A/N: Here's the 6th story in the MultiFandom Snapshot series.
My take on Grace's thoughts during/after the events of Red Bulls.
She Remembers
All she can remember is three deafening explosions in rapid sucession. Then three equally powerful wallops to the chest, like a major league ball player was using her for pitching practice. She remembers lying on the ground, vaguely aware she's been shot. Finally, the crushing pain rushes in, and it feels like she can't draw a breath. Through the haze of pain and shock, she hears a voice, Wayne, she faintly thinks, calling her name. But she can't catch her breath to respond. She remembers Wayne kneeling above her, telling her to breathe, with worry in his eyes. The fog lifts enough for her to remember why she lying on the ground, and finally drawing a good breath, she gasps out an order for him to go after the woman, that's she's fine. She's not so sure, but the job comes first.
She remembers lying there trying to breathe, listening to Wayne's footsteps fade as he chases the perp. There were more distant gunshots, and she remembers alarm and praying Wayne was all right; after all, the stubborn man had at brought her to the sobering thought of what if she hadn't been wearing a vest? Then the paramedics are surrounding her, removing her vest, helping her onto a gurney, taking her vitals.
She remembers lying there strapped into the gurney, her team standing around her. She sees Wayne among them and feels a wave of relief wash over her. She remembers her foot twitching uncontrollably, and Cho telling her it was adrenaline. She remembers Lisbon telling her never to do that to her again, and being slightly loopy on some sort of pain meds as they load her into the ambulance.
She remembers the ambulance doors opening, and Wayne slipping in. She can't think of anything to say other than her foot is still twitching. Then the man himself says he loves her, and she can't think of anything at all anyway. Her mouth must be operating seperately from her mind, because she hears herself say, "Thanks." Thanks? Really? As much as she wants to say "I love you too," it's just not coming out. She remembers feeling a wave of anger, shock, and relief all at one and it overwhelms her. She watches her hand jump up and slap Wayne. She see the shocked look on Wayne's face and the anger rushes back. "Next time, wear your vest." She hears her own voice, thick with anger and tears. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realizes her foot is still twitching.
Now, hours later, curled up on the couch in her living room, chest wrapped thick with white bandages, she did the first voluntary thing she's done all day: she called Wayne.
THE END
R&R