Chapter 14

8:00PM-9:00PM

I started working again but was interrupted by my phone ringing.

"Hello?" I said, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Audrey, it's me," Jack said.

"Ah, Jack," I said, in relief. "Thank god you're alright."

"Audrey, I need you to listen to me," he said. "Paul's been shot."

Oh my god. How could that have happened? They were both supposed to be okay.

"Audrey," Jack said, after a couple seconds. "Audrey!"

"How bad is it?" I asked, trying to hold myself together.

"The medics are working on him," Jack said. "We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Jack, how did this happen?" I asked.

"We were securing the area. One of the gunmen tried to shoot me. Paul pushed me out of the way."

Why would Paul do that? He's always been so concerned about his well-being.

"He saved my life," Jack added. I didn't answer and I came even closer to crying. "Audrey."

"I'm here. I just," I started. "Jack, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Jack said. "Surgeons have been notified. They're standing by. I want you to know that we're going to do everything we have to. You understand that?"

"Yeah, I understand," I said, biting my nails.

"I'm sorry," Jack said.

"I-I gotta go," I said.

"I'll see you in a minute," Jack said.

"Yeah okay," I said. We hung up. This shouldn't be happening. Jack was supposed to protect him. And, Paul ended up saving Jack instead. I wiped the tears that had fallen from my eyes. I stood up to meet Paul for when the chopper got there.

I saw and heard the helicopter land and knew that it would be impossible for me to keep my emotions in check. The thought of Paul, the man who I had been with for so long and had so many great memories with, dying was just too much to handle.

I ran over to the stretcher that the surgeons were taking him away on. "Paul, Paul, can you hear me?"

He was unconscious. The doctors took him away and went over to Jack.

"I'm sorry," Jack said. I was crying.

"Please tell me he's not going to die," I said.

"Come here," Jack said, pulling me towards him. I let him hug me. I wanted it to feel like it did this morning. But, it didn't. So much had happened.

"Please, Jack, tell me," I begged.

"We don't know. We just don't know," he said. I could tell that he felt horrible for letting this happen to Paul but it didn't make me feel any better. I pulled away and walked away with my father who was standing a little ways behind me. We caught up to the Paul and the surgeons who were about to go prep Paul for surgery.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Raines. But, you have to stay out here while your husband is prepped for surgery," one doctor said.

"Wait, please, can I just talk to him for a second?" I asked. The doctor left so I could. I touched his face and ran my fingers through his hair.

"Paul, hey. Hey, it's Audrey," I said. He needed to know that I might still have feelings for him. "Listen to me. I just want you to know that I'm here, okay? I'm here."

The doctor told me that they needed to go now. "And, I will be here when you get out of surgery. Do you understand me?"

They took him through the double doors and I hugged my father who was still behind me. I let him go and started pacing.

I was laying in the grass outside our house looking up at the stars when Paul got home.

"Audrey, what are you doing out here?" he asked, kneeling down next to me. "It's freezing."

"I just had a stressful day," I said.

"Come inside, love," he said.

"Maybe in a little while," I said. Paul stood up and went inside. I assumed he was watching television by now. But, a couple minutes later he came outside with a big blanket and a thermos. He laid down next to me and put the blanket over us.

"I brought some hot cocoa too," he said. "What happened today?"

I sat up to take a sip of the hot chocolate and he put his arm around me and pulled me in close. I told him all about my day and all the work I had to get done and how nothing seemed to turn out right.

"I'm sorry, Audrey," Paul said. I smiled at him.

"Thanks," I said. We stayed outside and looked at the stars all night with his arm around me, and my head resting on his chest.

"Ms. Raines," a doctor said coming out of the double doors. "Your husband sustained bullet wounds to his chest and abdomen. Now, we were able to extract one of the bullets but I called in a neurosurgeon in from Cedars to extract the second bullet."

"Why a neurosurgeon?" dad asked.

"The bullet is lodged against his T5 vertebra and we want to be careful to avoid any further spinal trauma," the doctor explained.

"I can't believe this is happening," I said, going over to a chair to sit down.

"I'll let you know as soon as I get any news on his condition," the doctor said.

"Thank you," dad said. The doctor left. Dad sat down next to me. I was crying. Paul couldn't die.

"Dad, I don't think I realized how much I care for Paul until now," I said. He didn't say anything for a minute.

"I know this is terrible timing," dad said. "But, the president's called and I have to leave."

No. Not now. I can't do this alone. There's nobody else here that I know. Well, except for Jack. But, I definitely didn't want him to be with me right now.

"You'll be able to reach me on my number," he said. "The doctors will keep me up to speed here."

"Okay," I said, knowing that he couldn't just ignore the President. He put his arm around me.

"I love you, Audrey," he said. "And, I'm proud to be your dad."

He kissed my forehead. "I love you too."

He stood up and I wiped my eyes. When he got to the door, I whispered, "Be careful."

And, then he was gone. And, I was alone. What had happened to make me think I didn't love Paul anymore? I honestly couldn't remember anymore. All our fighting seemed so stupid now. Maybe I should've tried harder to fix things between us. Maybe I gave up too quickly.