STEVE'S NEW PARTNER
DISCLAIMER: The characters of "Diagnosis Murder" are the property of CBS and Viacom. They are borrowed for this story and any others in the future. All other characters, especially new fanfic character Vicki Lynn Jones who was created and is the property by the author. The story is written only for the pleasure in reading.
This story begins around the beginning of the 1st season. July, 1993
OOOODM DM DMOOOOAt Community General Hospital…
In the hospital, Vicki stirred from a soft, restful deep sleep, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkened room. Sunlight streamed through the blinds down over Jack. He was sound asleep in the chair, his head on the edge of the mattress. She shifted to her side, wincing a little, then touched his hair.
She was looking around wondering why she ended up in the hospital. She glanced at Jack, then it dawned on her how she ended up here…
The previous morning near Atlanta, Georgia- Thursday, July 15, 1993…
"I can't believe that it happened so fast. You have a job with the LAPD," said her mother Mary as she was helping Vicki finish packing her last suitcase.
"Mother, I know. I can't believe that the interview that I had worked out so well. The guy who interviewed me said that with my background as a police officer, and that I graduated first in my class at the Police Academy, and with my college hours, he told me that I had the job," said Vicki as she snapped shut the last suitcase.
"You'll be working at a completely different department than what you were used to. I can't imagine you being a detective with the LAPD Homicide Division out of Malibu. That is definitely quite a change for you," said Mary as she helped Vicki with the last suitcase.
"I know what you mean, Mom. I guess working periodically with the FBI for the last few months had finally paid off. I'll have to thank Enos for putting in a good recommendation to the LAPD," said Vicki with a smile, but then frowned when she walked over to the window and looked outside at the overcast sky.
"Honey, I know that you have been through a lot in the past few months…" said Mary hesitantly, putting a hand on Vicki's shoulder. "But you leaving like this, will it help you get over what Bo did to you when he decided to go back to racing on the circuit?"
Vicki sighed loudly as she looked out the window of her two-bedroom apartment that she shared with her 8½ -year-old daughter Rachel ever since her divorce came final a year earlier.
"I think so, Mom. I am happier now that I have met Jack. Being with Jack for the last month made me realize that things change for the best."
"Too bad that Rachel won't be with you for a couple of more weeks," said Mary sadly.
"It's all right, really. This is Bo's month to have her. I'm sure that he Diane are spoiling her rotten down there in Florida. Besides, this will give me a chance to get everything settled into my new apartment out in California," said Vicki.
"You'll do fine, honey. I'm sure of it." Mary said as she gave her daughter a hug.
"I sure hope so. I'm sure glad that I had a chance to look around out there. And that I had already made some new friends," said Vicki, smiling at her mother as she walked outside the front door of the apartment with her suitcase as she headed towards her mother's silver 1993 Pontiac Bonneville.
OOOODM DM DMOOOOIn Malibu, California at the same time…approximately 6a.m.
Meanwhile, at Community General Hospital, Mark Sloan was looking over some files in his office as Steve walked in the door.
Jack was in there as well reading the newspaper while on a break. He was hoping that he could catch Steve before he went to the airport to pick up Vicki.
Steve had walked through the door whistling cheerfully.
Mark looked up seeing Steve and smiled. "So what has put you in this cheerful mood this morning?"
"Nothing, Dad. Except that later this morning, I have to go to the airport to pick up my new partner," said Steve cheerfully as he sat down in a chair next to Jack.
Jack smiled at Steve. He was just thinking about how surprised Vicki will be if he showed up at the airport to greet her. Or what would happen if he were on the plane back to Los Angeles with her…
Just thinking about Vicki, Jack got up out of his chair. Mark look up, a bit surprised.
"Mark, I'm going to take the rest of the day off. I have an errand to do this morning," said Jack as he headed towards the door.
Mark Steve looked at each other. "Jack, what will Norman say about you taking the day off?"
Jack laughed. "I think that he'll be fine with it. Especially since I'm heading to the airport to pick up a possible new employee."
Mark rolled his eyes at his young protégé. He knew exactly what was on Jack's mind.
"Jack, I didn't know that you wanted to pick up Vicki at the airport," said Steve, surprised.
"Steve, I didn't know that I was doing it until just now," said Jack walking out of Mark's office. Turning back he added, "If ya need me, page me. See you this afternoon at the airport."
"Wow! I didn't think that Jack had it this bad for a girl. What did she do to him while you and Jack were in Atlanta for that Doctor's Convention?" Steve asked looking outside as he watched Jack get into his car.
"I really don't know, except for the last night we were in Atlanta, Jack came in at 4a.m. With a huge smile on his face, and all he talked about was this dream girl that he fell in love with," said Mark worriedly as he watched Jack pull out of the parking lot. "I sure hope that Jack doesn't get in too far over his head."
Several hours' later back at the airport in Atlanta, Vicki was pacing back n forth waiting for the connecting plane to arrive from Dallas.
"Vicki, don't you think that you need to sit down and relax?" Mary asked as she paced with her daughter.
"Why are you so nervous and afraid?" Katie asked as she caught up with the redhead.
Vicki sighed loudly. "Katie, do you remember my first day when I was working as a Chickasaw County deputy a long time ago?" Katie nodded slightly. Vicki continued on. "That is how nervous I am right now. I'm now having second thoughts on taking this job."
"Honey, you need to do this. This is the perfect time for you to start your life over again by going somewhere different," said Mary, sitting down in a chair next to a trembling Vicki.
"Yeah, by starting a fast-paced job? I don't know if I can even handle it. I never worked in a department like that before, especially the Homicide Department. This will be something completely different than what I was used to by being a down home county deputy," said Vicki as she watched her plane land on the runway.
OOOODM DM DMOOOO
Back in Malibu at Community General Hospital, Steve Sloan was looking outside the window of his father's office, and looking at the time on his wristwatch. He was wondering what was happening right now at the airport where he should be.
"Are you okay, son?" Mark asked as he walked inside his office, carrying some files that Delores gave him earlier.
"Yeah, I was just wondering if Jack knew where to pick up Vicki at the airport," said Steve as he sighed loudly.
"I wouldn't worry about it, son," Mark said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Jack knows that airport well. He's flown lots of times in the past. Last month, he accompanied me to Atlanta to that National Doctor's Convention."
Steve laughed. "Yeah, I know what happened to Jack there. He was so happy when he came home from that trip with you. All he talked about was about this girl that he met there."
Mark laughed with his son. He was happy that Jack had met someone that was perfect for him. "Yeah, and it turned out to be your new partner."
At Atlanta International Airport…
Moments later, the reservations clerk announced Vicki's flight to Los Angeles. "Flight 408 for Los Angeles with stops in Little Rock, Oklahoma City, and Phoenix will be leaving in 15 minutes. Please board at your convenience. Thank you."
Vicki smiled at her mother and her ex-inlaw. "I guess this is it. I guess that I'm ready to leave my old life behind, and I'm ready to start a new one."
"Yeah, honey. I'm sure that you're going to be just fine. You're going to do just fine out there in California," said Mary as she gave her daughter a hug.
"Yeah, Vicki. Don't worry about anything here. Just go out there and believe in yourself. Everything will work out," said Katie as she gave her best friend a hug.
"How can you be so sure of that?" Vicki asked stubbornly, but smiled at her best friend her mother.
"I know of one person who knows that everything will work out and who will make you happy," Katie said giggling slightly.
Vicki smiled back at Katie as she stopped at the corridor. She was thinking about what Katie had said. She has been happier in the last few months thanks to Katie her husband Coy, not to mention these last few weeks with Jack.
There, at the end of the airplane corridor, she could see that someone was waiting for her. He waved at her. She smiled and waved back before turning back to give Katie her mother a final hug.
"I know that everything will work out just fine," Vicki said as she gave Katie her mother a hug.
Vicki glanced back at her mother her best friend. This was the last time that she would be in Georgia for a while…
A few minutes later, Vicki's heart begins to beat rapidly as she began to walk down the airplane corridor. She couldn't believe that she was doing this. She stopped, taking a deep breath, as she was trying to stay in control of her emotions. Of course, she knew that she was doing the right thing.
What had caused her exactly to leave her life back in Georgia? As she walked inside the airplane, Vicki knew the answer to the question that she had been thinking about…Jack Stewart…
Walking into the airplane, then glancing around in front of her, Vicki knew all along why she was doing this. She had met fallen in love with Jack when he was in Georgia 2 months earlier for that National Doctor's Convention in Atlanta. Deep down inside her heart Vicki wondered how Jack still felt about her?
Looking at her airplane ticket stub, then at the seats, Vicki saw that she had the last seat in the last row in 1st Class. Not really noticing who was sitting next to her, Vicki said a quiet "Excuse me" as she got into her seat next to the window. Without any warning, her companion stood up and put his arms around her.
"Well, it's about time that you showed up, sweet girl," said Jack laughing as he kissed Vicki hello lightly on the mouth, then helping her sit down in her seat before sitting down himself.
"Hello yourself, Jack. I didn't really expect to see you until I get to your airport," said Vicki, a bit surprised as she put her 2 small carry on bags under her seat.
"I wanted to come out here to be with you. I didn't know that I was doing this until I talked to Mark Steve early this morning at the hospital," said Jack as he stretches his left arm across Vicki's shoulders then added, "Do you want me…to help you put up your carry on bags? They might be in our way later."
Vicki nodded her head, then nearly dropped her purse on the floor when Jack asked her that. She knew what Jack was thinking, and for once, it wasn't about himself. It was about her.
She looked at Jack slowly. He was smiling at her-a friendly, no-come-on smile-and she smiled back, eyeing him down as she sat back down in her seat after putting her carry-on bags in the compartment.
She saw that he was muscular, broad, and slow moving, dressed in a short sleeve polo shirt and khaki pants. His hair was thick, dark, and trimmed in the back, his dark eyes were lazy, but were bright as he smiled back at her. Quite a change in him considering that he is usually in doctors scrubs most of the time.
Vicki smiled back at Jack. A smile that made Jack's heart starts to beat rapidly with hunger. She could see it in his eyes. "I'm fine now, Jack. I'm glad that you're here with me now."
Jack put his arm around Vicki's shoulder. Once his fingers touched her skin, she instinctively leans into him, just a little, pressing slightly against his hands. "I feel the same way, sweet girl. I'm glad that you're here with me too. It feels right just being together."
As Vicki leaned back in his arms as the plane takes off, Jack closed his eyes. "I wish that I wasn't this attracted to her," Jack said under his breath as he lightly gave Vicki a kiss on the cheek then added, "Because I could be in deep trouble here falling in love with her…"
Vicki awoke with a start, hearing what Jack said. "I wonder if he really meant that, or maybe he was just tired when he said it. He didn't realize that I heard him under his breath," she thought, sighing loudly as the plane takes off towards California.
At Los Angeles International Airport—approximately 2p.m.
At the airport, Mark, Steve, and Amanda were waiting for the airplane to arrive from Phoenix.
"What was it again why Jack took off going across the country in an airplane early this morning?" Amanda asked as she sat down in a seat next to Mark Steve.
"It's nothing much, Amanda," said Steve, smiling a little. "Jack asked me at the hospital this morning if he could pick up Vicki. I didn't think that he would go all the way to Georgia to pick her up."
"I can't believe that he's this crazy about her. They haven't been going out very long. It's only been a couple of weeks since he had seen her last when she was out here looking for an apartment after accepting that job," said Amanda surprised.
Steve laughed. "That's right, Amanda. Jack had already found her an apartment before Vicki came out here a couple of weeks ago to get everything set up at the station. It's right next to his apartment."
Mark laughed, but then frowned. "Yeah, I was surprised this morning when Jack asked me for the day off. Norman wasn't too thrilled about it either. It was right at the start of the shift too. I sure hope that Jack isn't rushing into this."
Just then, before Amanda Steve could react to what Mark had said, the reservations clerk at the desk came over the loudspeaker. "Attention! Flight 1124 from Phoenix has just arrived at gate
number 26. Thank you."
"Let's go meet that plane. They should be coming out anytime," said Mark, as he, Steve, and Amanda started walking over towards the plane terminal.
After the flight was announced, people started walking out of the airplane corridor that was connected to the plane.
"Where could they be?" Amanda asked worriedly, looking at her wristwatch then added, "It's been at least 20 minutes since their plane touched down."
"I don't know, Amanda," said Mark, shaking his head. "Maybe something happened on the plane."
OOOODM DM DMOOOOMeanwhile, Jack Vicki were getting Vicki's carry-on bags together so they can get off the plane.
"Are you all set to leave?" asked Jack as he watched Vicki go through her carry-on bag."
Vicki was searching through her bag. "I think so, Jack. I'm just checking to see if I had my camera with me. I thought that I might send some pictures of us back to my mom in Georgia." As she got her camera out of her bag, a small floppy disk falls out as well. "Wow! What is this?"
Jack took the disk away from Vicki. He inspected the disk carefully, then putting it in his front shirt pocket. "I have no idea. Maybe we should have Mark Steve look at this."
"I wonder how it got here? I had it with me at all times on the plane except when you were holding it at the airport in Phoenix when I went into the gift shop for a few minutes," said Vicki.
"It must have been when those 2 gentlemen were sitting down next to me while you were in the gift shop," said Jack as he picked up Vicki's carry-on bag then added, "One of them must have slipped the disk inside your carry-on bag."
"We better go," said Vicki, grabbing Jack's hand then added, "Something tells me that whatever is on this disk will bring us nothing but trouble."
OOOODM DM DMOOOOVicki followed Jack out of the airplane, thinking about the mess that they have gotten themselves in. "What a good way to start my life out here in California," Vicki thought, sighing loudly as she held Jack's hand, following him through the airplane corridor then added, "Trouble always find me one way or another. At least I know that I will never be alone…"
"Something wrong, sweetheart?" Jack asked, squeezing Vicki's hand.
"Just wondering how that disk ended up in my carry-on bag," Vicki said, sighing loudly.
"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. We'll talk to Mark and Steve about it. Maybe we can find out what is on that disk at my apartment," said Jack, lightly leaning over kissing Vicki on the cheek, trying to calm her down as he watched Mark, Amanda, and Steve walk over to them.
OOOODM DM DMOOOOInside the airplane terminal, Mark paced silently back n forth in front of Steve and Amanda until he finally caught a glimpse of Jack and Vicki walking slowly towards them. "Hey, Steve! They're coming finally!"
"It's about time. Their plane landed about 30 minutes ago. I wonder what was keeping them back in the plane?" asked Amanda, looking at her wristwatch as she followed Steve and Mark over to greet Jack and Vicki.
"Yeah, I knew that there had to be something wrong. Let's go," said Steve.
Mark gave Vicki a hug as she walked up to him. "Welcome back to California, Vicki."
Steve smiled at Vicki and hugged her when Mark was done. "Hello, new partner."
"Hello, Steve." Vicki said as she smiled at Steve, but then trembled slightly as she walked away from the group and over to a window, watching a plane take off.
"What's with her?" Jack asked, starting to go over to where Vicki is then added, "Did I do something wrong?"
As Jack started to walk over to where Vicki was, Amanda stopped him. "Jack, hold on a minute. I'll go find out what is wrong, okay?"
"Okay," Jack said worriedly, not taking his eyes off Vicki.
Amanda walked over to where Vicki was. "Are you okay, Vicki?" Amanda asked, placing a hand on Vicki's shoulder. "You look a little frazzled, and you're trembling. You're scaring Jack to death. He thinks that he has done something wrong. What's wrong?"
"It's probably just nerves from flying, Amanda. My stomach is doing summersaults right now," said Vicki, smiling at Amanda. Yeah, her stomach was churning some. Her stomach has been hurting off on for the last 2 weeks. "I'll be fine. Jack and I have found something interesting in my carry-on bag."
Amanda looked at Vicki. She knew that there was something wrong with Vicki but couldn't place it at that moment, especially after the redhead changed the subject. Maybe she needed to talk to Mark about her. "All right, but you would tell me if there was something wrong?"
Vicki smiled at her friend. "You know that I will, Amanda. Let's go walk over to the guys."
As Amanda Vicki walked back over to where Jack walked up to Vicki, and pulled her into his arms. "Sweetheart, why did you run off like that? Are you okay?" Jack asked worriedly.
"I don't know, Jack. It's probably just nerves or something," said Vicki.
Jack put his arm around Vicki's trembling shoulder. "Yeah, I know you better than that. I can tell that there is something wrong, and you're going to tell me later what it is. Let's talk to Mark about what we found in your carry-on suitcase."
"Okay," said Vicki as she held Jack's hand as they walk over to where Mark, Amanda, and Steve were waiting on them.
Mark gave Vicki a hug as she Jack walked up to him. "Vicki, are you okay? Did something happened on the plane?"
"Mark, I'm fine. Just a case of nerves or something, and something did happen on the plane," said Vicki, returning Mark's hug.
After returning Mark's hug, Vicki looked at Jack, who looked at Mark, Amanda, and Steve.
They knew that they had a lot of explaining to do, but not at the airport. Someone unannounced could be listening. Like the two men who bumped into Jack at the Phoenix Airport; the two men that placed a computer disk into Vicki's carry-on bag.
"Mark, we'll tell you what's wrong, but not here," said Jack, squeezing Vicki's hand then added, "After we pick up Vicki's suitcase, why don't we go back to my apartment and we'll tell you what we have found in Vicki's carry-on bag."
Mark, Amanda, and Steve looked at each other. "What has gotten into Jack?" Mark wondered to himself. "He has never acted like this before until he started dating Vicki a month ago. I think that he is finally trying to come out of his shyness, and started taking control to what matters to him…"
OOOODM DM DMOOOO
About 15 minutes later, Jack Vicki were walking outside the airport into the bright California sunshine, strolling towards Jack's black corvette. "You know, Vicki, even though we found that disk, I am glad that I flew all the way to Georgia to meet you on that plane," Jack said, carrying Vicki's suitcase in one hand, and putting his other arm around her shoulder.
"I feel the same way, Jack. I'm glad that you talked me into moving out here," said Vicki, slipping her arm around Jack's waist, then staring into his dark eyes.
For endless seconds, Jack felt the blue-gray eyes look into his as though she could see down to the bottom of his shriveled soul. The blue-gray eyes, that were a color of a mountain lake looked at him with unprotected softness for a span of time that was only a second or two but could have been years. And no mattered what he knew or what he believed, he could not look away from her, nor could he speak. Jack froze, not really knowing on what to do. He just continued to stare into Vicki's eyes as his heart starts to beat rapidly out of control.
"Jack?" Vicki asked, placing a hand on his arm then added, "Are you okay? What were you thinking just now?"
"I'm fine. I was just thinking about what you just said, about how glad that you moved out here. I was just thinking the same thing, except…" Jack drawled, pulling Vicki into his arms then added as he kissed her hungrily, "That I'm glad that you moved into my heart."
Vicki was speechless but smiled lovingly at Jack as they continued to walk to the corvette.
As they loaded the corvette with Vicki's suitcase carry-on bags, a shot rang out near them.
BANG! BANG!
OOOODM DM DMOOOOHearing the gunshots, Jack Vicki dashed into the corvette, shielding themselves from the glass breaking through the windshield. Taking her gun permits out of her purse, Vicki started rummaging around through her purse for her semi-automatic handgun. Now she knew why she always carried one.
"Jack, who's shooting at us?" Vicki asked worriedly as she looked through her purse.
"I have no idea," said Jack in a calm voice then added as he looked at the 2 masked men heading towards them, "But I think that they know the answer to your question."
Just then, a wicked looking gun was pointed at Jack's temple. "All right, you two lovebirds!" said Clyde as he grabbed a hold of Jack's arm then added pushing him out of the corvette, "Come out with your hands up, or else!"
"Yeah," said Johnny, sticking his gun into the passenger side aiming at Vicki then added, "All we want is that disk that you smuggle for us!"
"What if we don't give it to you?" Vicki asked sarcastically, getting out of the corvette on her own after shooing Johnny's hands away from her.
Clyde angrily pushed Jack towards a beige van, then pinning the young doctor face first against it. "Then you'll find him full of holes along the road!" Clyde smiled slyly, pointing his gun at Jack's head.
Fingering her semi-automatic handgun, Vicki gave Jack a grim warning look that said not to talk or resist-not to infuriate the crooks.That brief glance terrified Jack. He understood perfectly. Vicki was playing for time until Steve arrived or for an opportunity for her Jack to get away.
OOOODM DM DMOOOO"Did you guys hear those gunshots?" Amanda asked looking at the two men holding Jack Vicki at gunpoint. "Oh, my gosh! Look! Those 2 men have Jack Vicki surrounded!"
Steve ran to his car. "I'm going to call headquarters. We're going to need backup. I don't think that Vicki can handle them on her own." He then got his .38 semi-auto handgun out and fired a warning shot towards the crooks. BANG!
Mark shook his head in agreement. "That's a good idea, Steve. Maybe we can create a diversion enough for Jack and Vicki to escape from them."
Vicki glanced up after hearing Steve's warning shot. She knew that she had to make a drastic move.
Fingering her handgun, then pointing it at the crooks, Vicki yelled angrily towards the crooks, "Hold it slimeballs! Let him go now!"
As Vicki started to run over towards the crooks, Steve fired another warning shot, then grabbed on to the redhead's arm. "Vicki! No! We don't need for you or Jack to get shot by them!"
"Steve, I have to do something! Those two men are trying to kidnap Jack. I have to try to stop them!"
Vicki said as she hollered back at Steve, as she headed towards where Jack was trying to fight off his attackers.
"Vicki! Get out of here! I can handle these two." Jack said as he was trying to fight off his attackers. Jack was doing a good job fighting them, until Clyde came up behind him, grabbing him in a stranglehold, then twisting his right arm behind his back.
Clyde snarled meanly at the redhead, as she pointed her gun at him.
"Sure, I'll let him go, if you'll give us that computer disk!" he said as he cocked his gun in Jack's ear then added, "You get in that van! We're going for a ride!"
Jack glanced at Vicki Steve, who had their guns drawn, then back at his captors.
"Are you insane?" Jack asked his captor, trying to pull free, but only made it worse as Johnny had pulled his other arm behind his back, tying his wrists together with a plastic phone cord. After that, Johnny pushed Jack into the van.
Clyde fired another warning shot towards Vicki Steve. "Where are the disks?" Clyde demanded.
"Tell me right now, or my partner will start shooting in parts of your boyfriend."
Jack's mind spun as Johnny held the gun steady on him. "Bluff, you fool! Start talking before it's too late."
Jack opened his mouth-
And he heard Vicki yell back to his captors, "Drop it now or I'll drop you where you stand."
"Vicki! Stay back! That is an order!" Steve yelled back at Vicki as she aimed her semi-automatic at the crooks.
Moving his hands around behind him trying to find a knot in the phone cord, Jack looked out of the van, and saw Vicki standing in a two-handed shooting stance, her gun aimed steadily at Clyde. His very own avenging angel, wearing a white T-shirt pink shorts, her auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail, and all. Love for her burst like champagne bubbles in his bloodstream; it exploded in his heart, suffusing him with warmth clear out to his numb fingertips.
Jack felt the thug's body shift against his back as Johnny reached behind himself with his right hand. Assuming that he was going for his gun, Jack yelled, "Vicki!"
Jack then felt Johnny freeze as he saw Steve, Mark, and Amanda along with a couple of police officers walk over to them.
Vicki swung her semi-automatic a few inches, aiming at Clyde then at Johnny, who was inside the van with Jack. "Take your weapons out nice and slow," she advised the goons. "My trigger finger feels mighty itchy, so I'd advise you to keep your hands where I can see them."
Pushing Jack out of the van, Johnny slowly raised his hands.
Mark Amanda rushed over to where Jack was sitting on the ground as Steve was trying to untangle the phone cord from around his hands.
"Are you okay?" Vicki asked Jack as she kept her gun leveled on the crooks. She barely spared him a glance, but that was fine with him—she had more important matters on her mind.
Rubbing his wrists to restore circulation, Jack flashed Vicki a huge grin. He only winced a little at the pull to his abused lip. "I am now, sweet girl."
"You're making a big mistake, young woman," Clyde said with authority, and he took a step towards Vicki. He then took a small pistol out of his pocket and fired it towards Jack. BANG!
OOOODM DM DMOOOOUsing all her strength, Vicki tackled Clyde to the ground as the gun went off, but then felt severe pain in her lower abdomen as she went down. Something felt wrong, and she knew it.
Looking back behind him, Jack had seen what had happened. Then he saw Vicki lying on the ground with a pool of blood around her. "No!" Jack screamed, running over to where Vicki was. "Steve! Call for an ambulance! Vicki's down!"
She was lying on the floor, trying to keep her focus. She couldn't die so long as she kept her focus. If she started to lose it, her vision fading around the edges or her head getting fuzzy and dizzy or her body started growing numb, she would just shake herself, and force herself to focus harder.
"Focus!" Vicki thought looking up at Jack. "Focus on the one person you love…"
"Sweetheart, are you all right?" Jack asked as he knelt and cupped Vicki's head, lifting her slightly, searching her face.
She smiled weakly. "I don't know, Jack."
Jack stroked her face, and Vicki felt herself slipping again, fought to hold on, but knew this time it was a losing battle...
"Vicki, focus on me…"
Everything inside Jack crystallized into perfect clarity at that moment. He knew that he loved her. Nothing else mattered to him.
Vicki had tried to tell Jack that she loved him. That was foremost in her mind, to tell him that she loved him. She knew that she had to tell him because she was pretty sure that she wasn't going to get another chance to tell him.
All the things that she hasn't done yet hadn't said skipped through her mind as she glanced at Jack. "Jack, I love you…" Vicki mouthed the words to Jack as she closed her eyes. As she drifted into unconsciousness, she never knew if the words bursting from her heart actually made it to her lips or not.
Early the next morning…Jack paced around the hospital waiting room, waiting for Mark to come out of the operating room to tell him about Vicki's condition. Jack had wanted Mark to take care of Vicki. As worried as he was right now, Jack knew that he was in no condition to operate on Vicki. That is all he had to do in the four hours since they'd rushed her through the huge double doors and into the operating room.
Jack had ice on his lip, his eye looked at, his right wrist bandaged from his struggles with the phone cord, and his rib cage wrapped and then he sat in anguish, worrying about Vicki.
Jack had tried not to think of Vicki ever since they had wheeled her into the operating room, pale and limp and so weak. Jack blinked a tear away from his face. She'd had told him that she loved him. He still wasn't over the shock of it either. She'd meant it too; he had seen it in her eyes seconds before she fell unconscious."God, please don't let anything happen to her. Please don't let my angel leave me…" Jack prayed through his thoughts. She was a miracle from heaven to him—the only one he'd had in his life.
Amanda Steve walked into the room. Jack looked up at them, blinking a tear away from his face.
"Any word on Vicki yet?" Jack asked anxiously.
Amanda smiled gently at Jack. "We should know soon. I hope. Mark told me that he thinks that she's going to make it."
"I hope so. All Mark told me when I was in the ER with Vicki was that the bullet she took for me had hit her appendix, and that was the reason why she lost all that blood. Why is it taking so long?" Jack asked, pacing the floor.
Amanda placed an arm around Jack, trying to console him. "Jack, she's going to be fine. Don't you worry about Vicki. She is definitely a fighter. She'll pull through this."
OOOODM DM DMOOOO Several hours later…In the hospital, Vicki stirred from a soft, restful place, as her blue-gray eyes slowly adjusting to the darkened room. Sunlight streamed through the blinds down over Jack. He was asleep in the chair, his head on the edge of the mattress. She shifted to her side, wincing a little, then touched his hair.
His head snapped up and he blinked. His smile was slow, spreading across his face, happiness lighting his eyes. "Hi, gorgeous." Jack said.
"Hi, yourself." Her fingertips skittered over his face as he crawled onto the bed and gathered her in his arms.
Vicki winced a little as Jack crawled into bed with her. For a long moment, he simply held her. "Do you know how much you scared me? Do you realize what you did yesterday?"
Vicki felt Jack tremble. "I know what I did, Jack. I'm sorry. But I had to do what I had to do."
Jack leaned back, his gaze searching her face. "Honey, you risked your life in order to save mine. Now I know why I fell in love with you, and that fate brought us together." His voice cracked a little, his eyes going glossy.
Vicki pushed a lock of his hair back, touched his face. "Maybe forever…" she murmured, kissing Jack lightly on the mouth.
Someone knocked then Steve Mark walked inside the room. Vicki winced, smiling at them.
"How are you feeling?" Mark said, smiling at the redhead.
"I'm much better. Just awfully sore all over," Vicki said, wincing as she sat up in bed.
"That is to be expected with your injury," Mark said, giving Vicki a hug, then glancing at Jack. "Jack, have you been here all night?"
Jack smiled at Mark as he let go of Vicki's hand gently as he stood up.
"Yeah, just like you, Mark. Thanks for taking care of Vicki in that operating room. I didn't think that I could have done it last night."
"You're welcome, Jack." Mark smiled warmly at Jack as they walked out of Vicki's hospital room. "Let's go get a cup of coffee. It looks like that you could use one right now."
As Mark Jack walked out, Amanda walked inside the room. "Vicki, you're looking better this morning. How are you feeling?"
"Okay," Vicki said as she yawned.
Amanda smiled at Vicki. "That's good to know. I'm going to be here with you for a while. Just until Jack gets back. He took your suitcases back to his apartment."
Vicki nodded sleepily at her friend.
"Vicki, are you up to answering a question that I have to ask you?" Steve asked as he sat down in a chair next to Vicki's bed.
"What is it, Steve? Did I do something wrong?" asked Vicki, smiling at the older detective.
"Well, actually it's the other way around. Do you know what you did yesterday?" Steve asked, smiling at Vicki.
Vicki glanced outside the door. From where she was, Vicki saw Jack Mark walking down the hall. Jack was carrying a vase full of red roses and some balloons. "I know exactly what I did, Steve." She said, smiling brightly.
Steve smiled at Vicki. "Jack told me what you did. He also told me that he is so grateful that you saved his life and that you became my new partner."
THE END?