TOW All The Russians
If you imagine the worst Bond film ever made (wouldn't MP be great in a Bond movie?), thrown in with a Police Academy type plot and all the drama of 'Kindergarten Cop'. Then you may be somewhere near the quality of this story. The only remotely good thing about it, is the thought of Matthew Perry...well just Matthew Perry really. We apologise, please read and attempt to enjoy. We're sorry. Ya ape!
WE Thrive on Feedback so please review it or email us at matt_deserves_an_emmy@hotmail.com
Mon stood outside Luigi's Pizza Place and impatiently looked at her watch. She had been due to meet Chandler for lunch there at 1pm, but as her watch now said 1.25, she decided to make her way to his office. As she walked, she thought about him; He had been working really hard lately and she missed him like crazy. They had so much to sort out before the wedding, but they never seemed to have the time to talk anymore. Chandler said that his company was in some sort of financial trouble, but she didn't know what and she didn't like to pry into his work. When he did come back in the late evenings, he was so tired he practically went straight to bed. She stopped at the delicatessen to buy him his favourite sandwich - Cajun Chicken with sweetcorn and then made her way into the glass tower that was his place of work and pressed the button to the 15th floor. As the doors to the elevator opened, the sight of everyone laying face down on the floor confronted her. "Monica, get out, just get out now" a familiar voice screamed at her. Stunned, she looked around the room and saw a man holding Chandler against the wall with a gun to his head. Chandler was looking at her with terror in his eyes. "MON, GET OUT QUICKLY, LEAVE..." "SHUT UP" the man with the gun growled, and pushed Chandler harder against the wall - Chandler closed his eyes, his face twisted with pain. "GET HER" She heard another man shout, and she felt herself being grabbed violently and then pushed against the wall next to Chandler. She sensed the cool metal of a gun placed at the back of her head. "Let her go" She heard Chandler say to the guy holding him "She's got nothing to do with this". A third man, who had a foreign accent, maybe Russian, Mon thought, walked over to Chandler and said so that all the room could hear "Now, that wouldn't be wise, would it? Let me guess, you two know each other" indicating Monica. Chandler spoke again, his voice strained "I've never seen her before in my life". The man, knowing that Chandler was lying, said coldly "So you won't mind then, If I kill her" Mon felt the guy walk behind her and a second barrel against her head. "NO, look do what you want with me, kill me - whatever you want, please just let her go" Chandler begged. "We're not going to kill any of you with any luck - just tell us where the money is and we'll leave you in peace" "I don't know" Chandler shouted. "Oh Come on, you're Doug's right hand man, so we've been told, he must tell you where he keeps his money" Monica, amid her fear, was confused. "I don't know what you're talking about - I didn't even know he gambled until you came". The Russian man stood closer behind Chandler "See, I don't think that you're being entirely truthful Mr. Bing, You're telling me that your boss has been using the company's money to pay off his debts and you didn't know?" Suddenly everything became clear to Monica, she moved her head so that she could try and see who was holding her, but to no avail, she squirmed, attracting the attention of the Russian, "I think I should tell your little lady what's been going on - don't you Mr. Bing?" He walked over to her - he was a large man, with blonde hair and a black leather jacket. He had a scar running across his left cheek. "You see, your friend's boss owes me some money; $1 million to be exact. I know that he has been using the company to pay off his other debts but Mr. Bing is refusing to tell me where it is". Monica looked at Chandler who was looking back at her desperately and she knew from the look on his face that he was telling the truth - he really did not know anything about this. "Why don't you just ask Doug?" She asked meekly "oh, I tried, he wasn't very co-operative". He swung Monica around where she saw the entire room properly for the first time. In the corner of the room, there was a body lying face down with a pool of blood surrounding him. All the women who worked in the office were on the floor and the men were against the wall. Monica gasped, as the full gravity of the situation made itself apparent. Then she realised something, if they had killed Doug, they would have no problem killing Chandler, whatever their promises were. She started to cry softly. She realised why Chandler had been forced to work all those long hours recently - The company had been losing money because of Doug almost to the point of bankruptcy and Chandler had been trying desperately to gain some of it back. She knew that he didn't have any idea what had been going on, and franticly shrieked "He doesn't know where it is. Let him go" "Mon, shut up, they'll kill you" Chandler yelled back "Just do as they say". A fourth person, who Monica hadn't noticed before, said in a hoarse voice "I would listen to your friend, Mon is it? You see he knows that we are armed and having seen his boss die in front of his face knows that we aren't afraid to kill. So unless you have something useful to say, don't say it at all" He stood behind Monica. She felt shivers running down her spine as she felt his breath on her neck. "Unless of course we can come to some other arrangement". She felt sick and thought she was going to pass out at any minute. "I'll tell you where it is, if you release her and everyone else unharmed" She heard Chandler shout out suddenly. "But, you don't know...." She stopped talking as Chandler looked at her directly with tears in his eyes. "I need to know you'll be safe," he said quietly. It dawned on Monica what he was doing. He was hoping that if everyone were released first, once they found out that he really didn't know where the money was, they would only kill him. She started crying again, as she knew that if they accepted, Chandler was sure to die. "Chandler, don't do this" She cried out. "It's the only way that you'll be alright," He said, his voice beginning to crack. The Russian man had walked between them "How touching" he sneered. "Well, I'll do you a deal Mr. Bing. I'll release all the women, with the exception of your lover here. If you tell me where Doug kept his money" "You have to release her too, otherwise I won't tell you" Monica wondered where the hell Chandler's courage was coming from. She had never seen him act like this before, but she realised that if the tables were reversed, she would do exactly the same for him. She knew that he loved her with all his heart, but she never realised that he loved her more than he loved himself. The words 'I would die for you' are often said, but hardly ever meant, but Chandler did mean them. The Russian spoke again "I'll put it another way Mr. Bing, either agree to my deal or I'll kill everyone in this room, including her. So what are you going to do?" Chandler was silent and looked down on the ground "Ok" he whispered.
All the women in the office filed out under the watchful eye of the attackers. Monica looked at their faces as they headed towards the elevator. Some were crying, some were pale with shock, others looked impassive. Most of them glanced towards Chandler and Monica as they walked past them - a mixture of sympathy and fear in their faces. Chandler just stood there looking down at the ground as though in another world. Monica knew he was thinking about her - he was angry with himself for not getting her out safely, but Mon was glad in a weird way that she was still there. She always thought that she would prefer to die together than alone and she knew that he died and she didn't, she wouldn't be able to live with herself. At least they could now go through this together for better or worse. Once all the women had left, the Russian came up to Chandler and pushed his head back violently "I want you to tell me where the money is" Chandler hesitated - Mon knew that he was trying to buy time. "COME ON" the Russian shouted, "If you don't tell me in the next 5 seconds, I will kill all of you" "It's in a concealed safe under Doug's Desk, but I don't know the combination number" Chandler improvised. He DID know there was a safe there, but he didn't know what, if anything, was in it. "That doesn't matter, we'll blow it". Chandler hoped that the police would arrive before they had chance to find out it wasn't there. He glanced at Monica as the Russian man and another made their way to Doug's office. There was still a man holding a gun to his head, but he took the chance and whispered "I'm sorry". Mon saw that there were tears in his eyes, "There's nothing to be sorry for" She replied quietly. Monica still couldn't quite come to terms with what was going on, this was something that happened on NYPD Blue, not to normal people like them. She couldn't understand how this had happened, and she wondered what had happened before she arrived. Then she glanced over to Doug's body lying in the corner and knew. She saw Chandler looking at Doug with a mixture of hate and sorrow in his eyes. The boom of a small explosion from next door interrupted her thoughts. The entire office shook and she saw Chandler jump a little. She could tell he was terrified at what would happen when they didn't find anything. Suddenly the fourth man, who was looking out of the window, yelled "They're storming the building, get the money quick". The Russian and the other man ran back into the office and went straight for Chandler, shouting as they ran "Its not there, this bastard lied to us". Mon saw the men run towards them both and closed her eyes - she didn't know what would happen next. The man holding the gun to Chandler's face cocked his gun and aimed for his head, but then suddenly pointed it towards Monica. She heard a shot ring out and she fell to the floor, but she wasn't in pain. She felt a heavy weight on top of her and opened her eyes, it was Chandler, who was lying motionless with his eyes closed, and she saw blood coming out of his shoulder. Monica screamed loudly and tried to wake Chandler up, but he wouldn't. She kept calling his name, hoping he would call back, but he was silent. She could see he was barely breathing, and the bloodstain on his back was becoming larger and larger. She tried to put pressure on it with her hands, making her hands covered in his blood, and it seemed to make it worse. He was too heavy for her to slide out from underneath him and all she could do was lie there. She looked at the blood on her hands and cried, holding his head. "Don't die" was all she could say, "Don't leave me Chandler, please". She felt his hands relax by her side and his heart slow down, "Chandler, NOO" Monica screamed.
The Russian man stood over them both, again pointing his gun to Chandler and then, with a smile curling his lips, pulled the trigger again. Monica closed her eyes, she knew that this was it, the end. She felt Chandler move a little as the bullet hit him in the leg, but then remained as motionless as ever. Mon heard him gasp for breath as the bullet hit him, so she knew that he was still alive. She held him closely to her, feeling his heart beat next to hers. Her heart felt like it would explode at any minute, where as Chandler's was much slower and the beats getting more spaced out as time progressed. His breathing was becoming very erratic and she could feel his faint breath next to her neck - she knew he was dying and there was nothing she could do. She cradled his head even more closely than before, hoping that someone would come to save them but nothing happened. These last five minutes seemed an eternity to Monica. She didn't know that the attackers had made a run for it down the back stairs and that there were people on the way, people who could help both of them. She began saying over and over again "Don't die" "Don't die" like a mantra, rocking his head back and forth like a small child who won't sleep. She couldn't imagine life without Chandler and she couldn't remember a time when she didn't love him, but now it was all disappearing from her and she couldn't control it. Monica heard a person run towards her and Chandler and she held his head even tighter, afraid that it was the attackers again, but it was a man in a blue uniform. The man said something to her, but she couldn't understand, all she could say was "He's dying, He's dying" through her tears.
The first face that Monica saw when she opened her eyes was Phoebe. "Pheebs, what are you doing here? Get out, They've shot him." Monica was highly confused and nearly hysterical. Phoebe looked pale but gently said "Mon, you're in the hospital. You fainted after the police came but you're gonna be ok." Monica didn't calm down "Where's Chandler? Is he ok? His breathing was all funny" Mon looked hopefully at Phoebe but then started to cry when Phoebe didn't answer her. "He's dead isn't he?" Phoebe took Monica's hand and grasped it tightly "No, no he's not dead, but he's in a very serious condition." Mon looked back up at the ceiling with tears pouring down her face "Has he woken up yet?" "No sweetie, he lost a lot of blood and the doctors had to give him a transfusion. They say it could be a couple of days before he comes round" Monica began to sob "He saved my life...that bullet was meant for me, I should be hurt, not him". Phoebe was crying, "I know sweetie, they told us everything that happened - I'm so sorry, but at least you're both still alive" Monica looked back at Phoebe "I want to see him".
Monica looked at all the people in the hospital as Phoebe pushed her in the wheelchair. There were swarms of policemen, doctors, nurses and some people who she vaguely recognised. It was only later on that she realised that they were the men in the office who were also held hostage. As Phoebe pushed her towards a set of swinging green doors, Monica saw the rest of the group sitting silently. She could see that they were all crying - she began to panic as she saw the expressions of complete bewilderment and sorrow on their faces. Phoebe stopped pushing the chair and kneeled down to Monica. Rachel kneeled down on the other side "what's going on? Why can't I see him?" Phoebe looked at Rachel then at Monica "We have to tell you something Mon, and we didn't want to tell you before but..." "you lied to me didn't you? ...He is dead" "No, I did not lie to you Monica, I would never do that. It's just Chandler...one of the bullets lodged in his lung and he can't breathe by himself so he's on a ventilator". "But I thought that was for people who were in a coma..." Monica stopped as she saw the looks on everyone's faces "He's in a coma" she said softly, "oh my god". She began to cry again as relief was replaced by the very real realisation that she could still lose him. "Do you still want to see him?" Joey asked. "More than anything" Monica said through her tears. As she was pushed into a white room, with a bunch of flowers by the window, she saw him lying there. She got out of the chair and walked unsteadily over to his side and looked at his face. Among all the tubes and machines, he looked like he was simply asleep. She smiled sadly as she traced his eyes and his nose with her fingers and then bent down to kiss him on his cheek and then his forehead. She sat by his side, half holding him and repeated into his ear "you're not going to leave me, I love you too much for that". The rest of the group stood by the door watching her, not knowing what to do next. They couldn't bring themselves to tell her about the struggle to keep him alive. When the paramedics bought him in, he wasn't breathing and then his heart stopped. The doctors managed to bring him back after what seemed an eternity, but had told them that there was a possibility of brain damage. They had had to give him three blood transfusions - he had lost so much blood, they didn't honestly think he would survive past the hour. But here he was, still fighting for his life, 4 hours after it happened.
Mon woke up from her sleep and immediately looked at Chandler but he remained as still as ever. It had now been three days since it had happened, and despite the promises that Phoebe made to her, he still hadn't woken up. Monica was beginning to lose hope. She hadn't left his side for the whole time, afraid that something might happen, afraid that she would miss crucial seconds with him, but there had been no change in his condition. She would give anything in the world for him to wake up and tell her how much he loved her but as time went on, she was feeling more and more despondent. As she was looking at him, wondering whether she would ever see those extraordinary blue eyes ever again, a doctor entered the room quietly. "Monica" he said quietly "I need to talk to you about Chandler". The doctor sat down beside her and told her the bad news - that because he hadn't woken up when they thought he would, there was a very real possibility of brain damage. Then he dropped the real bombshell "If he has not woken by the end of this week, then you will have to seriously consider whether it would be to Chandler's benefit to continue his life" Monica was confused "What do you mean?" "There will come a point when we will have to turn off his life support machine and let him go. When this time comes is entirely in your hands but we advise it to be sooner than later so as to avoid any unnecessary suffering to you and Chandler" With that the doctor left leaving Monica in a state of shock. It was up to her whether he would die or not - she couldn't understand it. This was the first time that anyone had talked to her about an undeniable likelihood that he might not make it. She stared at Chandler not being able to take any of this in, but as time continued she began to think of the decision that she would have to make soon. Initially of course, her instincts were to keep him alive as long as possible - she needed him, she wasn't ready to lose him yet. But then she thought about Chandler and what his life could be like if he was brain damaged. It would be much harder on them both if Chandler were just an empty shell unable to have his own feelings and thoughts. She knew he would hate it and end up hating her for keeping him this way for her own selfish reasons. But at the same time, she wasn't ready to say good bye to him yet and there was the possibility that he wouldn't be brain damaged. Monica looked at Chandler's face, not sure whether to follow her heart or her head.
The week passed like a nightmare - Monica kept thinking about the decision that she had to make, never reaching a complete conclusion. The others were very supportive and didn't try to sway her in either direction, but they saw the hell she was going through and they hoped it would be resolved one way or another. There was no change in Chandler either - sometimes Monica saw his eyes flicker, as though he was about to wake up but he never did. All she could hear in her mind was the endless sound of the life support machine, gently pulsating, keeping him alive. Then the turning point came. On the Saturday evening, a group of doctors came in the room and gently told Monica that she had to tell them her decision. Monica was shocked at the speed at which they needed her answer but she had pretty much came to one now in her head, although it killed her to say it. "Maybe it would be for the best if ...if we let him go" The doctor nodded and proceeded to turn off the variety of machines that surrounded Chandler. He turned off his ventilator and as he did so, Monica looked down at the ground knowing she had just signed his death warrant. The doctor pulled out the tube that gave Chandler his oxygen and then was about to turn off the bleeping heart monitor but stopped and looked puzzled at it "He's still alive". Monica looked up quickly. The doctor was checking his breathing "He's breathing spontaneously" he said excitedly "What does that mean?" Monica looked at Chandler and saw his chest move without the help of any tubes or machines "He's breathing isn't he? He's still alive" "yes he is, this is amazing" Monica was so happy that she felt she was going to throw up or cry or whatever. "You mean he's going to be alright?" " Well I'm not saying that for definite, but this is a very good sign" Monica couldn't believe this - after the complete nightmare she had gone through this week there was no need to have made any decision and most importantly, he's still alive, he wasn't going to leave her. As she moved closer to his bed, she saw his eyes flicker again and again, having got false hopes up about this before, she knew that she shouldn't expect anything. She turned away and was about to head out of the door to tell the others the good news when she heard a whisper "Mon?" "Chandler, oh my god, you're awake" Monica practically screamed his name out and ran over to him. He was there with his eyes open for the first time in a week and gave her a slight smile. "Hi" he said softly "Hi" she replied back and held his hand tightly- these were the only words they said, but Monica felt it was the best conversation she had ever had in her life.
Post note: Chandler did indeed make a full recovery and quit his job after being promoted to Doug's job. He and Mon then moved to Ottawa where he became a Mountie, fighting crime and arresting nasty Russian attackers. Mon and Chandler had 5 children - all named after types of sandwich -Joey helped with the names as you may imagine
If you imagine the worst Bond film ever made (wouldn't MP be great in a Bond movie?), thrown in with a Police Academy type plot and all the drama of 'Kindergarten Cop'. Then you may be somewhere near the quality of this story. The only remotely good thing about it, is the thought of Matthew Perry...well just Matthew Perry really. We apologise, please read and attempt to enjoy. We're sorry. Ya ape!
WE Thrive on Feedback so please review it or email us at matt_deserves_an_emmy@hotmail.com
Mon stood outside Luigi's Pizza Place and impatiently looked at her watch. She had been due to meet Chandler for lunch there at 1pm, but as her watch now said 1.25, she decided to make her way to his office. As she walked, she thought about him; He had been working really hard lately and she missed him like crazy. They had so much to sort out before the wedding, but they never seemed to have the time to talk anymore. Chandler said that his company was in some sort of financial trouble, but she didn't know what and she didn't like to pry into his work. When he did come back in the late evenings, he was so tired he practically went straight to bed. She stopped at the delicatessen to buy him his favourite sandwich - Cajun Chicken with sweetcorn and then made her way into the glass tower that was his place of work and pressed the button to the 15th floor. As the doors to the elevator opened, the sight of everyone laying face down on the floor confronted her. "Monica, get out, just get out now" a familiar voice screamed at her. Stunned, she looked around the room and saw a man holding Chandler against the wall with a gun to his head. Chandler was looking at her with terror in his eyes. "MON, GET OUT QUICKLY, LEAVE..." "SHUT UP" the man with the gun growled, and pushed Chandler harder against the wall - Chandler closed his eyes, his face twisted with pain. "GET HER" She heard another man shout, and she felt herself being grabbed violently and then pushed against the wall next to Chandler. She sensed the cool metal of a gun placed at the back of her head. "Let her go" She heard Chandler say to the guy holding him "She's got nothing to do with this". A third man, who had a foreign accent, maybe Russian, Mon thought, walked over to Chandler and said so that all the room could hear "Now, that wouldn't be wise, would it? Let me guess, you two know each other" indicating Monica. Chandler spoke again, his voice strained "I've never seen her before in my life". The man, knowing that Chandler was lying, said coldly "So you won't mind then, If I kill her" Mon felt the guy walk behind her and a second barrel against her head. "NO, look do what you want with me, kill me - whatever you want, please just let her go" Chandler begged. "We're not going to kill any of you with any luck - just tell us where the money is and we'll leave you in peace" "I don't know" Chandler shouted. "Oh Come on, you're Doug's right hand man, so we've been told, he must tell you where he keeps his money" Monica, amid her fear, was confused. "I don't know what you're talking about - I didn't even know he gambled until you came". The Russian man stood closer behind Chandler "See, I don't think that you're being entirely truthful Mr. Bing, You're telling me that your boss has been using the company's money to pay off his debts and you didn't know?" Suddenly everything became clear to Monica, she moved her head so that she could try and see who was holding her, but to no avail, she squirmed, attracting the attention of the Russian, "I think I should tell your little lady what's been going on - don't you Mr. Bing?" He walked over to her - he was a large man, with blonde hair and a black leather jacket. He had a scar running across his left cheek. "You see, your friend's boss owes me some money; $1 million to be exact. I know that he has been using the company to pay off his other debts but Mr. Bing is refusing to tell me where it is". Monica looked at Chandler who was looking back at her desperately and she knew from the look on his face that he was telling the truth - he really did not know anything about this. "Why don't you just ask Doug?" She asked meekly "oh, I tried, he wasn't very co-operative". He swung Monica around where she saw the entire room properly for the first time. In the corner of the room, there was a body lying face down with a pool of blood surrounding him. All the women who worked in the office were on the floor and the men were against the wall. Monica gasped, as the full gravity of the situation made itself apparent. Then she realised something, if they had killed Doug, they would have no problem killing Chandler, whatever their promises were. She started to cry softly. She realised why Chandler had been forced to work all those long hours recently - The company had been losing money because of Doug almost to the point of bankruptcy and Chandler had been trying desperately to gain some of it back. She knew that he didn't have any idea what had been going on, and franticly shrieked "He doesn't know where it is. Let him go" "Mon, shut up, they'll kill you" Chandler yelled back "Just do as they say". A fourth person, who Monica hadn't noticed before, said in a hoarse voice "I would listen to your friend, Mon is it? You see he knows that we are armed and having seen his boss die in front of his face knows that we aren't afraid to kill. So unless you have something useful to say, don't say it at all" He stood behind Monica. She felt shivers running down her spine as she felt his breath on her neck. "Unless of course we can come to some other arrangement". She felt sick and thought she was going to pass out at any minute. "I'll tell you where it is, if you release her and everyone else unharmed" She heard Chandler shout out suddenly. "But, you don't know...." She stopped talking as Chandler looked at her directly with tears in his eyes. "I need to know you'll be safe," he said quietly. It dawned on Monica what he was doing. He was hoping that if everyone were released first, once they found out that he really didn't know where the money was, they would only kill him. She started crying again, as she knew that if they accepted, Chandler was sure to die. "Chandler, don't do this" She cried out. "It's the only way that you'll be alright," He said, his voice beginning to crack. The Russian man had walked between them "How touching" he sneered. "Well, I'll do you a deal Mr. Bing. I'll release all the women, with the exception of your lover here. If you tell me where Doug kept his money" "You have to release her too, otherwise I won't tell you" Monica wondered where the hell Chandler's courage was coming from. She had never seen him act like this before, but she realised that if the tables were reversed, she would do exactly the same for him. She knew that he loved her with all his heart, but she never realised that he loved her more than he loved himself. The words 'I would die for you' are often said, but hardly ever meant, but Chandler did mean them. The Russian spoke again "I'll put it another way Mr. Bing, either agree to my deal or I'll kill everyone in this room, including her. So what are you going to do?" Chandler was silent and looked down on the ground "Ok" he whispered.
All the women in the office filed out under the watchful eye of the attackers. Monica looked at their faces as they headed towards the elevator. Some were crying, some were pale with shock, others looked impassive. Most of them glanced towards Chandler and Monica as they walked past them - a mixture of sympathy and fear in their faces. Chandler just stood there looking down at the ground as though in another world. Monica knew he was thinking about her - he was angry with himself for not getting her out safely, but Mon was glad in a weird way that she was still there. She always thought that she would prefer to die together than alone and she knew that he died and she didn't, she wouldn't be able to live with herself. At least they could now go through this together for better or worse. Once all the women had left, the Russian came up to Chandler and pushed his head back violently "I want you to tell me where the money is" Chandler hesitated - Mon knew that he was trying to buy time. "COME ON" the Russian shouted, "If you don't tell me in the next 5 seconds, I will kill all of you" "It's in a concealed safe under Doug's Desk, but I don't know the combination number" Chandler improvised. He DID know there was a safe there, but he didn't know what, if anything, was in it. "That doesn't matter, we'll blow it". Chandler hoped that the police would arrive before they had chance to find out it wasn't there. He glanced at Monica as the Russian man and another made their way to Doug's office. There was still a man holding a gun to his head, but he took the chance and whispered "I'm sorry". Mon saw that there were tears in his eyes, "There's nothing to be sorry for" She replied quietly. Monica still couldn't quite come to terms with what was going on, this was something that happened on NYPD Blue, not to normal people like them. She couldn't understand how this had happened, and she wondered what had happened before she arrived. Then she glanced over to Doug's body lying in the corner and knew. She saw Chandler looking at Doug with a mixture of hate and sorrow in his eyes. The boom of a small explosion from next door interrupted her thoughts. The entire office shook and she saw Chandler jump a little. She could tell he was terrified at what would happen when they didn't find anything. Suddenly the fourth man, who was looking out of the window, yelled "They're storming the building, get the money quick". The Russian and the other man ran back into the office and went straight for Chandler, shouting as they ran "Its not there, this bastard lied to us". Mon saw the men run towards them both and closed her eyes - she didn't know what would happen next. The man holding the gun to Chandler's face cocked his gun and aimed for his head, but then suddenly pointed it towards Monica. She heard a shot ring out and she fell to the floor, but she wasn't in pain. She felt a heavy weight on top of her and opened her eyes, it was Chandler, who was lying motionless with his eyes closed, and she saw blood coming out of his shoulder. Monica screamed loudly and tried to wake Chandler up, but he wouldn't. She kept calling his name, hoping he would call back, but he was silent. She could see he was barely breathing, and the bloodstain on his back was becoming larger and larger. She tried to put pressure on it with her hands, making her hands covered in his blood, and it seemed to make it worse. He was too heavy for her to slide out from underneath him and all she could do was lie there. She looked at the blood on her hands and cried, holding his head. "Don't die" was all she could say, "Don't leave me Chandler, please". She felt his hands relax by her side and his heart slow down, "Chandler, NOO" Monica screamed.
The Russian man stood over them both, again pointing his gun to Chandler and then, with a smile curling his lips, pulled the trigger again. Monica closed her eyes, she knew that this was it, the end. She felt Chandler move a little as the bullet hit him in the leg, but then remained as motionless as ever. Mon heard him gasp for breath as the bullet hit him, so she knew that he was still alive. She held him closely to her, feeling his heart beat next to hers. Her heart felt like it would explode at any minute, where as Chandler's was much slower and the beats getting more spaced out as time progressed. His breathing was becoming very erratic and she could feel his faint breath next to her neck - she knew he was dying and there was nothing she could do. She cradled his head even more closely than before, hoping that someone would come to save them but nothing happened. These last five minutes seemed an eternity to Monica. She didn't know that the attackers had made a run for it down the back stairs and that there were people on the way, people who could help both of them. She began saying over and over again "Don't die" "Don't die" like a mantra, rocking his head back and forth like a small child who won't sleep. She couldn't imagine life without Chandler and she couldn't remember a time when she didn't love him, but now it was all disappearing from her and she couldn't control it. Monica heard a person run towards her and Chandler and she held his head even tighter, afraid that it was the attackers again, but it was a man in a blue uniform. The man said something to her, but she couldn't understand, all she could say was "He's dying, He's dying" through her tears.
The first face that Monica saw when she opened her eyes was Phoebe. "Pheebs, what are you doing here? Get out, They've shot him." Monica was highly confused and nearly hysterical. Phoebe looked pale but gently said "Mon, you're in the hospital. You fainted after the police came but you're gonna be ok." Monica didn't calm down "Where's Chandler? Is he ok? His breathing was all funny" Mon looked hopefully at Phoebe but then started to cry when Phoebe didn't answer her. "He's dead isn't he?" Phoebe took Monica's hand and grasped it tightly "No, no he's not dead, but he's in a very serious condition." Mon looked back up at the ceiling with tears pouring down her face "Has he woken up yet?" "No sweetie, he lost a lot of blood and the doctors had to give him a transfusion. They say it could be a couple of days before he comes round" Monica began to sob "He saved my life...that bullet was meant for me, I should be hurt, not him". Phoebe was crying, "I know sweetie, they told us everything that happened - I'm so sorry, but at least you're both still alive" Monica looked back at Phoebe "I want to see him".
Monica looked at all the people in the hospital as Phoebe pushed her in the wheelchair. There were swarms of policemen, doctors, nurses and some people who she vaguely recognised. It was only later on that she realised that they were the men in the office who were also held hostage. As Phoebe pushed her towards a set of swinging green doors, Monica saw the rest of the group sitting silently. She could see that they were all crying - she began to panic as she saw the expressions of complete bewilderment and sorrow on their faces. Phoebe stopped pushing the chair and kneeled down to Monica. Rachel kneeled down on the other side "what's going on? Why can't I see him?" Phoebe looked at Rachel then at Monica "We have to tell you something Mon, and we didn't want to tell you before but..." "you lied to me didn't you? ...He is dead" "No, I did not lie to you Monica, I would never do that. It's just Chandler...one of the bullets lodged in his lung and he can't breathe by himself so he's on a ventilator". "But I thought that was for people who were in a coma..." Monica stopped as she saw the looks on everyone's faces "He's in a coma" she said softly, "oh my god". She began to cry again as relief was replaced by the very real realisation that she could still lose him. "Do you still want to see him?" Joey asked. "More than anything" Monica said through her tears. As she was pushed into a white room, with a bunch of flowers by the window, she saw him lying there. She got out of the chair and walked unsteadily over to his side and looked at his face. Among all the tubes and machines, he looked like he was simply asleep. She smiled sadly as she traced his eyes and his nose with her fingers and then bent down to kiss him on his cheek and then his forehead. She sat by his side, half holding him and repeated into his ear "you're not going to leave me, I love you too much for that". The rest of the group stood by the door watching her, not knowing what to do next. They couldn't bring themselves to tell her about the struggle to keep him alive. When the paramedics bought him in, he wasn't breathing and then his heart stopped. The doctors managed to bring him back after what seemed an eternity, but had told them that there was a possibility of brain damage. They had had to give him three blood transfusions - he had lost so much blood, they didn't honestly think he would survive past the hour. But here he was, still fighting for his life, 4 hours after it happened.
Mon woke up from her sleep and immediately looked at Chandler but he remained as still as ever. It had now been three days since it had happened, and despite the promises that Phoebe made to her, he still hadn't woken up. Monica was beginning to lose hope. She hadn't left his side for the whole time, afraid that something might happen, afraid that she would miss crucial seconds with him, but there had been no change in his condition. She would give anything in the world for him to wake up and tell her how much he loved her but as time went on, she was feeling more and more despondent. As she was looking at him, wondering whether she would ever see those extraordinary blue eyes ever again, a doctor entered the room quietly. "Monica" he said quietly "I need to talk to you about Chandler". The doctor sat down beside her and told her the bad news - that because he hadn't woken up when they thought he would, there was a very real possibility of brain damage. Then he dropped the real bombshell "If he has not woken by the end of this week, then you will have to seriously consider whether it would be to Chandler's benefit to continue his life" Monica was confused "What do you mean?" "There will come a point when we will have to turn off his life support machine and let him go. When this time comes is entirely in your hands but we advise it to be sooner than later so as to avoid any unnecessary suffering to you and Chandler" With that the doctor left leaving Monica in a state of shock. It was up to her whether he would die or not - she couldn't understand it. This was the first time that anyone had talked to her about an undeniable likelihood that he might not make it. She stared at Chandler not being able to take any of this in, but as time continued she began to think of the decision that she would have to make soon. Initially of course, her instincts were to keep him alive as long as possible - she needed him, she wasn't ready to lose him yet. But then she thought about Chandler and what his life could be like if he was brain damaged. It would be much harder on them both if Chandler were just an empty shell unable to have his own feelings and thoughts. She knew he would hate it and end up hating her for keeping him this way for her own selfish reasons. But at the same time, she wasn't ready to say good bye to him yet and there was the possibility that he wouldn't be brain damaged. Monica looked at Chandler's face, not sure whether to follow her heart or her head.
The week passed like a nightmare - Monica kept thinking about the decision that she had to make, never reaching a complete conclusion. The others were very supportive and didn't try to sway her in either direction, but they saw the hell she was going through and they hoped it would be resolved one way or another. There was no change in Chandler either - sometimes Monica saw his eyes flicker, as though he was about to wake up but he never did. All she could hear in her mind was the endless sound of the life support machine, gently pulsating, keeping him alive. Then the turning point came. On the Saturday evening, a group of doctors came in the room and gently told Monica that she had to tell them her decision. Monica was shocked at the speed at which they needed her answer but she had pretty much came to one now in her head, although it killed her to say it. "Maybe it would be for the best if ...if we let him go" The doctor nodded and proceeded to turn off the variety of machines that surrounded Chandler. He turned off his ventilator and as he did so, Monica looked down at the ground knowing she had just signed his death warrant. The doctor pulled out the tube that gave Chandler his oxygen and then was about to turn off the bleeping heart monitor but stopped and looked puzzled at it "He's still alive". Monica looked up quickly. The doctor was checking his breathing "He's breathing spontaneously" he said excitedly "What does that mean?" Monica looked at Chandler and saw his chest move without the help of any tubes or machines "He's breathing isn't he? He's still alive" "yes he is, this is amazing" Monica was so happy that she felt she was going to throw up or cry or whatever. "You mean he's going to be alright?" " Well I'm not saying that for definite, but this is a very good sign" Monica couldn't believe this - after the complete nightmare she had gone through this week there was no need to have made any decision and most importantly, he's still alive, he wasn't going to leave her. As she moved closer to his bed, she saw his eyes flicker again and again, having got false hopes up about this before, she knew that she shouldn't expect anything. She turned away and was about to head out of the door to tell the others the good news when she heard a whisper "Mon?" "Chandler, oh my god, you're awake" Monica practically screamed his name out and ran over to him. He was there with his eyes open for the first time in a week and gave her a slight smile. "Hi" he said softly "Hi" she replied back and held his hand tightly- these were the only words they said, but Monica felt it was the best conversation she had ever had in her life.
Post note: Chandler did indeed make a full recovery and quit his job after being promoted to Doug's job. He and Mon then moved to Ottawa where he became a Mountie, fighting crime and arresting nasty Russian attackers. Mon and Chandler had 5 children - all named after types of sandwich -Joey helped with the names as you may imagine