CowboyDreams Willow Challenge 03, offered by Quizegan: caught literally or figuratively with one's pants down, whether that is good or bad is entirely up to ya'll.

Sneaking out of a hospital took finesse and no small amount of determination. Especially when his coworkers, the miserable bastards that they were, had absconded with his clothing. Hospital gowns were infamous for their lack of full coverage. Fortunately, Ezra Standish had learned a long time ago not to let modesty get in the way of achieving his objective. Draft or no, he was getting the hell out of here.

The undercover agent leaned heavily against the wall, trying to catch his breath. He grimaced. This was not going to be easy when simply removing the IV and getting out of his room had left him winded.

He pushed himself upright, bracing himself with one hand to stay that way. His cracked ribs kept him from breathing as deeply as he wanted to. Ezra was grateful for the brace he was wearing on his right knee. It made walking a bitch, but added support he desperately needed.

Green eyes scanned the hallway. So far there was no one in sight. Ezra really hoped it stayed that way. He needed to find something to wear. His current attire would not raise eyebrows within the hospital, but it would definitely prevent him from escaping to the outside.

Numerous visits to the hospital for treatment of his own injuries and those of his teammates had given him an in depth knowledge of the layout of the building. He knew there was a doctors' lounge on this floor, one with lockers where they kept spare clothes. Ezra figured medicine must be the only profession harder on a wardrobe than his own. He shuddered to think of the horrors of trying to remove blood, vomit and god only knew what else from a good suit.

It took him fifteen minutes to get down the hall to where he knew the lounge was. Ezra tested the door. He wasn't surprised to find it locked, but that fact didn't concern him. He tore apart the pen he'd swiped from his chart before leaving his room. The clip was sturdy enough to do the trick. It took him less than a minute to pick the lock. He sincerely hoped the hospital employed better quality locks on their medicine stores.

Ezra slipped in the room, carefully checking to be sure it was empty. Not seeing or hearing any one, he sighed softly, relieved he wouldn't have to explain what he was doing to anyone. At the moment he didn't feel up to crafting a suitable con.

He smiled tightly when he spotted a locker with his doctor's name on it. The man was roughly Ezra's size. His clothes would fit well enough to not draw attention. With any luck the man would have a pair of shoes. His coworkers had been very thorough when they took his things. Running around barefoot was not his idea of a good time.

Ezra opened the locker. "Jackpot." He grinned, not minding the flash of pain the action caused as his lip split open again. His reach into the locker was halted by a soft Texas drawl coming from over his shoulder.

"Not that there is a sweet ass. And normally I would appreciate the view, but that ass is supposed to be in a hospital bed, not out roaming the halls." There was more than just a touch of anger and disappointment in Vin's voice.

Ezra hung his head. "Damn." The curse was whisper soft. He should have known Vin was still around. The sharpshooter knew him far too well.

He closed the locker and rested against it. As much as he welcomed Vin's presence he had really hoped not to meet up with him until he was safely ensconced in their bedroom. Another soft curse slipped out as he gathered his strength.

Ezra raised his head when he felt Vin place a hand on his shoulder. His lover was so close he could feel his body heat.

"Hey," Vin whispered, "thought we agreed you were gonna stay put? Doctors wanted to keep an eye on you. Make sure that fall you took didn't do any more damage than what we can see."

During their last bust one of the perps they were after had tried to make like a rabbit. Ezra had run after him. Taking him down in a stair well was probably not the best decision he'd ever made, but his only defense was it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Taking a header down two flights of metal stairs convinced him rather forcefully that it had been a very bad idea to tackle the perp and it was not something he intended to ever do again.

Ezra sighed softly. He had agreed to stay in the hospital, convinced the others that they could leave him alone. Had wanted for Vin to be able to go home and for one of them to get a good nights rest. He'd tried. Really tried to follow through on his end of the agreement.

Ezra bit his lip. "I just I'm sorry, Vin, I couldn't stay here."

Vin squeezed his shoulder, a silent gesture of reassurance and request for more information in one.

"Hate it here." Ezra confessed after a moment, feeling obligated to give Vin some kind of explanation. "Smells wrong. Too many people coming and going so I can't relax. Bed is uncomfortable. It's cold."

All were honest complaints, just not the main reason Ezra was trying to sneak out. Hospitals scared him to death. He knew the fear was irrational, that it bordered on being a phobia, but he simply couldn't stand hospitals. Ezra hated being at the mercy of others, having no control over his own actions, his own body. People died in places like this. They died alone, unnoticed and unremarked. The doctors and nurses might tout a party line about being dedicated to helping and healing, but it seemed like a large part of their effort focused on stripping away a person's dignity and inflicting unnecessary discomfort. Ezra simply couldn't bring himself to trust them. He trusted only the men he worked with.

Vin moved so he was standing next to Ezra, hand still resting on Ezra's shoulder, dark blue eyes searching his face. "I would have stayed. All you had to do was ask."

Ezra raised one hand to caress Vin's face, not surprised to find his lover understood what he'd left unsaid. Vin knew him far better than anyone else ever had. "Didn't want to impose-"

Vin's hand moved to grip the back of Ezra's neck, pulling him forward so that their foreheads rested against one another. "Staying with you would not be an imposition." Vin smiled softly and placed a gentle kiss on the tip of Ezra's nose. "Love you, Ez. You know that. Staying with you is never a hardship."

The sharpshooter gave him a wry look and shrugged one shoulder. "'Sides, I can't sleep worth shit if you aren't there. It's one of the reasons I'm still here."

Ezra smiled, green eyes bright with affection. "We could sleep at home."

Vin shook his head slightly. "You have to stay here. Gotta make sure you are really gonna be okay."

Ezra started to pull away, but Vin's gentle but firm hold kept him in place. "Know you hate it. Feel the same way." Vin's fingers lightly massaged Ezra's neck. "No reason you have to stay here alone." The sharpshooter's trademark half smile appeared. "Bed they gave you is big enough for both of us if we sleep close."

Ezra felt a flush of warmth, delighted with Vin's compromise. Just having Vin near by made everything easier to bear. He frowned, realizing his lover's suggestion was not really a viable option. "The staff will protest."

"Let 'em." Vin growled. "Don't give a rat's ass about their stupid rules."

Ezra chuckled. "Love you when you are a bad boy, Vin Tanner."

Vin hugged him, not hard enough to aggravate his ribs, but enough to express that he returned the feeling. "Let's get you back in bed."

With Vin to lean on, the trip back to Ezra's room took far less time. Ezra slid into bed with a quiet sigh and relaxed, welcoming the chance to lay down again. Walking up and down the hall had taken more out of him than he cared to admit.

He watched as Vin removed his shoes but remained otherwise clothed. Ezra was mildly disappointed but he understood. They were going to cause enough trouble. There was no reason to create more. The staff would pitch a huge fit over Vin's presence but that would be nothing compared to their reaction if they should discover them both sharing a bed and naked to boot.

He scooted over, giving Vin enough room to slip with him. Ordinarily Ezra slept on his left side with Vin curled up behind him. But his ribs protested lying in that position. So he waited for Vin to get comfortable on his back before he snuggled in, using Vin like a body pillow, resting his head on Vin's shoulder.

The lanky Texan radiated heat, a fact Ezra was newly grateful for. The hallway had been chilly and he shivered. Ezra hated being cold. He sighed when Vin pulled the covers up around them, holding in warmth. It wasn't as good as sleeping at home, but at least now he should be able to sleep. Everything was just plain better when Vin was nearby.

"You just rest easy, Ez." Vin spoke softly, one arm coming up to lightly ghost through his hair. "I'll keep you safe."

Ezra curled in closer and relaxed. He should be embarrassed, but he wasn't. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Ez." Vin placed a kiss in his hair. "You jus' make sure the next time I'm stuck in here you return the favor."

"My word." Ezra patted Vin's chest, just above his heart. "I'll be there for you."

"Never had any doubts, Ez. I trust ya, same as you trust me." Vin patted his arm. "Now go to sleep."

Ezra closed his eyes. Breathing in the scent of his lover, hearing the steady heartbeat beneath his ear helped him forget where he was. With Vin to watch over him there was nothing to worry about. All was right with his world for the moment. And right now the moment was all that mattered.