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A numb void filled me, as if my own brain decided to take a little break too I studied everyone else in the waiting rooainst Quinn’s shoulder as he softly rubbed her abdo hands and looking pale while their men flanked them on either sides, Asher with his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his head bowed as he kicked at a piece of his other shoe, and NoelNoel looking as if he ain--and I just watched the sad for the at all

But then Noel grabbed me and hauled me into his arms, and that first painful bite of fear sank its teeth into ular I went cold and started to shake

"You said medically induced," Phil repeated as he stroked his wife’s arm and nodded to the doctor

When Dr Wolfowitz confir hi will he be under?"

"It depends We’ll lighten the barbiturates as soon as the swelling begins to recede If the level of function is good, we’ll bring him out completely"

I shookjust wasn’t soht process He was always on the go, never stayed still, never really stopped talking He always had a co, always had so still and unconscious--reactionless--in a sterile white hospital bed just didn’t fit with the man I’d fallen in love with and married

But then I didn’t have to picture it in ot to see it for myself Visitors were finally allowed into his intensive care unit, two at a time and only for ten- to see hi--wait any length--for even the smallest amount of time with Oren

The nurse looked to me when she came out to allow the first two people in, but I stepped back and o first I swear, they went over their ti second felt like a millennium When they exited, both their faces et and they looked ten years older than when they had gone back Brenda ain

I turned to Noel for support He tooknod "Just one more hour"

I nodded back because I couldn’t speak When our tiers squeezed around my brother’s arht of blood and gore, and seeing Oren daed because of what he’d done to save

He was in a co, a swollen brain, and broken bones because of ot about all that I was finally able to see o of Noel and raced forward A cast covered his elevated leg, and they’d put one ares A tube fed into his en while IVs and heart monitors led various other hoses into him as well The part of his face we could see was fairly swollen, but I could still tell it was hiers reverently, careful not to disturb soets connected to the back of his hand Then I crouched beside him so I could speak into his ear

"Hey there, handsoet to you I didn’t think they’d ever lettricks and have a major diva fit to trick my way to your side, but they finally co the scene we’d created on the airplane But the save no response; his heartout a steady rhyth pressure with a puff of air

"I’ht as I scolded, I even reached out to gently run my nails over his scruff, but I continued to scold "You weren’t supposed to let go of ht, Jack? You were supposed to listen to that part"

But he didn’t respond to the Titanic quote either A sob escaped me Noel’s hands wrapped around my shoulders and squeezed supportively

"I was supposed to go with you, wherever you went We’re a team You told ured out where it is It’s with you Do you really want to leave me alone, without a place? Damn it, you can’t abandonmess without you I" My voice broke, and I shook my head "I love you, Oren I justI want you back"