JD opened the door slowly and looked into the room. He smiled as he turned to his companion.
“He’s alone, Vin.”
Tanner nodded and waited for the younger man to open the door all the way. When he did Larabee’s eyes shot open and he smiled at the two men.
“Hi, Vin, JD.” He frowned as he looked at the tracker. “Guess you’re not getting out of here today,” he said.
Tanner pushed the IV pole into the room and took the chair beside the bed. Milano wanted him to stay one more night until they were sure he wasn’t going to be sick any more, but Vin protested vehemently until his friends asked to speak with him privately. Nathan and Josiah convinced him to stay by telling him of Jackson’s suspicions regarding what happened to Chris. He knew they were telling him because they wanted him to stay at the hospital, not because they wanted him to stand guard, but because they knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t stay otherwise.
“No, it seems Dr. Milano has taken a shine to me,” the sharpshooter said with a grin.
“Oh, hell, Vin,” Larabee laughed. “You’ve been hanging around Buck and his animal magnetism too long.”
Tanner leaned in close as he picked up the wet cloth from the table. “I think you got that wrong, Stud.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Larabee asked and sputtered as the tracker wiped the area around his lips.
“Seems to me you’re the one who’s been hanging around Buck, Stud!” he said as he showed Larabee the lipstick evidence on the cloth. “Are you blushing, Cowboy?”
“Shut up, Vin!” the blond hissed as he took the cloth and washed the rest of the evidence from his face.
“Was she a good kisser?”
Tanner’s eyebrows rose up and down in a perfect imitation of Groucho Marx and Larabee had no choice but to give into the laughter.
“That’s none of your business, Tanner!”
“Ah, Hell, Chris, ya know I can keep a secret.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t kiss and tell,” Larabee told him as JD filled the pitcher with ice and water once more, and refilled his glass.
“Thanks, Kid.”
“You’re welcome,” Dunne said, looking up as the door opened and a volunteer came in.
“Mr. Larabee?” the young man asked.
“That’s right.”
“I’ve got a delivery for you. Where would you like me to put them?” he asked.
“On the table there would be fine,” Larabee said, pointing to the table beside his bed.
“Would you like me to open it for you?”
“No, thanks, but I think we can handle it from here,” the blond said.
“Okay, you have a good day,” he said and hurried out the door.
“Want me to open it, Chris?” Dunne asked.
“Yeah, go ahead,” the patient answered and smiled as the kid ripped the paper from the bouquet.
“Boys, you didn’t have to,” Larabee said as the scent of flowers quickly tickled his senses. The crystal vase was filled with roses, carnations and other flowers he couldn’t name.
“Ah, Chris, they’re not from us,” Dunne said as he removed the card.
“They’re not!”
“I don’t think so,” the kid said and passed the card to his boss.
Larabee looked at the card and felt the flush on his face again. Hope you feel better, Chris-Anne
“Who’s it from, Chris?” Tanner asked.
“A friend,” the blond answered.
“I figured that, but what friend?”
The injured man smiled as he looked at the tracker, but didn’t answer.
The sharpshooter smiled as he realized who’d sent the flowers. “It’s her isn’t it, Chris? The pretty nurse from ICU sent them, didn’t she?”
“Yeah,” Larabee answered softly.
“Looks like Buck’s got competition, Stud,” he repeated the nickname.
“She’s just being a friend, Vin.”
“Sure wish I had a friend like that. How about you, JD?”
“Yeah, I could use some of that kind of TLC,” Dunne joined in the teasing.
“I’m glad you two are enjoying yourself on my account,” Larabee hissed. “Isn’t it time you went back to the hotel, Kid?”
“Nah, I got nothing to do there but lose to Ezra at cards.”
“You’re out of your league playing cards with Ez,” Larabee said. “We all are.”
“Yeah, Ezra’s forgotten more about cards than we’ll ever know. The only sure bet with him is not to bet against him,” Tanner told them.
“Yeah, and he doesn’t even have to cheat to beat us,” Dunne agreed and they all laughed.
Chris yawned and settled back against his pillow once more. He was tired again, but at least he wasn’t in pain.
“You boys can stay if you like, but I’m going to get some sleep.”
“You do that, Chris, we got your back,” Tanner told him.
Larabee frowned at the tracker’s choice of words, but marked it down to worry over his health. He sighed contentedly as the scent of the fresh cut flowers reminded him of his ranch. It wasn’t long before he was asleep and dreaming, but this time the dream was a pleasant one. He rode Pony along the trail between his and Tanner’s ranch, but he wasn’t alone on the gelding’s back. He knew without looking who’s arms were wrapped around his bare torso, and he smiled as her fingers slowly trailed a path of fire along his ribs, stopping just above the waist of his black jeans. He sighed contentedly as her mouth nipped at the back of his neck, biting, teasing, and tantalizing his senses in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. Something at the edge of his vision caught his eye, a blur of blond hair and an angered face, but it disappeared before his mind registered the intrusion into his dreams and he sank into a deeper, dreamless sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
She watched the door, waiting for the opportunity to present itself. All she needed was two minutes alone in the room with Larabee sleeping. She was wearing the cleaner’s uniform again and had covered the ID to make it look like it had been immersed in water. The picture and words were blurred, and would pass a quick inspection from a distance. She watched the door as it opened and two men stepped out. One wearing a hospital gown and jeans, the other in camouflage pants and T-shirt. She smiled as she overheard part of the conversation.
“JD, I’m okay. I can get to my room on my own.”
“Look, Vin, you just got dizzy. I’ll just make sure you get there and come right back with Chris. Besides the nurses desk is right there.”
Patrice watched as they walked down the hallway and pushed her broom in front of her. ‘No one ever notices the cleaning lady,’ she thought as she opened the door and hurried inside. She listened for a few seconds, smiling as she heard the deep, soft snoring from the injured man. She quickly lifted the vase of flowers and poured the water from it into the pitcher of ice water beside it. She finished quickly and placed the vase back on the nightstand. ‘Sleep well, Larabee, because it’ll be the last good night’s sleep you’ll have. I hope you’re death is a painful one,’she thought as she turned and hurried out of the room.
JD returned to Larabee’s room just as the door closed and frowned as he looked around. The only people he saw were the nurses and a cleaning lady sweeping the floor near the desk. He hurried back into the room and was glad to see the injured man was still sleeping.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris groaned as he opened his eyes and shifted upwards in the bed. The day had been a long one, but he felt better than he had in a long time, the NG tube was gone and he was hopeful that this time it was gone for good. Buck had picked up JD and would be back in the morning. They joked about the bouquet of flowers and teased him about Anne Sheridan. Josiah Sanchez was once more seated beside the bed, the TV turned on, but the volume down low.
“Josiah?” Larabee called as he raised the head of his bed once more.
“Well, hello, Chris, did you sleep well?” the ex-preacher asked.
“Yeah, slept fine. How’s Vin?”
“He was here a few minutes ago and is looking and feeling much better. Can I get you anything?”
“Just some water. Always seems so damn dry in hospitals,” Larabee said as Josiah filled a glass from the pitcher.
Chris took it and drank half of it before placing the glass on the table in front of him. “Thanks, damn that’s cold.”
“In that case I think I’ll join you.” Sanchez lifted the pitcher and poured some into his own empty coffee cup.
“Anything any good on?”
“The usual game shows and a couple of westerns, but nothing all that interesting,” Sanchez said and drank half the water in the cup. He frowned at the odd taste, but chalked it down to the remnants of the strong coffee the cup had held.
Chris reached for the glass and continued to sip at the ice cold water, savoring the cool moisture as it slid down the back of his throat.
“Is there anything you’d like to watch, Chris?” Sanchez asked.
“Not really, whatever you were watching is fine by me.”
“Stargate has just opened a new season.”
Larabee laughed as he nodded his head and made himself comfortable.
“I didn’t know you liked Stargate, Josiah.”
“Well, I’ve always loved Sci fi, Chris, and this is one of the better shows.”
“Yeah, isn’t Danny dead in this season?”
“Let’s just say he’s ascended to another plane of existence.”
“Hmm, I know a few people like that,” Larabee laughed as they settled in to watch the show. Chris frowned as his stomach churned and wondered if he was completely over the toxin poisoning. He pressed the button to deliver the first dose of Morphine he’d taken since morning and tried to concentrate on the TV.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nathan rolled onto his back, moaning in his sleep as he tried to grasp the message he was given. His arm came up to cover his eyes as the blanket slipped off his bare chest. He could see a shadowy image forming in his mind and realized it was his ancestor. The man was speaking to him, but the words did not make sense at first and Nathan’s sleep befuddled mind continued to try and catch the elusive words.
“Larkspur,” he mumbled and turned on his side.
‘That’s right, but now she’s using another plant. You have to get to the hospital, Son. Their lives depend on you. Look in the vase. The answer is there.’
“Vase...answer...there,” Jackson muttered as his eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright in the bed. He grabbed his hastily discarded clothes and quickly pulled on his shirt and pants as a pair of sleepy eyes turned towards him from the second bed.
“Is something wrong, Mr. Jackson?”
“Yeah, Ez, and if we don’t get to the hospital we may be to late to do anything about it! Get Buck and JD and meet me downstairs in five minutes!”
Standish didn’t bother to ask questions as he grabbed his own clothing and pulled them on.
Five minutes later, four worried men were on their way to the hospital, knowing a friend’s life depended on them.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Anne Sheridan hurried up the stairs to the ICU, frowning as a woman rushed by her. There was something familiar about the blond, yet the woman disappeared onto the next floor so quickly she didn’t have time to make the connection. She shrugged her shoulders and continued up to her own floor, her mind wondering to the soft kiss she’d shared with Chris Larabee, happy he was no longer her patient. She hummed as she opened the door and stepped through, knowing her patients seemed at ease if they heard familiar sounds and saw familiar faces.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris frowned and blinked his eyes as the TV seemed to fade in and out. He lifted his left hand and rubbed against the lids in an effort to focus his vision, but the room continued to wink in and out as he shook his head. He licked his lips and reached for the glass of water, sipping the remainder of the liquid. Stargate had ended long ago, and he knew he’d dozed for a short period of time, but couldn’t grasp how long.
Josiah watched as his friend reached for the glass and wondered what was wrong. He winced as he moved to refill the empty glass as his stomach grumbled. ‘Shouldn’t have had that damn spicy sausage,’he thought as he filled the blond’s glass and reached for his own cup. He looked at his friend and frowned at the beads of sweat breaking out on Larabee’s forehead.
“Chris, are you all right?”
The injured man lay back against the pillow, wincing as a pounding began in his skull and nausea built in a tidal wave in his stomach. Cramps hit him and he doubled up on the bed, crying out as his legs moved and sent shards of pain stabbing through his hip.
“D...don’t th...ink...so...J’siah!” he hissed.
“Hang on, Brother, I’ll get help!”
“...kay...” the blond continued to writhe on the bed, oblivious to everything, but the burning sensation in his gut, the pain lancing through his body, and the spinning room around him.
“I need help in here!” Sanchez shouted and saw the nurse at the desk raise her head and stand up.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know, just get the damn doctor up here! Now!” Sanchez shouted and hurried back into the room.
“Easy, Chris,” he said as he rushed to the bed. “Help’s on the way!”
“Je...sus, J’siah, si...ick,” he cried as his stomach churned and the nausea continued to roll around in his stomach.
Sanchez rubbed Larabee’s shoulder, wondering what was happening and how the violent tremors wracking his friend’s body would affect the broken hip and other injuries. He looked at the door as two nurses rushed into the room.
“What’s going on, Josiah?”
“I don’t know, Julia. He was fine earlier, but now he’s...” the ex-preacher groaned softly and clutched at his stomach, but kept watching the nurses working on the patient.
“Chris,” Julia tried, hoping to get through to the sick man. “We need to get you to lie on your back so we can take a look at you,” Julia explained.
“C...cccan’t...h...hurts...oh...God!” He cried as severe cramps attacked his abdomen.
“Carolyn, his skin is cold and clammy...” she turned as she heard a hiss from the other man in the room. She saw him sway and rub at his eyes. “Josiah, what’s wrong?”
“Not sure...thought it was what I ate,” the ex-preacher said and sat in the chair by the window. “I’m okay, just take care of Chris.”
Julia pressed the button on Larabee’s pillow and waited for a nurse to answer. When the call came through she spoke quickly and sharply.
“Sandy, get a gurney in here and find out how long before Dr. Bridger can get up here?”
“Right away, Julia,” the voice answered.
“J’siah, w...what’s wrong?” Larabee hissed as he rocked back and forth on the bed, unable to control his body’s reaction. His head pounded in tempo with the throbbing pain that assaulted every inch of his body, but his eyes remained fixed on the man seated in the chair. He felt the nurse’s hands on his arms and legs as they tried to straighten his body and cried out as he was turned onto his back.
“G...God...” he hissed as he tried to alleviate the cramps by pulling his legs up.
“Just lie still Chris,” Julia warned him as she checked the flow on his IV.
The door opened and a gurney was wheeled into the room by an orderly and a third nurse.
“Julia, Dr. Bridger is on his way up now. What’s going no?”
“I don’t know, but it seems to involve the two of them. Get Josiah on the stretcher and down to the ER!”
“I’m okay,” Josiah said, not wanting to leave until he was sure Larabee was okay.
“Josiah, listen to me,”
Carolyn tried. “We need to find out what’s going on with both of you. You both
seem to be having cramps,” she said as she watched the orderly help the man
stand and move to the stretcher.
“We need to find out what’s causing this,” Julia told him.
“”Okay,” Sanchez agreed. “Chris, you damn well better be here when I get back!”
“N...not pl...plannin’...on going an...anywhere!” Larabee hissed tiredly.
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