Chapter Nine

Two hours passed – and no one had to tell Jaime that this was a bad sign. Steve's chopper had surely arrived, and if Rudy hadn't come to give them any news yet, Jaime knew this meant her husband's condition was too rocky for Rudy to leave him. The first person to join them was Russ, out of breath from a fast sprint down the hall.

"We got 'em, Oscar," he panted. "Steve hit all three of them before he..." Russ stopped when he saw Jaime. "Before he...collapsed," he finished weakly.

Jaime tried to hoist herself from the chair but Oscar and the doctor kept a firm, gentle hold on her and she sank back, defeated. "Did you talk to Rudy? Did you see Steve? How is he – did they tell you anything...?"

Russ looked apologetically at Oscar. He truly hadn't thought Jaime would be here, in her condition, and although he did know something, he was unsure if she could handle it. Oscar in turn looked at Doctor Jeffries, who nodded. The uncertainty was even harder on Jaime than knowing would be.

"He's in pretty bad shape..." Russ said reluctantly. The last thing he'd intended to do was be the bearer of this kind of news. "Rudy took him straight into surgery."

"Surgery for what?" Jaime cried, struggling to stay calm, well aware of the syringe the doctor probably had waiting. "Where did the....bullet...hit him?"

"Bullet?" Russ shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other and back again, wishing he was anywhere else but here. "Jaime....I thought you knew...I'm so sorry – Steve was shot three times."

Jaime collapsed into sobs.

"Only one bullet hit flesh, though," Russ hurried to add. "One hit his leg and one hit just below the shoulder. The...ah...good news is that Rudy thinks the third bullet missed his heart."

"He was shot...in the chest?" Jaime sobbed. She clutched her stomach, as though trying to shield the unborn baby from the horror – and didn't fight when Doctor Jeffries plunged the needle into her arm.

"I'll see if I can find out anything else," Russ told them, quickly backing out of the office.

Oscar and the doctor helped Jaime across the hall to a bed that Rudy had arranged for her to use if necessary. The shot was a mild one and she didn't sleep, but her frantic sobs slowly turned to silent tears and she turned her back on the two men (and the world in general) to stare blindly out the window. Neither the doctor or her boss and dear friend had the right words to soothe her, but they sat patiently at Jaime's side, hoping to comfort her at least a little bit with their presence.

Hours later, there was still no word from Rudy, and the tranquilizer had worn off. Jaime had begun pacing slowly around the little hospital room and although both men blocked her from leaving, their worry – for Steve and for his wife – had grown exponentially. Doctor Jeffries had prepared another stronger shot (one that would have the most minimal effects on the fetus) and was trying to calm Jaime's movements long enough to actually administer it.

If she hadn't been tuned down, Jaime would've forced her way to Steve's side long before now, but as it was, she had never felt more helpless. Finally, when she was just about to break down completely, Rudy appeared in the doorway. Jaime's emotions gave way when she saw him, and the two doctors helped her sit down. Oscar placed a warm, paternal hand on her shoulder to steady her...and Rudy took a deep breath.

"It's alright, Honey," he said gently, kneeling in front of Jaime's chair to look directly into her eyes. "The bullet punctured his lung, but he's breathing on his own now and his vital signs have stabilized." Rudy took Jaime's hand, concerned with the fact that she didn't seem to be hearing him. "Jaime...?"

Jaime's eyes grew wide as she doubled over, clutching her stomach. "Help...me...." she gasped, before falling over into Rudy's waiting arms.

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