Chapter 12

As Gerry tried to step to move closer, Lisa Beauchard put a pistol that she had hidden, under her chin and pulled the trigger. Mike knew there was no hope for Lisa Beauchard and heard the rushing of feet as Bill Tanner and Tony Rodriguez along with Dan Healy and Norm Haseejian rushed into the apartment. Mike took the belt from a robe laying on the bed to use as a tourniquet on Steve's arm once he found where he was wounded. The look on his face though as he looked up at all of them was one of pure terror.

"He's not breathing. Call an ambulance!" Mike ordered anxiously.

Mike started CPR on Steve immediately begging God inwardly not to let him die and begging Steve silently to hang on! Mike worked trying to breathe life back into Steve, while Norm did chest compressions.

The paramedics finally came just as they got Steve breathing again. Steve was covered with a blanket for shock and oxygen started; after they had done all they needed to prep him for the ride to the hospital they were ready to go. Mike left hurried instructions with Bill Tanner before he went in the ambulance with Steve, as Tony Rodriguez was getting a statement from Gerry O'Brien. Bill Tanner called in the lab and the coroner, after they had secured the scene. He sent Dan Healy to go pick up Jeannie and drive her to the hospital while he and the others continued to work the scene.

Jeannie had continued to look for Mike's return and grew more and more anxious as the time passed. She had this bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that something bad had happened and wished someone would hurry and get in contact with her. She was putting the food away when there was an urgent sounding knock on the door. She saw the look on Dan Healys face although he did his best to mask it.

"Jeannie, I need you to come with me. Get your keys and a jacket I would not want you to be cold in this air."

Dan Healy stepped into the house as she moved like she was on auto pilot to go get a jacket and her keys, remembering what Mike had told Bill Dan Healy went to check the stove in the kitchen and made sure it was off. Jeannie came shoving some money in her pocket they left locking the house. As they drove she stared out the window thinking today was supposed to be special. They arrived at San Francisco General and hurried in to find Mike. As they saw him in the hallway waiting for word from someone that could tell him about Steve Dan Healy shook his head to let Mike know Jeannie had not been told yet.

"Thanks for bringing her Dan; you get back to the scene so the others have a ride. We will see you all soon." Mike spoke as calmly as possible Dan Healy nodded and left to get back. Mike held Jeannie close and led her to as private a place as he could find to tell her of what had happened. "Jeannie Steve has been seriously hurt they have him in surgery right now. Apparently the assistant he was doing trial prep with had a fixation on him back from their college days and well I don't know exact details of what happened but he was cut badly with a sword. It cut the Brachial artery in his upper arm, he had lost a great deal of blood by the time we got to him."

"He won't die, he can't Mike!" Jeannie tearfully said as Mike held her close. "Do you have her in custody?"

"No, sweetheart that will not be necessary she no longer can hurt Steve or you or anyone else."

Jeannie nodded understanding what her father was saying to her. Before long the two were joined by many others from SFPD to await word, some even bringing their families. Jeannie paced watching the doors she thought the surgeon would exit from, other times she sat quietly, her and Mike almost clinging to each other. Mike stepped away from Jeannie when he saw Bill Tanner coming down the hall and they spoke quietly together. Jeannie saw Gerry O'Brien enter as well while Mike was away from her. He saw Jeannie and headed over to her. Gerry was feeling more than a bit guilty that Lisa Beauchard was able to get so close to Steve due to the trial prep to put him in the danger he had been in.

"Jeannie, I am so sorry this happened. I never knew she was that way or I would never have given her that deep of access to Steve." Gerry O'Brien had such a stricken tone in his voice and eyes that Jeannie could not be angry with him.

"It wasn't your fault Mr. O'Brien. No need to apologize, Steve will be fine. He will pull through this, he has to." Jeannie said determinedly. "Can you tell me what you know? I mean did you and Mike see her attack Steve?"

"No, I am afraid we didn't. By the time we got there it was done, maybe I should ask Mike if he wanted you to hear this Jeannie. I mean if he hasn't already told you what we do know." Gerry O'Brien was unsure whether to give her the details or withhold from her.

"I think Mike's primary concern when I got here was to comfort me because of being upset. He hasn't really had time to tell me more than Steve's brachial artery was severed with a sword and he had lost a great deal of blood by the time you two found him."

"That is about all I know as well so guess he has told you all we really know. I think the whole story will have to wait until Steve is able to talk." Gerry O'Brien admitted glumly.

Jeannie nodded sighing softly. Mike came back and sat with them and the waiting continued. Mike had tried urging the ones there to go have Thanksgiving dinner with their families some had departed promising to return, while others had refused to leave. It was almost another four hours before the surgeon came out, Mike seeing him rose from his seat expectantly and very anxious with Jeannie right beside him.

"We repaired the artery but he is not in for an easy time of recovery. I am afraid he will have limited use of that arm for a good while as some of the muscles were affected as well. He will need physical therapy once he is out of here but with physical therapy, he should recover full movement. The next several hours will tell us his prognosis for sure as long as he makes it through those hours he should be okay." Dr. Walden assured.

"How long is he looking at, I mean just a general idea at least." Jeannie inquired quietly.

"He should stay in here at least a couple of weeks and I say should because I have heard about him having a strong dislike of being in hospitals. He could go back to work in a month, but he probably will not be a hundred percent before a month or two beyond that. It all will depend on how committed he is to his recovery and God's will." Dr. Walden stated seriously. "He was extremely lucky you found him when you did or we would be looking at another picture entirely. We have blood transfusions going he lost a great volume of his blood. You should know he flat lined on us while we had him on the table. We were unsure if he was going to come back from it but he finally did. If you need anything at all please let me know. I really don't see you being able to see him tonight, why don't you go home and get some rest? He will be out the rest of the night; tomorrow you can both sit with him."

"Mike and I are both O Positive if he needs any blood if you run low of A Positive and I know just about anyone from SFPD would give if they are suitable blood match for him." Jeannie offered

"I will remember that, he is a very fortunate young man in more ways than one." Dr. Walden said quietly, as he smiled.

"Thank you Dr. Walden. We really appreciate all you are doing for him, please call us immediately if there is any change at all during the night." Mike requested somberly.

"You've got it. I will see you two later and try not to worry too much he will be looked after very well." Dr. Walden assured them seriously.

Gerry O'Brien offered to drive them home as they and the others that had been there exited the hospital. Once he got them home and they were alone Jeannie got Mike to eat something as thoughts of Steve flooded both their minds. Mike involuntarily shuddered when he remembered how badly Steve had looked when they found him at her apartment.

"Mike, Steve won't leave us. I know him, and I know whatever you saw at her apartment was worse than you have let on to me, but Steve is a fighter he loves both of us he won't give up too easy." Jeannie did her best to calm her father's fears.

"We almost didn't get there in time sweetheart. I honestly believe if we had been even one to two minutes later Steve would not be here. He wasn't breathing Jeannie. I started CPR on him and Bill and the others had rushed in just about that time, so Norm did chest compressions. I have never been so happy to see an ambulance team arrive as I was that one that came today."

Jeannie knew there was much more that Mike was not telling her of the scene he had witnessed, but that little bit was enough to really hit her where she lived and breathed. She got up and held her father close as he did her, both silently thanking a power greater than the doctors that they still had Steve with them.