Bellevue Hospital Surgical Waiting Area
Saturday, January 13, 2007
4:30 pm
Kate followed the uniformed officer into the waiting room. She knew she should have remembered his name, after all, he told her and she'd looked at his name pin numerous times, but her brain would not process the information.
"They're in here, Ma'am," he seriously said, holding open the door.
"Thank you, Officer," she nodded, turning to look at Tess, who grimly nodded at her. Nodding back, Kate turned and walked into the room.
"Kate," Dan Ross began, standing up.
"What happened?"
"We went to interview a jeweler," Detective Bobby Goren began, causing Kate to turn to face him. "Our suspect had been known to deal with this guy a lot. When we got there, the suspect was in the back room. He figured out we were cops and came out waving his gun."
"And how did Mike get shot?"
"I was standing closest to the guy, so I started talking to him, trying to calm him down," Goren went on, his voice even, "While the guy's attention was on me, Logan pulled his gun, the suspect turned and fired at him."
Kate closed her eyes for a moment, "How many times?"
"Three," Goren recounted.
Kate nodded, "Where?"
"Shoulder, thigh, and chest," he simply said.
Kate's ears started to ring and she felt nauseous.
"Kate," Goren said, reaching out and taking her by the arms, "Why don't you sit down?"
She allowed him to back her to a chair and sit her down.
"Why don't you let me take her for a bit," Ross said, taking Jameson from her arms.
Kate sat for a moment, breathing slowly, willing the feeling to pass. "So, he's in surgery?"
Goren nodded. "The surgeon said he'd come out when he was done."
"So, we'll sit and wait," she simply said, turning to find Tess sitting in the seat next to her, "You okay?"
"I will be," Tess returned, "What about you?"
"I will be, once we know he's okay."
"Aunt Kate," Bree began, walking to Kate.
"What is it, Sweetie?" Kate gently asked, taking Bree's hands.
"Uncle Mike's gonna be okay," she sincerely said, "I know it."
"I know it too," Kate smiled, hugging her niece. "Now, we just have to wait for the surgeon to tell us he's done. You want to wait with me?"
Bree nodded, sitting in the empty chair on Kate's left. "I'll wait with you."
5:45 pm
"Kate, I'm going to take Bree down to the cafeteria and get her something to eat," Tess began, standing up. "Do you want something?"
Kate shook her head, "No, I'm good, you guys go."
"How about I take Jami, too?" she offered.
"I don't want to saddle you with both of them," she protested, looking at Jami, who sat in her lap, happily chewing on a set of plastic keys.
"How about," Goren began, standing up, "I go with you."
Kate raised a brow and looked over at him.
"I'm getting kinda hungry," he lied, holding his arms out. "Why don't I take Jameson?"
"Are you sure?" Kate asked.
"I'm sure," he said, smiling at Jami, "Come on, Jameson, let's go for a walk."
Jami smiled at him, and then looked at Kate, "Ma?"
"You want to go with Bobby?" Kate asked.
"Ba!!" Jami grinned, clapping her hands.
"See, she's up for the idea," Goren smiled. "Let me take her for a while, give you a break."
Kate smiled at him. She could tell that he was trying to do something, anything to help. She nodded, allowing him to pick Jami up. "Tess knows what she'll eat. Her cup's in her bag. She's not really good with open cups yet, so you might want that."
"I've got it," Tess winked, "Are you sure you don't want to come with?"
Kate shook her head, "I'm good, you guys go. I'll call if I hear anything."
They walked out of the room, leaving Kate and Ross alone. "You should probably go with them," she offered.
"I'm not hungry," Ross returned, "I could use a cup of coffee, though. There's a machine down the hall. Why don't I bring you one? I think there's a soda machine down there, too. "
"A Diet Pepsi would go down real well right now," she agreed, "I think I have some change…"
"I've got it," he nodded, walking to the door. "I'll be right back."
She watched him walk out the door, leaving her alone in the room. Kate released a deep sigh, one that would have sounded terribly dramatic, had anyone else been around to hear it. She closed her eyes, willing the throbbing that had begun behind them to go away. Hearing the door open, she opened her eyes to find Jack McCoy walking in.
"Kate, how is he?" Jack asked, walking to her.
"Jack?" she began, standing up, "What are you doing here?"
"I got a call from the Times asking for an official statement from the DA's office on Mike's shooting," he said, studying Kate. "I told them I'd release one in the morning. I didn't tell them I had no idea that it had happened at all."
"He was with Goren, they went to a jewelry store their suspect frequented, he was in the back, came out with a gun, and shot Mike three times," she flatly said. "He's still in surgery."
"And how are you?" he asked, his tone gentle.
She shook her head and felt herself filling up with tears, "Scared," she quietly said.
"Come 'ere," he pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "I know you, Kate Logan; you've been putting on the strong front, haven't you?"
"What would good would it do if I broke down?" she sighed, pulling back, "Thanks for coming."
"I figured you could use some moral support," he shrugged, as they sat down. "You're the only one left?"
She shook her head, "Mike's sister took the kids down stairs to get some food, Goren went with her, and Captain Ross is down the hall getting coffee."
The door to the room opened again, causing them both to snap their heads up. Standing in the doorway was a stocky man dressed in surgical scrubs.
"Are you here for Detective Logan?" he began.
"I'm his wife," Kate said, standing up, "How is he?"
"I'm Dr. Ronald Blair," he began, shaking her hand. "Detective Logan is in recovery. He was shot three times. One bullet traveled clear through his left shoulder, one traveled clean through his left thigh. The third bullet entered his chest on the right side between the fifth and sixth rib. It tore through the lung and exited through the back. When he arrived at the hospital, he was in cardiac arrest. They resuscitated him and brought him up to surgery. After opening him up, we discovered had severe hemothorax, which is an accumulation of blood in the chest cavity. His left lung had collapsed. He's got a chest tube in to relieve the blood and pressure and the lung is functioning at 50 capacity right now. We've got him intubated, but didn't need to perform a tracheotomy."
"Okay…" she slowly said, processing the info that she'd heard.
"He's a lucky man," Dr. Blair, said, offering her a smile, "He got here quickly, and I believe with time, he'll be able to resume all normal daily activities with minimal lasting damage to his lung."
Kate released the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Can I see him?"
"He's sedated, but if you want to go back for a bit, that will be fine. We're going to put take him up to ICU shortly and keep him there for a couple of days, just until we can take the breathing tube out. If you want to follow me, I'll take you back."
Kate turned to McCoy, who nodded.
"Go on, I'll fill everyone else in when they get back."
"Let's go," Kate said, following the doctor out of the room. They walked down the hall and through a set of double doors.
"He's the only patient back here tonight, so you'll have the whole place to yourself," Dr. Blair said, "They'll be coming to take him up to ICU in a few minutes."
"Thank you, Dr," she sincerely said, as they stopped at the foot of a bed. Steeling herself, Kate turned her head slowly. "Mikey…" she quietly said, studying him.
"You can get closer," Dr. Blair coaxed, "There are many who believe that patients can hear and feel you when they are sedated like this."
"Thank you," she said again, stepping to the side of the bed, studying him. His skin was ghostly pale and a breathing tube was taped into his mouth. She reached out and placed her hand on his, holding it gently. Once the doctor stepped away, she spoke, quietly. "Mikey, it's me," she began, leaning over and kissing his forehead. "The doctor said you're going to be okay," she said, standing back up. "Tess and Bree are out in the waiting room," she continued, feeling the urge to cry, but forcing it back. "Jami's out there too, Goren took her down to the cafeteria for food. Hell, even Jack showed up…" she trailed off, as tears started to flow. A sob worked itself out, followed by another. "Damnit, Mikey, why'd you have to go and get shot?" she cried. "We finally had it right…" She held his hand with both of hers. "I am not ready to lose you." Sitting down hard on the stool next to the bed, she allowed the tears to flow until they wouldn't come anymore.
"Mrs. Logan," began a female voice.
Kate looked up to find a petite blond woman in pink scrubs. The woman was looking at her with a sympathetic, gentle smile.
"We're going to take Mr. Logan up to Intensive Care now," she began. "It will take us about half an hour to get him set up and then you're welcome to go in and see him again."
Kate nodded, standing up, numbly. She looked down at Logan, then bent and kissed his forehead again. "I'll see you in ICU, Mikey," she quietly said, then stood back up.
"He'll be in ICU room 12," the woman in the pink scrubs explained. "Give us half an hour, okay?"
"Thank you," she quietly said, walking out of the room.
