Chapter 4:

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Shannon was sitting in the hospital corridor staring down at the floor, her mind empty. She didn't know what to feel, what to think. Who was she without Lawson, the love of her life? "Nothing". Suddenly she was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of Bella running down the corridor towards her mum. "Bella" she thought, "Bella is important as well, she means everything to me, I'm also a mother, and I'll always be"

As Bella ran up to her mum, Shannon picked her up and sat her precious daughter down in her lap.

Bella buried her head into her mother's chest and Shannon couldn't help but wrap her arms in around her daughter and hold her tight. She rested her chin gently on her Bella's head and closed her eyes. Shannon knew she had to stay strong for Bella's sake. She had to be strong enough for all of them. She slowly opened her eyes and loosened her grip on Bella.

"Mummy" Bella said, looking up at her mother with her wide blue eyes. "What's wrong with Daddy?" she asked.

Shannon forced a smile and tried to hold back the tears that were forming once again in her eyes.

"He's just a little sick" Shannon explained gently "that's why we are here, to see him and to tell him to get better".

Bella nodded "Will he be alright Mummy?" she asked, concerned.

"I hope so" Shannon whispered as another tear escaped and ran down her cheeks. Shannon just hugged her daughter tightly again.

Shannon sat next to Kerry with Bella sleeping in her lap. Stella had gone to get coffee and Josh had gone back to the station to make a statement about the guy who had shot Lawson. Christian had gotten a call from his wife and had to go home. Stella returned with the coffees and handed one to Shannon who just gave her friend a tight smile in thanks.

"Hey why don't I take Bella home?" Stella suggested gently "she can get changed and go to sleep in her bed, she's had a long day. I'll stay at your house with her until there is news".

Shannon nodded "ok thanks Stell, she shouldn't be here when the doctor comes out". She gently shook Bella awake. "Hey Bells" she said quietly "Stella is gonna take you home ok? I'm gonna stay here a little longer and wait for Daddy, ok?"

Bella just nodded sleepily and immediately fell asleep as soon as Stella took her into her arms.

Shannon thanked her friend and sat back down next to Kerry, sighing deeply, rubbing her face with her hands.

Suddenly a female doctor came out of the swinging door and headed for Kerry.

"Oh Doctor Ling" Kerry stood and acknowledged the doctor as she stopped in front of Shannon and her boss. "This is Shannon Blake, Lawson wife" Kerry explained.

Dr Ling shot Shannon a brief smile before her face went serious again.

"How is he?" Shannon couldn't help but blurt.

"He had serious and heavy bleeding from his stomach, we had to rush him to surgery" Dr Ling explained "when we opened him up, we found internal bleeding".

"Oh my God" Shannon exclaimed, running her fingers through her hair.

"But everything fine now" Dr Ling continued quickly "we managed to stop the bleeding and get the bullet out"

"So where is he now? Can I see him?" Shannon desperately asked.

"He's in the ICU, we are going to keep him here for about a week or so for observation and we'll take it from there" Dr Ling told Shannon "you can go in a see him but we needed to put him into an induced coma so we don't know exactly when he will wake up, probably sometime today or even tomorrow".

"But he'll be fine after he wakes up?"

"We'll see what happens after he wakes up but yes, for now the outcome looks good, he should be fine" Dr Ling said and directed them to the ICU bed Lawson was in. She gave them a smile and left them.

"I'll wait outside, you go in" Kerry told Shannon.

"Thanks" Shannon replied. She took a deep breath and entered the room.