A coordinator for the hospital had done a very nice job acquiring one of the larger waiting areas for all the cops, detectives, CSIs, and family that had arrived hoping for news about Detective Angell. Even officers from the 424th where Angell had previously worked were there. Law enforcement was like one big family, and news of Angell being the officer down had spread quickly.
Amanda Wheeler was a surgical R.N. just starting her shift. She entered the scrub area before seeing if Dr.s Susan Rawles and Caleb Peterson needed anything else in the operating room as they worked on Angell. She passed Nurse Kate who was taking in the last of the donated blood.
"Did you see all those cops out there?" Kate asked her.
"Yeah. I hate these double-edge situations." Wheeler responded "What do you mean?"
"Well," Wheeler gave pause to careful words, "I've seen this too many times. On one hand you're glad there's so much support for the officer and their family. But on the other hand, it just makes you sick to think of someone shooting one of NYPD's finest like this."
Kate just nodded her head in agreement.
Dr. Rawles was in charge and literally elbow-deep in Angell's insides. She did not respond at Wheeler's question over the intercom.
"Doctor?" a nurse asked before passing the next instrument.
"Hmm?"
"Nurse Wheeler." She said as she pointed to the window where they could see Wheeler inside the scrub area.
"Doctor Rawles, do you need anything?" Wheeler asked again via the intercom.
"Nothing but a lot more time." she said shaking her head in frustration as it had been 3 hours already.
"It looks like half the police department is out there. Is there anything I should tell them? An update of any kind you'd like me to pass along?" she offered.
"Hmm. Yes, I suppose they're going crazy awaiting some news. I've got one bullet hole, but 4 bullet fragment paths so far to repair." She began.
All eyes shifted to Wheeler as she and Flack walked into the waiting area. Everyone got very quiet, and some stood to their feet. "Is there anyone here not for Detective Angell? I didn't think so." she added after no one responded. "I'm Nurse Wheller," she began, then explained how the single bullet had fragmented into 4 known parts causing about 17 lacerations, and that the surgery would be at least another 2 hours.
Too bad it hadn't occurred to Flack to change his shirt, still covered in Jess' blood, or to at least roll his sleeve back down to cover the wrap on his arm fron donating blood, because Mr. Angell was now motioning him to join them in the side room that had been arraigned for the family. There he is introduced to Jess' brothers, Josh, Jason, Jared, and Justin, and her Aunt Gail. Flack preferred not only the privacy of the room, away from the larger crowd, but any chance he got to spend with Jess' dad, and in a strange way around her brothers as well, as there was a strong family resemblance. Although there was certainly plenty to talk about, time still seemed to drag by as they waited.