CHAPTER 7

Airwolf landed by the hangar door and Saint John climbed out.

“Come on.”

Caitlin, carrying Chance, and Dom clambered into the back. Soon they were back in the air on their way to Annapolis.

“So what happened?” Caitlin asked. “And wouldn’t it have made since to take him to one of the hospitals there if he is as hurt as it sounds like he is?” Because it obviously wasn’t a non issue if he couldn’t be hauled all the way back to California.

“Recovering Airwolf was, to say the least, interesting. He got hit in the machine gun fire from the guards, but he was alright long enough to get us out of there and into the air where Mike took over,” Saint John explained. “He said it wasn’t as bad as it looked, but he was tired from the flight over and the adrenalin rush from Airwolf’s rescue. We were halfway home and I thought he was just sleeping until an alarm in the back started going off, and was soon identified.”

“Yeah, cuz it told you exactly what was wrong,” Mike interjected. “The alarm specifically said weak and erratic vital signs for pilot. We were over the middle of the ocean and Annapolis was the closest we had.”

“Even in Airwolf the time past so slowly. I though we were going to loose him before we ever got back to the states.”

\A/

Airwolf landed on the hospital helipad abruptly. Saint John was tired and had other things to worry about; perfectly smooth landings were not one of them.

“Hey, if he wakes up, tell Sleeping Beauty I’ll be in to see him in a little while,” Mike said to the others. “I’ll hid the Lady and contact Michael. We’re gonna have to do something about not reporting a gunshot wound, but we didn’t really have much time to find a FIRM clinic.”

“Thanks, Mike,” they both said appreciatively.

A doctor met them in the hallway. “You’re Mrs. Hawke, right? And you’re…. “Saint John,” he supplied, “Stringfellow Hawke’s brother. And this little guy here is Chance.”

“I’m Dr. Johnson, Hawke’s primary physician.”

“What’s the news?” Saint John asked plainly.

“Break it easily as possible or straight out?”

“Straight out.”

“It’s touch and go. The wound sure isn’t anything minor and he’s lost a lot of blood. He also is already showing signs of an infection with a high fever. The antibiotics haven’t done anything yet, so all we can do is hope and pray.”

“Can I see him?” Caitlin asked.

“Sure. He’s just down the hallway- room 396.”

Caitlin stepped into the small room cramped with a variety of medical instruments; her stomach clenched even tighter. He didn’t look good at all; she couldn’t even imagine the excruciating pain he must be going through.

A red stained bandage covered his midsection and restraints had to be used to prevent him from pulling out the IV during his violent shivering and jerking movements despite the heavy blanket of sweat that poured off his body.

She collapsed into the plastic chair beside the bed and sobbed desperately. Chance wriggled free from out from under her arm on the bed. “No, honey,” she admonished gently. “Daddy can’t play right now.” She moved to pick him up and remove him from the bed, but he took a firm hold on his father’s leg and refused to let go. She could have pretty easily removed him, but allowed him to stay. He wasn’t hurting anything and she knew that she wanted to be with String, so why wouldn’t he?

It was like Chance fully understood the seriousness of the situation, sitting still on the bed without uttering a noise.

“String, we need you. Don’t you dare leave us.” Her hazel eyes filled with tears. She couldn’t loose him, he meant so much to her. She didn’t think she could bear to live without him. Almost a year and a half ago, she had lived without him for three months thinking him to be dead, but it had been hell and she had been a total wreck all three months. String had risked his life before, but right now Chance was the only part of him she had left. He’d been in some pretty bad shape before, but never before could she so strongly sense that he was dying and there wasn’t a thing in the world she could do to help him.

\A/

Nothingness was such bliss. Free, careless, but he was drawn back to consciousness. Annoying beeping and excruciating pain halted him from allowing himself to be pulled any farther. It was just too much. He permitted himself to fall back into the dreamy subconscious state he’d previously been in. Where he had just started to go was full of pain and suffering, if one thing was for sure he didn’t want to go back.

\A/

“Cait,” Mike pried softly. “You want to go get some coffee?”

She opened a bleary eye. It was early morning and she had spent another restless night with String in the hospital. “I should stay.”

“Sinj’ll keep watch. He’s more the morning type, and he’s got chance all ready too. Come on. We’ll just be a few minutes.” He finally coerced her into going.

“Just for a few minutes.”

Just a cup of coffee soon turned into a trip to his apartment for a shower and full breakfast, but it was a much needed one. Her thin body was leaning towards scrawny lately, but at least he could get her to eat occasionally.

\A/

Pain, pain, too much pain. Why did so much pain almost appeal to him? He didn’t like it, yet something more… Voices, so familiar, faded in and out of the background. He was cold and clammy, but covered in sweat. What was the problem here? Something was definitely very wrong.

“About the same,” Dr. Johnson reported. “He’ll come around or he won’t. I’m afraid it’s just a matter of time.” It was the same report he had been giving for three weeks now.

He started to drift off again until something touched him. Small and delicate…fingers. Little fingers wrapped tightly around his index finger and held on tight.

“Da-ddy.”

Daddy. Chance-he needed him, he couldn’t give up yet. Cait, Saint John, Le, Dom too. All of them, they needed him.

“Come on, Chance.” Saint John called, reaching for the young child. “Let mommy have some time alone.”

He felt the grip being pulled away…but it tightened again.

“Da-ddy.”

Summoning every ounce of strength he had, he came back to consciousness. There was pain every second of it, dreary nothingness sounded really good right now, but he fought to hang on. Lifting his eyelids was like hundred pound weights, but he eventually succeeded.

“String!” hazel eyes looked intently down at him.

Then he was attacked by a wave of hugs. Painful as it was, it was the very best thing he could imagine, and somehow he knew everything was going to be alright.