The Frogman and Mr Jordan
By SassyJ
In the first season, Kenny is shot during a raid by the Frogman on Dunphy's Jewellery Store. This takes the middle of the story and kind of plays around with it.
It is way over the top, but last night I started thinking, "what if………"; with a few affectionate nods to an old classic along the way, and with profuse apologies to Mr David E Kelley for tinkering with his magnificent script, here follows the result!!
Please note and understand the following: This is purely fictional. It is not intended as a challenge to anyone's faith, nor is it any kind of representation of medical fact. Sometimes miracles really do happen, we should accept them and be grateful.
Kenny moved through the jewellery store slowly. Shining his flashlight around. "Al, you back there?" Which was dumb, because he was nearly certain that Al wasn't back there.
There was a rustling noise and a scurrying, and Kenny spun round. "You, back there, come out. You're under arrest." He could see the frogmask peering over the top of the counter. He took a forward step as the gun swung up over the counter.
Time seemed to lag a pace, Kenny saw the flash, something smacked into him as he fired. His legs folded under him as the second bullet hit and he crumpled backwards against the counter before sliding the rest of the way to the floor.
"KENNY!" Max came barrelling through the back door, her worst nightmare – her partner unmoving, face down on the floor in a pool of blood. Max threw herself to her knees beside him, hysterical, "KENNY, KENNY, NO! NO PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T DO THIS TO ME! DON'T DIE!" Screaming into her radio. "OFFICER DOWN, NEED ASSISTANCE DUNPHY'S JEWELLERY STORE, OFFICER DOWN!!"
Uncaring that his blood was soaking into her jacket, Max cradled Kenny in her arms, alternately stroking his cheek and trying to staunch the bleeding. Keeping up a monotone litany as she begged him not to die, that she needed him, and please, please would he come back to her.
Mr Jordan was in a hurry. Dates, times, dates, times; all he had to work on these days was dates and times. Earth had become a more violent place and they were rushed to keep up, so he had to leave the souls to others. Rome, Wisconsin, one soul, "Messenger 7013, where are you," he spun round. Messenger 7013 had become a little unreliable lately. "One soul, Rome, Wisconsin," he handed over the marked card "Go, we're late, we're late."
The Emergency Room was in uproar, the paramedics blew through the doors like a tornado, Kenny, white faced, lifeless, covered in blood, Max clinging to his hand, as white faced and covered in blood as he was.
"Ohmigod! How bad is it?"
Jill kept pace with them, trying to get the facts and push the terrified Max out of the way.
"Two wounds, one in the left deltoid;" the paramedic caught her eye, "the other's lodged in the thoracic cavity. He's in shock."
"Pressure stable?"
With a covert glance at Max, the paramedic gave it to her straight, "dropping fast," he shook his head, "I think we're gonna lose him!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Max's moan was sheer terror. Jill pushed her aside. "No time," she glanced across, "who's in theatre."
"Downey??"
"Okay, no time to scrub, we go in as we are." Almost exasperated. "Max get clear."
They blew through the doors and were gone.
Max folded her arms across herself as though she could still the shivering. Kenny's gonna die and I never……….. She slammed the idea on that thought, too late. Barely aware of Jimmy's presence, she talked to herself.
"I didn't see anyone. I heard the shots, but I didn't see anyone. There was all this blood and I didn't see anyone." The relentless monotone pounded in time with her heart.
Sheriff Jimmy Brock held himself together with an effort and tried to calm Max. "It's okay, Max."
Jill fought, they all did. "Kenny, hang in there, you're strong. You can hold on. Get a retractor on these ribs, come on."
"We're losing him."
"Kenny, you hold on, you hear me. Hold on." Desperately she reached into his open chest, drawing on all her courage and skill, she reached for the bullet.
"I've got it. I've got it." She withdrew her hand. The monitor lines went flat. "No. No, Kenny. No. Hold on."
Kenny Lacos looked down at his body. He was lying on the table, white as a sheet, except for the blood. In a detached way he wondered if that was why he was so white, all the blood was on the outside. "This is all wrong." He spun round, noticing for the first time the man standing next to him "What's going on, why am I up here, I'm supposed to be down there."
"But you're not. You're supposed to come with me. One soul, Rome, Wisconsin. This is Rome, Wisconsin."
"Yes,….But…"
"No buts," Messenger 7013 took him by the arm. "We have no time for buts."
They were moving away, but Kenny desperately wanted to turn back, He caught a last drowning glimpse of his friends. Jill had entered the waiting room, her despair evident in her slumped shoulders, Kenny heard her words.
"We lost him."
As Max collapsed backwards onto the couch, arms wrapped tightly round herself. Jill looked into Jimmy's face. "We lost Kenny."
"Nooooooooooo! No, you didn't, I'm here. Max, Jimmy, somebody hear me!" Kenny stretched back with all his strength, but the grasp on his arm didn't waiver.
Max cried until she had no tears left. Jimmy and Jill sat with her and tried to ease the storm. But nothing could.
She held herself together.
"Can I be with him for a while?"
Both Jill and Jimmy looked like they wanted to protest, that it was too much, too soon, that Max's feelings were too raw. But then Jill caught the look in her young friend's eyes and understood.
"Yes. Sure." She stood up. Pressing her hands down imaginary creases in her clothes. "We'll put him in a room where you can be alone."
Jill was as good as her word. They'd cleaned him up, stitched and bandaged his wounds as though he was still alive, laid him with gentle, loving care in a room by himself. Max pulled her ruined jacket off, and moved up to the bed. They'd even half covered him with a sheet and blanket, preserving his modesty in death.
Max ran her hand over his broad chest, his skin still held a little warmth, and she gently reached down to take his hand. It was limp beneath her grasp, and she folded both her hands around it, willing his fingers to close around hers, knowing with a horrible certainty that they would never hold her hand again.
"Kenny, I………"
Max paused, and took a seat. What she had to say wouldn't take only five minutes. She looked at the hand clasped between her own, so how do you say goodbye to the missing part of yourself? How do you fit a lifetime's love lost into one short space of time? So start at the beginning, tell him everything, because this is the long goodbye.
She took a deep breath and began at the beginning.
Mr Jordan was furious, he opened the file with a snap and a glare at Messenger 7013. "You've brought the wrong soul. It states quite clearly here that "Officer Kenneth Lacos survives the shooting." True we did have two possible dates for Officer Lacos to be joining us, but as you can see this one is crossed through." He pushed the book round so that his errant messenger could read it. Sweeping his hand up and down the large list on the page, which appeared to Kenny's astonished eyes to be fading away as he did. "How can all this be achieved?"
Kenny caught the merest glimpse of a small entry, "Kate Stewart Lacos, replaces father Kenny as Sheriff of Rome, Wisconsin" the date had already disappeared, the writing was fading.
"7013, you are going to have to put this right." Mr Jordan glared significantly at his messenger. "All of it." He scowled.
7013 sighed. It was an honest mistake. How was he to know. The hospital seemed like the best place to collect a soul, and there was one, out of the body, all ready for transportation. "How was I supposed to know."
Mr Jordan snatched the marked card, "Because it quite clearly states, Amos Patchuchek, 82, there." He slapped his hand against the card. "Now go, before it's too late."
7013 gathered his scattered wits, and tugged on Kenny's arm. "We have to get you back before they do something dreadful."
Kenny's mind was already reeling. "Such as??"
"Cremating you springs to mind."
Kenny picked up his pace. No way, lose out on all that, lose Max, lose out on being Sheriff, lose out on having a daughter, on seeing that daughter grow up to become Sheriff in his place. He began to make plans.
7013 sighed, misplaced souls never got that part. The part about not taking anything back with them. They still had to work through their future, not just cut to the bits they liked.
The hospital was coming back into view now. They paused above Kenny's body lying on the bed. Kenny was surprised and gratified to see Max sitting there. She was holding his hand and talking. Suddenly Kenny wanted to stop and listen.
"Oh no, no time for that." 7013 raised the spirit gun. "Back you go."
Kenny stretched out a hand. "Wait, I wanna hear what she's saying."
7013 raised his eyes once, souls, they were all the same. Didn't want to leave; when they had to go back to their lives, wanted to wait to hear what everyone was saying about them in death. "No." he said firmly and fired. Kenny sagged backwards and fell.
Max talked and talked, letting it all flood out. Her hopes, her fears, her love. The love she'd lost and would never have again. She rested her cheek against the back of the hand in hers.
And the fingers moved within her grasp.
"Kenny??" Max was on her feet, her thumb nearly pushed the bell in.
Jill came flying in, followed by Jimmy, and the crash team.
"Max, what??" Jill held her young friend by the shoulders.
Max was flooded with tears again, but this time they were tears of joy, with a tinge of embarrassment. Had he heard?? When she thought he was gone forever, Max could deal with that, but that he might have heard?!?!
"He's alive. Kenny's alive." She struggled to contain herself and make herself understood. "I was…….holding..his hand………………….saying goodbye……………….and he moved…." Jill was shaking her head as though to deny it, "no…………..he is……..he's breathing."
Sure that it was Max's desire not to lose Kenny that caused it, Jill's hand stretched out to feel for the pulse. Jeez, he's alive. Shaking herself, she leant over him.
"Kenny? Kenny can you hear me?"
Jimmy pushed forward. "Kenny, pal, how're ya doin'?"
The brown lashes flickered, and Jimmy caught a glimpse of blue eyes, before they closed again. "Jimmy…." The voice was very faint. "Sor……………………sorry!"
Jimmy's voice shook with suppressed emotion. "Take it easy, Kenny." He awkwardly patted the hand resting on the sheet nearest to him.
Jill bent over him, examining him. He was back with them and a silent tear slipped down Jill's cheek as she acknowledged her own share of the mixed pain and delight.
"You get some rest." His hand moved to try and clasp hers. "Sleep, now."
The crash team had melted away, realising that they weren't needed. Jimmy moved back towards the door. He could concentrate now on the work to be done. There was someone out there who had tried to take Kenny's life, and for a space of time, Jimmy had lost something precious to him.
"Max," she turned, flushed and tear stained, but ready to leap into action. "get everybody out of bed. Wake the whole place up. I want that Jewellery Store searched with a fine tooth comb. Nobody gets in until it's swept clean. Now go!"
Max paused to look down at the bed again. "Kenny, it's me. Max." She bent over the bed, twin slits of blue peered at her, then the lids drooped closed. A feeling of relief surged, he hadn't heard.
Half an hour later, Jill hooked up the last of the monitors and gently eased the covers up a bit higher on Kenny's chest. She patted his hand. "You get some rest and we'll see you in the morning."
Kenny settled back, he felt tired and whoozy and there was something in the back of his mind. He tried to get a handle on it, but failed. Too tired to think anymore he fell asleep.
Mr Jordan opened the file, and smiled. Things were back where they should be…… and Officers Lacos and Stewart, they had a destiny to fulfil.