It had been a quiet Sunday evening at the Messer household. Danny was working the night shift, which left Lindsay and the girls at home.
They had watched Aiden's current favourite movie, The Princess Diaries. When the movie was over Aiden and Lily had gotten ready for bed, with a minimum of stalling, and Lindsay had read them the next chapter in the Alex Rider mystery. Once the chapter was finished and glasses of water were placed on nightstands, Lindsay had turned off the lights in the girls' rooms and had headed downstairs.
Hannah had also gotten ready for bed, but was waiting downstairs for her mother, so they could watch the next episode of the show that Lindsay loved.
"Alright, kiddo. I'm ready for the next episode. You got the DVD ready to go?" Lindsay said as she came down the stairs.
"Yep." Hannah answered from the couch.
"Which one are we on?" Lindsay asked as she settled herself next to her daughter.
"Episode 19. Teach Me Tonight." Her daughter read off the pamphlet.
"You're going to love this one." Lindsay pressed play on the remote. "I'm so glad you like Gilmore Girls, because Dad won't watch them with me."
In a warehouse on the other side of New York, things were not progressing quite as smoothly.
A man had been found shot to death in a warehouse, and Danny and Flack had been sent to the scene.
Danny was working on processing the scene when Flack saw a shadow move across the wall. His gun was drawn, but not before a man materialized from the dark corner of the room and fired his gun. Flack's instant reaction was to fire back. His bullet grazed the arm of the shooter, causing his gun to fall from his hand. Flack quickly overtook him as the uniformed cops guarding the scene entered the building. It was as the shooter was being cuffed that Flack realized that Danny had been shot.
Lindsay and Hannah had finished watching their episode of Gilmore Girls, and Hannah had gone to bed.
Lindsay was just boiling the kettle for a cup of tea, and signing a few school permission forms when the phone rang.
"Hello?" She picked up the phone as she placed her name on another sheet of paper.
"Lindsay, it's Don."
"Hi Don. Danny's not here, he's working tonight." She placed the cap on her pen and sat at the kitchen table.
"I know. That's why I'm calling. Danny and I were working a scene together. He's been shot." He waited for a response, and when one didn't come, he spoke again. "Lindsay?"
"I have to…call someone. To watch the girls. What…what hospital is he at?" She said as she stood up.
"Lindsay. Nakamura's at the hospital with Danny. Eve's going to come and watch the girls." Don told her gently.
"No, no. Who's watching your boys? I'll call Mrs. Munn from down…"
"Lindsay. The boys are in the car with us, we're turning onto your street right now. Just get your coat and be ready to go. I'm going to take you to St. Vincent's."
"Okay." In a daze, she hung up the phone without saying goodbye.
She quickly grabbed her coat from the front hall closet and placed it with her purse at the front door. Lindsay then went back into the kitchen and pulled out a loaf of bread and the sandwich meat, and set about making sandwiches.
When the door bell rang she was partway through making the second sandwich. She opened the front door to reveal Don, carrying a sleeping Aaron, and Eve with the baby carrier that contained Christopher.
"Come on in. You can put Aaron on the couch. I've just got to finish making the girls' lunches."
Flack went into the living room with Aaron. Eve set the baby down, took off her own coat, and picked up Lindsay's.
"I'll finish the lunches. You go with Don." Eve said softly as she helped Lindsay into her coat.
"I've made Hannah's sandwich. It's bologna. Aiden likes salami and cheese. I've started on hers. Lily will only eat…" Lindsay started.
"Lily will only eat peanut butter. I know. I want you to go with Don and get to your husband. Everything will be fine here."
"Okay." Lindsay busied herself with the buttons on her coat. Don led her down the stairs, and into the car.
She stared absently out the window, watching the houses and buildings go by.
"How bad is it?" She asked without turning to look at him.
"He was shot once, in the stomach. He lost a lot of blood, but the doctors said that it missed the vital organs. He didn't lose consciousness until we reached the hospital. He was able to accurately tell us the date and location, but the shock made him say some weird things." Flack told her, glancing at her every once in a while to make sure she was okay.
"What did he say?" She asked, finally looking at him.
"He wanted me to tell you that he loves you and the girls, and he can't wait to meet your new little person. He's in shock, the doctor's say that it is possible to mentally rearrange events. He thinks that you're pregnant." He said, looking over at her once more. She's looking out the window again.
"Because I am." She whispered as she leaned her head against the window. "We found out a few weeks ago."
"That's good news. It means he knew what was going on." He said as he pulled into a parking space.
The ride up to the surgery ward felt like it took forever. When they arrived, they found Hale Nakamura in the waiting room. She held a cup of coffee in her hands and placed it on the coffee table. She swooped in to hug Lindsay as soon as she and Don stepped out of the elevator.
"I just spoke with the doctor. Danny's just come out of surgery. He'll be in recovery for the next little while, but everything looks good. They want to talk to you. I told them I'd bring you to the front desk as soon as you got here." Hale said as she released Lindsay.
"You stay here with Don. I'll go to the desk." Lindsay said as she headed to the desk.
As soon as she was out of ear shot, Hale turned back to Don.
"How's she doing?" She asked.
"You know Lindsay. She's holding it all together." He told her.
"Were any of the girls awake?" Hale asked.
"No, they were all in bed. Eve's there and she'll be able to keep everything going until Lindsay can explain what's going on." Don told her as they went back over the chairs were Hale had previously been waiting.
"Like I said, Mrs. Messer, everything looks good, but we'll know more when he wakes up. You can feel free to talk to him; he may even react to the sound of your voice." Dr. West told Lindsay as he led her into Danny's room. "The nurse will be in to check on him periodically.
"Thank you." Dr. West quietly left the room as Lindsay took off her coat and laid it over the end of the bed. She pulled the room's only chair up to Danny's bedside. She sat down and took his hand.
To look at him, you would never know that he had been shot. He looked like he was sleeping peacefully. The only indication of anything out of the ordinary was the IV in his arm.
Time passed in fits and starts. Minutes would pass in seconds, and then in hours. She had no idea how long she had been sitting there when she started to cry. She tried to brush them away, but they kept falling.
"Oh, Danny. Don't leave me. I can't do this on my own." She brought his hand to her lips, and brushed a kiss against his knuckles. "You have a new baby on the way. I want her to know you. You have three little girls who love you and who need their Daddy. And I love you. You promised me that they'd have to take you kicking and screaming, but I don't see you fighting." With that she lay her head down on the bed and cried herself to sleep.
The darkness that surrounded him was starting to lift. He could feel someone holding his hand. He squeezed the hand and felt a shift in the mattress, as if someone had picked something up.
"Danny?" He recognized his wife's voice. She had been crying.
"Li –" He tried to croak out her name as he struggled to open his eyes.
"Just wait a minute; I'll get you some water." He could see her now. She was blurry, but he could see her familiar form pouring a glass of water and bringing it to him. He took a sip.
"Lindsay." He said with less difficulty. His throat felt like sand paper.
"It's me. Do you know where you are?" She asked him as she placed the water on his bedside table.
"St. Vincent's. Where are the girls?" He asked.
"They're at home. Eve's with them. They'll be getting ready for school. How are you feeling?"
"Like I got mauled by a bear." He told her.
"Danny, I was so scared. I thought you were going to leave me." Lindsay said as the tears began to fall.
"Hey, hey. I'm fine. It's nothing. Just a scratch." He told her.
"It's not just a scratch, Danny! You got shot. I thought…" Lindsay's tears prevented her from completing her thought.
"I know what you thought. But I promised you once that I wouldn't leave you pregnant and alone, and I won't leave you now. I've never broken a promise to you before, an' I'm not about ta start." He lifts his hand to cup her face.
"You've never been shot before. I was so scared. I love you so much." Lindsay placed her hand on top of his.
"Not as much as I love you." He told her.
"I'll go get the nurse." Lindsay said as she stood up.
He watched her walk to the door. He couldn't leave. He had too much to lose.