The hours dragged on and with it worry and uncertainty settled in. They all tried to keep themselves busy, away from worst case scenarios, but it was getting harder and harder.
They all stood as two surgeons walked into the ER waiting room.
"Sergeant Luca"? asked one of them.
"Yes"? said Dom as his heart started racing.
"She's stable. The surgery went well. We were able to stop the internal bleeding and remove both bullets. There shouldn't be any permanent damage".
Dom gave a sigh of relief as Hondo patted his shoulder. "Can we see her"?
"Of course, we'll have Janet show you to her room. She's still recovering so try to keep the visits to a minimum for the time being".
Dom shook the surgeons' hands. "Thank you so much, for everything".
They stopped in front of the glass sliding door and looked at Emma. She was still pale. Bruises and cuts covered her arms and face. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be peaceful.
Dom slid the door open and closed it behind him. He sat beside her bed as Deacon looked from behind the window. He was longing to be near her, to hold her in his arms. The last time he had held her in his arms, she was dead, and he needed to replace that.
Emma stirred and looked at Dom.
"Hey Champ. How you feeling"?
"Alive".
"You gave us quite a scare you know that? If it wasn't for Deacon, you wouldn't be here right now".
Emma looked beyond Dom at the glass door and her eyes connected with Deacon's.
"He got to your first, performed CPR and brought you out to safety".
His phone buzzed and he looked at it. "Dad's downstairs. I'll go get him".
He stood and looked at her.
"Deacon", she said softly.
Dom nodded. "Of course, I'll get him".
Dom met up with the others and looked at Deacon. "She's asking for you".
As Deacon started walking towards the glass door, Dom stopped him and took him in his arms in a brotherly accolade. "You saved her, I am ever so grateful, man. I don't know what I would have done if we'd lost her".
Deacon nodded. He knew that losing her would never have been something he could have lived with either. The past months they'd had together, had been unbelievable, and he'd reached a place in his heart and mind, where he couldn't imagine life without her.
When Dom let go of him, Deacon entered the room and walked over to her and sat down next to her, on the bed. He wanted to kiss her, caress her bruised face, but he knew it wasn't the time or the place to come out in the open about their relationship.
"Hey beautiful".
Her chin started to tremble, and her eyes filled up with tears as they searched his and he could tell that she too was torn with what her emotions and body yearned for; the human touch of the one you love. Deacon took her in his arms and rocked Emma, comforting her.
"I love you", he whispered in her ear.
