All Things Considered by Nilah H

The man in black tentatively opened his eyes and looked around. His head hurt something fierce and it seemed as if the Devil himself was trying to put his eyes out from the inside of his skull. He gingerly got up, checking for more obvious signs of injury.

"Seem to be in one piece," he thought as he examined his surroundings, "but where the hell am I?"

For the life of him, he couldn't remember how he came to be here, with the mother of all headaches. The last thing that came to him was that he'd been on his way to rendezvous with his team to put the final touches on their plan to take down Tommy Dugan. He drew a blank on everything else.

He was in a dimly lit, windowless box of a room with a musty smell to it, which tickled his nose. The longer he thought on it, the more he realized that there was definitely a chill to the air. He shuddered and thought, not for the last time that night, "Where the hell am I?"

"Damn..!", he swore as he pressed his hands to his temples. His headache wasn't going away. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse. As he drew his hands away, he noticed that the left held traces of blood. Gingerly exploring his head, he found what felt like a deep gash just above the hairline. He tried again but couldn't remember what had happened. He swore as he sat down suddenly overcome by feelings of nausea.

"How did I get into this mess?"

Dugan was a man accustomed to getting his own way and he was also a very cold, ruthless, mean-spirited human being. No one dared to cross him. The talk around town was that no one alive had ever crossed him and if they did, they didn't stay that way long. He was also very cunning and that was why he was the head of an organization that now did well in excess of $60M a year. Chicken feed by all accounts, when compared to the bigger, established outfits; but he'd only just started.

Singer had told him that the man they now held was a cop. If that were true, it meant that someone had betrayed him. Someone had allowed this man to get close to him and that someone was going to pray that he had never been born. Dugan laughed. A chilling sound in the hotel suite that he occupied.

"A good thing Singer had managed to show up, asking for a handout." he mused. "Hell, he imagined that Mr. Larabee might soon be saying the same prayers. Maybe the cops or the FBI or whoever he worked for would get the message and leave him alone if they didn't want more dead bodies decorating their streets."

Chris sat with his head in his hands. He knew he wasn't thinking clearly. He just couldn't get his thoughts in order. He realized that he hadn't even checked his prison for a chance at a way out. It was fairly easy to guess that Dugan had made him. How, he didn't know. He only hoped that Ezra was okay. He swore as he tried to get up once again. His head still hadn't eased up. He blinked once, then again. His vision started to blur and without a sound, he slumped over, sinking into the oblivion he so desperately fought against.

Fortunately, for him as it turned out. Two of Dugan's goons walked in, not two minutes later to see if their captive had awakened. Their boss was anxious to speak to him. Carl hauled his right foot back and landed a solid kick to Chris's side. There was no response from their prisoner but they both heard an audible crack, which assuredly signaled a few broken ribs for him.

"I told you, you hit him too hard in the first place. Not everyone's head is as hard as yours."

Slice grinned. "He had it coming. The boss said so."

"Yeah, but he also said that we had to find out who brought him in." Carl countered, " We'll give 'im another 30 minutes 'cause the Doc's not here yet."

Buck sat at his desk, idly fiddling with their latest game - try and catch as many rings as you can on the bird's beak. So far the team's youngest and Buck's roommate - JD - had managed to capture all fifteen rings. Buck was close but no cigars yet as JD mercilessly teased him. The pair of them was incorrigible when it came to acting like kids. They each seemed to complete each other. No Buck without JD, and no JD without Buck.

"Hey Buck," JD called," where's Chris?"

"Aw kid, now see what yuh done? Made me lose all them rings I got on his beak... shoooot!"

"His beak? How'd you know it's a boy bird?" JD sounded exasperated.

"Hell kid, if it were a girl bird, I'd know." Buck winked, obviously still positive that his hormones were overactive, as usual.

"Yeah, yeah right," JD rolled his eyes, "well?"

"Huh?"

"Where's Chris?"

"Oh, Ezra had to cool it a little on Dugan because of some perp that he'd busted down Atlanta way showing up. Chris had to go in - think Ezra got him passed off as an associate. Hope it breaks soon. Ezra's been under almost eight weeks now."

"Did I hear someone mention my name?" Ezra drawled as he walked in.

"Hey, Ezra," JD called," where's Chris? And are you ready to make the bust?"

"Now, my young sir, I would appreciate you giving me some time to catch my proverbial breath." Ezra, as usual, was impeccably attired in his much favoured tan Armani suit with a peach shirt which nicely set off his green eyes. "Ah yes, I do seem to recall you have been out of this fair city for the past two weeks. How did your testimony go?"

"Good."

"Ah well, I see you are still practicing Mr. Wilmington's monasyllabic replies." Ezra sighed and then continued, "Our fearless leader is supposed to have a meet with our prospective associates and then he's to come here so we can get a handle on how we are to proceed. I myself am here because Mr. Dugan seems to be the shy one today so I thought my input would be appreciated. I do not like to sit in an apartment and stare at the walls even though they may be quite expensive walls."

"Ezra," Buck deadpanned, "I think you should stick to monosyllabic replies."

This last statement was greeted by a guffaw from Josiah as he, Vin and Nathan walked into the office.

"Chris not here yet?" This, from Vin.

"No, we're still awaiting Mr. Larabee's presence."

And with that comment, the team settled in to await their leader's arrival.

Dugan had been a very tough assignment for the team. He was a naturally suspicious man who allowed no one to get too close. It had taken weeks of Ezra cautiously cultivating a certain known associate to even get a whiff of Dugan.

Chris had even begun to wonder if they should pull Ezra out and try another angle. He had started to get a bad feeling about this case, but at the last moment though, the fates seemed to smile on them and Ezra was in.

Things had quickly turned sour when Ezra spotted a man that he'd arrested from his days on the Atlanta PD. The man seemed to be Dugan's connection to the southern pipeline. It was something of a minor miracle that Ezra had been able to do some fancy talking and gotten his associate - Chris - to take over the transaction at that point. The fates had seemed to be rooting for them, but Ezra knew that Larabee still had some reservations.

Chris came to with a start. For a few seconds, he was disoriented. When he was finally able to recollect what he had surmised earlier, he groaned. He was getting nowhere fast. He also realized that he'd picked up a bruised side. He winced as he tried to sit up.

"Make that some broken ribs. How did I get this?" Try as he might, Chris couldn't remember. And this frightened and infuriated him. He kept losing bits and pieces. How could he not remember? His team depended on him. Right now, Ezra's life depended on him. He had to get himself together and get word to Ezra, if they hadn't gotten to him yet, that is.

"Ah, it seems our friend is awake at last. How nice of you to join us, Mr. Larabee."

Well, at least he knew for sure now. They had made him. He had to work on warning Ezra. If they'd had him, I'd probably be dead, Chris thought. And he smiled to himself. He was thinking again.

Dugan had come in shortly after his men and flicked his eyes contemptuously over the lean figure, shoulders hunched with hands folded over his middle as if protecting it. While he had never had cause to become familiar with the ATF agents in this area, he knew of Larabee's team by reputation. They had a proven track record of taking down whomever they went after, and that was no small feat by any standards. The team's leader was said to be a hard man who did not suffer fools gladly. He had hand-picked each member of his team and molded them into a cohesive force ready for any and all comers.

Rather than being alarmed by the fact however, Dugan saw it as a challenge. He anticipated that Larabee would not willingly surrender the traitor who had let him in but he eagerly looked forward to persuading him that it was in his best interest to do so. For that reason only, he'd had Slice place a call to Doctor Spencer. He was one of the best in the business and Dugan had had cause to use him in the past... quite effectively, he mused as a one-sided grin appeared on his face.

"What? No response. I am truly disappointed. From your reputation, I thought for sure, some stunning repartee." Dugan voiced his concern.

Chris smiled then... a cold deadly smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"I think you have the wrong one." And Chris thought to himself that Ezra or Buck would definitely have had a good comeback.

"Come again. I didn't get that?" Dugan asked, not quite catching what Chris had whispered.

"Never mind." Chris dismissed his question as if it were last week's news.

"Boys, since the Doctor seems to be running a little late, I think we should work on improving Mr. Larabee's manners while we wait. All I ask is that you keep him alive enough for my needs."

Chris braced himself. He knew this was going to hurt but he had probably gotten worse. He needed to stay alert, to keep an eye out for any opening. For Ezra's sake. He was not going to be responsible for another life lost. He just had to wait for an opening. He shivered in the surprisingly cold air and wondered if someone had just walked on his grave.

Back at the office, the team was starting to wonder what was keeping their leader. They all knew that undercover work did not keep strict timetables, but they all felt that something was wrong in their guts. No one wanted to say it for fear that it would make it true, but the uneasiness grew until it was almost tangible.

Vin knew that Chris could handle himself but he had started to get that feeling. Something wasn't right. He hoped that this time he was wrong. Easily the most laid-back of them, he came suddenly to his feet and said, "It's your call, Ezra. You know the players."

"Mr. Larabee would not want us to be too hasty. Dugan is a nasty character and we almost have him where we want him. I think we should give him a little more ti--"

"Hell, more time is definitely not what he needs!" Buck interrupted. "Ezra, if it were you, Chris would probably be storming the place by now!"

"I hardly think so." Ezra replied evenly.

"Why you--" Buck was cut off by Josiah trying to make peace.

"Now gentlemen, I know that we're all worried, but we have to remember that we're on the same team. Let's play nice."

"As I was about to say, Buck, our best bet might be for me to make a few phone calls. Find out what's happening."

The use of his first name was not lost on Buck and he tried to smile graciously to let the southerner know.

"I'm just worried."

"We all are."

It had been fifteen minutes of non-stop battering. Chris had tried to retreat inside himself and ride out the worst of the pain. An old trick that had served him well over the years, but the red-filled haze of his thoughts seemed to be winning. He was so cold, his teeth were chattering. Slice had taken a break about half way into the lesson because he wanted to be around for the finale. Even so, Carl was about all Chris's battered body could stand. Mercifully, just as he thought he might succumb, the Doc arrived. Chris was glad for the slight reprieve but felt a chill run down his spine as he heard the conversation.

Dugan had left soon after the pummelling began, so that left only Carl in the room along with Chris and the new guy they referred to as the doctor. "Boss said he don't care what you have to do, he needs a name."

The doctor tossed Carl a look and said, "From all appearances, it doesn't seem that his body can handle a heavy dose. I told you I can't guarantee the results with damaged subjects. If you haven't persuaded him to talk as yet," he continued, with a glance at the slight frame curled up in one corner of the room, "I'd say he was a stubborn man...", the Doc broke off as his cell phone started to ring. He stopped to answer it before returning his attention to Chris.

"Yes, yes. I can't talk now" he abruptly cut the person off.

When he turned to face Carl, the big man countered, "Doc, you should know better than to question Mr. Dugan's orders. We needed to teach him a lesson or two for the boss. He don't have to survive it, he just has to talk. I'll let the boss know you're here." Carl said as he left the room.

This was the opening Chris had been waiting for. He might not get another chance and even if he did, he might not be able to use it. It was now or never. Chris dredged up the last vestiges of his will and abruptly launched himself at the doctor, momentarily knocking him down. He grabbed for the cell phone, activated it and hastily punched the numbers, fervently hoping that he had not made any errors. He would not get a second chance.

"Please, please let them pick up." he prayed.

"Hello..."

"Get Ezra out--"

The line was abruptly cut but not before Vin heard a grunt of pain and a sharp expletive.

"Chris is in trouble." Vin calmly said even though his mind screamed as he thought of that pain-filled voice on the phone. All heads turned to him as one.

"Was that him? What'd he say?" JD asked, jumping off his desk and approaching Vin.

"He said to get Ezra out, so I think it's safe to assume that Dugan has him. Where would he keep him?" Vin turned to Ezra, waiting for an answer.

Buck swore as he clenched and unclenched his fists, "I knew it!"

Ezra couldn't seem to get Vin's words out of his head get Ezra out. That's what Chris had called to say. My God, and he'd said it to give him some time. He knew the kind of scum Dugan was... God no! What had he done? The thoughts swirled around in his head.

"Ezra!", Vin's voice cut through his thoughts, "we don't have the time for this! Chris needs us...NOW!!"

Ezra visibly shook himself out of his guilt-ridden thoughts. "Follow me gentlemen. I've heard he has a place over in the warehouse district - a meat packing plant. It's usually reserved for his special guests." Ezra hissed with extra emphasis on the last words.

Carl had walked in just then and punched him in the kidneys. Chris dropped like a rock and the phone flew uselessly from his fingers. He believed Vin had heard. He hoped to God that he had because Chris couldn't do anything else. He whimpered as Carl pulled him roughly to his feet as he awkwardly tried to protect his wounded side. Then Chris laughed, surprising his captors. It was a laugh that was cut short by a gasp of pain - probably from a punctured lung. All his sides hurt, so he was trying to do the impossible. He bit his lip as he tried to ride the current wave of pain, and heard through the fog,

"Roll up his sleeve, let's begin." The drug that had been injected seemed to work almost immediately as he felt all his hurts intensified. His now blanched face broke out in a cold sweat as he valiantly tried to keep the scream from pouring out.

"Now, Mr. Larabee, we need to know who your accomplice is. The sooner you tell me, the sooner the pain stops. And I think you should know that I can make it last indefinitely," he smiled and added, "although the longer we go, the more irreparable the damage to your body."

Ezra and Nathan took the Jaguar while Buck left with JD, and Josiah jumped into Vin's jeep. They all sat in silence, each man with his own thoughts. Chris meant a lot to each of them. He had seen what a difference each man could make. He respected each man's ability and had been able to see the magic, the endless possibilities that could happen when they came together as a team.

Ezra particularly, thought of this as he led the way. Larabee had saved his career when he gave him the opportunity to join his team. "Who would have thought...?", he shook his head. Knowing Dugan he was especially afraid for their leader, and while he would not admit it to himself or the others, the thought that Chris had risked his life to make sure he was safe disturbed him deeply. He hadn't really thought that he was a part of the team. Truth be known, he liked being on his own; or maybe he was comfortable with it because it was all he'd ever known 'til now. He mentally shook himself as if to clear those thoughts away, and turned his full attention to the road.

Chris sighed as the tears openly ran down his face. How long could he keep from telling them? He didn't think he could resist much longer. Maybe he should just close his eyes and try to slip away. God, that would feel so good. Yes, maybe that's what he should do.

Nathan and Ezra arrived at the row of warehouses, followed closely by Vin, Josiah, Buck, and JD.

"Well, which one?" Buck whispered.

"Mr. Dugan is not in the habit of confiding in a person, Mr. Wilmington. I found this out by chance. We need to search them all."

So, they proceeded. Luck, or the fates, or Josiah's God was with them because Buck stumbled onto the meat packing plant almost immediately. His signal brought the others to his side as if by magic.

"Okay, let's fan out as we go in," Vin ordered. "Nathan, Ezra, take the back, Buck and JD, the left, Josiah and I'll take the right."

"No, no, no, Mr. Larabee. You haven't earned your rest as yet. We need you awake and talking. Come on, this will wake you up."

Chris felt the needle prick his skin and soon felt the pain redouble in his tortured mind.

"Now, what is the name of your associate? I can make the pain stop if you tell me what I want to know."

This time Chris couldn't stifle the scream. It was pitifully weak. Thankfully though, he blacked out.

"I don't think we're going to be able to get that name. The head wound is interfering with the normal reaction. He can't take much more. As fast as I revive him, he goes under," the Doc stated as he plunged the hypo one more time into Chris's almost translucent, sweat beaded skin.

"Nathan, I seem to recall from the conversation I overheard that there is supposed to be a room inside the walk-in freezer. Shall we?" Ezra carefully pulled open the door of the freezer and stepped inside, closely followed by Nathan. Row upon row of carcasses lay before them. "Remind me to never eat steak again."

Nathan knew that Ezra's one-liners were just his way of hiding his concern. He also knew that he felt responsible for not heading out to look for Chris sooner. Ezra was not an easy person to read, but Nathan thought he was getting better at it. Who would have thought that Ezra would make a good team player? Obviously, Chris Larabee had.

"Ezra, I think I got it," Nathan called as he slowly turned the latch just in time to hear Chris's ragged scream.

"Gentlemen, keep your hands where I can see them or I may be tempted to CUT YOU DOWN ON SIGHT!" Ezra snarled, the pitch of his voice gradually rising until it was a shout.

The "doctor" and Carl slowly turned around and froze at the sight of the guns pointed at them.

Ezra's poker face never slipped but he silently berated himself for not coming sooner when he saw Chris.

Nathan hurried over to Chris's still form as a low moan escaped his pursed lips. "Sweet Jesus, what'd these bastards do to you? Ezra!"

"I'm working on it," Ezra said as he pulled his cellular from his pocket and dialed."Yes, this is Agent Standish, ATF. We have an agent down. AGENT DOWN! We need a chopper over in the warehouse district near the docks, building 21. ASAP!"

He cuffed the two prisoners and knelt beside the still form of Chris Larabee whose eyelids fluttered open at that precise moment.

"Oh, no, no. I didn't tell them... I didn't. Ezra, I'm so sor..." He trailed off, confusion and fear evident in his voice.

Oddly enough to Ezra, his leader looked very fragile - not a word one usually associated with him. "Shhhh, don't worry, Chris. You didn't tell them." He tried to soothe the older man.

Just then the rest of the team arrived and Nathan told JD to go outside and wait for the chopper to arrive, so that he could direct them in as quickly as possible.

"But...", JD couldn't take his eyes off Chris's still form, "is he going to be okay?"

"I don't know, son, but we got to get him to the hospital as soon as possible," Nathan patiently explained, "so we need you to guide the paramedics in as soon as they arrive."

"Sure, Nathan. I'll make sure they get here all right."

By this time Nathan had opened his shirt and was checking for injuries.

"Nate..." Vin's voice was a choked whisper. "How is he doing?" He had put into words all that they had been thinking.

Chris stirred as Nathan's fingers brushed against his broken ribs, whispering something over and over. "My fault... it's all my fault... Ezra... oh my god... no... no..."

Vin rested his hand on Chris's forehead, brushing back the stray locks and patiently talked to him, trying to calm him.

He suddenly went into convulsions, spasm after spasm ripping through his lean frame.

"Nathan? Can't you do anything?" Vin's normally quiet voice, now intense and so filled with worry asked tersely. A worry that was taken up and reflected on the faces of all members of the team.

Just then JD burst in with the two paramedics who immediately went to work trying to stabilize their fallen comrade. Within two minutes, the spasms had stopped and the team breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is he going to make it?" Buck asked, not wanting to think of any other possible outcome.

"We'll try our best. I don't know." replied Bobby, one of the paramedics who was quite familiar with these guys from their numerous visits to the hospital.

As they were about to leave, Nathan handed them the vials that Dugan's men had been using, explaining what he thought was necessary.

"I'm going with him." Vin said.

The paramedics made as if to prevent him, but one look at his stony countenance and they surrendered to the inevitable. They'd been through this routine all too often. Ezra told the rest to follow and indicated that he would see to tying up any loose ends until the locals arrived and then he would meet them at the hospital. After they left, he went inside to the two henchmen, shackled to an iron bar, and in his most menacing voice promised to kill them if Chris Larabee didn't make it.

All five agents were plastered over the waiting room chairs, hoping that every time the door leading to the ICU opened, it was someone bringing the good news that their leader had pulled through. Time and again they were disappointed and with each passing moment the tension in the room grew. Finally it was Buck who blew.

"I should have known. I should have started looking as soon as he didn't make his meeting. How could I have let this happen?"

"Brother Buck, it is very easy when using hindsight to place blame, but I am sure Chris places no blame. He knew that this risk is a part of our daily job and by the same token, each and everyone of us have indicated acceptance by signing on. There is no room for self-recriminations."

Josiah's statement reached everyone of them. They all heard, but acceptance would be harder coming.

Lying in his hospital bed, Chris continued to drift in and out of semi-consciousness, awash with pain. It invaded his thoughts and his dreams and in his fevered state, it took him back to another time. Another time when the pain had kept coming and coming... when Sarah and Adam had been ripped from him, and he had been left with nothing but his guilt for company.

He had seen Ezra. They'd gotten him and that meant he had failed yet another person who placed their life in his hands. Why? Why did it keep happening to him? What had he done to deserve this pain? He was so tired of fighting. He didn't think he could make it. It was too hard...

"Doctor! He's crashing..."

For the next ten minutes the hospital staff fought to keep Chris Larabee in this world and they were rewarded for their efforts by the steady rhythm of the heart monitor finally kicking in.

I have to find out if Ezra's okay. I need to find out..., Chris thought as he sank deeper into unconsciousness once again.

Ezra hurried into the waiting room only to be met with the desperate gazes of his colleagues.

"How is he?" Ezra was almost afraid to ask.

"There's been no word since we brought him in." Nathan answered.

"Geez! What's taking so long?" JD wondered as he stood up and began to pace.

Just then a short figure in white came through the ICU doors and braked her approach to the six very intense figures in the waiting room.

"Is he--?"

"Gentlemen," she interrupted, " I have to make this quick because I'm due back in theatre. Mr. Larabee is currently holding his own. That's not to say that he hasn't given us a few hairy moments. We lost him for a while but he came back to us. We have to monitor him very closely because of the drug used, and the additional complication of the head trauma. It's a derivative not sanctioned by the FDA as yet because it hasn't been fully tested. We can't be sure of the effects. We just have to wait it out and deal with any complications that may arise. The most important thing is for him to wake up. Until he does, we're really just guessing. Which one of you is Ezra? He seems to be worried about you. And he keeps calling Sarah. Can you get her here? It may help."

Buck had stiffened at the last remark and he sadly shook his head. It hurt him to think of what Chris had gone through and was still fighting. He felt he'd let him down. Hell, he was supposed to watch his back. It didn't matter that by some unspoken words, that position had been surrendered to Vin.

"We'd like to stay with him. I think he needs us to be there," came Vin's quiet voice.

Dr. Jessop studied them closely for a moment and quickly came to a decision. "Okay, but one at a time." She turned to go, then paused and looked back. "Mr. Larabee is a very lucky man. I'll check in on him later."

Vin was the first to sit at Chris's bedside, tenderly holding the older agent's hand.

"I'm sorry cowboy. I should've been there. How many times do I have to tell you to not go it alone. I can't leave you for a minute you go and play hardball. You should realise that you're getting too old for this, Larabee."

Even though he projected a hard-assed, permanently pissed front, they all knew that's what it was - a projection. Somehow from the beginning Vin and Chris had found a connection - something on an instinctual level, not easily explained. Later had come mutual respect and an uncanny understanding and Vin, who had been a loner most of his young life didn't know what he would do if he lost his best friend.

Josiah placed Chris's hands in his own and soothingly spoke about the good that their team had accomplished in what was an increasingly hostile world. "Now brother Chris, I know that life has not been especially easy for you, but you make a difference to so many people. We would sorely miss your inspired leadership if you left. Who else would keep Buck from getting killed for some minor dalliance, or Nathan from throttling Ezra?"

Nathan sat at Chris's bedside and thought of all the times that Chris had sat in the same position worrying about one of them. He was a driven man. Driven mostly by guilt, and that could be a hard taskmaster. He was fiercely loyal and would stand up for his men. But they were more than that. They were friends... maybe something closer - family. "We need you with us, Chris. I know you can fight this, because there is no one more stubborn... except maybe Vin."

JD nervously sat at the bedside wondering if he should talk. Would Chris be able to hear him? He didn't think he could handle another death so soon. His mother's death had been difficult for him. Buck was his friend but Chris was his mentor. Chris had accepted that he could handle himself enough to be part of this team. The others had eventually accepted Chris's decision. He knew that for all of his bluffing at being a tough guy, Chris had a soft spot for him." Chris, I don't know if you can hear me, but I don't want you to leave. I still have a lot to learn if I'm going to be as good as the great Chris Larabee and I don't think any of the others could teach me as well. You have to pull through."

"What is it with you, pard? I'm not going to be around forever, you know. You just had to go and piss off the man, didn't you? What was it? You didn't like the way he dressed? Hell, buddy, I know it's been tough since Sarah and Adam died, but you came back. Maybe not all the way, but I think you should stick around. I've enjoyed having the old Chris around. Hell, Chris, only you would have thought about putting Ezra and Nathan on the same team, not to mention the kid..."

Buck sighed tiredly and ran his fingers through his thick hair, knowing what it had cost Chris to lose his family, but acknowledging that this new family of sorts seemed to have sparked a fire in his old friend that he thought he'd never see again. He was content, even though their friendship had given way to the special kinship that Chris seemed to share with Vin. "Hang on, Chris. You know that I'll be here, waiting..."

Just then a spasm ripped through Chris's still body and a mask of pain settled over his features.

"Nurse !"

Buck was hardly out of his seat before the nurse ran in and asked him to leave, quickly going to the bedside. She was followed closely by a medical team, and Buck left knowing that this was one battle he couldn't fight for Chris.

"Hang in there, buddy." He whispered as he walked away.

They all sat around the waiting area praying and hoping that Chris was able to overcome this latest crisis. In the dim, fluorescent lighting of the waiting room, all their faces looked washed out against the subdued colours. Ezra walked in during this period and stopped short, dreading to hear the latest.

"Gentlemen, what is our fearless leader's condition?" and was immediately flattened by a right hook from Buck who had gotten up from his chair as soon as Ezra entered.

Vin and Josiah were immediately at Buck's side holding the older agent off Ezra while Nathan helped him to his feet and to a couch.

"I'm fine." Ezra managed, shrugging off Nathan's assistance.

His lip was already starting to swell and JD went off to see if he could scrounge an icepack. He didn't take long and soon Ezra was holding the bag to his face. The tension in the air was so tangible JD was sure he might not be able to get back up if he tried.

"Chris needed you. Where were you? The rest of us have been taking turns trying to get him to come out of it. Where were you?" Buck's words came out in a sinister whisper.

"I hardly think our fearless..." Ezra began but quickly amended when Buck's head immediately whipped around, "...Mr. Larabee would miss me when he has the company of you fine gentlemen."

Ezra's voice was like silk but the sarcasm in his voice at the use of his last words was squarely directed at Buck. The said gentleman narrowed his eyes at the slight but Ezra squared his shoulders and stood his ground. Not surprisingly it was Vin who stepped in to halt the obvious battle of wills and fists about to happen. He was the acknowledged second in command. And sometimes it was hard to remember that the only member younger by a few years was JD.

"Do you think we could manage to remember that Chris is the reason we're here. Buck, not another word. We each handle situations differently and I know Ezra is probably beating himself up about this more than you can imagine."

Ezra was as surprised as he could be at Vin standing up for him. He couldn't think what he had done to deserve this, but he was thankful.

"I knew that you all would have things covered here and I knew that Dugan was still free, so I decided to do some cleaning up. No luck though. He's vanished completely, along with one of his boys - a particularly nasty character by the name of Slice. All the other henchmen are in custody but the bastard got away. No trace of him. So, it's obvious I failed in this too." Ezra did not betray a sign of his feelings. That's why he was so good with the undercover work. "Oh, I also found out that a previous collar of Mr. Larabee's is the reason Dugan got on to him - Singer, I believe his name is. He was not a component when Mr..." He paused. "When Chris went in." he finished quietly.

"Shoooot Ezra," Buck exclaimed. The image of the small mousey looking dopehead that he and Chris had busted back in their patrolling days came to mind. "You know Chris always says I talk first then think. I didn't mean anything. I'm just worried that we're losing him, and there isn't anything I can do this time."

And that was as much of an apology as he was going to give.

At that moment, Dr. Jessop stepped in and quickly walked across to them. "We had a tough time but he's come through. He still hasn't woken up, but he's fighting. And that just increased his chances."

"Can I go in now?" Ezra hesitantly inquired.

"Sure, keep talking to him. That's probably the best thing right now. It definitely can't hurt."

Ezra made his way to Chris's bedside trying to decide how much exactly he wanted to admit to this man. If it wasn't for Chris, he might be sunning himself on some yacht in the Mediterranean, trying to satisfy his mother's obvious desire to see him perform the role of gigolo.

"Well, Chris, I really think you surprised my mother that time. She'd finally met her match as far as interfering in my life was concerned. Yes, I did say interfering. You seem to have saved me from myself, I do believe. You made me a part of your team, and they do seem to be growing on me. I declare I even have a few who seem to think they understand me." His eyes twinkled as he thought of Vin and Nathan, "And that feels strange. I want to thank you for giving me this chance. I don't deserve it but I thank you. And I would like you to remember the next time, you don't have to."

They continued like that, taking turns at keeping vigil over Chris for the next four days. The doctor had told them that he was steadily improving, and that his body was resting while it tried to repair the damage that the drug had done. She assured them that everything was as it should be, but they still worried that their leader had not regained consciousness.

And it was Vin who was rewarded with a pair of green eyes finally opening, and a tired voice asking, "did you get Ezra out in time?"

"Well, hey yourself, cowboy. Ezra's just fine, but I got to tell you, Chris, we can do without a scare like this. I told you to work on that attitude of yours. You go around pissing people off like this and I'm going to get old before my time." His eyes sobered as he took in his friend's gaze. "Glad to have you back, cowboy. I'll go get the others."

As soon as Vin got to the waiting room, Buck let out a whoop. "Damn, he's back!"

"Mr. Tanner, I do believe that you need to work on your poker face."

They all made their way to Chris's room, glad that this storm was behind them.

After they had all had their say, Chris asked the question Ezra was dreading, "Did we get Dugan?"

"No, Mr. Larabee. I'm afraid he got away. We haven't been able to turn up any leads. Looks like he lives to fight another day."

Ezra was back in mode, being his usual flippant self. Josiah shook his head and Nathan sighed. Just as you thought he'd let the mask slip, it was back in place again. JD rushed in with his unflappable self and started to tell Chris about the capture of the rest of the gang to take the heat off Ezra. He had more felt than seen that Buck was about to blow some steam Ezra's way.

"That boy's learning more each day." Vin mused.

After another day, Chris was pronounced ready for release even though Dr. Jessop advised that he rest a few more days.

"The drug seems to have worked itself out of your system, but you took a pretty hard knock, so take it easy. You may experience some blurring of vision but that'll clear up in a week or so. If you experience any other problems, let me know."

"Hah," Nathan smirked, "I'll believe that when I see it."

The team, with the exception of Ezra had all met at the hospital to make sure that Chris got home safe and sound. Knowing their leader, making a detour to the office was not that far-fetched an idea. Vin had been assigned the task of babysitter and was in charge of getting Chris settled in at home.

"Well. Here we go. A few days at home... just what the doctor ordered."

Eyeing the group, Chris asked, "don't you guys have jobs to get to?"

"Sure, buddy. We just wanted to make sure you didn't talk old Vin here into making any detours to like, you know, the office." Buck replied.

The group broke up, Vin taking Chris home and the others to the office.

Vin and Chris made the journey almost totally in silence... an easy silence. That was one of the best things about their friendship. There was not always the need for words. For this Chris was grateful. He was a man of few words preferring the rote of action and he had found a twin in the man beside him. It was not long before they were pulling into the driveway and soon they were both sitting on the porch sharing the silence and two beers.

"Where's Ezra?" Chris had been surprised that the man was absent.

"He seems to think that it was his fault that you were hurt and that Dugan was able to get away scot free, so he's been beating himself up following leads. Remind you of anyone?"

Vin couldn't resist the dig. Chris was just as bad when it came to taking the blame for anything going wrong.

"You'd do well to wipe that smirk off your face, Tanner. I'm still your boss."

"'Bout time to head out anyway. Need anything?"

"No, I'm fine. See you tomorrow?"

"Yup."

Ezra had been pounding the pavement the entire day following up a lead. Jimmy Stor was one of his informants, and he seemed to think that Dugan was around. Told him, in fact, that word on the street was that he was aiming to get even with the men who had foiled his plans, starting with the one who'd gotten away. Ezra was trying to pin down the source of this information because he didn't want to go on Jimmy's word alone. It was close to sunset when he was able to turn up another lead who confirmed that word was, a certain Chris Larabee was going to be fish food in no time at all.

Ezra wasted no time. As he jumped into his Jaguar, he quickly punched out Chris's number. The line just kept ringing.

"C'mon Chris, answer the damn phone."

Getting no answer he disconnected and dialed the office, hoping to get someone.

JD answered on the first ring, "I'm on my way, guys--"

He was abruptly cut off by Ezra who told him to get everyone to Chris's on the double and hung up. Not one to hesitate, JD ran out the door headed for the Saloon because that's where the others were. Within fifteen minutes they were all headed to the ranch.

Chris was still feeling a little weak, not that he'd ever admit it to anyone, so he decided to turn in early. He was planning to go into the office tomorrow, so he needed to be at his best. He sighed as he thought about the paperwork that was probably piling up on his desk. That was one thing that was never in short supply.

He had just dozed off when something brought him wide awake. It wasn't anything tangible, but his instincts had kept him alive this long and he wasn't going to start questioning them now. He quietly got out of bed and added his way over to the doorway. He stooped down and cautiously looked into the hallway and froze as he saw a shadow making its way from the living room straight towards him. With hardly any time to prepare himself, Chris straightened and flattened himself against the bedroom wall. The shadow seemed to appear almost immediately in the doorway and stepped through.

Chris hadn't wanted to show himself until he knew how many people he was dealing with but the shadow, realizing that the bed was empty, swung around and spotted him. Chris launched himself at the figure, trying to tackle him to the ground as fast as possible with as little noise as possible. He didn't want to alert any other intruders that might be present.

"Guess I get to finish what I started, hey Larabee?" the voice taunted in his ear, as Slice punched him in the ribs.

Chris groaned as he heard the recently set ribs crack under the savage blow. "I've been wanting to see you myself, you bastard. I'd like to return the favour." he replied.

Chris had suffered a lot at the hands of Dugan and his boys. But then he'd been caught off guard and was disoriented from a blow to the head. While he was not fully recovered, he still had enough grit left to give Slice a run for his money. He delivered a swift uppercut to his opponent's stomach and was pleased to hear a loud grunt.

"Where's your boss? Afraid to come out and play?" asked Chris as he followed it with another swift right.

"You don't know who you're dealin' with. He'll make you and your whole bunch sorry they were born." Slice countered.

He was a huge man, who'd gotten his nickname because the knife was his weapon of choice and now a blade appeared wickedly in his hands as he made his move. He knew Chris was tiring. Even though the man had gotten in a few good punches, he was just out of hospital and he knew he'd just re-broken some ribs.

Chris was starting to feel dizzy and he was having some trouble breathing, so it seemed to happen in slow motion. One moment he had the upper hand, and the next he saw the knife in Slice's hand, coming towards him. He felt the blade go into his right shoulder, but barely registered the pain. He clamped down on it tightly, and grabbed Slice's knife hand and began to force it back down towards the henchman when he felt the body go slack and heard the sharp retort of a pistol. He gratefully let go of the man and looked over the body to see Ezra in the doorway with a tight smile on his face.

"Mr. Larabee, I seem to have arrived at a most fortuitous time."

Chris made as if to answer and suddenly saw the carpet rushing up to meet him. Ezra caught him just in the nick of time and gently carried him over to the bed. "

Where did you come from, Ezra? Was he the only one?" Chris asked as soon as his vision cleared.

"It would appear so, but I'm afraid we'll have to keep an eye out for Dugan. He was not too happy at you for closing down his business. He means to make you pay... in blood or so it seems."

At that moment there was the sound of vehicles pulling up and Chris made to get up only to release a sharp hiss at the pain in his side, and collapse back onto the bed.

"Stay put, Chris. I'll check it out - probably the boys."

Moments later they were all in the bedroom waiting as Nathan checked him over.

"We need to find Dugan... and fast." Chris ground out. His eyes looked glazed and Nathan had already felt his skin warm to the touch.

"We are not going anywhere. You are going to stay put and allow yourself to heal. You are not superman, contrary to what young Billy Travis thinks. We just need to get you to a safe place and then the rest of us will do what needs to be done. And glaring at me isn't going to make any difference. First things first, though. We need to wrap those ribs and check that shoulder." And with that, Nathan settled down to work.

A half an hour later found all six agents gathered in Chris's living room trying to decide on the best course of action.

"I don't think it's safe for Chris to stay here until we get Dugan." Vin was saying when Nathan cut in,

"And who pray tell is going to convince him. That man is just too stubborn for his own good. He as much as told me that the only way we were going to draw Dugan out is to use him as bait."

The murmurs that commenced at this revelation was abruptly cut short by Ezra simply stating, "Gentlemen, he may have a point. I have been trying to get some handle on Mr. Dugan but so far, I've turned up zero except for the fact that Chris was his target. This does not bode well for our chances at finding him. He may just decide to bide his time until a favourable opportunity presents itself. Unfortunately, Mr. Larabee may be our one chance to draw him out into a situation that we control."

"Now, you just wait one damn minute..."

Buck ploughed in, his voice quietly menacing, only to be cut off by the soft command, "Buck, lay off. It's the only way."

"Chris, what are you doing out of bed? You're supposed to be asleep. You promised to stay put if we didn't take you to the hospital. Damn it Chris, how is that wound going to stop bleeding if you keep moving around?" Nathan was angry. Nobody in this team ever took his advice or kept to their promise (once said promise involved rest and sleep).

Chris was leaning in the entrance way between the dining and living rooms, his hand in a sling and his face so pale and drawn that Nathan immediately regretted his sharp tone. Even though they each felt the need to make sure he was okay, no one moved forward. They all knew the man who stood before them. He didn't like to admit that he was not indestructible. He hated to admit he was hurting.

In some ways he was a lot like Ezra. The only difference being that while Ezra did it because he was afraid of being hurt if he depended too much on anyone but himself, Chris did it because he didn't think he deserved the concern.

Buck shook his head and quickly blinked the tears from his eyes as he thought to himself Chris was always hard on them, but he was ten times harder on himself. He could not ever seem to get away from the guilt. These days it wasn't as evident but it was never completely gone. Too bad Mary had gone off to cover that convention for her paper. Maybe what Chris needed, even if he wouldn't admit it was some good old TLC.

He slowly made his way over to the couch and sat down.

"See Nathan, that wasn't so bad. Now, let's get down to business. We got a bad guy to catch. Ezra, any ideas?"

In the end they all thought that the best idea was for Chris to check back into the hospital. Hopefully Dugan would tip his hand there, since Slice wasn't around anymore to do his boss's bidding and Dugan seemed to be laying low and keeping the matter personal.

After the details had been worked out, they all left with the exception of Vin who was assigned night guard duty.

He was secretly glad. He had wanted to make sure that Chris was alright and knowing how tight-lipped his partner was, he wanted to see it to believe it. He thought observing him would be just the thing, so he'd gladly accepted this duty. The hospital seemed to be a really good idea, too. If Chris had not been such a terror of a patient and not constantly demanded to be released, he knew that Dr. Jessop would have felt better keeping him for a few more days. Looked like things were falling into place.

"Hey, cowboy, going to sit there all night or are you planning to get some shuteye?" Chris asked.

"After you, buddy. You need the rest more than I do." Vin replied as they both got up and headed to their rooms.

The next day came quickly enough. Chris felt sore all over. His shoulder felt as if it were on fire and his head was hurting so much that he was squinting. He gingerly got out of bed and after performing his morning ritual of a shower and the basics, he made his way out to the kitchen.

Vin was sitting at the breakfast table having hard-boiled two eggs for himself and putting the coffee on. He looked around when he heard the quiet steps behind him and had to choke back his words of concern at the sight of Chris's s face.

"Sleep well? What can I get you for breakfast?" Vin asked pushing his chair away from the table, and standing up.

"Just coffee thanks." Chris answered pressing his fingers to his forehead.

"You don't look so good, cowboy. Sure you don't want something to eat?"

"No, I'm fine. Just coffee. What time are the others coming?" Chris asked, visibly pulling himself together and pushing the discomfort he felt as far back in his mind as he could.

"They should be here anytime soon. Are you sure you're up to this? You don't have to, you know. We can find some other way to take him down." Vin couldn't keep the worry out of his voice.

"C'mon Vin, you're not my mom. I don't have to ask you permission to go out and play."

"I didn't mean it like that. You just had a tough couple of days, Chris. Maybe you should sit this one out."

"No!" The one word was said so vehemently that Vin knew it wouldn't make a bit of difference to continue the conversation.

"Fine! You don't have to bite my head off," Vin said as he stalked out of the kitchen into the living room, mumbling to himself, "I ought to know better. Chris don't take too kindly to coddling. And he's as mean as a grizzly when he's not in charge."

Vin allowed himself a small smile when he thought of the last time that they had been at the ranch like this. Only that time, he was the one snapping Chris's head off when he was recuperating after that bust that had gone a little sour. The smile turned into a grin as he did an about turn to head back into the war zone. He stopped at the sight of Chris leaning heavily against the counter, his face a sickly shade of grey, stubbornly holding onto the coffee pot and trying to pour himself a cup without spilling any.

"You sure are the most ornery man I know, Larabee. I'll do it." he said taking the pot from his tightly clenched hand.

Chris watched him for a second, weighing his words and replied, "I'm not so sure about that, Tanner. I seem to recall roles reversed not so long ago." He gratefully relinquished his hold on the counter top and eased himself onto a chair. Just then, they heard a vehicle pulling up and recognized the soft purr of Ezra's jag as it came to a stop.

Within ten minutes. they had all gathered and were going over several contingency plans to cover all eventualities. There was no doubt that Dugan was a vicious criminal and a highly intelligent man. Ezra hoped to himself that they were doing the right thing. Chris had insisted that it was the only way and Ezra had agreed with him. But Chris looked like he hadn't slept at all and he was favoring his right side which meant that his ribs were troubling him.

"Was all this worth it?" Ezra thought to himself, "Maybe we should just leave it alone. Dugan was probably looking to get out of the country since he had now lost the one loyal sidekick who could be depended on to do what was necessary to please his boss. Surely the man would not want to risk getting caught."

Even as these thoughts ran through his mind, he knew in his heart that Dugan was not a man to leave behind someone who had cost him a comfortable fortune. He would want to leave a message so that no one would want to mess with him in the future. And he was such an egotistic bastard, the thought that he could be captured would probably never occur to him. If they went ahead with this plan, at least they would be able to control where he struck, if not how.

Vin was ostensibly the only one to arrive at the hospital with Chris. And seeing that Chris had only been discharged the day before, it was fairly easy for him to be re-admitted.

While Vin hung around to make sure that all the required paperwork was completed, in triplicate (or so it seemed to him), Ezra and Nathan staked out the underground garage, JD and Josiah made themselves comfortable in the waiting area, and Buck did what Buck always did so well. He charmed the nurses on the seventh floor.

They all dug in for what promised to be a very long day.

After Chris had been assigned a semi-private room, Vin left, telling the nurse on duty that he'd be back in the morning to check on his friend. He quickly made his way down to the parking lot to rendezvous with the part of the team assigned parking lot duty.

"Mr. Tanner, is Mr. Larabee all settled in?"

"'Bout as well as could be expected while he's waiting to get killed, I s'pose."

"Your sense of humour, Mr. Tanner is not particularly apt for diffusing this already untenable situation." Ezra responded.

Vin looked at the conman with one eyebrow slightly raised and the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He was just about to comeback with what was now an expected tongue in cheek reply when an individual just alighting from a parked vehicle caught his eye.

"Heads up! I think that's our man."

Ezra swiftly focussed on the character and nodded his head in agreement. "Right you are, Mr. Tanner. Although I hardly expected it to be this easy."

"We're not done yet."

Chris had thankfully settled into the bed. Instead of his headache easing, the pain had gradually increased until it felt like someone was wielding a sledgehammer between his temples. He hadn't admitted it to Vin, but his vision had increasingly gotten worse on their drive to the hospital, and it was all he could do to focus on what was being said to him. He fervently hoped that if Dugan was indeed coming, that he allow him a few hours rest.

"How are we today, Mr. Larabee? We didn't expect to see you so soon after your last stay."

He opened his eyes slightly to see who the chatter belonged to, and was greeted by the face of one of the nurses he vaguely remembered as Karen.

"Now, you go right ahead and close your eyes. I'm just going to give you a shot to help you relax."

"No, no shots. I have to stay awake."

But it was too late. The needle was already being withdrawn from the IV and Chris could already feel himself losing touch with reality. His headache seemed to intensify and it was about all he could do to hold back a scream. His body started to tremble and he felt the nightmare begin all over again.

Ezra urgently whispered into the receiver, warning Buck and the others that Dugan was on his way up. The agents on the seventh floor all tensed, waiting to spring into action as soon as their quarry showed himself.

As one of the nurses came down the corridor and stepped into the elevator, Buck only gave her a half-hearted smile, intent as he was on spotting Dugan before he made it to within ten feet of Chris.

Karen flashed a wide grin at Buck as the elevator doors slid closed, and Buck felt a shiver run down his spine. He tried to push it away but the uneasiness grew and Buck was at a loss to understand the cause.

"Buck? Isn't he there as yet?" Vin asked impatiently.

"No, I'm still waiting, but I got a bad feeling..."

"Me, too. Did you check on Chris?"

"On my way now!" Buck wasted no time. The uneasiness that had started in him had erupted into full-fledged panic at Vin's words, and he dashed down the corridor to Chris's room.

"Please, God, no..."

Ezra, Vin and Nathan had been surprised when they saw Dugan and a nurse emerge from the elevator as they were waiting to go up. As it was, Dugan went for his gun as soon as he saw Ezra's face.

"It was you," he roared, "you good for nothing traitor!"

Dugan pushed Karen into the line of fire, ducked behind the nearest car and the gun battle began in earnest. Even though Ezra was the first to score a hit, his bullet ploughing into Dugan's right leg, he himself earned a bullet in the side for his trouble. He knew it was bad. It felt bad, but he had to get the bastard for what he'd put Chris through.

His thoughts were echoed by the other two men. They protected their own, and this man had tried to hurt a member of their family. He had tried to take one of them down and now he was going to have to pay in kind.

In the end it was kind of like-justice as his hammer clicked on an empty chamber. He was so overcome with rage that his escape had been thwarted, he charged the men, pulling another gun from his inside coat pocket. In a split instant there was the sound of three gunshots echoing in the enclosed space and Tommy Dugan dropped to his knees, his eyes already losing their lifelike lustre.

It had been a rough couple of hours for the five men who anxiously paced back and forth across the waiting room floor, hoping that all was well with their two comrades. Dugan's bullet had nicked one of Ezra's lungs and he'd been immediately rushed into surgery. He was really lucky that they'd happened to already be in a hospital. Chris was holding his own now. Buck had ripped the IV from his hand and fortunately not much had been allowed to enter his system. Dr. Jessop was still wary of what other effects might still be lurking, but she was hopeful that with complete bed rest, Chris would be on his feet in no time.

When Chris opened his eyes it was to find five of his men in various stages of weariness all propped around his room.

"Don't you guys have jobs to go to?"

"Hey, partner, how're you feeling?"

"Like my head's disconnected from my body," he answered, looking around the room, and starting to panic when he realised that Ezra was nowhere to be seen. "What happened? Where's Ezra? What about Dugan?"

"Whoa there, buddy. One question at a time and old Buck'll try to answer it."

When he had filled Chris in on all the details, a sleepy voice from across the room was heard, "Will you gentlemen please keep it down. Or will I have to ask for a private room?" Ezra asked.

No one said anything for a heartbeat and then Chris answered for them all, "Glad you're feeling better, Ezra. All things considered, I'm sure you prefer here to a sunny beach in the south of France. Wouldn't you say?"

After the briefest of time came a response, "I'd hardly call that fair. You were supposed to be unconscious, Mr. Larabee!" Ezra sputtered indignantly.

The room immediately exploded with laughter and they were soon greeted by a nurse who ushered them out, gently chastising them for their raucous behaviour.

Left alone with each other, Ezra was the first to break the silence, "I didn't get a chance to thank you before--"

"No need for thanks, Ezra. You'd have done the same. Families do that for each other."

THE END