CHAPTER SIx

A dull ache throbbed in his head. It was joined by another dull ache in his right side, which was itself joined by a sharp, stinging throb just above his right knee. He was thirsty, terribly thirsty. He blinked, and was rewarded with a sharp pain on the right side of his face. It was difficult to open his right eye, and his right cheek felt swollen and heavy. He realized with a growing terror that something restrained his arms.

"Oh, God…No…I'm back…"

"Bobby…Bobby…Are you awake?"

For several agonizing moments, he couldn't tell if the terrible memories or the gentle voice were real.

"Ea…Eames?" he asked hoarsely.

"Yea…I'm here…"

"The…the kids…Are they…"

She raised a cup of water to him and held the straw so he could drink. "That's you, Bobby," she said as he savored the cold water on his throat. "Worried about everyone but yourself."

He couldn't look at her.

"They're both fine," Alex said. "Much better shape than you. Although both of the perps may be in worse shape than you. They're both in this hospital too. The kids say you saved them. That seems to be everyone's opinion."

He stared at his hands on the sheet. "Why," he wondered. "Why didn't she answer…call me…Why is she here…"

His embarrassment deepened into guilt. "Only after I nearly got them killed…Left them…" he muttered.

Her hand rested lightly on his. "That's not what they say."

"They're the heroes," Bobby said. "They came back for me…Patched me up…"

"Bobby," Alex said patiently. "They couldn't have done any of that if you hadn't rescued them."

"Rescue," Bobby said bitterly. "I was as stupid as the perps…Like a Three Stooges movie…"

"Are you at all interested in what shape you're in?" She tried to change the subject. "Or what day it is? Or that the Chief of Ds has been doing a very interesting dance in accepting the fact you're a hero? Those two perps aren't very bright, but they're nasty pieces of work. You're not the first guy they've put in the hospital and the kids aren't the first people they've terrorized."

Bobby digested this information. "You're sure the kids are all right?" He winced as he tried to straighten his body.

Alex gently adjusted his pillows. "Yea…The hospital didn't even keep them overnight. You've been here a couple of days, and they've been to see you. You're right. They're good, brave, smart kids. Their parents and friends are ready to give you a parade."

"I…I've been out for two days?" Bobby tried to understand how he could be so exhausted after being out for so long.

"You had some good excuses…A concussion, bruised ribs, that nasty slash on your leg…You lost some blood…"

Bobby looked down at his leg, which was propped up on several pillows. He tentatively moved it, and pain filled his head.

"Bobby…" Alex's voice was tense and worried and reached him through a haze. "Take it easy…Your leg got cut to the bone…There was a lot of damage…The doctors say it'll be ok, but it's going to hurt for a while…And, like I said, you lost a lot of blood."

Bobby realized he was shaking from the pain. He felt Alex's hand on his forehead.

"I'm going to call the nurse," she said. "Get you some more pain pills."

The nurse responded quickly. "How's our hero?" she asked genially.

"Hurting," Alex answered. "He moved his leg."

Bobby felt horribly weak.

"Let's check you out," the nurse said quietly. "And get you something for the pain…"

Several minutes later found Bobby trying to fight off the medication's effects.

"Eames," he mumbled. "Did…did you get my message…"

"Yes," she said. "And I tried to reach you…after I called the Pennsylvania State Police…and Ross…and Deakins…I figured he still had plenty of contacts…"

Bobby's befuddled mind struggled to process her words. "I…the boy…Drew…there was a call…"

Alex tried not to shiver at her memory of the call, of the boy's struggle to be brave and calm, of the description of Bobby's injuries, and the occasional sound of Bobby trying not to show his pain in the background. "Yea…He's a brave kid…I'd tried to reach you…but there wasn't a signal…"

He kept fighting the fog descending on his brain. "You…You called me…You tried…"

"Of course I did," Alex said. "You'd think I wouldn't?"

He looked at her through his half-closed eyes, and she realized with a terrible shock that he did think that.

"Bobby," she said, trying to keep anger out of her voice. "I would never do that…You're my partner…my friend…I'll answer your calls…I'll always help you…if you let me…"

"Eames," he mumbled. "You…Please…Understand…I…I wasn't stupid…Reckless…I called…I called the local police…I tried to get help…I knew…I knew something was wrong…But…I walked out…Walked out of the store…It…It was so hard to do…"

She rested a hand on his forehead. "I know…the kids…the police…They all said…"

He twisted on the bed and tried to ignore the resulting pain. "Eames…please…listen…I had to go back…I had to…And I got there…Emmie…the girl…They…they were going to hurt her…I had to move…I had to help her…"

"Bobby…Bobby…Look at me…Listen to me…" Alex pressed her hand firmly but gently against his head. "I know…I know you had to go back…You wouldn't be you if you hadn't…I understand that…I know you did the right thing…I believe that…"

He forced his eyes open and stared into hers. "But…but do you…" He feared but desperately needed to know the answer.

Alex's hand hovered over the call button. The doctors had stressed that surgical thread and hope held Bobby's leg together, and she feared neither would survive his twisting and turning.

"Bobby…Please…calm down…Your leg…You have to be careful."

He gripped her hand, and his dark eyes bore into hers. "Do you…do you believe in me? Trust me?"

Confused, Alex stared at him.

"She doesn't," Bobby thought. "She can't…"

His heart sunk, and he turned away from her. Her hand on his head now felt like a hot iron; he tried to pull his hand away from hers, but she clung to it.

"Bobby…I don't understand…How can you ask me that? Of course I trust you…believe in you…I don't always understand you, but I trust you."

His heart rose slightly, but he kept his head turned away from her.

"It…it's just…all the stuff I've pulled…What I've done to you…"

"You've done nothing to me…You've never hurt me…Except when you turn me away…I've known what I was getting into…" She rubbed his forehead, and her touch was once again cool and comforting. "Look…this…You did everything you were supposed to. You called for help. You wanted to wait for it, but you couldn't. Any cop…any good cop…would've done what you did…Probably not as well…"

"I…I…" He finally turned his head to her, and she saw the tears brimming in his eyes. She fought against the ones that rose in hers.

"I kept thinking…" He was loosing his battle against the drugs and his exhaustion. "How much I wanted you to be there. If you were there, everything…I knew…I could know…that I was doing the right thing…You'd tell me…"

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," Alex said, proud that she could control her voice. "But I'm here now…And I can tell you the right thing to do now is get some rest."

He forced his eyes to stay open. "You…you'll stay…I'm sorry…Pull you so far away…"

"I'll stay…It's not a big deal…Just trust me…Rest…Rest…"

He surrendered. When he stirred or shook or shuddered in the night, she touched him and drove away his fears.

END