Title: Left Hanging
Author: Mari
Email: [email protected]
Notes: This fic was written for the DunnesDarlins Fanfiction Fest. Sue M.'s request: "I love h/c, banter between the guys, a mix of action, fun, angst, and for it ALL to revolve around JD."
Rating/Warnings: A little mild bad language!
Category: General Fiction
Universe: ATF
Summary: JD falls, Buck worries. A fic for SUE M!
The bust was not exactly textbook.
Jensen and his cohorts had set up a meeting with Ezra and Josiah in one of the most modern office buildings in the area. The rendezvous was supposed to be a chance for the supplier to discuss the final delivery arrangements for a shipment of brand new Army issue automatic rifles that had, somehow, been designated as surplus and diverted into the black books of the superficially legal arms dealer.
JD had been quick to ascertain that the security arrangements in the rented building were well above the usual standard and that the acoustic cladding and electronic shielding employed in the design of the structure would render the usual wires useless. There was no way to drill into the wall to feed a listening device from an adjoining office and the suspect was known to employ a myriad of anti-bugging devices. The ATF�s standard issue equipment would be rendered less than useless.
�So?� Chris Larabee had asked when presented with JD�s twelve page, single-spaced, ten point sized report on the why the normal and very necessary surveillance could not be used.
�So, this is where I earn my astonishingly generous federal salary!�
JD smiled his bright, kid-in-a-candy-store smile and handed over an inventory. Chris glanced down the list of diodes, chips and micro-capacitors that had somehow become more familiar to him since the arrival of the resident tech genius in his select little team. It was only when he reached the final few items on the list that his eyebrows raised a fraction.
�Carabiners? Harnesses? And what the hell is a GriGri?�
JD�s smile grew even larger.
�It�s a nifty little belay device. Vin said you�d approve it because it�s basically beginners� type stuff.� He gave a three fingered Boy Scout salute and winked �Safety first!�
So Vin was behind this. Chris would have to have a word with the sharpshooter. He was obviously introducing this little city boy to all sorts of activities that would turn Wilmington�s hair white in weeks. He was about to put the kibosh on the whole idea when the kid sighed softly and the big smile dimmed a little.
�I know you want to say �no�, Chris, but I swear, me and Vin have been over and over this and we can�t see another way. I can adapt a 280 EHX with a spider leg that�ll punch through the barriers and get you your taped evidence, but it�ll be short range, it�ll be unstable as hell and you know I�ll be the only one who has a hope of fixing it if it goes belly up��
Chris thumbed through the report again, careful to avoid catching the eye of his enthusiastic junior, knowing that the kid would now be employing the full puppy dog expression. He needed time to think. They wouldn�t rely on the taped evidence in court, but the safety of the men inside could depend on hearing the early indications of danger in the conversations. A missed keyword could get Ezra and Josiah killed. The kid had a solution but Buck would hate the whole idea and would be chewing his ear off before the day was out, which would only serve to embarrass his roommate. Chris would have to have his counter-arguments in place beforehand.
�Have you got any climbing experience at all, JD?�
�Sure I have!� The young man gushed, �We had all those classes on the wall in the Academy and since coming here � well, the Rockies are practically on our doorstep, right? You�d have to be crazy not to want to do a bit of climbing. Anyway, some of the guys in the hockey team took me out a couple of times. And Vin and me have been out a few weekends� I�ve gotta tell you Chris, I�m pretty damned good. I reckon, give it a month or two and I�ll be ready to try free-climbing��
JD realized the last revelation was probably a tactical error as his eyes met the cold, hard Larabee glare. He opened and closed his mouth several times before the words came again.
�In any case, this isn�t so much climbing as hanging. We can rappel down from the roof, then it�s just a case of setting up and sitting it out.�
�Sounds cozy.� The leader replied, dryly.
�Yep. And any sign of trouble I can just unclip and zip down to mother earth.�
The smile was back, plastered over the youthful features and Chris groaned inwardly. Truth be told he didn�t like the idea one bit, but it made perfect sense. Vin wouldn�t expose JD to any unnecessary danger and JD would be devastated if his equipment failed when Ezra and Josiah were relying on him.
�I�m not a kid, Chris. And I�m not trying to be a hero.� He stated earnestly.
Chris frowned tried to ignore the heartfelt plea in the boy�s words. The Team Leader flicked through the report and the list once more, placing them back on the desk and sliding them across to JD. He could feel the young man tense with anticipation, his quick fingers drumming on the arms of the chair and the rubber soles of his sneakers squeaking on the metal frame of the chair. Sometimes Dunne�s youthful enthusiasm made his colleagues forget just what a damned good agent he was and what an asset they had in their short, scrappy youngest.
Against his better judgment, Chris found himself agreeing the plan and signing off the requisition sheet. Two hours later JD was locked away in the small workshop piecing together the new equipment and Larabee was engaged in a �robust exchange of ideas� with Buck Wilmington on the wisdom of his decision.
On the morning of the bust JD rose early and took his bike for a ride through the empty streets. There was something peculiarly calming about being out alone, watching the rising sun turn the wet sidewalk into liquid gold. He knew he was jittery and he needed to relax enough to eat breakfast or Nathan would be on his case as well as Buck. It made him wonder if Ezra got like this every time he went undercover. Did the super cool agent feel like a whole swarm of butterflies had broken out of their cocoons and taken up residence in his gut? Did his heart beat like he had just come in from a six-mile run? Did he dream all night that he was falling and wake before dawn with sweaty palms and a mouth as dry as the Mojave Desert? Ezra had always said that he wasn�t a brave man; at that moment JD Dunne would beg to differ.
By 7 am he had showered, dressed and sat on the counter eating a second pop tart and washing it down with a quart of milk. His iPod was feeding over-loud rock into his abused eardrums and his stockinged feet bounced in time with the beat. Buck wavered at the door, watching his young friend with a mixture of benevolent amusement and barely controlled concern.
JD smiled as he caught sight of his roommate and popped out the earphones, leaving them dangling around his neck, the tinny sound still pumping out. Buck set about fixing a pot of coffee and shook his head in dismay at the follies of youth.
�You know, Nathan says you�re gonna go deaf if you keep listening to that thing so loud, kid.�
�Pardon?�
Buck looked up from his coffee pot, catching the mischievous smirk on his colleague�s face.
�You know what? I think you�d better run me down to Mercy, I think I just split my sides with that one, shorty.�
JD chortled contentedly and gulped back the last of the milk from the carton, leaving a thick milk moustache on his upper lip.
�You just got no sense of humor, Buck.� JD laughed, running a hand across his mouth and smacking his lips loudly before jumping off the counter and placing the empty carton in Buck�s hand.
�By the way, we�re out of milk.� He grinned as he exited the kitchen at a run.
On a normal day, Buck would have taken after the youth and beaten him severely with the first soft furnishing that came to hand. The boy would run and squirm and laugh at the old man who couldn�t catch him and they would leave the condo in the disarray that earned it the name so lovingly bestowed by their colleagues � the CDC.
Today was not going to be a normal day.
Buck had been waiting for the opportunity to talk seriously since he awoke to the sound of whispered cursing at 5am followed by the familiar rattling of the bicycle chain. Resisting the urge to rush out and check that the kid was wearing a cycle helmet and had remembered to fix his lights in place, Buck pondered on the tech genius who thought nothing of stripping down an expensive electronic doohickey to its component parts and reassembling it from memory but had not yet found the time to fix the simple chain guide on his Shimano gear train. He was going to do himself an injury one of these days if the chain slipped while he was powering uphill.
The trouble with JD, Buck mused, was that he never thought bad things would happen to him. He remembered distinctly the first time the young agent had been injured in the line of duty and the look on his face as the realization hit. It wasn�t the pain etched onto those youthful features that Buck remembered so vividly � it was the surprise and indignation, as if the bad guys had cheated in some way by taking him out. He recalled JD fighting Nathan�s attempts to control the bleeding and his gritty determination to get right back into the fray. Nathan had finally lost it and threatened to have Josiah sit on him if he didn�t give in to his ministrations and the boy had calmed down and had given in. Buck had been at his side then and had cupped his sweat-slick cheek in his big calloused hand as the first telltale signs of shock had begun to show. Buck would always remember the paleness of JD�s skin, the shivers that wracked his body, the glazed hazel eyes that stared into his own looking for something � was it reassurance? � and the smile which ghosted across his face just before he slipped into unconsciousness. The injury had not been life threatening, but Buck had been more scared than he could ever remember being before.
He didn�t want to go there again. He would talk to the kid before he left.
The muffled cry of �See you later, Buck!� and the slamming of the front door let Buck know he had left it too late.
�Yay! It�s double O six and a quarter!� Vin laughed as JD entered the bullpen in his all-black climbing outfit.
JD blushed to his roots and slumped down into the nearest chair.
�I look stupid, huh?�
Josiah placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder and squeezed a little harder than necessary.
�You look just fine, John Dunne. But I think we might need to do something about your face.�
JD blinked. What was wrong with his face? He knew he didn�t look particularly mean or aggressive, but nobody had ever said there was anything wrong with his face before.
�It does rather shine like a beacon in a wicked world, son.� Josiah explained.
�What you need is a little luminosity-reducing maquillage, young man.� Ezra stated, rifling through his desk drawer in search of the remedy.
�A little lumin... huh?�
�Make up, Mr Dunne. An essential item for any self-respecting undercover agent.�
With remarkable speed, JD leapt from the chair and dodged behind his desk, anxious to keep both distance and obstacles between himself and the cosmetic-wielding southerner.
�I ain�t... uh�and you� you can�t make me!� JD cowered underneath his desk, �I�d rather do the pantyhose thing again!�
Vin pushed aside the operator�s chair and crouched down to talk face to face.
�You still brooding on that, JD? �Cos ya know it wasn�t meant to embarrass ya.�
JD let his head fall back against the modesty board, letting out a long sigh. He hadn�t meant to bring it up. Vin had told him about the old army trick of wearing pantyhose under salopettes when they had first gone snowboarding together. The extra layer provided a surprising amount of insulation without restricting his movement at all and he would have been eternally grateful had he not slipped on an ice patch on the way back to the car at the end of the day, twisting his ankle badly enough that Vin insisted they take a quick trip to the nearest medical centre to get it checked out. The staff at the clinic had obviously seen many such outfits and had not commented, but JD had been mortified when the nurse took off his sock to reveal the 20 denier American Tan covering his swollen and aching foot.
�I ain�t brooding on nothing, Vin� I just� Make up?!�
Vin waved the others away and shifted into a more comfortable cross-legged sitting position.
�It�s only camouflage paint, like the special ops guys wear. Ezra�s just worried your face�ll show up some� So, you want to tell me what�s really buggin� ya?�
JD shrugged as much as he could within the confines of the desk�s kneehole.
�Nothing. I�m fine. Everything�s fine� What makes you think something�s bugging me?�
�Well, kid, for one you�re hiding under yer desk.�
JD looked around him as if realizing his position for the first time.
�I ain�t hiding�� He replied softly before banging his head against the board in frustration. �Dammit, Vin, it�s easy for you. No one thinks of you as the green kid who couldn�t find his own ass with both his hands and a GPS!�
Vin�s head dropped forward and he rested his chin on his hands. For a cocky kid, JD had a mass of insecurities that would surface at the worst possible times. His fear of letting the others down was almost pathological and it worried Vin that JD was going into the operation in his present mindset. �Someone�s gotta be the youngest. It don�t mean we don�t respect ya. It sure don�t mean we don�t think yer up to the job. So what is it? Ya think the op.�s flawed?�
JD shook his head. The planning had been meticulous as usual. Ezra was the best undercover agent in the business and Josiah could read a man like an open book. Chris and Vin had been through every detail with a fine-tooth comb.
Every detail except one.
�Is it the climb? �Cos I set that rope myself and I�ll be there at the top to talk you through��
JD shook his head again.
�I could take your place iffen ya like. It�s not too late.�
�Vin, I�m not scared of the climb or the op. I�m not even worried about the equipment going wrong � I can handle that� Shoot! Let�s face it; I�m the only one who can� It�s just��
Vin quirked an eyebrow, waiting for the confession; waiting to hear what had riled his friend to the extent that they were sitting on the floor amongst the discarded junk food wrappers and cola cans.
�It�s just� I�ll be there right outside that window and if anything goes down� I haven�t figured out how I�ll get to my gun�.�
�Well, hell, JD, is that all?! Come on outta there and we�ll fix somethin� up.�
With a grin, JD scuttled out of his hiding place, grabbing the harness.
�Hey! I could rig up some kind of utility belt to fit on this� maybe put the gun on some sort of lanyard�What do ya think?�
Vin smiled benevolently and tousled the young man�s mop of black hair.
�Yeah. Maybe we can rig up some web-shooters too, Spidey!�
The final briefing had been necessarily cut short. The mark, a suspected gunrunner by the name of Aaron Jensen, had called Ezra to bring forward the time of the meeting, an action Ezra had anticipated and allowed for. What hadn�t been planned was the change of room. Instead of meeting at ten pm in a fourth floor office on the west side of the building they would now be on the third floor on the east side an hour earlier. Ezra muttered that Jensen was living up to his reputation of being an awkward so-and-so.
�What do we do about re-rigging the lines?� JD asked, aware that he and Vin had already spent two nights sneaking onto the roof to set up for the bust.
�I say we forget the EHX and go for a wire. You can rig one of them in your sleep, JD and it�ll give us extra cover on the street.�
Buck was hopeful that this new plan would avoid his roommate having to dangle above the hard Denver streets with nothing but a bit of nylon to keep him from crashing down. JD just shook his head.
�From what Ezra tells us, Jensen will have detectors. Seems the man is obsessive about electronic security. Even his personal phone line is encrypted.�
�So what makes you think he won�t detect your little bug hiney thing of yours.�
JD took on the look of a professor of physics about to teach the dumbest kid in the kindergarten about nuclear fission
�Spider leg Buck�� He began, sucking in a deep breath to sustain a lengthy explanation, �Oh, never mind.�
�O.k. Time to make a decision. We knew Jensen was going to pull something. We�ve still got time to regroup. JD, Vin; you guys reckon you�ll be able to re-rig in time?�
The two youngest agents nodded. Buck scrubbed his hand across his face.
�You got something to add, Buck?� Chris asked, narrowing his eyes sufficiently for Wilmington to know he didn�t expect or require an answer.
�Good. So Vin has marked the new positions. We go in twenty. Mike check at 7.45� And JD?�
�Yes Chris?� JD spun around, anxious not to miss any detail which might affect the mission.
�Get some camo paint on. We don�t want your face lighting up the street.�
Setting up at the meeting site proved to be more of a challenge than expected. It was dark and damp with a cold wind just picking up as Vin and JD reset the climbing equipment for the new position. Vin had marked the rope at the required length to indicate when JD would be in place and had checked over all the safety equipment, harnesses and fixing points while JD checked the surveillance equipment. Satisfied that all preparations had been made to the best of their abilities, Vin tapped JD on the shoulder and guided him over the edge of the building.
If the kid was nervous he wasn�t showing it. Vin rolled his eyes at the big toothy grin and little wave the boy gave as he disappeared into the dark.
The delicate electronic equipment was carefully stowed in a waterproof bag and passed down on a separate line. A double tug on the rope let Vin know that the bag had reached its destination.
At 7.30 JD lowered himself down to the office window, fixing the listening end of the spider leg onto the glass with the all the care and precision he could muster. It was cold and dark and the office lights were still out but the motion detectors in the building were sensitive and were sometimes set off by birds flying past the window or so he had been told. The people behind this building had to be the most paranoid group of businessmen the team had ever come across. It made JD wonder what they were all so desperate to hide and what other heinous crimes were enacted every day within the walls of the third and fourth floors. The thought of it made him shiver.
Or maybe it was nerves kicking in.
Down below in the surveillance van Buck chuckled as he heard the sound of their youngest singing softly to himself.
�Spiderman, Spiderman,
Does whatever a spider can.
Spins a web, any size,
Catches thieves just like flies.
Look out! Here comes the Spiderman.�
The rise and fall of the signal bars on the screen and the blinking red of the �recording� light assured Buck that they had a good feed from the kid. And that he had the perfect little impromptu item for the blooper reel at the office Christmas party.
At 7.45 each man on the outside of the building called in for a sound check. JD found himself praying that Buck, stuck in the surveillance van, would not get bored and start to fiddle with his carefully calibrated instruments. He needn�t have worried. Buck had found the kid�s stash of HoHos and Nutter Butters and was hot on the trail of Vin�s Devil Dogs, noting the amounts in each hiding place to use as leverage next time either of them chose to ignore Nathan�s medical advice.
At 7.50, JD began to feel the first stirrings of discomfort as the nylon webbing of his harness began to cut into the soft flesh of his upper thighs and the cold breeze infiltrated through his climbing gear chilling his kidneys. From above, Vin noticed the movement on the rope.
�Hey, Spiderman, you ok down there?�
JD shifted in his harness again, desperate to find some relief.
�Yeah, just a little� Darn it Vin! This thing is worse than a wedgie!�
�Well at least it ain�t raining.�
The quiet Texan grinned, scanning the street below for any physical threats to the uncomfortable man on the rope below. The grin faded immediately as the first spots of rain turned into a minor deluge.
�Thanks Vin. Can you think of any other way to make this worse?!� JD whined.
�Well, ya could need to pee.�
Buck couldn�t suppress a chortle when his roommate groaned.
�Suggestion is a powerful tool in the hands of quiet man!�
�Can you guys shut up? Ez and Josiah have just entered the building.� Nathan was the only agent positioned to view the entrance to the building and gave a brief description of the man who approached he pair at the deserted reception desk. Nathan believed it was Peter Vaughan, the trained lawyer in charge of the legal and contractual side of Jensen�s legitimate business and thought to be one of Jensen�s most trusted underlings. It was a surprise to find Vaughan so openly engaged in an illegal transaction. Either Jensen was being very careful or very stupid.
JD focused on the window and the delicate listening device attached to it. Lights snapped on inside the office and the spider leg stood out stark and black against the rain splattered glass. The sound of the initial niceties could barely be heard over the hammering of the rain. JD slipped the receiver unit out of its cover and began to adjust the fine controls to cancel out the lower register sounds, hoping that Josiah�s deep voice wouldn�t disappear entirely.
Cupping his hand over his ear, JD listened as the hiss of static gave way to the indistinct staccato bursts of speech. Adjusting the fine controls again, Ezra�s voice came through.
�Well, Mr. Jensen. While your office d�cor is thoroughly fascinating, I do not believe it has sufficient square footage for our current transaction to be completed.�
�As I said, Mr. Stewart, our arrangements have had to change due to some unforeseen circumstances. It has been something of a trouble to us to find an alternative item.�
Jensen had been spinning a sad tale of his lost cargo for five minutes now and Ezra was getting bored.
�My dear man, you seem to have mistaken me for someone who gives a damn. You either have the merchandise or we terminate our business here and now.�
�I admire your directness, Mr. Stewart.� Jensen laughed. �I assume you have the full payment.�
Ezra risked a glance at Josiah. What the hell was going on here? Hadn�t Jensen said that the rifles had been misdirected?
�Surely you jest, my good man. You might well believe your alternative merchandise is worth half a million. I, however, require something more tangible than the word of a � businessman� such as yourself.�
Jensen paled slightly, his thin face tightening into a rictus grin.
�Mr. Stewart, I believe this particular item will far exceed your expectations. I would go as far as to stake my reputation on it.�
Chris wasn�t happy. This was supposed to be a straight meet to discuss terms and arrange a pick up. They were not resourced for a bust going down tonight. He had two men in the building, one on the roof and one dangling in a precarious position on a rope half way down. A sudden burst of noise from the transmitter had all of the agents reaching to remove their headphones. The transmission returned to the static hiss.
�What the hell is going on in there?� Chris growled in frustration.
�Do you want me to scoot down and take a look?� JD asked, desperate to restore the link to Josiah and Ezra.
�No heroics, JD.� Came the reply from the surveillance van.
�No heroics intended, Buck, but this is weird, don�t ya think?�
�Stay where you are, kid.� Chris commanded.
JD exhaled audibly and returned to the control box, adjusting the input wires and fishing for his emergency toolkit. A few moments later the voices returned.
�When you said you were looking for some effective ordnance for a show of force, how effective did you mean?� Jensen asked.
�Like Joshua at Babylon.� Josiah�s distorted tone sounded less resonant than usual but still sententious.
�My colleague has a somewhat Old Testament view of our undertaking.� Ezra explained.
Jensen laughed again. There was the sound of something heavy and metallic being placed on the table and catches being released.
�Well, gentlemen, if it�s Old Testament you�re after, how about a plague?�
It happened in a rush.
JD had been listening carefully to the feed and had very nearly dropped everything when he heard what weapon Jensen was offering.
Chris was yelling at Vin and Nathan to move in while he and Buck were already half way across the parking lot.
Cold, wet and shivering JD was attempting to release the brake on the line to allow him to move in on command but the handle wouldn�t budge.
Chris was moving fast now. The plan was going to hell in a handcart and there was no time for fine-tuning.
�JD, when we�re in place, can you give us a distraction?�
�Try and stop me!� Came the too-merry reply from the dangling technical wizard.
Calculating that it would only be a short drop to the small balcony outside the office window, he fumbled in his toolkit for his Swiss Army knife. The feed from the office told him that Josiah and Ezra were expecting company and trying to keep Jensen talking. The only problem now was - how the heck would he know when the rest of the team was in position if the signal suppression covered the corridors?
Time was running out. He sawed at the rope with the serrated blade while holding the lanyard attached to his gun in his teeth. The control box for the transmitter was stuffed under his jacket and he was ready to drop as soon as he heard a cue.
At that moment his luck ran out.
Hearing a knock on the door and figuring it to be the team making their entrance JD cut through the remainder of the rope, dropping with a grunt onto the balcony. Motion sensors alerted Jensen to his presence and the glass balcony door swung open. A moment later JD found himself pulled to his feet and forced onto the balcony rail by one of Jensen�s goons. Kicking out at his assailant he allowed himself a moment of satisfaction as his foot made contact with the bodyguard�s groin. It was a short-lived victory, however, as he felt himself wavering on his precarious perch.
Shouts and shots from inside the building alerted the guard to the arrival of Team Seven. Josiah appeared at the door and JD breathed a sigh of relief as his rescue seemed in hand. At that moment the guard rose from his crouched position and with a feral grin directed at Josiah, he pulled on the kid�s foot.
�JD!� Josiah yelled, powerless to help as the boy�s arms flailed wildly, trying to find anything to grasp onto.
The moment when he finally unbalanced sufficiently to roll over the balcony seemed to last for ever. From inside the room, Buck could not see what was going on and continued his banter with Vin but Josiah, standing in the doorway saw every agonizing moment.
Falling�.
Falling�.
As his body impacted with the roof of the silver Volvo JD heard the breath whoosh from his lungs followed by the whumph as airbags inflated inside the car.
�What the hell is up with JD?� Buck demanded as he put handcuffs on the struggling bodyguard and shoved him into Vin�s waiting arms.
Josiah could not answer but remained standing at the window staring wordlessly into the parking lot below.
�Josiah�? Josiah, where�s JD?�
Buck followed Josiah�s gaze, feeling his heart thumping wildly as he approached the window.
JD was sure he must be dead when he opened his eyes and the saw the look of pure terror on Josiah�s face some thirty feet above.
The realization that he wasn�t came a moment later with the pain in his neck and rump, which had taken the brunt of the impact. He struggled to get up like a turtle stuck on its back, cursing loudly to prove to everyone that he was not only in the land of the living but fixing to be resident for some time to come.
Buck ran down the stairs two at a time, frightened that the youth was terribly injured. Approaching the car he yelled at the kid to stay still until Nathan could get to him, but JD continued to struggle and curse, eventually sliding off the bonnet of the car and standing, somewhat shakily, on terra firma.
�Let me take a look at you, kid� Buck fussed, taking the boy�s face in his hands and looking into his eyes.
�Buck, will you please drop it! I landed on my behind, ok?�
Buck grinned and made to check for further signs of trauma but JD swatted Buck�s hand away.
�Chris, will you talk to this boy? He�s being downright ornery.�
�Yeah, yeah! Well yuck it up, Wilmington, you still ain�t getting me to drop my pants for ya!�
�Gentlemen, perhaps I should remind you that we are still recording�� Ezra�s dulcet tones brought order to the proceedings and Buck said a silent prayer for his friend�s miraculous escape.
A once over from Nathan and a glare from Chris Larabee left Dunne in no doubt that he was about to visit the Emergency Room.
�Do you think he�s done much damage?� Chris asked, concerned that the youth was known to underplay injuries.
�It don�t look bad, Chris, but it�s better to be safe than sorry. I�d like his neck to be looked at and he might have damaged his tailbone�� Nathan looked up at the third floor balcony where JD had fallen from and whistled through his teeth. �Boy�s got the luck of the Irish!�
�I�m just saying it don�t feel right. Leaving him like that.�
Nathan had been seriously unimpressed when the paramedic arrived at the scene and told them that, as JD appeared to have done no major or life-threatening damage to himself as a result of his fall, he would be taken to the local medical center rather than the larger Mercy Hospital. Despite his argument that JD tended to underplay his ailments and that the staff at Mercy were used to dealing with his allergies and sensitivities, the paramedic stood firm. There had been a major shooting incident in Purgatario earlier that evening and the ER was already busy when a multiple MVA involving three buses full of teenagers attending a rock festival at Red Rocks had pushed the resources to their limits.
�He�ll be fine, Mr Jackson. That boy has the resilience of tempered steel. And let us not forget he had the good fortune to break his descent on the safest vehicle our Scandinavian friends have to offer.�
As a man who trusted little to chance, Ezra had marveled at the odds of Jensen�s lawyer friend parking his brand new Volvo immediately below the window where JD fell. Maybe there was some truth in Josiah�s belief that the boy had a guardian angel. Or maybe it was plain dumb luck that rescued the Easterner time and time again. Whatever it was, the Team was damned grateful.
�Damn. The way that thing crumpled� I gotta get me one of them Volvos.� Nathan sighed, admiration for the safety record of the vehicle bringing a wistful smile to his lips.
�Well, Mr Jackson, I anticipate a certain nearly new, albeit slightly damaged, model may come onto the market shortly.�
Ezra waved the evidence bag with the lawyer Vaughan�s keys inside.
�Vaughan is pissed. He told Chris he�s gonna sue JD for damage to his vehicle. Chris told him he should think of it as an act of God.�
Vin didn�t add that Chris had threatened to drop him from a great height to see if God would choose to save a lowlife who supported gunrunning and bio-terrorism by twisting the law into more nauseating shapes than a Six Flags roller coaster ride.
�Mr Vaughan will have difficulty talking his way out of an accessory charge with the evidence we have gleaned. I say it�s a victory for the men in the white hats.�
�Oh dear Lord, Mr. Sanchez, please do not use such utterances in front of our young associate. If I know that boy and his enthusiasms I believe he would have us all in matching millinery monstrosities before the day was out.�
After sitting in the ER waiting room for three hours, Buck was more than ready to go home. JD had been diagnosed as having nothing worse than a minor whiplash injury to his neck and contusions to his lower back. He would be released any time now, with a bag full of painkillers and another few column inches and x-rays in his medical file. Buck called Chris with the good news, knowing that the others would be in the office clearing up the details of the bust and filing initial reports.
�So how is he really?� Chris asked, an edge of almost paternal concern in his voice.
�Ah, you know JD. Kid bounces. He�ll be fine. Doc says he can go straight back to work on Monday if he feels up to it. And you know he will.�
Buck could have sworn he could hear Chris� mouth crook into a lop-sided smile at the news.
�So he�s really ok?�
�I don�t know what got bruised worse � his butt or his pride. He�s whining �cos his modded EHX didn�t make it� �
�We got what we needed. Tell him he did good�
�Thanks Chris.�
Buck would certainly pass that on. Chris Larabee rarely gave praise to his team, expecting them to live up to their reputation as the Magnificent Seven. The kid never asked for praise, but a pat on the back from his hero and the boy would swell with pride and be on a high for days.
Buck was jolted out of his reverie by the sound of drunken singing announcing the arrival of the recently released and newly medicated JD Dunne.
�Is he strong? Listen bud�
He's got radioactive blood.
Can he swing from a thread?
Take a look overhead.
Hey theeeeeeeeeeeeere! There goes the Spiderman!�
�Hey kid!� Buck greeted, �You�re feeling better, huh?�
�Buck! Hey! I feel GREAT! You wanna see my bruise? It�s HUMUNGOUS!� JD smiled and reached for the waistband of his pants.
�Whoa there, Tiger! Let�s save it for the gallery, hm?�
Buck looked apologetically at the matronly woman pushing his partner�s wheelchair.
�Thanks, Ma�am. I�ll take it from here.�
JD scooted around in the chair to wave heartily at the nurse.
�Bye Vanessa! Buck�s free on Thursday if you wanna date!�
Buck swatted the dark head and pushed faster.
Relinquishing the wheelchair at the door, Buck realised he would have to carry the kid if they were going to get to the car quickly. JD was dragging his feet and stumbling along while singing, giggling and pointing at people and objects while voicing every thought in his head.
�Hey Buck, look at that guy. D�ya think that�s a toupee? Man! That�s one ugly car. Whoa! Ugly driver too!!! Wait! Wait! I gotta go pick up the Ninja!�
�Later, son. Right now we�re getting in my truck and going home to bed.�
Buck scooped JD into the truck and pulled the seat belt around him. JD lolled like a marionette whose strings had been cut and stared blankly at Buck with huge hazel eyes.
�What�cha doing?�
�I�m taking you home, JD.�
�Oh. That�s nice. Boston�s real pretty in the Fall. Can we have clams? I miss clams��
Buck brushed the bangs out of the youth�s eyes and smiled.
�Kid, you are completely stoned. What did they give you in there?
�They gave me DRUGS, Buck!� He declared indignantly. �We gotta call the DEA! I think they�ve got a whole bunch of �em stashed away in there.�
�In the morning, maybe. I�ll talk to Nathan first. Find out exactly what it was��
JD poked at Buck�s chest to get his undivided attention.
�Ya gonna bust their miserable asses, Buck? Can I come? Vin�s gonna make me some web-shooters.�
�Ok�Well� We�ll discuss it when you�re feeling better.� Buck soothed.
�I�m feeling FINE!�
�I know. But unless you want a free trip right back into the ER you�re going home and you�re going straight to bed.�
�Everybody�s being mean to me today.� He pouted.
�JD��
Buck made a mental note to call the Team�s medic as soon as he got his intoxicated colleague into their apartment. JD�s odd reactions to the most benign medications had been a source of worry to both of them and Nathan had resorted to taking a course in naturopathy to try to find alternatives that wouldn�t leave the young man gasping for breath, throwing up, covered in hives or, like now, acting like a drunk on the Saturday night of his lost weekend.
At that moment JD began singing again, this time with gusto.
�Spiderman, Spiderman,
Friendly neighborhood Spiderman.
Wealth and fame, he's ignored�
Action is his reward.
To him,
Life is a great big bang-UP�
Wherever there's a hang-UP,
You'll find the Spidermaaaaan!�
Buck shook his head. It was going to be a long night. He almost wished he was sitting in the office helping Vin type up his report.
�You gonna be singing that all night, kid, �cos if you are I�d better find me some ear plugs!�
JD looked across at his friend, his eyes filling with tears.
�I�m sorry� It�s a thingy��
�A what?�
He knew he shouldn�t have asked. The drugs had caused JD to take on the persona of a five year old and Buck hadn�t had that much experience with children. Well, not since little Adam Larabee died, but he really didn�t want to think about that right now. He was grateful that JD kept rambling.
�You know. A thingummy jig. Mindworm... No! An Earworm! That�s it. That�s the baby.�
�Earworm?�
�Yeah. It goes in your ear and it eats into your brain.�
�Right.�
�Coincidentally, Mindworm was one of Spiderman�s enemies. Well, not much of an enemy �cos the poor guy was sick and anyway he didn�t mean to kill his parents. That was the psionic feeding. He wasn�t to know � oh.�
JD abruptly went silent and his hazel eyes went wide as saucers. Buck recognized the signs and pulled over quickly, leaning across to release the door catch to allow JD to empty the contents of his stomach onto the sidewalk.
The rest of the journey proceeded in silence. Buck was unnerved by the sudden change and switched on the radio to cover the quiet. As they pulled up at the condo, he reached across to pat his partner thinking he had fallen asleep. The boy sighed and rubbed wrist over his face.
�JD? You ok?�
JD looked back at him with a face full of tears.
�You didn�t tell me��
Buck searched his memory for anything he might have kept hidden from the kid to make him so upset. He knew the tears were a reaction to the drugs and the pain and shock of the fall, but the pure misery in the young voice made him feel unnaturally guilty.
�Aw kid, what d�ya think I could keep from you?� He asked, tousling JD�s dark, shaggy hair.
�My face, Buck�. I look like a damned minstrel show!�
Buck tried not to smile, but the sorrowful eyes and the black camouflage-painted face did, indeed, resembled an old vaudeville routine.
�Well, there. Your singing talents won�t go to waste!�
The next morning Buck found JD propped against the counter drinking a long glass of water. Traces of the camouflage makeup still showed around his nose and chin and he looked pale and drawn like a man with a serious hangover. He was moving slowly and Buck could tell he was in some pain, but he wasn�t about to give in to it.
�You think you could handle a bath? It might bring out the bruising.�
JD shook his head.
�Nathan gave me this arnica gel stuff. He says it�ll help.�
�You taken a painkiller this morning?�
�Aspirin. I guess I was pretty out of it on the stuff they gave me.�
Buck admired JD�s capacity for understatement. It would be cruel to bring up his antics when the kid was so obviously still suffering, but tomorrow they would meet with the rest of the team and the gloves would be off.
�Chris invited us all out to the ranch. It�s ok; I told him you wouldn�t be up to traveling��
�What did you say that for? Buck, I�ve got some bruising to my lower back and a bit of a neck-ache. I can still sit in the truck and I can still visit.�
�Sounds like you�re catching a cold there, too, JD. Maybe I should call Nathan.�
�For a cold?! Geez, Buck, overreacting much! I�ll take some vitamin C if it makes you feel better.�
�It�s not me who�s gonna be sneezing and spluttering and making everyone�s life a misery��
�Fine. I�d hate to spoil the guys� weekend.� JD bit back.
Buck put his hand around JD�s neck, a natural move for him, but one that elicited a yelp of pain from the youth.
�Damn!� JD, I�m sorry! That hurts, huh?�
JD sucked in a breath and managed a smile to reassure his friend that he hadn�t done any damage.
�I guess you�re right, I do feel a bit crappy. D�you think we could take it easy today and see how it goes tomorrow?�
Buck patted his shoulder, smiling broadly.
�Well, heck, JD, ya took the words right out of my mouth, kiddo!�
They spent the rest of the day watching movies and eating take out, JD propped up with pillows on the comfortable sofa and Buck providing a hostess service catering to his every dietary whim. Well, what the heck. His friend had fallen from a third storey window last night. By rights he should have been scooping the boy off the asphalt today, or at least visiting his broken body in the ICU. By some miracle he had survived relatively intact, and Buck was happy to indulge him with a little pampering, knowing how close he had come to losing the kid.
Chris was pleased when the Buck called to say that he and JD were on their way out to the ranch. The Jensen case was going to take a lot of work and he needed the team to be operating on all cylinders. He knew that if JD was sick or injured it would affect Buck�s performance and, by implication, all of the rest of them. There was a time when he would have believed that was truly the only reason he cared whether the kid was hurting, but that was in the black days before the six men in his team became a surrogate family.
The gathering was subdued only by JD�s need to nap, a by-product, he promised, of a night�s sleep broken by the sound of someone sawing logs in the next room. Buck sheepishly admitted he had spent the night on the couch �just in case� the kid needed him.
The intention had been to take the horses out for some exercise and return to the house for steaks and beer.
When the subject of the horses came up, JD had been quick to say he was happy to stay behind, drink some milk and just enjoy the view from the porch. Each man had offered to stay behind and keep him company but he wasn�t having it. He told them he didn�t mind them going off for a ride without him and he tried very hard to believe it too. The horses needed exercise and he was under strict orders to take it easy. Besides, they were intending to ride out to look at the far fence and check it for damage after one of the neighbors had complained about Chris� steers wandering onto their land. There was no way on God�s green earth that JD could make it that far in his current delicate state, but he seriously wanted to be out there, riding his bay alongside the rest of his team. Right where he belonged.
�I can stay behind, kid, Beavis don�t mind having a rest day.� Buck had said just as they were heading out to the barn, but JD had waved him away saying he really needed an hour or two without being fussed over.
Easing himself into a chair on the porch, he picked up his novel and settled back, a glass of milk and a plate of cookies at his side and the admonishment from Nathan to apply sun cream if there was even the hint of blue skies ringing in his ears. Looking out over the corral where Milagro grazed contentedly, to the fields and trees beyond, he supposed there could be worse ways to spend an afternoon. It was a beautiful day and he did feel truly lucky to be alive. Within twenty minutes the quiet, the milk and the painkillers lulled the young man into a gentle drowse.
He was rudely awoken by the sound of an engine gunning. Looking around to see if his friends had returned, JD got up and walked around to the garage. Chris� Ram, Ezra�s Jaguar and the Lady stood idle. Outside Josiah�s Suburban and Vin�s Jeep were equally unoccupied. It took a while before his befuddled mind sorted out that the noise was from a heavy vehicle. The tractor that Chris had rented from Harland Creber was still in the old barn since Harland had been hospitalized after suffering a heart attack.
JD rounded the corner of the barn as the tractor exited; driven by a man he had never seen before.
�Hey Mister! Hey!�
The man ignored the calls and headed out of the barn and onto the drive. It was clear the expensive farm machinery was being stolen and that he was the only one who could stop it.
JD weighed up his options. There was no way he could catch up with the tractor on foot. He could probably hot wire one of his friends� vehicles but dealing with their wrath in the aftermath of a fender bender was not appealing. Running as fast as his injuries would allow, he made his way to the field, calling to Milagro as he went. The clever beast was used to his master�s enthusiastic style and didn�t flinch when he vaulted onto his bare back, hanging on to the halter and urging the horse forward.
The vault may have been a painful mistake as the soreness of the bruising made itself felt. Still, JD urged the horse on and was making ground on the fleeing thief.
�JD?!�
He turned to look over his shoulder where his friends were cresting the hill, riding full tilt to intercept him.
He was nearing the cab now, and wondering how he was going to stop the vehicle when the thief swung at him with a shovel, catching him under the chin and knocking him off his horse. He lay on the ground catching his breath and watching as Buck, Vin, Chris and Ezra thundered past in pursuit. Struggling to get off the ground, he felt Josiah�s restraining hand on his shoulder.
�Stay down, son. Let Nathan take a look at you.�
JD baulked at the idea. This was the second time in three days he had ended up floored by some miscreant and he was sick of it. He wanted to rip that damned tractor thief from the cab and throw him to the ground, see how he would like it!
�Let me up, Josiah! I can�t see them� Did they get him?�
JD craned to see around Josiah�s bulk, eager to catch the moment when the bandit was finally apprehended.
�I believe Brother Buck has the matter in hand, John.�
Josiah took out a clean handkerchief and dabbed at the small cut that the shovel had opened on JD�s chin, the shadow of the terror he had felt two days before still present in his eyes. JD wondered if there was anything he could say to take that look away.
�I�m sorry. It was stupid. I just didn�t have time to think��
Josiah cupped his face in one large hand and held his gaze.
�Son, the tractor was insured. It could be replaced. You are worth so much more to each and every one of us��
�And at the rate you�re going we won�t be able to get ANY insurance for you.� Nathan added with a smile. �OK, JD, you know the routine. Let�s get you to ER.�
�I�m fine, Nathan. Quit making a fuss will ya?� JD squirmed as Nathan fitted a restraining collar around his neck to immobilize it.
�Course you are, son. But humor Nate some, will you? You know he likes to feel he has a reason for being here if it�s only to get our sorry butts to the hospital.�
�Please, Nathan�� JD really, really did not want to go back to the hospital so soon after leaving it.
�Don�t you go giving me those big eyes, JD.�
�Why won�t anyone listen to me? I said that I feel just fine.�
�Which is precisely why we�re going��
�You know that makes no sense, don�t ya?� He was fighting a losing battle but he was determined not to go quietly.
�You want to explain yourself to Chris while you�re lying in the dirt? �Cos he�s headed this way and, man, I have to tell you, he is not looking like he�s gonna be pinning a medal on ya.�
Nathan saw his words have the desired effect as JD gulped visibly.
�Now, shall we do this the easy way and let Josiah drive us, or do we do it the hard way and wait for Mr. Larabee?�
JD grunted and allowed himself to be led to Josiah�s Suburban.
As it was closer to home and had his most recent medical records, JD had been returned to the medical center he had been taken to on the night of the bust. As a �regular customer� JD had been fast-tracked through triage, had a further x-ray and was examined by a doctor who noted the prior injuries and suspected the neck pain was due to an aggravation of the whiplash injury. He had had a quick scan of the film in the file but found nothing disturbing. Rather than entertain six �over-inflated egos� as one nurse unkindly described JD�s concerned colleagues, the clinic staff had found it more useful to treat and discharge the ATF agent as soon as humanly possible. The rest of the evening had been spent filling in a police report and being fussed over by big brother Buck. It felt normal and normal felt good.
Monday morning saw the whole team back at their desks and working on the Jensen case reports.
JD was bored. He had typed in his report, filed the recordings and even filled in the multitude of medical forms about his work related injury. The others still had a mountain of paperwork to do and a whole raft of admin duties before the interesting work would begin on putting together a solid body of evidence that Jensen had procured and was intending to sell bio-weapons. JD knew it might well take a lot more research, tying Jensen�s legitimate business to his more heinous activities and teasing out the network of contacts and suppliers that allowed him to do business with military and civilian �customers� alike. Meanwhile there was nothing to do but run around after the others, making coffee.
The lack of action was giving him a tension headache and, much to Buck�s amusement; his sinuses were also showing signs of a doozy of a cold developing. It was a relief when the call came from Team 4 that their system had gone down and IT Support couldn�t seem to sort it out. He desperately needed something to take his mind off his discomfort.
�Chris, do you mind if I go downstairs and help out?�
Chris knew JD was getting frustrated hanging around. Josiah kept looking at him like he was some sort of walking miracle, Ezra was making him touch his cards every time he passed the desk and Nathan was trying to get him to sit on a rubber ring and drink some disgusting concoction made from twigs and mud.
�Sure. Go ahead. These lunk-heads can make their own java for an hour or two.�
JD smiled and left the room with an attempt at his usual bounce.
�Larabee.�
He knew it was too good to last. Chris had been stuck into his work for a good three quarters of an hour. There was no undue noise from the outer office, no shrieks of laughter or cries of �foul� and he was almost through the first set of reports.
�Agent Larabee, it�s Dr Meadows from Mercy here�. I wonder if I could have a word with you and Agent Dunne.�
Chris stiffened.
�Dunne isn�t in the office at the moment. Can you tell me what this is about?�
The man on the other end of the line cleared his throat nervously.
�Um� Would it be possible to contact Agent Dunne? I would really like to talk to you both.�
If there was one thing guaranteed to get Chris Larabee�s goat it was vacillation.
�Is something wrong with Dunne that I should know about?�
�Yes� Yes there is� Look, I�m afraid there has been something of an error. We received John�s x-rays this morning. It�s a bit of a miracle, actually, because these things usually take weeks to catch up��
Chris was beginning to hate the word �miracle� when applied to his agent, it smacked of the same ephemeral stuff as �good luck�. The doctor continued in a somewhat rambling fashion.
�Of course a Radiologist checks all the films we process in the ER, so if he�d come to us�. Unfortunately with the heavy backlog on Saturday and the fact that Agent Dunne had had an x-ray on the same area so recently� Mistakes happen��
Chris pushed the button to patch through to Nathan�s desk.
�Nate. Can you get someone to fetch JD back and get in here? I think we�ve got trouble.�
JD enjoyed his time dealing with Team 4. They weren�t as smart, as savvy or nearly as suave as his own team but they were generally ok guys and JD�s opposite, Timothy Busch, was known to be even more accident prone than himself so it was of little surprise to Dunne when he found out the reason he had been called down was to reboot the servers, restart the printers and check the surveillance equipment after Tim had slipped on a bar of soap in the men�s room and injured himself.
�Dunne? You on light duties at the moment?�
Fred Banner, leader of Team 4, had heard all about JD�s recent tumbles and expected Larabee to be coddling the kid.
�No sir. Doc cleared me for field duties. We�ve just got nothing on right now except writing up reports. If I stayed up there they�d have me typing for �em! Slave drivers!�
Antonucci, the marksman, offered JD a donut as he relayed the news about their klutzy colleague.
�Taylor�s taking Timbo over to Mercy. Reckons he�s busted his wrist. �
�I thought you guys were on your way out.�
JD assumed he had been called down to get the Team�s equipment prepared for a bust. Antonucci had said something about contaminated tobacco flooding the streets. It sounded nowhere near as exciting and dramatic as bio-weapons, but he figured that was part of being in Team Seven � the best team gets the best busts.
�Can�t go without Tim. He�s the only guy who can keep that heap of junk in the surveillance van going�. You don�t suppose�� Banner nodded towards JD.
�Larabee would have your ass on the grill for even thinking it, boss.�
�Thinking what?� JD asked.
�Oh shit. We�ve gotta roll. JD can we borrow you to sit in surveillance?�
�Sure!� JD beamed, happy at the thought of being involved in two busts in less than a week.
�I�m telling you,� Antonucci warned, �Larabee is going to go crazy.�
�Yeah well, I�ll clear it with Travis, let him pick up the flack! You ready JD?�
JD nodded.
�Yeah. Just don�t forget to tell Chris. He won�t eat ya. But keep him in the dark and he might just take a bite!�
�You did what?!�
�Banner needed a technician. JD was at a loose end. He wasn�t press-ganged, Chris.�
Orin Travis wasn�t used to being talked to like this. Even the maverick Chris Larabee would normally treat him with the respect his position demanded. He had not expected Team Seven�s leader to react so strongly to a bit of inter-office co-operation.
Chris was still trying to process the two phone calls. The first told him that due to an oversight his youngest agent was currently walking around with a hangman�s fracture of the neck. The second told him that the same agent had been loaned out to assist in the bust of a group of thugs selling illicit tobacco to kids.
�Get him back, Orin. I don�t care how you do it, but that kid can�t go back into the field now.�
�I�m sorry, it�s too late. Banner called me from the site; they�re all in place. I don�t know what this is all about, Chris, but I have seven good men out there. I can�t risk them all because you�re pissed that I leant them your boy. Beside, the bust was about to go down�. It may all be over by now.�
Chris pinched the bridge of his nose and screwed up his eyes. The finality of that sentence hit home far too hard. Calling for Buck and Nathan to join him Chris set out for the arrest site.
All hell was breaking loose.
Antonucci had taken out the chief thug, not realizing that the second in command was his crazy younger brother. What should have been a simple arrest turned into a major fist fight with Antonucci, the tobacco gang and a group of kids who had planned to make a neat profit on their allowance selling the cheap cigarettes to their less discerning juniors. The rest of the Team had then waded in to pull the outermost layer of fighting bodies off their man, subdue them and put them into custody for their parents to deal with. It seemed, however, as soon as one group of youths had been successfully removed a whole new layer appeared.
JD, being a somewhat scrappy little fighter from the bad side of Boston, found himself embroiled in the melee of bodies, hanging off the back of the irate brother while pushing the others away.
The Ram arrived at the moment where JD, having given as good as he got for several rounds finally felt the pain of the last few days as the adrenaline high he had been on abruptly gave out. Folding to the floor he lay in a semi-stupor while the battle raged around him.
The three tall men getting out of the black Ram had all the appearance of a force of nature. The combined effect of the Larabee glare and a shot from Wilmington�s Glock quietened the tumult almost immediately.
Banner nodded his thanks to Chris and returned to the task of rounding up the suspects, separating the smuggling gang from their customers. He knew there would be words later, and he didn�t look forward to them, but he was grateful that order had been restored.
�JD stay down!� Nathan shouted as Dunne started to get up. He lay still for a moment until he realized that Buck was here. Buck would never let him hear the end of this. He raised himself on his elbows, surprised that his body seemed to have lost all its strength.
�John Daniel! You stay down or I swear I will shoot you myself!�
Nathan sounded really angry. He couldn�t think of a single thing he had done today that would make Nathan sound that angry with him.
The crush of bodies had been cleared and transport had finally arrived to remove the arrested youths. Nathan knelt down beside his fallen friend and took his hands.
�JD, how�s your neck feeling? Is it sore still?�
JD nodded briefly, stopped by a sharp pain.
�Can you grab hold of my hands as hard as you can?�
JD complied, hoping that he was doing it right and Nathan would stop being angry.
�Ok, JD, now, can you tell me � you got any pins and needles? Any weird sensations in your hands or legs?�
He was starting to get scared now and said �no� as a way of alleviating his own fears. In truth he didn�t rightly know how he felt. He thought he must have hit his head as he fell this time, but all he could feel at the moment was a growing panic which only increased when Nathan fixed a rigid collar around his neck and made him lie still, waiting for an ambulance.
�What did I do?� He asked, reaching out to any one of his team mates, he didn�t care which.
Buck knelt down beside him and stroked his hair.
�You done some damage to your neck in that last fall of yours, kid. Doc doesn�t think there�s too much to worry about but he�d like you to go in and have a check up from the neck up, see if anything�s going on that shouldn�t be.�
�I broke my neck?�
�You got a tiny fracture. Heck, you�ve had worse!�
�I broke my neck�� A that point the dam broke and the kid cried out his fear safe in the knowledge that three men sheltered his tears from prying eyes.
Dr Meadows had scheduled a brief and uncomplicated operation to remove a fragment of bone that had chipped away and could give cause for concern at a later point. JD was to be admitted for a battery of tests to ensure that his motor function had not been affected by the original injury, the misdiagnosis or the subsequent abuse his body had taken. Meadows had assured Chris and Buck that a stable Hangman�s fracture was not as fearsome as it sounded. Once diagnosed, the fracture would be stabilized using a rigid collar and left to heal on its own. It would take six to eight weeks with a further month of physio but there was no reason why JD Dunne couldn�t resume his place as an active field agent for the ATF. Provided everything went to plan.
JD�s groggy return to the world after a general anesthetic was usual for him and Buck expected it. What he didn�t expect was the torrent of tears that accompanied his awakening.
�Hey kiddo, there�s no need for all that! Ol� Buck�s here. Nothing�s gonna get ya now.�
JD smiled grimly, �You can�t fight this one for me, Buck��
�Aw, JD, whatever it is, we can fight it together.� Buck patted his shoulder in reassurance.
�Am I � p� p�paralyzed?�
�No JD.�
�You sure?� Two big fat tears formed in the hazel eyes and made their way down either pale cheek.
�Sure I�m sure. You know I wouldn�t lie about a thing like that, don�t you?�
JD attempted to nod, but found it impossible in the neck brace.
�Just say, �yes� JD.� Buck teased.
The boy sniffed and closed his eyes. Buck took hold of his hand and squeezed gently.
�There. You can feel my hand, can�t ya?�
JD attempted to nod again and another two tears made their way down his face following the tracks of their fellows.
�And you can wiggle those toes?�
�Yes.�
�Well then. You can�t be paralyzed, can ya?�
�Nathan asked� Nathan said about the pins and needles and feeling weird. I feel awful weird, Buck.�
Buck pulled up a chair and took the boy�s hand between his own.
�JD, son, you are so full of drugs I�m surprised you can feel any damn thing at all. Now the doc says you can come home in a day or two and you�ll be back at work in three months. That don�t sound so bad now, does it?�
�No.�
�Ok then. You get some sleep now� I got a new song if you want me to sing to ya.�
JD smiled softly. His momma would sing him to sleep when he was feeling poorly. It was nice of Buck to do that for him. He heard Buck shuffle his chair closer so he could rest his head beside JD�s as he waited for sleep to overcome his anxiety. A little theatrical clearing of his throat and Buck was away, singing softly and sweetly.
�Spiderman, Spiderman,
Does whatever a spider can.
Spins a web, any size,
Catches thieves just like flies.
Look out! Here comes the Spiderman.�
Author�s Note: The Spiderman Theme song was written and composed by Paul Francis Webster, Bob Harris, Stu Phillips, and D. Kapross. I don�t own it, but my brain now appears to have it on a loop.
Send feeback to Mari
Go to The DunnesDarlins FanFiction Archive
