Salem didn't know where he was when he woke up. He felt heavy, tired, sore, and for some reason, severely hungry. It was so white, wherever he was. His eyes were heavy and the light felt so intense, it was a struggle to open them. There was something covering his nose and mouth, which he realized was an oxygen mask.

Shit. A hospital? He thought. What the hell happened?

He tried to think back, pieces of memories appearing in his mind.

Shanghai. Mall. Temple. Jonah. Some kind of decision?

He concentrated harder, desperately trying to remember.

Bomb. Sacrifice. 7 million people. Rios.

Then the memories began flooding back: the shock of Jonah's proposal, the loud bang of a single shot, Rios' pained expression. Salem's eyes flew open and he gasped.

Rios shot me. He fuckin' shot me.

He glanced around the room in search of his partner, the growing anger and need for an explanation fueling his exhausted body. Salem then noticed the bigger man laying over his hospital bed. Rios' head was resting on his left forearm and his right hand grasped tightly to Salem's.
Whatever negative feelings Salem had for Rios had disappeared when he saw his partner by his bedside. He wanted to be angry at Rios for betraying him like that, but the sight of him broke Salem's heart. The guy looked like shit. The dark circles under his eyes revealed his lack of sleep. He looked like he hadn't shaved in a couple days. It seemed like he aged a decade since Salem last saw him.
He knew why Rios had done it. Being the more moral of the two as well as the final decision maker, it made sense that he would chose to save seven million people at the cost of one. Not to mention Jonah's whole " innocent men, women, and children" spiel probably got to him. Rios had a family, a kid, and the thought of someone destroying people like them really hit home. Though it hurt to think that Rios would actually put a bullet in him, he understood decisions were going to have messy consequences. Rios had just followed his gut and chose the one that made sense. Even though Rios did almost kill him, the guy also got him out alive and to a hospital.
Salem squeezed the bigger man's hand, causing him to stir in his sleep. Rios' eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, big guy," Salem wheezed from his dry throat.

A look of simultaneous relief and guilt appeared on Rios' face when he realized his partner had regained consciousness. He leaned over Salem and held him in a tight embrace.

"Jesus, Elliot," Rios whispered into Salem's ear as they hugged.

"Thought you were a goner."

Rios pulled away from the younger man and placed his hand on the other's shoulder.

"How're you feeling?" Rios asked, his voice shaky with concern.

Salem sighed and closed his eyes, still exhausted. He sluggishly removed the oxygen mask from his face, then looked to Rios with half-shut, drowsy eyes.

"Like I got hit by a bus. Shit, Tyse, how long've I been out? I'm starvin'. Got any grub in this joint?

Rios chuckled, relieved his friend was back to his talkative self.

"One thing at a time, Ellie," Rios answered. Then a somber look came over his face.

"Nine days."

"What?"

"You've been out nine days, Ellie."

Salem laid still, taking in what Rios had told him. After a few moments he spoke.

"Nine days," Salem repeated in a soft, stunned voice.

"You were in a coma Ellie. Doc wasn't sure you'd even wake up with that bullet-"

Rios stopped mid sentence, an awkward silence filling the room. He stood and turned away from Salem and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stifle the oncoming tears. He sighed heavily as the guilt of what he did to his partner, the person he was closest to and swore to protect, flooded over him.

"Tyse, don't. I'm fine, okay? Really."

"That's not the point, Salem!" Rios snapped.

Hearing his last name from Rios like that shook Salem. Whenever Rios called him by his last name, it was usually to show authority or scold Salem for his immature antics, but this time it was different. He wasn't angry at Salem. He was angry at himself.

"Then what's the fuckin' point, Tyse? If you're feeling guilty, stop. Okay?"

"I made you a promise," Rios said solemnly.

"Yeah, you did. You said you'd get me outta that shit hole in one piece. Look at me, dammit!

Salem then weakly gestured to himself, the argument clearly draining whatever energy he had to begin with.

"One fuckin' piece."

Rios looked at him, the shame clearly shown in his eyes.

"Barely."

Salem calmed down then said in a low voice,"Dammit, Tyse. I didn't mean for us to start arguing. Opposite of what I wanted, actually. I don't want what happened in Shanghai to change what's between us. Tyse, you're my bro and-" He paused and looked down, fiddling with the i.v. in his hand. "And I don't want to lose you."

There was a long period of silence between the two. Rios took in Salem's words, feeling a sense of relief. He was glad that Salem wanted to remain close, but at the same time it sickened him. Rios felt he didn't deserve Salem's friendship after what he did to him. Nevertheless, Salem wanted him to forget about it, so Rios agreed to, feeling it was the least he could do for his partner.

"Can we stop now with the touchy-feely shit," Salem said with a smirk in an attempt to lighten the mood. "No wonder everyone thinks we're gay."

Rios laughed at that, then patted Salem on the shoulder.

"You wanted some grub?" Rios asked.

"Oh, fuck, yes. I'm starving. Don't think I've been this hungry since that prison in Nigeria."

They both started cracking up as the memories came flooding back. Rios hoped times like those hadn't come to an end. Rios reached over and gripped Salem's hand in both of his. He then held his partner's hand against his cheek, grateful to be able to feel the steady pulse in Salem's wrist, a pulse he spent years fighting to keep going. A pulse he almost stopped himself.
Rios easily placed Salem's hand down on the hospital bed, then lightly patted his partner's shoulder, giving a weak smile.

"I'll go get a nurse. They need to run some tests on you and make sure you check out alright. Then I'll get you some food," Rios said as he stood and headed for the door.

"Then you'll take me home?" Salem asked.

Rios paused before leaving the room and turned back to Salem. The way his partner said that made him seem like a small child and the look of drowsiness on Salem's face simply added to the affect.

"Yeah, Ellie," Rios answered with a small smile. "Then I'll take you home."