Annie's eyes opened as an intense pain shot through her core. She instinctively tried to locate the pain only to discover a gunshot to her chest. What the hell? She thought trying to remember what had happened, but her mind was simply fuzzy. She tried to pick herself off the floor, but she didn't seem to have the strength or ability.

Annie could feel herself losing a lot of blood, she weakened by the minute. She wasn't clear on what happened at that moment only that she was in a pool of her own blood. But she couldn't move. She wasn't sure why. Her only guess was that her body was in shock. She laid there for a moment resting her head on the crook of her arm catching her breath. Finally she mustered up enough energy to find her phone from her right pant pocket. She put as much pressure as she could handle on the hole in her chest, crying out in pain as she hit the speed dial button for Mingus. She hoped he was not still asleep or in the shower.

Seconds later she was relieved to hear his rough, half asleep voice answer "hello?"

Thank you God! Annie thought when she heard Auggie's voice. Trying not to sound too frantic she simply stated as plainly as she could. "Auggie, I'm in trouble. I need help."

Hearing the urgency in her voice sent chills up his spine, immediately alert now, he sat straight up in the bed and collected his thoughts.

"What's wrong Annie?"

"I need an ambulance to my house immediately."

Concern laced his reply "Already dialing from another phone, can you hold on second?"

Annie could barely hear him talking to the 9-1-1 operator. Pain surged through her like hot coals as she tried to continue putting pressure on the wound in her chest. Her mind still would not let her access the memories of what had happened. How long had she been laying there, seconds? minutes? hours? By the wound in her chest, she could not imagine it had been that long. She could feel herself loosing grip on reality. She would be unconscious soon.

She tried not to let Auggie hear her pain, but she knew him well enough to know he would know it one way or another. Auggie was a master at detecting even subtle emotional changes in her voice. He had an acute sense of hearing that came from his lack of eyesight.

She suddenly saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head slightly and realized it was another body and lifted her head to see that it was Simon. She didn't know if he was hurt. She couldn't see much from where she was laying. Weakly she replied "Hurry. Please!"

Hearing the pain and desperation coming from her he tried everything he could to distract her from what every pained her while still getting the information he needed. "Annie, stay with me. What happened?"

A wave of nausea came over her, then a blinding dizziness as she tried, once again, to move with little success. Annie was starting to panic. But tried to take a couple deep breaths to keep it from overwhelming her before replying to Auggie, "Shot... Lot of blood. Simon... Agony..." she replied weakly, barely audible to even his well-trained ears.

A wave of exhaustion suddenly hit her. She couldn't breathe. She tried to take a deep breath, but her lungs didn't want to cooperate. Everything started going dark, she tried to hand on. She knew Simon needed her-if she could just get to him. Gasping for breath, her lungs did not seem to want to work. She tried to control her breathing knowing she couldn't stay conscious without it. She tried to focus on her breathing. Tried to move to see Simon and assess for more injuries.

Suddenly the panic started to envelope her completely. "Aug? I can't feel my..." was all that she could manage. She was barely whispering. She dropped the phone out of her hand and it lands beside her and then she went quiet-leaving Auggie frantic.

Alarmed by the sudden thud he began almost shouting at his phone. "What can't you feel, Walker (?)? Annie? Annie! Hang on for me, please! They are in route to you!" His pleas fell on deaf ears as Annie lie unconscious on her kitchen floor.

Please don't let her die, God, please don't! Auggie thought to himself as he pushed the phone in his pocket and began rushing carefully around his apartment preparing for what he knew would be a long day. As he raced through the door, cane in hand, he called the only person he could think to call-Joan Campbell.

Auggie was about to arrive at Georgetown University Hospital forty-five minutes after Annie's call. He knew this was the closest hospital to where Annie's sister lived in Georgetown and this would be the most likely place for them to take her. As he was about to get out of the cab his phone begin ringing in his pocket. What now?! I don't have time for this. He groaned to himself, forcing himself to answer despite his unwillingness to do so.

"August Anderson" he stated flatly as he emerged from the cab to stand off to the side of the entrance of the emergency room. He knew cell phone use was discouraged in the hospital.

"Mr. Anderson? This is Melissa from Georgetown University Hospital. We have a Anne Walker just brought in. We have you listed as her emergency contact."

Caught off guard by the speed in which they were about to identify Annie and get her information, he let himself breath for a second and stopped pacing the sidewalk. If they already had her name and contact information, maybe that meant she was conscious when she arrived and wasn't as bad off as he was originally fearing. He thought to himself. "Yes thank you for the call. I was actually about to walk into the hospital when you called. Where should I come?"

"Just wait in the fourth floor waiting room, a doctor will be informed that you are there and come see you when they know something more."

He made his way to the fourth floor and asked a nurse there where the waiting room was. He sat in a chair close to the door and was grateful that there seemed to be no one there, at least no one making any noise. He put his arms on his thighs, leaned forward and put his head in his hands. He could not stop the tears any longer. His best friend was in the hospital and he didn't know if she was going to make it or if he would loose her.

Author's Note: Chapter one complete, what do you think?