Fic: Last Chance, Chapter 6 (Numb3rs, Charlie / Colby, Ian / David, Don / Martin)
Title: Last Chance, Chapter 6
Pair: Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger,
Ian Edgerton / David Sinclair
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
NUMB3RS Main List
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
“I’m very sorry.” The doctor crossed his arms across his chest and tried to look sympathetic. “Our doctors did all they could, but the bleeding was too severe. Not to mention all the other injuries-”
“I know.” Megan sighed. She glanced into the morgue through the little window on the door. “Can he stay with him for a while?”
“Of course. Let me know when you want to handle the paperwork. Or will he handle it?” He pointed to the man next to the slab. “Funeral homes usually require that all paperwork is done before they are transferred.”
“Just give him some time. I have to go now, but let me know if he needs something.”
Megan walked down the corridor and through the revolving doors, ending up in one of the family rooms.
Helen was dozing peacefully on the couch, and Charlie had buried his face into Colby’s chest. Megan knocked on the doorframe.
“Hey, boys.”
“Hey.” Charlie snapped awake from his daze. “Where is he?”
“Still in the morgue.” She sat down next to them. “Is Don with Martin?”
“Yeah, he`s been driving all the nurses and doctors crazy.”
“I can imagine. Does he know about….?”
“Colby told him. But I don’t think it’s gonna matter much.” Charlie gave her a grim look. “When he gets over the first shock, he’ll kill Ian. Several times. And really painfully.”
“Did you talk to the officers?” Colby interrupted. “How are they handling this?”
“Internal investigation is handling it. A federal agent shoots two people at a bureau consultant’s house. And to top it all off, one victim is an unarmed civilian and the other one is a fugitive who used to be an agent. They want to keep this under wraps. If the press hears about this it will be in all the headlines.”
“How was Ian when you saw him?”
“Hard to say. No matter how hard I try, I can’t read him.” Megan admitted. “I know he didn’t really know the boy, but his reaction to the kidnapping is serious sign.”
“Don’t tell me you feel sorry for Carson….”
“I don’t, but we have two people laying in the morgue and one recovering from a gunshot wound. There will be repercussions.”
“When you said you had found Ian’s kid, I thought….” Charlie paused to consider his words. “For a little while I thought everything would be fine.”
“He was loosing too much blood." Megan explained once more. "They tried to keep him steady but he flatlined in the ambulance.”
“They didn’t know each other." Charlie seemed to be lost in his thoughts. "I can imagine it. Your child is your child even if you don’t know him.”
“True. We’re trying to locate his mother from Boston, she still thinks he is missing.”
“Is it any better to know for sure that he’s dead?”
“I’m not sure.” Megan ran her hand through her hair. “Where’s David?”
“He went to call Ian’s mother and let her know what’s going on. Caroline was supposed to stay with her the whole week.”
“He’ll tell her she had a grandson she never even heard about who is now dead. Quite a call….” Colby commented. “Anyway, do you think we could go back to the house now? I think Charlie could use some rest.”
“Charlie can talk for himself.” Charlie grunted. “And I’m not going.”
“They’re still investigating the scene. Maybe it’s better if you get a room in a hotel for tonight or something. You could take Helen and go to my place, get some sleep.”
“I’ll go when I’ve seen Martin. I just wanna see him myself.”
“Last I heard he’s still unconscious. But the bullet went right through, it missed vital organs. He’ll be fine. You can come back tomorrow.”
“No.”
“I can see the family resemblance. Don was just like that when they took Martin to the surgery.”
“It’s a tunnel brain thing.” Charlie tried to smile, but the result was closer to a grimace. “When we got one big thing going on up there, everything else fades away.”
“It’s understandable in this situation. Someone you love being in danger overrides all other impulses. But when he is certain that Martin will recover…..” Megan let out a deep sigh. “It will get very ugly.”
“I still don’t get it.” The math genius leaned back against the backrest. “I know how your own kid can drive you to do weird things but…. I don’t get it.”
“He was angry and vengeful and it just got out of hand. On purely instinctual level I can understand the desperation and rage, but shooting an unarmed civilian is something I can’t understand. Even David seemed shocked.” She weighted her words. “Almost like he was afraid of Edgerton.”
-------------------------------------------------------
Don leaned over the edge of the bed. Martin’s eyelids were moving and he opened his eyes. He blinked rapidly, trying to get accustomed to the bright light over the bed.
“Hey.”
Martin lifted his hand to his throat. Don got the message and handed his a small cup of water from the nightstand. Martin took a careful sip.
“That’s better…. My throat’s sore.”
“They just took the tube out. How are you feeling?”
“Sore. Sore all over.” Martin gave him a faint smile. “I know people don’t like lawyers, but I never thought someone would actually try to shoot me.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I don’t even do criminal cases-”
“Don’t try to make jokes about this. What the hell did you think you were doing?”
“I tried to get him to put the gun away, I told him there was nobody else in the house. How’s….?” He had to pause to take deep breaths.
“Charlie and Helen are fine.” Don swallowed down the lump in his throat. “I understand you wanted to keep them safe but that was really dumb thing to do.”
“He put the gun down. Carson. He gave me the gun and I locked it to the drawer.”
“You shouldn’t have been talking to him. I know why you did it. I do. But you scared me to death.”
“Sorry.” Martin’s lips curled into a crooked grin. “Now you know what it feels like when you’re doing something dangerous.” That seemed to shift his thought into new tracks. “Carson had a packet with him. Do you know what was in it?”
“Yeah.” Don hesitated. “Seven cut fingers.”
“Is he… Ian’s boy…?”
“He died on the way to the hospital.”
“And Carson?”
“Dead.”
“Have you talked to Ian yet?”
“No, I came in the ambulance with you.”
“Can give him a message from me?”
“Sure.” Don forced a neutral expression on his face.
“Give him my condolences.” Martin was drifting back to sleep. “And….”
“And what?”
“And don’t try kill him. I know you’re thinking about it….” His eyes closed on their own.
Don took the hand that was still laying on Martin’s chest and squeezed it lightly.
TBC