Woman

Con gives Charlotte a knowing nod. Things weren't good. But she was a trooper.

"No, I'm fine. Go take a break. I'll wait here."

Once she is gone, Con sinks down in one of the chairs, looking at Bret for several moments. "Come on, Bret... I know you can pull through." Saying another silent prayer, he just sits and waits for Charlotte to return.


Reese nods to Phinox. "Okay, that's fine. I shouldn't be too much longer here anyway. Give me about forty-five minutes."


Wyatt ambles down the hall to the infirmary, photo in hand. He didn't particularly like this, but he was just doing his job.

His hair pulled back, he peeks into the room, finding it relatively quiet. "Hey, Rick... how's the patient?"

Rick sees him, then glances to Jeff. "Better with a few new meds in him and after he threw up a few times."

Wyatt grimaces a little. "He be alright?"

"Don't know. Angel Trahern is looking into a few things."

"Hmm." Wyatt shifts his focus to the back desk and walks around the bed to Misty's space. "Hey, Cous." He ambles closer, leaning on the corner of the desk. "I, um... had a question for you. Dad's got me working on something and...."

It's evident he doesn't want to say something, but finally he just shows Misty the picture. "I took this today. Dad wants to know if you know the woman."

The picture shows Carson talking with a woman who is sitting on the hood of his car. She is slim and in her later thirties with dark hair. Though at a distance, it's obvious she's smiling at something, her hand on Carson's arm as they talk.

Wyatt looks at Misty, waiting.

Not just me

Just looking at Reese Phinox is quiet for a long moment. He had so many things in the past that he was not happy about. So many things he had done wrong and yet Reese was still willing to accept him no questions asked.

"I'm not sure what to say besides thank you. This might not be my calling anymore but its nice to know I have some where if it is."

Giving a small nod Phinox stands. He didnt know what he would do till Reese was ready to go but he would keep himself busy some how.

"I only have a bag with not much in it and the motorcycle so I wont clutter your house till I find my own place. I'll just have a look around till your ready to go."

Feeling Con's hand on her shoulder Charlotte looks up. Tears had been long gone as her inner strangth kicked in but the trail the tears had taken still remained. Looking back to Bret she lets out a small sigh.

"He's the stable at the moment but far from out of the woods."

Sucking in a deep breath Charlotte can hear her stomach growl reminding her she hadnt had anything to eat today. Though she wasnt very hungry Charlotte new it wasnt just about her anymore and for her baby's sake she should eat something.

Standing she rests a hand on Con's arm giving a small smile.

"I need to get something to eat even though I dont want to leave, but I have to. So I will give you some time to be with Bret alone. I dont be gone long I promise. You need anything?"

Recipe

Reese can't help a light chuckle. "Look around you, Phinox. I just rehired a man who was once kicked off of the police force. I have another I'm trying to get back who spent a good part of his life as an assassin. One of my janitors is still prone to trouble. One of my physicians, who also happens to be my niece, is a recovered Agency recruit. The girl we went in to rescue - you think her past record is a hundred percent clean? I've got an Australian who was a pretty high rank at the Agency."

He shakes his head. "Not fit in? We're a group of misfits. Yes, we're the Elite, and the name fits our skills and jobs we take on. But we're still misfits. That's why we work so well together. We all come with baggage, we all have pasts that have shaped us, and we all have to accept each other for who we are and work as a team - otherwise the Elite might as well dissolve into the regulated police department. You have character, Phinox. You've been beat down, broken, and you're seeing now some of the mistakes you might have made. But it doesn't make you less of a man, or less worthy to serve with us, if your intentions are pure."

He leans forward to jot down some notes. "I will speak with Brown tomorrow about your situation and see what can be done. I'm in the process of trying to sort out several other cases as well. In the meantime... you can stay at my place tonight."


"Yeah, okay." Con nods numbly and gives Jamie a quick hug before leaving TJY. A prayer was on his mind on his way to the hospital. He'd been trying for months to get Bret to consider Christ, but he'd continually balked, always living for the moment in what he called "freedom." Con's heart almost hurt. What if...

He shakes his head at himself as he slows for a red light. Bret was going to be okay. Perhaps this would be the wake-up call he needed.

Finally arriving to the hospital, Con is quick to find out where Bret is. It worked out nicely that he had just come from TJY... with his new badge, getting to see Bret was a whole lot easier.

The small room is dim and quiet, except for the soft humming of machines. Con enters slowly, making the room seem even smaller. His big hand is soft and gentle as he lays it on Charlotte's shoulder. "Hey." He greets her quietly. "Someone from the track called me. How's he doing?"


Ryder laughs. He steps closer to Thirteen with a wet towel to clean off part of her face. "If there's anybody cute in this kitchen, it's you."

Just as he's turning back to the stove, the one he'd been waiting for appears in the doorway.

Carson stops, his eyebrows rising high as he looks around. The kitchen... his kitchen... looked like a tornado had swept through it. He blinks and looks to Thirteen, then to Ryder. "Well... looks like you've been busy."

"Busy? ...Busy? That's all you have to say?!" Ryder takes off his apron and tosses it in Carson's direction. "Table eight is waiting on a pizza. You better get busy."

Despite the mess, Carson had seen the pleased looks on customer's faces as he'd come in through the front. The kitchen might be in total disarray, but somehow, Ryder had pulled of the job. For that, Carson couldn't complain. "Right." He tosses aside his keys and grabs the apron. "Next time you two come in, your meal is on the house."

Ryder grins at Thirteen. "Looks like we'll have to come back sometime." He moves to the sink to clean up and help her clean up as well before they left.

Carson tries to get his bearings, seeing that half of the things were now in different places. He'd only been gone two hours, but that had been enough. He tastes some leftover white sauce. "Hey... what did you put in here?"

Ryder looks up from the sink. "Um... I'm... not really sure. That bad?"

"No." Carson shakes his head, surprised. "I'll have to figure out what you did because I like it better than the other recipe. Hey, Aerith?" he calls, setting the bowl down. "Dani? Sorry I disappeared. How are things going?"