Third Watch Fic: Between Time (4-6/?)
Title: Between Time (4 /?)
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, but I wish they did.
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence and sexual content
Spoilers: Up through and including "233 Days"
Summary: A serious accident forces Faith and Bosco to re-evaluate their lives as well as their relationship with each other.
Distribution: My site, Only Time.
Category: Story
Subcategories: drama/angst/romance/friendship
Feedback: Have you hugged your author today? *grin*
Author's Note: I'm aware there's a similar story being written about this idea, but I've already talked to the author of that story and she encouraged me to go ahead and write mine. I'm pretty sure we're going in different directions with the fics anyway. Any similarities are only coincidental of great minds thinking alike, not of plagarism.
Author's Note: I have *no* medical knowledge whatsoever, so if any of the medical stuff is inaccurate, please don't flame me.
Dedication: For Bree, Dem and CCA, who all encouraged me to write this months ago.
Special thanks to CCA, who gave me the idea for the beginning part of this story. :)
Between Time (Part Four)
"Ha, ha. Very funny," the man replied, rolling his eyes as he took a step closer to her bed.
Faith opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, faltering for words as he stared at her, a blank expression on his face. She began to feel uncomfortable and anxious as he moved closer.
The fingers of her uninjured hand curled involuntarily around the bed rail. She attempted to pull herself into a sitting position, but the movement sent unbearable pain jolting through her ribs and head.
She couldn't help the cry that escaped her lips.
"That was smart," the man said sarcastically. "You have broken bones." There was no hint of compassion in his eyes or on his face.
Tears sprang to her eyes and she quickly squeezed them shut, reminding herself to breathe. She siliently prayed for Bosco to return with that doctor.
Soon.
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The first thing Bosco saw as he walked back into Faith's hospital room was Fred Yokas. The other man was standing a couple feet away from her bed, arms folded across his chest, a disgusted look on his face.
Uh-oh, he thought. He opened his mouth to say something to Fred when he caught sight of Faith. Her face was contorted in pain. He quickly moved to her side. "Faith, what's wrong?" he asked, alarmed.
"Bosco, it hurts," she choked out, her eyes flooded with tears.
Fear shot through him and he ran to the doorway. "We need a doctor in here now!" he shouted. He waited until he saw one of the nurses heading toward the room before he returned to her side. He picked up her hand. "It's okay, Faith, just breathe. Help's on the way."
She squeezed his hand tightly, trying not to cry out again.
"Look at me, Faith," he urged, lightly squeezing her hand back. When she met his eyes, he held her gaze. "Breathe in through your nose, then exhale slowly," he instructed, his voice steady and soothing.
"Well, isn't this sweet," Fred said, anger obvious in his tone.
Bosco shot him a glared and started to respond when he felt Faith squeeze his hand once more. He returned his gaze to her face.
"Who is he?" she whispered, still in pain, but her eyes begging for answers.
"Why am I not surprised you're in on the stupid joke with her?" Fred demanded.
"Why don't you shut your--" Bosco was cut off by a new voice.
"What's going on in here?" Dr. Thomas asked as he walked into the room.
"That's what I'd like to know," Fred muttered, shaking his head angrily.
Bosco shot him another glare, then looked at the doctor. "She's in pain, a lot of it."
Dr. Thomas walked over and Bosco stepped aside so he could examine Faith. "Faith, can you tell me what hurts?"
"Everything," she answered weakly. "But mostly my head. And my ribs." She grimaced as another wave of pain threatened to overwhelm her.
Dr. Thomas turned to look at Proctor, who stood in the doorway. "Okay, let's give her a 2 ml morphine drip."
"Got it." Proctor left the room.
He turned his attention back to her. "This will probably make you sleep for several hours."
She simply nodded, squeezing her eyes shut.
Dr. Thomas looked at Bosco, then at Fred. "I need to speak with both of you outside, please."
Bosco glared at Fred, then turned to leave the room.
"Wait."
He looked back over at Faith. Her gaze was locked on him. He hesitated only a moment before walking over to her side. "What is it?" he asked, worried.
She bit her lower lip nervously. "You'll come back right?" she whispered.
He could see the fear in her eyes. He swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "I promise." He squeezed her hand gently.
Just then, Proctor came back. "Okay, Faith, you're gonna be feeling better in no time." She injected the painkiller into Faith's I.V. bag, glancing at Bosco.
He gave Faith a reassuring look, then let go of her hand, ignoring the very pissed-off expression on Fred's face as he followed Dr. Thomas into the hallway.
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"You're saying she really doesn't remember anything?" Fred asked doubtfully.
"That seems to be the case at this point, yes," Dr. Thomas answered.
"Then how come she remembers him?" he demanded, motioning angrily toward Bosco, who was leaning against the wall outside Faith's room, arms folded across his chest.
"She doesn't," Bosco replied shortly. "I was there when she woke up. We talked, I told her who I was. She doesn't remember me, either."
The two men looked at each other for a long, tense moment.
Dr. Thomas cleared his throat. "You both need to know that at this point, Faith is still in serious condition. Her injuries are quite extensive and as you saw before, she's in a great deal of pain. We all need to work at making sure she remains as calm as possible."
"She's gonna be okay, though, right?" Bosco asked, feeling tense the moment he heard the words 'serious condition' in the same sentence as his partner's name.
"She's awake and her vitals are relatively normal, so those are positive signs. But with her injuries and the amnesia, she's in a very delicate state now."
"Should we even be telling her about who we are and about her life?" Fred asked, shooting an accusatory glare in Bosco's direction.
"There's no harm in it as long as she doesn't start to feel overwhelmed or upset by the information. Like I said, she needs to remain as calm and quiet as possible in order for her body to heal faster. I do want to run some more tests in the morning."
"What kind of tests?"
"Another CAT scan, for starters."
"When can she come home?" Fred questioned.
"I'd like to keep her here for at least 72 hours to monitor her condition. After that, we'll see how she's doing." He paused. "The morphine will probably make her sleep for the next few hours. I'd suggest that you both go home and get some rest." Dr. Thomas nodded to both of them, then turned and headed down the hallway.
For a long moment, both men remained silent.
"Well, this is wonderful," Fred said finally. "How the hell can I afford to pay a three day hospital bill?"
Bosco set his jaw. "The NYPD has pretty good health insurance."
"Won't cover all of it," he muttered.
He bit back a sarcastic remark about Fred actually having to work for a change.
"Now I have to go home and figure out a way to tell my kids that their mother doesn't even know they exist," he said bitterly, turning to walk down the hallway.
"Don't you make this sound like it's her fault," Bosco warned, on the verge of losing what little patience he had left for the man. "You want someone to blame? Blame the jag-off who caused the accident in the first place!"
Fred glared at him for a moment. Then he turned and left without another word.
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"Is it true?"
Bosco looked up from where he sat in the hallway to see Sully standing there. "What?" he asked, though he was pretty sure he knew exactly what his colleague was talking about.
"Yokas. She doesn't remember anything?"
He shook his head slowly, lowering his gaze to the floor again. "Nope. Nothing."
"Damn," Sully muttered. "Hard to believe."
You're telling me, he thought.
"You okay?"
"She's alive. That's all I care about," he said honestly.
Sully stared at him for a moment. "She sleeping?"
Bosco nodded. "Doctor gave her some painkiller, said she'd probably be out for a few hours."
"Why don't you go home for awhile?"
"No."
"You've been here since yesterday afternoon. You need to change and get something to eat, get a few hours of sleep."
"I can't leave her here alone."
"Bosco, have you checked out the waiting room lately? Half the department is out there. Hell, half of the 55th precinct FDNY is out there, too. She's not alone."
"I want to be here when she wakes up."
"You said yourself she'd be asleep for a few hours. So go and come back. You're not going to be of any help to Faith if you don't take care of yourself."
Bosco looked up at him. Somehow he had the feelng that if she was awake and herself, Faith would tell him the same thing.
"You know I'm right."
He sighed and reluctantly stood up. "You'll call me if anything happens?"
Sully nodded. "Of course."
Bosco hesitated, then started to walk into Faith's room.
"Uh, Bosco? The exit's the other way," he said, nodding toward the waiting room down the hall, a small smile on his face.
He looked at Sully, but didn't return the smile. "I need a minute." Then he took a deep breath and stepped inside.
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Bosco stared at her sleeping figure for a long moment before he moved closer to the bed. He closed his eyes and listened to the calm, reassuring sounds of her steady breathing. Then he touched her hand gently. "Faith," he whispered. "I'm gonna go home for a little while, okay? But I'll be back before you wake up."
He swallowed hard, then leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Thanks for coming back to me." He squeezed his eyes shut again, but not before one tear escaped and dripped down his cheek. "I promise you, Faith, we're gonna get through this. I promise." He pressed another light kiss to her forehead, then headed for the door.
* * *
Part Five
It was dark and cold.
She couldn't see anything, let alone where she going. She stumbled as she walked and she found herself on the ground, pain shooting through her entire body. It was sharp, intense pain that continued to radiate through her.
She cried out for help but no one answered. She lay down on the ground, shivering uncontrollably. "Help me," she whispered weakly.
"Easy. Take it easy," a soothing voice said softly.
She felt a hand on her cheek. The touch was gentle, calming. It was pulling her from the darkness.
Her eyes fluttered open and immediately locked on a pair of beautiful blue eyes. She blinked a couple of times as he gazed back at her.
"Hey," Bosco said softly, dropping his hand away from her face. "How you feelin'?"
She shifted slightly in the bed, wincing at the movement. "Not so good," she murmured.
"Yeah, I kinda figured. You were gettin' restless."
Faith rested her uinjured arm over her ribs. "How long have you been here?"
"A little while. An hour maybe. I went home and took a shower, changed clothes. Tried to take a nap, but I couldn't sleep."
She was quiet for a moment as she stared at him, hoping that if she just looked at him long enough it would jog her memory, ignite some spark of recognition within her mind. But it didn't. She was gazing at a stranger. A stranger with very beautiful, kind eyes.
Bosco shifted nervously under her intense gaze. Then he reminded himself that if he was nervous, she was probably scared out of her mind. After all, he knew who she was. But to her, he was just some guy claiming to be her best friend and work partner. It was an unsettling thought that she might very well be afraid of him. He tried to push all of those thoughts away.
"So, uh...is there anything that I can get for you? Water or somethin'?" he offered.
Faith hesitated. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah. Yeah, of course."
"The man who was here before...when that doctor came in...who is he?" Her voice was soft.
Bosco swallowed hard. "His name is Fred. Fred Yokas."
"Yokas?" she repeated, her eyebrows furrowing. "Isn't that my last name?"
"Yeah," he confirmed quietly.
She was silent for a moment. "So is he...my husband?"
He gazed at her, his eyes cloudy with emotions. "Yeah," he said again. "He's your husband."
Faith was quiet for a long time, flashes of the man's angry face running through her mind. Had he been angry? His eyes certainly hadn't been full of warmth the way the man's sitting by her bed were. And he wasn't there. "Are you sure?" she couldn't help but ask.
Bosco nodded slowly, feeling as though he had just given her some bad news. "I'm sure," he said softly. He reached out and gently touched her hand.
She looked down at his hand for a moment, then slid her fingers through his. "So where is he?"
He cursed Fred inwardly for not sticking around. This was his -wife- dammit. She needed his support. Then again, knowing what he did of Faith's husband, she was probably better off without him around anyway. Fred wasn't known for his supportive, nurturing side when it came to Faith. "I think he probably just went home for awhile. I'm sure he'll be back later," he tried to assure her.
She nodded wordlessly, gazing down at the white hospital blankets covering her. She couldn't help but wondering why the man at her bed side was there holding her hand instead of her husband. What did that mean?
"So would you like some water or somethin' to drink? The nurse--Proctor--said you could have liquid but not food right now." He rubbed his thumb lightly over the back of her hand.
"Yeah, I am kinda thirsty," she admitted softly.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and stood up. He picked up the plastic pitcher on her bedside table and poured a little water into the styrofoam cup. He opened the straw package and dropped the straw into the cup, then held it out to her.
She winced slightly as she reached out to take it from him.
"You know, it might be better if I held it for you," he suggested, noticing her wince. He moved closer to her.
Faith gazed at him for a moment. "Yeah, okay," she agreed.
Bosco gave her a smile as he moved the straw to her lips. She sipped the water slowly, letting her eyes drift shut. "Just let me know when you've had enough."
After a moment, she pulled away, resting her head back against the pillows. "Thanks," she murmured.
He set the cup down on the rolling bedside tray. "You're welcome." He lay his hand on top of hers once more, sitting back down in the chair next to her bed. "You goin' back to sleep?"
"I'm still kinda tired," she said softly.
"It's okay. You need your rest."
She opened her eyes and turned her head to gaze at him. "You don't have to stay here."
Bosco met her eyes. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked quietly, though leaving was the last thing he wanted. Some part of him was deeply afraid that if he left--even for just a little while--she would disappear or something.
She hesitated for a moment. "No," she whispered.
He gave her a gentle smile. "I'm not goin' anywhere unless you want me to."
She managed to give him a small smile in return. Then her eyes drifted shut once more.
Bosco sat beside her, watching her sleep. Reassured by the fact that she was right there, breathing steadily on her own. Right now, that was all that mattered.
* * *
"John, when you gonna come home?" Tatiana asked.
Sully rubbed his forehead as he stood at a payphone in Mercy Hospital. "I don't know. Later."
"I have not seen you in two days, John. I miss you." Her voice was soft.
Yeah, right, he thought, annoyed. "I'm not coming home til I know my friend is all right. I'll talk to you when I see you." He hung up the phone without giving her a chance to respond. When he turned around, he saw his partner standing there, a frown on his face. "Don't start with me, Davis."
Davis held his hands up. "I didn't say a word."
Sully moved past him. "I have a right to be angry."
"Never said you didn't."
"She's the one who's been lying."
"No arguments there."
"This isn't in any way my fault."
Davis followed him to the waiting room but didn't respond.
"It's not, Davis."
"Okay."
Sully glared at him. "You think this is my fault?"
"You're puttin' words in my mouth, Sul."
"But that's what you think, isn't it? That I'm blowin' this outta proportion."
"You know what? Doesn't matter what I think. It's none of my business."
"You're right, it's not. So just back off." Sully turned and stormed away.
Davis watched him go, shaking his head.
* * *
"How's she doing?"
Bosco looked up from the soda machine and turned to see Alex and Kim standing there. "She's alive. Doesn't remember anything. The doctors took her down to run more tests."
"All that matters it that she's alive," Kim said quietly. "And she'll make it through this."
He nodded and tapped the top of the pop can with his finger. "The doctor said she might not get her memory back." His voice was quiet.
"They don't know that for sure, Bosco." Alex shook her head. "Amnesia is tricky. And rare. The truth is they don't know enough about it period."
"Alex is right. Don't give up on her."
"Oh, I won't." He turned and started to head toward Faith's room, wanting to be there when they brought her back. Then he paused and turned around to face them. "Thanks. For everything you did for her. If you hadn't gotten her here when you did..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head. "Thank you."
Kim moved forward and gave his arm a squeeze. "Listen, if you need to talk...I'm here," she said softly.
He managed a brief smile, then he headed down the hallway without another word.
* * *
"It's just so weird," Carlos said as he sat at the table in the firehouse, shaking his head.
"We should send flowers or somethin'," D.K. suggested.
Doc nodded his agreement. "Yeah, that's a good idea."
"How's Bosco holdin' up?" Jimmy asked quietly.
"He's dealing," Alex answered as she gazed into her mug of coffee.
"Can you imagine what that must be like?" Carlos' voice was soft. "To not remember anything about your life? To not remember that you're married or have two kids..."
They all looked at him, but remained silent.
"I mean, my life hasn't been all that great, but if I woke up one day and couldn't remember anything about it, or even who I was...I don't even wanna think about it."
"It's gotta be terrifying," Alex said just as softly.
"Poor Faith," Kim murmured.
Everyone grew silent, lost in their own thoughts. Imagining the horror. And hoping that it didn't last.
* * *
Part Six
When Faith awoke, she wasn't alone, but the man who was there was not the man who'd identified himself as her partner and best friend. It was the man whom Bosco had told her was her husband. He was sitting in a chair at her bedside, a bored and somewhat annoyed expression on his face. She searched her mind, trying to recall his name. After a moment she gave up. "Hi," she said somewhat hesitantly.
"I was beginning to think you were gonna sleep all day," was his reply.
She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, but he didn't give her the chance to anyway.
"Doctor Thomas said you could probably come home in a couple days," he informed her. "So I thought I'd try to jog your memory." He held up a photograph of a pretty young girl who was probably around thirteen years old. She had sandy blond hair and hazel eyes.
"Who is she?" Faith asked, shaking her head.
"She's our daughter, Faith."
She looked at him, stunned. Not comprehending. Surely she'd heard him wrong. "What?"
Fred held up the other picture he'd brought. This one was of a younger boy with dark hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a red cape and grinning. "This is our son. Do you remember him?"
She was too shocked to respond verbally. No one had told her that she'd had children. She shook her head, still wide-eyed.
"Yeah, somehow I'm not surprised," he grumbled.
"What do you mean?" The words left her mouth before she had time to contemplate them.
"I mean, it's not like you really ever spent much time with them anyway. All that's ever mattered to you is your damn job and Boscorelli."
"I'm sure that's not true," she tried to protest.
"Oh, because you know? You don't remember anything! Not even your own children! What kind of a mother are you?" His voice was rising in anger, his face reddening.
Tears filled her eyes and she tried to sit up, but the movement caused pain to radiate throughout her entire body. "But--"
"The kids would have been better off if you'd died! It's gonna destroy them when they find out their mother doesn't remember who they are!"
* * *
Mary Proctor was walking down the hallway when she heard an angry voice shouting in room 326. She quickly walked inside to find Fred Yokas standing beside his wife's hospital bed, looking very angry. Faith, on the other hand, was crying as she laid in the bed, one hand pressed to her ribs.
"What's going on in here?" Proctor demanded, hands on her hips as she glared at Fred.
"I'm just having a chat with my wife," he replied through clenched teeth.
"Well, chat time is over. Faith needs her rest."
"Visiting hours just started two hours ago!"
"I'm in charge of this wing and that means I get to decide the rules. Now get out before I have security remove you," she said sternly.
Fred gave her a nasty look as he left the room.
Proctor walked over to Faith's bedside. "You all right, Faith?"
She managed to give the nurse a shaky smile through her tears. "Yeah. I'm okay."
"You want me to get you somethin' to help you sleep?"
Faith shook her head. "No. Thanks."
"All right." Proctor hesitated. "If you need anything, or if he comes back, you just press that nurse call button on your bed, okay?"
"I will."
Proctor gave her a sad smile and left the room.
* * *
Bosco was rubbing the back of his neck with one hand as he walked down the hallway of Mercy.
"Bosco!"
He turned to see Proctor standing behind the nurse's station. He walked over. "Hey, Proctor."
"I'm glad you're here. I tried calling--"
"What's wrong? Is Faith all right?" he demanded, his eyes wide.
"Her husband was here earlier." There was disgust in her voice. "I don't know exactly what happened or what got said, but I heard him yellin' all the way down the hall. When I got in there, she was crying and he looked pretty mad. I kicked him out, told him she needed her rest. She said she was all right, but she seemed upset."
"That son of a bitch!" Bosco said angrily, shaking his head. "Is he still here?"
"No, he left the hospital when I made him leave her room."
"Good. If he comes back, let me know."
"WIll do." Proctor nodded.
He turned and headed down the hallway toward Faith's room again, stepping inside quietly. She was lying on her side facing away from him and even from where he stoo, he could see her shoulders shaking. When he listened closely, he could hear that she was crying softly.
He cursed inwardly, reminding himself to cause Fred some physical harm later. "Faith?" He kept his voice soft so as not to startle her. She didn't respond and he wasn't even sure she'd heard him. He stepped farther into the room and quietly approached her bed. "Faith?"
She still didn't answer.
He moved around the bed and his heart sank when he saw her tear-streaked face and red-rimmed eyes. If there was one thing he sucked at, it was comforting a crying woman. Get over it, he commanded himself. This is Faith. He set down the gift bag he'd been carrying, then reached out to touch her hand. "Hey."
Faith didn't even look at him.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then released it, reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered against her cheek, his touch gentle. "It's okay, Faith."
"It's not okay." Her voice was strained.
He pulled the chair up right beside her bed, sat in it and leaned close to her, taking her hand again. "What'd he say to you?"
Her eyes closed momentarily and he thought that she was going to ignore his question. "He said we had two kids," she whispered.
Bosco brought her hand to his lips and kissed it without even thinking about his actions. "Yeah, you do." His voice was gentle.
"I don't remember them," she whispered painfully. "What kind of a mother doesn't remember her babies?"
"Hey. You're a damned good mother, Faith."
"Good mothers don't forget their children." A tear slid down her cheek.
He gazed at her intently. "Listen to me. You got hurt real bad, Faith. You can't remember anything because you have a serious head injury. Not because you're a bad mother or a bad person. It's not your fault," he said quietly. He kissed her hand again.
She gazed back at him. "What if I can't ever remember?" she whispered.
"You will. It's just gonna take some time to heal." He gently touched her cheek, wiping away her tears. He was quiet for a moment. "I uh...I brought you somethin'." He reached down and picked up the gift sack he'd carried in.
"You didn't have to--"
"I know. I wanted to." Bosco lifted a medium sized brown teddy bear out of the bag and handed it to her.
A smile formed on her lips as she hugged the bear. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." He offered her a smile. "You should probably get some rest."
"Will you stay with me?" she asked softly.
Bosco nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll stay as long as you want me to." He kissed her forehead gently and sat back in his seat, watching as she slowly drifted off to sleep, looking much more relaxed and peaceful than she had when he'd first walked in.
He wasn't sure how comforting he'd been, but he hoped it was enough to make up for her husband's insensitivity.
He didn't get Fred. Never had.
When he was honest with himself, he could admit he didn't even want to understand his best friend's husband.
In his opinion, Faith could do a hell of a lot better than Fred Yokas. She deserved better. A lot better. She was way too good for him.
Bosco watched as she slept, listened to the steady, reassuring sound of her breathing. She may not have been able to remember who he was, but that sure as hell wasn't going to stop him from being there for her.
And neither was her jerk of a husband.
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, but I wish they did.
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence and sexual content
Spoilers: Up through and including "233 Days"
Summary: A serious accident forces Faith and Bosco to re-evaluate their lives as well as their relationship with each other.
Distribution: My site, Only Time.
Category: Story
Subcategories: drama/angst/romance/friendship
Feedback: Have you hugged your author today? *grin*
Author's Note: I'm aware there's a similar story being written about this idea, but I've already talked to the author of that story and she encouraged me to go ahead and write mine. I'm pretty sure we're going in different directions with the fics anyway. Any similarities are only coincidental of great minds thinking alike, not of plagarism.
Author's Note: I have *no* medical knowledge whatsoever, so if any of the medical stuff is inaccurate, please don't flame me.
Dedication: For Bree, Dem and CCA, who all encouraged me to write this months ago.
Special thanks to CCA, who gave me the idea for the beginning part of this story. :)
Between Time (Part Four)
"Ha, ha. Very funny," the man replied, rolling his eyes as he took a step closer to her bed.
Faith opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, faltering for words as he stared at her, a blank expression on his face. She began to feel uncomfortable and anxious as he moved closer.
The fingers of her uninjured hand curled involuntarily around the bed rail. She attempted to pull herself into a sitting position, but the movement sent unbearable pain jolting through her ribs and head.
She couldn't help the cry that escaped her lips.
"That was smart," the man said sarcastically. "You have broken bones." There was no hint of compassion in his eyes or on his face.
Tears sprang to her eyes and she quickly squeezed them shut, reminding herself to breathe. She siliently prayed for Bosco to return with that doctor.
Soon.
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The first thing Bosco saw as he walked back into Faith's hospital room was Fred Yokas. The other man was standing a couple feet away from her bed, arms folded across his chest, a disgusted look on his face.
Uh-oh, he thought. He opened his mouth to say something to Fred when he caught sight of Faith. Her face was contorted in pain. He quickly moved to her side. "Faith, what's wrong?" he asked, alarmed.
"Bosco, it hurts," she choked out, her eyes flooded with tears.
Fear shot through him and he ran to the doorway. "We need a doctor in here now!" he shouted. He waited until he saw one of the nurses heading toward the room before he returned to her side. He picked up her hand. "It's okay, Faith, just breathe. Help's on the way."
She squeezed his hand tightly, trying not to cry out again.
"Look at me, Faith," he urged, lightly squeezing her hand back. When she met his eyes, he held her gaze. "Breathe in through your nose, then exhale slowly," he instructed, his voice steady and soothing.
"Well, isn't this sweet," Fred said, anger obvious in his tone.
Bosco shot him a glared and started to respond when he felt Faith squeeze his hand once more. He returned his gaze to her face.
"Who is he?" she whispered, still in pain, but her eyes begging for answers.
"Why am I not surprised you're in on the stupid joke with her?" Fred demanded.
"Why don't you shut your--" Bosco was cut off by a new voice.
"What's going on in here?" Dr. Thomas asked as he walked into the room.
"That's what I'd like to know," Fred muttered, shaking his head angrily.
Bosco shot him another glare, then looked at the doctor. "She's in pain, a lot of it."
Dr. Thomas walked over and Bosco stepped aside so he could examine Faith. "Faith, can you tell me what hurts?"
"Everything," she answered weakly. "But mostly my head. And my ribs." She grimaced as another wave of pain threatened to overwhelm her.
Dr. Thomas turned to look at Proctor, who stood in the doorway. "Okay, let's give her a 2 ml morphine drip."
"Got it." Proctor left the room.
He turned his attention back to her. "This will probably make you sleep for several hours."
She simply nodded, squeezing her eyes shut.
Dr. Thomas looked at Bosco, then at Fred. "I need to speak with both of you outside, please."
Bosco glared at Fred, then turned to leave the room.
"Wait."
He looked back over at Faith. Her gaze was locked on him. He hesitated only a moment before walking over to her side. "What is it?" he asked, worried.
She bit her lower lip nervously. "You'll come back right?" she whispered.
He could see the fear in her eyes. He swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "I promise." He squeezed her hand gently.
Just then, Proctor came back. "Okay, Faith, you're gonna be feeling better in no time." She injected the painkiller into Faith's I.V. bag, glancing at Bosco.
He gave Faith a reassuring look, then let go of her hand, ignoring the very pissed-off expression on Fred's face as he followed Dr. Thomas into the hallway.
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"You're saying she really doesn't remember anything?" Fred asked doubtfully.
"That seems to be the case at this point, yes," Dr. Thomas answered.
"Then how come she remembers him?" he demanded, motioning angrily toward Bosco, who was leaning against the wall outside Faith's room, arms folded across his chest.
"She doesn't," Bosco replied shortly. "I was there when she woke up. We talked, I told her who I was. She doesn't remember me, either."
The two men looked at each other for a long, tense moment.
Dr. Thomas cleared his throat. "You both need to know that at this point, Faith is still in serious condition. Her injuries are quite extensive and as you saw before, she's in a great deal of pain. We all need to work at making sure she remains as calm as possible."
"She's gonna be okay, though, right?" Bosco asked, feeling tense the moment he heard the words 'serious condition' in the same sentence as his partner's name.
"She's awake and her vitals are relatively normal, so those are positive signs. But with her injuries and the amnesia, she's in a very delicate state now."
"Should we even be telling her about who we are and about her life?" Fred asked, shooting an accusatory glare in Bosco's direction.
"There's no harm in it as long as she doesn't start to feel overwhelmed or upset by the information. Like I said, she needs to remain as calm and quiet as possible in order for her body to heal faster. I do want to run some more tests in the morning."
"What kind of tests?"
"Another CAT scan, for starters."
"When can she come home?" Fred questioned.
"I'd like to keep her here for at least 72 hours to monitor her condition. After that, we'll see how she's doing." He paused. "The morphine will probably make her sleep for the next few hours. I'd suggest that you both go home and get some rest." Dr. Thomas nodded to both of them, then turned and headed down the hallway.
For a long moment, both men remained silent.
"Well, this is wonderful," Fred said finally. "How the hell can I afford to pay a three day hospital bill?"
Bosco set his jaw. "The NYPD has pretty good health insurance."
"Won't cover all of it," he muttered.
He bit back a sarcastic remark about Fred actually having to work for a change.
"Now I have to go home and figure out a way to tell my kids that their mother doesn't even know they exist," he said bitterly, turning to walk down the hallway.
"Don't you make this sound like it's her fault," Bosco warned, on the verge of losing what little patience he had left for the man. "You want someone to blame? Blame the jag-off who caused the accident in the first place!"
Fred glared at him for a moment. Then he turned and left without another word.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Is it true?"
Bosco looked up from where he sat in the hallway to see Sully standing there. "What?" he asked, though he was pretty sure he knew exactly what his colleague was talking about.
"Yokas. She doesn't remember anything?"
He shook his head slowly, lowering his gaze to the floor again. "Nope. Nothing."
"Damn," Sully muttered. "Hard to believe."
You're telling me, he thought.
"You okay?"
"She's alive. That's all I care about," he said honestly.
Sully stared at him for a moment. "She sleeping?"
Bosco nodded. "Doctor gave her some painkiller, said she'd probably be out for a few hours."
"Why don't you go home for awhile?"
"No."
"You've been here since yesterday afternoon. You need to change and get something to eat, get a few hours of sleep."
"I can't leave her here alone."
"Bosco, have you checked out the waiting room lately? Half the department is out there. Hell, half of the 55th precinct FDNY is out there, too. She's not alone."
"I want to be here when she wakes up."
"You said yourself she'd be asleep for a few hours. So go and come back. You're not going to be of any help to Faith if you don't take care of yourself."
Bosco looked up at him. Somehow he had the feelng that if she was awake and herself, Faith would tell him the same thing.
"You know I'm right."
He sighed and reluctantly stood up. "You'll call me if anything happens?"
Sully nodded. "Of course."
Bosco hesitated, then started to walk into Faith's room.
"Uh, Bosco? The exit's the other way," he said, nodding toward the waiting room down the hall, a small smile on his face.
He looked at Sully, but didn't return the smile. "I need a minute." Then he took a deep breath and stepped inside.
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Bosco stared at her sleeping figure for a long moment before he moved closer to the bed. He closed his eyes and listened to the calm, reassuring sounds of her steady breathing. Then he touched her hand gently. "Faith," he whispered. "I'm gonna go home for a little while, okay? But I'll be back before you wake up."
He swallowed hard, then leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Thanks for coming back to me." He squeezed his eyes shut again, but not before one tear escaped and dripped down his cheek. "I promise you, Faith, we're gonna get through this. I promise." He pressed another light kiss to her forehead, then headed for the door.
* * *
Part Five
It was dark and cold.
She couldn't see anything, let alone where she going. She stumbled as she walked and she found herself on the ground, pain shooting through her entire body. It was sharp, intense pain that continued to radiate through her.
She cried out for help but no one answered. She lay down on the ground, shivering uncontrollably. "Help me," she whispered weakly.
"Easy. Take it easy," a soothing voice said softly.
She felt a hand on her cheek. The touch was gentle, calming. It was pulling her from the darkness.
Her eyes fluttered open and immediately locked on a pair of beautiful blue eyes. She blinked a couple of times as he gazed back at her.
"Hey," Bosco said softly, dropping his hand away from her face. "How you feelin'?"
She shifted slightly in the bed, wincing at the movement. "Not so good," she murmured.
"Yeah, I kinda figured. You were gettin' restless."
Faith rested her uinjured arm over her ribs. "How long have you been here?"
"A little while. An hour maybe. I went home and took a shower, changed clothes. Tried to take a nap, but I couldn't sleep."
She was quiet for a moment as she stared at him, hoping that if she just looked at him long enough it would jog her memory, ignite some spark of recognition within her mind. But it didn't. She was gazing at a stranger. A stranger with very beautiful, kind eyes.
Bosco shifted nervously under her intense gaze. Then he reminded himself that if he was nervous, she was probably scared out of her mind. After all, he knew who she was. But to her, he was just some guy claiming to be her best friend and work partner. It was an unsettling thought that she might very well be afraid of him. He tried to push all of those thoughts away.
"So, uh...is there anything that I can get for you? Water or somethin'?" he offered.
Faith hesitated. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah. Yeah, of course."
"The man who was here before...when that doctor came in...who is he?" Her voice was soft.
Bosco swallowed hard. "His name is Fred. Fred Yokas."
"Yokas?" she repeated, her eyebrows furrowing. "Isn't that my last name?"
"Yeah," he confirmed quietly.
She was silent for a moment. "So is he...my husband?"
He gazed at her, his eyes cloudy with emotions. "Yeah," he said again. "He's your husband."
Faith was quiet for a long time, flashes of the man's angry face running through her mind. Had he been angry? His eyes certainly hadn't been full of warmth the way the man's sitting by her bed were. And he wasn't there. "Are you sure?" she couldn't help but ask.
Bosco nodded slowly, feeling as though he had just given her some bad news. "I'm sure," he said softly. He reached out and gently touched her hand.
She looked down at his hand for a moment, then slid her fingers through his. "So where is he?"
He cursed Fred inwardly for not sticking around. This was his -wife- dammit. She needed his support. Then again, knowing what he did of Faith's husband, she was probably better off without him around anyway. Fred wasn't known for his supportive, nurturing side when it came to Faith. "I think he probably just went home for awhile. I'm sure he'll be back later," he tried to assure her.
She nodded wordlessly, gazing down at the white hospital blankets covering her. She couldn't help but wondering why the man at her bed side was there holding her hand instead of her husband. What did that mean?
"So would you like some water or somethin' to drink? The nurse--Proctor--said you could have liquid but not food right now." He rubbed his thumb lightly over the back of her hand.
"Yeah, I am kinda thirsty," she admitted softly.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and stood up. He picked up the plastic pitcher on her bedside table and poured a little water into the styrofoam cup. He opened the straw package and dropped the straw into the cup, then held it out to her.
She winced slightly as she reached out to take it from him.
"You know, it might be better if I held it for you," he suggested, noticing her wince. He moved closer to her.
Faith gazed at him for a moment. "Yeah, okay," she agreed.
Bosco gave her a smile as he moved the straw to her lips. She sipped the water slowly, letting her eyes drift shut. "Just let me know when you've had enough."
After a moment, she pulled away, resting her head back against the pillows. "Thanks," she murmured.
He set the cup down on the rolling bedside tray. "You're welcome." He lay his hand on top of hers once more, sitting back down in the chair next to her bed. "You goin' back to sleep?"
"I'm still kinda tired," she said softly.
"It's okay. You need your rest."
She opened her eyes and turned her head to gaze at him. "You don't have to stay here."
Bosco met her eyes. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked quietly, though leaving was the last thing he wanted. Some part of him was deeply afraid that if he left--even for just a little while--she would disappear or something.
She hesitated for a moment. "No," she whispered.
He gave her a gentle smile. "I'm not goin' anywhere unless you want me to."
She managed to give him a small smile in return. Then her eyes drifted shut once more.
Bosco sat beside her, watching her sleep. Reassured by the fact that she was right there, breathing steadily on her own. Right now, that was all that mattered.
* * *
"John, when you gonna come home?" Tatiana asked.
Sully rubbed his forehead as he stood at a payphone in Mercy Hospital. "I don't know. Later."
"I have not seen you in two days, John. I miss you." Her voice was soft.
Yeah, right, he thought, annoyed. "I'm not coming home til I know my friend is all right. I'll talk to you when I see you." He hung up the phone without giving her a chance to respond. When he turned around, he saw his partner standing there, a frown on his face. "Don't start with me, Davis."
Davis held his hands up. "I didn't say a word."
Sully moved past him. "I have a right to be angry."
"Never said you didn't."
"She's the one who's been lying."
"No arguments there."
"This isn't in any way my fault."
Davis followed him to the waiting room but didn't respond.
"It's not, Davis."
"Okay."
Sully glared at him. "You think this is my fault?"
"You're puttin' words in my mouth, Sul."
"But that's what you think, isn't it? That I'm blowin' this outta proportion."
"You know what? Doesn't matter what I think. It's none of my business."
"You're right, it's not. So just back off." Sully turned and stormed away.
Davis watched him go, shaking his head.
* * *
"How's she doing?"
Bosco looked up from the soda machine and turned to see Alex and Kim standing there. "She's alive. Doesn't remember anything. The doctors took her down to run more tests."
"All that matters it that she's alive," Kim said quietly. "And she'll make it through this."
He nodded and tapped the top of the pop can with his finger. "The doctor said she might not get her memory back." His voice was quiet.
"They don't know that for sure, Bosco." Alex shook her head. "Amnesia is tricky. And rare. The truth is they don't know enough about it period."
"Alex is right. Don't give up on her."
"Oh, I won't." He turned and started to head toward Faith's room, wanting to be there when they brought her back. Then he paused and turned around to face them. "Thanks. For everything you did for her. If you hadn't gotten her here when you did..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head. "Thank you."
Kim moved forward and gave his arm a squeeze. "Listen, if you need to talk...I'm here," she said softly.
He managed a brief smile, then he headed down the hallway without another word.
* * *
"It's just so weird," Carlos said as he sat at the table in the firehouse, shaking his head.
"We should send flowers or somethin'," D.K. suggested.
Doc nodded his agreement. "Yeah, that's a good idea."
"How's Bosco holdin' up?" Jimmy asked quietly.
"He's dealing," Alex answered as she gazed into her mug of coffee.
"Can you imagine what that must be like?" Carlos' voice was soft. "To not remember anything about your life? To not remember that you're married or have two kids..."
They all looked at him, but remained silent.
"I mean, my life hasn't been all that great, but if I woke up one day and couldn't remember anything about it, or even who I was...I don't even wanna think about it."
"It's gotta be terrifying," Alex said just as softly.
"Poor Faith," Kim murmured.
Everyone grew silent, lost in their own thoughts. Imagining the horror. And hoping that it didn't last.
* * *
Part Six
When Faith awoke, she wasn't alone, but the man who was there was not the man who'd identified himself as her partner and best friend. It was the man whom Bosco had told her was her husband. He was sitting in a chair at her bedside, a bored and somewhat annoyed expression on his face. She searched her mind, trying to recall his name. After a moment she gave up. "Hi," she said somewhat hesitantly.
"I was beginning to think you were gonna sleep all day," was his reply.
She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, but he didn't give her the chance to anyway.
"Doctor Thomas said you could probably come home in a couple days," he informed her. "So I thought I'd try to jog your memory." He held up a photograph of a pretty young girl who was probably around thirteen years old. She had sandy blond hair and hazel eyes.
"Who is she?" Faith asked, shaking her head.
"She's our daughter, Faith."
She looked at him, stunned. Not comprehending. Surely she'd heard him wrong. "What?"
Fred held up the other picture he'd brought. This one was of a younger boy with dark hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a red cape and grinning. "This is our son. Do you remember him?"
She was too shocked to respond verbally. No one had told her that she'd had children. She shook her head, still wide-eyed.
"Yeah, somehow I'm not surprised," he grumbled.
"What do you mean?" The words left her mouth before she had time to contemplate them.
"I mean, it's not like you really ever spent much time with them anyway. All that's ever mattered to you is your damn job and Boscorelli."
"I'm sure that's not true," she tried to protest.
"Oh, because you know? You don't remember anything! Not even your own children! What kind of a mother are you?" His voice was rising in anger, his face reddening.
Tears filled her eyes and she tried to sit up, but the movement caused pain to radiate throughout her entire body. "But--"
"The kids would have been better off if you'd died! It's gonna destroy them when they find out their mother doesn't remember who they are!"
* * *
Mary Proctor was walking down the hallway when she heard an angry voice shouting in room 326. She quickly walked inside to find Fred Yokas standing beside his wife's hospital bed, looking very angry. Faith, on the other hand, was crying as she laid in the bed, one hand pressed to her ribs.
"What's going on in here?" Proctor demanded, hands on her hips as she glared at Fred.
"I'm just having a chat with my wife," he replied through clenched teeth.
"Well, chat time is over. Faith needs her rest."
"Visiting hours just started two hours ago!"
"I'm in charge of this wing and that means I get to decide the rules. Now get out before I have security remove you," she said sternly.
Fred gave her a nasty look as he left the room.
Proctor walked over to Faith's bedside. "You all right, Faith?"
She managed to give the nurse a shaky smile through her tears. "Yeah. I'm okay."
"You want me to get you somethin' to help you sleep?"
Faith shook her head. "No. Thanks."
"All right." Proctor hesitated. "If you need anything, or if he comes back, you just press that nurse call button on your bed, okay?"
"I will."
Proctor gave her a sad smile and left the room.
* * *
Bosco was rubbing the back of his neck with one hand as he walked down the hallway of Mercy.
"Bosco!"
He turned to see Proctor standing behind the nurse's station. He walked over. "Hey, Proctor."
"I'm glad you're here. I tried calling--"
"What's wrong? Is Faith all right?" he demanded, his eyes wide.
"Her husband was here earlier." There was disgust in her voice. "I don't know exactly what happened or what got said, but I heard him yellin' all the way down the hall. When I got in there, she was crying and he looked pretty mad. I kicked him out, told him she needed her rest. She said she was all right, but she seemed upset."
"That son of a bitch!" Bosco said angrily, shaking his head. "Is he still here?"
"No, he left the hospital when I made him leave her room."
"Good. If he comes back, let me know."
"WIll do." Proctor nodded.
He turned and headed down the hallway toward Faith's room again, stepping inside quietly. She was lying on her side facing away from him and even from where he stoo, he could see her shoulders shaking. When he listened closely, he could hear that she was crying softly.
He cursed inwardly, reminding himself to cause Fred some physical harm later. "Faith?" He kept his voice soft so as not to startle her. She didn't respond and he wasn't even sure she'd heard him. He stepped farther into the room and quietly approached her bed. "Faith?"
She still didn't answer.
He moved around the bed and his heart sank when he saw her tear-streaked face and red-rimmed eyes. If there was one thing he sucked at, it was comforting a crying woman. Get over it, he commanded himself. This is Faith. He set down the gift bag he'd been carrying, then reached out to touch her hand. "Hey."
Faith didn't even look at him.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then released it, reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered against her cheek, his touch gentle. "It's okay, Faith."
"It's not okay." Her voice was strained.
He pulled the chair up right beside her bed, sat in it and leaned close to her, taking her hand again. "What'd he say to you?"
Her eyes closed momentarily and he thought that she was going to ignore his question. "He said we had two kids," she whispered.
Bosco brought her hand to his lips and kissed it without even thinking about his actions. "Yeah, you do." His voice was gentle.
"I don't remember them," she whispered painfully. "What kind of a mother doesn't remember her babies?"
"Hey. You're a damned good mother, Faith."
"Good mothers don't forget their children." A tear slid down her cheek.
He gazed at her intently. "Listen to me. You got hurt real bad, Faith. You can't remember anything because you have a serious head injury. Not because you're a bad mother or a bad person. It's not your fault," he said quietly. He kissed her hand again.
She gazed back at him. "What if I can't ever remember?" she whispered.
"You will. It's just gonna take some time to heal." He gently touched her cheek, wiping away her tears. He was quiet for a moment. "I uh...I brought you somethin'." He reached down and picked up the gift sack he'd carried in.
"You didn't have to--"
"I know. I wanted to." Bosco lifted a medium sized brown teddy bear out of the bag and handed it to her.
A smile formed on her lips as she hugged the bear. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." He offered her a smile. "You should probably get some rest."
"Will you stay with me?" she asked softly.
Bosco nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll stay as long as you want me to." He kissed her forehead gently and sat back in his seat, watching as she slowly drifted off to sleep, looking much more relaxed and peaceful than she had when he'd first walked in.
He wasn't sure how comforting he'd been, but he hoped it was enough to make up for her husband's insensitivity.
He didn't get Fred. Never had.
When he was honest with himself, he could admit he didn't even want to understand his best friend's husband.
In his opinion, Faith could do a hell of a lot better than Fred Yokas. She deserved better. A lot better. She was way too good for him.
Bosco watched as she slept, listened to the steady, reassuring sound of her breathing. She may not have been able to remember who he was, but that sure as hell wasn't going to stop him from being there for her.
And neither was her jerk of a husband.