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Chapter 2- Shattered Silence.
Oliver was making his way back inside to drag McNally out of the house kicking and screaming if he had to- because Collins took off down the street after the kid when he saw him bobbing between parked cruisers and onlookers lining the police tape that had been set up at the end of the block, two houses down when the kid made a run for it again.
Backup had arrived before he had come outside, and a large section of the street had been cordoned off, but ETF was still on route. The uniforms that filled the front lawn were all wearing the same expression- one of denial as they went to work worried about what was happening inside the house.
Oliver just made it through the front door when everything around him shattered and became airborne, including the object that hit him in the face.
The world was splintering apart in an earth moving moment as the ground underneath his feet gave way and he hit what was left of it with a heavy force after being pushed backwards by an unseen force that was conciderably stronger than he was.
The loud noise that came with it caused momentary deafness to take over his eardrums, as flying particles settled down around him and he rolled to the side, his hand wiping away the warm liquid seeping from his nose.
Everything hurt in that instant, his face, his limbs, his head from cracking it against the floor. But nothing compared to the feeling that squeezed his heart at knowing that Sammy and McN...Andy were in the room that had just exploded.
Hands began pawing at him, trying to help him find his feet as he tried to stand up on shaky legs that weren't willing to cooperate or obey his brains commands. The world was swaying from side to the side, his balance hanging between little and nothing as he finally stood up straight.
Turning to the side, Oliver saw a mass of bodies rush into the house, Collins' face the first one that claimed any recognition in his brain.
The hands were pulling him towards what looked like the left over front door, but Oliver fought against them as he tried to gain his balance, the world shrouded in a loud ringing.
Collins reached out for him, steadying him as he passed him a look filled with so much remorse that even in this moment he felt sorry for the kid; because he knew exactly how he felt right now.
Collins' mouth was moving, but no sounds were heard, so Oliver raised a hand to his ear and shook his head.
Andy felt the world slip away from under her feet when she felt her body met with brute force. Her lungs gasped for air as she relented and thought that in this moment her life was over.
Sam had his hands around the back of her head, tucking her face into his shoulder as his body weight crashed into her sending them both flying across the floor until her back met a sudden, painful stop.
The pain that seared through her was nothing compared to the panic that slammed through her when the room was ripped apart and shredded.
Taking a moment to steady herself, and reclaim her breath, Andy shook her head to clear away the fog that clouded in around her, her ponytail rolling around on the floor at an odd angle.
When the fog lulled and the world came into focus, Andy noticed that Sam had yet to move, so she called him not knowing if he could hear her as she pushed against him to gain a response. Everything sounded warped to her own ears so she wasn't sure if he was experiencing the same or not.
When no response came, Andy pushed a little more when she noticed the boots standing next to her head, the dark black suddenly finding its way into her vision.
"Help him" she screamed knowing that something wasn't right. Something was very wrong.
Hands lifted Sam off of her and rolled him over to the side, a stretcher already waiting for him.
Within seconds he was gone from view, hands poking and prodding her as she shrugged them off and tried to stand up on her own.
Andy was fighting against the hands until Nick came into view his face cast over in shadows of worry.
"Where's Sam?" Andy asked as she let his hands hold on to her upper arm's as he gave her a once over.
"We need to go, can you walk?" Nick said pulling Andy towards the doorway when she nodded. She could at least hear him although he sounded like he was lost in a tin can.
"Where's Sam?". Andy repeated as soon as they made it outside into the fresh air that was electrified with activity.
"He's loaded in...Andy". But she wasn't listening, she turned and took off towards the first ambulance she saw in search of Sam.
Her name being called was ignored as she sped past Gail and Dov making her way to the medics that were assessing Sam now that they were out of the house and at less risk because they weren't standing on top of a Meth lab after an explosion anymore.
It took seconds for Sam too be lifted up into the back of the ambulance, Andy stepping up as soon as there was room.
"Make sure she gets checked out, she was in there too" Nick said to the medic sitting across from Andy as his hand found the back of the ambulance door.
The medic nodded before focusing his attention back on Sam as Nick closed the door and the sirens screamed too life.
Nick found Oliver in the back of a second ambulance sitting up on the stretcher yelling at the medic who seemed resigned and exhausted.
He was still having trouble hearing anything and was not thrilled about having to take a ride in a bus when his attention wanted too be focused on Sam and McNally now that he knew they had been pulled out of the house.
Nick took out his note pad and scribbled a quick note before holding it up to Oliver who snatched it away hastily when he took a break from arguing with the medic.
Nick had scribbled 'They're alive' a relieved look sweeping over Oliver's face as he read the words.
"Let's go" he yelled at the medic who looked at Nick and shook her head. She'd obviously been trying to get Oliver to agree to a ride to the hospital but he was giving her a hard time, and a few words from Nick had him suddenly willing too speed off.
"Thanks" Oliver said a little softer as he handed Nick's note pad back to him before laying down on the stretcher like a good patient.
The ride to the hospital was taking too long, Andy becoming more agitated as it seemed to take forever.
Sam had been hooked up to an IV and heart monitor in a matter of seconds, the medic checking his vitals a few times as he assessed Sam's status. Judging by his face; Sam wasn't in good shape.
Sam had yet too regain consciousness, his pulse slow and weak as it barely registered on the monitor.
The medic lifted Sam's head slightly with his gloved hand and checked a small white towel that had been put under it. He held Sam's head up and shoved another towel in under it with the other, it too soaking up the rush of blood that seeped out.
When the motion of the ambulance stopped, the back doors swung open revealing a mass of prepared nurses at the ready.
Andy jumped out of the ambulance and nearly lost her footing as a strong hand reached out to hold her up. When she turned around she found Sam being lowered out of the ambulance, a rush of activity as he was wheeled away amidst mutters of medical jargon that she didn't understand.
Andy followed automatically, her feet keeping up the same pace as the nurses that wheeled Sam in through the hospital doors at a stratigic run.
"Officer you can't go in there" a nurse suddenly said blocking Andy's path in through doors at the end of the hallway.
"But..."
"I'm sorry" the nurse said before following everyone in behind closed doors leaving Andy standing in the hallway alone.
"Andy?".
After a while her name drew through to her.
She looked up to find Traci running towards her followed closely by Gail, Dov and Frank.
Traci stopped a few feet away and slowed down to a walk as she approached, Andy finally finding an excuse to snap under the raw emotions now that she wasn't alone anymore.
Traci's arm's wrapped around her instinctively as she got close enough, Andy's reaching around her in turn as she sought comfort.
Traci's arm's tightened as she held on, Andy's sobs finally breaking free as reality set in hard.
When Andy was able too compose herself enough to let Traci go, she acknowledged the other presences filling the hallway around them, looks of utter disbelief and sympathy crossing their faces.
The worst was Gail.
Since Andy and Nick had come back from Dakota Gail had been distant, her relationship with both Nick and Andy strained. Things were even worse now that Gail's relationship with Nick went sideways.
Andy got it, she really understood, but seeing Gail now made her see that she really wasn't as hard core as she fronted she was. She was just human too.
After Traci pushed Andy away to arm's length, and looking at her sympathetically, Andy shook her head in silent answer to her friends question before looking at the floor and starting to cry heartbroken crocodile tears again.
Traci pulled her closer again, understanding Andy's answer, when a hand came out of nowhere to run up and down Andy's back in a soothing motion.
Andy lifted her face up off of Traci's shoulder to find Gail standing a little closer offering her silent support with tears in her cold eyes.
Soon they were a mess of tangled arm's as Gail squeezed in to hug both Andy and Traci wishing that she could take this away from them.
After a while more masses of blue filled the hallway, Nick finding his way to Andy who sat in an uncomfortable plastic chair between Gail and Traci.
Kneeling down to eye level, Nick cast Andy a glance asking if they had any news on Sam yet, a small shake of her head telling him that they were still waiting.
Dov materialized with rounds of coffee, Andy's hand shaking too much to take her's.
Traci took it for her, keeping it until Andy was ready to try again. Whenever that might be.
Nick stayed bent down in front of Andy, his eyes sweeping between the three woman that sat side by side waiting.
Andy had yet too take her coffee from Traci, her hands fumbling blindly with invisible items in her lap.
"Hey". Nick said clamping a hand over her's in a bid to halt her frenzied motions before she ripped the skin from her own fingers.
Andy looked up at Nick before lunging at him "I can't do this" whispered in his ear as she wrapped him up in a tight hug.
Nick wrapped her up in a hug of his own not missing the raised eyebrows Gail shot his way, or the small O that formed on Traci's lips. But right now Andy needed someone to lean on and that was all that mattered. What didn't matter was if it was him, or someone else.
"How's Oliver?". Andy whispered after a while remembering that she had seen him in the back of an ambulance too.
"He's okay, broken nose and his hearing and balance are off so they're checking him for a burst eardrum, but he'll be okay".
Andy nodded as she pulled away enough to look back at the door that blocked Sam from view.
Finally calm enough to take in her surroundings, Andy noticed the worried faces that lined the hallway. All the people closest to Sam were here, and the people closest to her too.
Nick backed away and stood up, Andy's hand reaching out for her coffee when Traci nudged her again to remind her that it was getting cold.
Noelle moved in closer, taking up the space that Nick had just vacated, her hand stretched out for Andy.
Andy took hold of her hand and allowed Noelle's warmth to run up her skin in a comforting squeeze.
The sound of the door next to them opening made Andy's hand drop Noelle's as all attention focused on the person stepping through the doorway looking worn down.
The new arrivals eyes swept over the hallway taking in the sight of so many people waiting for news on a friend or coworker. It never ceased to amaze him.
The doctor, a middle aged, balding man, let his eyes leave the crowd as they drew closer to let them settle on the chart in his hand as he lifted it to seek out the information he needed.
"Sarah Swarek?". Frank moved closer to the doctor and held his hand out before introducing himself as he shook his head indicating that Sarah Swarek was not present.
"Okay, is there a Oliver Shaw, Andrea McNally, or a Traci Nash here?".
The soft gasps that followed were loudly audible in the sudden deafening quiet that overtook the hallway. Everyone knew that the doctor was reading Sam's emergency contact list and they were surprised by the names that were on the chart.
Frank nodded and pointed to Andy and Traci who still sat side by side, Andy unable too stand up at realizing the seriousness of the situation if the doctor only wanted to speak with the emergency contacts. Confusion at her name still being on the list ran through her too, as well as shock at hearing Traci's name called out.
"Officer Shaw was injured too, and Miss Swarek is on her way". Frank added before the doctor turned towards Andy and Traci.
"Would you follow me please?".
Andy paled at the doctors request but found her feet, Traci clasping her hand around Andy's and holding on as they followed the doctor.
"You too Sergeant Best". The doctor said before walking off leaving a shocked audience behind him.
After turning down halls and passing many doors the doctor stopped outside an open door before ushering the women and Frank in. He pointed towards the chairs as soon as they made it in to an office, Frank pulling out a chair for Andy who seemed immensely dazed.
The doctor took a seat behind the cluttered desk before opening the chart and crossing his hands as he looked between the three people in front of him.
No amount of practice ever made this easy.
Traci could feel Andy's hand shaking in her's as she leaned a little closer. Whatever the doctor had to say was going to be hard for all of them to hear; especially Andy.
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Jelly Bean Jenna©