Chapter Nineteen
Paige woke to a persistent beeping. Where was she? She reached with her
left hand to the space on her right side. Something was missing. Something
was wrong. Oh, God, where was Walter? What had they done to him?
Opening her eyes, it took a few moments to realize she wasn't locked in
the room where. . . Something touched her arm and a startled scream escaped
her lips.
"Mom." She turned her head to see her son standing next to her, his small
hand on her arm.
"Oh God, Ralph." Reaching out, she placed her hand on his cheek. "Oh, my
baby. I thought I'd never see you again. Where am I?"
"You're at the hospital," the boy said. "They're going to keep you overnight
for observation."
"The hospital?" She glanced around, taking in the monitoring equipment,
the bland decorations, the slightly nauseating disinfectant smell. "Where's
Walter?"
"He's in surgery." Ralph ducked away from the firm grip she had on his face.
"Surgery?" She sat up, causing her head to spin, and she had to close her
eyes for moment. Swinging her legs to the side of the bed, she became entangled
in all the tubes and wires hooking her up to the machines.
Ralph ran to the doorway and shouted, "Dad!" Hurrying back across the room,
he came to a stop in front of her. "Mom, it's okay. They're just stabilizing
the rib fracture. He's going to be okay."
Drew trotted into the room. "Paige, what are you doing? You have to keep
that in."
"No, I have to help Walter," she said, picking at the tape holding down
her IV line. "He's hurt. He needs help."
"He's getting help." The ballplayer grabbed her hand. "Ralph, ring for the
nurse."
"Let go." Paige tried to pull away from her ex as her son pushed the com
button then spoke to the person on the other end.
"Paige, there's nothing you can do," Drew said. "Walter's going to be okay."
She fell back onto her bed. "I want to see him." Tears fell down her cheeks.
"I just need to see him."
Ralph reached for her hand. "Mom, you can see him when he's out of surgery."
"Okay." Paige closed her eyes as the nurse came bustling into the room,
syringe in hand.
Please let Walter be all right, she prayed as the sedative took affect.
She didn't see the anxious looks Drew and Ralph gave each other as she drifted
off to sleep.
"Getting real tired of visiting you in sickbay, O'Brien."
Cabe's gruff voice pierced through the layers of fogginess inside Walter's
head. He opened his eyes to an unfamiliar yet somehow familiar setting. Hospital.
He was in the hospital. Walter glanced around and saw the team surrounding
his bed. Everyone except. . .
"Paige? Where's Paige?" It hurt to talk and he realized he had a tube running
down his throat. Oh, God, no wonder Megan had hated them so much. It hurt
to swallow. It hurt to breathe. It hurt like hell.
"They're keeping her overnight," said Sylvester.
He tried to sit up. More pain. He needed to see her. Make sure she was all
right.
"Settle down, buddy," Toby said. "She's fine. Just some cuts and scrapes
and dehydration."
"They'll let me see her, won't they?"
"Yes, she should be on her way right now." Walter saw the worry etched on
the shrink's face. Was there something they weren't telling him? Had something
happened to her while he'd been unconscious? Panic threatened to engulf him.
And then there she was, being pushed into his room by Drew, with Ralph walking
alongside the wheelchair she sat in.
"Paige." "Walter." They spoke each other's names at the same time. Walter
strained to get up despite the agony it was causing. He needed to touch her.
Make sure she was real. She was trying to move her chair toward him. Then
his hand was in hers and his eyes locked with hers.
Toby watched them stare at each other. "They don't even know we're here,"
he said, more to himself than the others, but they still heard his words.
"The world has shrunk down to just the two of them again. It's a form of PTSD."
He snapped his fingers. "Hey Walt!" he called out. "Paige?" Neither of them
flinched.
"Mom?" Ralph's quiet inquiry jolted both of them. He reached for his mother's
free hand then Walter's.
"Hey, Ralph," the genius said.
"Thanks for taking care of my mom," the boy said.
"She's the one who took care of me," he replied, staring at her again. "She's
a. . .remarkable woman."
The room grew silent again until Cabe cleared his throat. "You'll be glad
to know the President was rescued unharmed and Agent Heehn's been arrested,"
he said. "He's been the militia's inside guy for a couple of years now. Guess
he held a grudge against me and my team of ‘supernerds'. Thought it would
take the wind of my sails if Scorpion was accused of treason. I hardly even
knew the guy."
He shook his head before glancing at Walter and Paige. "Well, that simple
assignment I sent you two on exploded into something else, didn't it?" he
said, no doubt trying to lighten the mood.
"It was. . .uh. . .momentous." Walter gazed at Paige, who dipped her head
shyly as she blushed.
"What I can't figure out is why they beat you so badly," said Toby. "What
did you do to piss them off?"
"Nothing." Both Walter and Paige answered at the same time. The shrink narrowed
his eyes as if he knew they were lying.
"We should let Walter get his rest." Sly said.
Drew walked up behind Paige. "Yeah, I have a flight this afternoon."
That caught Walter's attention. "You're going back to Portland?" The ballplayer
nodded before attempting to move Paige's chair back.
She clamped her hand onto the bed rail. "I want to stay for a moment with
Walter," she said. "Alone."
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Toby said.
Happy grabbed his arm. "Butt out, Doc. Remember our deal?"
"Which one?" She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, that one. We'll see you later."
He half walked, half was pulled from the room by the mechanic.
The others said their goodbyes then filed out as well, leaving Walter and
Paige by themselves. "I was so worried, " she said. "They wouldn't let me
see you. . . I had dreams, nightmares really, and you were. . .you were. .
.
"I had the same nightmares, except it was you. . ." Walter tightened his
grip on her hand. "I meant what I said. That I. . .I love you."
"I didn't think you would remember. You were delirious and I just thought.
. ."
"No, I remember. Every word. Every moment. Everything."
They sat in silence for a few moments, and he noticed the bandage on her
chin, the red and puffy sores on her lips. "You're okay?"
"Yes, just minor injuries. The dehydration was the worst. I talked to your
doctor and she said you'd be here several days yet. And you're going to be
okay. . .and. . ."
She burst into tears. He stared in horror as she cried. He hated to see
her cry. Especially because of him.
"Oh, God, I'm sorry," she said, sniffling as she wiped her eyes. "It's.
. .It's. . . I love you so much, Walter. And I don't want to lose you. I
was so scared. . ."
"You were so brave, Paige." He squeezed her hand again.
She shook her head. "No, I wasn't. Not really. When Toby and Happy arrived.
. .you weren't awake. . . I kinda went to pieces. I tried, though. . .I tried
to stay strong, but then. . . "
"You are brave," he reiterated. "You are strong. I am so proud of you."
The need to hold her overwhelmed him and she must have felt the same way,
because she pushed herself up out of her chair. He pulled her toward him
as he carefully moved to his right, leaving a narrow strip of space beside
him in the bed..
"I can't," she protested weakly as she sat down on the mattress.
"Yes, you can." He put his arm around her as she settled against him. The
anxiety which had filled him since he had awakened dissipated and he could
feel her relax as well. Walter closed his eyes and let himself drift off.
"Hey, Paige, ready to go back. . ." Toby stumbled to a stop just inside
the room. Neither occupant of the bed stirred at his intrusion. They were
both sleeping peacefully, Walter's arm around her shoulders, Paige's hand
resting on his heart.
Damn, it was worse than he thought. PTSD, separation anxiety disorder, Stockholm
syndrome. He was going to have to set them up with a therapist he knew. Not
a smart as he was, of course. But someone who could help his friends cope
with their ordeal. Because they were going to need all the help they could
get.
Toby sighed as he covered them up with a blanket then quietly left the room.