalie was intense and Samantha hoped it was returned.
"Sig, we're heading out" said Edgar. "We'll be at the hotel, so just call and we can be here in fifteen minutes."
"Yeah, ok" said Sig, not taking his eyes from the bed.
Erik wandered over and gave Sig a hug and then squeezed Natalie's hand.
"Wake up Natalie" he said quietly. "Uncle Sig misses you."
Sig smiled and gave his nephew another hug and a kiss on the top of his head.
"Take good care of your parents" he said with a smile.
"Take good care of my Natalie" replied Erik.
"I will, I promise" said Sig.
He watched Edgar and his family walk out of the room, waving to them as they left. When he turned back to the bed he saw that Natalie's eyes were open, watching him.
"Hi" he said softly.
"Hi" said Natalie, her voice weak.
Tears suddenly appeared in Sig's eyes and they began to flow down his cheeks unchecked.
"I'm so happy to hear your voice and see your eyes" he said.
"I'm sorry" said Natalie.
"You're sorry?" said Sig in shock. "I'm sorry. You almost died on my boat, twice."
Natalie just shrugged her shoulders, but the movement made her wince.
"How do you feel?" asked Sig, concern lacing his voice.
"Everything hurts" said Natalie.
"Better or worse then a long grind?" asked Sig.
"About the same" said Natalie with a small smile.
For the first time Natalie seemed to notice that Sig was in a wheelchair.
"What happened to your leg?" she asked.
"He was shot" came a voice from the door.
Natalie smiled as Mike Fourtner walked into the room and handed Sig a cup of coffee.
"It is so good to see you awake and talking" said Mike. "You gave us quite a scare."
"Sorry" said Natalie.
"Stop apologizing" said Sig. "You didn't do anything."
"I don't even remember what happened" said Natalie.
"What do you remember?" asked Mike.
"Walking back from the bar" said Natalie. "Then yelling, then it's just a blur of pain."
A nurse walked in to check Natalie's vital signs, preventing the conversation from continuing. Once she left Natalie turned her attention back to Sig and Mike.
"Where is my sister?" she asked quietly.
"On the Northwestern" said Sig. "She's safe and sound. They should be heading back to Dutch soon."
"Good" said Natalie, closing her eyes.
"Don't go" said Sig, grabbing her hand.
"I'm just closing my eyes" said Natalie. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Promise?" said Sig.
"Promise" replied Natalie.
She closed her eyes and Sig went back to his vigil, watching the rise and fall of her chest.