Nemesis Chapter 31

Nemesis Chapter 31

Nicholas and Max walked into Shannon's room on the critical care unit.  The doctor was there, doing rounds.  The ventilator was not.

Nicholas sat in the chair beside his still-unconscious teammate's bed and took her hand in his.

"How is she, Doctor?"  he asked, as Max circled around the bed to grasp her other hand.

Seeing Nicholas' look of surprise at not seeing the ventilator, Doctor Luccini smiled.

"We were able to successfully wean her off the vent today," he answered.  "The antibiotics are working.  I think she has turned a corner."

"That's great news!"  Max grinned.

"We're going to try to bring her off sedation tomorrow," the doctor continued.

"Thank you, Doctor.  For everything."

"It's my pleasure," Doctor Luccini replied, then a wide grin covered his face.  "She's a fighter."

Nicholas and Max sat with Shannon a few minutes more, and then made their exit.

*******

Downstairs in the hospital lobby, Nicholas stopped at a pay phone.  "I just need to call a cab," he told his friend.

"A cab?" Max echoed.  "What happened to the car?"

Nicholas grinned sheepishly at Max.  "Um, we no longer have a car."

"Then how did you get here with Shannon?"  Max wanted to know.

Nicholas took a moment to talk to the cab company, then explained how he'd managed to hotwire the car - a part of the story he hadn't mentioned earlier. "By the time I got out of here the next day, the car was gone.  I assume they had it towed," he finished.

Max smiled broadly and thumped his friend's back with his good arm.  "You hotwired a car,"  he repeated, half in disbelief.  "I guess you were paying attention that day, after all," he jibed.  "I'm impressed, buddy!"

Nicholas grinned at him, then the cab arrived and they rode to the hotel in silence.