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Chapter 4-
Sam watched Sally walk out the door, before reverting his broken gaze back to Andy.
Traci had stepped between them, so Andy was blocked from his vision, he could just make out Traci saying something, while Andy shook her head in denial of the words she was hearing.
Clutching the cloth tightly in his hand, Sam stalked out the door, in search of Sally.
He found her unlocking and opening her car door as he stormed over and slammed the door closed, not caring that he nearly closed her fingers in between the metal jaws of the door itself and the frame that was attached to the rest of the car.
"Sammy...".
"No way in hell Sally. Have you seen her, what she looks like? There is no way that she would survive another UC! This one screwed her up, she's not even here. No, you won't take her...". Sam let the words tumble out, laced with anger and his tone sharp.
"Sam I don't know Mcnally, but I know what I saw with her working Bobby, she's the honest kinda cop that can't be bought, that's why I want her, and she gets the job done, no matter how hard it is".
"No Sally...".
"Sammy, its done, so what's gonna stop me from taking her? I...".
"Me Sally, I'm gonna stop you, I'm not gonna let you do that to her".
"And just how do you plan on doing that?, its done Sammy, signed, sealed and it just needs to be delivered". Sally's tone was dry as she tried to pull on her car door handle in an attempt to open the door again, just to have it forcefully slammed closed.
"She's not cut out for this, she won't make it, not because she can't do it, its just not her. She doesn't have it in her to do it". Sam was aware of another presence as he looked up to find Frank striding over to them, unimpressed, Noelle stopping half way over the parking lot to hang back and give them a little space.
"Sam...". Frank said as he came to stand between them, not quite looking directly at Sam even though he was addressing him.
"Tell me you didn't know about this Frank". Sam's voice was torn when he let the words slip free, the final pieces of the puzzle slipping into place to give him a terrible picture of truth.
"I won't then". Came Frank's reply as he finally looked at Sam unable to stop the truth from breaking free.
"Fu...Seriously? And you didn't think to clue me in on this at any time? Damnit Frank, have you seen her? Have you looked at her and seen what its done to her? Six months, and it nearly killed her Frank, now you're gonna send her back in there for god know's how long to what? Get herself killed? Not gonna happen".
Sam was violently shaking his head as the last few words slipped off his tongue and into the night air.
"Well that Sammy, is just too bad, I said its done, exactly how do you plan on stopping it, or changing it?". Sally dared to push her already teetering luck, never backing away from a fight if she wanted to win.
"Take me, leave her, and take me". The words broke free of his lips, in the most pleading tone he had ever heard himself use.
"Sam...". Frank voice was as shocked as Sally's expression was as his words filtered through to them.
"You had yourself taken off the list Sam, for her, and now you want back on it?". Sally wasn't quiet sure how Frank came to that conclusion, but seeing the honesty wash over Sam's face she knew Frank hit the nail on the head.
Sam just nodded.
"Sammy...".
"No Sally, this is how its gonna happen, you're gonna back off and leave her alone. Two weeks, that's all I want to sort stuff out, and I'm yours, no questions asked, just two weeks, and nobody else knows, that's it".
When it came to Andy, even now, he would willingly trade his life for hers. Maybe that's the sacrifice he was meant to make, not to be with her, but rather to take her place. To keep her safe.
If there were ever words he regretted using when it came to her, there would be enough to write a few pages with.
Words like I can't be a cop and be with you, all you wanted was to keep being a cop, even the words he said to her in the cruiser when they went on patrol after her engagement to Callaghan was anounced, are you pregnant? Really? That was defiantly up high on the list.
There were only three sentences he would never regret using when it came to her, the first being, I love you, he just regretted that his timing was so bad, and that he didn't use them sooner, the second was that he would do everything, when he said he wanted her back, and the third was right here, right now, when he said take me, without even having to think about it.
Even though the latter was about her, rather than to her.
He stared at Sally, his eyes imploring her to accept his offer and back off Andy.
Silence wrapped around them, the darkness engulfed them, no one daring to move or speak, until Sally finally nodded.
Sam let out the breath that had been locked away in his throat at the movement of her head.
"Sammy, if you do this, there will be no going back, no changing you're mind. Two weeks Sammy, and I will be back".
Sam stepped away from her door, letting her climb in her car and drive off.
He avoided Franks face, knowing there would be a look on it he wasn't ready to see just yet.
"Sam...".
"Don't Frank, okay, just don't". Sam said waving his hand between then before turning and walking towards his truck.
Andy felt the sudden urge to climb in under the table as Sam's eyes pierced through her. He wasn't just looking at her, he was looking past the outer shell, seeking out her very inner core with the most intense gaze he had ever cast her way.
Whatever Sally just said caused Sam a large amount of anguish, as he turned to face her. It flashed through his eyes as they stared, unblinking at her. She had the feeling that she just might be the source of it.
As he tore his eyes away and he focused them back on Sally, Traci slid up next to her, a warm hand wrapping itself over one of her own.
"Andy, you have got to talk to him sometime, if you won't talk to me, then talk to him".
Andy began shaking her head as she felt the familiar tingle in her eyes as tears welled up.
Without giving it a second thought, Andy reached for he bag, that was slung over the back of her chair, before walking out the door.
She needed to escape.
She saw Frank and Noelle whispering mutely outside the door, as she breezed through it, her ears deaf to the sound of her name being called out behind her.
Her movements caught their eyes, their heads lifting to see her, and show the full view of the sadness that seemed to grace their faces.
Just before Andy put her head down, Noelle tore her eyes away from Andy to let them wander down the empty street, Frank just turned to face her with wide eyes.
Whatever the reason was that they were looking at her like that, it was not good.
Sam was pouring coffee when Andy slipped through the doors and straight for the locker room.
Her head was hanging low, just like it always was these days, her hair pulled back in a messy bun.
He would bet his truck right now that if her hair had been loose, she would have been hiding her face behind a curtain of hair.
He spent most of last night lost in thoughts of her after he left the Penny.
He had driven around for a while, aimlessly steering through the dark streets, trying to calm his temper down.
He eventually went home and grabbed a beer and staggered over to the couch, without even bothering to turn any lights on.
For every heartbeat his heart gave, he had a thought race through his mind, or a memory fill his minds eye.
He was making the right decision, the right choice. She may never know it, but he was doing it for her, simply because she deserved something better.
The sound of dripping liquid pulled him from the exhausted memories, as he looked down and saw that the coffee he was still pouring had over filled the cup, and now ran across the top of the counter and leaked off the side, barely missing his shoe.
Letting out a sigh, he put the coffee pot back down before abandoning his over flowing cup where it stood and let his feet again carry him the direction he was drawn to.
Pushing the door open just a crack, he called her name and waited for an answer.
"Pervert". The whispered voice of Noelle filled his ear, causing him to jump just an inch, he wasn't even aware that she was there.
"Just go, I'm sure she's alone". She smiled before walking to Frank who stood at the end of the hallway, arms crossed, but eyes closed, see no evil style.
Sam stepped into the room, the sound of running water the only sound filling the room.
"Andy?". Calling her name again only warranted more silence in the room.
Stepping around the corner of the wall, Sam saw the billowing steam race towards the ceiling from behind the closed shower curtain.
"Andy?". Still calling her name, a little louder, he got silence in response.
Stepping a little closer to the closed curtain, he noticed the pink water that was starting to dribble down over the step of the shower, the shallow one, the one that was supposed to keep the water in, and stop the floor from getting wet.
Raising a tentative hand, Sam inched the curtain back just a fraction, just enough to peer through, expecting to find where he guessed Andy's head would be.
Instead he found the inside of the white shower tiles glistening back at him, drops of water running down them from the heat.
Looking down, he found Andy curled up on the floor, her towel still wrapped around her, laying on her side facing away from him.
Lucky for her she had fallen with her face turned slightly up, her arm tucked neatly in under her head, or she would have possibly drowed in the rising water.
The towel had blocked the drain, causing the water to become logged and start to fill the bottom of the shower.
A red smudge on the back of her head caused tiny drops to drip down, tinting the water below it a rosy pink.
Ironic that sight, the only thing he had wated to see since she had come back, was a pink tint to her cheeks, now instead there was a pink tint to the water in the shower.
Reaching for his phone and yanking back the shower curtain at the same time, Sam kneeled down, his hand moving from the plastic sheet, to the pale skin of Andy's neck.
Noelle answered on the first ring to hear a rather breathless Sam say something about "Andy...shower...bus". Before the line dropped and she took off running.
Sam didn't bother turning off the water, he just dropped his phone on the floor before stepping into the shower under the hot spray, and scooping Andy up before swinging her out the shower and laying her on the water dropped floor as the door burst open to reveal Noelle and Frank.
Frank was yelling into his phone as Noelle raced around the room, grabbing any dry towels that were lurking in the room.
Sam grabbed the first one, and wrapped it around Andy, before reaching for Noelle's hand and placing it clutching the towel on the back of Andy's head where the blood was still flowing freely from.
Sam's hand moved to Andy's face, brushing back the wet strings of hair that stuck to her face, before he lifted her eyelids to see her pupils contract at the sudden light.
That was a good sign.
He had checked her breathing before moving her, and her pulse, and they seemed strong, she was just unconscious, from what appeared to be a slip in the shower.
Frank moved to turn off the water, as the door swung open and the medics rushed into the room.
Noelle was the first to hand over, telling them that Sam found her in the shower, and that was all they knew.
Sam was just unresponsive.
Noelle bent down in front of him and yelled his name, making him snap his eyes to her as he focused.
The other medic moved in, ushering Sam out the way.
Ten minutes later, Andy was loaded into the back of the bus, Noelle getting in behind her before Sam had a chance.
Sam watched as the doors closed, loud sirens signaling their hasty departure.
"Go". Frank said as Sam turned to him, disbelief mingling on his face with the drops of water that dripped down from his hair.
Sam didn't need to be told twice.
A little over an hour later, Andy was settled in her room, an IV plastered to her hand, and tubes and pipes twined from her to the various machines around her.
The doctor in the ER gave her a look over before admitting her and deciding to keep her sedated, but not heavily.
Once inside her room, the doctor came out into the hallway in search of Sam and Noelle.
Standing up they faced the greying man and waited for his report.
"Officer Mcnally has been sedated, but very mildly, she is suffering from exhaustion and fatigue, she is malnourished, under weight, and borderline anorexic, and very dehydrated. Whatever she has been doing to herself has got to stop, her body is not in good shape. I've got an IV running, and had to give her twelve stitches in her head. I think she collapsed in the shower rather than slipped, she probably hit her head in the fall. She will be kept in overnight, but I will release her tomorrow provided that there is no concussion. She should be awake soon, if you want to see her" the doctor nodded and walked away, Noelle breathed a sigh of relief as she mumbled that she was gonna call Frank, as Sam saw read flash over the back of his eyelids as he clenched them closed.
Noelle nodded towards the door, as she waved her phone around, leaving Sam little choice but to slip into the room.
He found her awake, with her eyes staring at the ceiling, her skin as pale as the white sheets she lay between, her blue hospital gown and the halo of her dark hair spread out against the pillow, the only color in the room.
She was propped up against some high stacked pillows, her right hand lost in her hair.
"Hey". Sam mumbled as he moved towards the bed.
Andy's eyes looked towards him before averting away as she let out a groan, her hand wobbling still tangled in her own hair.
Sam peered at her curiously, noting the frustration gracing her face as he noticed that she was pulling on her hair.
"Andy..."
"I'm stuck okay". She suddenly snapped, her voice cracking in irritation.
Sam stepped closer, to see the IV run up her hand and disappear into the dark tendrils of her hair.
Leaning over her, he found that a rather tangled clump of hair was stuck to the clear plaster that held the IV line in her arm. She must have rolled it down and put her hand in her hair to feel the stitches, not realizing that there was a sticky side turned up.
Prying the hair free, rather slowly, Sam couldn't help but breath her scent in. It was mingled with the sanitary aroma of the hospital, but it still smelled like her.
She turned her face just a fraction towards him, her eyes watching his face while his hands worked on freeing her.
Sam had to use every ounce of self control he possessed to do the job at hand, rather than sweep her up and never let her go.
Her warm breath swept over his cheek, causing his heart to break and crack before crumbling completely.
As he pulled back, he noticed how close she was, her hand now free of its hairy tangle still grasped in his, but she didn't pull it away.
Her eyes were watching him, yet the tint to her cheeks he hoped to find, was still lacking in appearance. His. Close proximity had always caused a heated flush to creep up her cheeks in the past.
Frozen where he was, his eyes drifted from her eyes to her colorless cheeks, to her lips, just as he felt himself drawn in towards them.
When his lips made contact with hers, the spark ignited through his own flesh, right about when his brain kicked in and he dropped her hand, and flinched back standing up straight.
His hand instinctively ran up to his hair, pulling through it, while his voice tried to find words.
The only thing that came out when his lips parted was a broken "I'm sorry" before he spun around and stalked out the door, right into the hard force of Nick Collins.
Sam put his hands up, and began walking Collins backwards until his back found a wall at the end of the hall, a irrational "You" coming from between Sam's clenched teeth.
"You had one responsibility, one job to do, and you failed. You broke the cardinal rule of always having your partners back, you just left her to wither away, broken...". Sam was having a hard time breathing, his heart pounding away in his chest as he came face to face with the person he deemed responsible for Andy being here now.
"Sammy...". Noelle's voice rang down the hall, strong an firm.
"Me? I dint leave her standing in the rain Swarek, I didn't walk away after breaking her heart, to tell her I loved her because I though she was gonna die...".
Nick's words ceased to be as Sam rammed him into the wall after pulling him forward to make space to do so.
"Sammy let him go, its not worth it". Noelle stepped up to the side of them, her eyes imploring Sam to let go of Collins, before things got out of hand.
Sam shoved him back into the wall before letting his hands drop to his sides and walking away.
As soon as Sam was out of sight, Noelle turned to Collins as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Two rules about Swarek, never stand between him and Mcnally, ever, and two if you value you're life, never engage Swarek, ever". Noelle stepped back just as Collins shifted off the wall and tugged his shirt back into place, lifting an eyebrow up in amusement.
"Why not?, he started it". Collins said, his eyes boring defiantly into Noelle's.
"Because he will kill you". Noelle said, no traces of humor on her face.
Andy watched Sam as he turned and left her alone in the room, the heart monitor picking up a new beat as her heart rate increased at the minimal contact they had just had.
As her door pulled closed, her hand flew up to cover her lips, the feeling of his still present on them.
Her mind didn't, over-think, it didn't race, it didn't even think, after all the only reason he would kiss her now, is because she was right there.
Sam cursed himself as he skipped going back to the barn and drove home instead.
If he though before, that dumping Andy was the stupidest thing he had ever done, he knew he was wrong the minute he leaned in and let his lips linger on hers.
That right there, that was the stupidest thing he had ever done.
It wasn't about the fact that he kissed her, it was about his awesome timing once again, and knowing he would be leaving in two weeks, he just could not do that to her again.
Or to himself.
Reaching his house, he fired off a quick text to Frank saying he was taking a few days off, not citing any given reason, before he rummaged around his room, packed a duffle bag and hit the road, before changing his mind.
Andy washed her eyes over the back of the closed door, her hand still on her lips trembling as she felt the tell tale signs of her eyes misting over.
The sudden warm feeling that engulfed her cheeks, made her lips curve up slightly at the corners. A pink hue transforming the ghostly white skin to a soft warmth as her blush crept up her neck before laying claim to the flesh of her face.
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Jelly Bean Jenna©