[A/N: I really just can't write Brandi and Jinx well, so for the sake of decent dialogue and my sanity, they are both currently away. Thanks for all the reviews.]

Mary had already crossed the no admittance line by the time Stan got there. He found Teddy and Whitney in the waiting area. His inspector was staring off into space, and Whitney was pacing back and forth. As Stan entered, he had to resist the urge to smack Daniels. He went to Whitney first, "I want you to go with these marshals. They're going to make sure a nurse takes care of that arm, and then they're going to get you to a safe location, ok?"

Whitney nodded, "Stan, what about Mary? Is she going to be okay?"

Not knowing what else to say, Stan went with the truth, "I don't know, but I need to make sure you're safe. As soon as I hear anything, I'll send word."

Whitney nodded her thanks as she followed the two back up marshals that Stan had called for. Once she had disappeared to the triage unit to have her arm taken care of, Stan went to the reception desk. "Excuse me, I'm looking for news on Mary Shannon?"

The nurse looked up. "Are you family?"

"Miss Shannon is a US marshal, I'm her boss. Her family is currently out of state."

The nurse looked doubtful, not sure she should give out any information, "Let me check." The nurse turned to her computer and hit a few keys, pulling up Mary's information. She looked it over. "I'm sorry, sir, but there is no information. Miss Shannon only arrived a few minutes ago. She received three GSWs, one to the right arm, one to the right shoulder, and a third to her lower back. They're working on her now, as soon as they update her status, I'll be sure to find you." She turned away before Stan could ask anything more.

Letting out a ragged breath, Stan turned away from the desk. His eyes landed on Teddy. Knowing that Mary was somewhere in this hospital with three bullets in her trimmed what was left of Stan's fuse. He walked over to where Teddy was still sitting and staring into space, and grabbed the man's arm, hauling him up and pulling him out the emergency room entrance. He walked them several feet away and then released the marshal. "You want to explain to me what the hell happened today? How my best inspector wound up with three holes in her, the witness one, and you not a scratch?"

Teddy leaned against the wall. Tears of remorse welled in his eyes. "I'm sorry, boss. I panicked. I've never been shot at before. Mary ran in the house and told me to stay in the car, so that's what I did. I waited for her. I didn't see the shooters. She came out of the house and they were waiting for her. They just opened fire. They hit her while she was trying to get the door unlocked." Teddy covered his face with his hands.

Stan wanted to rip the man apart. In his short explanation, he'd confessed to breaking half a dozen regulations and to being one of the most incompetent partners Stan had ever seen. "Listen up, Teddy, you better start praying that Mary pulls through this, because if she doesn't you won't have to worry about the damage you've just done to your career. Marshall will kill you."

"Stan, listen, I didn't mean for anything to happen to her. She told me to stay in the car. You have to believe me." Teddy was practically begging Stan.

"Oh, I believe you. I believe that you let your partner walk head first, alone, into a potentially dangerous situation. I believe that you failed to watch her back. I believe that you are so far past the point of screwed that you should start looking for a new real estate agent. On second thought, you better start praying Mary doesn't wake up till after you've gone back east. She'll do a lot more damage than Marshall." Unable to look at the crying man any longer, Stan turned away. "Go back to the office. You stay there until I tell you to leave. And take a cab, that car is evidence."

Not waiting to see if his instructions were followed, Stan walked back into the hospital. By now, Marshall would be in the air. The flight would take roughly five hours, give or take. Stan just hoped he had some good news to deliver the next time he spoke to Marshall. The emergency room doors slid shut behind him. The admitting nurse looked up. "Excuse me, sir, you were asking about Miss Shannon?"

Stan quickened his pace, "Yes, how is she?"

"She needs to go into surgery, but she keeps asking to see a marshal. She refuses to go under until she's spoken to one. Can you convince her to let us do our job?" The nurse seemed slightly agitated.

Stan nodded right away. He understood the nurse's error. Mary wasn't asking for a marshal, she wanted her Marshall, but Stan wasn't going to waste an opportunity to speak with her, and he wasn't going to let her own stubbornness get in the way of getting fixed up. He followed the nurse as she led him past the doors and to where Mary was, once again, lying on a gurney. He let out a sigh to see her eyes open. "Mary, what are you trying to do, get yourself killed?"

It took her eyes a moment to focus on him, "Stan? Where's Marshall, they won't let me see him."

Stan placed a hand on Mary's uninjured shoulder in an effort to calm her. "Marshall's in the air, he's flying home right now. He should be here by the time you come out of surgery. But you have to let the doctors work."

She stopped struggling with him. "Marshall's okay?" Fear laced her voice.

Stan touched her cheek, "He's fine, Mary."

"Oh, ok, then we can go." She laid back down, but stopped the nurse from moving her just yet. "Wait, Stan, in case…tell him I love him, please. And that I was sure, too, it just took me some time to admit it."

Stan saw a tear slide down her cheek, but he wasn't sure if it was from the physical pain, or the emotional. He grasped her hand, "Mare, he wanted me to tell you something. When I talked to him, he asked me to remind you that you promised him you wouldn't leave."

Another tear fell. "Tell him I will try not to die, for him." The nurses refused to wait any longer. They began pushing Mary down the hallway. Stan was only able to watch for a moment before she disappeared around the corner, bound for the OR.