All The Presidents Men
It had been a little over a week since Bosco's sister Tori had been stabbed by her boyfriend and up until then Bosco had no idea he even had a sister. Now life as he knew was going to be totally different. Bosco would be taking her home from the hospital to live with him. That meant he couldn't leave underwear lying around on the floor, nor could he sneak in his girl friends in. But he figured he could deal with it all.
He and Faith we're sitting in the locker room getting ready for roll call.
"So about noon we need to swing by Mercy and pick up Tori." Bosco said as he closed his locker door. "I figured we could drop he off at my place, let her get settled in and all."
"Okay sure, no problem." Faith said as they walked into roll call.
Sgt. Christopher was in charged of this morning's roll call. After calling roll he went over details and bulletins. "Seems we have been having a rash of bank robberies. Three guys have been dressing as presidents, Kennedy, Nixon, and Clinton."
"Well there's some founding fathers for you." Sully said.
"Their M.O has been one watches the door while others grab the cash. They have been using sawed off shotguns painted like the American flag. They haven't shot anyone yet, but who's to say they won't, also when they leave they have been setting off smoke bombs to create chaos. It seems to be working." Sgt. Christopher said.
"Any get-a-way cars?" Faith asked.
Yes each robbery has a different. The 1st one at Bank of New York, was a 2002 Chevy Blazer. The 2nd one at Chase Manhattan was 2002 Ford Explorer , the most recent was last evening at about a Vehicles were stolen." Christopher finished.
"They seem to like new American cars." Bosco said.
"Oh yeah, their red, white and blue all the way!" Faith said sarcastically.
"Anyways everyone have a safe day out there, Boscorelli I need to talk to you before you leave."
"Wonder what I did now." Bosco said to Faith.
"Actually you didn't do anything. I was just wondering what time your sister was being released from the hospital." Christopher asked.
"Well I was hoping to pick her about around lunch time. If that is okay?" Said Bosco.
"Yeah, sure just make sure you let dispatch know you will be unavailable for that time. No need for you to rush take, your time. I'm sure she's going to be a bit nervous and all so do what you need to do."
"Thanks Sarge. It means a lot." Bosco said as he shook his hand.
"No problem, just be careful out there."
"Will do." Bosco saluted Christopher and walked out to meet Faith.
Noon quickly came around and Bosco found himself standing in Tori's room waiting for the doctor to come in, so that he could sign her out.
"So I'm going to drop you off at my place, and then go back to work. I should be home around mid-night. You can crash on my bed and I'll take the couch. I have two days off in a row. So I can get the back bedroom together for you. We'll hit Ikea and get you whatever you want for the room." Bosco said while he rubbed her head.
"You taking me in is more then enough. You can have your own bed and I can sleep on the couch. You're the crime fighting, breading winner here Maurice. So its really no big deal if I sleep on the couch. I can handle it." She said.
"Nonsense! You will sleep in my bed! In fact you have no choice but to sleep there."
Tori cracked a small smile. "Thanks bro. It means a lot. I mean no one has ever been this nice to me." She said.
"Well they should be. You're a great girl hun." He said giving her a hug.
Tori blushed. "Thanks."
The doctor came in. "Well you a free to go, I will need you to come back here Tuesday to have your stitches taken out and see how you are healing. Other then that here's something for the pain if you need it. And I'll see you in a week."
"No problem doc I will have her back here in a week." Bosco said.
Bosco wheeled his sister out to the car. He opened the door and helped her get in. "Here ya go Princess" he said as he opened the door. He closed the door behind her then climbed up in the front seat himself.
"You hungry?" he asked her as he buckled up his seat belt.
"Hell yeah. I didn't eat too much in the hospital. That food totally sucked!" Tori said.
"Well we'll grab some pizza on the way to the house." He said. "Hope you like anchovies."
Both Faith and Tori curled up their noses. "That's just nasty Boz." Faith said driving off. "You really like them things on your pizza?" Faith asked.
"May be I do, may be I don't" Bosco said.
"For the sake of all man kind I hope you don't. If you do I rather starve then eat that pizza." Tori said.
"Well want kinds of pizza do you like?" He asked her.
"Cheese." Tori said looking at him through the rear view mirror.
"Cheese! How boring. Everyone eats cheese pizza." Bosco said.
"Everyone but you Boz. The normal people like your sister and I. We like cheese because it is normal." Faith said.
"Hey if everyone was normal the world would be a very boring place." Bosco said.
"There's nothing wrong with normal." Tori said as she adjusted her self in the seat.
They finally arrived at the pizza place Bosco ordered a cheese pizza for Tori and Faith. Then ordered him self a medium pizza with, anchovies, and sausage. Faith and Tori sat and watch him eat his pizza. Grossed out to the max.
"Are you sure you're my brother? That's one nasty pizza!" Tori said trying not to gag.
"Yes! And for your information I happen to like this pizza." Bosco told her while taking a bite.
Tori shuddered. "Gew!"
"You would eat something like that Bosco." Faith told him trying not to vomit.
They finished up their lunch and took Tori back home. Bosco helped her up the stairs, which Tori took lightly grimacing through the pain. Faith brought up the last of Tori's stuff. "Hey I was thinking maybe next Tuesday you two could come over and have dinner with us. I'll make whatever you want." She said and she placed a box on the bed.
Tori looked at Bosco.
"She can cook, she could probably make Emeril look like McDonalds." Bosco said.
"I don't want to intrude on you." Tori said.
"I'm asking you to come, how can you be intruding on me."
Tori cracked a smile. "I guess it couldn't hurt anyone." She said.
"Then Tuesday night it set. You and Boz at my place for dinner." Faith told her.
"Okay well we need to get back on our shift I should be home around midnight or so. Don't answer the door for any strangers. Look both ways before crossing the street and wait 30 minuets to go swimming after you eat." Bosco said to Tori giving her a hug.
"Ouch, be careful." Tori said.
"Oh yeah your still broken babe. I'm sorry." Bosco said giving her a gentler hug. "I'll see you later." He said as he closed the door behind him.
Tori sat down on the couch and turned on the TV.
Bosco and Faith continued on their shift. "I think I have the best sister ever. I mean she's beautiful, smart, and athletic and she's a Boscorellie!
Faith smiled. "You know Bosco I'm proud of you. I didn't think you would take her in as well as you did."
"Well at first I wasn't going to. I thought it was a hoax, but then I looked into her eyes and saw the same hurt in them that I would see in my Mom's after my Dad would beat on her. I couldn't turn my back on her. I couldn't be my father! I never want to be that man." Bosco took a deep breath and looked over at Faith then looked down at the floor of the car. "That night when see called me to her apartment. I got there. But it wasn't soon enough and I saw her as she lied there in a pool of blood. I could see my Mom in her. I could see all the pain she went through. I knew right then and there I had to do something. I couldn't stop her from getting hurt that night, but I could stop her from being hurt by that monster again. I had to step up and be the man my father wasn't. He left her just like he left me, my Mom and my Brother. Years later he was still the same son-of-a-bitch. That hurt us, this time he had another family who he was hurting. I'm going to try and be the brother I should be. It's going to be hard Faith. I know this, but no matter what I'm going to be there and keep her from getting hurt again. I want her to know what it's like having a family."
Faith looked over at Bosco and smiled. "If anyone can do it Bosco I know you can."
Meanwhile Sully and Davis were driving around on their shift.
"So Sully I hear you are searching the personal ads. Any luck?" Davis asked.
"Hey who told you?" Sully asked.
"No one. I found the paper sitting in the car. I figured it wasn't mine so it must be yours."
Sully looked down. "Yeah its me. I've been single for sometime. Thought maybe I would start fishing again."
"Any good catches?" Davis asked.
"Only a nibble from an 85 year old women." Sully said sadly.
"Ha! Sully your robbing the cradle!" Davis said while laughing.
"You're about to be in a body bag if you don't knock it off."
"Damn getting testy at your old age Sul." Davis said.
"I'm not that old." Sully said trying to defend himself. "I'm getting better with age. Just like a fine wine."
"Or maybe some cheese." Davis answered.
"5-5 Charlie from central." The dispatcher said in the middle of their conversation.
"Central this is 5-5 Charlie go ahead." Sully answered.
"5-5 Charlie report of a silent hold-up alarm at First American bank."
"Central call the bank and see if you get a response."
"10-4 5-5 Charlie. Calling First American now."
Sully and Davis sped toward the bank.
"5-5 Charlie there is no answer at First American bank." The dispatcher said.
"Thank you central. We are arriving at the scene now. We can't see inside. Send back up. My partner and I will be investigating." He said as he put the mic down.
"10-4 5-5 Charlie sending your requested back up." The dispatcher paused. "5-5 David and 5-5 Boyd respond to First American bank. 101st and Lex. On a silent hold up alarm."
Bosco picked up his mic. "5-5 David responding to First American bank 1-0-1 and Lex."
Seconds later 5-5 Boyd responded to the same call.
Sully and Davis quietly snuck up on the bank doors peering inside. They couldn't see much but a few people lying on the ground. The scanned the parking lot looking for suspects and then looked inside one more time. Slowly Sully opened the door with his gun drawn and entered. As he entered someone of the banks customers shrieked. Sully looked around. He could see smoke. He knew then it was the bank robbers they have been looking for.
"Anyone hurt?" Sully asked one of the tellers.
She shook her head no.
"Central from 5-5 Charlie. We have a confirmed robbery at this location. There are no injuries perps have gotten away at this time." Sully looked around. "Did anyone see which way they went?" He asked
"They made a left on Lexington. In a black SUV" A scared customer said.
"They were last seeing headed east bound on Lex. in an unknown black SVU. Do you copy that central"
"10-4 east bound on Lexington." The dispatcher said.
Sully, Davis, Bosco and Faith took reports from witnesses and gather some evidence.
"You know I hope we catch these SOB's soon. I'm tired of running around chasing them." Said Bosco while they all gathered in front of the bank. "I swear if I get a hold of them I will, as they say it on the street, bust a cap up in their ass."
Faith laughed. "Your so down Bosco!"
"Hey Bosco. I heard your sister got out of the hospital today?" Sully asked him.
"Yup took her back to my place just a few hours ago. Kind of weird having her around. Something totally new for me. Hope I don't scare her off." He said
"I'm sure you'll do just fine. She's past that awkward teenage stage, just have to put up with the whole monthly visitor thing and it will be all good." Sully said as he patted him on the back.
"Yeah I hope so. I just don't want to be like my father. Or any other man like that. I honestly don't think that poor girl has had any trusting relationship with a male before. She's still kind of scared of me. I want her to trust me. It looks like it's going to take whole helluva a lot of work though." Bosco said while wiping some sweat off his brow.
"Just give it time. She'll eventually trust you. You'll see." Sully said as he opened his car door. "But I'll catch up with you people later. Fat man needs to feed himself"
"See you later Sul." Faith said as she waved to him.
"Yeah see ya back at the big house." Said Bosco as he got into the 5- 5 David Squad.
Back at Engine Company 55, they were washing the engine after their last call. Jimmy Doherty was wiping of the truck when one of the other firemen came into the station. Jimmy Doherty was really a great fireman and a great man. Just didn't always get him self into the best of situations all the time. He use to gamble all the time. It got so bad one night that his car got taken away by his bookie. It wouldn't have been so bad if he didn't have Joey in the car. He ended up walking home that night with Joey. He use to cheat on Kim, with her sister. He even cheated on his wife at their wedding part. After Kim attempted suicide he changed his evil ways somewhat. Now he had custody of Joey and was doing everything to stay on the straight path.
"So I hear you guys had a cooker this morning?" Firefighter Szatowski said.
"Yeah 4-story brick apartment 3 units fully involved." Jimmy said.
"Anyone hurt?" Asked Szatowski as he took a sip of his bottled water.
"Yeah, some poor elderly lady was burned pretty bad, probably won't make it through the night."
"Damn, those always suck."
"They do, even more so when her grandchildren were standing there as wheeled her out." Jimmy said while he threw a rag into the basket.
"Ouch" Said Szatowski. "That couldn't have been too pretty."
"No it sucked. Makes me wonder why I bother with my job at all."
"Because this is who we are, this is what we do. People think we are hero's little do they know is that you and I we're just like them. The only thing different is that we find our selves in extraordinary situations. They thing crap like that doesn't bother us. That we're not human. We all bleed red Jimmy, remember that. You're here because you want too be."
"No I'm here because when I got out of high school, I didn't want to go to college. So I found the academy. Hell this job had benefits and money. I couldn't find that at the Burger Rama. I could find it at the FDNY. So years later here I am. Still wondering what the hell I was thinking. Sure when I first signed on I liked being on TV. I liked getting my name in the paper, but now if I'm on TV or my name is in the paper its because something bad has happened to someone good. Its not fair!" Jimmy slammed the door to engine 57 and walked off.
Midnight rolled around and Bosco walked up the steps to his apartment. He saw the TV flicker through the window. Maybe Tori was still up he thought, or maybe she fell asleep either way he entered quietly. Not to disturb her. He saw her lying on the couch covered up in his NYPD throw. He closed the door slowly. It made a creaking sound. Tori stirred and woke up.
"Hey how was the rest of your day." She asked sheepishly.
"Ah the same. Stupid people doing even stupider things." He said laying his uniform down on the chair. "How about you what did you do all day."
"Jacked a few liquor stores, did a few lines of the white powdery stuff." She said as she slowly sat up.
"Please tell me your joking?" Bosco asked seriously. "And you don't seriously do as you call it the white powdery stuff?"
"No I don't do that stuff. Jeez are you always this uptight. Ever think about taking a Yoga class? Or maybe even a knitting class? As for the jacking liquor stores Of course I didn't do it. Your reaction though was priceless. Where would I go? I'm in no shape to be doing any of that stuff. Plus I may break a nail." Tori examined her nails.
"Oh my God we don't need that now do we?" He said mimicking her.
"Phfffffffffffff" Tori stuck her tongue out at him. "Hey its not easy being me. So anyways what time do you start tomorrow?" she asked.
"I don't have to go in until 2pm but I don't get off till 2am. So its still a crappie shift."
"Do you think maybe you could run me to New York Savings and Loan tomorrow. I wanna withdraw some moolah!"
"Sure kiddo no problem. Anything for you." He shot her a smile. He continued to look at her.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just thinking?" he continued to smile at her.
"About...?"
"About how lucky I am to have a sister like you."
Tori blushed a little then slowly stood up. She wobbled for a few but gained her balance. "Webbles wobble but they don't fall down. As for the whole you being lucky for having me as a sister." Tori bowed "Why thank you. You're not to bad your self. And ouch maybe I should have bowed that far." Tori grabbed her side and grimaced in pain.
Bosco rushed over to her. "You okay?" He said has he lifted up the side of her shirt making sure she didn't rip any of the stitches.
Tori pushed her shirt back down and laughed at him. "Yeah I'm fine. I'm just not ready for any backhand springs yet. That's all." Tori picked up the NYPD throw folded it up and placed it over the couch. "You sure you don't want your bed. I mean after all you are the one out there ridding the world of crime. Not me. I'm only sitting on my ass watching soaps. Waiting for George and Tanya to get back together."
"Yes I'm sure. I said you could have my bed and we'd get the back bedroom set up soon. Till then I will take the couch."
"Okay if that's what you want." She said walking towards the back bedroom.
"Yes it is what I want, and Maurice Boscorellie always gets what he wants."
Tori shook her head. "Your silly."
"So did they?" Bosco asked her.
Tori looked confused. "Did they what?" "Did George and Tanya get back together?"
Tori laughed, "You actually watch that stuff? No they didn't get back together. Tanya is off whoring around on George with Darrin."
"That slut! She should stay with George. They should have never broken up. I mean George is Tanya's babies Daddy." Bosco said throwing a pillow at the TV
"I'm going to bed. The whole fact that you know more about Lake Crystal then I do is scary. Night Maurice. Don't let the bed bugs bite."
"Night Tori. See ya tomorrow." Bosco said as he turned off the TV and crawled on the couch. He had no idea that tomorrow everything, as he knew it would change in a matter of minuets.
Morning came and Bosco found himself in the kitchen making breakfast. Tori walked in. "Whatcha making? Smells good."
"Breakfast."
"No shit! So that's what they call it now-a-days." Tori said seating her self at the table. "No seriously what are you making Maurice?"
"Pancakes with bacon and eggs." He said as he tossed a pancake up in the air and catching it in the griddle.
"Nice move bro! So this meal is it going to edible. Or is it just like what I have been eating for the past week and half."
"No it's not poison if that's what you are hinting at." Bosco placed two eggs sunny side up, some maple bacon and 4 pancakes on Tori's plate. "It's breakfast the Maurice Boscorellie way."
Tori picked up the pancake syrup and covered her pancakes with it.
"Whoa! You haven't even tried your pancakes and you're already drowning the poor things in syrup." Bosco said as he took a bite of his pancakes.
"I like them this way. It doesn't matter who cooks it I still smoother them in syrup. Don't get your undies in a bunch there."
They finished their breakfast. Bosco got himself a shower, while Tori got dressed and gathered up some things of hers. After Bosco got dressed and had is uniform and gun belt he took it to his car. A blue Mustang that caught the August summer sun and shone brightly. Tori slowly came down the stairs.
"Well I will give credit where credit is due. That was one heck of a meal ya made. I don't think I've had anything that good in months."
"I'm glad you liked it hun." He said as he opened the passenger side door for Tori and helped her in. "Your chariot awaits madam." He said.
Tori got in followed by Bosco. "There's plenty of food in the refrigerator make what ya want just don't burn the house down."
"Darn and I wanted to have a bonfire in the bath tub." Tori said.
"Funny."
They arrived at the bank Bosco pulled up in front and dropped Tori off. "I'm going to drive around and find place to park. Take your time. I'll still be here." He said to Tori as she got out of the car.
"Aight see you in a few." Tori said as she closed the car door and made her way into the bank.
As Tori walked into the bank a man came up to her and slapped her on the ass. Bosco skidded the car to a stop. He hopped out of his window and sat on the door. Looking over the hood of the car. "Son-of-a bitch!"
"I got this Maurice!" she slapped the guy pretty hard. Basically knocking the taste out of his mouth. He rubbed his face then looked over at Bosco then back at Tori. "You're just like a high school kid on a Saturday. No class!"
Bosco smiled widely and slammed both his hands on the hood of his car and pointed at Tori. "You are definitely a Boscorellie!" He climbed back into the car as Tori made her into the bank.
About ten minuets later Tori came out from the bank. She saw Bosco's Mustang and walked toward it. She opened the door and got in. "They must be having some kind of costume party or something in there. They got 3 guys running around in there dressed as 3 presidents. They didn't choose good ones with. Clinton, Kennedy and Nixon. Don't know why they chose them though."
"Are you sure?" Bosco asked.
"Yes I don't think I could ever make up anything like that." Tori said giving him a concerned look. "Why what's going on?"
"Just stay here. DO NOT GET OUT OF THIS CAR! Heres my cell phone call 9-1-1 and tell them there might be a bank robbery here." Bosco said as he got his gun out of the glove box.
Tori watched Bosco walk towards the bank. She got on the phone and dialed 9-1-1.
The operator answered. "9-1-1 do you have an emergency?"
"Yeah I think I do. My brother is a cop and well he said to call you guys because there might be a bank robbery going on here. I'm not sure what he meant. There is something fishy going on here. They have 3 guys dressed as presidents up in there."
"Alright man' am can you tell me your name and what bank you are at?"
"Oh yeah that might help. I'm at New York Federal on 108th and King. My name is Tori Boscorellie and my brothers' name is Maurice Boscorellie. He's from the 55th precinct."
"Well miss I'm sending an officer please stay where you are."
"Okay." Tori said. She then hung up the phone. She couldn't see what was going on. But in the back of her head she could hear Bosco's words telling her to stay in the car. "Screw this I have to see what's going on. This is a once in a life time deal!"
Tori grabbed the keys and locked the door to the car and made her way inside the bank. She quietly entered the building so far nothing was going on. She could see her brother hiding behind a wall holding his gun at his side. She could see the guys in the masks walking up in front. They looked nervous. Bosco turned around and saw Tori. He mouthed for her to get back out side while waving her back. The robbers saw Bosco then saw that he had a gun and began to open fire. Gunfire went every were. The glass windows to the bank shattered. Glass came falling down on Tori. Bosco returned gunfire. A woman of about 40 tired to make her way to the door to get out. She was shot in the back and fell in front of Tori. Tori tried to scream but nothing came out. She crawled away from the lady's body and hid under a desk. She could see everything through the reflection in the mirror. She hoped the gunmen wouldn't see her. She saw as one of the gunmen put a gun to a teller's head and pulled the trigger. She heard him yell something. She knew that he couldn't be American. He had some accent of some kind. It seemed to be Arabic one or at least middle eastern. Tori closed her eyes and covered her ears. She hoped it would soon be over. She could still her muffled gunfire, but was too afraid to look and see what was going on. Minuets later, which seemed like hours to Tori. Everything was quiet, and still. She uncovered her ears. She couldn't hear any gunfire. She could hear customers of the bank moan in pain. The smell of the gunfire was everywhere. Afraid to stand up she stayed hiding behind the desk and the sounds of sirens grew in the distance.
Faith was showing up for her shift when one of the sergeants came up to her. "Yokas, get your things! There's been a report of a bank robbery at New York Federal. There have been reports of gunfire with many injuries."
Faith saluted her sergeant and went and got her self. She saw Sully and Davis in the locker room.
"Did you hear?" She asked.
"Yeah we're getting ready right now. Hope Bosco is okay?"
"Why what's wrong with Bosco?" Faith asked.
Sully looked at Davis. "Oh Jesus they didn't tell you?" Sully said taking a deep breath. Ty looked down at the floor.
"Tell me what Sully? What's wrong with Bosco? Is there something I should know?" Faith asked with a nervous look on her face.
"Bosco was in the bank, his sister was the one who called 9- 1-1 from his cell phone. They don't know if he's still in there. The dispatcher tired calling the cell phone back, but no one answered."
Faith began getting dressed quickly. "Oh God Sully, Bosco.." Faith closed her locker door and ran out of the locker room.
"I hope Bosco's okay and just waiting for us to come, for Faith's sake." Sully said to Davis as they left the locker room.
The five-minuet ride though the streets seemed like 5 hours to Faith. There still hadn't been word from Bosco yet. No one knew what had happened in the bank. No one had even bothered to enter the bank yet. To afraid to see the blood shed inside.
By the time Faith had arrived, they knew the where abouts of Bosco. He laid bleeding. Bosco had been shot twice. Once in the chest area, the bullet exited out his back and once in the thigh. The bullet was still lodged in his leg. Tori was still hiding. She sat in shock unable to move. When the squad Faith was riding in came to a stop. Faith flew the door open and ran for the bank. Sully stopped her.
"Look you can't go in there just yet. Wait here Faith." Sully said to her as he took her by the shoulders.
Tears ran down Faith's face. "Sully please let me go in there. Bosco needs me."
"I can't I have strict orders not to let you." Sully told her as he sat her down on the sidewalk.
"Oh god Tori! Where is she Sully? Did they find her?" Faith said as she stood up looking around for her.
"They don't know where she is. A witness said they saw a girl that looked like her hiding in the bank."
Faith sat back down on the sidewalk, she became pale. She looked up at Sully. "Please help Boz Sully?"
"I'm going to do everything possible." Sully had been in Faith shoes once before. He could clearly remember the day when is partner was shot. Ty Davis Sr. He knew what Faith was feeling and he knew that no one should ever have to have that feeling.
Engine 55 rolled up, Jimmy Doherty jumped out. The ambulance followed right behind them. Kim and Alex Taylor got out.
"This place looks like a war zone." Kim said to Alex.
"I don't even want to know what it looks like inside."
The incident commander came up to Kim and Alex. "We have many injuries and an officer down inside. It's pretty bad.
"We're on it chief!" Kim said as she and Alex got their latex gloves on.
Kim and Alex entered the bank. An officer came up to them. "I have a man down over here."
Kim and Alex made their way through the broken glass, and shot up bodies. Kim looked down then at Alex. "Damn it its Bosco!"
Kim and Alex cut off Bosco shirt seeing his chest wound. "Oh my god this isn't good." Kim said as Alex felt for a pulse. Alex looked up at Kim. "I'm not getting anything."
Tori could hear what was going on. She heard voices, they seemed to be worried ones but she knew they weren't the voices of the gunmen. She slowly stood up from under the desk to see Bosco lying in his blood. "Maurice!" She yelled running toward him.
"Damn it!" Kim yelled. "Get her out of here. She doesn't need to be seeing this at all."
"Who is she?" Alex asked as she hooked Bosco up to the monitor.
"His sister." Kim said looking at the monitor. "He's flat lined. Get the defibulator." Kim said to Alex.
Alex reached into their jump bag and took out the defibulator. She got it ready. Charged it to 200 joules. "Charging to 200 joules!" Alex said. "Clear!"
Alex shocked Bosco. Tori began crying and screaming. "No! Stop it your hurting him." Tori began hitting Alex on her shoulders. "Stop! Stop it!"
A cop peeled Tori off of Alex and pulled her out side to were Faith was sitting.
Faith saw how distraught Tori was and ran up to her holding her in her arms. "You okay? She said looking over Tori's body. "You didn't get shot?" Faith could see blood but she didn't know if it was Tori's or someone else's.
"They shot him!" she yelled as she fell to the sidewalk fainting in fright.
Faith called Doc over when she saw him pulling up in the bus. He jumped out and ran up to Faith.
"I don't know if this is her blood or not, but there a lot of. Kim and Alex are still in there working on Bosco." Faith said as she gave Tori to Doc. Doc took her in his arms as she began to wake.
"Maurice." She said. "Where is my brother?" She asked Doc.
"He's in good hands, he's going to be fine." Doc said as he laid Tori on the cot, checking to see if the blood was hers. He saw her stitches and he could tell none of them were ripped. He continued to exam her. "Did you get shot? Are you hurt?" he asked.
"I dunno. I don't think so. Glass from the windows fell on me, but that was about it." She said trying to get up from the cot. "I gotta get back there my brother needs me."
"He's in good hands. You need to stay here. Nieto! Get over her I need your help." Doc was trying to get a BP cuff on a resisting Tori. "Just lay back down Hun. I want to make sure you're not hurt."
Carlos Nieto, Doc partner jumped in. "How bad is she hurt?"
"I don't know she won't lay still long enough. I can't figure out if this blood is hers or not. I don't see any coming from anywhere, but one can't be to sure." Doc finally got the BP cuff on Tori. "BP is 110 over 70. Pulse is steady at 85."
"Please let me go back there?" Tori cried. She tired to squirm out of Docs hands.
"I see where all the blood came from." He said noticing a laceration on her head. "About ½ inch laceration on the top of her head. Doesn't look to deep just messy.
Faith opened the doors to the bus. "Kim and Alex are taking Boz to Mercy now. They have a pulse. It's weak, but better then nothing. I'm gonna ride with you guys. How is she?" She said nodding her head toward Tori.
"Small laceration about ½ inches. Other then that she's really shaken up."
Faith took Tori's hand. "Bosco's going to be fine. I promise you. He's not going to die. I won't let him and I know if there's anything he's going to fight it will be this. He's not going to leave you." Faith told her, while Doc cleaned off some of the blood on her head.
"Mercy this is rescue 55-2 we are in route to your location with a 22 year old female, caught in falling glass from the bank shoot out. Her BP is 110 over 70 pulse is 85. She has a small ½ inch laceration on her head. Bleeding has stopped. She doesn't see to have any other injuries; only thing to look out for may be PTS. We should be at your location in 7 minuets." Doc reported to Mercy.
"10-4 55-2 we will see you in 7 minuets."
They arrived at Mercy shortly behind Bosco. Doc wheeled Tori in. She was sitting up on the cot. Tears ran down her face. Faith still held on to her hand. They wheeled Tori pass the room where they were working on Bosco. Faith let go of Tori's hand.
"I'll be right back sweetie."
Tori nodded. Faith walked over to the window and watched them work on Bosco. He was flat lined again. Faith watch as the shocked Bosco. Jumping with the shock. They got a heartbeat. Faith took a deep breath. "Hang in there Bosco, hang in there. There's a girl here who needs you." She said to her self.
They got Bosco stable and rushed him up to surgery.
"Is he going to make it?" Faith asked a doctor.
"We don't know." he said following behind Bosco.
Faith went back to where Tori was. A doctor was cleaning out her wound. Tori sat up. "Maurice?"
"They're taking him up to surgery right now. How you doing?" Faith asked as she took Tori's hand.
"Good. I guess" She shrugged her shoulders "don't need stitches. Was just a nasty cut that's all" she sobbed. "Is he? Is he going to die?"
"Bosco let a little gunshot wound beat him. Hell no." Said Sully as he walked in the door. "How ya feeling?" he asked her.
"I dunno. Does it matter. I aint the one who got shot. We should be more worried about my brother. Then me."
The doctor finished cleaning out Tori's cut. "Your free to go if you want too."
Tori jumped off the bed. "I'm going up to the waiting room."
"I'll come with you okay." Faith said as she opened the door for her.
Tori got into the elevator and watched as the numbers went up. They finally got to the 7th floor. The doors opened and the waiting was filled with some of Bosco's co-workers and many guys from engine 55.
"Wow, my brother must have been pretty popular. Everyone is here. Who's gonna cover the city?"
"I'm sure they have people covering the streets. They want to get the guys who did this to him." Kim said to her.
"Thanks for helping my brother."
"I was just doing my job. That's all."
"Well either way thank you. It means a lot knowing that someone took such good care of him. If he makes it."
"If ?" Kim asked.
"Yeah if, I'm not counting chickens before they hatch. If he makes it. Its because of you and your partner."
"Thanks?" Kim said with a smile.
The elevator door opened and Fred walked through it. "Faith I heard what happened? Are you okay?" he held her in his arms.
"They shot Boz Fred, they shot Boz!" Faith broke down in his arms.
He held on to her. "He's going to be okay. I've known Boscorellie long enough to know he's going to pull through this."
A detective came up to Tori. "I'm going to need to ask you a few questions."
Tori looked up at him then down at the ground. Faith wiped her eyes and gathered her self, then walked over to Tori.
"Does she really have to do this now?" She asked the detective.
"We need to get everything while its fresh in her head."
"I honestly don't think you have to worry about her forgetting any of this any time soon." Faith looked at him. "Well I want to be in there. She needs someone."
"I'm sorry but we cannot allow that at this time." He said to her.
A figure came through the crowd. It was Sergeant Christopher. I'm going to be in there during the questioning." He told Faith.
"Take care of her, poor girls been through a lot today." She told him while looking back at Tori.
"Sure thing."
They lead Tori to a conference room. While Faith and Fred waited out side.
Tori sat in a cold metal chair.
"Tori I'm Detc. Neil Vahonic. This is Dect. Andrew King, and you already know Sgt. Christopher. We are going to be recording this for investigation purposes."
Tori nodded her head. "Yeah I met him before."
"We need you to try and remember everything that happened in the bank today. You may take your time." Dect. Vahonic said.
Tori looked over at Sgt. Christopher. "It's okay. Just take your time. We want to catch the guys who did this to your brother."
"You guys don't care about my brother. You guys just want the claim to fame. But if its going to get those bastards that shot Maurice off the street then I'm gonna do everything short of going out there and hunting them down my self."
Dect. Vahonic looked at her. "So can you tell me from start to finish of what happened today."
"Well I asked my brother to take me to the bank. I wanted to get some money." She watched as they wrote away on a yellow pad of paper. "I went into the bank and there were some guys there dressed as presidents."
"Can you tell me what presidents?" Vahonic asked.
"Yeah Kennedy, Nixon, and that pole smoker Clinton. I thought maybe that the bank was having some kind of customs party or something. I mean people who work at a bank are just a fruity as postal workers. So ya never know. I left the bank and went back to the car. I told my brother what was going on. I just thought it was funny so I had to share it with him." She took a deep breath, rubbed her eyes. "He told me to stay in the car and call 9-1-1 that there was a possible bank robbery going on. I called 9-1- 1."
"But you didn't stay in the car?"
Tori looked over at Detective Vahonic. "Would you? I wanted to see the action for my self. Had I known that it was going to turn out this way? I would have never told Maurice about it."
Vahonic continued to write down on his pad of paper. "What happen while you were in the bank?"
"Well I was hiding behind a wall I didn't want Bosco to see me. He ended up seeing me anyways. Told me to go back outside. He turned around and all hell broke loose. Bullets went everywhere." Tori began sobbing. "Some lady got shot in the back. She was only trying to get out." Tears began to run down Tori's face. "I watched them just......They just put a gun to a tellers head and pulled the trigger. I mean why would they do that? After that I made a beeline for a desk to hide behind. I stayed there until the paramedics came. That's when I saw my brother just laying there. I didn't know who shot him but he was down. I do remember them yelling something. The robbers. It wasn't clean English. They had some accent. I've been in enough New York taxi cabs to know it was Middle Eastern."
They continued writing.
"None of this would have ever happened. If I didn't ask him to take me to the bank. He wouldn't have been shot. I wouldn't be sitting here with you tools. None of this would be happening." Tori cried. " I can't believe I got my brother into this." Tori stormed out of the room and ran down the hallway.
"Tori!" Faith yelled. She looked at Sgt. Christopher. "What on earth did you say to her?"
"Its not what we said that got her worked up its what she said to us. She thinks this is her fault."
Faith watched Fred go down the hall after Tori "What did she say?"
"She thinks that if she didn't ask Bosco to take her to the bank this would have never happened."
"Oh God, poor girl. That's an awful lot of weight on one girls shoulders."
Fred followed Tori to the woman's bathroom. He knocked on the door.
"Go away!"
"Tori I'm gonna come in."
"No! Go away leave me alone! I'm a jinx I may get you shot if you come in."
Fred opened the door. "Tori." He said as he peered through the door. "Is there anyone else in here?"
"No."
"Tori you're not a jinx." He said as he sat next to her on the floor. He sniffed around. ""Hmmmm what's that smell anti bacterial soap?"
Tori cracked a small laugh. She looked at Fred. " I am too a jinx. I got my brother shot. There must be something wrong with me. What kind of girl goes and gets her brother shot?"
"It's a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time."
"It was at the wrong time alright!" she began to cry. " I don't know what I'm going to do if he dies. For the longest time I accepted the fact that he died in 9-11. Not because I wanted to but because I figured, I figured it would be easier to live that way. I wouldn't have to wonder what he was doing where he was doing it. Then I come to find out that he didn't die. I got to know him, got to find out what makes him tick. Just as things were getting comfortable this happens."
There was a knock on the door. "Tori? Fred?" Faith asked.
Fred turned around. "In here."
Faith walked in. "Tori Hun you okay?"
"UGH! Damn it why does everyone keep asking me if I'm okay? My brother was shot he could possibly die. And all everyone keeps asking is if I'm okay. No I'm not okay! Do I look okay." She broke down into tears and fell into a heap on the floor.
Faith sat down beside her and pulled Tori into her. "I'm so sorry." She said holing on to her. Faith looked up at Fred, Her face streaked with tears of Mascara. Fred bent down beside both of them. He rubbed Faiths shoulders.
A few hours had passed. The city streets became blue and white as members of New York's finest combed the street looking for the suspects. Tori still sat waiting for news on her brother. He had been up in surgery for already 3 hours.
"Thirsty." Carlos Nieto asked Tori as he handed her a can of Pepsi.
"Thanks." She sat looking down at the floor.
"Hey you hungry by any chance? I know I'm starving. Was wondering if maybe ya wanted to go down stairs and get something to eat. Maybe get away from here for a while?"
"Nah I rather just stay here see if there's any news on Maurice."
"Okay you want me to bring something up?"
"No thanks I'm not really all that hungry. Thanks for the offer though." She said opening up her soda and taking a sip of it.
"No problem. Maybe some other time."
"Yeah may be." She got up and went over to the window. Night had fallen on the city. Tori watched as ambulances came and went. She watched cars zoom up and down the street. The TV in the waiting room played a music video of 3 Doors down. The song was when I'm gone. She listened to the song and just thought. Thought of everything. Her past with Sean, her brother, her father and even her mother. Mainly just her Brother. She wondered what she was going to do with out him. There was so much they needed to catch up on. First dates, first kisses all kinds of stuff. Suddenly a door opened Tori turned around.
The doctor took off his mask. Tori took a deep breath. "Well he's out of surgery. He made it through but the next 48 hours are going to be touch and go."
"Can I go in and see him?" She asked.
"Yes but make it quick visiting hours are technically over."
Tori looked over at Faith. "You want to come with me?"
"No. I'll see him tomorrow. You go. I'll be here when you get back."
Tori walked up to Faith and gave her a hug. "Thank you for everything."
Faith looked at Tori. "No biggie. Now go on. Before the doctor changes his mind."
Tori made her way down the hallway. The walk was lonely, cold, and to Tori scary. She didn't know what to expect when she entered her brothers' room. She slowly opened the door. She could already hear the machines and monitors going. The room was dark and cold. Tori felt as if she was in an ice box and not a hospital room. Her brother laid unconcsiuos in his bed. A tube helped him breath. She walked along side his bed. Stood for a few minuets. "I'm sorry Maurice. I didn't mean to get you into this. If you don't want me around any more I'll understand. I wouldn't want someone that got me shot around either." She looked at him. Watched the heart monitor. "I really am sorry."
Tori pulled a chair next to his bed and sat with him for a little bit. After a while she figured that her time with him was up and she better get going before the doctor came in and bitched at her.
The doctor was sitting in the waiting room with Faith. "Well we repaired all the damage. Also removed the bullet in his thigh. It went in clean so it was real easy to remove." The doctor paused. "There is one thing."
Faith looked at him. "What's that?"
"The bullet that came out through his back. It nicked his spine. Theres some damage. We won't know how bad it is till he wakes up, but."
"Are you saying he could be paralyzed?" Faith asked.
He took a deep breath. "Yes."
Tori came into the waiting room. "You mean my brother isn't going to walk again?"
"Tori." Faith said as she walked over to her.
"No! get away. My brother got shot and now he's paralyzed. All because I was greedy and wanted to go the bank. I couldn't take myself. I had to ask him. I'm so damn selfish!"
"You didn't know that this was going to happen. It's not your fault. It's not anybodies fault." Faith held Tori close to her. She looked up at Fred.
"Maurice will probably never want to talk to me again. I got him shot."
"Oh Hun." Faith pulled Tori away and looked at her. Tori looked down at the ground. Faith lifted her head up by her chin. "Look at me. There's no way your brother will ever stop talking to you. Heck I can't get him to stop talking about you!"
"Really?"
"Yes. All he does is talk about you."
This made Tori feel a little bit better. "So what do we do now? How can I help him?"
"Just be the same sister he's always known. But for you lets go back to my place. You can spend the night there. We can come back here first thing in the morning." Faith took Tori into her arm and walked out with her.
They arrived at Faith's house. Tori followed her to the apartment. When they came in Emily was sitting on the couch watching TV. She turned it off. "Hi Mom."
"Emily this is Tori, Tori this is Emily."
Tori ran her fingers through her hair and looked at the floor. "Hi."
"I'm sorry about your brother."
"Thanks."
"Emily, Tori's going to spend the night here. Could you find her some pillows and blankets?"
"Can she sleep on the Aero Bed Mom in my room? Pleasssssssssseeeeeeeeeeee?"
"I don't see why not. Is that okay with you Tori?"
"Yeah I guess."
"Follow me. I'll show you my room." Tori followed behind. Walking quietly.
"That's my brother Charlie's room. He's a dork."
Emily set up the Aero Bed and got Tori some blankets and bedding stuff.
They got into their beds. Emily turned on the TV and channel surfed for a while. With out realizing it she stopped on the news.
"The man-hunt continues tonight. For 3 armed men who robbed a bank this afternoon, killing 14 people and injuring 17 others. Making it the most violent bank robbery in the history of the city. One of the injured was a New York City police officer who remains in critical condition at this hour. The bank was filled with customers on this Friday afternoon all waiting to cash there...."
Emily turned it off. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you didn't want to see that."
"It's okay. You didn't mean too."
Emily looked over at her. "What was it like?"
"What was what like?"
"In the bank? What was it like?"
Tori grew quiet. "It was scary, like World War III. I never want to see it again." She sobbed. "I was never so scared in my life. It was like a movie, but only it was really happening. I could hit the fast forward button or pause it. It just kept going." Tori wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
"I'm sorry I asked about. I didn't mean to upset you or anything."
"No it's not your fault. You were curious. If it would have happened to you, I would have asked you the same thing."
Emily looked at the floor. "It did. My Mom and I were at a bank about a year ago. Some guys came in and held us hostage. It wasn't as violent as what you went through today, but it was just as scary. I still have dreams about it to this day. I never mention it to my Mom or Dad. I want them to think I'm okay. Now I've found someone who's been through a similar thing and its good to be able to talk about it."
Tori looked over at her. "Wow! Did it feel like time was standing still? That it was never going to end."
"Yeah. I felt like I was living a nightmare. I pinched my self."
"And it hurt?"
"Yeah." Emily said quietly. "Please don't tell my Mom"
Tori shook her head. "I won't."
The night was restless for Tori. She didn't sleep much. Nightmares of the shooting filled her head. She deiced that she couldn't sleep went into the living room and watched the late, late, late night theater of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Eventually she fell asleep.
She awoke to the smell of breakfast being made. She gathered herself and went into the kitchen.
"Couldn't sleep last night?"
"No, Didn't want to keep Emily awake so I went in the living room and watched some TV."
"I hear Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was on?"
"Oh I didn't wake you did I?" She asked
"No I couldn't sleep to well either. Fred's snoring sounds like a Mack truck, that and well I had other things on my mind."
"Yeah me too."
"Visiting hours start at 10am. I figured we can leave here at 9:30, we'll make it just in time."
Tori soon found her self, walking through the hospital hallways to her brothers' bedroom. He had been taken off the ventilator last night and was now breathing on his own. She knew that was a step in the right direction. When she got to his room she was surprised to see him wake. "Hey." She walked over to his bed.
"Hey Hun." Bosco said weekly.
"You're looking a lot better then the last time I saw you."
"You didn't get hurt did you?"
"Not really just a little cut, that's all. Everyone was here last night. Sully, Davis, Faith, a few of the guys from Eng. 55." "Really?"
"Yeah, now they're all looking for the bastards that did this to you. I tried to give them as much detail as I could. I don't know if it will work though. I hope so."
"I'm sorry you had to see that."
Tori looked at him. "If I would have listened to you I would have never seen any of this."
"If you would have listened to me, you wouldn't have been able to help them out."
Faith walked in. "Well good morning sunshine."
Bosco slowly looked over at Faith. "Hey."
"I got word that they think they have found the guys."
"Are you serious?" Tori asked.
"Yes at some warehouse about 5 blocks from the bank. I'm going out there right now. I just thought I'd let you know."
"God I hope its them." Tori said while looking at her brother.
"Yeah me too. Well I better get going. I'll see you later tonight."
Tori nodded her head then looked over at Bosco. He looked down at his legs.
"So I guess they told you."
"Yeah last night, but they did say it might just be a temporary thing." Tori said trying to sound uplifting.
Bosco hit his bed with his fists." Damn it!" he picked up his water pitcher and threw it against the wall.
Tori looked scared. "Maurice." she saw a tear run down his face.
"What if I never walk again?"
"Don't say that. You will walk again. You're like Clint Eastwood. Rough, tough and you won't take shit from anyone or anything." He looked at Tori who was trying to clean up the water that was spilled when he threw the pitcher. She looked up at him. "We're going to get through this. It probably won't be easy but I'm not going to let you quit."
Faith pulled up to the scene. Sully met her at her car. "Are they sure it's them?"
"Positive." Sully said. "One of the gunmen turned the other two in as a plea bargain. We didn't know this is what was going to happen out of it. ESU is about to force their way in. I have a feeling it's going to get bloody. So how's Bosco?"
"Well he has some spinal damage, they don't know how long it will last."
"Yeah I heard that last night, makes me want to get a piece of these assholes even more. How is Tori handling it all?"
"Well she didn't get much sleep last night, she's doing pretty good for what happened. I think when everything settles is when we will see how she really feels."
"Or maybe not, if she's anything like Bosco she'll just keep it to her self, or at least try too."
Suddenly Faith and Sully heard a loud explosion, used to distract the suspects so ESU could enter.
"Here we go." Faith said as she took cover behind Sully's squad. Davis was already there.
"So you think this is going to end peacefully?" Davis asked Sully as they heard gunfire.
"Does that answer your question?" Sully said as he peered out over his car door.
Gunfire came through an upstairs window.
"5-5 Charlie to command, we have gunfire out the 2nd story west side window." Sully said while trying to protect him self.
"10-4 5-5 Charlie. All units be advised we have gunfire reported from the 2nd story west side window."
The gunfire continued, as one of the suspects entered the roof and began to open fire on all the officers.
"Okay now he pissed me off." Faith stood up and opened fire on the suspect. She shot five shots finally hitting him with the sixth one.
"Nice shot!" Davis said
"Yeah all those years of squirt gun fights with my son paid off. I hope I killed the bastard."
The gun battle ended 30 minuets later with both suspects killed, and the third one in police custody. The city no longer had to live in fear of the bank robbers.
The next step was healing. For the victims, and family members of that horrible day.
Bosco had to heal himself. Both physically and mentally. Tori mentally. Nightmares of the ordeal still would haunt her for years to come.
It had been a little over a week since Bosco's sister Tori had been stabbed by her boyfriend and up until then Bosco had no idea he even had a sister. Now life as he knew was going to be totally different. Bosco would be taking her home from the hospital to live with him. That meant he couldn't leave underwear lying around on the floor, nor could he sneak in his girl friends in. But he figured he could deal with it all.
He and Faith we're sitting in the locker room getting ready for roll call.
"So about noon we need to swing by Mercy and pick up Tori." Bosco said as he closed his locker door. "I figured we could drop he off at my place, let her get settled in and all."
"Okay sure, no problem." Faith said as they walked into roll call.
Sgt. Christopher was in charged of this morning's roll call. After calling roll he went over details and bulletins. "Seems we have been having a rash of bank robberies. Three guys have been dressing as presidents, Kennedy, Nixon, and Clinton."
"Well there's some founding fathers for you." Sully said.
"Their M.O has been one watches the door while others grab the cash. They have been using sawed off shotguns painted like the American flag. They haven't shot anyone yet, but who's to say they won't, also when they leave they have been setting off smoke bombs to create chaos. It seems to be working." Sgt. Christopher said.
"Any get-a-way cars?" Faith asked.
Yes each robbery has a different. The 1st one at Bank of New York, was a 2002 Chevy Blazer. The 2nd one at Chase Manhattan was 2002 Ford Explorer , the most recent was last evening at about a Vehicles were stolen." Christopher finished.
"They seem to like new American cars." Bosco said.
"Oh yeah, their red, white and blue all the way!" Faith said sarcastically.
"Anyways everyone have a safe day out there, Boscorelli I need to talk to you before you leave."
"Wonder what I did now." Bosco said to Faith.
"Actually you didn't do anything. I was just wondering what time your sister was being released from the hospital." Christopher asked.
"Well I was hoping to pick her about around lunch time. If that is okay?" Said Bosco.
"Yeah, sure just make sure you let dispatch know you will be unavailable for that time. No need for you to rush take, your time. I'm sure she's going to be a bit nervous and all so do what you need to do."
"Thanks Sarge. It means a lot." Bosco said as he shook his hand.
"No problem, just be careful out there."
"Will do." Bosco saluted Christopher and walked out to meet Faith.
Noon quickly came around and Bosco found himself standing in Tori's room waiting for the doctor to come in, so that he could sign her out.
"So I'm going to drop you off at my place, and then go back to work. I should be home around mid-night. You can crash on my bed and I'll take the couch. I have two days off in a row. So I can get the back bedroom together for you. We'll hit Ikea and get you whatever you want for the room." Bosco said while he rubbed her head.
"You taking me in is more then enough. You can have your own bed and I can sleep on the couch. You're the crime fighting, breading winner here Maurice. So its really no big deal if I sleep on the couch. I can handle it." She said.
"Nonsense! You will sleep in my bed! In fact you have no choice but to sleep there."
Tori cracked a small smile. "Thanks bro. It means a lot. I mean no one has ever been this nice to me." She said.
"Well they should be. You're a great girl hun." He said giving her a hug.
Tori blushed. "Thanks."
The doctor came in. "Well you a free to go, I will need you to come back here Tuesday to have your stitches taken out and see how you are healing. Other then that here's something for the pain if you need it. And I'll see you in a week."
"No problem doc I will have her back here in a week." Bosco said.
Bosco wheeled his sister out to the car. He opened the door and helped her get in. "Here ya go Princess" he said as he opened the door. He closed the door behind her then climbed up in the front seat himself.
"You hungry?" he asked her as he buckled up his seat belt.
"Hell yeah. I didn't eat too much in the hospital. That food totally sucked!" Tori said.
"Well we'll grab some pizza on the way to the house." He said. "Hope you like anchovies."
Both Faith and Tori curled up their noses. "That's just nasty Boz." Faith said driving off. "You really like them things on your pizza?" Faith asked.
"May be I do, may be I don't" Bosco said.
"For the sake of all man kind I hope you don't. If you do I rather starve then eat that pizza." Tori said.
"Well want kinds of pizza do you like?" He asked her.
"Cheese." Tori said looking at him through the rear view mirror.
"Cheese! How boring. Everyone eats cheese pizza." Bosco said.
"Everyone but you Boz. The normal people like your sister and I. We like cheese because it is normal." Faith said.
"Hey if everyone was normal the world would be a very boring place." Bosco said.
"There's nothing wrong with normal." Tori said as she adjusted her self in the seat.
They finally arrived at the pizza place Bosco ordered a cheese pizza for Tori and Faith. Then ordered him self a medium pizza with, anchovies, and sausage. Faith and Tori sat and watch him eat his pizza. Grossed out to the max.
"Are you sure you're my brother? That's one nasty pizza!" Tori said trying not to gag.
"Yes! And for your information I happen to like this pizza." Bosco told her while taking a bite.
Tori shuddered. "Gew!"
"You would eat something like that Bosco." Faith told him trying not to vomit.
They finished up their lunch and took Tori back home. Bosco helped her up the stairs, which Tori took lightly grimacing through the pain. Faith brought up the last of Tori's stuff. "Hey I was thinking maybe next Tuesday you two could come over and have dinner with us. I'll make whatever you want." She said and she placed a box on the bed.
Tori looked at Bosco.
"She can cook, she could probably make Emeril look like McDonalds." Bosco said.
"I don't want to intrude on you." Tori said.
"I'm asking you to come, how can you be intruding on me."
Tori cracked a smile. "I guess it couldn't hurt anyone." She said.
"Then Tuesday night it set. You and Boz at my place for dinner." Faith told her.
"Okay well we need to get back on our shift I should be home around midnight or so. Don't answer the door for any strangers. Look both ways before crossing the street and wait 30 minuets to go swimming after you eat." Bosco said to Tori giving her a hug.
"Ouch, be careful." Tori said.
"Oh yeah your still broken babe. I'm sorry." Bosco said giving her a gentler hug. "I'll see you later." He said as he closed the door behind him.
Tori sat down on the couch and turned on the TV.
Bosco and Faith continued on their shift. "I think I have the best sister ever. I mean she's beautiful, smart, and athletic and she's a Boscorellie!
Faith smiled. "You know Bosco I'm proud of you. I didn't think you would take her in as well as you did."
"Well at first I wasn't going to. I thought it was a hoax, but then I looked into her eyes and saw the same hurt in them that I would see in my Mom's after my Dad would beat on her. I couldn't turn my back on her. I couldn't be my father! I never want to be that man." Bosco took a deep breath and looked over at Faith then looked down at the floor of the car. "That night when see called me to her apartment. I got there. But it wasn't soon enough and I saw her as she lied there in a pool of blood. I could see my Mom in her. I could see all the pain she went through. I knew right then and there I had to do something. I couldn't stop her from getting hurt that night, but I could stop her from being hurt by that monster again. I had to step up and be the man my father wasn't. He left her just like he left me, my Mom and my Brother. Years later he was still the same son-of-a-bitch. That hurt us, this time he had another family who he was hurting. I'm going to try and be the brother I should be. It's going to be hard Faith. I know this, but no matter what I'm going to be there and keep her from getting hurt again. I want her to know what it's like having a family."
Faith looked over at Bosco and smiled. "If anyone can do it Bosco I know you can."
Meanwhile Sully and Davis were driving around on their shift.
"So Sully I hear you are searching the personal ads. Any luck?" Davis asked.
"Hey who told you?" Sully asked.
"No one. I found the paper sitting in the car. I figured it wasn't mine so it must be yours."
Sully looked down. "Yeah its me. I've been single for sometime. Thought maybe I would start fishing again."
"Any good catches?" Davis asked.
"Only a nibble from an 85 year old women." Sully said sadly.
"Ha! Sully your robbing the cradle!" Davis said while laughing.
"You're about to be in a body bag if you don't knock it off."
"Damn getting testy at your old age Sul." Davis said.
"I'm not that old." Sully said trying to defend himself. "I'm getting better with age. Just like a fine wine."
"Or maybe some cheese." Davis answered.
"5-5 Charlie from central." The dispatcher said in the middle of their conversation.
"Central this is 5-5 Charlie go ahead." Sully answered.
"5-5 Charlie report of a silent hold-up alarm at First American bank."
"Central call the bank and see if you get a response."
"10-4 5-5 Charlie. Calling First American now."
Sully and Davis sped toward the bank.
"5-5 Charlie there is no answer at First American bank." The dispatcher said.
"Thank you central. We are arriving at the scene now. We can't see inside. Send back up. My partner and I will be investigating." He said as he put the mic down.
"10-4 5-5 Charlie sending your requested back up." The dispatcher paused. "5-5 David and 5-5 Boyd respond to First American bank. 101st and Lex. On a silent hold up alarm."
Bosco picked up his mic. "5-5 David responding to First American bank 1-0-1 and Lex."
Seconds later 5-5 Boyd responded to the same call.
Sully and Davis quietly snuck up on the bank doors peering inside. They couldn't see much but a few people lying on the ground. The scanned the parking lot looking for suspects and then looked inside one more time. Slowly Sully opened the door with his gun drawn and entered. As he entered someone of the banks customers shrieked. Sully looked around. He could see smoke. He knew then it was the bank robbers they have been looking for.
"Anyone hurt?" Sully asked one of the tellers.
She shook her head no.
"Central from 5-5 Charlie. We have a confirmed robbery at this location. There are no injuries perps have gotten away at this time." Sully looked around. "Did anyone see which way they went?" He asked
"They made a left on Lexington. In a black SUV" A scared customer said.
"They were last seeing headed east bound on Lex. in an unknown black SVU. Do you copy that central"
"10-4 east bound on Lexington." The dispatcher said.
Sully, Davis, Bosco and Faith took reports from witnesses and gather some evidence.
"You know I hope we catch these SOB's soon. I'm tired of running around chasing them." Said Bosco while they all gathered in front of the bank. "I swear if I get a hold of them I will, as they say it on the street, bust a cap up in their ass."
Faith laughed. "Your so down Bosco!"
"Hey Bosco. I heard your sister got out of the hospital today?" Sully asked him.
"Yup took her back to my place just a few hours ago. Kind of weird having her around. Something totally new for me. Hope I don't scare her off." He said
"I'm sure you'll do just fine. She's past that awkward teenage stage, just have to put up with the whole monthly visitor thing and it will be all good." Sully said as he patted him on the back.
"Yeah I hope so. I just don't want to be like my father. Or any other man like that. I honestly don't think that poor girl has had any trusting relationship with a male before. She's still kind of scared of me. I want her to trust me. It looks like it's going to take whole helluva a lot of work though." Bosco said while wiping some sweat off his brow.
"Just give it time. She'll eventually trust you. You'll see." Sully said as he opened his car door. "But I'll catch up with you people later. Fat man needs to feed himself"
"See you later Sul." Faith said as she waved to him.
"Yeah see ya back at the big house." Said Bosco as he got into the 5- 5 David Squad.
Back at Engine Company 55, they were washing the engine after their last call. Jimmy Doherty was wiping of the truck when one of the other firemen came into the station. Jimmy Doherty was really a great fireman and a great man. Just didn't always get him self into the best of situations all the time. He use to gamble all the time. It got so bad one night that his car got taken away by his bookie. It wouldn't have been so bad if he didn't have Joey in the car. He ended up walking home that night with Joey. He use to cheat on Kim, with her sister. He even cheated on his wife at their wedding part. After Kim attempted suicide he changed his evil ways somewhat. Now he had custody of Joey and was doing everything to stay on the straight path.
"So I hear you guys had a cooker this morning?" Firefighter Szatowski said.
"Yeah 4-story brick apartment 3 units fully involved." Jimmy said.
"Anyone hurt?" Asked Szatowski as he took a sip of his bottled water.
"Yeah, some poor elderly lady was burned pretty bad, probably won't make it through the night."
"Damn, those always suck."
"They do, even more so when her grandchildren were standing there as wheeled her out." Jimmy said while he threw a rag into the basket.
"Ouch" Said Szatowski. "That couldn't have been too pretty."
"No it sucked. Makes me wonder why I bother with my job at all."
"Because this is who we are, this is what we do. People think we are hero's little do they know is that you and I we're just like them. The only thing different is that we find our selves in extraordinary situations. They thing crap like that doesn't bother us. That we're not human. We all bleed red Jimmy, remember that. You're here because you want too be."
"No I'm here because when I got out of high school, I didn't want to go to college. So I found the academy. Hell this job had benefits and money. I couldn't find that at the Burger Rama. I could find it at the FDNY. So years later here I am. Still wondering what the hell I was thinking. Sure when I first signed on I liked being on TV. I liked getting my name in the paper, but now if I'm on TV or my name is in the paper its because something bad has happened to someone good. Its not fair!" Jimmy slammed the door to engine 57 and walked off.
Midnight rolled around and Bosco walked up the steps to his apartment. He saw the TV flicker through the window. Maybe Tori was still up he thought, or maybe she fell asleep either way he entered quietly. Not to disturb her. He saw her lying on the couch covered up in his NYPD throw. He closed the door slowly. It made a creaking sound. Tori stirred and woke up.
"Hey how was the rest of your day." She asked sheepishly.
"Ah the same. Stupid people doing even stupider things." He said laying his uniform down on the chair. "How about you what did you do all day."
"Jacked a few liquor stores, did a few lines of the white powdery stuff." She said as she slowly sat up.
"Please tell me your joking?" Bosco asked seriously. "And you don't seriously do as you call it the white powdery stuff?"
"No I don't do that stuff. Jeez are you always this uptight. Ever think about taking a Yoga class? Or maybe even a knitting class? As for the jacking liquor stores Of course I didn't do it. Your reaction though was priceless. Where would I go? I'm in no shape to be doing any of that stuff. Plus I may break a nail." Tori examined her nails.
"Oh my God we don't need that now do we?" He said mimicking her.
"Phfffffffffffff" Tori stuck her tongue out at him. "Hey its not easy being me. So anyways what time do you start tomorrow?" she asked.
"I don't have to go in until 2pm but I don't get off till 2am. So its still a crappie shift."
"Do you think maybe you could run me to New York Savings and Loan tomorrow. I wanna withdraw some moolah!"
"Sure kiddo no problem. Anything for you." He shot her a smile. He continued to look at her.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just thinking?" he continued to smile at her.
"About...?"
"About how lucky I am to have a sister like you."
Tori blushed a little then slowly stood up. She wobbled for a few but gained her balance. "Webbles wobble but they don't fall down. As for the whole you being lucky for having me as a sister." Tori bowed "Why thank you. You're not to bad your self. And ouch maybe I should have bowed that far." Tori grabbed her side and grimaced in pain.
Bosco rushed over to her. "You okay?" He said has he lifted up the side of her shirt making sure she didn't rip any of the stitches.
Tori pushed her shirt back down and laughed at him. "Yeah I'm fine. I'm just not ready for any backhand springs yet. That's all." Tori picked up the NYPD throw folded it up and placed it over the couch. "You sure you don't want your bed. I mean after all you are the one out there ridding the world of crime. Not me. I'm only sitting on my ass watching soaps. Waiting for George and Tanya to get back together."
"Yes I'm sure. I said you could have my bed and we'd get the back bedroom set up soon. Till then I will take the couch."
"Okay if that's what you want." She said walking towards the back bedroom.
"Yes it is what I want, and Maurice Boscorellie always gets what he wants."
Tori shook her head. "Your silly."
"So did they?" Bosco asked her.
Tori looked confused. "Did they what?" "Did George and Tanya get back together?"
Tori laughed, "You actually watch that stuff? No they didn't get back together. Tanya is off whoring around on George with Darrin."
"That slut! She should stay with George. They should have never broken up. I mean George is Tanya's babies Daddy." Bosco said throwing a pillow at the TV
"I'm going to bed. The whole fact that you know more about Lake Crystal then I do is scary. Night Maurice. Don't let the bed bugs bite."
"Night Tori. See ya tomorrow." Bosco said as he turned off the TV and crawled on the couch. He had no idea that tomorrow everything, as he knew it would change in a matter of minuets.
Morning came and Bosco found himself in the kitchen making breakfast. Tori walked in. "Whatcha making? Smells good."
"Breakfast."
"No shit! So that's what they call it now-a-days." Tori said seating her self at the table. "No seriously what are you making Maurice?"
"Pancakes with bacon and eggs." He said as he tossed a pancake up in the air and catching it in the griddle.
"Nice move bro! So this meal is it going to edible. Or is it just like what I have been eating for the past week and half."
"No it's not poison if that's what you are hinting at." Bosco placed two eggs sunny side up, some maple bacon and 4 pancakes on Tori's plate. "It's breakfast the Maurice Boscorellie way."
Tori picked up the pancake syrup and covered her pancakes with it.
"Whoa! You haven't even tried your pancakes and you're already drowning the poor things in syrup." Bosco said as he took a bite of his pancakes.
"I like them this way. It doesn't matter who cooks it I still smoother them in syrup. Don't get your undies in a bunch there."
They finished their breakfast. Bosco got himself a shower, while Tori got dressed and gathered up some things of hers. After Bosco got dressed and had is uniform and gun belt he took it to his car. A blue Mustang that caught the August summer sun and shone brightly. Tori slowly came down the stairs.
"Well I will give credit where credit is due. That was one heck of a meal ya made. I don't think I've had anything that good in months."
"I'm glad you liked it hun." He said as he opened the passenger side door for Tori and helped her in. "Your chariot awaits madam." He said.
Tori got in followed by Bosco. "There's plenty of food in the refrigerator make what ya want just don't burn the house down."
"Darn and I wanted to have a bonfire in the bath tub." Tori said.
"Funny."
They arrived at the bank Bosco pulled up in front and dropped Tori off. "I'm going to drive around and find place to park. Take your time. I'll still be here." He said to Tori as she got out of the car.
"Aight see you in a few." Tori said as she closed the car door and made her way into the bank.
As Tori walked into the bank a man came up to her and slapped her on the ass. Bosco skidded the car to a stop. He hopped out of his window and sat on the door. Looking over the hood of the car. "Son-of-a bitch!"
"I got this Maurice!" she slapped the guy pretty hard. Basically knocking the taste out of his mouth. He rubbed his face then looked over at Bosco then back at Tori. "You're just like a high school kid on a Saturday. No class!"
Bosco smiled widely and slammed both his hands on the hood of his car and pointed at Tori. "You are definitely a Boscorellie!" He climbed back into the car as Tori made her into the bank.
About ten minuets later Tori came out from the bank. She saw Bosco's Mustang and walked toward it. She opened the door and got in. "They must be having some kind of costume party or something in there. They got 3 guys running around in there dressed as 3 presidents. They didn't choose good ones with. Clinton, Kennedy and Nixon. Don't know why they chose them though."
"Are you sure?" Bosco asked.
"Yes I don't think I could ever make up anything like that." Tori said giving him a concerned look. "Why what's going on?"
"Just stay here. DO NOT GET OUT OF THIS CAR! Heres my cell phone call 9-1-1 and tell them there might be a bank robbery here." Bosco said as he got his gun out of the glove box.
Tori watched Bosco walk towards the bank. She got on the phone and dialed 9-1-1.
The operator answered. "9-1-1 do you have an emergency?"
"Yeah I think I do. My brother is a cop and well he said to call you guys because there might be a bank robbery going on here. I'm not sure what he meant. There is something fishy going on here. They have 3 guys dressed as presidents up in there."
"Alright man' am can you tell me your name and what bank you are at?"
"Oh yeah that might help. I'm at New York Federal on 108th and King. My name is Tori Boscorellie and my brothers' name is Maurice Boscorellie. He's from the 55th precinct."
"Well miss I'm sending an officer please stay where you are."
"Okay." Tori said. She then hung up the phone. She couldn't see what was going on. But in the back of her head she could hear Bosco's words telling her to stay in the car. "Screw this I have to see what's going on. This is a once in a life time deal!"
Tori grabbed the keys and locked the door to the car and made her way inside the bank. She quietly entered the building so far nothing was going on. She could see her brother hiding behind a wall holding his gun at his side. She could see the guys in the masks walking up in front. They looked nervous. Bosco turned around and saw Tori. He mouthed for her to get back out side while waving her back. The robbers saw Bosco then saw that he had a gun and began to open fire. Gunfire went every were. The glass windows to the bank shattered. Glass came falling down on Tori. Bosco returned gunfire. A woman of about 40 tired to make her way to the door to get out. She was shot in the back and fell in front of Tori. Tori tried to scream but nothing came out. She crawled away from the lady's body and hid under a desk. She could see everything through the reflection in the mirror. She hoped the gunmen wouldn't see her. She saw as one of the gunmen put a gun to a teller's head and pulled the trigger. She heard him yell something. She knew that he couldn't be American. He had some accent of some kind. It seemed to be Arabic one or at least middle eastern. Tori closed her eyes and covered her ears. She hoped it would soon be over. She could still her muffled gunfire, but was too afraid to look and see what was going on. Minuets later, which seemed like hours to Tori. Everything was quiet, and still. She uncovered her ears. She couldn't hear any gunfire. She could hear customers of the bank moan in pain. The smell of the gunfire was everywhere. Afraid to stand up she stayed hiding behind the desk and the sounds of sirens grew in the distance.
Faith was showing up for her shift when one of the sergeants came up to her. "Yokas, get your things! There's been a report of a bank robbery at New York Federal. There have been reports of gunfire with many injuries."
Faith saluted her sergeant and went and got her self. She saw Sully and Davis in the locker room.
"Did you hear?" She asked.
"Yeah we're getting ready right now. Hope Bosco is okay?"
"Why what's wrong with Bosco?" Faith asked.
Sully looked at Davis. "Oh Jesus they didn't tell you?" Sully said taking a deep breath. Ty looked down at the floor.
"Tell me what Sully? What's wrong with Bosco? Is there something I should know?" Faith asked with a nervous look on her face.
"Bosco was in the bank, his sister was the one who called 9- 1-1 from his cell phone. They don't know if he's still in there. The dispatcher tired calling the cell phone back, but no one answered."
Faith began getting dressed quickly. "Oh God Sully, Bosco.." Faith closed her locker door and ran out of the locker room.
"I hope Bosco's okay and just waiting for us to come, for Faith's sake." Sully said to Davis as they left the locker room.
The five-minuet ride though the streets seemed like 5 hours to Faith. There still hadn't been word from Bosco yet. No one knew what had happened in the bank. No one had even bothered to enter the bank yet. To afraid to see the blood shed inside.
By the time Faith had arrived, they knew the where abouts of Bosco. He laid bleeding. Bosco had been shot twice. Once in the chest area, the bullet exited out his back and once in the thigh. The bullet was still lodged in his leg. Tori was still hiding. She sat in shock unable to move. When the squad Faith was riding in came to a stop. Faith flew the door open and ran for the bank. Sully stopped her.
"Look you can't go in there just yet. Wait here Faith." Sully said to her as he took her by the shoulders.
Tears ran down Faith's face. "Sully please let me go in there. Bosco needs me."
"I can't I have strict orders not to let you." Sully told her as he sat her down on the sidewalk.
"Oh god Tori! Where is she Sully? Did they find her?" Faith said as she stood up looking around for her.
"They don't know where she is. A witness said they saw a girl that looked like her hiding in the bank."
Faith sat back down on the sidewalk, she became pale. She looked up at Sully. "Please help Boz Sully?"
"I'm going to do everything possible." Sully had been in Faith shoes once before. He could clearly remember the day when is partner was shot. Ty Davis Sr. He knew what Faith was feeling and he knew that no one should ever have to have that feeling.
Engine 55 rolled up, Jimmy Doherty jumped out. The ambulance followed right behind them. Kim and Alex Taylor got out.
"This place looks like a war zone." Kim said to Alex.
"I don't even want to know what it looks like inside."
The incident commander came up to Kim and Alex. "We have many injuries and an officer down inside. It's pretty bad.
"We're on it chief!" Kim said as she and Alex got their latex gloves on.
Kim and Alex entered the bank. An officer came up to them. "I have a man down over here."
Kim and Alex made their way through the broken glass, and shot up bodies. Kim looked down then at Alex. "Damn it its Bosco!"
Kim and Alex cut off Bosco shirt seeing his chest wound. "Oh my god this isn't good." Kim said as Alex felt for a pulse. Alex looked up at Kim. "I'm not getting anything."
Tori could hear what was going on. She heard voices, they seemed to be worried ones but she knew they weren't the voices of the gunmen. She slowly stood up from under the desk to see Bosco lying in his blood. "Maurice!" She yelled running toward him.
"Damn it!" Kim yelled. "Get her out of here. She doesn't need to be seeing this at all."
"Who is she?" Alex asked as she hooked Bosco up to the monitor.
"His sister." Kim said looking at the monitor. "He's flat lined. Get the defibulator." Kim said to Alex.
Alex reached into their jump bag and took out the defibulator. She got it ready. Charged it to 200 joules. "Charging to 200 joules!" Alex said. "Clear!"
Alex shocked Bosco. Tori began crying and screaming. "No! Stop it your hurting him." Tori began hitting Alex on her shoulders. "Stop! Stop it!"
A cop peeled Tori off of Alex and pulled her out side to were Faith was sitting.
Faith saw how distraught Tori was and ran up to her holding her in her arms. "You okay? She said looking over Tori's body. "You didn't get shot?" Faith could see blood but she didn't know if it was Tori's or someone else's.
"They shot him!" she yelled as she fell to the sidewalk fainting in fright.
Faith called Doc over when she saw him pulling up in the bus. He jumped out and ran up to Faith.
"I don't know if this is her blood or not, but there a lot of. Kim and Alex are still in there working on Bosco." Faith said as she gave Tori to Doc. Doc took her in his arms as she began to wake.
"Maurice." She said. "Where is my brother?" She asked Doc.
"He's in good hands, he's going to be fine." Doc said as he laid Tori on the cot, checking to see if the blood was hers. He saw her stitches and he could tell none of them were ripped. He continued to exam her. "Did you get shot? Are you hurt?" he asked.
"I dunno. I don't think so. Glass from the windows fell on me, but that was about it." She said trying to get up from the cot. "I gotta get back there my brother needs me."
"He's in good hands. You need to stay here. Nieto! Get over her I need your help." Doc was trying to get a BP cuff on a resisting Tori. "Just lay back down Hun. I want to make sure you're not hurt."
Carlos Nieto, Doc partner jumped in. "How bad is she hurt?"
"I don't know she won't lay still long enough. I can't figure out if this blood is hers or not. I don't see any coming from anywhere, but one can't be to sure." Doc finally got the BP cuff on Tori. "BP is 110 over 70. Pulse is steady at 85."
"Please let me go back there?" Tori cried. She tired to squirm out of Docs hands.
"I see where all the blood came from." He said noticing a laceration on her head. "About ½ inch laceration on the top of her head. Doesn't look to deep just messy.
Faith opened the doors to the bus. "Kim and Alex are taking Boz to Mercy now. They have a pulse. It's weak, but better then nothing. I'm gonna ride with you guys. How is she?" She said nodding her head toward Tori.
"Small laceration about ½ inches. Other then that she's really shaken up."
Faith took Tori's hand. "Bosco's going to be fine. I promise you. He's not going to die. I won't let him and I know if there's anything he's going to fight it will be this. He's not going to leave you." Faith told her, while Doc cleaned off some of the blood on her head.
"Mercy this is rescue 55-2 we are in route to your location with a 22 year old female, caught in falling glass from the bank shoot out. Her BP is 110 over 70 pulse is 85. She has a small ½ inch laceration on her head. Bleeding has stopped. She doesn't see to have any other injuries; only thing to look out for may be PTS. We should be at your location in 7 minuets." Doc reported to Mercy.
"10-4 55-2 we will see you in 7 minuets."
They arrived at Mercy shortly behind Bosco. Doc wheeled Tori in. She was sitting up on the cot. Tears ran down her face. Faith still held on to her hand. They wheeled Tori pass the room where they were working on Bosco. Faith let go of Tori's hand.
"I'll be right back sweetie."
Tori nodded. Faith walked over to the window and watched them work on Bosco. He was flat lined again. Faith watch as the shocked Bosco. Jumping with the shock. They got a heartbeat. Faith took a deep breath. "Hang in there Bosco, hang in there. There's a girl here who needs you." She said to her self.
They got Bosco stable and rushed him up to surgery.
"Is he going to make it?" Faith asked a doctor.
"We don't know." he said following behind Bosco.
Faith went back to where Tori was. A doctor was cleaning out her wound. Tori sat up. "Maurice?"
"They're taking him up to surgery right now. How you doing?" Faith asked as she took Tori's hand.
"Good. I guess" She shrugged her shoulders "don't need stitches. Was just a nasty cut that's all" she sobbed. "Is he? Is he going to die?"
"Bosco let a little gunshot wound beat him. Hell no." Said Sully as he walked in the door. "How ya feeling?" he asked her.
"I dunno. Does it matter. I aint the one who got shot. We should be more worried about my brother. Then me."
The doctor finished cleaning out Tori's cut. "Your free to go if you want too."
Tori jumped off the bed. "I'm going up to the waiting room."
"I'll come with you okay." Faith said as she opened the door for her.
Tori got into the elevator and watched as the numbers went up. They finally got to the 7th floor. The doors opened and the waiting was filled with some of Bosco's co-workers and many guys from engine 55.
"Wow, my brother must have been pretty popular. Everyone is here. Who's gonna cover the city?"
"I'm sure they have people covering the streets. They want to get the guys who did this to him." Kim said to her.
"Thanks for helping my brother."
"I was just doing my job. That's all."
"Well either way thank you. It means a lot knowing that someone took such good care of him. If he makes it."
"If ?" Kim asked.
"Yeah if, I'm not counting chickens before they hatch. If he makes it. Its because of you and your partner."
"Thanks?" Kim said with a smile.
The elevator door opened and Fred walked through it. "Faith I heard what happened? Are you okay?" he held her in his arms.
"They shot Boz Fred, they shot Boz!" Faith broke down in his arms.
He held on to her. "He's going to be okay. I've known Boscorellie long enough to know he's going to pull through this."
A detective came up to Tori. "I'm going to need to ask you a few questions."
Tori looked up at him then down at the ground. Faith wiped her eyes and gathered her self, then walked over to Tori.
"Does she really have to do this now?" She asked the detective.
"We need to get everything while its fresh in her head."
"I honestly don't think you have to worry about her forgetting any of this any time soon." Faith looked at him. "Well I want to be in there. She needs someone."
"I'm sorry but we cannot allow that at this time." He said to her.
A figure came through the crowd. It was Sergeant Christopher. I'm going to be in there during the questioning." He told Faith.
"Take care of her, poor girls been through a lot today." She told him while looking back at Tori.
"Sure thing."
They lead Tori to a conference room. While Faith and Fred waited out side.
Tori sat in a cold metal chair.
"Tori I'm Detc. Neil Vahonic. This is Dect. Andrew King, and you already know Sgt. Christopher. We are going to be recording this for investigation purposes."
Tori nodded her head. "Yeah I met him before."
"We need you to try and remember everything that happened in the bank today. You may take your time." Dect. Vahonic said.
Tori looked over at Sgt. Christopher. "It's okay. Just take your time. We want to catch the guys who did this to your brother."
"You guys don't care about my brother. You guys just want the claim to fame. But if its going to get those bastards that shot Maurice off the street then I'm gonna do everything short of going out there and hunting them down my self."
Dect. Vahonic looked at her. "So can you tell me from start to finish of what happened today."
"Well I asked my brother to take me to the bank. I wanted to get some money." She watched as they wrote away on a yellow pad of paper. "I went into the bank and there were some guys there dressed as presidents."
"Can you tell me what presidents?" Vahonic asked.
"Yeah Kennedy, Nixon, and that pole smoker Clinton. I thought maybe that the bank was having some kind of customs party or something. I mean people who work at a bank are just a fruity as postal workers. So ya never know. I left the bank and went back to the car. I told my brother what was going on. I just thought it was funny so I had to share it with him." She took a deep breath, rubbed her eyes. "He told me to stay in the car and call 9-1-1 that there was a possible bank robbery going on. I called 9-1- 1."
"But you didn't stay in the car?"
Tori looked over at Detective Vahonic. "Would you? I wanted to see the action for my self. Had I known that it was going to turn out this way? I would have never told Maurice about it."
Vahonic continued to write down on his pad of paper. "What happen while you were in the bank?"
"Well I was hiding behind a wall I didn't want Bosco to see me. He ended up seeing me anyways. Told me to go back outside. He turned around and all hell broke loose. Bullets went everywhere." Tori began sobbing. "Some lady got shot in the back. She was only trying to get out." Tears began to run down Tori's face. "I watched them just......They just put a gun to a tellers head and pulled the trigger. I mean why would they do that? After that I made a beeline for a desk to hide behind. I stayed there until the paramedics came. That's when I saw my brother just laying there. I didn't know who shot him but he was down. I do remember them yelling something. The robbers. It wasn't clean English. They had some accent. I've been in enough New York taxi cabs to know it was Middle Eastern."
They continued writing.
"None of this would have ever happened. If I didn't ask him to take me to the bank. He wouldn't have been shot. I wouldn't be sitting here with you tools. None of this would be happening." Tori cried. " I can't believe I got my brother into this." Tori stormed out of the room and ran down the hallway.
"Tori!" Faith yelled. She looked at Sgt. Christopher. "What on earth did you say to her?"
"Its not what we said that got her worked up its what she said to us. She thinks this is her fault."
Faith watched Fred go down the hall after Tori "What did she say?"
"She thinks that if she didn't ask Bosco to take her to the bank this would have never happened."
"Oh God, poor girl. That's an awful lot of weight on one girls shoulders."
Fred followed Tori to the woman's bathroom. He knocked on the door.
"Go away!"
"Tori I'm gonna come in."
"No! Go away leave me alone! I'm a jinx I may get you shot if you come in."
Fred opened the door. "Tori." He said as he peered through the door. "Is there anyone else in here?"
"No."
"Tori you're not a jinx." He said as he sat next to her on the floor. He sniffed around. ""Hmmmm what's that smell anti bacterial soap?"
Tori cracked a small laugh. She looked at Fred. " I am too a jinx. I got my brother shot. There must be something wrong with me. What kind of girl goes and gets her brother shot?"
"It's a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time."
"It was at the wrong time alright!" she began to cry. " I don't know what I'm going to do if he dies. For the longest time I accepted the fact that he died in 9-11. Not because I wanted to but because I figured, I figured it would be easier to live that way. I wouldn't have to wonder what he was doing where he was doing it. Then I come to find out that he didn't die. I got to know him, got to find out what makes him tick. Just as things were getting comfortable this happens."
There was a knock on the door. "Tori? Fred?" Faith asked.
Fred turned around. "In here."
Faith walked in. "Tori Hun you okay?"
"UGH! Damn it why does everyone keep asking me if I'm okay? My brother was shot he could possibly die. And all everyone keeps asking is if I'm okay. No I'm not okay! Do I look okay." She broke down into tears and fell into a heap on the floor.
Faith sat down beside her and pulled Tori into her. "I'm so sorry." She said holing on to her. Faith looked up at Fred, Her face streaked with tears of Mascara. Fred bent down beside both of them. He rubbed Faiths shoulders.
A few hours had passed. The city streets became blue and white as members of New York's finest combed the street looking for the suspects. Tori still sat waiting for news on her brother. He had been up in surgery for already 3 hours.
"Thirsty." Carlos Nieto asked Tori as he handed her a can of Pepsi.
"Thanks." She sat looking down at the floor.
"Hey you hungry by any chance? I know I'm starving. Was wondering if maybe ya wanted to go down stairs and get something to eat. Maybe get away from here for a while?"
"Nah I rather just stay here see if there's any news on Maurice."
"Okay you want me to bring something up?"
"No thanks I'm not really all that hungry. Thanks for the offer though." She said opening up her soda and taking a sip of it.
"No problem. Maybe some other time."
"Yeah may be." She got up and went over to the window. Night had fallen on the city. Tori watched as ambulances came and went. She watched cars zoom up and down the street. The TV in the waiting room played a music video of 3 Doors down. The song was when I'm gone. She listened to the song and just thought. Thought of everything. Her past with Sean, her brother, her father and even her mother. Mainly just her Brother. She wondered what she was going to do with out him. There was so much they needed to catch up on. First dates, first kisses all kinds of stuff. Suddenly a door opened Tori turned around.
The doctor took off his mask. Tori took a deep breath. "Well he's out of surgery. He made it through but the next 48 hours are going to be touch and go."
"Can I go in and see him?" She asked.
"Yes but make it quick visiting hours are technically over."
Tori looked over at Faith. "You want to come with me?"
"No. I'll see him tomorrow. You go. I'll be here when you get back."
Tori walked up to Faith and gave her a hug. "Thank you for everything."
Faith looked at Tori. "No biggie. Now go on. Before the doctor changes his mind."
Tori made her way down the hallway. The walk was lonely, cold, and to Tori scary. She didn't know what to expect when she entered her brothers' room. She slowly opened the door. She could already hear the machines and monitors going. The room was dark and cold. Tori felt as if she was in an ice box and not a hospital room. Her brother laid unconcsiuos in his bed. A tube helped him breath. She walked along side his bed. Stood for a few minuets. "I'm sorry Maurice. I didn't mean to get you into this. If you don't want me around any more I'll understand. I wouldn't want someone that got me shot around either." She looked at him. Watched the heart monitor. "I really am sorry."
Tori pulled a chair next to his bed and sat with him for a little bit. After a while she figured that her time with him was up and she better get going before the doctor came in and bitched at her.
The doctor was sitting in the waiting room with Faith. "Well we repaired all the damage. Also removed the bullet in his thigh. It went in clean so it was real easy to remove." The doctor paused. "There is one thing."
Faith looked at him. "What's that?"
"The bullet that came out through his back. It nicked his spine. Theres some damage. We won't know how bad it is till he wakes up, but."
"Are you saying he could be paralyzed?" Faith asked.
He took a deep breath. "Yes."
Tori came into the waiting room. "You mean my brother isn't going to walk again?"
"Tori." Faith said as she walked over to her.
"No! get away. My brother got shot and now he's paralyzed. All because I was greedy and wanted to go the bank. I couldn't take myself. I had to ask him. I'm so damn selfish!"
"You didn't know that this was going to happen. It's not your fault. It's not anybodies fault." Faith held Tori close to her. She looked up at Fred.
"Maurice will probably never want to talk to me again. I got him shot."
"Oh Hun." Faith pulled Tori away and looked at her. Tori looked down at the ground. Faith lifted her head up by her chin. "Look at me. There's no way your brother will ever stop talking to you. Heck I can't get him to stop talking about you!"
"Really?"
"Yes. All he does is talk about you."
This made Tori feel a little bit better. "So what do we do now? How can I help him?"
"Just be the same sister he's always known. But for you lets go back to my place. You can spend the night there. We can come back here first thing in the morning." Faith took Tori into her arm and walked out with her.
They arrived at Faith's house. Tori followed her to the apartment. When they came in Emily was sitting on the couch watching TV. She turned it off. "Hi Mom."
"Emily this is Tori, Tori this is Emily."
Tori ran her fingers through her hair and looked at the floor. "Hi."
"I'm sorry about your brother."
"Thanks."
"Emily, Tori's going to spend the night here. Could you find her some pillows and blankets?"
"Can she sleep on the Aero Bed Mom in my room? Pleasssssssssseeeeeeeeeeee?"
"I don't see why not. Is that okay with you Tori?"
"Yeah I guess."
"Follow me. I'll show you my room." Tori followed behind. Walking quietly.
"That's my brother Charlie's room. He's a dork."
Emily set up the Aero Bed and got Tori some blankets and bedding stuff.
They got into their beds. Emily turned on the TV and channel surfed for a while. With out realizing it she stopped on the news.
"The man-hunt continues tonight. For 3 armed men who robbed a bank this afternoon, killing 14 people and injuring 17 others. Making it the most violent bank robbery in the history of the city. One of the injured was a New York City police officer who remains in critical condition at this hour. The bank was filled with customers on this Friday afternoon all waiting to cash there...."
Emily turned it off. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you didn't want to see that."
"It's okay. You didn't mean too."
Emily looked over at her. "What was it like?"
"What was what like?"
"In the bank? What was it like?"
Tori grew quiet. "It was scary, like World War III. I never want to see it again." She sobbed. "I was never so scared in my life. It was like a movie, but only it was really happening. I could hit the fast forward button or pause it. It just kept going." Tori wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
"I'm sorry I asked about. I didn't mean to upset you or anything."
"No it's not your fault. You were curious. If it would have happened to you, I would have asked you the same thing."
Emily looked at the floor. "It did. My Mom and I were at a bank about a year ago. Some guys came in and held us hostage. It wasn't as violent as what you went through today, but it was just as scary. I still have dreams about it to this day. I never mention it to my Mom or Dad. I want them to think I'm okay. Now I've found someone who's been through a similar thing and its good to be able to talk about it."
Tori looked over at her. "Wow! Did it feel like time was standing still? That it was never going to end."
"Yeah. I felt like I was living a nightmare. I pinched my self."
"And it hurt?"
"Yeah." Emily said quietly. "Please don't tell my Mom"
Tori shook her head. "I won't."
The night was restless for Tori. She didn't sleep much. Nightmares of the shooting filled her head. She deiced that she couldn't sleep went into the living room and watched the late, late, late night theater of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Eventually she fell asleep.
She awoke to the smell of breakfast being made. She gathered herself and went into the kitchen.
"Couldn't sleep last night?"
"No, Didn't want to keep Emily awake so I went in the living room and watched some TV."
"I hear Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was on?"
"Oh I didn't wake you did I?" She asked
"No I couldn't sleep to well either. Fred's snoring sounds like a Mack truck, that and well I had other things on my mind."
"Yeah me too."
"Visiting hours start at 10am. I figured we can leave here at 9:30, we'll make it just in time."
Tori soon found her self, walking through the hospital hallways to her brothers' bedroom. He had been taken off the ventilator last night and was now breathing on his own. She knew that was a step in the right direction. When she got to his room she was surprised to see him wake. "Hey." She walked over to his bed.
"Hey Hun." Bosco said weekly.
"You're looking a lot better then the last time I saw you."
"You didn't get hurt did you?"
"Not really just a little cut, that's all. Everyone was here last night. Sully, Davis, Faith, a few of the guys from Eng. 55." "Really?"
"Yeah, now they're all looking for the bastards that did this to you. I tried to give them as much detail as I could. I don't know if it will work though. I hope so."
"I'm sorry you had to see that."
Tori looked at him. "If I would have listened to you I would have never seen any of this."
"If you would have listened to me, you wouldn't have been able to help them out."
Faith walked in. "Well good morning sunshine."
Bosco slowly looked over at Faith. "Hey."
"I got word that they think they have found the guys."
"Are you serious?" Tori asked.
"Yes at some warehouse about 5 blocks from the bank. I'm going out there right now. I just thought I'd let you know."
"God I hope its them." Tori said while looking at her brother.
"Yeah me too. Well I better get going. I'll see you later tonight."
Tori nodded her head then looked over at Bosco. He looked down at his legs.
"So I guess they told you."
"Yeah last night, but they did say it might just be a temporary thing." Tori said trying to sound uplifting.
Bosco hit his bed with his fists." Damn it!" he picked up his water pitcher and threw it against the wall.
Tori looked scared. "Maurice." she saw a tear run down his face.
"What if I never walk again?"
"Don't say that. You will walk again. You're like Clint Eastwood. Rough, tough and you won't take shit from anyone or anything." He looked at Tori who was trying to clean up the water that was spilled when he threw the pitcher. She looked up at him. "We're going to get through this. It probably won't be easy but I'm not going to let you quit."
Faith pulled up to the scene. Sully met her at her car. "Are they sure it's them?"
"Positive." Sully said. "One of the gunmen turned the other two in as a plea bargain. We didn't know this is what was going to happen out of it. ESU is about to force their way in. I have a feeling it's going to get bloody. So how's Bosco?"
"Well he has some spinal damage, they don't know how long it will last."
"Yeah I heard that last night, makes me want to get a piece of these assholes even more. How is Tori handling it all?"
"Well she didn't get much sleep last night, she's doing pretty good for what happened. I think when everything settles is when we will see how she really feels."
"Or maybe not, if she's anything like Bosco she'll just keep it to her self, or at least try too."
Suddenly Faith and Sully heard a loud explosion, used to distract the suspects so ESU could enter.
"Here we go." Faith said as she took cover behind Sully's squad. Davis was already there.
"So you think this is going to end peacefully?" Davis asked Sully as they heard gunfire.
"Does that answer your question?" Sully said as he peered out over his car door.
Gunfire came through an upstairs window.
"5-5 Charlie to command, we have gunfire out the 2nd story west side window." Sully said while trying to protect him self.
"10-4 5-5 Charlie. All units be advised we have gunfire reported from the 2nd story west side window."
The gunfire continued, as one of the suspects entered the roof and began to open fire on all the officers.
"Okay now he pissed me off." Faith stood up and opened fire on the suspect. She shot five shots finally hitting him with the sixth one.
"Nice shot!" Davis said
"Yeah all those years of squirt gun fights with my son paid off. I hope I killed the bastard."
The gun battle ended 30 minuets later with both suspects killed, and the third one in police custody. The city no longer had to live in fear of the bank robbers.
The next step was healing. For the victims, and family members of that horrible day.
Bosco had to heal himself. Both physically and mentally. Tori mentally. Nightmares of the ordeal still would haunt her for years to come.