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Date Posted: 18:30:38 03/12/08 Wed
Author: Mary
Author Host/IP: cpe-69-135-186-204.woh.res.rr.com / 69.135.186.204
Subject: Characters & Shadows - Chapter 42
In reply to: Mary 's message, "Characters & Shadows - Cont." on 19:35:52 03/09/08 Sun

Chapter 42

Michael never left her side. He simply refused. Everyone was in shock, all of Michael and Nikita’s friends, the hospital workers, the security staff….everyone just seemed dazed. The remains of David, Carla and the other man were removed. The man Michael knew as Marco, who had taken a bullet meant for Michael when he pushed him out of the line of fire, was critically injured and in surgery. The security guards from the hospital talked to Michael for a few moments but then were quickly called away by a gentleman in a dark suit that came to the door.

After that Nikita was moved to a room a couple of doors down. Michael moved with her never letting her out of his sight. He saw a cleaning crew going into the room as they departed. Michael noted that the two security guards that had come into the room were now nowhere to be seen and he was surprised by the fact that there was no sign of the police yet, barely anyone had even asked him any questions. No one had asked him any questions yet.

Once settled into the new room Brian came back in to look at Michael’s arm. He gently peeled back the bloodied sleeve and cut it off.

“You’re lucky Michael. The bullet grazed you, there was still a fair amount of bleeding but it looks like you are starting to clot now. I’m going to numb it before I clean and bandage it. These shots are going to burn.”

Michael sat silent as the doctor worked. Finally he asked, “What is going on?”

“I’ve cleaned the area and I’m checking for any foreign matter in the wound before the finish with the bandages. Then I’ll give you something for pain because this is going to hurt for a while.”

Michael just shook his head, “That’s not what I meant. Why aren’t the police here asking questions? Why is it so quiet?”

Brian hesitated for a moment, his friend had been through a lot in the last couple of days and he carefully pondered just how to answer his question. In the end he decided that honesty was the best way. “The administrator of the hospital called all of us together that were on the floor at the time of the shooting. We have been informed that the hospital has been ordered to not discuss this incident with anyone. Orders are coming directly from, get this, MI-6. And they are serious about this. Anyone found to discuss this will be terminated immediately and face criminal charges. That’s all I know.”

“The injured man, his name is Marco, at least that is what I heard him called. He said he was MI-6.” Michael spoke softly almost to himself trying to put all the pieces together of what had happened.

The doctor just shrugged as he worked, “Trust me on this one. The less I know - the better about this. There are all kinds of people combing this hospital that scare me right now. I’m going to take care of my patients and protect my staff. And my friends. I saw someone talking to Walter and your other friends a few minutes ago. I imagine they were told the same thing we were about keeping this quiet.”

Michael nodded and looked to the love of his life on the bed, “How is she doing?”

“I don’t want to get your hopes up because I don’t know what it means yet. But the deterioration in her condition seems to have slowed considerably. Her heart isn’t working nearly as hard as it was. Her fever is down by a degree.”

Michael blinked and then took her hand saying softly, “Those are good signs.”

Brian sighed as he cut off the length of bandage he was wrapping Michael’s arm with, “Yes they are. But she is not out of the woods Michael. I have her blood work running now, trying to find out what that was that I injected her with.”

“You did the right thing.”

“I hope you’re right.”

*****

As Brian walked out of the room Walter was waiting for him. “Can I talk with you?”

“Not if it is about what happened. I have orders…”

Walter shook his head, “I know, I know. I was told essentially the same thing you were. ‘Never happened.’ How are <i>they</i> doing?”

Brian led Walter down the hall and into a small room and closed the door, “Look I am going to tell you things I shouldn’t. But what the hell, it’s been an insane few days and I can’t make sense of any of it. Michael is physically ok. He lost some blood and he’s going to be utterly exhausted. I left him with lots of water and juice and orders to drink it. He’ll be fine if he does that.”

“And Nikita?”

“That’s the hell of it, her condition seems to be stabilizing somewhat. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but maybe….”

Walter nodded, “I know what you’re trying to say amigo.”

“I hope for Michael’s sake that whatever that was works. He really loves her.”

“Yeah, yeah he does.”

*****

A couple of hours later Walter was waking Michael from his drug induced sleep next to Nikita’s bed. While Michael had fought it he had eventually taken one of the pain pills that Brian gave him for his arm. That was all it took for the exhausted man to fall into sleep, even if it was sitting up in a chair with his head on Nikita’s bed.

Michael shook his head awake and looked around to get his bearings, then asked immediately, “How’s Nikita?”

Walter smiled at him, “She’s getting better according to Brian. They are on their way in to take her off the ventilator. Sugar can breathe on her own, the lungs are working again.”

“Thank God.” Michael quietly whispered.

“Come on, I’ll get you a cup of coffee while they take care of business in here.”

*****

Michael was back at her side as soon as he was allowed back in the room. Madeline was worried about him but Walter assured her that Michael was strong and that he was where he needed to be. Walter also told both her and Birkoff to head home and get some sleep, they both looked like hell after the long days that they had been put through and everything that had happened. Madeline was still worried about Paul, but Walter told her to get some rest and they would deal with that soon enough. Walter settled in the waiting room. He wasn’t leaving Michael alone.

Brian quietly entered the room where both his patients were asleep. He was amazed with the progress that Nikita was making. Once she began to get better it happened very quickly. Her temperature while still high was not nearly as scary as it had been, her vitals were coming back to normal and her blood work showed remarkable improvement. Overall he was very pleased. He left just as quietly as he had entered. They both still had a lot to go through, they needed the rest.

*****

Something was pulling Michael from his sleep. A noise. Something he wanted to hear but he was so tired and sleep felt so good. But then he heard it again and his eyes opened quickly. He met the most beautiful sight that he would remember for the rest of his life. Nikita’s blue eyes were open and she was looking for him. The softest sound came to his ears, “Michael?”

*****

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