Main Character: JD

Notes: Written for Sue M's Birthday October 21, 2011, and thank you Sue for the wonderful collage

"My head hurts,” moaned JD. Looking around the unfamiliar bedroom he spotted Buck sitting in the chair next to him. “Where am I?”

"In your bedroom.”

"No, this isn't my room in your condo, are we undercover?”

"It's your room at the ranch.”

"I have a room at Chris's ranch?”

"It's your room at the ranch that all of us Larabee brothers own,” Buck answered patiently followed by a louder, “Nathan, get in here."

"What's the matter?” asked Nathan as he entered the room, still dressed in his hospital scrubs complete with hospital ID. “Oh, you're awake again, good. So how are you feeling this time?”

"Wow, he looks like a real doctor," commented JD, sitting up and trying to read the ID badge.

"Of course he does, since he is, and with the amount of scrapes you get into it sure is convenient having a brother who's a doctor,” Buck answered good-naturedly as Nathan frowned and felt JD's forehead.

"Brothers? Guess we are undercover. What happened? My head and my right foot hurt. Last thing I remember was being in that warehouse on Mathison backing up team eight on the Carstair's bust.

Buck and Nathan both stared at JD, then Buck looked at Nathan who nodded for Buck to answer.

"You were working near Toto when the tractor backfired and startled him; he knocked you into the side of the barn. You're lucky horseshoe that was on the wall fell on your head and then we think he stepped on your foot.”

"What's a Toto? Isn't that the little dog in Wizard of Oz?”

"Toto is our newest stallion... Actually his name is Todo el Mundo, which means All the World in Spanish but you call him Toto so now we all do too. Don't you remember the reading of the will, that we're all brothers, well half brothers really since we all had the same father?”

"Real brothers, wow, can't believe I'd forget that. You wouldn't joke about something like that would you?”

"Of course not,” Buck reassured him.

"Why don't you get some more rest,” suggested Nathan. “You've got an appointment later to get your foot x-rayed. I think it's just badly bruised but you could have broken your fifth metatarsal or another small bone. We'll wake you up when it's time to go.”

"Ok, good idea, maybe this is all a dream,” said JD as he closed his eyes and murmured, “Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.”

Closing the door behind him Buck whispered to Nathan. “What's going on? You said you didn't think he had a concussion.”

"You were there when he woke up last time, Buck; he was coherent and knew exactly where he was and what had happened. I'll see about getting him a head CT when we take him in for his x-ray. Hopefully next time he wakes up he won't be confused.”

<M7> <M7> <M7>

"Hey there, 'bout time you woke up. Come on, open those big eyes for me,” encouraged Buck as soon as he noticed JD stirring in the bed.

"What happened? Where am I,” JD asked looking around confusedly at the high tech medical equipment and futuristic looking furnishings.

"You're in the sick bay. There was some sort of electrical glitch that caused a power short or something when you were in the holodeck. The backup generator system in there didn't come on, the program stopped, and it would have been pitch-black. You must have tripped or fallen and bumped your head. You ended up with a dislocated shoulder.” By this time Nathan and Chris had joined Buck.

"Oh, that's weird. Last time I woke up you said a horse named Toto had stepped on me and my lucky horseshoe fell on my head.”

"I don't know which game program or what kind of scenario you were running in there, probably another one of your old west ones,” remarked Chris,"but I'm going to make sure that whatever happened with that power blink never happens again. Don't want anyone else getting injured in there. Get some more rest,” he ordered and then nodding at the others he left.

JD watched him leave, then turned to Buck and asked. “What's he wearing? He looks like a space cadet or something. So do you. Did I forget about a costume party?”

"It's the standard federation uniform we've been wearing for years,” explained Buck looking worriedly at Nathan.

"I'm going to give you something to help you sleep; hopefully everything makes sense when you wake up again.”

<M7> <M7> <M7>

Blinking awake JD looked around him at the large four poster bed he was lying in, and took note of the deep casement window, the stone walls, and the paintings of foxhunts adorning the wall. “It looks like a castle or something,” he mumbled, then noticing Buck sitting in a chair next to him he spoke louder. “My head still hurts.”

"No surprise there, Laddie. Quite a bump ye took to the ole noggin, aye but it's good to see you awake. Hurt anywhere else?”

"Pretty much everywhere, I feel like one big bruise. So, where am I this time, sure doesn't look like any part of Denver I've ever seen.”

"You're not in the states anymore,” explained Buck. “Don't you remember moving to Scotland?” When JD shook his head Buck sighed then continued. “That was a few months ago. This morning you were helping with some repairs around the estate when you fell off a ladder and broke your wrist.”

"I don't remember that at all. Last time I woke up you said I had dislocated my shoulder on a spaceship. Why are you wearing a kilt?”

Ignoring the odd comment Buck answered the easier question. “I do lots of the time, so does Vin. Don't you remember wearing yours for the ceremony when you officially became the laird of Glenneaval?”

"Nope, I think I would remember that,” he said as Ezra walked into the room. “Wow, that vest really is something else. Don't think I've ever seen you wear plaid before, Ez.”

"It's the Ross clan hunting tartan and I have worn it before,” he added looking at Buck with a frown.

“I'm tired and this isn't funny anymore, first a horse named Toto, then as if space uniforms weren't weird enough now its kilts. I'm going back to sleep,” whispered JD closing his eyes.

"I'll call the doctor, see if he'll make a house call,” advised Ezra as Buck sat and stared at the now sleeping youth.

<M7> <M7> <M7>

JD opened his eyes, looked around the rustic room then out the window to the street below and sighed. “Where am I this time?”

"In Nathan's clinic,” answered Buck with a frown. “You feeling okay? No, don't try to sit up, you lost a lot of blood."

"Blood? My head still hurts and so does my arm, but you said I hurt my wrist falling off a ladder. What happened this time? Sure doesn't look like a room in a Scottish castle,” stated JD looking around again then down at the rough bandages wrapped around his upper arm.

"Don't know about back east where you came from but there's no castles out here,” answered Buck patiently. “You got shot by one of the bank robbers, then the part of the roof that Vin was standing on collapsed on top of you.”

"Sorry about that,” apologized Vin coming out of the shadows to stand next to his friend, “glad you're not hurt too bad.”

"Jeez, never even saw you back there,” stated JD. “Not your fault, Vin, I'm sure you never meant it to happen, not that I remember it anyhow. Wow, don't think I've ever seen your hair that long before! You been undercover or something, and what's that you're wearing? Is that made out of suede or leather or what?”

Vin looked at Buck who just shrugged and answered calmly, “he's wearing the same old buckskin jacket he always wears, now why don't you try to get to sleep before Nate gets back and pours some of his horse piss tea down ya.”

"That sounds gross, don't wake me if gets here. Next time I really do hope I wake up somewhere else.”

"I'll tell the others that he woke up,” whispered Vin looking concerned.

"Yeah, and you better send Nathan back,” suggested Buck.

<M7> <M7> <M7>

JD woke up and looked around the small hospital ward finally finding Buck talking to one of the nurses. Seeing him awake they walked over and asked how he was.

"Head hurts, so does my arm. Where are we? This doesn't look like Denver General.”

"I'll get the Doctor,” said the nurse as Buck sat down next to the youth.

"You're at the cottage clinic; slight concussion and a broken arm. Thank God you weren't injured bad enough to be taken to Helston.”

"What happened?” asked JD, frowning at his casted arm as Buck helped him sit up and let him slowly sip some water.

"Do you remember last night's storm?” At JD's negative answer he explained. “We got called out to rescue four people off a sinking yacht, the St. Nicholas pulled alongside, you and Ezra climbed aboard and helped the people get off safely then just as you were leaving she started to keel over, the broken mast hit you, that's how you got hurt. Josiah jumped over and helped carry you back.”

"That is so cool, much better than being stepped on by a horse named Toto, or falling off a ladder, like you told me happened some of those other times I woke up, but they were really nice bedrooms.”

"Good to see you awake; how are you feeling?” asked Ezra walking in ahead of the doctor who had stopped at the nurse's station.

"What a neat uniform,” enthused JD. “What does RNLI stand for? Do I have one like that too?”

"I'm going to go talk to the doctor for a minute,” said Buck, quickly getting up and motioning for Ezra to take his seat.

"What just happened here," mumbled Ezra watching Buck leave then turning back to answer JD's questions.

<M7> <M7> <M7>

"Where am I?" asked JD as he opened his eyes and looked around, stopping when he saw Buck sitting on the next bed. “It looks like a hotel room. What case is it and what city are we in?”

"It is a hotel room because we work in a hotel,” stated Buck getting up and standing next to the younger man. “How's the head?”

"It still hurts some, not as much though,” he added as memories started to surface. “Actually I don't feel that bad, not like last time, at least I don't have any bandages or casts, do I? So what happened? Are we working in a hotel undercover? Do I have a really cool job or am I still asleep?”

Frowning, Buck sent a text to Nathan as he cautiously answered JD. “You work in security and you noticed someone putting a device into a slot machine, when you confronted him he shoved you, your head bounced off the slot machine, then you fell onto a roulette table and cracked a couple of ribs.”

"Oh, last time I woke up you said I got hit in the head by a mast when we were rescuing a sinking yacht.”

Hearing a soft knock on the door Buck opened it hoping it was Nathan and finding Josiah in the hall, he let him in.

"Good to see you awake John Daniel, using your head to catch the bad guys again,” he quipped as JD sat up and stared at the large man.

"What are you wearing? You look like you're a bellboy or something,” he said as he peered close enough to read Josiah's nametag. “Don't tell me that we really live in Las Vegas; Standish must love it here,” he laughed, “ouch, note to self, don't laugh with cracked ribs. Are you sure that doing sea rescues isn't an option anymore?” Buck and Josiah stared at each other then Buck opened the door and looked down the hallway hoping to see Nathan.

<M7> <M7> <M7>

"He's finally waking up,” said Buck, alerting the rest of team seven who had been dozing in chairs crammed into the hospital room. “Come on, JD, let me see those big eyes.”

"So where am I and what happened this time?”

"This time, what do you mean?" The worry in Buck's voice alerted everyone else who quietly moved closer to their injured teammate.

"Hey this does look like Denver General,” pronounced JD as he scanned the room, his eyes finally settling on his friends. “You guys all look like you, do we work for the ATF?”

"Yes, we do,” answered Chris. “What's the last thing you remember? Do you know what happened?”

"The last thing I remember or the first thing? Do you mean what I think I remember happened or what I remember you all telling me happened? Hey I'm not surprised my head hurts, but my leg, that's something new, damn, a cast, if this is real why couldn't I have ended up with the cracked ribs or dislocated shoulder or even the broken wrist, but oh no, not me, I get to wake up with the longest recovery time injury of them all.”

"Just answer the question,” growled Larabee receiving glares back from Buck, Nathan and Vin.

"I remember being in that warehouse on Mathison backing up team eight on the Carstair's bust. We thought we had all of them, then a few hidden men started shooting at us and some were getting away, but that's all I remember about that.” JD turned an accusing stare on Buck, “but that's not what you told me all the other times I woke up.”

"JD, this is the first time you woke up since the warehouse,” interjected Chris. “You were chasing a suspect when he pushed some stacked crates over on top of you, that's how you got your concussion and the broken leg. But we caught them all, and you were the only injury.”

"You've been out about three hours now,” explained Nathan. “The x-ray showed it's a clean break to the fibula so you'll be in a walking cast in a couple of weeks.”

"Ok, I'll be fine but I hope this is for real. All those other times seemed real too.”

"Why don't you tell us about them,” suggested Josiah, and after looking at everyone's concerned faces JD nodded.

"The first time I woke up we were all brothers with a ranch and one of the stallions broke my foot and you were really a doctor Nathan. Then the next time I was on a spaceship with a dislocated shoulder, Chris looked so different wearing some type of space cadet uniform.”

Seeing the scowl on Chris's face JD quickly continued. “Next we were in a castle in Scotland, Buck was wearing a kilt and Ezra even had a plaid vest. Then the next time I woke up it was like a western town and Buck said I'd been shot by a bank robber, you were there,” he pointed at Vin, “and you had even longer hair and were wearing buckskins.”

Hearing snickers Vin responded. “I'm sure I'd look better wearing that than you two would in a kilt or plaid,” he said aiming a pointed look at the others.

“I'm sure I was perfectly attired as would be suitably appropriate for that particular situation as you would have been in your scenario,” he admitted,” at least it seems we had our legs covered.”

"Hey, I have great legs, bet I would look great in a kilt,” added Buck, pulling up his pant leg.

"Don't interrupt Boys, let John Daniel continue,” admonished Josiah.

"Then I had a concussion and a broken arm but we had rescued some people from a sinking yacht and Ezra was wearing a cool lifeboat uniform, then last time I woke up we were working at a casino hotel in Vegas and I had cracked ribs. You were there, Josiah, wearing a bellboy uniform.”

Josiah turned and looked at the others and not one word was said, no one even moved a muscle.

Looking at the expressionless faces JD's heart sank. “Doesn't anyone believe me? It seemed so real every time. The places were all so different and sometimes the clothes even were, but we were always together and you were there every time I woke up, Buck. ”

"Of course, where else would I be,” Buck answered leaning over and ruffling JD's hair and receiving a scowl in return.

"Calm down JD, you were just dreaming is all,” reasoned Nathan.

"It's not that we don't believe you, it's just such a …fantastic concept,” admitted Ezra.

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation,” said Chris.

"Maybe he took a journey on the spirit plane,” suggested Vin.

"There's more things in heaven and earth than man has ever dreamt or can imagine,” said Josiah, and before he could continue Buck jumped in.

"Of course we believe you,” he said with a stern look at all the others. “Now just get some rest, it's ok Dorothy, you're back in Kansas now!”

"What do you mean Kansas? Buck! Please tell me this isn't Kansas!”

The End

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