MICHAEL SANDRELLI
A tag piece from the third season finale.
Lawson, Christian, and Stella slipped into Michael's room at the hospital. They'd spent the last three hours, with the rest of tactical response, talking down a gunman in South Melbourne who'd been threatening a shop keeper. Once the gunman was taken into custody and handed over to general duties, TR cleared from the area and headed to St. Vincent's hospital to check up on Michael. He'd been shot by a spear gun on Baleen Island while transporting a suspect back to the police station. He'd spent the next hour fighting for his life before he was transported back to Melbourne and into the safe hands of paramedics.
"How is he?" Lawson asked Audrey as he stepped into Michael's private room, with Stella and Christian in tow.
Audrey stood from Michael's bedside, "He's OK. He woke up after the surgery but was in too much pain so the doctor's put him on a sedative. He'll be out for a few more hours," she explained. Audrey glanced Stella and then looked back to Lawson, "Um, I'm going to get going. Go home, shower, you know."
"Yeah, yeah, right," Lawson nodded, "Thanks Audrey," he said and gestured to Michael.
Audrey nodded, smiled politely, and excused herself from the room; carrying her police issue bulletproof vest in her hand. Stella hesitated and followed Audrey into the corridor.
"Audrey, wait." Audrey slowed down and eventually turned around. Stella waved her hands by her side.
"He asked for you," Audrey said, "when he woke up after the surgery. He saw me but he wanted you." She shrugged.
Stella shrugged slowly. She'd never been in this position before and frankly she found it extremely uncomfortable and awkward. "I'm sorry."
Audrey shook her head. She remembered back to the beach on Baleen Island when Michael regained consciousness. Stella had been applying pressure to his wound and was talking to him to help him wake up. When he did, Audrey contemplated rushing to his side, but then she saw the way Michael looked at Stella and the way he reached for her and wanted her to kiss him. She remembered figuring out right then, as Stella and Michael kissed on the beach, something she'd already known for a while.
"He's in love with you," Audrey said. "And you're in love with him." She shook her head again and took a step back, "don't apologize for that." She turned her back to Stella and left.
- TWO WEEKS LATER -
TR1 were patrolling the western suburbs after responding to a domestic in Altona. The situation had settled and persons involved promised their dispute was over, but Lawson wanted to hang around the area just in case.
"Hey, we're not too far from Michael's," Stella announced from the driver's seat.
Lawson checked the VKC monitor in front of him and then nodded, "Yeah, alright." He pushed down on his coms as Stella made a right turn. "Leon, we're heading to Michael's place, keep an eye out for any calls to the Altona address, yeah?"
"Yep, will do. Say hi to the cripple for me."
Michael answered the knock on his front door in a pair of slack jeans and a black long sleeve shirt pushed up to his elbows. His smile beamed when he saw his team standing behind his door.
"Hey! Come in, come in." Michael stepped back to let the team in.
"So when are you coming back to work?" Christian asked as he bounced in last.
Michael smiled, "Ah, actually, yeah, probably next week. Hopefully." He looked to Lawson who gave him that look. That look Michael had been getting since he woke up the next day in the hospital and told Lawson he was ready to come back to work that afternoon.
As Michael led the team out of the entry way and into the living area, Christian spotted Michael's academy graduation photo in a frame. He bent down to examine it closely and then chuckled.
"Aww, man that is not flattering at all."
"Yeah, I'm sure yours is much better," Michael threw back without missing a beat.
Stella, knowing her way around Michael's house already, placed herself against the back of a couch that faced a wide flat screen TV. The kitchen was just off to Stella's right, it was long and spacious; something Stella had once heard Michael's mother refer to as 'the perfect kitchen for an Italian family'. The 10 seater dining table was visible in the next room.
Lawson took in the scenery of the house and nodded, "nice place. Big."
Michael smiled shyly, "Yeah, well, big family."
"How many of you?"
"Um," Michael leaned against the kitchen bench. "Six siblings, not including myself. Two of which have kids of their own. There's my parents, my Nonna, and whoever's friends are hanging out."
Lawson frowned, "Shit." Michael nodded; enjoying the reaction.
Christian blew air and leaned against the end of the kitchen bench,"I thought my place was crazy."
"Not too crazy now, though." Lawson stated.
Michael glanced around, "Yeah. My parents are overseas. My Nonna's upstairs, asleep, and my younger sister's at school."
"So you don't all live here?" Lawson asked; finding himself more intrigued with Michael's home life than he would have expected.
Michael shook his head and laughed, "No."
Lawson shook his head then lazily gestured to Michael's stomach, where he knew a wound was healing underneath the clothing, "how're you feeling?"
Michael perked up, "Yeah, good. I mean it, I think I'm ready to come back."
Lawson crossed his arms, "Just hold on, alright. Take some time, let yourself heal."
"I'm going hostile here," Michael stepped closer to him, "I'm fine. I'm not in any pain…" he trailed off, "I can't train yet but I need to work."
"Michael, you didn't just fall and hit your head," Stella said calmly, "you got shot in the gut with a spear gun. That takes some time to bounce back from."
"Stell's right," Lawson agreed, "but Michael," he lowered his voice, "you need to consider the possibility you might not be operational again."
Michael shook his head, "No, I can't."
It was at that moment Leon came over the coms and alerted Lawson to a triple zero call from the Altona address.
Lawson patted Michael's shoulder, "Just take care of yourself, alright? We'll talk next week about you coming back and doing light duties, how's that?"
Michael nodded, "Okay. Thanks, Lawson."
Lawson Michael again and headed for the door. Christian hugged Michael goodbye when they all reached the front door.
Michael was quick to grab Stella's hand and pulled her back to him before she walked out as well, "you coming back later?"
Stella nodded, "Yeah."
He smiled and leaned down to kiss her goodbye.
A/N: Thanks for reading!