Hello everyone. This story just came to me randomly, yesterday. Should be around 3-4 chapters at most. WARNING for permanent injury of major character.

Rusty's POV

He didn't know love until she came into his life.

He was sure that he knew how to love, sometimes he thought he loved too much. He loved his mother with everything he had. He still did. Despite everything, despite the violence her numerous boyfriends brought into his life, despite the drunken rages, the pain she inflicted on him with her words time and time again. He still loved her, unconditionally.

But with Sharon, it was different. He loved her so much that sometimes he got an ache in his chest when she looked at him, especially now. He didn't want to leave her side. He wanted to take care of her, like she had taken care of him.

She had been severely injured in a shootout. A bullet had severed her spine, rendering her paralyzed from the waist down. It had taken weeks of recovery and time spend in a rehab center before she was able to come home.

He had taken the semester off from school, much to Sharon's dismay. She didn't want him to fall back, to delay his college education because of her. He told her that he wasn't delaying anything, and to make her feel better he took a couple of online classes.

Sharon tried hard to be her usual self, especially in front of him. But, he wanted her to feel whatever she needed to feel and say whatever she needed to say when he was around.

They didn't talk about the incident. It was too scary for Rusty and too painful for Sharon. They both still had nightmares, hers about the shooting, and his about it ending in a more horrifying, unimaginable scenario.

Maybe if they were able to talk about it, or come to each other after being awoken by their nightmares, then they would stop.

He had already decided to go to school part time during the summer, so he wouldn't be behind when his Junior year of college started. Taking two classes and working part time still gave him a lot of free time to spend with Sharon.

He just wasn't ready to leave her alone longer than a couple of hours at a time.

He even found himself watching her sleep at night sometimes. He'd stand at her doorway and watch her chest rise and fall with her breaths, and he would be at peace.

He looked down at his phone. Six missed calls. Two from Andy, two from Provenza, one from Sykes, and one from a number he didn't recognize.

He was walking to this next class, but an uneasy feeling came over him and he decided to call one of them back, to see what was up.

He called Provenza, first, who picked up in the middle of the second ring. "Rusty?"

Rusty swallowed hard. Provenza didn't sound right. "Lieutenant, what's wrong?"

Provenza sighed. "Rusty, it's the Captain…"

Rusty stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth felt dry all of a sudden. "Sharon? What happened? Is she….?" He couldn't say the words. This was it. This was the end of the road for him. If she was gone, he'd never be the same. If she was gone…

Provenza was talking, but Rusty couldn't hear the words.

"RUSTY!"

Rusty blinked, finally inhaling another breath. "Please no…don't tell me…."

Provenza interrupted him. "She's not dead, Rusty. She's hurt. Badly. She was caught in an unexpected crossfire at a crime scene. She's been shot, and she has been in surgery for the last hour. We've been trying to get ahold of you. We were about to call the school."

Rusty spun around and began running to the campus parking lot, almost in a sprint. She wasn't dead. That's all Rusty could focus on. "I'm coming, I'll be there soon!"

When he got to the hospital, her entire team was in the waiting room. They all stood when they saw him. Sykes had tears in her eyes. Julio & Mike looked stricken, and Provenza was the first to go to him. He gave the boy a hug, something he had never before instigated with his surrogate grandson.

Rusty squeezed his eyes shut as he returned the embrace, then pulled back and took a deep breath. "Have you…heard anything?"

Provenza sighed. "Not yet, kid. She was shot in the back, but was conscious when the paramedics arrived at the scene. The doctor should be sending a nurse out any minute now to give us all an update."

Rusty nodded, in a daze. He looked at everyone again, and realized someone was missing. "Where's Andy?"

Julio stepped forward and put his hand on Rusty's shoulder. "He tried to get Sharon out of the crossfire, and in doing so hit his head pretty hard on the pavement. Doctor's are checking him out, much to his delight." Provenza gave an annoyed chuckle behind him at that.

Rusty swallowed. How terrible for Andy. They had just started their relationship. Rusty knew that Andy was crazy about Sharon. He didn't know what he would have done if he had been there. If he had seen her hurt, unable to stop it.

Sykes came over and put her arm around his shoulders, leading him to one of the chairs, sitting beside him. Mike went to get him some water, which he took gratefully. His mouth felt like sandpaper.

A nurse would come out every hour to brief them on Sharon's condition. Rusty had managed the difficult task of calling Ricky & Emily, who would both be there by tonight, or tomorrow at the latest. Andy came back, cleared by the doctors with orders to take it easy for a few weeks. Rusty had shuddered at the sight of blood on the front of his shirt. Sharon's blood. Andy sat right next to Rusty, determined not to leave his side until they knew more about how Sharon was fairing.

Five hours had passed and Rusty stood up at the sight of a different woman with different scrubs on walking around the corner. She spotted Rusty immediately, the look of fear in a young mans eyes was something she didn't think she would ever get used to. She walked up to him as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Rusty?"

Rusty nodded. She managed a small smile for him. "I'm Dr. Wilkins." She held her hand out for him to shake, which he tentatively did.

"How's my mother?"

The doctor sighed deeply. "The good news is, she is going to survive this. She's a very strong, determined woman."

He saw Andy smile at that from the corner of his eye, and while he felt relief at the fact that Sharon was alive, he knew that the doctor had more to say. He cleared his throat. "What's the bad news?"

The doctor reached over and put a comforting hand on his arm. "The bullet severed her spinal cord, rendering her paralyzed from the waist down."

Rusty felt like he had been punched in the stomach when he heard that. He sat down, his legs feeling like jelly. He heard the doctor say that she was sorry. She was sorry? Sharon was paralyzed? Oh god. How could this have happened? Why? Why Sharon? Sharon was a good person. She was the greatest person he had ever met. He needed to see her. He needed to be with her. He looked up at her, tears in his eyes. "When can I see her?"

The doctor sighed sympathetically. "She's in recovery now, but she should be moved to ICU within the hour. I'll send a nurse out when she's ready, okay?"

Rusty nodded, and Andy put his arm around him as the doctor walked away.

The silence around him was deafening. This news had shattered all of them. Their captain had suffered a devastating injury, one that would change hers and their lives forever.

How was he going to tell her? How was he going to tell Ricky & Emily? He felt nauseous. He looked at Provenza. "Lieutenant, what do I do?"

Provenza was taken back by the childlike quality of the question, and swallowed hard. He cleared his throat. "Well….you be there for her, Rusty. You just be there, you help her in whatever way you can. We all will."

Rusty nodded, so unsure of himself. He looked over at Andy, who was just staring straight ahead, his face voice of any expression. "Lieutenant, are you all right?"

It was a stupid question, he knew. Andy looked at him for a moment and then stood up. "Yea, kid. I just uh….need some air."

Andy walked away without so much of a word. Julio stood up a minute later, seemingly to keep an eye on him.

The hour ticked by slowly, until finally a nurse came out and told Rusty that he could see her. Rusty was the only family she had there at the moment, so only he was allowed to see her for now. Rusty rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans, and followed the nurse to the ICU.

The nurse explained that Sharon would remain unconscious for some time, but it was okay for him to visit with her for a little while regardless.

He wasn't prepared for what he saw when the door to her room opened.

Sharon was so pale. An oxygen mask on her face. She was sleeping peacefully, he knew. He knew she wasn't feeling pain. But Oh god. Sharon….

The nurse touched his shoulder sympathetically before walking out of the room, to give him some privacy.

He stood there frozen for a few minutes, until the need to be closer to her was too great. Was this some kind of a nightmare? Had she really just made him breakfast this morning, only hours before? Now she was here and he just couldn't wrap his brain around it.

He took her hand in both of his and squeezed gently. "Sharon….it's Rusty. I'm here…."

He swallowed hard, tears running down his cheeks before he could stop them. "Oh God Sharon…I'm so sorry….I'm so sorry…."

He rested his head next to hers on the pillow and he just sobbed, careful not to hurt her. This pain he felt for her was worse than any pain he had ever felt before. Sharon didn't deserve this. She was good. She was…everything.

After awhile his tears subsided, and he kissed the back of her hand gently. "I'll take care of you, Sharon. I promise. I love you, okay? I love you so much. I…."

What else could he say to this woman? This woman who had saved him, time and time again? He needed to say these things to her when she woke up. He didn't know if words could ever explain how he felt about her. But he would try anyway. She deserved that much. She deserved everything he had to give.

It was just too close for comfort. This incident that almost took her from him. He needed more time with her. He needed to make a lifetime of memories with her like Ricky & Emily were already able to. She needed to see him graduate college, get a well paying job, and maybe get married and start a family. He needed her there for all of it. When he looked forward, he saw her there, by his side, smiling proudly at him, or with tears in her eyes.

He knew he'd never be ready to let her go. Being loved by her was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him. He knew that now. And he would do right by her, make her proud, for the rest of his life.

I know, I know. Pretty sad stuff. I'm sorry! Please let me know what you thought! Next up will be Andy's POV.