Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the Magnificent ones. This story was
done simply for amusement no money was intended to be made, nor was it.
All characters belong to an array of others, who appreciate them far
less than I would, CBS, Mirisch, etc.Yada.  yada. And this wonderful universe was of course, Mog's little
genius idea.

Rating PG 13

***Author’s Notes: This one is just a short piece and is for Maggs, who
understood I ‘really’ needed to play hookie today and came along.  She
even rode the TRIPLE loop rollercoaster, which she hates by the way,
not once, but twice!!! She encouraged me to have all the icecream I
wanted, ate pizza with me, and wasn’t even embarrassed when we danced
and sang fifty’s songs with the Jimtones, nor did she complain about
all the long lines. Okay, she did complain, and threaten to kill a few
people, but this is Maggie we’re talking about here. Thanks again ,
pard!

PS: For those on the Darlins' list, this ending is no worse than
Linda's ;-)

Warning: No beta.  And plot?? what plot??

*******************************************************

“Come on, Buck,”JD pleaded from across the kitchen table. “We’ll call
in sick. The others can handle today without us. Just look at it
outside, sunny, beautiful blue sky, a cool 78 high expected. I think
this would be perfect weather to check out that new Tornado Twister
coaster down at the amusement park.”

“JD,” Buck Wilmington growled, lowering the paper he was looking at to
glare at his roommate, “I said, no. This is Monday, that means back to
work for us poor civil servants.”

Dunne leaned back in his chair and sighed. He wasn’t about to give up
yet. “You know the girls that go there always wear those little cut-off
shorts and bikini tops because of all the water rides. Just imagine,
blonds with tans, wet and so ready to latch onto anyone when they
really get scared.”

“Damn it, kid.” Wilmington put down the paper.

“Did I mention the Tunnel of Love?” JD leaned up against the table once
more, a mischevious glint in his dancing hazel eyes. He knew he almost
had the other agent.

“Chris would never buy us both being sick,” Buck explained, but didn’t
sound as determined this time.

JD smiled. “We could just tell him that you cooked last night.  He’ll
understand completely.”

“Cute,” Wilmington smirked, and stood up to stretch his tall, lean
frame, “but we have that meeting with Jake and Tony this morning,
remember? Maybe, we can make it out to the park Saturday.”

“Yeah,” JD mumbled, getting up and dumping his dishes in the sink,
“just like we were suppose to three Saturdays ago , and two months ago
when they unveiled the new ride, and last...”

“I get the picture,” Buck interrupted his friend. “I know we’ve been
really busy, but today ain’t the right time to be playin’ hookie, kid.
We’ll just have to do it later.”

Dunne shrugged and stepped into the living room to get his gun and
motorcycle helmet. “Whatever you say, Buck.” JD strode to the door, his
eyes not meeting his bestfriend’s. “I’ll see you at work.”

Wilmington watched the kid leave and for a moment considered stopping
him, calling Chris, and then spending a whole day at the park eating
hotdogs, popcorn and all the icecream they could shovel in.
Unfortunately, those were things kids did, not adults,
and as much as he would have liked to have made JD happy, there were
responsibilites he couldn’t disregard.  After all, Saturday was just a
few work days away.  It could wait.

*******************************************************

“We can’t wait much longer, Buck.” Chris Larabee stared at his watch in
frustration and glanced back up at the man sitting in front of him.
“We’ll give him ten more minutes and then we’re leaving for the meet.”

“I thought you said JD left before you this morning,” Nathan Jackson
spoke up from his spot near the window in Chris’s office where they all
had gathered over thirty minutes ago.

“He did,” Buck said casually, hoping the kid hadn’t changed his mind
about the plan they’d talked over earlier. “Maybe he had to stop for
gas.”

“Doubt it,” Vin offered. He was perched on the corner of Larabee’s
desk, fiddling with a model car Chris had taken away from JD last week
when he was trying to go over some plans with them. “The kid filled up
yesterday, when we rode out to the ranch.”
 

“Perhaps he stopped at that quaint little diner you two frequent so
often,” Ezra Standish drawled, coming up behind Vin to pick up a hand
held video game that their leader had taken away from Buck at the same
meeting.

Wilmington shook his head. “No, I cooked breakfast this morning.”

Josiah Sanchez, who was sitting in the chair next to Buck, looked over
at his friend and grinned. “Then maybe we should check the local
hospitals.”

“A man could really get a complex around you all, you know it,” the
younger agent huffed, and stood up. “It’s no wonder the kid has such an
attitude, look at his role models.”

Chris Larabee leaned back in his chair and watched his oldest friend
start to pace, a habit that tended to manifest itself when he was
either angry or worried. “You and JD have a fight this morning, Buck?”

“No.” Wilmington run a hand through his hair and stopped to find five
pairs of eyes on him. “I wouldn’t call it a fight,exactly.”

Tanner put down the model car and let a slow grin grace his features.
“What would you call it, Bucklin. Don’t forget, I’ve ‘lived’ with you
and the kid. I know your morning routines.”

“We just had a difference of opinion, that’s all. JD was pissed at me
when he left, but no more than he usually is when he don’t get his
way.”

Josiah laughed. “He always gets his way, brother. Especially with you.”
 

Buck sighed, and plopped back down in his chair. “Not this time,
Josiah. Not this time.”

“Well, if this is some sort of tantrum,” Chris tossed his pen on the
desk and pushed away from it,”then me and the kid are going to have to
have a long discussion. But, right now, the rest of us need to get down
town to the DA’s office.”

“The kid don’t miss work without a good reason, Chris,” Vin pointed out
to his bestfriend. “Maybe we should wait around a little longer.”

“If you call girls and a wild ride a good reason, we may be waitin’ all
day,” Buck grumbled to himself, as he stood again.

“What was that, Buck?” Nathan queried , as he moved past Wilmington to
get to the door.

“I said we might as well ride, the kid will be okay.”

“I dare say he won’t if I am left to explain to Assistant DA Morris how
I allowed all those bullet holes to be placed in the fifty thousand
dollar car he so graciously loaned us for our little ‘operation’ last
week.”

Vin smiled and slapped his friend on the back. “Ah, come on, Ez, the
worse that can happen is that Tony makes you go out with his sister
again.”

“Don’t even joke about that, Mr. Tanner,” Standish paled at the
thought, as the two strolled out into the bullpen. “After all, it was
our overly exuberant partner that used the man’s Mercedes as a target.”

“We’ll gladly point that out in the meeting.” Chris let a rare smile
tug at the corner of his mouth, as he pulled his door close behind him.
“Maybe a date with Helga is just the punishment JD needs.”

Buck started to point out that the woman outweighed their youngest team
member by at least a  hundred pounds when Rosalind called out to him.
“Buck. You have a call on line two. They said it was urgent.” AD
Travis’s assistant motioned for Wilmington to pick up the extension on
Josiah’s desk, which was the closest, before returning her attention
back to her computer.

“Maybe it’s the kid.” Vin looked at the others as their partner picked
up the phone. The apprehension he saw in his friends’ faces, only
intensified the errie sensation nagging at him.

“Agent Wilmington,” Buck said into the reciever. “Yes, I am.”
Wilmington sank into Sanchez’s chair, his face paling.

“Buck?” Chris stepped around Tanner to come alongside the other man. He
had instantly picked up on a foreign quality in Wilmingon’s voice.
Fear.

“Is he alright?” Buck was quiet as he listened and the others wated
with bated breath. “Well, damnit! What can you tell me?!”

Josiah laid a calming hand on his teammate's shoulder as Buck pounded
his fist on the desk. “I’ll be right there,” Wilmington growled, and
slammed the phone back in it’s cradle.

“What’s going on, Buck?” Chris’s voice held it’s usual coolness,
although his eyes relayed his worry.

Wilmington stood and started for his desk where he had left his keys.
“It’s the kid. He wrecked that damn bike.” He jerked the drawer open
and started tossing water guns and darts out of his way. “I told him
time and time again that thing was a death trap, but does he listnen to
me? No? ‘Least not when he should.”

The others exchanged quick glances and Vin shared a silent nod with
Chris before taking off after Buck, who’d found what he was looking
for. “Wait up, Bucklin, I’ll drive you.”

“How bad do you think it is?” Josiah asked quietly, letting his gaze
fall on their leader.

“Knowing the kid,” Larabee sighed, “We’re in for a very long day.”

Vin Tanner was having a hard time keeping up with Wilmington as the two
pushed their way through the glass doors of FC’s Mercy General
emergency room.  They had broken nearly every speed limit Denver had
and a few other laws on the books and still it seemed as if time had
slowed down and caught them in it’s unrelenting grasp.

The ex-bounty hunter tried to get a grip on Buck before he rushed the
nurses station but failed to do so when a toddler darted into his path.
 Swerving to miss the two-year old and his mother, Vin bit back a curse
as he watched Wilmington slap both his hands down on the countertop.
The younger agent had learned, from the Seven’s countless trips to this
very establishment, that nurse’s didn’t take kindly to being
manhandled, especially when they were of the male persuasion.

Dakota Hawk was no stranger to the man now looming over him with the
gleam of one who’d been pushed too close to the edge. Buck Wilmington
was well-known to most of the veteran ER staff, as was his other ATF
partners. They had a propensity for ending up in need of the hospital’s
services at least once a month.   Still, the young resident couldn’t
help but to flinch under the agent’s gaze.

“JD Dunne!? Where is he?” The tall dark-haired man leaned across the
desk and demanded.

“Mr. Wilmington,” Hawk stood , trying to regain his personal space,
“Mr. Dunne is still in the trauma room perhaps you could..”

Of course, before Dakota could finish, Buck had started around the
station and for the silver bay doors, which he knew led to the
specialty area in question.

“Sir!” Dakota said, quickly maneuvering around his cubicle to block the
agent’s path. He sent a pleading look to the other man who had now
stepped up behind Wilmington. “You’ll have to wait out here.”

“I need to see him,” Buck replied, ready to push past the muscular
blond standing in front of him.

“Easy, pard’, “ Tanner said softly, managing to get a hold on his
friend’s arm this time. “You know the routine. The doc’ will let us
know as soon as he’s done checking JD out.”  Vin let his gaze fall on
the nurse he recognized from some of the Seven’s previous visits.
“Isn’t that right ,Mr. Hawks?”

Dakota nodded. “Of course, Mr. Tanner. Dr. Riggs has been in with him
since the EMT’s brought him in about an hour ago. I’m sure he’ll be
able to advise you of the patient’s condition very soon.”

“Can you at least tell us what happened?” Buck had relented his quest,
but still looked longingly towards the trauma room as he spoke.

“I’m sorry,” Hawks shook his head, “ all I know is that there was an
accident on the four-lane, near one of the residential area offramps.”
The nurse turned and pointed to an officer talking with a red-haired
woman and a young boy. “I believe she was one of the investigators on
the scene.”

“Come on, Buck,” Vin tugged at the other agent, “let’s go talk to the
officer.”

Wilmington nodded and Tanner led the way, pulling his badge out as he
went. “Excuse me, mam.” The officer stopped speaking to the woman, who
Vin now noticed was holding an icepac to her head, and faced him and
Buck. “I’m Agent Tanner and this is Agent Wilmington.” Vin flashed his
shield. “We were hoping to ask you some questions about the accident on
the interstate this morning.”

“You must be friends of the kid on the bike?” The officer closed her
notebook and offered the men a sympathetic smile. “I’m Officer Kelly. I
 was one of the first on the scene. He identified himself as an ATF
agent before he lost conciousness.”

“Oh God,” the injured woman moaned, “I hit a police officer!”

Buck glared at her. “What do you mean you ‘hit’ him?”

Kelley motioned for Wilmington and Vin to step a few feet away and she
quickly joined them after saying a few words to the little boy perched
at his mother’s side.

“That is Mrs. Frankland. Her and her son were traveling East on I-40
when a dog darted out into the path of her car. Apparently the little
boy screamed, and Mrs. Frankland swerved.” Officer Kelley looked from
Buck to Vin. “She didn’t see your friend until it was too late.”

“Damn,” Wilmington sighed and ran both his hands through his hair. “She
hit JD instead of the dog!”

“She didn't actually hit him. She cut in front of him. I’m sure it was
more of a reaction than rational thought, Agent Wilmington. I see it
all the time. Luckily, Mrs. Frankland was able to bring her car back
under control and your friend and his bike slid off the road and out of
the way of traffic. Except
for the woman’s panick attack and your friend, no one else was hurt.”

“Thank Heaven for small miracles,” Buck snapped, but the officer didn’t
seem affected.

“I can have a full report sent to your office when we’re finished, but
I doubt that any charges will be pursued.”

“Thanks.” Vin nodded and the officer started to go, but stopped and
turned back to the men.

“I hope Agent Dunne will be alright.  I really think he knew what he
was doing when he laid his bike down. If he’d stayed on the road,
there’s no telling what kind of pile-up we may have had.” The brunette
paused as if she had just recalled something. “By the way, do you all
know if anyone called his brother?”

Tanner spared a glance at Buck before answering the woman. “JD doesn’t
have a brother.”

The officer shrugged. “He kept asking for someone named Buck. I mean, I
just assumed. I have an older brother, myself, and I know if I was in
trouble, that would be who I’d want around to help.”

“Brothers are good for that,” Vin replied softly, and the officer
finally left the two agents to go back to Mrs. Frankland.

Tanner let his eyes meet Wilmington’s and he wasn’t surprised to see
the guilt forming there.  He knew Buck would blame himself for not
being there when JD had been hurt and needed him, even though there was
no way he could have known. However, what he didn’t know, what he
couldn’t know,  was that the other agent held himself totally
responsible for the entire situation.

"Come on, Bucklin," Vin placed a hand on his friend's arm and guided
him towards some chairs closest to the trauma room,"lets sit down."

*******************************************************
The two agents had only been waiting a little while when yet another
flurry of activity entered the small ER room.

“Have you heard anything?” Chris Larabee asked from half-way across the
room. He had instantly spotted his two men as soon as he and Ezra had
rushed  through the sliding glass doors, with Josiah and Nathan close
on their heels.

“Nothing so far,” Vin replied, casting a glance at the man sitting
beside him. Buck didn’t even look up to acknowledge the others arrival,
but instead kept his gaze on the entrance to the trauma wing. “We
talked to an officer from the scene. A car cut into the kid’s lane and
he had to put the bike down.”

“Damn,” Larabee muttered, taking the seat beside his bestfriend, and
resting his head in both his hands. “I’m getting too old for this.”

“I’ll second that, brother,” Josiah agreed, taking the vacant seat by
Buck.

Ezra and Nathan took the chairs across from the rest of their team ,
and settled in for their usual wait. “Did the officer say anything
about JD’s condition?” Jackson asked Vin.

Tanner shook his head. “Not really.  She did say he was conscious when
they first arrived.”

“That’s a positive indication, right?” Ezra looked from Vin to Nathan.

Jackson nodded, not missing the concern in Standish’s voice.  JD and
Vin were the two easiest ways to shatter the southerner’s defenses, and
the depth of the man’s compassion never failed to amaze Nathan. “Awake
is always good.”

Before more could be said a young dark-haired man, wearing brightly
colored scurbs and a stethescope around his neck,  stepped through the
bay-wing doors and all the men focused on the helmet he was carrying.

Chris had given the black and silver racing head gear to JD for his
birthday only a few weeks before.

“I take it you gentlemen are here about the young man that had the
motorcycle accident,” the doctor assumed, as he was encircled by the
worried group. “I’m Dr. Riggs.”

“How is he?” Buck asked, his worry surpassing any need for
introductions.

“Are you Mr. Wilmington?”

Buck nodded.

“JD is stabilyzed at the moment, but there are some things we need to
discuss.”  The doctor motioned to some chairs in the far corner. “
Please, let’s have a seat.”

“Are you new here, Dr. Riggs? “ Nathan eyed the young man curiously, as
he took a seat by Josiah. He made it a point to know the medical staff
where his team was often brought. “I don’t recall having seen you
before.”

Riggs grabbed a chair from one of the rows and drug it in front of the
agents, before answering Jackson. “I’m a specialist on loan from Denver
Memorial, “ he explained as he sat down.

“What kind of specialist?” Vin asked, his eyes going to the helmet the
doctor still held.

“Neurosurgery.”

“A brain surgeon?!” Buck nearly jumped out of his seat. “Why the hell
does JD need a brain surgeon?”

Riggs held up his hand for Buck to sit back down. “My specialty is in
frontal lobe trauma, Mr. Wilmington, but don’t jump to any conclusions,
please.  As of right now, I’m here strictly for consultation."

“Please do get to the point then, sir.” Ezra leaned forward, pinning
the man with an intense green gaze. “In our line of expertise, it is
usually customary to expect the worse and then work from there.”

Riggs nodded and held up the helmet.  “First, you are undoubtedly
looking at what saved Mr. Dunne’s life.” The doctor flipped the shiny
gear around so the others could see the back.  Deep scratches and scuff
marks ran vertical from the top to the bottom of the helmet, marring
the initials that Larabee had ordered customized. Only the J was barely
visible.

“If you all can see the crack here,” the man pointed to one line that
stood out among the other abrasions,”you can imagine the impact it
took, considering this baby is top of the line material.” The doctor’s
face held a certain amount of wonderment. “I estimate JD had to be
doing about sixty-five mph when he dumped the bike.”

Riggs handed the helmet to Chris  who run his fingers across the
embedded ridge. He couldn't help but to remember the look on the kid’s
face when he had opened it at his surprise birthday party.

“At that rate,” the doctor continued,”the force would have been high
enough to shatter JD’s skull. Imagine dropping a watermelon from a
ten-story building.”

Riggs’ metaphor brought Larabee’s attention back to Buck, who’d leaned
forward in his chair some, “We get the picture, damn it,” Wilmington
snapped. “JD doesn’t ride anywhere without a helmet. I make sure of it.
But, your safety lesson still doesn’t tell us how he’s doing now.”

The doctor didn’t seem put out by Wilmington’s gruffness. Instead, he
offered him a sympathetic smile and continued. “I wanted you to
understand that although Mr. Dunne was protected form the worse
possible scenario, his head still recieved a trememdous
jolt.”

“Enough to send his brain against the front of his skull,” Nathan
surmised.

Riggs nodded again. “Exactly.” The doctor looked back to Buck. “ In
turn, we have bruising and swelling in the tissues around the frontal
lobe region.”

“What does all that mean?” Vin was beginning to wear thin. The doctor
had been talking non-stop for several minutes now and he still didn’t
know anymore than he did earlier.

“It means that JD may need surgery to relieve the pressure that has
built up inside his head.”

“Godd***nit!” Buck cursed loudly, bringing several looks their way from
others in the waiting room.

“Easy, Buck,” Chris laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder and looked at
the doctor. “You said ‘may’ need?”

Riggs clasped his hands together and leaned forward, resting his elbows
on his knees. “There’s a chance that the swelling will go down on its
own.  We are supplying him with a drug that has had some success in
this type of trauma.”

“But?” Nathan asked, already suspecting the answer.

“But it could get worse and we’ll have to go in.”

“What’s the boy’s chances if you have to do the surgery?” Josiah asked.
 

“Usually, chances are about 50/50, but,” Dr. Riggs smiled, “I’m good,
and that’s going to shift the odds in your friend’s favor.”

“I don’t gamble with JD’s life,” Buck said, his voice trembling ever so
slightly.

“I understand, Mr. Wilmington.” The doctor’s face grew grim once more.
“That’s why I hope the swelling will go down on its own.  JD has some
things working in his favor. For one, he’s conscious, although I’m
afraid he wishes that he wasn’t.”

“What do you mean?” Vin asked.

“Most head traumas as severe as your friend’s often put the victim in a
coma state, a lot of times they don’t wake up.”

“But JD is awake,” Buck’s eyes glistened, “and you said that was good.”
 

“Good for his head injury, not good for how he feels.”

“He’s in pain.” Chris’s jaw was clenched so tightly , he barely got the
words past his lips.

“I’m afraid so. We don’t want to give him anyhing for his other
injuries, because we’re afraid that it may help put him under. We can’t
take that chance.”

“What are his other injuries?” Nathan asked the question on everyone’s
mind.

“Well,” the doctor sighed,” he has some pretty nasty road rash on his
left leg, hip and shoulder where he slid. Luckily, he only went about
twenty feet or so before going off the interstate and down a grass
embankment.  If he’d stayed on the pavement we
would probably be discussing skin graphs now, also. He bruised some
ribs, sprained his wrist, and obtained numerous cuts and contusions. To
say the least, he is one miserable young man at the moment.”

“Can’t you give him anything?” Buck asked, his voice barely above a
whisper.

“We’ve gave him some locals for the superficial wounds, but right now
keeping him awake is my main priority.”

“And keeping him in pain is one way to ensure that?” Ezra’s tone
relayed his disapproval.

“Pain is a motivator,” the doctor admitted,“but so is the consequences
of a life threatening surgical procedure.”

“Touche’,” Standish replied and leaned back in his seat. He didn’t like
the thoughts of JD suffering, but the idea of brain surgery scared the
hell out of him.

“What can we do then, Doctor?” Josiah’s soft eyes looked to the man for
answers. “Besides pray?”

Dr. Riggs smiled. “You can sit with him. Try to keep his mind off of
the pain. Reassure him that things are going to be alright.”

“Are they?” Chris held the doctor’s gaze.

The man stood and shrugged. “I can’t offer you such optimistic
possibilities, Mr. Larabee. That’s the job of a friend, not a
physician.”

“Can we see him now?” Buck shakily made it to his feet, also.

“Of course, but only two at a time.”

“That would be me and Chris,” Wilmington informed the doctor. It was
the obvious choice. JD would trust anything Larabee said. If Chris told
him everything was going to be fine, the kid would believe it.  And as
for Buck.  Well, Buck needed to be there, almost as much as he was sure
the kid needed for him to be.

“That’s fine, but I do need you to sign some release forms, Mr.
Wilmington.”

“Can’t that wait, I ....” Buck started only to have Chris cut himoff.

“It’s alright, Buck,” Larabee stood, “Vin and I will stay with the kid
‘til you get there. Take care of what you need to.”

Wilmington watched his two friends start towards the ICU, before
following Riggs.  He couldn’t help but to wonder at how different the
day could have gone if he’d only went along with what JD had asked.
Instead of having the time of their lives, like the kid had promised,
JD was instead fighting for his.

Continued soon....