Okay guys! I didn't want to let you wait for the week with the update. Extra long comments are very appreciated :o) :o)

Have fun!

Chapter 15 – Cold (1x01) Part 2

"We need to remove your clothes to get you as warm as possible. Just hold still Donald, okay? Don't move. I need you to be completely still." Liz said relieved to see that Donald was still with her. Barely but his eyes where at least open. Liz could see that he was trying really hard but his body was not under his control anymore.

"I hope this wasn't one of your expensive suits." Liz said as she got the scissor out of the package, cutting the fabric not to gently. Donald didn't even try to protest and Liz started to ask herself if Donald was still aware of his surroundings.

Liz got her best to rip the water soaked fabric off of Donald as fast as possible. She knew that it was just getting him colder and colder with every minute. Quickly she covered him with a shock blanket and then got his arm stretched out slowly.

"I will get an IV into you to get you warm." She said now feeling herself starting to shake too. She ripped her jacket off before she strapped herself into a shock blanket as well. She wouldn't be any help if she would pass out too.

Liz had never set up an IV before, she had just learned the basics once as she had been to an FBI field training. Donald would know how to do it probably but right now it was on her to get it started. After looking up at Donald's face once more Liz knew that there was no other possibility than at least try it. He needed her now.

Liz could feel the warmth of the IV in her cold hands. It felt good and she just hoped that it would start to warm up Donald's body again.

"See even with basic field training you can set up an IV." Liz said towards Donald who was always joking around about her "minimum knowledge of the real FBI work" as he always called it. Liz could see that Donald had slipped into unconsciousness again but what really got Liz attention was the nearing sound of an helicopter. Help was finally there.
A paramedic was by her side in no time and Liz quickly filled him in what had happened. He checked Ressler over before talking to her.

"Okay, we can't move him but we need to get him to the backboard. You need to help me and hold him onto his side while I got the board underneath him, okay?" Liz nodded holding onto Donald.

The paramedic brought Donald up first before picking Liz up too. As she finally made it into the helicopter her eyes grew wide as she could see that Donald had been intubated. The image of him on a ventilator nearly made Liz pass out. Tear where already streaming down her face as she asked "What happened?"

"We need to stabilize him further. His body temperature is really low and we couldn't risk anything right now. His heart rate and his blood pressure are giving us a hard time" The Doctor told her before setting another warm blanket onto Donald's unmoving body.

"He is strong. He is a really strong person." Liz mumbled. She felt cold and started to shake more now that she knew Donald was in good hands.

"Let's have a look at you too."

"I am fine." Liz tried to protest but knew immediately that the doctor was right. She needed at least a warm blanket too.

Liz walked back into the waiting area, dressed in fresh and warm clothes, holding onto the cup of hot coffee she just got herself. Meera had stopped by bringing her some fresh clothes. Even if they where in the middle of a search for Beth Meera had told Cooper that Liz also needed medical attention so she could stay with Donald until she knew that he was out of the woods.

Liz leaned her head onto the wall right in front of the shock room they had brought Donald in what felt like an eternity ago. Still she couldn't rebuild everything that had happened on the bridge, it was just some blur chaos on her mind, some foggy memories, all that she could see when she closed her eyes was Donald's lifeless body, face down in the water.

"Agent Keen?" A voice got her out of her horrible memories.

"Agent Ressler's body temperature is rising slowly. He's still not responsive but at least his vitals are now stabilized. We will soon move him to ICU." A Doctor explained.

"Can I see him?"

"Of course. Just give us a few minutes to get everything settled for Agent Ressler. A nurse is going to bring you to his room soon." Liz nodded biting her lower lip. She knew that she needed to join Meera, that they needed to find Beth, she knew that it would be Donald's wish too.

"Is he going to be alright?" She asked. Still she didn't know if he got hurt during the gun fight or the explosion.
"We checked him probably. He's got 4 cracked ribs, nothing broken, no internal bleeding. The hypothermia is giving his body a hard time. His heart rate and blood pressure made us worry that's why we will take him to ICU. He's still not out of the woods but things are looking good."
Liz exhaled deeply before sitting back down on her chair. Maybe if she had reacted sooner he wouldn't be in this bad condition right now. Maybe.

After the nurse guided her to Donald's room Liz took a minute before she got to his side. At least the ventilator was gone but still Donald was as pale as the bed he was laying in. The room was heated and warm blankets where all over his body. Still there was an IV line in his hand, pumping warm liquid into his system.

"Hey." Liz said stroking Donald's hair slightly. He still felt so cold.

"I need you to listen to me right now. Beth is still missing and we need to find her. I can't stay with you now so you have to fight on your own, you hear me? Fight Donald. I need you." Liz whispered before exhaling deeply, fighting back the urgent need to place a kiss on Donald's head. She closed her eyes for a second before walking out of the room, leaving her wounded partner behind. It was the job, it was protocol, there was nothing else she could do even if her gut was telling here a completely different story.

Liz grabbed her phone again while Meera drove the SUV desperately looking for a call from the hospital. Still there was no word on Donald waking up. It had been four hours now. They had just checked out another location without success, still there was no sign of Beth.

"Still nothing?" Meera asked, getting Liz to exhale deeply.

"No."

"Come on I will drop you off at the hospital."

"We need to..."

"You need to check on Donald. I understand." Meera just said looking straight into Liz's eyes. "Thank you."

Liz made her way towards Donald's room, feeling her heart stop for a second as she found it empty. "Donald." She whispered, turning around to find a nurse or somebody else who could tell her what had happened. This wasn't a good sign.

"Agent Keen." The tiny voice of Betty got her to turn around.

"Where is he?" She just asked.

"There where some complications."

"Why haven't you called me? What's going on? Is he going to be alright?" Liz couldn't think straight. She had felt that something wasn't right. She had known that it was a mistake to leave him all on his own in his condition.
"I can only tell you that his blood pressure and his heart rate had gotten worse again. Doctor Robins wanted to check him over again and look for possible internal bleeding again." Liz exhaled deeply tears already forming in her eyes. She tried to remember their last conversation and had to smile slightly. They had joked, she could still see him smile.

For Liz it felt like an eternity until she could hear a bed wheeling over the ground. She got up from the chair in the empty room and looked towards the door where Donald was wheeled back into the room. Still he was laying completely still in his bed which was surrounded by machines. He got oxygen through a nasal cannula, his cheeks finally had a healthy looking red flush on them.

"I am here Donald." Liz said touching his arm, which felt warm, before turning around to face the Doctor.

"Dr. Robins, what's going on?"

"We just wanted to make sure that there is still no internal bleeding, everything is looking good. His blood pressure and his heart rate are stabilized again."

"Why had it dropped?"

"It's a little tricky. Hypothermia could cause this symptoms but internal bleeding could show the same symptoms. Since the explosion and the possibly uncontrolled fall from the bridge we wanted to make sure that nothing ruptured."

"You didn't find anything, right?"

"No. He is going to be okay Agent Keen."

"Why isn't he waking up then?"

"Some patients take longer than others. His body had been through a lot today. I think he should be awake soon. His vitals are good, blood pressure is good too and as you can see his heart rate is completely back to normal."

"Why does he get oxygen?"

"The cracked ribs are properly giving him a hard time breathing properly. It's just to prevent his oxygen levels from dropping again."
"So they dropped before?"
"Yes."

Liz exhaled deeply before thanking the Doctor for all the information's. She laid her hand back onto Donald's arm, stroking his cheek with her other hand.

"Take your time. I am right here by your side. Everything is going to be alright." Liz said watching Donald closely. She wouldn't leave his side again. Not until she had talked to him. Not until he had told her on his own that he was going to be alright.

It took two more hours until Liz could feel Donald slightly shifting under her touch. She waited for a few more minutes until she started to talk to him even if he had his eyes still shut.
"Hey sleeping beauty." She said as Donald finally opened his eyes, blinking away the dizziness. "Hey." He said, his voice raw. She could see how dry his lips where.

"Here. Carefully. Just a few sips." Liz said holding Donald's head with one hand and the cup of water with the other hand.

"Thanks." He said relived to feel the pillow underneath his head again. He just felt weak and exhausted.

"How do you feel?" Liz asked right in this moment.

"The last thing I remember is the chemicals going off." Donald said, avoiding to answer her question. He just felt miserable.

"You where thrown off the bridge into the water. As I finally reached you you weren't breathing anymore."

"Please don't tell me you jumped off of this bridge!" Donald said and Liz had to smirk.

"My heroic partner needed to be saved again." Liz just shot back.

"Are you alright?"

"Come on really? Donald you are lying in a hospital bed in ICU after nearly dying and you are asking me if I am alright?"

"I remember the truck hitting the SUV, the explosion...Beth. Where is Beth?" Donald said hectically as things finally got back into his mind. He moaned out in pain as he tried to sit up, his ribs giving him a hard time.

"Shhhh. Please lay back down and keep calm. We are searching for her."

"You haven't found her yet?" Donald asked while Liz eyes never left the monitor beside Donald's bed. His heart rate wasn't doing his body any good in his current situation.

"No but we are looking for her." Liz said relieved as she could see that it was getting back to normal slowly.

Donald hissed in pain again as he settled back down and Liz remembered his cracked ribs.

"You suffered hypothermia and gave us quite of a scare. You where out for nearly 10 hours. Your heart rate and blood pressure made a roller coaster ride. They needed to intubate you in the helicopter." Liz continued to talk.

"You have four cracked ribs but other then that you should be fine soon." Donald nodded slowly looking into Liz eyes not missing the tears in her eyes.

"Liz!" He said softly.

"I had to reanimate you. You where nearly dead Donald. You...you weren't breathing anymore. As we reached the hospital you where hooked to a ventilator and I couldn't do anything. We have been through a lot but this was just...I was so scared. I could have lost you."

"I am right here and I am not going anywhere okay? Liz! Come here." Donald said reaching out for her and pulling her close. He could feel the pain in his ribs as Liz buried her head on his chest, not giving away anything.

"It's going to be okay. I am going to be okay." Donald continued to tell her, gently stroking her hair while he could hear and feel her sobbing. It took Liz a few minutes before she got back up looking straight into Donald's eyes.

"You can't just leave me here!"

"I will not leave you. I mean come on, you only got minimum knowledge of the real FBI work." Ressler said while Liz joined him in his words.

"You know what Mister poster boy FBI Agent? See this beautiful IV line in your arm? Guess who set it?"

"Oh come on you gotta be kidding me."

"Absolutely not. I did it! You where to busy with nearly dying on me so someone had to save your ass."

"I am impressed. Did the doctors say anything? Will I be able to use the arm again?" Donald asked with a serious expression relived as he could see a smile on Liz face. Even if he felt completely miserable at the moment he needed to see her better. After everything she had just told him he knew that she had literally walked through hell today. He couldn't even imagine if it would have been her in his situation.

"Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." Donald said getting her hand back into his.

"For what?"

"For saving my life."

"I couldn't just let you go. We are not done yet." Liz said her hand gently stroking his hair.

"No?" He asked with a smirk.
"No. Not as partners and not as friends."

So guys I hope you liked it. Let me know what you think.