Too Late [5/6] (Colby/OFC-Callie, G)
Title: Too Late, Part V of VI
Characters/Pairings: Colby/OFC-Callie
Rating: G
Word Count: 988
Summary: She cried until she had no more tears…
Spoilers: 3.24 - The Janus List and 4.01 - Trust Metric
Notes/Warnings: This is 5/6 for the alternate ending to Broken. I wrote this alternate ending after the Numb3rs Season 4 premiere. Yup, I've taken the canon story from the mentioned spoiler episode(s) and I've woven Callie into the mix. I'd ask for forgiveness, but Callie made me do it...blame her.
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, regrettably - it's not mine.
Though she was completely unaware of the time that passed, it was several hours later when a very kind older nurse was holding onto Callie’s arm as she led her through the hospital wing on the way to Colby’s room. She’d been waiting there for word…for news…for anything they would give her - having followed the paramedics back to the hospital. It had been Don’s orders. There was work to be done on the freighter…but her assignment - the assignment she’d been given was to go and be with Colby. But until now, no one would tell her anything…no one would let her see him.
She paced. She sat. She rocked ceaselessly in her chair, praying…trembling. She’d never known fear like this. Why? Why weren’t they telling her anything?
And the same nurse watched her through it all…her sympathy growing with every passing minute. And when there was anything to report, the nurse had cast glances all around before going to Callie’s side and motioning for her to join her.
Visiting hours were long over, so it went without saying that he was not supposed to be disturbed. The doctors had seemingly forgotten all about the poor, frightened woman waiting for any word about the man that had been brought in…poisoned and near dead. But the nurse had not forgotten. Her own heart had broken watching Callie as she waited - particularly when she’d seen the diamond ring that Callie toyed with between tender finger tips.
Callie’s gratitude was evident across her face even if she couldn’t find the words to express it. She was too weak now to speak…too tired to do anything more than hold on to the arm she was offered and walk slowly through the halls on her way to the room where Colby rested - in what state, she knew not.
Another glance around and the nurse opened the door, stepping inside with Callie. And there he laid, IVs flowing into him…machines beeping and monitoring his status…an oxygen mask covering his mouth helping him breathe. He was alive, and for the first time in what seemed like five weeks, Callie took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“He’s not out of the woods yet, honey,” the nurse spoke quietly as she led Callie over to a chair that was next to the bed. “He’s unconscious, both from the trauma and from the sedatives the doctors have given him. He’s going to have to fight the next couple of days until those drugs wear off…until they’re out of his system. But, he’s in good hands…he’s in my care. So, don’t you worry,” she said, offering Callie a comforting smile and a reassuring pat over her hand.
Callie’s gaze left Colby for a moment as she looked up to the nurse, her expression thankful but her eyes full of question. And the nurse understood.
“Go ahead, honey. Talk to him. Touch him. Let him know you’re here. I’ll make sure no one disturbs you. You take all the time you need,” she answered, and with another pat over her hand - the nurse stepped away. She closed the curtains that wrapped around the bed so that Callie would be alone with this man before she cast another glance over her shoulder - getting an appreciative smile from Callie before she disappeared and closed the door behind her.
Callie just sat there, for how long she didn’t know, as she watched the man in front of her…sterile white walls and sheets surrounding him in the hospital gown he wore. She just watched his chest moving up and down and with every motion, found herself more thankful than the one before that he was alive…that he was breathing.
There seemed to be a million and one things she needed to say and yet, as she sat there she couldn’t string even three words together - just to tell him she loved him. All she could do was sit there and watch him as though trying to convince herself that this was reality - that every thing was different than it had been the day before…that he was alive and that maybe, just maybe - he still wanted a life with her…if he made it through. No, when he made it through she corrected herself.
It was then that her hand reached out for his. Her fingers wrapped around his, holding him gently at first and then as she felt the coolness of his skin - she moved forward and took his hand in both of hers. She held him as tightly as she dared, running her fingers over him trying as best she could to bring warmth and life back into those fingers.
As she watched her hand moving over his, with no response from him…everything seemed to crash down on her. And without warning, she cried. She didn’t want to cry, least of all now. He hated to see her cry. It hurt him to see her cry. She told herself this…she tried to fight back the tears as she had done so many times before - but another glance over his unconscious form, and the storm that had been out to sea finally crashed to shore. She cried all of the tears that she’d restrained the past two days…all the tears she’d fought back the past five weeks. She cried as though it was the only thing separating her from death and she desperately wanted to live. Her body shook, her tears stained the sheets where she rested her head…and all the while, she clung to Colby’s unmoving fingers. She cried until she had no more tears…and then her body shuddered with the sobs she still needed to release, until finally - exhausted and spent, she fell into the deepest sleep she’d had since that day so long ago when all of this started…
<< Too Late, Part 4 Too Late, Part 6>>
Characters/Pairings: Colby/OFC-Callie
Rating: G
Word Count: 988
Summary: She cried until she had no more tears…
Spoilers: 3.24 - The Janus List and 4.01 - Trust Metric
Notes/Warnings: This is 5/6 for the alternate ending to Broken. I wrote this alternate ending after the Numb3rs Season 4 premiere. Yup, I've taken the canon story from the mentioned spoiler episode(s) and I've woven Callie into the mix. I'd ask for forgiveness, but Callie made me do it...blame her.
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, regrettably - it's not mine.
Though she was completely unaware of the time that passed, it was several hours later when a very kind older nurse was holding onto Callie’s arm as she led her through the hospital wing on the way to Colby’s room. She’d been waiting there for word…for news…for anything they would give her - having followed the paramedics back to the hospital. It had been Don’s orders. There was work to be done on the freighter…but her assignment - the assignment she’d been given was to go and be with Colby. But until now, no one would tell her anything…no one would let her see him.
She paced. She sat. She rocked ceaselessly in her chair, praying…trembling. She’d never known fear like this. Why? Why weren’t they telling her anything?
And the same nurse watched her through it all…her sympathy growing with every passing minute. And when there was anything to report, the nurse had cast glances all around before going to Callie’s side and motioning for her to join her.
Visiting hours were long over, so it went without saying that he was not supposed to be disturbed. The doctors had seemingly forgotten all about the poor, frightened woman waiting for any word about the man that had been brought in…poisoned and near dead. But the nurse had not forgotten. Her own heart had broken watching Callie as she waited - particularly when she’d seen the diamond ring that Callie toyed with between tender finger tips.
Callie’s gratitude was evident across her face even if she couldn’t find the words to express it. She was too weak now to speak…too tired to do anything more than hold on to the arm she was offered and walk slowly through the halls on her way to the room where Colby rested - in what state, she knew not.
Another glance around and the nurse opened the door, stepping inside with Callie. And there he laid, IVs flowing into him…machines beeping and monitoring his status…an oxygen mask covering his mouth helping him breathe. He was alive, and for the first time in what seemed like five weeks, Callie took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“He’s not out of the woods yet, honey,” the nurse spoke quietly as she led Callie over to a chair that was next to the bed. “He’s unconscious, both from the trauma and from the sedatives the doctors have given him. He’s going to have to fight the next couple of days until those drugs wear off…until they’re out of his system. But, he’s in good hands…he’s in my care. So, don’t you worry,” she said, offering Callie a comforting smile and a reassuring pat over her hand.
Callie’s gaze left Colby for a moment as she looked up to the nurse, her expression thankful but her eyes full of question. And the nurse understood.
“Go ahead, honey. Talk to him. Touch him. Let him know you’re here. I’ll make sure no one disturbs you. You take all the time you need,” she answered, and with another pat over her hand - the nurse stepped away. She closed the curtains that wrapped around the bed so that Callie would be alone with this man before she cast another glance over her shoulder - getting an appreciative smile from Callie before she disappeared and closed the door behind her.
Callie just sat there, for how long she didn’t know, as she watched the man in front of her…sterile white walls and sheets surrounding him in the hospital gown he wore. She just watched his chest moving up and down and with every motion, found herself more thankful than the one before that he was alive…that he was breathing.
There seemed to be a million and one things she needed to say and yet, as she sat there she couldn’t string even three words together - just to tell him she loved him. All she could do was sit there and watch him as though trying to convince herself that this was reality - that every thing was different than it had been the day before…that he was alive and that maybe, just maybe - he still wanted a life with her…if he made it through. No, when he made it through she corrected herself.
It was then that her hand reached out for his. Her fingers wrapped around his, holding him gently at first and then as she felt the coolness of his skin - she moved forward and took his hand in both of hers. She held him as tightly as she dared, running her fingers over him trying as best she could to bring warmth and life back into those fingers.
As she watched her hand moving over his, with no response from him…everything seemed to crash down on her. And without warning, she cried. She didn’t want to cry, least of all now. He hated to see her cry. It hurt him to see her cry. She told herself this…she tried to fight back the tears as she had done so many times before - but another glance over his unconscious form, and the storm that had been out to sea finally crashed to shore. She cried all of the tears that she’d restrained the past two days…all the tears she’d fought back the past five weeks. She cried as though it was the only thing separating her from death and she desperately wanted to live. Her body shook, her tears stained the sheets where she rested her head…and all the while, she clung to Colby’s unmoving fingers. She cried until she had no more tears…and then her body shuddered with the sobs she still needed to release, until finally - exhausted and spent, she fell into the deepest sleep she’d had since that day so long ago when all of this started…
<< Too Late, Part 4 Too Late, Part 6>>