Callaghan and Frank made it to the hospital in not quite record time, but close. Even though it wasn't life or death, they quickly ran into the hospital, where Epstein was. "Status," Frank told him.

"She took 3 shots to the vest, Collins 1. He's fine. They just took her upstairs for x-rays. They just want to make sure nothing is broken or cracked," Epstein explained.

Frank nodded. "Thanks, Epstein. I need to make some phone calls." With that, he turned around from Callaghan and Epstein to make the appropriate phone calls.

A nurse came through the doors. "Detective Callaghan?"

Luke stepped forwards. "Yes?"

"You can come see her. We're just awaiting the results of the x-rays," the nurse told him.

He looked at Epstein who nodded. "I'll take one of the squad cards back," Epstein told him.

Luke followed the nurse down a maze of hallways to a room where Andy was sitting in the bed, black t-shirt on. "What are you doing here?" Andy asked, grimacing as she sat up.

He walked to the side of the bed. "The hospital called me."

"Why'd the hospital call you?" Andy asked, very confused on why the hell Detective Luke Callaghan stood in front of her. She semi expected Chris or Dov, or even Oliver. Not Luke.

He laughed a little. "Apparently I'm still your emergency contact."

Andy closed her eyes. "I didn't change that, did I?"

He offered his cell phone. "Do you want to call your dad?'

She shook her head. "No. It's not like I got shot. He's in North Bay anyways. And I'm not calling my mother."

Luke stood there, in shock and confused. "Your mother?"

"Yeah, we started talking again."

The doctor came into the room and looked at Callaghan and then Andy. "So. You were lucky. 2 of the shots hit below your ribs, one in the exact same place you were shot in last year. The other one did hit a rib because it is marginally cracked. Nothing bad. I'd expect it to be sore and a little hard to breathe at times, because those ribs are bruised from where you fell."

"So I can go back to work?" Andy asked.

The older man laughed. "I've treated my fair share of emergency personnel and you're all the same. For Christ's sake, take a week off. It will be in your best interest. However, I do recommend you stay with someone. Just because we are giving you a prescription for some heavy duty painkillers and it will be a little hard to breathe."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine."

Luke turned to the doctor. "She can stay at my place."

"I'm fine, Luke."

The doctor raised his hands in a sign of surrender as he began to walk out. "You can fight it out. I'll get the nurse to bring you back the prescription and discharge papers."

He turned to Andy. "You're staying at my place. End of discussion."

There was a knock at the door and some pretty brunette, dressed in slacks and a low cut rose top stood in the doorway. "Officer McNally, Callaghan. I'm Detective Brittany Boyd from 34th Division. Sergeant Best called me and asked if I could handle this."

"Brittany," Luke nodded towards her as he sat in a chair, beside McNally's bed. There was no way he was letting Brittany have her alone.

"I need your statement regarding the scene. We have the bullets from yours and Officer Collins' vests," Brittany explained. "Evidence."

Andy nodded. "Nick and I were coming from grabbing coffee. We were passing by a grocery store. King's, I think. Anyways, Traci called me and a minute into the conversation, I heard a gunshot. I dropped the phone and reached for my gun. Before I could, I was hit rapid fire with three bullets. I don't really remember what happened next, but I remember trying to look for Collins, who was beside me. And then I radioed it in. And then I just couldn't move."

"Traci, as in Detective Nash?" Brittany asked.

Andy nodded again. "Yes."

"What were you and Detective Nash discussing?" Brittany asked.

Andy wasn't sure how much to tell this Detective, especially with Luke sitting right beside her. And the fact that Luke had remained in the room, told her that she should stick to the basics when it came to giving her statement. "We were discussing personal matters."

"Uh huh," Brittany said, sneaking a glance at Luke's face. Oh she knew all about the Luke and Andy drama. So when Brittany Boyd walked in and found him in her room, she was a little suspicious. Also because she heard Swarek and McNally were in a pretty serious relationship. "Is that all?"

"That I can remember," Andy replied.

Luke bit his lip. "Detective Boyd, can I have a conversation with you outside, please?"

Brittany knew she had this coming for her. That's why she was reluctant to say yes to Frank when he called. "Absolutely." Once Luke closed the door, she tore into him. "What are you doing in there? We need another detective and instead you're in there with your ex-fiancee. Well, isn't that a conflict of interest."

Luke looked at her. "I'm more worried about you. Are you going to actually look into this, fairly?"

"Why would I not?"

"Oh maybe, because, McNally figured out what your brother did by covering for an informant and she took the fall for him. Almost got Swarek killed. I think that's enough for you to not look at this fairly," Luke told her.

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "You are so wrong about me, Callaghan. I didn't get here because of family favors, if that is what you are insinuating. Callaghan, why are you so protective of your ex-fiancee?"

"Prove me wrong, Boyd," Luke replied and went inside the hospital room, furious that Frank put Brittany Boyd on the case. Damn it, Luke thought. This should be my case.

"What was that all about?" Andy asked.

Luke shook his head. "Nothing."

"Don't lie to me, Luke. Who is she?"

He swallowed and looked at the wall. "Donovan Boyd's little sister."

Andy rolled her eyes. "Great," she said as the nurse brought the discharge papers and prescription. Andy signed them and tried not to think of what it might mean to have Brittany Boyd in charge of figuring out who might possibly ambush two police officers in broad daylight, or if they were aiming for someone else. Or if Nick and her were collateral. She had heard the water-cooler talk of Donovan Boyd's little sister making detective. For whatever it was worth, Andy hoped to hell Guns and Gangs would pass her over. Last she heard of Boyd, he was handing out traffic tickets working out of 11th Division.

Luke held out his hand as she gingerly got off the bed. "Frank said he'd get a ride back to the station with Epstein, so we can take the squad car back."

Andy stopped. "You're driving a squad car."

"Don't ask."

::::

At the end of the day, Andy was gingerly pulling on a new t-shirt when she heard footsteps that were definitely not female. She turned back into her locker to grab some deodorant and to her surprise, it was Nick. She half expected somebody else to turn up in the female locker room because she hadn't had Collins walk in yet.

"How are you feeling?" Nick asked, as he sat on the bench.

She shrugged. "I'm fine," she tried to hide the wince as she moved too quickly to put the deodorant back into it's proper place.

Nick just looked at her. "Andy, it's me. I took one bullet to the vest and it knocked the wind out of me. I don't want to know the impact of three."

Andy closed her locker door and sat beside Nick. "Okay, so maybe it does hurt."

He chuckled. "Did the doctor say anything?"

"One of the ribs is marginally cracked and the rest are bruised. Nothing they can do about it," she replied.

Nick turned to face Andy a little more. "Do you need a ride home?"

She shook her head. "I'm staying at Luke's."

He scratched his jaw and then looked at her. "Luke's?!"

"God, nothing is going on. I swear!" Andy replied. "The doctor told me that I should have someone staying with me because the painkillers are pretty heavy and it will hurt to breathe. And Luke told me that I was staying at his place."

"You can stay at my place," Nick offered.

She shook her head. "It's fine. Nothing like staying at your ex-fiancé's house. No big deal."

Nick laughed. "Do you have the day off tomorrow?"

She nodded as she gingerly stood up and Nick handed her the duffle bag on the ground. "Yeah, Frank told me not to show up. You?"

"Yup," Nick said as they walked out into the lobby. "Why don't we do something tomorrow? Get your mind off everything."

Andy smiled at her new best friend. "I think that's a good idea. I have to swing by Traci's later but definitely."

"I'll text you tomorrow," Nick replied as he walked the opposite direction.

Luke met up with Andy as they walked out the building. "What's up with the buddy buddy thing with Super Rookie? I heard you made him your new partner."

Andy shrugged. "We work well together."

Luke held the door open. "So I was thinking pizza from Delano's tonight?" Andy rolled her eyes, of course Luke knew her favorite pizza place.


I just wanted to share that I love Nick and Andy as friends. So thats why I wrote this :) And next chapter will have Traci.