A/n - this is my version of what could have happened following the end of Episode 18 (Season 2) recently. Hope you like it.
Disclaimer: Obviously, I do not own any of the superb Blacklist characters.
Chapter 1
"Yes. I'm the one who hired Tom Keen to enter your life," Red admitted with contrition.
The expression on Elizabeth Keen's face disintegrated along with her faith in the man that stood before her. She backed away from him in shock and disbelief.
"Can I explain?" Reddington asked, his eyes pleading with her to let him be heard.
"No. No you cannot explain. Here, this is all you wanted. Now you have it," she said, shoving the lock box containing the Fulcrum into his body.
"Lizzie, when I hired Tom…"
"I said please do not attempt to explain why. I don't care why. I just want this to stop," she said, cutting him off. "I want it all to stop right now," she said, slamming the box on the hood of the car. "Take it," she yelled as she marched purposefully back to her own car.
"Lizzie," Red said, his heart aching knowing how much his admission had hurt her. She ignored him.
"Lizzie!" he pleaded once more.
She slammed her car door. He sensed, in that moment, that he had lost her. What had he done? He turned forlornly towards Dembe and then, out of nowhere, he was taken off his feet by an unmerciful blow to his chest. He landed heavily on the damp road and pain radiated through his body.
"No," Liz screamed when she saw him drop.
"Raymond," Dembe cried, realizing what had happened and rushing to his fallen friend's side.
"Dembe," Liz yelled as she jumped from her car to help.
Dembe was already pulling Reddington into the cover offered by their vehicle. Liz ran to where the two had taken shelter. She removed her pristine scarf from around her neck and used it to stem the blood flow from Reddington's chest. Dembe pulled the lock box from the hood of the car as another shot rang out. Both Dembe and Liz returned fire in the direction of the sound of further shots, but couldn't identify exactly from where they were coming. Red was barely conscious, grimacing in pain. Dembe and Elizabeth exchanged a worried glance.
"Reddington!" Liz cried as he choked on the blood filling his throat and lost his tenuous grip on consciousness.
She and Dembe continued to apply pressure on the wound, but knew they were fighting a losing battle. He was bleeding out. He needed a hospital and fast or he wasn't going to make it.
Liz tried to think clearly and remembered passing a hospital about half a dozen blocks from their current location. She shared this information with Dembe.
"No hospital. I have someone I can call to help him. He would not be happy to go to a hospital," Dembe told her.
"Look at him, Dembe. He's losing too much blood. We have to get him to an ER right now or we'll lose him," Liz insisted.
Dembe looked at his boss. The growing pool of blood beneath Reddington hastened his reluctant agreement with Agent Keen. He managed to raise him enough from the ground and drag him toward the back seat of the Mercedes. Liz scanned the roof tops but no more shots came. Between them they roughly bundled him into the car and with Dembe driving, sped in the direction of the hospital.
The journey was heart stopping for all concerned. Dembe ran every red light while Liz watched as the life blood of Raymond Reddington trickled through her fingers as he lay slumped in the back seat. Dembe pulled into the ambulance bay and Liz jumped from the car and ran inside, yelling for help and flashing her FBI credentials with bloodied hands. The medics were quick to react and rushed to her assistance. They hastily got Red out of the car and onto a gurney. They whisked him away before Liz could even give them any details of their new patient.
It all happened so fast that Keen soon found herself standing breathless and alone in the corridor, staring at a set of double doors to the main trauma room in the hospital. The medics had stopped her going any further. Her breathing began to regularize a little and she looked down at the blood on her trembling hands. Her stomach flipped and she only just managed to make it to a trash can on the corridor before unceremoniously evacuating the contents of her stomach.
"Elizabeth?"
She turned to see the usually strong and steadfast Dembe standing behind her, his emotions threatening to spill over. He looked scared and having seen her throw up, assumed the worst.
She composed herself a little and wiped her mouth in her sleeve.
"Is he alive?" he asked.
"I think so. They're working on him," she told him after taking a deep breath. "I need to make some calls….and clean up a bit," she said, showing him her blood-covered hands.
She left an anxious Dembe pacing the corridor, waiting for news and went into the ladies room. She quickly lathered up her hands with soap and vigorously scrubbed the blood from her hands. She stared into the basin and watched the pink suds disappear down the plug hole. Her chest felt tight and she took deep breaths to try and get more oxygen into her lungs. She felt panic before a surge of anger took over. Tears filled her eyes and she didn't know why. She was so mad at Reddington for what he had done to her, but she was also seething that this attack had happened to him. Her own emotions confused her considering that after all he had done, she still felt this huge loyalty towards him. At least that's what she called it. Loyalty.
No time to get all emotional right now though. She had important calls to make. She called her office and told them what had happened and where they were. She asked for a protective detail to be placed on Reddington and for agents to attend the scene of the shooting. She wanted to find whoever was responsible for this. Harold Cooper was shocked by the news and undertook to provide any assistance he could. Then unbeknownst to Agent Keen, he made a few calls of his own.
When Keen emerged from the ladies room, Dembe was still pacing.
"Anything?" she asked.
He shook his head.
"He would not want this," he said, hating the helpless feeling. "I should have called his people."
"If you hadn't brought him here, Dembe, he would be dead. You probably saved his life. I think he'll forgive you," she said, placing a comforting hand on the big man's shoulder.
Without warning, the doors of the trauma room sprung open and a gaggle of medical personnel emerged surrounding a patient on a gurney. Each was carefully engaged in their own particular life-saving role. Elizabeth Keen immediately recognized the shaved head and knew it was Reddington.
"Red?" she said, trying to see what was going on.
Dembe stood back and tried to remain calm.
"Where are you going? What's happening?" Keen asked as the procession rushed towards the elevators.
"You need to stay here. The doctor will speak to you in a moment," a nurse said as she hurried to call the lift.
Reluctantly, Agent Keen did as she was asked and stepped back. The doors of the trauma room were starting to close automatically, but not before she saw the horrifying scene which remained inside. She had never seen so much blood. It had pooled in one area of the floor and then scattered about were multiple sponges and empty saline and blood bags. She stared in shock before being brought out of her trance by the noise of the door opening once more and a doctor emerging.
"Is he one of your colleagues, Agent….?" he asked.
"Keen," she said, shaking his hand. "Eh, no, well, yes, sort of," she said stuttering. "How is he?"
"His condition is critical. The thoracic team is waiting for him in the OR. His next of kin should be informed as soon as possible," the doctor suggested. "There may be some difficult decisions ahead."
LiZ looked horrified as she digested the doctor's words. Next of kin?
"He….he doesn't really have anyone….," Elizabeth said, looking at Dembe, "...does he?"
Dembe looked at his shoes and shook his head. He knew of the existence of Red's daughter, but was pretty sure now was not the right time to mention her to Agent Keen.
"Okay, well there are some admittance forms that need to be filled. If you know anything of his medical history, it would be helpful," the doctor told them. "We don't even know his name."
"It's, eh, Raymond. Raymond Red...Redmond," she told him, struggling to come up with a functional pseudonym when put on the spot.
Dembe shot her a glare, knowing the alias was far too similar to his real identity. She ignored him.
"If you would like to wait, there is a family room on the surgical floor," the doctor advised. "You might be more comfortable there."
Agent Keen thanked him and decided to find the waiting area.
Dembe excused himself and found the hospital chapel. There he knelt, bowed his head and prayed for his brother.
To be continued...
