Chapter Text
The hospital waiting room was relatively empty for a Friday night in down town New York Shaw noted as she paced around the room for what felt like the millionth time.
Root had been on a mission for The Machine alone and it was supposed to be straight forward, until the guy decided to push Root of a motel roof. It wasn't a long fall but she hit her head into the side of the pavement… so here Shaw was waiting for the others and waiting for any word on how Root was doing.
Shaw couldn't help but blame The Machine for this. She…no it, is the thing that keeps sending Root on dangerous assignments without any back up. And now she was in the OR having brain surgery. Shaw didn't know the specifics of everything that had happened but a man and his kid had seen the guy pushing Root off of the roof and called an ambulance. Root for reasons that she would have to discuss with her later had an ID on her that said ‘Samantha Winifred Shaw.’ So the hospital contacted her, Samantha’s wife.
John and Finch arrived together around 20 minutes after Shaw.
“How is she Ms. Shaw?” Finch asked in his usually worried tone.
“I don't know they wont tell me anything… also apparently I am her wife” Shaw said as she finally slumped down into one of the uncomfortable chairs the hospital provided. Then she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. When she pulled it up she could only see the blocked number and just knew that it was from The Machine.
“Analog interface always keeps that ID on her when she is between identities.” The text said.
“Why?’ does she not realize that making herself my wife is creepy as fuck?’” Shaw said into her phone.
“Analog interface did this to assure that you would always be contacted incase anything happened to her. You are also her emergency contact” the second text said.
Shaw let out a breath. That was so typically Root. Then something hit her, something she had to ask. So she got out of the chair and walked out of earshot of the boys before asking.
“So what is Samantha Shaw’s maiden name?’ who did I marry?”
A few second passed, as if The Machine was considering not answering before the third text came.
“Samantha Winifred Shaw’s maiden name was Samantha Winifred Groves. Analog interface used her original identity for this, to make one permanent identity. One real identity.”
Shaw could feel her chest tighten like all the air had been sucked out of it. Root had used her real name for this. Even if the marriage certificate was a fake Shaw was in essence married to a real person. Root who hated her given name, Root who claimed that Sam Groves was dead had still chosen to make this real. Shaw was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice John coming up behind her before he touched her shoulder.
“Shaw?’ is everything okay?” he asked her.
“No it is not. Because that thing send Root out there without any back up she is now having brain surgery” Shaw said in a hurried angry tone.
“No one could predict that he would push her off the roof Shaw”
“It is supposed to be able to”
John didn't know what to say. Shaw was right Root trusted so deeply in The Machine and in return it did not let her down but this time it had and Root paid the price for her blind trust.
“How about I go get us some food?” he offered, hoping to take her mind off all this at least a little.
“No thanks, I’m not hungry” was the reply he got. That worried John more that anything. Shaw was never ‘not hungry’ so this must really touch her more than she lets on.
They sat there for hours. After Shaw being non-responsive for 2 hours both John and Harold had given up on having a conversation with her and were talking among them selves.
9 hours later a doctor came in and asked for Mrs. Shaw. Shaw jumped up and out of the chair. If the situation wasn't so serious it would have been almost fun to see.
John and Harold sat in the background and listened to the doctor explain to Shaw that there had been a huge fracture in Roots scull and that her brain had swelled. Due to the fracture they were reluctant to drill and relief the pressure fearing that they would fracture more of the fragile scull if they did. But in the end they had relieved the pressure and the swelling had gone down a bit. But Shaw knew that with swelling in the brain it was more of a ‘if she wakes up’ than when. Root had been taken to the ICU and was being kept there on a ventilator. Shaw was the only one allowed to see her.
Shaw camped out in Roots room for a week. She had scared the nurses into letting her stay. They even gave her a bed and everything. Shaw refused to deal with any numbers while Root was in a coma, giving John, Finch and Lionel a lot of extra work as 2 of the most efficient team members were out of the game.
The Machine had informed Shaw that Root wished to be an organ donor but had never gotten around to filling out the paper work… therefor leaving Shaw with the final decision.
Shaw had refused to take her of the ventilator. 'Root is a fighter' she said 'and she better not leave me with only the guys for company'. That had been the end of that discussion.
On the 8th day of Root’s coma Shaw had been reading a gun magazine when she heard a choking sound coming from the bed. Root was awake.
“Hey it’s okay. You are intubated don't fight it I will remove it now” She said in a surprisingly soft tone before raising her voice and calling for the nurses.
The nurses and the doctors flew in and did their test. And while she passed the physical aspect she had yet to say a word.
“Root do you know where you are?’ do you know who I am?” Shaw had once read that when conducting these tests it was important to only ask one question at the time but she shouldn't help herself.
“No” Came a cracked unsure voice
“No you don't know where you are?’ or no you don't know who I am?” Shaw asked dreading the answer.
Root looked down at her hands. Sitting there on the bed she looked so small, so unRoot.
“Both” she almost whispered before looking Shaw in the eyes, her usual twinkle replaced with uncertainty and fright.
“Who are you?” she asked and Shaw felt like something broke inside her. How dare she make her care so much about her and then have the audacity to not remember her? Before Shaw knew what was happening she felt herself walk out of the room away from the hospital.
It wasn't until she reached the Subway that she realized. 1 she had left Root there and 2 Root had no idea who she was anymore.