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"So, you and the boss, huh?" The moment he says it, 2Dads ducks instinctively, half expecting her arm to swing out and club him over the head for even daring to think such a thing, let alone say it. But when it remains by her side, he almost finds himself wishing she had hit him.
"You want... to talk... about that now?" Kate's voice is weak and shaking with the effort of forming words, but he can still here the warning in her tone. He wonders whether she'll always carry that with her, that authority, the aura that demands respect. How long had it taken her to develop that? Or had she always been like that, even as a kid? For barely more than a heartbeat, he sees some cliched image of a blonde pigtailed little girl with her hands on her hips. And then reality returns.
"Well, what else should we talk about?" He tries to keep his tone jovial and winning, even as beads of sweat trickle down his neck. "Did you watch the latest Married at First Sight?" Kate lets out a sound halfway between a laugh and a cough, which turns immediately into a coughing fit. "Shit." 2Dads curses, readjusting his DPNU top in his hands, forcing it into a tighter ball.
It's already soaked with blood.
"No." Kate manages, when her coughing has subsided. "Don't watch it."
"Well you should!" He knows, of course, that his voice is too loud, and he's blithering on about pointless stuff, but he's terrified. Worse than the submarine, worse than the lift. This is a new kind of terror. Because Kate's breaths are shuddering and her voice is sounding weaker and weaker and he can't let her eyelids flutter closed. "It's a good laugh, X. Or... or Brooklyn Nine Nine? That's good too! Ah, it's about a police precinct in New York. And this group of different police detectives. It's great! Um... we're going to Wing Sluts! And... um..." He's still rambling, he knows, but the words are still tumbling from his mouth. "And... and I watched Water Rats too! Uh... my sister gave me the DVDs. You ever watched that?"
Kate closes her eyes for a moment, and he curses. His free hand gives her a rough shake and she hisses as the pressure changes in her shoulder. But her eyes open once more and if she's talking, she's alive. "I... watched Water Rats." She mumbles, her voice bleary and slurred. "When I was... ADFA."
"So... who's your favourite character? You know, I always liked Goldie. She didn't take crap from anyone." He needs to keep this conversation going. Needs to keep her awake. "Who did you like, X? Were you a Tommy Tavita fan? Or a Michael Reilly kind of girl?"
"I..." She frowns. "The... dark hair... eyes..." Her eyes roll for a moment, before she blinks and shakes her head just a little. And he doesn't have the faintest idea who she's talking about, but he nods.
"They were all pretty good looking though, weren't they X? I mean, not a patch on the Hammersley gang though. We're all smoking hot."
"Yeah." Does she know what she's agreeing to? God, she's lost so much blood. "Did I fall?"
"No." Her hand moves towards her injury, as though about to touch, and he reacts instinctively, taking her hand in his free one and squeezing it lightly. He's trying to keep his voice light and calm, but he can feel his whole body starting to shake. "Nah, don't touch it, X. I'm going to help you, okay? You're okay."
"What did?" Her eyes are slipping closed once more, and God he takes back every time he's said he wants to see the X completely drunk, her speech slurring and her eyes rolling, because even though there's no grog, this isn't funny.
"X, you... you stay awake!" He punctuates his words with a squeeze of the hand, and something in her gaze seems to strengthen.
"'m awake." She mumbles, and with what looks like an enormous effort, she opens her eyes once more. "The dealers-"
"It's okay." He whispers, but even as he says it, he throws a glance back over his shoulder. "We're hidden. They won't find us here. And... and when it's properly nightfall, we'll reach high ground and call Hammersley for help, okay. Simple. But I can't leave you right now. They..." He glances at the mess of her left arm. He's not game enough to remove his balled-up shirt from the wound to examine it. "You got shot. Your... your shoulder..." He can't finish the sentence, and sniffs. "I... I don't think it hit any arteries. But... you're losing blood. I'm trying to..." He trails off once more. "I don't know what to do. But... you're not allowed to die on me."
"Okay." She mumbles, as though he's told her nothing more interesting than the lunch menu.
He squeezes her hand tighter. "Promise." He presses, and he hates how childish he sounds, but he needs this one thing from her.
"P... promise." She mumbles.
"Good." He spits the word at her. "Good."
"Where... are we?" For the first time, she seems aware of her surroundings. She looks for a moment as though she wants to push herself up from the floor, but mercifully seems to think better of it and sinks back down. "Cave?"
"I think... it's an old mine shaft." He hadn't really taken much time to look around either, but now he takes in his surroundings. "Remember? We managed to get us in here without them seeing. And we're in far enough that we should hear them coming if they..." He glances down at his weapon, abandoned by his side when she'd stumbled to the ground. He doesn't need to look to see how many bullets he has left. His free hand lets go of hers and fiddles with her own weapon. Six shots left. Not enough, if they were ambushed like before. "But there's no radio reception. I'll have to..." He knows he can't leave her. "We'll head out after dark. Try and reach the Hammersley."
"Can't... walk." Kate croaks. "Chest-"
"Yeah, I think... think you've got cracked ribs. Bullets were everywhere. But the vests caught... most-" Just not all, he thinks darkly, staring at the still darkening DPNU shirt. And he has no time for his own sore back, where the bullet had been stopped by his Kevlar. He just needs her to be okay. "It's okay. I'll carry you." He forces himself to shrug, trying to look nonchalant, like he isn't desperately searching for a way out of this. "Carried on a tropical island by a handsome man. What more could you want?" He wonders if she can detect the fear in his voice. The corners of her lips twitch, just slightly. "So, have you ever dyed your hair?"
This time, she does laugh, even if she winces moments later. "Yes." She manages. "Had... blue streaks... high school. Little bit."
"I need pictures when all of this is over." 2Dads grins, and as Kate shakes her head, he adds. "Because I'm saving your life and all."
"Guess... owe you." She smiles weakly. "But... don't have..."
"Damn. Guess I'll have to find some other way for you to repay me." He uses his free hand as if he's unveiling a banner. "A promotion sounds good. Petty Officer Kosov-Meyer."
She snorts with laughter again. "Only... if I... get... Rear Admiral... 'Gregor."
"I don't know..." 2Dads grins. "You might just end up Rear Admiral Flynn." This time, she does try to hit him. He's not expecting her to actually make contact, and the movement jolts his body. She hisses as his weight pushes into her injured shoulder. "Shit." He mutters. "Sorry, X. Sorry."
"'S alright." She manages after a moment, before glancing at him once more. "How... can see?"
"I lit our glowsticks. Yours and mine." He holds up the two fluorescent tubes in his free hand before returning them to their original places. "I've got enough light, anyway. Hey, so is blue your favourite colour? Is that why you did your hair?"
"Like... green." She mutters. "Em'rald green. But... blue... easier to find. Mal... dared me."
"How's Mal doing, hey?" 2Dads presses. "He had his wedding, right? How'd you go? You were... uh... bridesmaid?"
"Best... woman." Kate manages.
"And suit or dress?" He asks.
"You... pictures... facebook."
"Yeah, okay, so I did see the pictures on facebook. But remind me, okay? What happened? Did you catch the bouquet?"
"Hid." She answers simply, with a small smile twitching against her lips.
"Aww, X. Come on. You're probably the best at hand-eye coordination there anyway." He tips his head to the side. "Although, the last few weddings I've been to, it's been less about hand-eye coordination and more of a mobbing-slash-catfight."
"S-sexist." She mutters.
"See, you keep me learning, X." He forces a smile. "Who else is going to keep on my case like this?" But she doesn't seem to understand the question. Her eyes are rolling again, and he shakes her again. "No, no. Stay awake, X. Okay? Stay awake. Hammersley needs you. I need you. And..." He hesitates only for a moment. But now isn't the time to censor himself. "And Mike needs you."
"Mike." She mumbles.
"Yeah." 2Dads agrees. "Mike. The promotions list comes out any day now. And you're a shoo-in. You're going to... to get command of Hammersley, and you can be with the boss, and... and everything is going to be good, okay? But only if you stay awake. And... and you'd better get used to this pain, 'cause I bet child birth's worse. And you're going to have a couple, at least, hey? And... and you'll have to give any boy you have the middle name Leo, because, hello, I'm your Yoda."
"Mike." She repeats. Her eyebrows crease together, before she adds. "A note."
"What note?" He leans closer. Her voice is so faint now, but he needs to keep her talking, and it seems she needs to as well, because she opens her eyes again and squints hard at him. "You left him a note?"
"He... left me... note." She manages. "Said... sorry. Was wrong. Better. Not with him."
"I... I don't really know what you mean." 2Dads edges closer still. "Maybe... maybe you don't have to talk now. Just... just listen to me, hey? Um... I can tell you about the Water Rats episode I watched last night."
"Mike... he left... a note." Kate presses, and there's something like determination in her tone. "Left me. Watson's..." She trails off yet again. He can feel hot blood soaking his hands, can smell it in the air.
"He... he left you with a note? When you were together before?" She nods, ever so slightly, and 2Dads feels his heart twinge. "Oh, that... that's..."
"I said... loved him. And he... left. Next morning. Note." And it's the most coherent she's been for a while now. "He left."
"I'm sorry." And he is, too. Then he frowns. "That's how you knew how it felt... with Bomber, isn't it? You... in the elevator, you had all these suggestions and..." She nods, ever so faintly. "Wow. Uh... want me to punch him out for you?"
She gives a wry smile, even as her eyes are closed. "You're... 'suming didn't 'fore."
"Ooh, did you?"
"No." She admits. "Want... to. S'times." She starts to cough once more. "'Sides, you'd... g' fired."
"Eh." 2Dads forces a smile once more. "After this?" He crinkles his nose. "Nah, you wouldn't let him get rid of me! You'd get all not my favourite sailor!"
"You think... fav'rite?"
"I know I am, X." He grins. "Why else would you choose to spend all this time with me?"
She exhales deeply. "Bullet... not 'scuse then?"
"This thing? Nah, you could walk it off. No sweat." His voice cracks on the last word. "X, please stay awake for me. Please."
"Can't... much longer. Tired."
He glances at his watch. "It's just gone 1900 hours. We'll... we'll have to wait a little bit longer. 'Til it's darker." He goes to push a clump of hair from her face and winces again. "Shit. You're burning up."
"Freezing." Kate counters, and it's this more than anything that makes him realise just how bad she is. She'd never normally admit she was cold to him.
"It's okay." He assures her, even though he's not sure why he's still saying it. He's the last, worst person for her in this situation. She needs a medic, or a doctor. Hell, she probably needs an operating room and a crack team of surgeons, and instead she's stuck with him. "It's going to be alright." He tastes blood, and realises he's bitten through his tongue. Unsticking it, he tries to keep the conversation going. "I... I saw Bomber. And we talked."
"Tha's... good." She seems grateful for the change of subject.
"We're giving things another try. And taking it slowly. I'm going to take her out to dinner when we get back. Yeah, there's this really nice Italian place." She gives a noise that he thinks is approval. "And it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't given me a push. You told me to try again, told me where she was. It was... it wouldn't have happened without you." After he's said it, he realises how he sounds. "Not that I'm thanking you because anything is going to happen. Okay? You'll... you'll have to do... like... a girl's day or something. You know, paint your nails, get your hair done. She'd love to see you too."
For a moment he thinks Kate is about to hit him again, but then he realises she's waving her fingernails at him. "Nails?" She manages to say, and he grins, glancing at the bitten down and dirt-caked fingers.
"Or you could just go shoot at the gun range." He suggests. Gun. Bullet. Kate. Immediately, he wishes he'd voiced some other suggestion for recreational activity. Her smile fades, and she shifts her arm, before letting out a hiss of pain.
"Bone... broken." Kate winces. "Can feel it."
"Doctors will fix it." He tries to inject more confidence in his voice. "And you'll be back in no time." She falls silent again, and he rushes to make conversation once more. "You added me on facebook! Was kind of disappointed it didn't reveal any sordid secrets. But I did like the photos Izzy tagged you in at the wedding. His wife looks nice too. What's her name again?"
"S... Steph..." Her eyes close once more. "Nice... they love... 'ch other."
"Hey, you're loved too, alright? You're... you're going to have the happy ending as well." Fuck, he sounds like every teenage girl ever, but he doesn't care. "You're loved."
"No... not... Hamm'ley. Orphan. No one."
"Hey, that's not true! You've... you've got us. Okay? You've got Bird, and she looks up to you. You're like a big sister to her. And... and Dutchy! He loves you. You guys are friends! And... and Charge cares about you so much. And you seem to be the only one who understands RO. And... and you've helped me so much. You're my family, okay? And... and the Boss and... and Mal and Izzy! Okay! You're not alone! You've got us!"
"You... don't know me."
"I do know you! Okay? I know you! And I love you, okay? You're loved! You're so loved! By all of us! We'll get back to Hammersley and we'll prove it."
"Not... make it there."
"No, you will! You will, because you promised."
"L... Leo. Need... tell..." She murmurs. One hand reaches up and turns his face slightly, so that he is looking right at her. "Tell Mike... it... not his fault."
"You can tell him yourself." His voice shakes so much it's almost like laughter. "You'll tell him yourself."
"Not Mike's fault. Watson's..."
"X-"
"Watch out... for seagulls. Tell him."
"Kate!"
"Love him." Her eyes are rolling now.
"No." 2Dads pushes harder into her shoulder, knowing it will hurt, will wake her up. "No. You tell him yourself! Get up!"
"Sorry." She mumbles, and then falls silent. She's still breathing, but... fuck, was she always rattling like that? And shit, shit, wake up.
He can't wait until it's properly dark, has to chance it. Has to take the risk. And, shit, she's so light, and he tries to hold her so that his body is pushing at his DPNU, still stemming her blood flow, but he can feel the hot wetness of her blood staining his shirt.
"Come on, X." He mutters. "Come on. Don't you fucking die on me! You promised, right! You fucking promised!" Unbidden, unwanted, he recalls her probing her with questions about his graffiti tag in the elevator.
"Well, it's Promi. With a P. P – R – O – M – I. And… and fifteen-year-old me thought they were being really deep and in touch with their emotions. When promises end."
He hears Kate wince. "Ooh, that's bad."
"You're not allowed to break this promise." He mutters, trying not to jostle her. "You're not allowed to end it."
He reaches the opening of the mine, eyes adjusting to the dark night outside. He can't see anyone around, but he knows it doesn't mean much. Can't afford to key his radio until he knows Hammersley can hear him.
And so he moves, using the trees as cover and praying that he'll hear that next rattling breath. She's limp in his arms and she's going to be okay, she has to be okay. And his back hurts and she's still bleeding and her head is flopping backwards and he finds his fingers pinching, poking, trying anything to keep her awake, just stay the fuck awake!
He stumbles, his foot sliding on a rock, and he just manages to keep himself upright, but his shoulder bangs hard into a tree trunk, sending spasms of pain all down his body. He holds in his curse of pain, very nearly biting off the end of his tongue, before urging himself onwards. Just a bit further. Just a bit further.
The ground is sloping downwards, and it's all he can do to keep himself from dropping the X, or sending them both tumbling. It's too dark to see anything, and he knows it's unsafe, really, to be walking blindly through the scrub, but to crack a glowstick now would only risk exposing their position. And so he keeps pinching, keeps poking, keeps praying.
And then-
His ankle rolls as the ground shifts.
Sand.
And as he pauses, he hears the water lapping at the shore, above his own pounding heart and...
Please, let her still be breathing.
"Papa-82 this is X-Ray-82." The words tumble from him in a rush, praying that someone will hear. Now is the time, and he lays her down, both of them sheltered slightly behind a small boulder, one hand on the radio while the other clutches her weapon.
"This is Papa-82." How can RO's voice sound so calm? But his voice is so loud in the silence, and it feels as though a cannon blast has gone off, wrenching the silence apart.
"Need assistance now! The X is..." His voice catches in his throat. "She's injured. And we're running low on ammo."
And then there's the CO's voice, and he sounds almost as terrified as 2Dads feels. "Injured how?"
"It's going to be okay, X." He whispers, brushing a hand against her forehead and wincing at how warm she feels. But he's not game enough to remove the Kevlar he's strapped loosely around her. Not until they're both safe on the Hammersley. "Help's on the way. The CO wouldn't let anything happen to his best girl." He'd do anything to feel her hit him once more.
Every fibre of his being is pulled tight, alert. And, God, he's so tired, but he's barely letting himself blink. He needs to stay alert. Just because they've made it to the beach doesn't mean they're safe. Every scuttle of an insect, crunch of a leaf, whisper of the wind has him on alert, X's gun cocked in his hands.
"When you wake up, you're going to tell me why the boss needs to watch out for seagulls." He murmurs. "Okay?"
And then-
Footsteps.
Definite footsteps.
Four people at least.
Twigs cracking underfoot.
Should he run? Would they chase him, or would that leave the X a sitting duck?
And then, from out of the silence, gunfire, and after straining to hear sounds for the last forty minutes, it pounds at his eardrums. He curses, grabbing the X and dragging her backwards, using the thick scrub as cover. It's still dark at least, but it's as much a disadvantage as a benefit.
He can't leave her. Can't run into a gunfight and leave her by herself. Especially when he has no idea where anything is.
That's if she's still alive.
His fingers feel for the pulse on her neck and he breathes a sigh of relief. At least she's still alive. Just.
Another burst of gunfire. Is it getting closer? Shouts, indistinguishable. And shot after shot, and it's all he can do to keep his hand still pressing the DPNU shirt down and clutch the gun with his other, because he won't let her go without a fight.
And then, quite suddenly...
Nothing.
No noise.
Just the ringing in his ears.
Then a shout.
"2Dads!"
His teeth are chattering. From somewhere far away, he hears Dutchy demand someone grab him a warming blanket, but the heat is stifling. And anyway, he's not cold, and he's not hurt, is he? Not compared to the X. And he doesn't need the sugary sweet tea thrust into his hands, and he doesn't need the torch flicking between his eyes to check his pupils.
"I tried to keep pressure on there." He murmurs, stopping Charge's comforting arm. The X has already been whisked away, barely a blur or red and white as her stretcher was rushed to the wardroom. 2Dads keeps his gaze to the hatch where she'd disappeared, teeth clanking together. "I tried to keep her talking. But... ah, she kept drifting in and out. And she's lost a lot of blood. I think she's got a fever. She kept saying she was cold. And... she thinks something got broken. Her collarbone, maybe. Also, I think she took another shot to the chest, caught by the kevlar. So maybe broken ribs. But-"
"2Dads, just breathe." Charge interrupts, trying to wrap an arm around him. "Just breathe. You're hurt too, Buddy. Let's... let's go to the mess. We can get you-"
"I'm fine!" He snaps, pushing the hand off roughly. "It's the X!" It's only as he catches sight of his hand that he freezes.
He's covered in blood.
The sight alone is enough to send him heaving over the railing into the ocean, spitting bile. A hand grips the back of his shirt, securing him, but it's not him that needs the help. If she'd lost this much blood-
"Is she still alive?" He pleads. "In the RHIB. I couldn't feel-" Fingers feeling desperately. Was there a beat still in the pulse of her neck?
"She's still alive, Buddy." Charge assures him. "Roo and Bird are doing everything they can. We've got a medivac on the way and... and we're steaming as fast as we can to the rendezvous point. She's going to-"
"Don't promise things you can't keep." 2Dads snaps. When promises end. "Just don't."
"Okay." Charge bows his head. "But... she's tough. You know that. And... and you did your best. You got her here."
He shakes his head, staring at his red hands. "I should have done more."
As soon as the chopper leaves, there's a lull. At least, when they'd all been working frantically, they'd had some sort of purpose, and even if 2Dads was only pacing the hallway outside the closed wardroom door, he was at least doing something that gave the illusion of purpose. And now-
Of course, he'd known he'd have to do this, in the end. Knew he'd have to sit down and try and recount everything that had happened. Except his hand is shaking and he can't quite hold the pen and the world can't lose her.
His hands are sore, now red raw from scrubbing, rather than blood. But they won't stop shaking, and every time he looks at his own hands, he can't stop seeing the dark blood across them. He wonders when he'll stop, if in fact he'll ever stop. How much soap will it take to scrub the events from his mind, his eyes?
"2Dads, in your own words, we... we need to know what happened after we all split up on the island."
He closes his eyes, trying to remember... remember before his X was dying in front of him. "I..." He looks up at Dutchy, frowning. "I..." The door opens and closes, but it's not until the boss sits in front of him that he registers his presence. And he has that same haunted look in his eyes that 2Dads feels in his soul. "Is she..." His voice cracks.
"No news." Mike finishes for him. "I needed..." He trails off, and he too looks down for a moment, before apparently strengthening his resolve. "What happened?"
"He left... a note..."
His hands curl into fists, and in that moment, he wants nothing more than to pound Mike Flynn into mince meat.
"2Dads." Dutchy calls his name, and he tears his gaze away from Mike. "We need to get your statement. I know it's hard but... the sooner, the better."
"She was upset." 2Dads spits out, and he can't resist glaring at Mike once more. "And even though she said she forgives you..." 2Dads drags the paper towards himself, like a schoolkid protecting his work from being copied, even though there's nothing yet on the paper. "She shouldn't."
"Leader-"
"I want him out." 2Dads demands, standing up so fast that Mike flinches, and Dutchy steps in the middle.
"I'm not the one that got her shot!" Mike shouts back, and the words ring in the ugly silence.
"No, you're just the guy that screwed his student and then left her with a note when she told you she loved you." He counters.
"Alright! Enough!" Dutchy puts a hand up. "Boss, I... emotions are running high. Maybe... maybe it would be best if I just got 2Dads' statement and then he gets some rest."
2Dads stands his ground, hoping that the boss will protest. He wants the book thrown at him, wants a fist fight, wants anything to relieve this hot, bubbling guilt in him. And he knows he's destroyed his career, but he finds he doesn't care. Just as long as she's okay. If Mike Flynn hits him, at least he'll have the opportunity to hit back, maybe to teach him a lesson for hurting her, for putting her through hell day in and day out. For making her doubt that she was ever loved, even as she lay dying...
"Call me when it's done." Mike spits darkly, before stalking out and slamming the door behind him.
There's a ringing silence in Mike's absence, and 2Dads keeps his gaze on his knees, avoiding the bewildered stare from Dutchy. "Mate..." Dutchy begins tentatively.
"He had it coming." He spits back defensively. "I'm not going to apologise for yelling at him. Someone had to." He exhales heavily, and stares at the piece of paper he's clutching loosely in his fist. He releases it slowly. "I was... complaining." He murmurs, closing his eyes as he tries to remember the events of the last few hours. "It was hot and I was hungry and... and I told her the chances of us actually finding something off a tip-off from a drunken fisherman was next to none. But she just told me to be quiet. There were heaps of mozzies, especially as he kept following the creek. And then we came across this hut. And she was just about to lift her radio when these gunshots rang out, and we just ran. We were darting in and out of trees, and trying to shoot back. I remember Dutchy kept calling through the radio, but we just didn't even have the time to answer. And then... I remember I got hit in the back, and I could barely breathe I was so winded. And X took out the guy with a shot, and covered me until I managed to get up. But she got hit in the chest, and we just ran. Eventually, we managed to lose them, and we were both injured. I felt like something was stabbing me and a couple of the shots had sprayed bark chip into me, and I reckon the X had broken ribs. By the time we found the mine, she was breathing really badly, and it wasn't until we were hidden that..." 2Dads shakes his head. "If I'd realised she was hit sooner, I could have helped her. Maybe we could have called to you guys, or... or met up, but-"
"Hey, none of this is your fault."
"What... I mean, they were prepared to kill us."
"Kingston's dropping the SAS off." Dutchy reports. "But I know we took down at least five men."
"When I realised I... I just tried to keep her awake. Keep her talking. But she was in and out and then she got..." Love him. "...she got worse. So I had to risk it. I had to try and get her out. But... if she doesn't make it-"
"The only reason she made it this far is because you had her back." Dutchy leans closer. "You kept her alive, 2Dads."
But 2Dads can't answer, can't take credit for something that he couldn't even do properly. Instead, he just stares glumly at his hands.
"We'll be at base in just over an hour." Dutchy murmurs. "You should try and get some rest."
"No, I..." 2Dads shakes his head, trying to clear the fog filling his brain. "Malcolm. I should call him."
"Who's that?"
"Her... her next of kin. Um... and... should I contact her sister? I know they're not close but... um..." 2Dads drags a hand through his hair. "She's on facebook. Uh... X said she was always trying to add her to stupid games. So... maybe I'll ask Mal."
"2Dads-"
"It will take him a couple of hours to get up here. More if he's busy. His... his number is probably in her phone. But... I could contact him through messenger too, I guess."
"Leo?" Dutchy's hand touches his shoulder, and he starts to shake.
"She thought she was going to die." He chatters out. "And I couldn't do a damn thing to help her."
"You did help her, mate." Dutchy squeezes his shoulder. "You kept her safe."
"But I didn't do enough."
Of course, she'd have a passcode on her phone. And of course, it would be something more complicated than 1-2-3-4 or her year of birth. He even tries 6-9-6-9, although he'd known that wouldn't be it. He sighs, dropping her phone to the rack once more and picks up his own, opening facebook. And it's almost too easy to scroll through her friends list and find Malcolm's name.
There's photos of them both. Photos he's seen before, but he can't help looking at them again. She's happy, carefree, laughing in a way he's never seen her laugh before, and he finds himself watching a video of Kate dancing with Izzy at the wedding.
Call them. They need to know.
He almost hopes that the guy doesn't answer the phone. After all, 2Dads has no idea how to voice what has happened. It was hard enough telling Dutchy, and that was just the basics - that they'd been scouting out an island for suspected drug dealers and-
Bang.
"Malcolm Peters?" The man voices his name tentatively, like a question, and 2Dads guesses he's not exactly used to people calling him through messenger. After all, X had said he was a lawyer or something, right? How many high-priority conference calls would he take through messenger. What he was about to say had the potential to change this guy's life and- "Hello?"
2Dads pulls the phone closer, clearing his throat. "Uh... hi." There is no gentle way to break the news, no easy way to recount all that has happened in the last 24 hours. "Uh, you don't know me but my name is Leo Kosov-Meyer and... I work with Kate."
There's a long silence. And then, "What's happened to her?"
"She... she got hurt." The words sound childish, even to him. Like a kid on the phone to a triple-zero worker. "She... she got shot."
He can hear Malcolm's intake of breath. "She's... she's okay, though. Right? She's going to be okay?" Now it's him that sounds like the child, and 2Dads hates himself for having to destroy this hope.
"She's in surgery. At Barry General. I... I thought I should-"
"But she'll be okay?" He repeats, still sounding the same.
"I... I don't know." He checks the connection, Malcolm is silent for so long. He knows he should say something else, reassurance perhaps that surgeons were right now doing everything they could, or else that she was stubborn and tough, all those things he himself had been told over and over again since they returned back to the Hammersley. But he knows it means nothing. She might still die.
"I'm on my way." Malcolm says. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
He checks himself out against medical advice and finds the rest of the crew congregating in the waiting room, a sea of camouflaged fabric and the squeaking of standard issue boots. Bomber arrives ten minutes afterwards, wrapping him in a hug and squeezing him tight. "Are you okay? Dutchy called."
He blinks. He hadn't even thought to call Bomber. His whole focus had been on the X.
"Fine." He says quickly. "But..."
"I know." Bomber nods curtly. "But... hey, think of all she's been through before. She'll get through this too, hey." She gives his hand a squeeze, before turning to the rest of the crew. Bird dissolves into tears at the sight of Bomber, and sobs into Bomb's shoulder. 2Dads is glad for the distraction; he's not sure how many times he can stand to be told that she'll be okay by people who simply don't know that.
It's only then that 2Dads notes the absence of Mike Flynn, and he feels another rush of anger mix with guilt and sadness. She'd want him here.
None of them really talk after that. Dutchy paces, backwards and forwards in neat, precise lines, and 2Dads' head begins to swim as he watches. He can't remember the last time he properly slept, but even as he closes his eyes here, his brain whirrs with activity, thoughts rushing around so fast he knows he won't be able to rest.
When Dutchy stops his pacing, 2Dads sits up straight, convinced that he is about to see a doctor, or better yet, the X striding out of emergency as though the injury was nothing more serious than a papercut. But as Dutchy's gaze turns swiftly to 2Dads, he spots the figure in Naval Whites hovering. Mike pauses at the sight of 2Dads, who understands that Dutchy had paused only so that he could stop 2Dads from attacking again. When he sees the worry etched across his face, however, he feels the anger abate, and gives a nod towards his boss, who moves forwards, looking slightly relieved.
Without saying a word, he and Mike begin to walk down a corridor, stopping in front of a window that overlooks the main street. "I left NAVCOM as fast as I could." Mike mutters, dragging a hand through his hair. "Has there been any news?"
"None." 2Dads squares his jaw. "She's still in surgery. I've called her next of kin. He's on his way but he's down at Mission Beach so it could be a while."
"You..." Mike blinks in surprise. "I don't even know who her next of kin is." He admits it as though confessing to grand treason, running a hand through his hair again. "There's a lot of things I..." He trails off. "I know it wasn't your fault."
"Yeah, well... I'm not sorry for what I said." 2Dads admits. "But... it wasn't my place to say it."
"You have to know it wasn't..." Mike swallows hard. "It wasn't... how it seems. It wasn't why I left."
2Dads doesn't know what to say to this. After all, being the X's confidant in perilous circumstances was one thing, but the boss' as well? "Maybe we should head back." He nods towards the waiting room and Mike murmurs something in agreement.
It's past 1700 hours when a somewhat familiar face comes skidding into the waiting room, closely followed by an attractive redhead and a teenager with wavy black locks, and even though he's never met them, 2Dads stands immediately. "Malcolm?"
The man turns his attention towards him, looking him up and down before holding out a hand. "You must be Leo?" 2Dads nods. "Ah, this is my wife Steph and my daughter Iz. I... you were with Kate when it..." He trails off, swallowing hard.
"Yeah. Ah... she took at least one to the chest which the vest caught, but the one on her shoulder-" He catches Izzy's eye, and the tears welling. Instantly, he regrets being so candid in front of her. "Anyway, she's still in surgery-"
"Yeah, I... that was all they could tell me, too." He jabs a thumb at the receptionist's desk, then quite suddenly sinks into one of the chairs. In an instant, Steph is by his side, rubbing circles on his back.
"She's tough, Mal." Steph whispers soothingly. One of her arms reaches out and squeezes Izzy's hand. "Really tough." But Malcolm simply shakes his head, and Steph turns her attention towards Izzy, pulling her closer.
He manages a few unsettled hours of sleep, riddled with the sounds of gunshots and Kate's rattling breaths. When he wakes, he finds himself so overcome with energy that he takes up Dutchy's abandoned pacing. Bird mumbles something about coffee, and most of the crew file towards the direction of the hospital cafeteria, leaving himself, a dozing Charge and Mike as the only Hammersley members in the waiting room. 2Dads notices that Mike rarely sits still either, bouncing his knee, or else gripping the bottom of the seats as though he's trying to stop himself from running into the operating room himself. And 2Dads finds himself taking the spot next to Mike, leaning closer so that no one else can hear him speak.
"She... uh... she told me to tell you something." He keeps his voice low, and despite his anger towards the man, he forces himself to keep talking. "She told me to tell you that... she knew you were sorry. That you should... watch out for seagulls. And... and that she loved you."
The Boss's face crumples, and 2Dads has never seen anyone look so hopelessly undone. And in that moment, he's not The Boss. He's Mike, and he looks as though he's a man who has known only a thousand years of misery. For a moment, he just sits there, sobbing dryly. And then 2Dads places a hand on his back and he crumples, tears spilling from his eyes.
"I can't lose her again." He gulps. "I can't. I can't."
When at last a doctor calls for the family of Kate McGregor, they all stand, as though called to attention at a parade drill. Mal raises his hand when the doctor refines his question, seeking next of kin, and he addresses his report to Mal. "She's stable for now. She did lose a lot of blood, and she did undergo several transfusions. As suspected, she's suffered several broken ribs, as well as a pneumothorax and a fractured clavicle. We're also concerned about damage to her brachial plexus, as the bullet fragmented upon impact, but we won't know the extent of any potential issues until she wakes."
"Can we see her?" Mal asks at once, squeezing Izzy's shoulder.
"Right this way." He nods, leading the family of three away.
"She's okay." Dutchy murmurs, more to himself than to anyone else. "She's stable. That's good, right?"
Charge is the one to clear his throat, looking more at Bird and the slightly red-eyed Mike more than anyone else. "Of course it is." He nods. "Ah, we should all get her a pressie or something. We can all put in. What do you reckon?"
There's a general murmur of ascent, and 2Dads tunes out as they all start making plans, tossing up ideas for potential gifts. It keeps them occupied until Mal returns, looking at least a little better. When he catches 2Dads eye, he takes a step towards him, fiddling with his phone.
"She was in and out." He announces to the room at large. "Pretty doped up on some painkillers and quite tired. And it could be a long road of rehab for her arm. But she's alive, and that's... that's all that matters." His voice catches in his throat, but it's drowned out by the cheer that breaks out in the waiting room.
Under cover of the noise, Malcolm turns to 2Dads, lowering his voice. "Now, I've had this on file ever since we were sixteen." For the first time since meeting him, 2Dads sees the ghost of a grin flits across Mal's face. "Potential blackmail. But Kate said she owed you one, so you get a peek."
And 2Dads can't help but truly smile as he takes in the photo on Mal's phone of a teenage Kate, blue adorning the tips of her hair.