WHEN THE HEART STOPS BEATING - PART TWO
Chapter 1 - Memories
It had been a tough week and it had ended with a particularly stressful and exhausting hot call. It was August and the hottest day of the year so far according to the auburn haired weather girl on the TV that morning. She was not wrong. But it was an oppressive heat - the dense air hung heavy over the city; not a day to wear full protective body armor. As Sam stayed in his prone sniper position, he could feel the heat of his body. Small beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead; one had escaped and had started to trickle down his nose - and as much as he wanted to wipe the annoying droplet away Sam did not move. He had been in his sniper position for hours listening to Greg through his headset trying to talk the young man out of taking the lives of his hostages. The hostage taker was a young soldier who had been given compassionate leave because his pregnant wife had been killed by a drunk driver. He had found the driver, an oil executive whose very expensive lawyers had managed to get him off the charge of vehicular manslaughter. The young soldier had gone to the man's office and had taken him, his secretary and assistant hostage. He wanted answers as to why his wife and unborn baby's lives were not deemed valuable enough to warrant the man going to jail for what he had done. He wanted him to pay for taking away his family. Sam did not want to squeeze the trigger and end his life; he had lost so much already. Sam wondered what he would do in the same situation; if Jules had been pregnant and some guy who had drunk too much got behind the wheel and mowed her down. Would he not react the same way as the young soldier? - Sometimes life could deal the cruelest of blows.
What was obvious to everyone was that the young man was grieving and felt he had nothing left to live for. Unfortunately, that made him even more dangerous. Sam hoped Greg would be able to find a way through so that it would end without lives being lost.
After three hours of negotiation, Greg finally managed to get the young man to surrender. Greg had made some calls and pulled in more than a few favors so the young soldier could get the help he so desperately needed. Greg had also been given assurances too that the case would be reinvestigated.
It was the best outcome all round.
So when Sam finally got into bed, he wondered why he couldn't sleep. Sleepless nights were usually reserved for when he had taken a life. Jules was used to the almost ritual way he dealt with the aftermath of every life he took. He would come home, throw up, change, run, come home, shower and watch TV until it was time to get ready for the next shift.
Sam tossed and turned for hours before giving up on the sleep which was not forthcoming and made his way downstairs. Sam looked at the clock in the kitchen, 3.17 am as he put the kettle on the stove. He probably wouldn't bother trying to sleep now as he has to be up at five anyway. Sam knew his insomnia had nothing to do with the last case it was something else that was causing him to feel uneasy. He then saw the opened letter on the table and instantly his stomach flipped. Was that the reason why? The letter had been waiting on the mat when he and Jules had returned home. It had been there with others; some junk mail, an insurance renewal and a letter to Jules from her brother.
He looked at it again - Date: September 24th - The Crown vs. Mr. Otis Sanders.
He had not heard that name in a while. The events of that day seemed like a million years ago: The day he nearly died.
Sam's memory of the day was crystal clear up until the moment he stepped onto the roof with Brian Coulson.
Greg had tried to fill in the blanks; had told Sam about the two men who had shot Sam, Brian Coulson, and the young woman and their links to Otis Sanders. The young woman who had been shot and fallen with Sam was the sister of the woman Sam had rescued from Otis Sanders. Sam remembered Tracey Winters but as hard as he tried he could not recall her sister or what she looked like. He had tried so often to recall the events of that day and had asked Brian but he didn't know - he had been shot first and was unconscious - so how Sam fell off the roof was still a mystery. Sam had never liked Brian Coulson, but he had visited Sam often while he was in the hospital and Sam had grown to quite like Team Two's Tactical Officer. He would never be his best friend, but still he was a nice guy. Jules was not convinced and still disliked Coulson intensely.
Jules walked into the kitchen, just as the kettle had started to whistle. Instantly she took the cups out of the cupboard and began to make tea for her a Sam.
"What's wrong, Sam?" Jules asked her hair tousled from sleep and dressed in Sam's old hockey shirt. Sam looked at Jules and forgot momentarily what was wrong - she looked as sexy as hell as he watched her making tea.
Sam walked up behind Jules and wrapped his arms around her. He loved her smell. He had suddenly felt very anxious and needed to feel Jules' body next to his. "Can't sleep, I'm sorry I woke you".
"You didn't wake me" Jules said turning to face Sam "I woke up and saw you weren't there - Is it the letter that is bothering you?" Jules had the uncanny ability to be telepathic with anything to do with Sam.
"I think so; I haven't thought about that day for a while now, it just kind of brought it all back" Sam said as Jules handed him his tea and they sat at the kitchen table.
"This reminds me of my first night out of hospital, when you made me eggs and tea" Sam said
It was a good memory, a warm comfortable memory like most of his memories since then. They had all been good because of the woman who sat opposite him. She had got him through the most traumatic event of his life and made him the happiest man alive.
"Try and not worry about it Sam, you did everything by the book". Jules said trying to reassure Sam.
"I'm not worried about giving evidence, it's something else and I can't figure out why I feel so uneasy" Sam said.
"It's because its bringing back all those painful memories, that's all Sam and your frustrated because some of it you cannot remember - Come on" Jules said taking Sam by the hand 'there's no point in sleeping now, but we can sure do something else to relax you"
"You are very bad Jules Callaghan, very bad" Sam said laughing. He did feel better. She had an amazing ability of making him feel at ease and taking away all his fears and anxieties. God, it scared him sometimes how much he loved her.
Sam had managed to put his concerns aside and focus on work. He loved being part of Team One. He loved his job and sometimes it was not all stress and action. Sometimes it could be hilarious.
The last call still had the team laughing when they arrived back at the Barn.
"Well, guys, let that be a lesson to us all. No sex games involving adult toys. Remember if you do you could have the SRU rappelling down the wall and in through the bedroom window". Ed said laughing at the thought of Sam and Spike going through an elderly couple's bedroom to find they were in fact role playing a very explicit sexual version of cops and robbers and the elderly gentleman standing in front of his wife holding a sexual aid pretending it was a gun.
A witness had heard the husband say he had a gun and would be prepared to use it so had dialed 911. On arrival the uniformed officers heard much of the same and believing it to be an armed hostage situation, called in the SRU.
"It was Spike's face" Sam said laughing so hard tears were forming in his eyes. "It was like he had never seen a naked body before".
"In my defense, I am Italian Catholic, and I have never seen a naked body of someone of that age - Is that what happens when you get old; it shrinks to nothing? I think she was going to be a little disappointed".
"Spike I think he was planning on using something else" Sam said.
"Oh… oh" Spike said realizing what Sam was referring to.
"I think it's good that people of advanced years still indulge in a little…. role playing" Jules said laughing with all of them.
Greg walked in joining in the laughter. "I must congratulate the both of you for remaining professional, at least until you got into the SUV".
A half an hour later the team sat around the briefing table, still laughing and drinking beers. It was a good end to the week.
"Have a good weekend team, see you all bright an early Monday" Greg said.
That night, completely out of the blue, Sam had one of the worst nightmares he had ever experienced. He woke, his body covered in sweat and shaking uncontrollably. Jules held him until he could speak.
Jules was used to Sam's nightmares. He would have them frequently when they had first met. Jules would be woken up by Sam shaking and sweating. He would lie; telling her he couldn't remember what he had been dreaming about but as time went on and they became closer Sam slowly started let Jules into the darkness of his dreams. Sam hadn't had a nightmare since they had been back together; until that evening.
"Do you want to tell me what it was about?" Jules asked once she could see Sam was calm enough to talk.
"Jules, I can't be sure if it was a nightmare or if I have remembered some of what happened on the roof the day I was shot".
Jules sat crossed legged on the bed and waited for Sam to continue. She didn't want to push; if Sam was remembering she knew it could be difficult for him.
"I think I remember what one of the men on the roof was wearing; I can remember one of the men wearing a blue jumper. And the girl, Jules, I think I remember what she looked like." Sam said.
Jules knew Sam was right; she distinctly remembered one of the men had worn a blue jumper. This was not a nightmare Sam was starting to regain his memory of what happened on the roof that cold day in January
"Anything else?" Jules asked.
Sam had a look on his face that Jules had never seen before and she started to worry.
"Sam, what's wrong; are you OK?"
Sam rushed to the bathroom and threw up. Jules immediately followed, more concerned about Sam than his dignity.
"What's wrong baby?" Jules asked gently rubbing Sam's back.
Sam washed his face with cold water, and then sat on the bathroom floor; his face buried in his hands.
"Sam, what is wrong, you're scaring me, shall I call Dr. Reynolds?"
"No Jules, I'm fine I promise"
"You are obviously not fine Sam"
"I remember Jules; I remember everything that happened on the roof"
Jules sat on the bathroom floor with Sam "What happened on the roof?"
Sam looked at Jules and she instinctively knew not to ask any more questions. Sam would tell her when he could but right now, for whatever reason, he couldn't.
"Are you coming back to bed?" Jules asked but knowing he wouldn't be.
"I can't sleep; I'm going to watch TV for a while"
"OK baby" and kissed him gently on the lips.
Sam put on the TV; he recognized the film but couldn't concentrate on it. His mind kept replaying the events of the day on the roof. It had shocked him how much memory he had lost of that day and how it had all come back instantly flooding his brain with so much information he thought he was going crazy.
Sam had called Greg before Jules had woken up. He had asked to meet and said it was about the Laker Street case. As all the documentation relating to the case was at the Barn, Greg suggested they should meet there at 11.
Jules woke shortly after. She asked if Sam was OK and even though he said he was she knew differently. Sam told her he was going to meet Greg at the Barn at 11 and then he promised he would tell her everything when he came home.
Sam was early for the meeting, he saw John Sullivan as he arrived.
"Good Morning Sam, isn't this your weekend off?" John asked
"Yes, I'm meeting Greg here; there are a few things to go over about the Laker Street case." Sam replied.
Sam saw the rest of Team Two heading for the locker room; he smiled at Andrew and nodded to the others as he headed off to wait for the Boss to arrive.
It was no more than 15 minutes later, when Sam heard the familiar alarm and Winnie's voice advising Team 2 that there was a hot call. It was an armed incident in the shopping mall at Winchester Place. Team Two were just leaving when Greg arrived.
John briefly acknowledged Greg as Team Two headed out.
"Morning Sam" Greg greeted the young officer. "We can use the briefing room as Team Two are out on a call".
Sam followed Greg into the briefing room. Winnie brought in two cups of coffee for both of them together with the Laker Street files.
"Thank you Winnie, could you also ensure that we are not disturbed for the next hour of so" Greg asked the SRU Despatcher.
Winnie acknowledged Greg's request and pressed the button to close the shutters when she left the briefing room.
"OK Sam, what was so urgent that I needed to come into the office on my day off?" Greg asked.