"Come on honey." Emma begged. She'd been bouncing the baby on her shoulder for an hour but the babies screams didn't seem to subside. Ryleigh had been teething a lot lately but for some reason this second tooth seemed to be cutting more sensitively than the first. She felt bad every time she'd inject a dose of baby tylenol down her infant's throat, but it seemed to be the only remedy to soothe the pain. Her phone buzzed on the changing table and Emma looked at it, when she saw the name on the screen her heart sank. She put Ryleigh in the crib and grabbed her phone as she exited her daughter's room. "Hello?" She said.

"Emma? It's Dan." His voice seemed to be shaky and her heart raced.

"Yeah, what's up? Is everything okay?" She said trying not to freak out prematurely. Behind her her daughter's screams were silenced by the closing of her door.

"No, it's not. There was an accident on the job. Can you get down to the hospital as soon as you can?" His voice was steady a little bit more now but still had a hint of panic.

Emma's heart raced now, "What happened?" She asked. She looked up on the wall at the picture of Emma and Ethan holding Ryleigh under the tree in front of their house at Easter. His face seemed soft and happy. His arms around Ryleigh held her so protectively. Her heart raced.

"Ethan was shot on the job." He said trying to break it to her gently.

The phone in her hands nearly hit the ground and her knees went weak beneath her. "Is he alright?" She said fearing for the life of the man she loved so much. In a way she desperately wanted to know his condition and the other half was too scared to hear that something was horribly wrong or even worse, that'd he'd died.

"I don't know," He said swallowing hard. He didn't know how to break it to her that he was the one who'd shot his brother. "He's in surgery, but it's not great Emma."

Emma's heart sank. Ryleigh's cries had subsided and she looked back at her daughter's room, "I'll be there in a few minutes." She said before she hung up the phone. Immediately she scrolled her contacts to her mother's number and dialed, "Mom?" She said when Kristin answered.

"Yeah honey?" Kristin's voice was soft and soothing and it made Emma wish she was there with her, holding her protectively in her arms.

"Mommy, Ethan was hurt at work. He's at the hospital, Dan just called and said it's bad. Can you watch Ryleigh while I go to the hospital?" Emma begged biting back the tears that had been welling up since her conversation with her brother-in-law.

"Yeah, honey. I'll be there in a few minutes. Just take a few breaths and calm down. I'm sure he'll be okay." She said softly.

Emma's voice shook as she poked her head in her daughter's room. She'd cried herself to sleep and Emma looked at her. Her thick brown hair and nose looked exactly like her father. She prayed Ethan would make it through and get to see his daughter grow up. When Kristin arrived, she wrapped her arms around Emma and held her closely, "Mommy," She whimpered, a fearful tear fell down her cheek and splashed on her mom's shoulder.

Kristin pulled away and wiped the tears from her daughter's eyes, "Be strong baby, everything is going to be okay."

Emma nodded, "I hope so." She said sniffling, "Ryleigh is asleep upstairs. Her food is the fridge. She didn't eat the whole jar at lunch so you can give her what's left if you want. Her formula in the the cupboard by the fridge and her bottles should be on the circle rack next to the formula. I won't be long. At least I hope not." She said biting back tears again.

Kristin looked at her daughter, "Shh, baby." She said hugging her again, "Calm down. You can't drive like this. Maybe you should take your sister with you." She suggested.

Emma looked at Kristin, "I wish," She said, "I could use Sutton's support." She said. She grabbed her phone, tears still falling down her cheeks as she waited for her sister to answer. When Sutton's voice came over the phone, Emma perked up, "Sutton?"

"Emma?" Sutton said hearing her sister's cries over the phone, "Emma, what's wrong?"

Her sister's voice of concern made her tears fall harder, "Ethan was shot." Emma sobbed. She looked at Kristin who gave her a hopeful smile.

A gasp on the other end could be heard even by Kristin, "Oh my God, Emma. Is he okay?" She asked, her own tears built up over the phone. Though she was in love with Thayer, she still cared about Ethan and knew that he meant the world to Emma and Ryleigh.

Emma's body shook against Kristin's, "I don't know, Sutton. Will you come pick me up? I need to go to the hospital." Her voice pleaded with her sister.

Sutton looked at Thayer, she'd promised a family bonding night, but when her sister practically begged her, she knew she couldn't leave her hanging, "Yeah, Em. I'll be there in a minute. I love you."

Emma weakened a smile, "I love you too." Then she hung up. It really wasn't long before Sutton found herself pounding on Emma's front door. When Emma saw her twin she stepped onto the porch and wrapped her arms around Sutton, crashing into her sister's weight. After a minute, Emma stood up and looked at Kristin, "If you need anything, call me. Thank you mommy. I'll call you when we know more." Then she kissed Kristin and followed her out to the car.

The drive was mostly silent, occasional sobs came from Emma as she bit back tears. Every now and again she'd flash on her phone praying he'd texted her, that this was some kind of sick joke. She dialed his number a few times just to hear his voice, the same words over and over and she feared that these may be the only words she'd ever hear in his voice again. At least until the phone company cuts his number. When they pulled to the hospital that'd grown accustom too, Emma rushed into the emergency room searching for her brother-in-law. But when she only found Theresa she rushed to her side, "Where is he?" She said frantic.

"Emma." Sutton hushed, touching her sister's shoulder, "Calm down, ok? Everything is going to be fine."

Emma looked at her sister and reached for her hand. Theresa looked at Emma, "He's still in surgery." She said.

Emma shook her head, "What happened? Do you know what happened?"

Theresa looked down, "I don't know much, all I know is that he was at the scene of a hostage situation. Dan was shot in the foot and Ethan tried to help Dan just as he pulled the trigger intended for the gun man."

Emma's breathing was fast now trying to digest the words Theresa spoke to her. "Wait, Dan shot him? Dan shot his little brother." Emma said fuming.

Theresa shook her head, "Not intentionally, Emma. He was aiming for the gun man and Ethan jumped out of the car." Just then, Dan came around the corner, his foot was bandaged and protected in a boot.

Emma looked up at him, "This is all your goddamn fault!" She spat angrily walk towards him, "You did this to him!"

Dan looked at her, "I didn't mean to do it, Emma! Calm down."

Emma shook her head, "Don't tell me to calm down! What the fuck is wrong with you? You didn't see him get out of the car? You didn't know he was there?" Her voice was livid but her body shook uncontrollably.

Theresa took a step towards her and put her hand on her shoulder, "Emma this isn't Dan's fault. You know he wouldn't intentionally harm Ethan."

She spun around at the sound of his name, "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" She lashed out at Theresa, causing her to jump back.

"Hey!" Sutton said trying to get a grasp on Emma who was about to attack Theresa, "That's enough!" She said flinging Emma into an empty waiting room chair.

Emma tried to calm her heavy breathing and when she felt mildly in control she looked up at Dan, "Where is he?"

Dan looked at her, "I'm not telling you a goddamn thing until you calm your ass down, do you hear me?" He said getting within an inch of her face.

It was all she could do to not lash out at him. She tried to relax but the all she wanted was Ethan's arms around her. She let a single tear fall down her cheek, "I'm sorry. Just please tell me where he is."

Dan stood up and took in a deep breath, "Room 419. But he's still out of it. You might as well stay out here."

Emma stood up, "Hell no! I came to see my husband so that's what I'm going to do. See my husband." With that she got up and made her way down the hallway. It seemed like door after door till she reached 419. The door was closed and she peaked through the window. There he was, he looked peacefully asleep, just like he did every morning when she'd wake before him to take care of Ryleigh. She quietly pushed open the door and entered. The room was cold and eerily quiet. She could hear the sound of the heart-rate monitor and his soft breathing. She walked closer to him and sat by his bed. It was only a few short months when she was the one in the bed and he sat beside her. She took his hand and grazed her finger across the IV needle protruding from his hand. His fingers were cold but she held it in hers. She looked up at him, "Ethan," She said holding back tears, "I'm not strong enough for this." A single tear slipped down her cheek and splashed on his wrist then she leaned down and kissed his cheek.