Bulletproof Love

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own neither Saving Hope nor Daniel Gillies.

Pairing: Joel & Alex

Rating: T

Summary: Alex finds herself in a dangerous situation at Hope Zion.

Joel Goran sat at the kitchen table sipping coffee and watching the morning news on television. He'd just put Luke and Charlotte on the bus to school. Alex had been called into the hospital very early that morning and she'd taken baby Theo with her and dropped him at daycare along the way.

"We have some breaking news to report to you this morning," The news anchor said, "Police have been called to Hope Zion where a man with a gun has reportedly entered the building. No injuries have been reported at this time."

Joel turned up the volume on the television with one hand and reached for his cell phone with the other dialing his wife's number.

"Hey, Reid, it's me. I just heard about what's happening at the hospital. And I wanted to make sure you were okay. I love you. Call me back."

Alex Reid had been working in the E.R. when the man walked in looking distraught.

"Sir, can I help you?" She asked, softly, the corners of her mouth turning up into a smile as she closed the distance between herself and the hospital's latest visitor.

"My wife was here." The man whispered, looking at Alex, around the room and back again.

Alex nodded patiently, "What's your wife's name sir?"

"Grace Wheeler." The man replied. And Alex nodded again.

Grace Wheeler. Why does that name sound so familiar?

Alex thought to herself as she walked over to the computer terminal and scanned the list of patient names on the screen.

"I'm sorry, sir. What's your name?" Alex asked, meeting the man's eyes.

"Steve…Steve Wheeler." He answered his eyes dancing from Alex across the busy emergency room and back again.

"I'm sorry, Steve. I don't see your wife's name on the current patient census. But I'm going to go back a few days in our records and see what I can find out for you okay?"

Alex quickly typed the name into the computer.

Grace Wheeler. 37 year old female. MVA. Status: Deceased.

She suddenly realized why the name had sounded so familiar.

Alex had been on duty the night Grace Wheeler had been brought in to the E.R. They brought her up to the O.R. but she had severe internal injuries and died on the table.

"Steve, my name is Doctor Reid. I operated on your wife Grace." Alex said, trying to keep her voice even and kind.

"I know." Steve said, smiling just a little before he pressed something cold and metallic into the flesh of Alex's side.

A gun.

He has a gun in the hospital.

"You and I are going to go for a little walk, Doctor Reid." He said, pulling her out from behind the desk with his free hand and pushing her roughly towards the elevator.

"Okay, Steve," Alex said calmly, even though she felt her hands shaking with fear. "Why don't you put the gun down? And then you and I can go anywhere you want."

Steve shook his head and pushed Alex inside the elevator once the doors opened, "No. The only reason you're even listening to me right now is because I'm holding this gun. So I repeat. You and I are going to take a little walk."

"Okay. Steve." Alex repeated, willing her voice not to shake as she spoke. She walked next to Steve, his gun pressed against her side and concealed beneath the folds of her white lab coat.

"Hey Alex, where are you going? We need you down here." Alex looked up to see Zack calling out to her.

"I know, Zack. But I just have to take care of something upstairs. I'll be right back." She said as the doors closed.

She silently hoped that she was right.

"Where are we going, Steve?" Alex asked, softly, thinking that if she could keep him talking then maybe she could convince him to let her go.

"Up to the room in the I.C.U. where my wife held on for two weeks after the accident after you people took her into surgery and promised that you'd save her."

"I'm sure we did everything that we could for her Steve." Alex replied.

"Oh yeah, right. So that's what I'm supposed to tell my kids when they wake up crying in the middle of the night?"

At the mention of children Alex couldn't help but think of her own children.

Luke.

Charlotte.

Theo.

I can't die today.

I can't leave my kids without their mother.

I can't leave Joel.

Joel.

Her cell phone had been buzzing in her pocket all morning, and she knew it had to be Joel calling her.

She'd give anything just to hear his voice. But she knew she couldn't answer because Steve might think she was trying to call for help and fire the gun.

So she let it go to voicemail.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Joel, baby I'm sorry.

I love you.

Alex and Steve blended into the hustle and bustle of the I.C.U. and no one noticed when Steve pushed her into an empty patient room and shut the door.

"I sat in that chair every day for two weeks waiting for her to wake up from the coma that she went into after surgery." Steve whispered, angrily pointing to the empty chair beside the bed.

"I'm truly sorry for your loss Steve. And I know what it's like to wait for a loved one to come out of a coma…"

"Are you married? Do you have children?" Steve interrupted.

Each question sounded like an accusation.

"Yes I am. And I have three children. I understand that you must miss your wife, Steve. I can't imagine the pain you must be feeling but…"

"No, you're right…You can't!" Steve shouted as tears ran down his face.

"But doing this…Steve…coming into the hospital that tried to save Grace's life and threatening me with a gun…That won't bring your wife back…"

"I just wanted someone to listen…" He whispered, leaning back against the wall with a heavy sigh.

"I know, Steve. I know…" Alex said, nodding her head and trying to keep her voice even and soft.

I'm getting through to him.

After Joel's third call to Alex went to voicemail, he grabbed the car keys and drove straight to the hospital.

There were squad cars everywhere. Joel showed his identification badge to a police officer as he parked his car in front of the building.

"I'm Doctor Joel Goran. I work here. And my wife is a Doctor here as well. She's inside. What can you tell me about…?"

The police officer gave Joel a sympathetic nod, even as he interrupted him, "I'm sorry, Doctor Goran but they're not letting anyone in or out of the building at the moment."

"I should be in there. What if there are injuries? I might be able to help."

The officer considered Joel's words for a moment before he answered, "I'll have to talk to my superior officer. Give me a minute."

Joel nodded and the officer disappeared into the crowd for a moment and returned holding a Kevlar vest out to Joel.

"The only way you're going in is if you're wearing that." The officer said.

Joel nodded, slipping the vest on as easily as if it were a set of surgical scrubs.

"And the only reason I'm letting you go in there is because you're a doctor."

Joel nodded again as he followed the officer through the main entrance of the hospital, letting him think he was calling the shots.

My wife is in there, mate so I would've gone in there whether I had your permission or not.

"The gunman is holed up in an empty patient room in the I.C.U. His name is Steve Wheeler. His wife was a patient here before she died two weeks ago."

No wonder he went off the rails.

If I ever lost Alex…

Joel shuddered and shook his head to dispel the thought.

"We don't know how many hostages are in there with him or their condition is."

Joel nodded as he and the police officer stepped onto the elevator. As he pushed the button for the second floor, Joel tried to prepare himself for whatever he was about to find.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, picturing Alex and his children as the elevator ascended.

"Are you ready for this, Doctor Goran?" The cop asked the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

The officer drew his gun and held it at his side.

Joel said nothing but he nodded once. "Which room is it?"

"2748." The officer answered as he and Joel stepped off the elevator onto the I.C.U. floor which was filled with police officers, doctors, nurses, patients and other staff.

Joel looked around for Alex but he couldn't find her anywhere.

But Joel did spot Zack, and he called out to him, "Zack, have you seen Alex?"

Zack took a step closer to Joel and gave him a strange look, "Kevlar huh? Considering a career change?"

Joel shook his head, "It was the only way they'd let me in. Have you seen Alex?"

"Last time I saw her she was headed upstairs. She had a guy with her. I think it was a patient's next of kin. She seemed like she was in a rush."

Joel was silent for a second and then he spoke to Zack in a low voice so that no one around them would hear.

"Page Alex to the nurses' station right now. If she doesn't answer in two minutes call a Code Orange."

Zack nodded, and picked up the phone at the nurses' station. "Doctor Reid to I.C.U. nurses' station. Doctor Reid to I.C.U nurses' station."

Alex, love. Please be anywhere but where I think you are.

The cop looked at Joel, "Who's Doctor Reid? And what's a Code Orange?"

Joel walked briskly toward the patient room with the officer right beside him, "Doctor Reid is my wife. And Code Orange is the code we call when there's a weapon on the premises."

Joel counted the seconds.

30 seconds.

60 seconds.

100 seconds.

C'mon Reid, c'mon. Let me see your beautiful face coming round that corner.

115 seconds.

120 seconds.

Joel heard the Code Orange being called over the loudspeaker and broke into a run down the corridor, not caring whether the police officer was following him or not.

Inside the patient room, Alex heard the page.

"Steve, I need to answer that page." Alex said walking slowly toward the phone on the wall.

"Don't take another step, Doctor Reid! Or I'll shoot!" Steve shouted.

"Okay, Steve…Okay…" Alex replied, raising her hands in surrender. But you know pretty soon people are going to be looking for you if they aren't already. And if the police aren't already here, they will be soon."

"I don't care. Let them come. If they do I'll shoot you and them and then myself."

"You don't want to do that Steve." Alex whispered, "You don't want to leave your kids without a mother and a father do you? And if you kill me you'll be putting my husband and my kids in the same kind of pain you're in.

Steve looked at Alex and considered her words for a moment.

I'm getting through to him.

He's going to let me go.

And then she heard the Code Orange being called over the loudspeaker and the sound of footsteps in the corridor coming towards them.

Joel came around the corner and froze as he looked through the glass of the I.C.U. room door and saw a man pointing a gun at his wife.

Alex.

Her hazel eyes danced back and forth with panic, both hands were raised in a gesture of surrender.

He wanted to call out to her but he was afraid that he'd spook the assailant with the gun.

So he just hoped that she would look at him, just for a second so that he could let her know that everything would be okay.

As the footsteps echoed down the corridor Alex looked up and saw none other than her husband standing outside the door in a Kevlar vest flanked by half a dozen police officers.

Joel.

She didn't realize she'd spoken aloud until Steve looked right at her and raised the gun with a shaking hand.

Joel looked at the officer standing next to him incredulously and shouted, "That man has a gun pointed at my wife. Do something!"

Everything that happened next seemed as if it were in happening in slow motion.

The police forced open the door and the frightened gunman grabbed Alex using her as a human shield.

Gunfire rang out through the small room and Joel could only watch in terror as the bullet struck Alex in the lower abdomen and hit the gunman standing behind her causing them both to crumple slowly towards the tile floor.

"Alex!" Joel shouted running towards her catching her in his arms seconds before she fell. "I've got you, love. I've got you." Joel whispered, pressing his hand over her wound to slow the bleeding.

His hand was already warm and sticky with her blood.

"I'm sorry I didn't answer the phone." She whispered her breathing slow and labored as she fought against the pain to stay conscious. He just lost his wife…I thought I could get through to him."

Alex Reid always tried to see the best in everyone.

It was one of the many things he loved about her.

Joel just nodded, pressing a kiss against her forehead. "You're going to be okay. Do you hear me, Alex Reid?"

She tried to nod but even the slightest movement was too much for her to manage.

"Alex, I need you to try and be very still." Joel said, using the same strong confident voice that he used in the O.R.

"I love you Doctor Goran, "Alex whispered, "Tell the kids…"

Joel shook his head, "No, Alex I'm not going to tell the kids anything. Because you're going to be able to tell them yourself. And I love you too, Doctor Reid."

"Mmmkay…" Alex mumbled drifting slowly into unconsciousness. "Joel, baby, I'm cold."

"I know, you are Reid. Just stay with me, all right? Alex just look at me."

In a sudden flurry of activity Reycraft, Maggie, and Zack entered the room with two gurneys.

One for the gunman.

And one for Alex.

Joel followed them into Alex's surgery as Reycraft removed the bullet, which by some miracle didn't hit her spine.

Joel sat by her bedside, while Malanda went to pick up the kids so that they could be there when Alex woke up.

Alex awoke to the sound of her children's voices, "Daddy? Is Mommy okay?"

Charlotte.

"Yes, angel. Mommy got hurt at work today trying to help someone. And she had to have surgery. But she's okay now."

"Dad? Did Mom really get shot?"

Luke.

"Yeah, little man. She did. But she's going to be okay now." Joel answered, taking hold of Alex's hand and squeezing it.

It was Joel's touch that finally brought her back to consciousness.

"Listen to your Daddy, Luke. He's right." Alex replied drowsily.

"Hey Reid," Joel said, softly, getting to his feet so he could kiss her. "How're you feeling?"

"Tired and sore." She answered, pushing herself up on her elbows as Charlotte all but jumped into her arms, making Alex wince a little.

"No surprise considering that you've just been shot. Be careful, Charlotte. Mommy still hurts."

"I'm sorry Mommy." Charlotte whispered, apologetically.

Alex smiled, "That's all right, baby girl I'm okay. Where's Theo?"

"Fed, changed, and out like a light." Joel replied, gesturing with one arm to the baby seat in which their youngest son slept.

"You really scared me today, Reid."

Alex nodded, "I know, Joel, baby. And I'm sorry. But if it's any consolation, I was pretty scared too. Do you still love me?"

He never wanted her to be scared.

He just wanted her safe, in his arms, and in one piece.

Joel tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and flashed her one of his trademark grins before he kissed her and whispered, "Yes ma'am. Always."

Just like a Kevlar vest.

Their love was bulletproof.