Our Scars

Wake Up Sleeper

24

Wake Up Sleeper (Title by Wildwood Kin)

While he was leaning against a window on the upper floor near the ORs, a warm hand was pressed to his back suddenly. Will flinched at first, lost in thought and not expecting anyone else here.

"How are you holding up?" Those warm hands were snaking around his shoulders and he leaned back into them.

Thank God for small mercies! Turning around to let himself sink into Natalie's waiting embrace Will let some of the tears that had been prickling behind his eyes for most parts of this hellish night, fall. The pressure Nat was applying to his body increased and she just held him, saying nothing and waiting for him to let her go when he felt like it.

Will didn't ask how she had heard or how she'd gotten Owen taken care of so quickly. She wasn't supposed to be working until late afternoon today. It went without saying that she wanted to be there for him, for his brother.

The whole place had been buzzing with police officers, all showing up to be there for Jay; to show respect and support. It had been a long night of hoping and praying while doctors operated on him and repaired the nicked artery.

When morning came and there was a splinter of hope that Jay would pull through, most of them had left to do their work. Just a still very distressed Hailey had been sitting in the waiting room for a long time and was adamant to stay until they could say for sure that Jay was going to be okay and out of surgery.

Will's night had been a constant switch between dealing with his own feelings, fearing for his brother's life and caring for everyone else involved. He'd been updating Intelligence, taking care of his own patients and running back and forth between the OR and Rianne's hospital bed, because Jay's fate had propelled that poor soul backwards into some severe PTSD-episode. Two people he really cared about were messed up, in pain, and he was right in the middle of it. There wasn't really anything he could do at the moment. It was a freaking nightmare!

Just when he was about to answer his fiancé, the doors of the OR swung open and Crockett Marcel came out. When he saw Will and Natalie he carefully smiled at them, looking exhausted from the long surgery, but Will felt his heart loose ten pounds at the sight of that encouraging expression on the other doctor's face.

"He will be fine!" The surgeon said out loud before he reached him and Nat.

Even more silent tears were streaming down Will's face, he momentarily buried it in his hands. He wouldn't have known how to deal with any other outcome.

Then he reached for Natalie again and because he couldn't help himself hugged his colleague too, thanking him profoundly.

"We were able to stop the bleeding completely and repaired the damage to his shoulder. Anyway he's very lucky to be alive, concerning the amount of blood he lost! So, we're gonna let him come off the anesthesia very slowly and keep him in the ICU for observation. We have to look out for possible fever, infection, any kind of repercussions from the head laceration he suffered or bad reactions to the blood transfusions. He also has a broken rib. I'll check in again later. I'm gonna update his unit now," Marcel said and slapped Will on the back, before he left.

Natalie reached for Will's hand, squeezing it tight. Her dark brown eyes were radiating comfort and compassion when he looked down at her.

"He's a damn lucky bastard!" Will breathed, having trouble to reign his feelings in.

"Yeah, seems like he's got nine lives..." Natalie added.

***

Rianne had slept for what felt like an eternity.