She'd been there before with Bosco, and now it was happening again. She wasn't sure she could cope with losing another man he cared for to Red John.
"Stay with me, Jane. Please."
His eyes flickered open for a moment. "Lisbon."
"Why did you do that?"
"I told you I was always going to save you."
The ghost of a smile touched his lips before he finally lost consciousness. When the paramedics arrived they had to drag her away from his body – as desperate sobs racked her chest.
xxx
Lisbon had already cried all of her tears by the time Cho joined her at the hospital.
"It was really him. We've found more than enough evidence at his house."
"Good."
It was quite an inadequate remark after the serial killer's passing, and yet she felt too emotionally drained to formulate any coherent thought.
"How's Jane?"
"He's lost a lot of blood. They're not sure he's going to make it."
Cho looked his boss in the eye. "He's Jane. He's going to be alright."
Hadn't she been frantic with worry, she would have laughed at such a statement. Right now, all she was able do was give him a curt nod and retreat into Jane's room.
xxx
It took him a couple of days before eventually waking up. First thing he did was smiling fondly at the woman that was clinging to his hand for dear life.
"Hi."
"Jane. It's good to see you awake."
"It's good to see you're still alive."
She shook her head gently. "I'm pretty sure Red John wouldn't have actually shot me – hadn't you put yourself in between."
"I couldn't take any chances. Not when your life was the one at stake."
"You silly man."
Her affectionate tone made his smile widen even further. "Love you, Teresa."
This time she knew he wasn't going to take it back at all.