Chapter 4

Present Day

Knock. Knock. Sharon was startled awake. She had gone home briefly to change her clothes and check on Rusty before returning to the hospital. At some point she had dozed off in the chair she had pulled close to Andy's bed.

The nurse grabbed the eraser on the whiteboard and wiped away the names of the night staff,

"Sorry to wake you. I'm Nurse Patterson, on days, I'll be taking over for Nurse Rodrigo." She updated the board with the day shift nurses.

Sharon only nodded as the woman walked over to Andy's IV machine. They were only giving him saline fluids, he didn't really need it, but they wanted to keep the line open just in case.

"Has he been able to rest with all these wires running all over the place?" The nurse asked gesturing to the EKG leads still attached to Andy.

Sharon chuckled, "He has a gift, a natural ability to sleep just about anywhere in just about any condition. I swear I caught him sleeping standing up once."

The nurse smiled, "And you, any rest?"

Sharon tilted her head down not wanting to make eye contact, "I've had better nights." Looking to change the subject before it became personal, "Do you know when the cardiologist will be making rounds?"

The nurse finished checking the IV lines and taking vitals and walked to the other side of the bed closer to Sharon, "Yes, Dr. Goodman usually pops in around 9am to make patient rounds. Until then we'll have two breakfast trays brought up for you and your husband. Also, they'll want to do another blood draw this morning since he's fasted. So I'll make sure to get the phlebotomist up here first."

Sharon nodded, "Thank you."

"You're most welcome. Page if you need anything, otherwise I'll come check in later." She finished as she walked out of the room.

A few minutes later the phlebotomist arrived with her blood draw kit. Sharon stood and walked over to Andy to wake him.

"Oh don't worry about it. We do draws in the middle of the night all the time, our goal is to be in and out before they have a chance to wake up." The young woman smiled and Sharon smiled back. She appeared to be in her early twenties with jet black hair, and although the lab coat covered up her skin well she still managed to catch a spider tattoo at the base of her neck.

She tied up his arm and grabbed two vials out from her kit, which looked a lot like a tackle box. She double-checked the labels with Andy's wrist band before placing them onto the vials. Sharon looked away as she went to poke the needle in, she wasn't afraid of needles and had no issues with blood at crime scenes, but there was something about watching it gently pour out of an arm and into a tube that made her shake involuntarily. The woman let out a little chuckle, she was used to that reaction in her line of work. "Alright, all done. We'll get these back to the lab and processed for Dr. Goodman."

Sharon turned back around, knowing the coast was clear and muttered a "Thank you," and then resumed her post next to Andy.

Half an hour later as promised, an orderly arrived with two breakfast trays and sat them down on the table across the room. Moments later Andy finally began to stir.

Sharon moved to Andy's bed, "So I see the only way to wake you up is through your stomach?"

"Well that's not the only way…" Andy said with his usual mischievous grin.

She smiled back, she took his teasing as a good sign that things were okay. "Uh huh. Well a nurse came in to check on you awhile ago and another one came it to take some blood samples and you didn't wake for either."

"We're they cute?" Andy said with a knowing smirk. Everyone knew of Andy's appreciation for nurses back in the day.

Sharon shot him a look, "I see we're also feeling better today."

Andy pulled himself up in the bed and shifted the pillows around to a more comfortable position, "Well I woke up, so I'm still alive. You're here, and it would seem breakfast has arrived. So yeah I think that's a good start." Sharon just stood across the room and smiled, she couldn't agree more. They were both alive and together, and that was most certainly a good start to the day.

Now that he was awake he could feel his stomach grumbling. They wouldn't give him much to eat last night, and now we felt completely famished. "So what's on the menu for this morning."

Sharon lifted the lid to the tray and peered under, "Well it looks like you've got a fruit cup, a small roll, a piece of turkey and some egg whites."

"Hmm, well I suppose there could be worse options for a vegetarian." Sharon pushed the tray table over to Andy and lowered it so he could eat comfortably. "At least they provided some coffee."

"Mmm, yes. I think I could use a cup or two myself." said Sharon as she walked back to pick up the tray they brought for her. She wasn't very hungry, but she was never one to eat more than one pancake and an egg for breakfast anyways.

"Come here," Andy leaned towards Sharon, she did and he placed a soft kiss on her lips. He whispered "morning" into her ear as he had done every morning that they had woken up together. It was another reminder that they were alive and together and could face whatever came their way that day. Andy picked up the remote on his bed and turned on the TV. While they didn't watch the evening news, preferring to unwind from their day with music and other forms of relaxation, they would occasionally put on KTLA in the morning to get a sense of what they might be dealing with that day. Frank Buckley, the morning news anchor came on,

"Good morning, as we reported to you last night, more information has come to light regarding the shooting in the LA County Courthouse two weeks ago."

Both Andy and Sharon looked at one another and Andy quickly changed the channel, surprisingly the hospital had ESPN and anything on SportsCenter would be a better option than reliving the past two weeks in a 90 second news sound bite. They spent the remaining time in comfortable silence, holding hands and drinking coffee. If it weren't for the surroundings and the chaos of last night, this could have been any other morning.

The nurse whom Sharon met earlier walked in with several doctors, one of whom she assumed was Dr. Goodman a short while later, "Mr. Flynn?"

"Yes." Andy shifted in the bed. Reality was settling back in, why they were here at the hospital and not on their sofa at home.

"I'm Dr. Goodman from the Cardiology Department of Cedars-Sinai, these are my residents." The tall man with reddish brown hair gestured to the young men and women in scrubs behind him, and then put out his hand to shake Andy's. "So I understand you had an episode yesterday that brought you to the ER?"

Andy shook the man's hand and sat back in his bed, "Yeah. I thought I was having a heart attack. My chest hurt and my neck ached. I started to feel faint and fell to the floor I guess."

Dr. Goodman gestured to Andy to lean forward and pulled out his stethoscope to listen to his heart, "Hmm. Any other symptoms leading up to the event?"

Andy leaned forward and looked over towards Sharon, "Well I didn't feel great most of the day, but we were working a difficult case so I just figured it was about that. But then I felt my heart race some, kinda pounding in my chest."

The doctor tapped Andy getting him to lean back down and continued examining him as they spoke. "Okay. I've reviewed the notes from Dr. Canton, the ER attending, as well as the test results and I must concur with his initial findings. You did not suffer from a heart attack. This sounds like a syncope episode that was brought on by a yet undetermined cause." Satisfied with his initial exam the doctor took a step back to focus on both of them.

"Sync-a-what?" Sharon smiled, Andy was a "Plain English" kinda-guy. They had heard the term explained last night, but admittedly Andy was still a bit out of it when Dr. Canton gave his explanations.

"Dr. Gia?" Dr. Goodman asked turning back to his medical entourage.

One of the female residents stepped forward and spoke, "Syncope, temporary loss of consciousness. A fancy medical word for fainting or passing out." Dr. Goodman nodded and the woman stepped back into the crowd of other residents.

Sharon finally jumped into the conversation, feeling a bit impatient and wanting to know what they could or would do to fix these episodes, "Okay so how can we treat this Dr. Goodman?"

He turned toward Sharon who was now standing beside Andy with her hand on his shoulder, "Well, first we need to figure out what the root cause is for the syncope." He turned back to Andy, "I understand you have a history of high blood pressure which may have brought on the first two episodes you experienced in 2013. Is that correct?"

Andy shifted uncomfortably in the bed, "Yes. I was reluctant to take any of the medication. I was hoping I could manage it through diet and exercise."

The doctor sensing Andy's guilt for his current situation tried to provide some encouragement, "Completely understandable and for many people that does the trick, but I suspect in your case there is more going on." He continued, "So what I would like to do is get you fitted with a halter monitor. It is essentially a walking EKG machine that will record everything your heart does for the next 24 hours."

Once again Sharon spoke up, but this time with surprise in her voice "Andy will be discharged today then?" She was a bit surprised given how serious things seemed a few hours ago, but even she had to admit his color had improved and he seemed back to normal. She figured that she was a bit nervous to bring him home, should another attack happen - not that she would ever admit it.

The doctor nodded, "Oh, yes. I'm waiting for this mornings fasting labs to come back, but I believe those will come back negative. You should be out of here by noon. I'll have the nurse get you hooked up to the halter monitor and go over your discharge paperwork. Then I'd like to have you come to my office on Monday to review the results of the halter monitor. We'll go from there."

This news seemed to improve Andy's mood. "Okay Doc thanks. So I can get back to work tomorrow?" He asked with a small degree of trepidation knowing that it would be doubtful.

Dr. Goodman shook his head, "No, I'm not clearing you to return to work until we figure this out. Most cases of syncope are benign and nothing to worry about, however, given this latest episode and your history it would be prudent for you to lay low for awhile."

Andy immediately shot Sharon a look of frustration. For the second time in less than a year he was going to be sidelined because of a medical condition. She steeled herself, and hoped they would uncover the problem and be able to quickly and easily resolve it. Keeping Andy at home is like caging a buffalo. She looked heavenward for a moment knowing she was going to need the patience of a saint to get through this again.

Sharon leaned across the bed, finally releasing her grasp on Andy and shook the doctor's hand, "Thank you Dr. Goodman, we'll see you on Monday." Andy gave her another look, the I don't need you to take me and babysit me at the doctors look. Sharon chose to ignore it. He was going to need some help and she was there to provide it, whether he wants it or not.

6 Weeks Earlier

"Andy are you sure this is what you want to do?" They were standing outside the office and Sharon was being uncharacteristically fidgety which brought a curious smile to Andy's face. He enjoyed seeing new sides to her, but was admittedly a bit concerned at her current reaction to what they were about to embark upon.

He put an arm around her waist and pulled her close, "Yes, without a doubt. This is the right thing for both of us. After you." He pushed open the door to Father Espinoza's office and guided her forward with a hand at the small of her back.

The father was a tall man and when he stood up he noticeably filled the room. "Andy, Sharon. So good to see you both. Please take a seat." He said gesturing to his guests.

The pair stepped forward and Andy closed the door behind them. "Thank you Father." Sharon responded for both of them.

Andy and Sharon took a seat across from the Father's antique mahogany desk. His office was full of trinkets from his travels through Latin America. Neither were very familiar with the room having spent most of their time in the cathedral or the beautiful church grounds. "So I understand that you've come here today to discuss the annulment of both of your first marriages. Is that accurate?"

Sharon pulled up her large leather bag and reached for a pair of file folders they brought with them, "Yes Father it is. We've reviewed the forms and steps online and would like to get the process underway."

The Father gave a small chuckle. Anyone who knew her would know she would have thoroughly researched everything before coming to his office to discuss the matter. "You've both given this a great deal of thought I take it?"

They both nodded and Andy was the first to respond, "Yes we have Father. This is something that we both feel to be important and necessary for us to have any possible long-term future together." Andy turned to Sharon and squeezed her hand.

Father Espinoza turned to Andy with a serious expression, "You understand what this means, for both of you? The scrutiny this will place on your past relationship and what might happen if the tribunal does not grant one or both of your annulments?"

This time Sharon squeezed Andy's hand and replied on their behalf, "Father it is only after great counsel with one another, our children, and God that we decide to proceed with nullifying our prior marriages. We are of course hopeful that the tribunal will grant us both annulments after careful review of our respective cases, but we are prepared for whatever outcome we may face."

Andy jumped in to add, "Listen Father, I know that this isn't going to make me look rosy. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I've owned up to those. I've asked for contrition and done my level best to repair the damage I've done to those I love. This process may serve as the final act of repentance for everything that happened before. I know it isn't going to be easy, but I want to do this for myself, for Sharon, and for our family." His speech came out a bit more hurried than he intended, but he too was feeling nervous about all this. It was an ending of sorts, but also the beginning to something that he was hopeful would bring them both great joy.

The Father nodded. Sharon and Andy were fixtures at the church, known well by all the clergy. Andy wasn't as always a regular as Sharon, but the conviction of the his words could be trusted. "I have faith that all this will work out for the best." He opened a file folder that he had begun for the annulment process and handed them each a set of documents,

"I need you both to fill out the following forms. The first is a Formal Petition, that allows us to understand your respective marriages through the view of the church teachings. The second is the Application for Annulment. Please be as thorough as possible sharing your background on the entire relationship from dating all the way up to the civil divorce. We also require copies of your Baptismal Certificate, Marriage License, and your Divorce Decree. You are welcome to provide us with any other documents or reports as evidence in your case for annulment. If you ever attended counseling you can also provide us with a summary of those sessions. Finally, we ask you both to put together a list of witness that can testify on your behalf. The tribunal will use their testimony to gain a picture of your marriage and why an annulment should or should not be granted."

The Father paused for a moment, "I know this can be a lot to take in. We ask that you wait a few days after filling out the required forms to think it over."

Sharon and Andy glanced at one another and back at the Father and nodded. "We understand, and thank you for taking the time to go over all this with us," replied Sharon.

He took a sip of tea before continuing, "Of course. Do either of you have any questions at this time?"

The look on the Father's face was one of mild surprise when Andy immediately spoke up, "What's the timeline on this sort of thing?" Andy asked thinking back to their case a few years ago where the priest died and the Catholic Church wanted to wait 70 years before letting them review the man's diary entries. "Uh, not that I'm in any hurry of course." He said turning to Sharon realizing that came out a tad excitable. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea, he had told her multiple times that they were in no rush to get married, that he was in no hurry. That said he didn't want to wait 20 more years to marry the love of his life, his best friend.

The Father couldn't help but chuckle. Sharon knew why he was smiling at them, she was familiar with the response. If they thought they were hiding anything from anyone they were definitely misinformed. The love between them was apparent. The nonverbal language between them was mystifying to watch, but carried the weight of their compatibility. "It varies. I imagine it is a bit like your business in that what usually delays the process is getting a hold of witnesses and waiting for their statements. In general it can take anywhere from two months to a year. I know that doesn't really narrow it down for you. I will say that after all the testimony has been gathered and the case has been reviewed a decision is made within 15 days. It's really all the leg work up to that point that can slow it down."

Sharon nodded and spoke up before Andy could put his foot in his mouth, "We are certainly familiar with that Father."

He smiled back, "Any other questions?"

Sharon returned the file folders back into her bag, she knew she probably didn't need them for this initial meeting, but wanted to be fully prepared. She looked back at Father Espinoza, "Not right now, perhaps as we review the forms." Sharon looked over to Andy and then back to the Father, "Can we reach out if we run into any issues?"

The church bells sounded loudly and provided a closure to the meeting, "Of course Sharon. Feel free to give me a call or stop by my office and I would be happy to go over anything else with either of you."

All three stood up, Andy shook hands with the Father, "Thanks again."

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AN: Once again thank you to my beta blacktag189 and to my reviewers. I am hard at work on chapters 5 and 6, but they may be delayed for a little Halloween one-shot surprise story that I'm working on.