Two hours later the nurses wheeled Brook out on a stretcher. Michelle hurried to his side.
"Is he okay?" She asked the first doctor she could see. The doctor looked her over before answering.
"His surgery went well. There was no major damage to his organs and we were able to get the bullet out. He has been sedated so he can recover more quickly so he might not wake up for a few hours." The doctor said. Michelle felt a weight drop from her heart. Brook was alive – and he would recover. It was like waking up from a nightmare.
"Thank – thank you," she said and followed Brook to a patient room.
"Are you the patient's guardian?" a pleasant-faced nurse asked Michelle in the room.
"Y-Yes." She stammered.
"You need to register the patient and pay at the reception. Would you like to register now?"
"Um, I'll do it later, please." She said, glancing at Brook. The nurse nodded.
"I understand. Could you give me the patient's name?"
"Er, Steve Rhodes," Michelle said, the first name popping into her head. She was afraid the police might be able to track 'Brook Havens'. Or worse, the Inferno Ghosts might come looking for him.
"And your name?" the nurse asked, writing it down.
"M-Mandy Rhodes." She lied.
"Okay... come to the reception on the first floor for the billing." She said and left. Michelle turned to Brook when she was left alone in the room.
"You are in so much trouble when you wake up." She said quietly. She remembered her blood-stained hands and shirt and went into the bathroom attached to the room to wash them off. Her eyes pricked with tears but she fought them determined not to cry. She couldn't break down now.
She couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened – and what might have happened if things had gone differently. If Brook hadn't survived...
She shook her head at that thought and remembered that she had ditched the crew. She had to contact them somehow – let them know where she was. Now that Brook was out of danger they had to know they were safe.
She returned to the room where Brook was sleeping peacefully. She was just debating how to contact the others when the door burst open admitting Payton. He was panting heavily and his forehead was wet with perspiration.
"Payton! How did you find us?" Michelle asked in surprise. Payton shut the door behind him and closed the blinds on the window. He glanced at Brook.
"How is he?" he asked.
"He'll be okay. He's just sedated so he can heal up faster." She said.
"You sure didn't make it easy for me to find you. I found you because he's the only patient who got shot around here. Seriously, Steve Rhodes?"
"It was the first name I could think of. I didn't want to give his real name."
"Hmm. Smart."
"So how did you find us at the hospital? I thought I lost you guys." Payton's features darkened a moment.
"That was a foolish and dangerous thing to do. What if the Ghosts had gotten to you before we could find you?" he snapped. Michelle avoided his eyes.
"They didn't. And I had to save Brook." She said. She heard him exhale forcefully and looked up.
"If Jett hadn't planted all our cars with trackers... Anyway, that's how I found you."
"Where's everybody else?"
"Covering your tracks. Those Ghosts will never find us here."
"That's - good."
"Doesn't mean we shouldn't leave here as soon as possible," Payton said firmly. "As soon as Brook wakes up, we're out of here."
"But he just had surgery! He needs to rest." Michelle insisted. Payton stared at her determined face and sighed.
"Fine, but I'll be standing guard." He said. He studied Michelle's features.
"How are you holding up?" he asked. Michelle's lower lip quivered before she answered.
"He almost died, Payton. He sacrificed himself for me. How do you think I feel?" She asked hoarsely. Payton walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulder.
"Hey, it's okay. He's gonna be fine." Michelle's eyes filled up unconsciously and she let herself cry, all the emotions she had suppressed bursting out like a flood. She cried into Payton's shoulder, unable to stop.
"I couldn't – l-live with myself – if anything h-happened to him... if I was too late..." She stammered through her sobs.
"But you weren't. Don't think like that. You did the right thing. You saved him." Payton said.
"He saved m-me first."
"And you can give him hell for it when he wakes up. I'm sure if he knew you were gonna break down like this he wouldn't have run away in the first place. He must have thought you'd be stronger than this." Michelle pulled away to stare at him with incredulity.
"Are you trying to comfort me or make me feel worse?" she asked. Payton half smiled.
"I thought the teasing would distract you." Michelle thought about it and gave a little laugh.
"You really are a jerk." She said playfully.
"Yeah, but that's one thing Brook can beat me at." He said. "Once he's given a clean bill of health, he's in for a major thrashing from me." Michelle swatted his arm.
"Hey!" he protested.
"No hitting my boyfriend. That's my job." She said.
"Fine. Sheesh, you and Paige have it in for me today." He muttered. He turned to the door.
"Did they say anything about the bill?" Payton asked.
"They said to pay at the reception. I didn't officially register him or anything." Michelle said.
"I'll see to it. Think you'll be okay alone for a few minutes?"
"Haven't you learned to stop underestimating me by now?" Michelle returned. Payton grinned.
"Touché. I'll be right back." He said and left the room. Michelle seated herself in a chair beside Brook. She took his hand and held it to her cheek. She took in his face, bruised and cut here and there, and felt near tears again. She swallowed and reminded herself to be strong for his sake. Although she planned to chew him out for running away and leaving her that heartbreaking letter. She pulled it out of her jeans pocket and squeezed it.
"I wish you'd wake up soon." She said softly. She brushed his hair from his forehead, her fingers stroking his bruised skin. She rested her head on her hand, closing her eyes.
Michelle had barely rested her eyes for a few minutes when the door opened again and Payton entered holding two cups of coffee followed by Paige.
"Told you she was okay," Payton said to her. Paige rushed past him and hugged Michelle so tight it knocked her breath out of her.
"Don't you ever do anything that crazy without me, ever again!" she said fiercely. Michelle hugged her back.
"I'm glad you're okay too Paige." She said, attempting a smile. Paige pulled her back.
"You look like a serial killer in those. I've got something in my car you can change into. I'll bring it up for you." she said, eyeing Michelle's blood-stained clothes. She left the room.
"You know you're the first person Paige has ever hugged like that, right?" Payton said, handing Michelle the coffee.
"I'm glad she's safe. What about the others?"
"Paige said they got away with minimal damage. Hopefully, none of the Ghosts noticed her drive here. Jackson can't be too happy right now." Michelle sipped her coffee in silence letting the scalding heat distract her from thinking too much.
"Michelle?" Payton called when she didn't say anything.
"I'm listening." She said.
"About what Jackson said – I don't know if he was lying or not but... something doesn't feel right."
"I don't want to talk about it now," Michelle said defiantly. Payton looked at her face. He saw she was trying to control her emotions.
"Look, if –" the door opened, interrupting him. Paige came in holding a bag.
"I've got the clothes." She said dropping the bag on the spare couch. She sensed the tension in the room and turned to Payton.
"Payton, do you mind grabbing some us food before the cafeteria closes?" She asked pointedly.
"Sure." He said getting up. Paige waited until he left before speaking.
"He didn't say anything stupid, did he?" She asked. Michelle smiled wanly.
"No more than usual," she said. Paige took out some clothes from the bag.
"Change into this. Then we'll talk." She said. Michelle took the clothes and changed in the bathroom. She found Paige seated on the couch when she returned to the room.
"Thanks for the clothes," Michelle said joining her.
"Hey, I didn't think you'd want your boyfriend to see you drenched in his blood. Also, your blouse had a bullet cut." She pointed to a small tear on the blouse Michelle was holding.
"Oh, I didn't see that," Michelle said, stuffing the shirt in the bag.
"If Brook knew you got so much as a cut – he'd flip," Paige said.
"Yeah..." Paige heard the note of depression in her voice.
"You were pretty badass tonight you know. You're the first girl I've seen fight almost as well as me," she said.
"It was thanks to your crash course in kicking butt," Michelle said. Paige laughed softly.
"We got him back, angel face. It's a win for us." She said.
"Then why do I feel like we're back to where we started?" Michelle asked. "And what's gonna happen now?"
"We're gonna get some food in us, get some rest and you're gonna focus on Brook getting better. Don't think further than that."
"Easier said than done," she grunted. Payton came back just then carrying a tray of food.
"I got whatever was available." He said placing the tray on the table. Michelle took the first thing her hand reached for and bit into it idly.
"So what's the plan?" Payton asked as they ate.
"We stand on guard outside. We're not leaving till Brook wakes up." Paige said.
"We can't leave Michelle here alone," Payton said. Paige turned to her.
"Got your earpiece?" she asked. Michelle nodded.
"Then she's covered. She'll be fine, we'll be right outside. Come on. We should give them some privacy." She steered Payton out before he could argue, giving Michelle a little smile. Michelle was grateful for that.
"Keep an eye on him," Paige said to Michelle before shutting the door. Michelle resumed her seat beside Brook after they left. Her eyes were heavy with sleep; she checked her watch and saw that it was past midnight. She laid her head next to Brook's shoulder and drifted off to sleep.
Brook woke up feeling like his entire body was weighed down like lead. He looked around wondering where he was and saw a dark head with long hair below his shoulder – he knew it was Michelle. He tried to move his hand to touch her but found it locked in a tight grip in hers. He couldn't suppress a smile at that; it was like she was holding him to make sure he wouldn't run away.
"Michelle..." He called softly. Michelle stirred and raised her head. She became more alert when she saw he was awake.
"Brook! You're awake! How do you feel?" she asked, leaning forward.
"Incredibly vulnerable under your gaze." He said lightly. Her expression became restrained.
"I guess you're feeling better if you can joke around." She said almost defensively. He raked her form.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked.
"No... I'm fine." She turned away from his face, unable to bear the fact that she was fine and he wasn't.
"Hey, I've been dreaming of that face and now I can't even see it in reality?" Brook said. Michelle turned back to him.
"Don't you remember anything?" she asked, scrutinizing his face.
"About Jackson... you at the football field... I remember everything." He said slowly.
"You remember saving me?"
"I assume that's why I'm in this – hospital?" He asked, looking around. Michelle swallowed.
"You took a bullet for me..." she said, choking back tears.
"And I'd do it again if I had to."
"After you promised me you'd never leave me you write this –" she brandished his letter in front of his face, "leaving me not knowing if you were alive or dead and then jump between me and a bullet?!" Michelle's voice became high-pitched with emotion towards the end. Brook stared straight into her eyes.
"I'm sorry." He said. Michelle squeezed her eyes shut at his words.
"How could you do this to me, Brook?"
"Because... I had to protect you." She stared back at him in silence.
"But you know what? Leaving you was the worst mistake of my life." He continued. He grabbed her neck and pulled her close before capturing her lips in a searing kiss. Michelle pulled away quickly.
"You promised we'd be in this together." She said.
"I know."
"You promised me you'd be here for me."
"I know." Brook leaned forward to kiss her but she held back.
"You gave me a heart attack when you left!" she whisper-shouted. Brook sighed.
"I'm trying to make it up to you but you're not giving me the chance." He said.
"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Michelle said fiercely. Brook nodded, his eyes never leaving her face.
"I don't think I can." He took hold of her cheek and drew her back to his lips. Finally, Michelle responded, kissing him back with all her strength, hungry for his lips. Slowly, all the memories of the night faded away and only the sweet taste of each other as they mingled tongues remained. Brook was safe; and Michelle was never going to let him go ever again.