We Made it Through the Rain, Chapter One
Title: We Made it Through the Rain
Author: tcs1121
Artist: bluefire986
Characters and Pairing: Jensen/Jared, Felicia Day, DJ Qualls, Chad Michael Murry, Misha Collins, Osric Chau, Jim Beaver, OCs
Cameos and mentions: Genevieve Cortese, Rob Benedict, Alona Tal, Aliana Huffman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Bryan Norcross
Rating: NC-17
Genre: J2 AU, hurt/comfort. Timestamp to my 2019 Big Bang Marconi Plays the Mamba. This timestamp is pure, self-indulgent, Jensen hurt/Jared comfort.
Word Count: ~30,120
Beta: kee, who understands me and makes me better. Cheers to us, bb!
Warnings: H/C with an NC-17 rating (and some humor)
Link to Art: bluefire986
Disclaimer: Untrue story. Character names are being used without permission. No money changes hands.
A/N 1. I suggest you read Marconi Plays the Mambafor the full context. It's a fun story. Some of the early dialogue is straight from Marconi, but this story is from Jared's point of view.
A/N 2. This is Jensen's rescue plus the four-month recovery/rehab left out of the original story. It is all Hurt!Jensen/Caring!Jared all the time.
A/N 3. This timestamp begins during the storm, seconds before the defenestration. I can't help it. I love that word and I probably won't ever be able to use it in a story again.
Summary:
"I get congratulated for every little, normal thing, like getting toothpaste on my toothbrush instead of all over my clothes. I get recognized and thanked a dozen times a day, but Jared, you know what? I don't feel strong or brave, and I sure as hell don't feel lucky. I feel damaged, like, everywhere. Every piece of me is moving in a way that hurts. I don't deserve their appreciation, I don't want their platitudes, I just want to be normal and not broken all to bits."
~~*~~*~~
We Made it Through the Rain
~~*~~*~~
"Felicia, have you talked to Jared?"
"Still trying Jensen."
"Keep trying." Jensen's voice shouted through the speakers at the storm-ravaged WBB studio.
Jared was in the control room with the station's staff. They were huddled on the floor in the heart of the building while the wind raged around them. Jensen continued broadcasting, shouting through the storm. Jared's heart hurt hearing the fear in Jensen's voice, begging Jared to stay safe.
"Winter Park! Winter Park, seek shelter, now!"
Shit, Jensen lives in Winter Park.
Windows were shattering and the television station's roof groaned. Jared heard popping sounds.
Get out of there, Jensen! Go to ground.
Jensen's voice rose. "Take cover in the lowest floor of your house! Innermost room, away from windows! Move away from trees! Away from power lines! Go, go, go!"
Through the live feed, Jared heard glass breaking, metal crunching, and a deafening roar. Amid the cacophony, he swore he heard Jensen gasp. And then, nothing but white noise.
"What happened? Where is he?" Jared shouted to Chad, "Get him back. Get Jensen on the air, now."
The studio was hissing with the static left in the wake of Jensen's broadcast. The winds outside howled as hailstones slammed into the building.
"Misha, help Chad get Jensen's live-feed running!" Jared couldn't think past the fact that needed to hear Jensen on the air.
Misha pulled out his iPad and hurried over to Chad.
"Offline. He's offline." Chad shouted. He spun a knob and keyed in a code. "I can't get him back up."
Misha sat at the keyboard, typing furiously.
"Get him back, Misha. Get him back."
Misha and Chad looked at each other. "There's no signal, Jared," Misha said.
"No, no, you and Chad get Jensen's live stream up again. Reboot the whole goddamn system, unplug the whole fucking building if you have to, but get him live and on the air, now!"
"Jayman, we can't. He's gone dark.
"He's right, Jared. There's nothing being broadcast. Jensen's lines are out of commission."
"No." Jared stared at the electronics. "No, it's a glitch in the system. My software must have fucked it up." He turned to Misha and lowered his voice, "You fixed it before, now fix it again."
"I can't."
"Look!" Osric ran over with his phone. "Look at this! I got the traffic cameras to sync with Google satellite maps for real time uploads and found this, Jared. This!"
It was a fuzzy, blurry, rain whipped video of Jensen's house. Or what used to be Jensen's house.
"Osric, get me the address," Misha pulled out his phone.
Jared stared at the screen. "No. This can't be right."
Misha pressed three buttons. "911?"
"I'm going over there."
"You can't, man. Not yet. It's not safe." Chad valiantly continued clicking the keyboard.
The rain was pelting down, and the sound of tinkling glass mixed with the roaring winds.
"Jared, as soon as it's safe, they'll send the EMS. When this lets up enough, we'll meet them there."
For that split-second, Jared actually considered waiting. He took off down the hall towards the side door, stepping over small branches, glass shards and puddles of water that must have blown into the building through broken windows. Misha was close behind.
The sky was green with a sickly yellow glow in the setting of the mid-summer sun. The gusts were letting up, but the rain still fell in sheets. Palm fronds, roofing tiles, and trash littered the landscape. The drainage system was so clogged with mud and gunk, that the streets were flooding.
Jared picked up the pace as best he could, taking long, quick strides around, over and through the mess left by the derecho. Jensen's house was over a mile away, but with the water and junk piled up on the streets and sidewalks, it took an eternity before Jensen's street finally came into view. When sirens sounded in the distance Jared turned to Misha.
"Thanks for calling them."
"You're welcome. Which one is Jensen's house?
The deluge had created mini lakes in the neighbors' yards, and several houses on Jensen's street had lost roofs, siding, outdoor light fixtures and patio furniture. One utility shed had blown into the side of a garage and shattered.
The sun had finally set, and it was getting dark.
As Jared made his way to Jensen's house, he sighed in relief as the front door pushed open from the inside.
"Thank God," Jared said, reverently. "Thank God and St. Medardus that Jensen kept his promise."
The top of Felicia's disheveled head appeared in the half-opened doorway followed by Scout scampering out onto the wet yard to pee.
"Can you open the door wider, Felicia?" DJ's voice called from inside.
"I'm trying. Where'd you go?"
"Here. I'm here." Another set of hands pushed at the door to fully open it.
Jared smiled as he splashed his way to the front. "Hey! You guys okay in there? Need a hand?"
Felicia's eyes were huge and her skin was ashen. Remnants of foam and feathers were clumped in her hair. DJ moved to fully get the door open. He wore the same shell-shocked look as Felicia.
Jared looked past them into the dark house.
"Where's Jensen?"
"We don't know." DJ gently pulled Felicia out the door. "We need to stay outside," he said to her. "The structure isn't safe." He raised a torn comforter over her head and shoulders to shield her from the rain.
"What do you mean, you don't know where he is?"
A tear slipped down Felicia's cheek. "He told us to get in the bathtub and cover up. I asked him, begged him, to come with us. He said he would, but he didn't get there in time."
"He's not with you? Where is he?"
DJ looked away.
Jared's world spiraled into a tiny pinhole of light. "I need-we need to find him."
"I can do that." DJ pulled his phone from his back pocket and keyed in some numbers. "I put Scout's GPS pet tracker into Jensen's pocket, and the coordinates show that he's…" He looked up, blinking. "In the backyard."
Jared ran to the back and stopped short. The pineapple palms and oleanders were crushed and scattered. The sirens wailed louder and louder. In the gloom, Jared saw a massive pile of muddy rubble that looked like it used to be a detached garage. According the Scout's tracker, Jensen lay underneath it.
"Oh shit." Jared began trembling. "Shit, shit, shit." He fell to his knees and started pulling siding away.
"Jensen! Can you hear me? Jensen!"
"Jared, stop."
"Misha, help me. Jensen's under all this."
"You need to let the experts do this. They're almost here, and it could be dangerous for Jensen if you move the wrong thing at the wrong time."
Misha reached for Jared's arm to stand him up. Instead, Jared lay belly down on the sopping grass and shouted into the wreckage, "Jensen, we're here! We're here to get you out. Hang on!"
He turned his head and cocked an ear. "Jensen, can you hear me? It's Jay, I'm here. I'm here."
The rain was dying down, but night fell heavily upon Coconut Bay, especially Jensen's neighborhood where all the homes and streetlights were dark. The flashing ambulance and emergency police units slowly made their way up the street. Close behind was a WBB news van.
DJ dashed over to the rescue team, brandishing his iPhone.
Misha crawled down next to Jared. "WBB is live now. Osric hooked it all in." He glanced at the van. "We're on the air."
It was all so surreal. Jared lay in the water, Misha squatting next to him with his hand on Jared's back. The emergency responders decked out in rain gear, walked the perimeter with DJ, studying the coordinates on his phone. Their high beam flashlights tracked the debris and the wildly hanging tree branches. The EMTs opened the ambulance's doors and began preparing for a scoop and run trauma triage.
"But he promised." Jared bent his head low to the ground and shouted, "Goddammit Jensen! You promised me, you promised. You'd better have a good..." his voice caught, "…a damn good reason why you…why you didn't…"
Heat lightning flickered in the sky and the rain showered in fits and starts. Misha tapped Jared's shoulder. "Come on, Jay, stand up. The emergency crew wants to get in here."
Jared stood, but yelled, "I'm staying right here, Jensen. Do you hear that? Right here until you get out. Can you hear me now?"
Misha's hand was wet but warm on his shoulder. "Let's back up."
The news crew was staying out of the way of the rescue team. Rob and Alona were live broadcasting, which was unusual. They were the anchors and didn't do remote broadcasting anymore. Covering Jensen's rescue was a testament to their concern and friendship.
A tall, red-haired EMT approached Jared. "Hey, I'm Ryan. That feller over there," he pointed to DJ, "says that you're Jared, Jensen's boyfriend?"
"Yeah. Yes I am." Rainwater dripped down Jared's face and neck.
"We all heard him on the air during the storm, he's one brave dude. So, listen, I'm going to ask you guys to move to the front yard for a few minutes. We need let in some heavy equipment to safely lift the materials away. I know you're worried, but we're good at this and Jensen will be out before you know it."
"Don't make me leave."
"You don't have to leave, but go in front so we can let the trucks in. Okay?"
"You'll save him?" Jared knew how he sounded, but he didn't care.
"We're sure as hell gonna try." Ryan smiled, almost convincingly. "Got the ambulance ready and everything."
Misha nudged Jared's shoulder. "We'll watch from the front."
Ryan, said, "We'll let you ride with him once we get him out."
Jared stared at the heavy pile covering-his boyfriend. The growling of heavy machinery climbing up the road caught his attention.
Ryan looked at Misha.
Misha gently steered Jared around, "We'll wait with Felicia."
"Don't go inside the house. We don't know how safe it is. We've asked the city to keep the power off to reduce the risk of sparks from exposed wires, so it's going to be dark. But, Jared, we have real bright lights coming in for this job."
"Okay. Thanks-thank you."
Jared and Misha joined Felicia and Scout. DJ was still in the back with his tracker.
Heavy construction equipment rolled indelicately into Jensen's back yard. Huge flood lights came on in a snap and lit up the sky. The rumbling of heavy engines and barked orders were muffled by the screeching of moving debris. In a surprisingly short time, Ryan came running around front.
"Come on, Jared, we got him. Move!"
Jared broke into a run. Riggings had been set up on the heaviest of the roofing materials and the site was hastily shored up. A back hoe moved the rubble and held it up. Three rescue workers and four EMTs worked frantically to remove Jensen from the debris. The roofing teetered and shook as the backhoe held the weight off.
Like a well-oiled miracle machine, Jensen was secured onto a backboard with a neck brace and hefted onto a gurney. The ambulance engine revved and the rescue personnel began cranking out stats and orders.
"Get in, Jared. Let's go."
Jared climbed into the brightly lit ambulance and got his first look. There were oxygen tubes, blood pressure cuffs, IV lines, syringes, and lots of action. Jensen's eyes were shut and he didn't respond when they called his name or pressed into his fingernail. His legs didn't look right and his right hand was bruised and swollen. Jensen's face was bloody.
A female EMT situated herself with a pair of safety scissors within Jensen's earshot. "Hi, Mr. Ackles, I'm Ginny. I'm going to remove your clothing to make it easier to get where we need to be."
Ginny had an easy smile and gentle voice. She cut efficiently and quickly, removing long swaths of Jensen's shirt and slacks.
"You were awesome tonight." She cut his right pant leg off and started on his sleeves. "Letting us know when and where the storms were coming, gave us all a chance to take cover."
She nodded to Ryan who rolled Jensen over so Ginny could complete the job. "You were very brave."
When they removed Saint Medardus, Jared held out his hand for it.
Ryan said to Jared. "He's breathing on his own but his lungs are having some trouble keeping his oxygen levels up, so we're going to have to help him with that. His heartbeat is good and strong, though." Ryan secured the gurney straps to the tie-down system, readying them for the ride to the hospital. Ginny started an IV, listed his vitals and then placed a mask with a bag attached over Jensen's nose and mouth and squeezed air into his lungs.
Jared held onto Jensen's left ankle as the EMTs did their work.
"Hey, Jensen, it's Jared. They're taking good care of you, I'm watching 'em. I'm taking the ride with you, too. You're going to be okay. You have to be okay. You don't get the telescoping eyeball, yet. You hear me?"
Ginny shot Jared a bemused look as she continued the manual resuscitation. Ryan was running the telemetry wires and plugging them in as the driver gunned the engine.
"Ryan? Was Jensen conscious when you found him?"
"No, he was out for the count. Secure yourself, Jared, we're ready to roll."
He buckled himself in, the blue-red lights flashed and the sirens blared. The ambulance took off, tearing through the darkened streets. Jared never took his hand off of Jensen's foot.
On the one hand, it seemed to take forever, on the other, it was in the blink of an eye.
There was a medical team waiting when they arrived at the Emergency Department of Florida Atlantic Hospital.
And that's as far as Jared got. The ER staff pried Jared's hand away from Jensen and asked him, kindly, to sit and wait. When they had any information, they would let him know.
"You will?"
As they hurried Jensen into ER bay three, one of the medical staff touched Jared's shoulder. "One of the doctors will get back to you as soon as possible."
The waiting room door opened, and Felicia walked in. She was bedraggled and wet from her ordeal, but comported herself with head held high, to stand next to Jared.
"DJ is handing Scout over to Alona to get him home and fed." Felicia swiped at her eyes. "So, tech geek, what's the story?"
Jared mopped his face with the wet hem of his shirt. "I don't know. The ER guy said he'd let me know as soon as they knew anything."
"He did?"
"He said he would," Jared said, staring at the ER door.
"What do you know?"
Jared sat and took a moment to get his head together.
"I know that they got him out, that Jensen's heartbeat was strong, but that he needed more oxygen so they had to force air into him. Something about his lungs, but I don't know what." Jared rubbed his eyes. "He was unconscious and didn't wake up, even when they pressed his fingernail."
"Did they look like they knew what they were doing?"
"They seemed to. They were all very efficient," Jared nodded, "and nice. They thanked Jensen for what he did."
Felicia nodded. "Then, the weatherman's in good hands. It doesn't sound like they're lying to you. We'll just have to wait for more info. In the meantime, I'll let Jensen's mother know what happened." She took her phone, gave Jared a shaky smile, and went outside.
Jared sat and put his head in his hands. He was somewhat ashamed that he hadn't thought of Jensen's family, but he would beg forgiveness if he had to.
The waiting room doors opened and DJ walked in looking around furiously. Spotting Jared, he strode over and sat down.
"The rescue team said that finding Jensen so soon was a real help." DJ said. "They said that it gave them almost the whole golden hour."
"Golden hour?"
"It's the first hour after a traumatic injury, and the most critical for successful emergency treatment," DJ said.
"Thank you, DJ. With all my heart." Jared took DJ's hand and squeezed it. "Thank you."
"You found Scout," DJ said, like that was the answer to everything.
Felicia came back in and sat. "I'll have to try again later. Here, I grabbed these." She handed them clean towels. "Dry off."
Several minutes, or hours passed until a medical professional approached them. "Mr. Jared Padalecki?"
"Me!" Jared shot up to his feet. "I'm Jared Padalecki!"
"Come with me, please." She regarded DJ and Felicia and smiled. "Everything's okay. I just need to talk to your friend for a few minutes."
Jared was led to a brightly lit, brightly decorated room on the same floor. "Mr. Padalecki, I'm Shannon, one of the admitting staff. As you know," she smiled gently, "we're in the aftermath of some pretty rough storms, and the power isn't up to full speed. We heard Mr. Ackles warn someone named Jared to take shelter when he was on the air. Over and over, in fact," she said, kindly. "We surmised that Jared was a person of significance to him and since some of our systems are temporarily down, we'd like to determine whether you are that Jared."
"Yes! I'm that Jared! I'm Jensen's significant person."
Shannon cocked her head.
Jared calmed his voice. "Yes, I'm Jensen's boyfriend and I want to be with him right now."
"That's what we needed to verify. Mr. Padalecki, it's always better for the patient to have a loved one nearby, so we'll get you to him as soon as we can." Shannon gave Jared a soft look. "Because of your relationship, HIPPA allows, and we believe that it's in the patient's best interest, to keep you informed as much as possible. We want to do what's best for him, so stay close and listen carefully to what's going on around him."
"I will. I swear I will." Jared took a breath. "Can you tell me anything now?"
"Jensen was taken into emergency surgery for suspected internal bleeding. Doctor Baker Whovian is performing that surgery."
"Dr. Whovian?"
"Yes, he's our Critical Care Surgeon. He'll perform exploratory surgery to stop the bleeding and stabilize Jensen for the next surgical procedure."
"Internal bleeding?" Jared's eyes blurred and he became light headed. "I didn't know there was any internal bleeding."
"After the Doctor is finished, there won't be any. He's a remarkable surgeon." Shannon was using a calming, everything's-going-to-be-okay voice. "After that, Doctor Lloyd Brown will be performing orthopedic surgery, but the details of that surgery aren't available yet. We'll be sending you and your party to the surgical waiting area on the third floor. You'll all be more comfortable there."
Jared looked down at his trembling fingers and tried to calm them. Instead, a tear slid down his left cheek.
"Mr. Padalecki, try not to worry, your friend is in very good hands."
Jared put a hand up. "Please stop."
"He's young," Shannon continued, "he's strong, and he's holding his own."
"I can't stay." Jared stood so quickly that the chair teetered behind him. "I can't hear this."
"Sir, really, he's doing as well as can be expected."
Jared turned and bolted back to the waiting room and beelined over to Felicia and DJ.
"Oh, my God, what's wrong? What happened?" Felicia lost the remaining color to her face and stood. "What, Jared, what?"
DJ reached out to stand but, apparently his knees were Jello. "Oh, God, oh God, oh God," he chanted.
Jared shook his head. "Jensen's in surgery. He's, uh, he's holding his own."
"Then what did they say that got to you?" Felicia panted, plopping back into her seat. "Jesus Christ, you scared us."
Jared was dully surprised when more tears leaked out. He sat heavily into the waiting room chair.
DJ turned squarely to face him. "Jared, please tell us what got you so upset."
Jared put his hand to his mouth, muffling his words. "It was like…it was like every time…they always say…and I didn't want to hear it."
"What are you talking about?" Felicia poked him, none too gently.
Jared dry-scrubbed his face. "This is what she said: Jensen is in very good hands, he's young and strong, he's holding his own and doing as well as can be expected."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Those are the clichés they always use. In every bad movie. In every good movie. That's what they say, right before the hero dies." Jared choked a sob. "Every goddamn time."
Felicia blinked, wide eyed.
DJ spoke softly. "Jared, let's just sit and breathe for a minute."
"I can't. It's too…I'm too…"
"Breathe with me. In and out. In and out."
DJ breathed in and out loudly.
Jared took in a shaking breath, and then another.
"Good, that's good. I know you're scared. We all are. This is about as scared as I've ever been, but there's something you need to remember. Something to wrap your head around."
Jared swallowed, "What's that?"
DJ put his arm around Jared's shoulders and said, "Sometimes the hero lives, Jared. Sometimes he lives."
Dr. Whovian walked into the surgical waiting room wearing a big, toothy smile. He looked tired, but pleased.
"Are you the Ackles Family?" He had a mild English accent and his surgical cap was having difficulty containing his mass of curly hair.
"Yes. Here." Jared raised his hand. By this time, Chad and Misha had joined with DJ and Felicia in the waiting room. In one motion, all five rose to their feet.
"Ah, yes," the Doctor said, shaking Jared's hand. "You'll be pleased to know that the patient handled the surgery beautifully. He's stabilized and resting comfortably."
Jared let all the air out of his lungs. "Thank you, doctor, thank you so much."
"You are very welcome." The surgeon smiled at Jensen's entourage.
"When can I see him? Is he awake? Is he in there?" Jared pointed to the doors the doctor had just come through.
"Oh, no, no." Dr. Whovian shook his head. "I'm sorry, I thought they told you."
Jared swallowed several times as his throat had suddenly filled with sand.
Misha patted Jared's arm. "I'm sorry, doctor, no one has told us anything or given us updates since he went into surgery."
"My, my, my. Well then." The doctor pursed his lips, then said, "My job was to stop the internal bleeding and stabilize Mr. Ackles so that the orthopedic surgeon, Doctor Brown, could, uh, shall we say, pin the pieces back together."
"What pieces?" Jared ground out. "Nobody told us about any pieces."
Felicia sobbed softly in the background.
Misha patted Jared's arm again and said, "Can you give us a status report on Jensen's condition? Specifically, about pinning the pieces back together?"
"Come, let's all have a sit down and I'll go over things with you." He sat and waited until Chad and DJ circled the chairs around him. It was 3:45 in the morning, so all the chairs were available.
Five sets of red-rimmed, worried eyes zeroed in on Dr. Whovian. "First, and I want to emphasize this, Mr. Ackles is doing well and resting comfortably. There were no problems or major complications that arose during surgery."
"But?" Jared asked.
"But, he was badly hurt, and while he is stable now, make no mistake, he's not yet out of the proverbial woods."
"Can you," Jared cleared his throat, "can you tell us what happened to him?"
Misha stroked up and down Jared's arm and while it should have been annoying, it was strangely calming.
"I'll tell you what I know, but be mindful that there are most assuredly issues outside of my area of expertise that I am currently unaware. Remember, I was only the first to the skirmish, Jensen has many more battles to fight." The Doctor nodded, looking at Jared.
When Jared returned the nod, the surgeon continued, "The first repair I made was to his spleen, which was damaged by his fall. The spleen acts as a filter for the blood, so it's a very bloody organ. I stopped the bleeding and repaired the damage as best I could. While it looks as though all my stitches held, there's a possibility that I'll have to go back in and remove the organ if the bleeding starts up again."
Felicia gasped softly.
"Fear not. One can live quite successfully without a spleen if one has to." He touched Felicia's hand.
"There was additional bleeding into his chest. When blood fills the space around the lungs, it hampers the lung's ability to expand. This is called a hemothorax."
"Was that why his oxygen was dropping in the ambulance?"
"Yes, but we found the source of the bleeding and stopped it. Because of the increased internal chest pressure due to the bleeding, we had to reventilate his lungs and add a chest tube for drainage. He is on a ventilator now. But it's just temporary."
Jared kept his breathing as even as possible as the surgeon continued.
"There is evidence of a mild closed head trauma, but no evidence of any bleeds in or near his brain. He has numerous abrasions and some serious skin damage, as he must have been dragged or scraped by the debris during or after the fall."
"So, what happens now?"
Dr. Whovian gave Jared a gentle smile. "Jensen has broken bones that need surgical intervention to heal properly. The most serious is the right femur fracture that will probably need plates and screws to hold it together, but I'll leave that to Doctor Brown to decide. His right arm was injured in such a way that surgery will be needed to realign it. Some surgeries must be performed as soon as possible to maintain perfusion to the affected limbs to avoid, uh, well, serious complications."
"Like amputation?" Misha asked.
"That's right. To avoid necrosis and possible amputation. We got to him in time, but time is still of the essence for the orthopedic surgeries."
"Is he, I mean, will he have more surgery tonight?" Jared found he was clinging to Misha's arm.
"No, not tonight. We're going to let Jensen rest, see how well his body handles the stress before Doc Brown operates."
"But what about his broken bones? What about Jensen's bones?" Jared's voice caught and Misha took his hand in a soothing gesture.
The surgeon continued, kindly. "All the bones will be stabilized externally and Jensen will be carefully monitored. Believe me, he won't be moving after all the medication he's receiving, so he'll be in a bit better shape for orthopedic surgery." He pulled his surgical cap off and let his hair fly. "That's about all the information I have for you right now, but believe me, he's a fighter."
"Yeah," DJ said, "he is. He's a great guy. Thanks, doc, for helping him."
"You're quite welcome." He stood. "I suggest you all go home and change. Get something to eat and try to nap for a couple of hours. I'll make sure the staff is welcoming to all of you when you return to this waiting room. I will endeavor to make sure that you," he looked directly at Jared, "are updated regularly."
Jared asked, "Do you know when the next surgery will be?"
"We want to wait a little, but not too long, so I'd guess mid-morning." Dr. Whovian turned toward the door he came through. "But don't quote me."
"Let me see him." Jared ran up to him. "Only for a minute, I swear. Let me see that he's alive and I'll go home. Please, doctor." Jared's voice shook, but his gaze was firm. "One minute."
The doctor huffed through his nose and bit his lip. "One minute. You'll have to gown up."
"Thank you. God, Doctor, thank you."
The surgeon leaned into Jared's ear. "Remember, when you see him, he's safe, he's strong, and he just came out of major surgery."
Jared thought he was prepared for what Jensen would look like, but he wasn't. Jared wore a yellow disposable gown, gloves and a mask.
"We can't afford you bringing anything into the surgical ICU that could cause infection. It's for Jensen's protection. Don't stay long." Dr. Whovian said as he left the cubical.
Jensen was swollen. At lease what Jared could see. Jensen's face, hands and fingers were all puffy. There were two IV racks filled with multiple fluids all threaded through pumps that measured what was going into Jensen's body as well as a rather large tube emerging from under the sheets, emptying into a container measuring the fluid.
That must be the chest drain.
A catheter bag hung from the bottom of the bed frame while a ventilator mechanically breathed for him. Jensen's skin was an oily, sickly gray.
Under the white hospital sheets, there was a bulkiness about him, probably the stabilizing elements for his leg, and there was a piece of equipment bracing his right arm.
Jensen looked awful and Jared was scared. The soft sounds of the heart monitor, the electronic blood pressure cuff that regularly took the readings, and the whoosh, whoosh of the ventilator all blended into the symphony that was keeping Jensen alive. Jared crept to the head of the bed and leaned down.
When he was level with Jensen's ear, he whispered softly, "Hey…"
"The doctors say that he can't hear you, because he's so drugged up, but I think he can." A nurse with the pink hair and light blue scrubs turned a knob on one of the pumps. "I've been doing this a while and, on some level, I believe that he knows you're here and that he's not alone."
"You think so?"
"I do. Talk to him for a minute or two, and then I'll get you back to the waiting room." She made a notation, and then left them alone.
"So, um, Jensen. It's me. Your significant other slash boyfriend. I only have a minute, but I wanted you to know that I'm okay, and that everybody's okay. We're all okay because of you."
Jensen's heart monitor indicated that his heart rate slowed marginally, and it seemed that Jensen suddenly didn't look quite as gray.
"You'll have to work hard at getting better, but don't worry, I'm here to help you do that." He brushed his gloved fingertips against Jensen's sweaty head.
"I'll always be here."
Jensen's heart was beating slow and steady; his face around the breathing tube looked more relaxed.
"Your heartbeat is the sweetest sound."
Jared ached to hold him.
"And Jen, when it comes to my heart, you own it-you, my very own weather nerd-hold my heart."
Nurse Pink stepped into the doorway.
"You do. You hold my heart in your hands, so, please, Jensen, please, don't ever start clapping."
It was probably Jared's imagination, but it looked like the corner of Jensen's lip turned up.
Jared found Felicia dozing in the waiting room. DJ was tapping his feet and fidgeting like he'd had too much caffeine. Misha sat cross-legged on the floor with his back against the wall and his eyes closed while Chad paced, talking to himself.
Jared pasted on a smile and said, "Okay gang. We're through here for tonight."
One-by-one, they shook off their malaise and gave Jared their attention.
"How's he doing?" DJ asked.
"He's out like a light, and nothing's going to happen for at least a few hours. I'm going home to shower, shave, take a nap and pack a lunch before coming back. I'll keep you all informed, so you guys can go home."
"Nice try Tech Man." Felicia yawned. "I'm coming back with lunch and dinner, too. Count on it." She fumbled for her car keys. "You coming with?" She looked at DJ.
"Yeah. Take me home so I can feed and water Scout. Can you swing by and get me on your way back here?"
"Will do," Felicia said. "Jared, let us know if you hear anything in the meantime."
"Will do." Jared adjusted his faux smile.
Misha turned to Jared, "Would you like me to drive you home?"
"I got this, MishMan." Chad pulled out his keys.
Misha nodded sagely, "As you wish."
They filed out until only Chad and Jared remained. Chad was bouncing on his toes, unable to look Jared in the eye.
"What's up with you? Jensen's sound asleep, and we can go."
Chad stared at him. "I know you, man. What happened in there?"
"Nothing happened." Jared pulled his still-damp beanie out of his pocket.
"Nothing, huh?"
Jared sank into the nearest chair. "He was a mess. " He closed his eyes. "He was all beat up, Chad. It looked like he was T-boned by a semi."
Chad sat next to him. "Was he in any pain?
"No. He's out of it, not even breathing on his own."
"He isn't?
"He's on a ventilator."
"Then he can't be hurting, and he can't stop breathing, right?"
Jared opened his eyes and stared at Chad.
"Right, Jay?"
Jared smiled, tiredly. "Right. You're right. He's not hurting, and he's breathing."
"I am right." Chad stood.
"What about you? What's up with the pacing and talking to yourself?"
Chad turned away.
"Chad?"
"You didn't hear him, man, but I did. He was so scared."
"What? When?" Jared rose to his feet.
"When our studio was the storm's bullseye. He wasn't scared for himself, he was scared for you. He was begging for you to be safe, and when he warned me…" Chad drifted off.
"Warned you, what?"
Chad took a second. "When he warned me about the storm aiming for us, he shouted that there were fins to the left and fins to the right. He spoke "my language" to make sure I understood, and then pleaded with anyone listening to keep you safe."
"My boyfriend's awesome like that." Jared said, softly.
"I thought I knew what love was. Hell, I thought I'd been in love before, but I've never really been so I don't really know. But with you and Jensen?"
Jared turned.
"With you and Jensen, ohhh, I've never really been…but I'd sure like to go."
Jared gave a tired grin.
Chad shrugged. "I guess we'll have to go now."
Jared and Chad returned to the hospital a little before seven in the morning. No one was in the waiting room, and Chad had to find the dimmer switch to turn the lights up. There was a sealed envelope with Jared's name on it taped to the empty receptionist's desk.
Jared snatched it up, but his fingers didn't cooperate. Chad opened it.
Mr. Padalecki,
Dr. Whovian asked us to inform you that Dr. Brown began surgical repair at approximately 5:30 AM. Updates will be supplied as they become available.
~~S. J. Smith, PA
"Why didn't they wait? They were supposed to let Jensen rest and then go back in sometime mid-morning." He turned his wide eyes to Chad, hoping he had the answer. "It's not mid-morning. It's early morning."
"Listen, J-Man. Jensen needed surgery, and now he's in surgery. Sooner in, sooner out. Less wait time for us." Chad feigned nonchalance. "S'pose there's any coffee in this place?"
"Yeah." Jared cleared his throat. "Yeah, probably. See if you can score us some." Jared sat in the chair closest to the door and opened his phone.
His mailbox, messaging and text centers were overflowing. He scrolled down to Felicia's message from early this morning:
Hey, Jared. Jensen's mother had hip surgery and is recuperating at her sister's in Snohomish. Jensen's dad passed a couple of years ago. I told her the gist of the situation, that Jensen was in Florida Atlantic Hospital because of a storm-related accident, but I didn't go into all the details because I didn't want to upset her. Did I do the right thing?
You did fine. Say that Jensen is being well cared for and that you'll keep her in the loop. Tell her to try not to worry and that we'll keep her updated and that I'll call her soon. I just don’t know when.
Will do. I'll also see if she'll give the hospital permission to talk to you. She seems to like you.
Jared hoped that was the right answer. He couldn't dwell on it, though, because he was concentrating on why they pushed up Jensen's surgery.
He was scrolling to DJ's messages when Chad sauntered in with two Starbuck's cups.
"Man, did you know they have Starbucks in hospitals? And they open really early? I mean, I knew there were Starbucks in airports, but we lucked out with this place." He offered Jared a Venti.
"Maybe there's something wrong." Jared stood and began pacing. "That's why they had to get him early. His leg could have gone cold and they had to do something right away so they wouldn't have to ampu-amputate."
"Jared, you don't know anything."
"Or maybe the bones moved. Maybe the bones were moving in his arm and leg and causing more damage." Jared's heart rate kicked up. "Maybe there was more bleeding from his spleen or into his chest and they had to go in to save his life."
"Jared, stop." Chad raised his voice a notch then lowered it gently. "Stop. It could also mean that he stabilized so quickly and so well that the doctors thought it would be best to get started early. We need to wait a bit longer to find out. You know this stuff takes a while."
Jared fidgeted for a minute, then sighed. "You're right. You're right, it takes a while."
"I am right." Chad pulled Jared into the chair and nudged him with the coffee cup.
Jared took slow sip, then looked up at his friend. "Thanks Chad."
"No problem. But have some faith, man. Jensen's got this."
Jared's hand moved to his chest where St. Medardus lay. "I will, and he does."
On to Chapter Two
Author: tcs1121
Artist: bluefire986
Characters and Pairing: Jensen/Jared, Felicia Day, DJ Qualls, Chad Michael Murry, Misha Collins, Osric Chau, Jim Beaver, OCs
Cameos and mentions: Genevieve Cortese, Rob Benedict, Alona Tal, Aliana Huffman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Bryan Norcross
Rating: NC-17
Genre: J2 AU, hurt/comfort. Timestamp to my 2019 Big Bang Marconi Plays the Mamba. This timestamp is pure, self-indulgent, Jensen hurt/Jared comfort.
Word Count: ~30,120
Beta: kee, who understands me and makes me better. Cheers to us, bb!
Warnings: H/C with an NC-17 rating (and some humor)
Link to Art: bluefire986
Disclaimer: Untrue story. Character names are being used without permission. No money changes hands.
A/N 1. I suggest you read Marconi Plays the Mambafor the full context. It's a fun story. Some of the early dialogue is straight from Marconi, but this story is from Jared's point of view.
A/N 2. This is Jensen's rescue plus the four-month recovery/rehab left out of the original story. It is all Hurt!Jensen/Caring!Jared all the time.
A/N 3. This timestamp begins during the storm, seconds before the defenestration. I can't help it. I love that word and I probably won't ever be able to use it in a story again.
Summary:
"I get congratulated for every little, normal thing, like getting toothpaste on my toothbrush instead of all over my clothes. I get recognized and thanked a dozen times a day, but Jared, you know what? I don't feel strong or brave, and I sure as hell don't feel lucky. I feel damaged, like, everywhere. Every piece of me is moving in a way that hurts. I don't deserve their appreciation, I don't want their platitudes, I just want to be normal and not broken all to bits."
~~*~~*~~
We Made it Through the Rain
~~*~~*~~
"Felicia, have you talked to Jared?"
"Still trying Jensen."
"Keep trying." Jensen's voice shouted through the speakers at the storm-ravaged WBB studio.
Jared was in the control room with the station's staff. They were huddled on the floor in the heart of the building while the wind raged around them. Jensen continued broadcasting, shouting through the storm. Jared's heart hurt hearing the fear in Jensen's voice, begging Jared to stay safe.
"Winter Park! Winter Park, seek shelter, now!"
Shit, Jensen lives in Winter Park.
Windows were shattering and the television station's roof groaned. Jared heard popping sounds.
Get out of there, Jensen! Go to ground.
Jensen's voice rose. "Take cover in the lowest floor of your house! Innermost room, away from windows! Move away from trees! Away from power lines! Go, go, go!"
Through the live feed, Jared heard glass breaking, metal crunching, and a deafening roar. Amid the cacophony, he swore he heard Jensen gasp. And then, nothing but white noise.
"What happened? Where is he?" Jared shouted to Chad, "Get him back. Get Jensen on the air, now."
The studio was hissing with the static left in the wake of Jensen's broadcast. The winds outside howled as hailstones slammed into the building.
"Misha, help Chad get Jensen's live-feed running!" Jared couldn't think past the fact that needed to hear Jensen on the air.
Misha pulled out his iPad and hurried over to Chad.
"Offline. He's offline." Chad shouted. He spun a knob and keyed in a code. "I can't get him back up."
Misha sat at the keyboard, typing furiously.
"Get him back, Misha. Get him back."
Misha and Chad looked at each other. "There's no signal, Jared," Misha said.
"No, no, you and Chad get Jensen's live stream up again. Reboot the whole goddamn system, unplug the whole fucking building if you have to, but get him live and on the air, now!"
"Jayman, we can't. He's gone dark.
"He's right, Jared. There's nothing being broadcast. Jensen's lines are out of commission."
"No." Jared stared at the electronics. "No, it's a glitch in the system. My software must have fucked it up." He turned to Misha and lowered his voice, "You fixed it before, now fix it again."
"I can't."
"Look!" Osric ran over with his phone. "Look at this! I got the traffic cameras to sync with Google satellite maps for real time uploads and found this, Jared. This!"
It was a fuzzy, blurry, rain whipped video of Jensen's house. Or what used to be Jensen's house.
"Osric, get me the address," Misha pulled out his phone.
Jared stared at the screen. "No. This can't be right."
Misha pressed three buttons. "911?"
"I'm going over there."
"You can't, man. Not yet. It's not safe." Chad valiantly continued clicking the keyboard.
The rain was pelting down, and the sound of tinkling glass mixed with the roaring winds.
"Jared, as soon as it's safe, they'll send the EMS. When this lets up enough, we'll meet them there."
For that split-second, Jared actually considered waiting. He took off down the hall towards the side door, stepping over small branches, glass shards and puddles of water that must have blown into the building through broken windows. Misha was close behind.
The sky was green with a sickly yellow glow in the setting of the mid-summer sun. The gusts were letting up, but the rain still fell in sheets. Palm fronds, roofing tiles, and trash littered the landscape. The drainage system was so clogged with mud and gunk, that the streets were flooding.
Jared picked up the pace as best he could, taking long, quick strides around, over and through the mess left by the derecho. Jensen's house was over a mile away, but with the water and junk piled up on the streets and sidewalks, it took an eternity before Jensen's street finally came into view. When sirens sounded in the distance Jared turned to Misha.
"Thanks for calling them."
"You're welcome. Which one is Jensen's house?
The deluge had created mini lakes in the neighbors' yards, and several houses on Jensen's street had lost roofs, siding, outdoor light fixtures and patio furniture. One utility shed had blown into the side of a garage and shattered.
The sun had finally set, and it was getting dark.
As Jared made his way to Jensen's house, he sighed in relief as the front door pushed open from the inside.
"Thank God," Jared said, reverently. "Thank God and St. Medardus that Jensen kept his promise."
The top of Felicia's disheveled head appeared in the half-opened doorway followed by Scout scampering out onto the wet yard to pee.
"Can you open the door wider, Felicia?" DJ's voice called from inside.
"I'm trying. Where'd you go?"
"Here. I'm here." Another set of hands pushed at the door to fully open it.
Jared smiled as he splashed his way to the front. "Hey! You guys okay in there? Need a hand?"
Felicia's eyes were huge and her skin was ashen. Remnants of foam and feathers were clumped in her hair. DJ moved to fully get the door open. He wore the same shell-shocked look as Felicia.
Jared looked past them into the dark house.
"Where's Jensen?"
"We don't know." DJ gently pulled Felicia out the door. "We need to stay outside," he said to her. "The structure isn't safe." He raised a torn comforter over her head and shoulders to shield her from the rain.
"What do you mean, you don't know where he is?"
A tear slipped down Felicia's cheek. "He told us to get in the bathtub and cover up. I asked him, begged him, to come with us. He said he would, but he didn't get there in time."
"He's not with you? Where is he?"
DJ looked away.
Jared's world spiraled into a tiny pinhole of light. "I need-we need to find him."
"I can do that." DJ pulled his phone from his back pocket and keyed in some numbers. "I put Scout's GPS pet tracker into Jensen's pocket, and the coordinates show that he's…" He looked up, blinking. "In the backyard."
Jared ran to the back and stopped short. The pineapple palms and oleanders were crushed and scattered. The sirens wailed louder and louder. In the gloom, Jared saw a massive pile of muddy rubble that looked like it used to be a detached garage. According the Scout's tracker, Jensen lay underneath it.
"Oh shit." Jared began trembling. "Shit, shit, shit." He fell to his knees and started pulling siding away.
"Jensen! Can you hear me? Jensen!"
"Jared, stop."
"Misha, help me. Jensen's under all this."
"You need to let the experts do this. They're almost here, and it could be dangerous for Jensen if you move the wrong thing at the wrong time."
Misha reached for Jared's arm to stand him up. Instead, Jared lay belly down on the sopping grass and shouted into the wreckage, "Jensen, we're here! We're here to get you out. Hang on!"
He turned his head and cocked an ear. "Jensen, can you hear me? It's Jay, I'm here. I'm here."
The rain was dying down, but night fell heavily upon Coconut Bay, especially Jensen's neighborhood where all the homes and streetlights were dark. The flashing ambulance and emergency police units slowly made their way up the street. Close behind was a WBB news van.
DJ dashed over to the rescue team, brandishing his iPhone.
Misha crawled down next to Jared. "WBB is live now. Osric hooked it all in." He glanced at the van. "We're on the air."
It was all so surreal. Jared lay in the water, Misha squatting next to him with his hand on Jared's back. The emergency responders decked out in rain gear, walked the perimeter with DJ, studying the coordinates on his phone. Their high beam flashlights tracked the debris and the wildly hanging tree branches. The EMTs opened the ambulance's doors and began preparing for a scoop and run trauma triage.
"But he promised." Jared bent his head low to the ground and shouted, "Goddammit Jensen! You promised me, you promised. You'd better have a good..." his voice caught, "…a damn good reason why you…why you didn't…"
Heat lightning flickered in the sky and the rain showered in fits and starts. Misha tapped Jared's shoulder. "Come on, Jay, stand up. The emergency crew wants to get in here."
Jared stood, but yelled, "I'm staying right here, Jensen. Do you hear that? Right here until you get out. Can you hear me now?"
Misha's hand was wet but warm on his shoulder. "Let's back up."
The news crew was staying out of the way of the rescue team. Rob and Alona were live broadcasting, which was unusual. They were the anchors and didn't do remote broadcasting anymore. Covering Jensen's rescue was a testament to their concern and friendship.
A tall, red-haired EMT approached Jared. "Hey, I'm Ryan. That feller over there," he pointed to DJ, "says that you're Jared, Jensen's boyfriend?"
"Yeah. Yes I am." Rainwater dripped down Jared's face and neck.
"We all heard him on the air during the storm, he's one brave dude. So, listen, I'm going to ask you guys to move to the front yard for a few minutes. We need let in some heavy equipment to safely lift the materials away. I know you're worried, but we're good at this and Jensen will be out before you know it."
"Don't make me leave."
"You don't have to leave, but go in front so we can let the trucks in. Okay?"
"You'll save him?" Jared knew how he sounded, but he didn't care.
"We're sure as hell gonna try." Ryan smiled, almost convincingly. "Got the ambulance ready and everything."
Misha nudged Jared's shoulder. "We'll watch from the front."
Ryan, said, "We'll let you ride with him once we get him out."
Jared stared at the heavy pile covering-his boyfriend. The growling of heavy machinery climbing up the road caught his attention.
Ryan looked at Misha.
Misha gently steered Jared around, "We'll wait with Felicia."
"Don't go inside the house. We don't know how safe it is. We've asked the city to keep the power off to reduce the risk of sparks from exposed wires, so it's going to be dark. But, Jared, we have real bright lights coming in for this job."
"Okay. Thanks-thank you."
Jared and Misha joined Felicia and Scout. DJ was still in the back with his tracker.
Heavy construction equipment rolled indelicately into Jensen's back yard. Huge flood lights came on in a snap and lit up the sky. The rumbling of heavy engines and barked orders were muffled by the screeching of moving debris. In a surprisingly short time, Ryan came running around front.
"Come on, Jared, we got him. Move!"
Jared broke into a run. Riggings had been set up on the heaviest of the roofing materials and the site was hastily shored up. A back hoe moved the rubble and held it up. Three rescue workers and four EMTs worked frantically to remove Jensen from the debris. The roofing teetered and shook as the backhoe held the weight off.
Like a well-oiled miracle machine, Jensen was secured onto a backboard with a neck brace and hefted onto a gurney. The ambulance engine revved and the rescue personnel began cranking out stats and orders.
"Get in, Jared. Let's go."
Jared climbed into the brightly lit ambulance and got his first look. There were oxygen tubes, blood pressure cuffs, IV lines, syringes, and lots of action. Jensen's eyes were shut and he didn't respond when they called his name or pressed into his fingernail. His legs didn't look right and his right hand was bruised and swollen. Jensen's face was bloody.
A female EMT situated herself with a pair of safety scissors within Jensen's earshot. "Hi, Mr. Ackles, I'm Ginny. I'm going to remove your clothing to make it easier to get where we need to be."
Ginny had an easy smile and gentle voice. She cut efficiently and quickly, removing long swaths of Jensen's shirt and slacks.
"You were awesome tonight." She cut his right pant leg off and started on his sleeves. "Letting us know when and where the storms were coming, gave us all a chance to take cover."
She nodded to Ryan who rolled Jensen over so Ginny could complete the job. "You were very brave."
When they removed Saint Medardus, Jared held out his hand for it.
Ryan said to Jared. "He's breathing on his own but his lungs are having some trouble keeping his oxygen levels up, so we're going to have to help him with that. His heartbeat is good and strong, though." Ryan secured the gurney straps to the tie-down system, readying them for the ride to the hospital. Ginny started an IV, listed his vitals and then placed a mask with a bag attached over Jensen's nose and mouth and squeezed air into his lungs.
Jared held onto Jensen's left ankle as the EMTs did their work.
"Hey, Jensen, it's Jared. They're taking good care of you, I'm watching 'em. I'm taking the ride with you, too. You're going to be okay. You have to be okay. You don't get the telescoping eyeball, yet. You hear me?"
Ginny shot Jared a bemused look as she continued the manual resuscitation. Ryan was running the telemetry wires and plugging them in as the driver gunned the engine.
"Ryan? Was Jensen conscious when you found him?"
"No, he was out for the count. Secure yourself, Jared, we're ready to roll."
He buckled himself in, the blue-red lights flashed and the sirens blared. The ambulance took off, tearing through the darkened streets. Jared never took his hand off of Jensen's foot.
On the one hand, it seemed to take forever, on the other, it was in the blink of an eye.
There was a medical team waiting when they arrived at the Emergency Department of Florida Atlantic Hospital.
And that's as far as Jared got. The ER staff pried Jared's hand away from Jensen and asked him, kindly, to sit and wait. When they had any information, they would let him know.
"You will?"
As they hurried Jensen into ER bay three, one of the medical staff touched Jared's shoulder. "One of the doctors will get back to you as soon as possible."
The waiting room door opened, and Felicia walked in. She was bedraggled and wet from her ordeal, but comported herself with head held high, to stand next to Jared.
"DJ is handing Scout over to Alona to get him home and fed." Felicia swiped at her eyes. "So, tech geek, what's the story?"
Jared mopped his face with the wet hem of his shirt. "I don't know. The ER guy said he'd let me know as soon as they knew anything."
"He did?"
"He said he would," Jared said, staring at the ER door.
"What do you know?"
Jared sat and took a moment to get his head together.
"I know that they got him out, that Jensen's heartbeat was strong, but that he needed more oxygen so they had to force air into him. Something about his lungs, but I don't know what." Jared rubbed his eyes. "He was unconscious and didn't wake up, even when they pressed his fingernail."
"Did they look like they knew what they were doing?"
"They seemed to. They were all very efficient," Jared nodded, "and nice. They thanked Jensen for what he did."
Felicia nodded. "Then, the weatherman's in good hands. It doesn't sound like they're lying to you. We'll just have to wait for more info. In the meantime, I'll let Jensen's mother know what happened." She took her phone, gave Jared a shaky smile, and went outside.
Jared sat and put his head in his hands. He was somewhat ashamed that he hadn't thought of Jensen's family, but he would beg forgiveness if he had to.
The waiting room doors opened and DJ walked in looking around furiously. Spotting Jared, he strode over and sat down.
"The rescue team said that finding Jensen so soon was a real help." DJ said. "They said that it gave them almost the whole golden hour."
"Golden hour?"
"It's the first hour after a traumatic injury, and the most critical for successful emergency treatment," DJ said.
"Thank you, DJ. With all my heart." Jared took DJ's hand and squeezed it. "Thank you."
"You found Scout," DJ said, like that was the answer to everything.
Felicia came back in and sat. "I'll have to try again later. Here, I grabbed these." She handed them clean towels. "Dry off."
Several minutes, or hours passed until a medical professional approached them. "Mr. Jared Padalecki?"
"Me!" Jared shot up to his feet. "I'm Jared Padalecki!"
"Come with me, please." She regarded DJ and Felicia and smiled. "Everything's okay. I just need to talk to your friend for a few minutes."
Jared was led to a brightly lit, brightly decorated room on the same floor. "Mr. Padalecki, I'm Shannon, one of the admitting staff. As you know," she smiled gently, "we're in the aftermath of some pretty rough storms, and the power isn't up to full speed. We heard Mr. Ackles warn someone named Jared to take shelter when he was on the air. Over and over, in fact," she said, kindly. "We surmised that Jared was a person of significance to him and since some of our systems are temporarily down, we'd like to determine whether you are that Jared."
"Yes! I'm that Jared! I'm Jensen's significant person."
Shannon cocked her head.
Jared calmed his voice. "Yes, I'm Jensen's boyfriend and I want to be with him right now."
"That's what we needed to verify. Mr. Padalecki, it's always better for the patient to have a loved one nearby, so we'll get you to him as soon as we can." Shannon gave Jared a soft look. "Because of your relationship, HIPPA allows, and we believe that it's in the patient's best interest, to keep you informed as much as possible. We want to do what's best for him, so stay close and listen carefully to what's going on around him."
"I will. I swear I will." Jared took a breath. "Can you tell me anything now?"
"Jensen was taken into emergency surgery for suspected internal bleeding. Doctor Baker Whovian is performing that surgery."
"Dr. Whovian?"
"Yes, he's our Critical Care Surgeon. He'll perform exploratory surgery to stop the bleeding and stabilize Jensen for the next surgical procedure."
"Internal bleeding?" Jared's eyes blurred and he became light headed. "I didn't know there was any internal bleeding."
"After the Doctor is finished, there won't be any. He's a remarkable surgeon." Shannon was using a calming, everything's-going-to-be-okay voice. "After that, Doctor Lloyd Brown will be performing orthopedic surgery, but the details of that surgery aren't available yet. We'll be sending you and your party to the surgical waiting area on the third floor. You'll all be more comfortable there."
Jared looked down at his trembling fingers and tried to calm them. Instead, a tear slid down his left cheek.
"Mr. Padalecki, try not to worry, your friend is in very good hands."
Jared put a hand up. "Please stop."
"He's young," Shannon continued, "he's strong, and he's holding his own."
"I can't stay." Jared stood so quickly that the chair teetered behind him. "I can't hear this."
"Sir, really, he's doing as well as can be expected."
Jared turned and bolted back to the waiting room and beelined over to Felicia and DJ.
"Oh, my God, what's wrong? What happened?" Felicia lost the remaining color to her face and stood. "What, Jared, what?"
DJ reached out to stand but, apparently his knees were Jello. "Oh, God, oh God, oh God," he chanted.
Jared shook his head. "Jensen's in surgery. He's, uh, he's holding his own."
"Then what did they say that got to you?" Felicia panted, plopping back into her seat. "Jesus Christ, you scared us."
Jared was dully surprised when more tears leaked out. He sat heavily into the waiting room chair.
DJ turned squarely to face him. "Jared, please tell us what got you so upset."
Jared put his hand to his mouth, muffling his words. "It was like…it was like every time…they always say…and I didn't want to hear it."
"What are you talking about?" Felicia poked him, none too gently.
Jared dry-scrubbed his face. "This is what she said: Jensen is in very good hands, he's young and strong, he's holding his own and doing as well as can be expected."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Those are the clichés they always use. In every bad movie. In every good movie. That's what they say, right before the hero dies." Jared choked a sob. "Every goddamn time."
Felicia blinked, wide eyed.
DJ spoke softly. "Jared, let's just sit and breathe for a minute."
"I can't. It's too…I'm too…"
"Breathe with me. In and out. In and out."
DJ breathed in and out loudly.
Jared took in a shaking breath, and then another.
"Good, that's good. I know you're scared. We all are. This is about as scared as I've ever been, but there's something you need to remember. Something to wrap your head around."
Jared swallowed, "What's that?"
DJ put his arm around Jared's shoulders and said, "Sometimes the hero lives, Jared. Sometimes he lives."
Dr. Whovian walked into the surgical waiting room wearing a big, toothy smile. He looked tired, but pleased.
"Are you the Ackles Family?" He had a mild English accent and his surgical cap was having difficulty containing his mass of curly hair.
"Yes. Here." Jared raised his hand. By this time, Chad and Misha had joined with DJ and Felicia in the waiting room. In one motion, all five rose to their feet.
"Ah, yes," the Doctor said, shaking Jared's hand. "You'll be pleased to know that the patient handled the surgery beautifully. He's stabilized and resting comfortably."
Jared let all the air out of his lungs. "Thank you, doctor, thank you so much."
"You are very welcome." The surgeon smiled at Jensen's entourage.
"When can I see him? Is he awake? Is he in there?" Jared pointed to the doors the doctor had just come through.
"Oh, no, no." Dr. Whovian shook his head. "I'm sorry, I thought they told you."
Jared swallowed several times as his throat had suddenly filled with sand.
Misha patted Jared's arm. "I'm sorry, doctor, no one has told us anything or given us updates since he went into surgery."
"My, my, my. Well then." The doctor pursed his lips, then said, "My job was to stop the internal bleeding and stabilize Mr. Ackles so that the orthopedic surgeon, Doctor Brown, could, uh, shall we say, pin the pieces back together."
"What pieces?" Jared ground out. "Nobody told us about any pieces."
Felicia sobbed softly in the background.
Misha patted Jared's arm again and said, "Can you give us a status report on Jensen's condition? Specifically, about pinning the pieces back together?"
"Come, let's all have a sit down and I'll go over things with you." He sat and waited until Chad and DJ circled the chairs around him. It was 3:45 in the morning, so all the chairs were available.
Five sets of red-rimmed, worried eyes zeroed in on Dr. Whovian. "First, and I want to emphasize this, Mr. Ackles is doing well and resting comfortably. There were no problems or major complications that arose during surgery."
"But?" Jared asked.
"But, he was badly hurt, and while he is stable now, make no mistake, he's not yet out of the proverbial woods."
"Can you," Jared cleared his throat, "can you tell us what happened to him?"
Misha stroked up and down Jared's arm and while it should have been annoying, it was strangely calming.
"I'll tell you what I know, but be mindful that there are most assuredly issues outside of my area of expertise that I am currently unaware. Remember, I was only the first to the skirmish, Jensen has many more battles to fight." The Doctor nodded, looking at Jared.
When Jared returned the nod, the surgeon continued, "The first repair I made was to his spleen, which was damaged by his fall. The spleen acts as a filter for the blood, so it's a very bloody organ. I stopped the bleeding and repaired the damage as best I could. While it looks as though all my stitches held, there's a possibility that I'll have to go back in and remove the organ if the bleeding starts up again."
Felicia gasped softly.
"Fear not. One can live quite successfully without a spleen if one has to." He touched Felicia's hand.
"There was additional bleeding into his chest. When blood fills the space around the lungs, it hampers the lung's ability to expand. This is called a hemothorax."
"Was that why his oxygen was dropping in the ambulance?"
"Yes, but we found the source of the bleeding and stopped it. Because of the increased internal chest pressure due to the bleeding, we had to reventilate his lungs and add a chest tube for drainage. He is on a ventilator now. But it's just temporary."
Jared kept his breathing as even as possible as the surgeon continued.
"There is evidence of a mild closed head trauma, but no evidence of any bleeds in or near his brain. He has numerous abrasions and some serious skin damage, as he must have been dragged or scraped by the debris during or after the fall."
"So, what happens now?"
Dr. Whovian gave Jared a gentle smile. "Jensen has broken bones that need surgical intervention to heal properly. The most serious is the right femur fracture that will probably need plates and screws to hold it together, but I'll leave that to Doctor Brown to decide. His right arm was injured in such a way that surgery will be needed to realign it. Some surgeries must be performed as soon as possible to maintain perfusion to the affected limbs to avoid, uh, well, serious complications."
"Like amputation?" Misha asked.
"That's right. To avoid necrosis and possible amputation. We got to him in time, but time is still of the essence for the orthopedic surgeries."
"Is he, I mean, will he have more surgery tonight?" Jared found he was clinging to Misha's arm.
"No, not tonight. We're going to let Jensen rest, see how well his body handles the stress before Doc Brown operates."
"But what about his broken bones? What about Jensen's bones?" Jared's voice caught and Misha took his hand in a soothing gesture.
The surgeon continued, kindly. "All the bones will be stabilized externally and Jensen will be carefully monitored. Believe me, he won't be moving after all the medication he's receiving, so he'll be in a bit better shape for orthopedic surgery." He pulled his surgical cap off and let his hair fly. "That's about all the information I have for you right now, but believe me, he's a fighter."
"Yeah," DJ said, "he is. He's a great guy. Thanks, doc, for helping him."
"You're quite welcome." He stood. "I suggest you all go home and change. Get something to eat and try to nap for a couple of hours. I'll make sure the staff is welcoming to all of you when you return to this waiting room. I will endeavor to make sure that you," he looked directly at Jared, "are updated regularly."
Jared asked, "Do you know when the next surgery will be?"
"We want to wait a little, but not too long, so I'd guess mid-morning." Dr. Whovian turned toward the door he came through. "But don't quote me."
"Let me see him." Jared ran up to him. "Only for a minute, I swear. Let me see that he's alive and I'll go home. Please, doctor." Jared's voice shook, but his gaze was firm. "One minute."
The doctor huffed through his nose and bit his lip. "One minute. You'll have to gown up."
"Thank you. God, Doctor, thank you."
The surgeon leaned into Jared's ear. "Remember, when you see him, he's safe, he's strong, and he just came out of major surgery."
Jared thought he was prepared for what Jensen would look like, but he wasn't. Jared wore a yellow disposable gown, gloves and a mask.
"We can't afford you bringing anything into the surgical ICU that could cause infection. It's for Jensen's protection. Don't stay long." Dr. Whovian said as he left the cubical.
Jensen was swollen. At lease what Jared could see. Jensen's face, hands and fingers were all puffy. There were two IV racks filled with multiple fluids all threaded through pumps that measured what was going into Jensen's body as well as a rather large tube emerging from under the sheets, emptying into a container measuring the fluid.
That must be the chest drain.
A catheter bag hung from the bottom of the bed frame while a ventilator mechanically breathed for him. Jensen's skin was an oily, sickly gray.
Under the white hospital sheets, there was a bulkiness about him, probably the stabilizing elements for his leg, and there was a piece of equipment bracing his right arm.
Jensen looked awful and Jared was scared. The soft sounds of the heart monitor, the electronic blood pressure cuff that regularly took the readings, and the whoosh, whoosh of the ventilator all blended into the symphony that was keeping Jensen alive. Jared crept to the head of the bed and leaned down.
When he was level with Jensen's ear, he whispered softly, "Hey…"
"The doctors say that he can't hear you, because he's so drugged up, but I think he can." A nurse with the pink hair and light blue scrubs turned a knob on one of the pumps. "I've been doing this a while and, on some level, I believe that he knows you're here and that he's not alone."
"You think so?"
"I do. Talk to him for a minute or two, and then I'll get you back to the waiting room." She made a notation, and then left them alone.
"So, um, Jensen. It's me. Your significant other slash boyfriend. I only have a minute, but I wanted you to know that I'm okay, and that everybody's okay. We're all okay because of you."
Jensen's heart monitor indicated that his heart rate slowed marginally, and it seemed that Jensen suddenly didn't look quite as gray.
"You'll have to work hard at getting better, but don't worry, I'm here to help you do that." He brushed his gloved fingertips against Jensen's sweaty head.
"I'll always be here."
Jensen's heart was beating slow and steady; his face around the breathing tube looked more relaxed.
"Your heartbeat is the sweetest sound."
Jared ached to hold him.
"And Jen, when it comes to my heart, you own it-you, my very own weather nerd-hold my heart."
Nurse Pink stepped into the doorway.
"You do. You hold my heart in your hands, so, please, Jensen, please, don't ever start clapping."
It was probably Jared's imagination, but it looked like the corner of Jensen's lip turned up.
Jared found Felicia dozing in the waiting room. DJ was tapping his feet and fidgeting like he'd had too much caffeine. Misha sat cross-legged on the floor with his back against the wall and his eyes closed while Chad paced, talking to himself.
Jared pasted on a smile and said, "Okay gang. We're through here for tonight."
One-by-one, they shook off their malaise and gave Jared their attention.
"How's he doing?" DJ asked.
"He's out like a light, and nothing's going to happen for at least a few hours. I'm going home to shower, shave, take a nap and pack a lunch before coming back. I'll keep you all informed, so you guys can go home."
"Nice try Tech Man." Felicia yawned. "I'm coming back with lunch and dinner, too. Count on it." She fumbled for her car keys. "You coming with?" She looked at DJ.
"Yeah. Take me home so I can feed and water Scout. Can you swing by and get me on your way back here?"
"Will do," Felicia said. "Jared, let us know if you hear anything in the meantime."
"Will do." Jared adjusted his faux smile.
Misha turned to Jared, "Would you like me to drive you home?"
"I got this, MishMan." Chad pulled out his keys.
Misha nodded sagely, "As you wish."
They filed out until only Chad and Jared remained. Chad was bouncing on his toes, unable to look Jared in the eye.
"What's up with you? Jensen's sound asleep, and we can go."
Chad stared at him. "I know you, man. What happened in there?"
"Nothing happened." Jared pulled his still-damp beanie out of his pocket.
"Nothing, huh?"
Jared sank into the nearest chair. "He was a mess. " He closed his eyes. "He was all beat up, Chad. It looked like he was T-boned by a semi."
Chad sat next to him. "Was he in any pain?
"No. He's out of it, not even breathing on his own."
"He isn't?
"He's on a ventilator."
"Then he can't be hurting, and he can't stop breathing, right?"
Jared opened his eyes and stared at Chad.
"Right, Jay?"
Jared smiled, tiredly. "Right. You're right. He's not hurting, and he's breathing."
"I am right." Chad stood.
"What about you? What's up with the pacing and talking to yourself?"
Chad turned away.
"Chad?"
"You didn't hear him, man, but I did. He was so scared."
"What? When?" Jared rose to his feet.
"When our studio was the storm's bullseye. He wasn't scared for himself, he was scared for you. He was begging for you to be safe, and when he warned me…" Chad drifted off.
"Warned you, what?"
Chad took a second. "When he warned me about the storm aiming for us, he shouted that there were fins to the left and fins to the right. He spoke "my language" to make sure I understood, and then pleaded with anyone listening to keep you safe."
"My boyfriend's awesome like that." Jared said, softly.
"I thought I knew what love was. Hell, I thought I'd been in love before, but I've never really been so I don't really know. But with you and Jensen?"
Jared turned.
"With you and Jensen, ohhh, I've never really been…but I'd sure like to go."
Jared gave a tired grin.
Chad shrugged. "I guess we'll have to go now."
Jared and Chad returned to the hospital a little before seven in the morning. No one was in the waiting room, and Chad had to find the dimmer switch to turn the lights up. There was a sealed envelope with Jared's name on it taped to the empty receptionist's desk.
Jared snatched it up, but his fingers didn't cooperate. Chad opened it.
Mr. Padalecki,
Dr. Whovian asked us to inform you that Dr. Brown began surgical repair at approximately 5:30 AM. Updates will be supplied as they become available.
~~S. J. Smith, PA
"Why didn't they wait? They were supposed to let Jensen rest and then go back in sometime mid-morning." He turned his wide eyes to Chad, hoping he had the answer. "It's not mid-morning. It's early morning."
"Listen, J-Man. Jensen needed surgery, and now he's in surgery. Sooner in, sooner out. Less wait time for us." Chad feigned nonchalance. "S'pose there's any coffee in this place?"
"Yeah." Jared cleared his throat. "Yeah, probably. See if you can score us some." Jared sat in the chair closest to the door and opened his phone.
His mailbox, messaging and text centers were overflowing. He scrolled down to Felicia's message from early this morning:
Hey, Jared. Jensen's mother had hip surgery and is recuperating at her sister's in Snohomish. Jensen's dad passed a couple of years ago. I told her the gist of the situation, that Jensen was in Florida Atlantic Hospital because of a storm-related accident, but I didn't go into all the details because I didn't want to upset her. Did I do the right thing?
You did fine. Say that Jensen is being well cared for and that you'll keep her in the loop. Tell her to try not to worry and that we'll keep her updated and that I'll call her soon. I just don’t know when.
Will do. I'll also see if she'll give the hospital permission to talk to you. She seems to like you.
Jared hoped that was the right answer. He couldn't dwell on it, though, because he was concentrating on why they pushed up Jensen's surgery.
He was scrolling to DJ's messages when Chad sauntered in with two Starbuck's cups.
"Man, did you know they have Starbucks in hospitals? And they open really early? I mean, I knew there were Starbucks in airports, but we lucked out with this place." He offered Jared a Venti.
"Maybe there's something wrong." Jared stood and began pacing. "That's why they had to get him early. His leg could have gone cold and they had to do something right away so they wouldn't have to ampu-amputate."
"Jared, you don't know anything."
"Or maybe the bones moved. Maybe the bones were moving in his arm and leg and causing more damage." Jared's heart rate kicked up. "Maybe there was more bleeding from his spleen or into his chest and they had to go in to save his life."
"Jared, stop." Chad raised his voice a notch then lowered it gently. "Stop. It could also mean that he stabilized so quickly and so well that the doctors thought it would be best to get started early. We need to wait a bit longer to find out. You know this stuff takes a while."
Jared fidgeted for a minute, then sighed. "You're right. You're right, it takes a while."
"I am right." Chad pulled Jared into the chair and nudged him with the coffee cup.
Jared took slow sip, then looked up at his friend. "Thanks Chad."
"No problem. But have some faith, man. Jensen's got this."
Jared's hand moved to his chest where St. Medardus lay. "I will, and he does."
On to Chapter Two