Colby twisted Kardum’s hand back, hard. Let the son of a bitch feel a fraction of what Don was feeling. "You actually might need a doctor, ‘cause there’s things that I could do to you, won’t even leave a mark." He could, too.
"Let him go," David said.
"You’re gonna need meds just to get up and get out of bed in the morning, you got that?"
"I said, let him go. Granger, take a walk," David ordered.
Colby just stared at him for a minute but then did as he was told. David wasn't his partner right now, he was his boss. Even if he was being a piss poor one at the moment.
He paced outside the interrogation room. Kardum could lead them to the guy who was ultimately responsible for Don getting stabbed, for Don maybe being a coma, never waking up and -- Colby didn't think he could handle it. And instead of going after the guy the way they should they were going to baby him, treat him like the guy actually deserved some common decency. Why? He hadn't given Don that respect and now he was in a hospital bed.
Finally David joined him. "You know, you might want to give me a heads up next time, before you go changing the play book. Don’s in the hospital, breathing through a tube, because these guys put him there!"
"And we are gonna get them. Not like this."
"We’ve done this before, David," he reminded him.
"I wasn’t the boss, before."
"Well I can think of plenty of times where we ran hard at a guy and Don just looked the other way."
"I’m not Don. All right? I’m not him."
Clearly. But he knew he was being unfair. David wasn't Don, but that didn't necessarily mean he was wrong.
"I'm gonna take a walk," Colby said, turning on his heel and heading for the men's room. He understood David's position, but this was Don. Don who would never leave one of his own hanging, who would go to any lengths to keep any one of them safe. And now Don might... he might--
The thought of Don not coming out of his coma made Colby's stomach clench and he ran for the toilet, dry-heaving because he hadn't bothered to stop and eat since Don had been hurt.
He held himself still for a moment until he was sure he was done. He cupped his hand under the faucet and got enough water to swish around in his mouth. He was running on fumes and that wouldn't do anybody any good, least of all Don.
"Yeah. Yeah I guess you're right," Colby said, taking a deep breath and scrubbing a hand through his hair.
David looked at him closely. "You sure you're alright?"
"I'm just tired, man. I haven't really slept since Don got stabbed."
Giving him a look that clearly said he should know better, David said, "Go home for a few hours. Get some sleep. I promise I'll call you when something breaks, okay?"
"Yeah, sure. Thanks, man." But when he got into his car he headed toward the hospital, not home. He was sure there was nothing new or he would have heard by now, but he still wanted to check on Don. Besides, Alan could probably use a breather and Charlie was still working on his own way of helping the case. Don shouldn't be alone.
"Hi, Alan," Colby said quietly as he approached the room in ICU where Don lay. Alan jumped a little but was ultimately too tired to show much surprise. "How is he doing?"
"Same. You look terrible, though," Alan commented.
Colby chuckled a little. "I'm fine. I thought you could use a break and there's not much for me to do right now, so..."
Alan looked skeptical, but he knew better than to argue with a determined agent. "Okay. I'm going to head downstairs for food. I'll be back in a little while." He squeezed Colby's shoulder as he left.
Colby waited until Alan left then he approached the bed. Don looked terrible and the sound of his respirator assisted breathing was just awful. Colby put a hand on Don's shoulder. He filled him in on the case. Don probably couldn't hear him, but there was always a chance he could, and if so he'd want to know what was going on. He left out the part about his threatening to physically hurt a suspect.
When he ran out of words, Colby just sat in the chair near Don's bed and watched the heart monitor beat slowly. He didn't really know what he was doing here. The last thing that he should be doing is sitting by his boss's bed and praying that he wakes up. Of course he cared about Don--they were friends--but this seemed out of proportion, even for him.
If it had been anybody else, Charlie, Nikki, Megan, he'd have taken David's advice and gone home to get some sleep and some food. If it had been David, well, okay, he'd be here for David, too. But David was his partner, not his boss. Not normally his boss.
There was a slight hiccup in Don's monitors and Colby held his breath until they settled down into the same steady rhythm. He rubbed his forehead, exhausted and confused.
"Let him go," David said.
"You’re gonna need meds just to get up and get out of bed in the morning, you got that?"
"I said, let him go. Granger, take a walk," David ordered.
Colby just stared at him for a minute but then did as he was told. David wasn't his partner right now, he was his boss. Even if he was being a piss poor one at the moment.
He paced outside the interrogation room. Kardum could lead them to the guy who was ultimately responsible for Don getting stabbed, for Don maybe being a coma, never waking up and -- Colby didn't think he could handle it. And instead of going after the guy the way they should they were going to baby him, treat him like the guy actually deserved some common decency. Why? He hadn't given Don that respect and now he was in a hospital bed.
Finally David joined him. "You know, you might want to give me a heads up next time, before you go changing the play book. Don’s in the hospital, breathing through a tube, because these guys put him there!"
"And we are gonna get them. Not like this."
"We’ve done this before, David," he reminded him.
"I wasn’t the boss, before."
"Well I can think of plenty of times where we ran hard at a guy and Don just looked the other way."
"I’m not Don. All right? I’m not him."
Clearly. But he knew he was being unfair. David wasn't Don, but that didn't necessarily mean he was wrong.
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The thought of Don not coming out of his coma made Colby's stomach clench and he ran for the toilet, dry-heaving because he hadn't bothered to stop and eat since Don had been hurt.
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"You alright, man?"
He thought about not answering, but he knew David was just trying to be his friend. "Yeah. I'm alright. Just--Don..."
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David looked at him closely. "You sure you're alright?"
"I'm just tired, man. I haven't really slept since Don got stabbed."
Giving him a look that clearly said he should know better, David said, "Go home for a few hours. Get some sleep. I promise I'll call you when something breaks, okay?"
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"Same. You look terrible, though," Alan commented.
Colby chuckled a little. "I'm fine. I thought you could use a break and there's not much for me to do right now, so..."
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"I'm good," Colby assured him. "Why don't you get some food or get some sleep? I can stay for a few hours."
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Colby jumped guiltily. "David. Um, hi."
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"I tried to go home. I did! I just... found myself here instead. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, man."
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