AN: Not sure anyone is still interested, but have still been playing with this, albeit slowly. Enjoy

Rubbing his hand over his face, McG blew out a breath as he headed back to the waiting area. As he neared it, he saw the others on their feet, tension radiating from them. Holding out his hands, he motioned for them to relax. "She's okay," he assured coming to stop in front of Top. "She was fighting them but she agreed to let them give her something." Glancing back down the hallway, he added, "She'll be out for a couple hours and hopefully by then, her body will realize it needs to sleep and keep her that way."

"Sounds like a good plan," Preach stated moving to catch Top's eyes. Raising an eye brow, he knew Adam caught the hidden meaning to his statement.

Flinching slightly at the pointed stare, Top looked away, his eyes trailing back to the hallway. "After I talk to the doctor." Glancing sideways when Carter stepped closer, he waited to see what the big man had to say.

"You pushing yourself like this isn't helping anyone," Preach said softly, staring at Top's clenched jaw. A swallow told him he had hit a mark.

"After I talk to the doctor," Adam reiterated, his soft voice revealing his fatigue and worry. Glancing sideways, he added, "I just need to make sure she's okay."

Awareness came slowly to Jaz. She felt floaty, disconnected to the insistent aches in her body. Slowly opening her eyes she frowned at the dim lighting in the room. Looking around she comprehended that it was a hospital room, it was night, and there was a person standing by the window. "Amir?"

Startled, Raisani looked toward the bed. "Hey," he replied. Moving to the chair beside the bed, he sat down. "How are you?"

"What time is it?"

Glancing down, Amir doubled checked. "Almost midnight. You've been out for over fifteen hours."

Nodding slightly, Jasmine licked her lips, grateful when a glass with a straw appeared. Take several sips she sank back into the mattress. "How bad?"

A comforting smile settled on Amir's lips. "Nothing that won't heal. Your kidney is bruised so they want to watch that a bit," he told her, gesturing to the catheter bag on the side of the bed. Glancing up, a smile pulled on his mouth at the look of horror and disgust on Jaz's face. Clearing his throat he added, "They're also running some antibiotics on you as a precaution."

Following Amir's line of sight, Jaz nodded in understanding. Looking back, her teeth momentarily caught her lip. "Anything else?"

"They couldn't find any evidence of sexual assault if that is what you are asking."

Tears of relief sprung into Jaz's eyes. "Okay," she breathed, letting out a shaky breath. A few moments of silence passed before she spoke again. "Why are you here?"

A shrug pulled on Amir's shoulders. "I've," he paused, glancing down, "been through something similar," he said, gesturing to her body. "I know it can take a little bit to truly understand that it's over. That you're safe." A soft smile etched onto his face when he looked at her. "I didn't want you to wake up without someone to tell you it was okay."

A hitched breath met his statement and a shaky thank you floated in the air.

"She placed not one but five operatives at risk. I cannot let that stand."

"Sir," Dalton bit out, trying to keep his emotions in check. "As one of those five, I'm telling you that we were fully aware of the risk posed to us. The Deputy Director's actions were the result of a tactical plan to get Sergeant Kahn back. I specifically asked her to do it. Prosecute me, not her."

"She broke the law," the Director of the DIA stated flatly. "And she allowed your team to stay and conduct an unsanctioned operation, which resulted in the death of a DIA asset."

Flinching slightly at the reminder of Hossein's death, Adam squared his shoulders and leaned closer to the screen. "An operation that resulted in the successful rescue of the soldier responsible for obtaining justice for hundreds if not thousands of service men and civilians who died or were hurt by Jarif's actions," Dalton threw back, his voice hard. "And let's not forget that no one had been able to even come close to shutting him down before. Sergeant Kahn completed her mission and we owed it to her to do everything in our power to bring her home. Alive."

Watching the official in the video monitor look away and swallow, Adam softened his tone. "Look, I get it. Others cannot perceive that this type of action is without consequence." When the older man looked back at him, he continued. "Sanction her, suspend her, hell, dock her a month's pay, but Sir, we need Deputy Director Campbell on the front line with us."

Shifting, the older man cleared his throat. "I'll pass on your report and recommendation for consideration to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs."

"Thank you, Sir," Adam said, knowing he had done all that he could for the moment. "Incirlik out." When the screen went blank, he leaned back and blew out a breath.

"Think it will do any good?"

Shrugging, Adam gained his feet. "Can't hurt," he said, picking up his coffee cup and heading toward the kitchen area. Glancing back at Carter, he noted the large man yawning. "You get some sleep?"

The irony of Top asking him that question did not go unnoticed. He had heard him moving about the hut making coffee at four. "More than you," he countered, noting the dark circles under Adam's eyes. "What are up to now - six, seven hours in the past three days?"

"Eight, eight and a half if you count the cat naps in the back of the truck," Adam threw back, a forced lightness in his voice as he pulled a skillet from the cupboard. "Had stuff to do. Want an egg?" he asked.

"Sure," Zeke noted back, sitting down at the table, but not taking the hint to change the subject. "You know that big brain of yours needs it beauty rest."

Flashing an irritated glare toward the big man before refocusing on the task, Adam changed the subject. "Amir said Jaz woke up about
midnight, but went back to sleep a few hours later. The nurse told him they'd likely discharge her this afternoon as things are looking okay. McG is over there now."

Nodding slowly, Preach slowly turned the coffee cup on the table. "You find out anything about Hossein's brother?" A subtle pause in Top's movement told him that he had.

"French intelligence said that the shop was raided and he was taken into custody." Putting bread into the toaster, he added softly, "They don't think it'll be that long before he's executed."

"Guilt by association," Preach murmured, remorse seeping through him at the idea of another casualty of the mission. This one a relatively innocent one. Thinking about the smaller man who handled the shop when they were there, he couldn't remember hearing about anyone else any time they had been there. "He have a family?"

Shaking his head, Adam flipped eggs on a plate and grabbed the toast before sitting it down in front of Preach. "Not that I know of. They were the last of their line."

Another wave of remorse passed through the big man. Glancing down, a smile pulled at his features. "You taking cooking tips from Jaz?" He asked tipping his chin towards the undercooked eggs on his plate.

Realizing what Preach was indicating, a mischievous smile pulled on Adam's face. "It was her morning. Didn't want you to miss out."

Nodding at the nurse exiting the room and indicating he could enter, McG picked up the bag on the floor before doing so. "Hey," he greeted his teammate, dropping the bag on a chair. "Brought you some things you might need."

"Discharge papers?" Jasmine quipped, shifting gingerly on the bed.

"Not my call," Joseph quipped back settling into the chair and noting she was no longer hooked up to the heart monitor or catheter. "Doesn't look like it'll be that long though. You been up yet?"

Shaking her head, Kahn added, "Not til next time I have to pee. Want to give my ankle as much time as possible."

Nodding, McG acknowledged the statement. "You need anything?" He asked, looking around the sparse room.

Shaking her head, Jaz was grateful for his concern and support. However, after he had asked her the same question three times in a twenty minute period, she was getting irritated. When it came out of his mouth a fourth time, she pinned him with a glare. "If you're going to continue that, you can go back to the hut."

A stunned look passed over Joe's face. "Continue what?" When he received a 'you know what I mean' look, he looked away. "Sorry," he muttered, a wince gracing his features. Looking away for a few seconds, he brought somber eyes back to her. "It's gonna take a bit to stop," he confessed lowly. "For all of us," he added.

When her eyes softened, he continued. "When you went up that elevator, and we could hear it all going to hell," McG paused shaking his head. "Man, that tore me up. I know you can take care of yourself, but," a humorless chuckle left him as an apologetic shrugged told her he had no go good explanation. Shifting in his chair, he looked away. "It totally sucked when we couldn't do a damn thing as they marched you across the lobby."

"They would have killed all of you," Jaz said softly.

McG shrugged it off. "Would of given 'em a hell of a fight first. Besides, it couldn't have been worse than sitting on my ass helpless for hours." Getting up he crossed to the window and stared sightlessly out of it.

Toying with the seam of the cover, Jaz swallowed the lump in her throat understanding how the others had felt. "How'd you find me?"

A snort escaped Joe. "Top," he said glancing back. "We knew from the tape that you'd been taken into the city to a black site. He heard a sheep on the tape when the rest of us swore it was a bird. He must have listened to it at least a hundred times before it hit him," he said, shaking his head still in awe that he had picked out that sound. After a few seconds, he continued. "That told us you were in a slaughter house. Hossein hooked us up with a guy who use to work with the Quds to find out which one. When he tried to stall us, Top shot him in the femoral artery and told him he'd let him bleed out or he could tell us what we wanted to know." Shaking his head, he looked outside. "We've all done some pretty ruthless shit, but this," McG shook his head. "I've never seen him like that."

A shiver slid through Jaz's body as she saw the seriousness of Joe's face.

Sitting back down, a frown crossed his features. "Later, after Amir had scoped out the place and we knew we couldn't get to you in there, we were all pretty messed up. Top," McG looked down and a sigh escaped him. "He shut down; checked out. Preach tried to talk to him and he just turned his back and held up a hand. He finally said he had to report to command and took off. It pissed me off that he was giving up that easy but the next thing I know he's barreling in barking something about an ambush, and telling Hossein he needed a rocket launcher and Quds' uniforms." Leaning on his legs, McG shook his head. "I thought he was nuts, that there had to be a better way, but Top," a grimace escaped him as he trailed off.

"What?" Jaz prodded when McG remained silent, staring at the floor.

Leaning back, McG let out a long slow breath. "Top had the guts to say what the rest of us wouldn't. That the only way you were going to survive was if we got you when they were moving you. Otherwise," he said slowly, raising his eyes to look at her, not finishing the sentence.

"I knew I was going to die," she said softly, her voice thick. "All I had to do was hold out long enough for you guys to get out of there." Looking down, she adjusted the cover to give herself a minute. "When he told me that he knew I was American, I was afraid they had found you guys." Looking up, her eyes were bright. "He had pictures of you from the airport."

Reaching out, McG took her hand and squeezed it. "Never got close," he assured her.

AN2: I know at least part of you are interested in seeing more of Top but he seems to be fighting me. Will keep working on him. Thanks for reading.