Ace of Hearts

"Buck! Get down here now!" JD yelled.

"What? Where's the fire, kid?" The tall man said as he came down the stairs.

"What the hell have you done with my frying pan?" JD asked.

"Nothing, I just cooked food in it," Buck said innocently.

"You have to clean it out after you use it! Damn it, Buck, how many times do I have to tell you this," JD growled.

"Sorry, kid," Buck said as he went upstairs again.

JD started to scrub out the frying pan furiously. After almost ten minutes of scrubbing it was clean and JD was sweating heavily. Mainly because he was so angry with Buck.

After he'd sat down on the couch and turned on the TV, the phone rang.

"Can you get that, kid?" Buck asked.

"Sure," JD said and picked up the phone. "Hello."

"Hey, JD" a familiar voice said.

"Hi Vin, what's up?" JD asked the ex - bounty hunter.

"Just wanted to tell you that we have to meet earlier tomorrow."

"Sure, when?" JD said.

"Chris said around 6 in the morning instead. He's worried that the suspect will make the deal earlier than expected," Vin explained.

"Alright. Who's watching the suspect now?" JD asked.

"Agent Jones," Vin said. "So we'll see you at 6 tomorrow morning!?" Vin said.

"Sure, see you, Vin," JD said as he hung up.

"What did Vin want?" Buck startled JD since he was standing right behind the kid.

"We're meeting at 6 instead of 7. 30," J.D. replied.

"Fine. You nervous?" Buck asked knowing that JD usually got a bit scared as soon as the seven ATF agents had a bust to do.

"A little," JD sighed.

"That's good. If you're nervous you'll do fine," Buck said as he placed a hand on JD's shoulder.

"What time is it?" JD asked as he stifled a yawn.

"A bit after seven," Buck said. "You tired?"

"A little," JD said. "But I've been up since 5 this morning."

"What in the hell were you doing up that early?" Buck said as he sat down besides JD and stole the remote from him.

"Hey! I had the remote," JD said and took it back. "I woke up and couldn't sleep again.

"You're crazy, kid," Buck said with a smile.

The next morning all seven agents met in Chris' office. Ezra looked very tired and whined about not getting enough sleep. The rest of the agents looked a bit tense. The suspect they hoped to apprehend had been involved in a shooting resulting with two dead cops. The seven agents went out to the van which was waiting for them.

"All right. I want you to go in pairs," Chris said as they went to the place of the bust. "JD you're with Buck. Ezra, you and Vin. Nathan and Josiah you'll stick together."

"Sure thing, Chris," Nathan said.

"You have to keep in mind that the suspect is very dangerous and should be approached with caution."

"What are you doing?" JD asked their leader.

"I'm going in with Jim," Chris said and nodded to their driver.

The van stopped a couple of hundred yards from the house where the suspect was located. The whole team slowly advanced towards the building and into it. Ezra and Vin quietly started to climb the stairs, while Buck and JD started to check the bottom floor. Nathan and Josiah went around back while Chris and Jim watched the front.

When Vin and Ezra reached the top of the stairs all hell broke loose. Gunshots rang out from all directions and Vin dove for cover. He felt a bullet graze his left arm but he ignored the pain and returned fire. Buck and JD came crawling up the stairs to help their fellow agents out. They found both Vin and Ezra flat on their stomachs at the top of the stairs.

"Where are they?" Buck asked as he started to return fire.

"I don't know. It's coming from everywhere," Vin said and fired a few shots in one direction.

Suddenly Ezra cried out as he was hit in the leg by a bullet. JD turned to see Jim, the driver, at the bottom of the stairs with his gun drawn. He was aiming at the four men. He fired another shot which hit Ezra in his left arm.

"Return fire, return fire!!" Vin yelled as the shock wore off.

Buck, Vin and JD fired several shots at Jim and he went down with at least three fatal wounds. As soon as the men were sure that he was dead they turned around to see the suspect at the top of the stairs. He had grabbed Ezra's left arm and Ezra was turning more and more pale in the face.

"Give me your guns," the suspect growled angrily. "Or your fancy partner dies."

"Do what he says," Vin said as the three men put down their weapons.

The suspect kicked away the agents weapons and started down the stairs while simply dragging Ezra along. There was a clear trail of blood where Ezra had been pulled. Vin sat helplessly watching the suspect pull Ezra out of their line of sight. Then the three men jumped up and got their guns. They slowly moved down the stairs just as another shot rang out. Buck dove down the last flight of steps and aimed at where the suspect had disappeared. He fired several shots at the suspect who were aiming his gun at Nathan and Josiah. The suspect moaned and fell to the floor clutching his chest. Nathan and Josiah quickly kicked the suspects gun away. While Nathan checked the suspect for a pulse, Buck and Josiah kneeled down besides Ezra.

The gambler had turned an unpleasant shade of gray and he was lying in a pool of his own blood. The suspect had shot Ezra once more in the chest and he was now bleeding heavily.

JD pulled out his cell phone and called for an ambulance.

"Why in the hell wasn't Ezra wearing a vest!" Buck yelled out.

"He was. But that asshole tore it off him as he shot him again," Nathan said.

"Where the hell's Chris?" Vin asked after he checked on Ezra.

"Don't know, he was with..." Buck began as it dawned on him. "Jim. Oh no!"

Both Buck and Vin rushed out to find Chris lying unconscious with his white shirt stained bright red.

"Chris!" Vin cried out and knelt down beside him. "Chris, can you hear me?"

"Don't yell," Chris' low voice said as he coughed.

"Oh my God, you're coughing up blood," Buck said.

"He's been hit in the lung," Vin said as he grabbed Chris' hand. "Don't worry, Chris, you'll be fine."

A few minutes later the paramedics came and quickly got both Ezra and Chris into the ambulance. One of the paramedics said that someone could ride in the back with the two wounded agents. Vin looked at Buck and Buck simply nodded and Vin jumped in the back.

"We'll meet you at the hospital," Josiah's soothing voice said.

"You alright, kid?" Buck asked as the four men got in the van and drove off.

"No," JD said and swallowed several times. "There were so much blood."

"I know, kid, I know," Buck said and put his arm around JD.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," JD said as he threw up in the van.

"Easy there, kid," Buck said in a worried tone.

"Sorry," JD said as he turned more and more pale.

"It's okay, JD" Buck said as JD went limp in his arms. "The kid passed out."

"I guess it's normal," Nathan said as he watched Buck pull the kid into his lap.

10 minutes later the four men rushed into the emergency room and up to the desk where a nurse sat. She looked up and yelped when she saw the four men. Actually only three of the men were standing. The fourth one lay protectively in one of the men's arms.

"Chris Larabee and Ezra Standish, where are they?" Buck asked.

"They're being examined as we speak," the nurse said. "Who are you?"

"We're their fellow agents and friends," Josiah said. "Can we see them?"

"Not at the moment," the nurse said. "If you sit down in the waiting room a doctor will come out to see you shortly."

"Thank you," Josiah said.

"Would you like me to get a room for your friend?" the nurse asked and nodded towards JD.

"No, he's fine. Perhaps a glass of water and something to throw up in," Buck said noticing that JD had started to wake up and he was looking pretty green in the face.

"I'll be there in a few seconds," the nurse said as she went to retrieve what Buck had asked for.

The four men sat in the waiting room. JD with his head in the bucket and Buck with one arm around him. Josiah sat and prayed silently and Nathan paced back and forth.

After what felt like an eternity for the men a doctor came out. Nathan and Josiah went up to the doctor and he took a step back because of Josiah's size.

"How are they doing?" Nathan asked.

"Well, both Mr. Larabee and Mr. Standish has lost a lot of blood," the doctor said. "Both of the are in surgery right now. Mr. Standish went into a coma in the ambulance and hasn't come out of it yet. But it's still too early to say anything."

"What about Chris?" Buck asked as he came up to the doctor.

"Well, one of his lungs are punctured. He's been coughing up a lot of blood. We believe that the bullet has damaged more organs. But as I said it's too soon to say anything yet."

"Where's Vin?" JD asked looking up from the bucket.

"Mr. Vin Tanner. He arrived with the ambulance. Where is he?" Josiah asked.

"I'm right here," Vin's voice said from behind and all the men spun around.

"I'll be out as soon as I have more information," the doctor said.

"Thank you, brother," Josiah said as the men all returned to their chairs.

Four hours later JD was leaning on Buck's shoulder asleep. Nathan and Vin paced back and forth while Josiah and Buck sat still without saying a word. Suddenly the doctor returned and Josiah, Vin, Buck and Nathan rushed up to him directly. As soon as JD woke up he did the same.

"How are they?" Vin asked.

"Mr. Larabee is doing alright. He has lost a lot of blood so he's very weak at the moment but he should be just fine in a week or so.

"Ezra?" JD asked in a worried tone.

"I am afraid to say the Mr. Standish is worse. We were able to remove the bullets but he's still in a coma. We don't know if he'll ever come out of it."

"Oh God," all the men whispered.

"You can go in and see them, but you have to be careful," the doctor said.

"Where are they?" Vin asked.

"I'll lead you there," the doctor said and showed them to a room in the ICU.

"They're both in the same room?" Buck asked.

"Yes, Mr. Larabee asked us to place Mr. Standish in the same room," the doctor said.

"Good old Chris." Buck smiled slightly.

The four men went into the room and found Chris in one bed hooked up to an IV. He had a big bandage around his chest and he was looking quite pale. In the next bed Ezra was lying, he was also hooked up to an IV and several other monitors. He was heavily bandaged around his leg, arm and chest.

Vin went up to Chris first while JD went to Ezra. Josiah and Nathan sat down on two chairs that were placed at the foot of each bed. Buck went up to Chris first and then to Ezra.

"Buck," JD said and looked up at the older man.

"What is it, JD?" Buck asked as he saw J.D's face become more and more pale. "Don't you faint on me again, kid."

"I won't," JD said and took a deep breath. "Will he make it?"

"Ezra? Of course he will," Buck said trying not to worry the kid even though Buck himself worried like hell about Ezra.

"Are you sure? I don't think it looks too good," JD said.

"He'll be fine, kid. He has to be," Buck said. "Besides he bet money on that hockey game tomorrow, so he'll wake up."

"Yeah, JD," Josiah said. "Brother Ezra never misses a game."

Even though Josiah, Buck, Nathan and Vin were nervous that Ezra would never wake up again, they didn't say a word to JD.

After a few minutes J.D. excused himself and went to the bathroom. All men knew that the sight of both Ezra and Chris in hospital was too much for JD. Vin grabbed a hold of Chris' hand and whispered:

"Chris, you have to wake up."

"I'm up," his hoarse voice was heard suddenly.

"Chris!" Vin exclaimed as he saw Chris' eyes looking up at him.

"How are the other guys doing?" Chris asked.

"They're alright," Vin said not wanting to worry Chris about Ezra, but it was no use...

"How's Ezra? He was a lot worse than me when we went in the ambulance," Chris asked.

"Well, brother Chris..," Josiah began and put a hand on Chris' arm. "Things are not too good for Ezra. He's in a coma and the doctors don't know if he'll ever wake up from it."

"What?" Chris was in shock. "Where is he?"

"Right here," Vin said and moved out of the way so Chris could see Ezra who was lying in the next bed.

"Oh God," Chris whispered.

"Don't worry, Chris. Try not to worry," Buck said.

An hour later the men sat and talked with each other. Chris had fallen asleep and the men kept an eye on both Ezra and Chris. After a while a nurse came in and said that they had to leave the room.

"No," Buck said.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but you can't stay any longer," the nurse said.

"We're not leaving," Buck said.

"But, Sir..," the nurse said.

"Ms..," Josiah started. "What Mr. Wilmington means is that if there's a possibility we'd like to stay here with Mr. Standish and Mr. Larabee."

"Well, I..," the nurse said impressed by Josiah's mild manner.

"Is there any possibility that at least one of us could stay?" Josiah said.

"I guess... two of you can stay," the nurse said. "But no more than two!"

"Thank you very much." Josiah smiled and the nurse left the room.

"Alright, who's staying?" Nathan asked.

"I'll stay," Buck and JD said in unison.

"Alright. Buck, JD you'll stay," Vin said. "But I'll be back in a couple of hours so you can go home and get some rest."

"Sure, Vin," Buck said and the men all said goodbye to each other.

After Vin, Nathan and Josiah had left Buck pulled up the two chairs and placed besides Chris and Ezra's beds. Buck sat down in the chair next to Chris and J.D. in the one next to Ezra. JD took Ezra's hand in his and squeezed it gently. Buck noticed that JD started crying but didn't say anything, he just squeezed JD's shoulder.

+ + + + + + +

Five days later Chris was feeling much better even though it was a bit difficult for him to breathe properly.

The five agents took turns to keep Ezra and Chris company. Ezra still hadn't moved an inch or made any sounds. The doctors told the agents that the chance of him waking up became more and more slim.

Two days later Chris had been released from the hospital and Vin had brought him home so he could rest in his own bed.

JD and Buck sat with Ezra and talked to each other and him. They always tried to keep busy so they didn't have to think about the fact that Ezra was on the verge of not surviving. He had gone into cardiac arrest twice in the last three days and every time the doctor told them that it wasn't any idea to keep reviving him. Buck had gone berserk at that remark and threatened to kill the doctor. Vin had ordered the doctor to revive Ezra otherwise the hospital would be in a whole lot of trouble.

"You wanna play some card Ez?" Buck said in a cheerful voice and shuffled a deck of cards and dealt to himself, Ezra and JD.

"He can't play cards, Buck," JD said.

"I know but it keeps us busy," Buck said.

"...I can't..," JD said and rose up from his chair and turned his back on Buck and Ezra.

"Kid..," Buck said and went over to him.

"Ezra will never be able to play cards again." JD had started crying.

"It's okay, JD He'll play cards again soon," Buck said almost starting to cry himself. It was extremely difficult to keep a happy face for the kid and even Buck was about to break down.

"I never got to play a game of cards with Ezra," JD whispered.

"Come on, kid, we'll play a game, you and I," Buck said.

He turned around and then his jaw dropped... In bed Ezra lay with the cards, Buck had dealt him, in his hand. JD turned and saw the same thing and he grabbed onto Buck so he wouldn't faint. After the initial shock wore off Buck took one long step to Ezra's side.

"Hey, how are you, Ezra?" Buck said with a goofy grin on his face.

"Ezra..." JD breathed happily.

Ezra wasn't able to talk since he had a tube in his mouth. He simply wiggled the cards slightly and his eyes said to the two men to sit down and play some cards with him.

When Vin and Chris walked in the hospital room half an hour later, both of them almost fainted at what they saw. Buck and JD sat playing cards with Ezra. Ezra turned to look at the men and begun to giggle slightly, since the tube had been removed.

"Ezra?" Vin said as they walked up to the bed.

"Gentlemen." Ezra smiled.

"What... How... When... What?" was all Chris could get out.

"He woke up when I suggested a game of cards." Buck grinned.

"You do know I can't miss a game of cards," Ezra said in a hoarse voice.

"Oh my God," Chris said and started laughing.

"Brother Ezra, you're awake," Josiah's voice bellowed out as him and Nathan walked in the room. "It's a miracle."

"Well, perhaps it is, Mr. Sanchez." Ezra smiled as he won yet again another game.

"Damn it! I will never play cards with you again," JD said to Ezra.

"I did tell you that he's the best at cards," Buck laughed.

"That I am, Mr. Wilmington," Ezra smiled.

"How're you feeling, Ezra?" Nathan asked.

"Well, apart from feeling a bit nauseous I am doing quite alright, I must say," Ezra said.

"I am happy to hear that," Nathan said.

"I do have a feeling that I am quite pumped up on drugs since I don't feel any pain," Ezra said. "Considering my gun shot wounds I should be in pain, but I'm not."

"They have been giving you pain relievers," Buck said.

"Well, by God, I do love those drugs," Ezra said which caused the rest of the six agents to burst out laughing.

Two weeks later Ezra was released from the hospital and Vin drove him home. When Vin helped Ezra into his apartment Chris, Buck, Nathan, Josiah and JD were there.

The five friends had cleaned up Ezra's place and filled the refrigerator with all things Ezra could need.

"Gentlemen, you have done a very good job cleaning up my apartment. I must say that I am impressed and I truly appreciate it. Ezra said with a smile.

"No big deal," JD said. "But I can't figure out why you need to have so much clothes though."

"Well, a man needs to look his best," Ezra said as something dawned on him. "Oh dear."

"What is it?" the six men asked in unison worried that Ezra was fainting.

"I just realized that I was wearing my favorite shirt at the... unfortunate incident. I am guessing that it is pretty ruined?" Ezra said.

"Yep," Vin said.

"That's such a shame, I really liked that shirt," Ezra said.

"Cut it out!" JD said angrily.

"What is it, Mr. Dunne?" Ezra looked questioningly at JD.

"You have just survived a terrible shoot out and you're worried about your god - damned shirt!?!" JD yelled.

"Don't worry, JD," Chris said. "The fact that Ezra is going on about his shirt means that he's doing just fine."

"Oh... sorry," JD. said somewhat embarrassed.

"Don't think about it," Ezra said. "I'll just buy a new shirt. If I can find one that is."

"No you won't," Chris said and handed Ezra a present.

"Now, what is this?"

"It's a gift from all of us. To say that we're happy to see you alive and well," Chris said as Ezra unwrapped the present.

"Oh what a delightful gift," Ezra said as he held up the shirt with an ace of hearts embroidered on the breast pocket.

"We thought it was fitting," Vin said.

"Gentlemen, I think I have found a new favorite shirt," Ezra smiled.

The End