"I think you look gorgeous, Luka," Ray sniggered as they entered the ambulance bay.
"Careful, Barnett," Luka growled, then he turned to Neela, "Please tell me it's not that obvious."
"Trust me, it's not. Ray's just making a big thing out of it to annoy you. That's what he lives for," Neela punched Ray on the arm.
"Ouch," Ray moaned, "You may be small but you hit hard."
"Oh my god, you're here!" a small, slim figure ran up to them. Ray recognised Alfie as she passed under a light. He was worried.
"What's wrong, Alfie?" Neela asked, getting an ominous knot in her stomach.
"It's Tommy!" Alfie was almost in tears. The three doctors were shocked.
"What's happened?" Neela questioned starting to run towards the ER.
"He's been stabbed." Neela's heart almost stopped beating at that moment and Ray's step faltered.
"Stabbed?" Luka asked, "By whom?"
"I dunno, Dom just found him outside the gig," Alfie said.
They all came into the ER and headed for Trauma. Just at that moment, a gurney skidded out of the Trauma room pushed by Pratt and Gates.
"What's happening?" Ray asked quickly, swallowing a lump forming in his throat at the sight of Tommy's face.
"We have to take him up to the OR, he's got severe bleeding," Pratt informed them.
"Oh, right," Ray didn't know what to say. Seeing his son's bruised features had knocked him from his usual cocky stance. He watched as Pratt wheeled the gurney into the elevator.
"Ray, he'll be all right," Luka placed a hand on his friend's shoulder reassuringly.
"I came as soon as I heard," Abby slipped into a chair next to Neela, "How's he doing?"
"We don't know anything," Ray slammed his fist on the wall where he was standing, in frustration.
"He'll be all right, Ray," Abby said.
"You don't know that, Abby," Ray punched the wall again."Maybe you should sit down," Abby stood up and led Ray to a seat.
Ray slumped down and rested his head in his hands. He couldn't take this. He couldn't lose his son. Tommy meant so much to him; he was the thing that joined Neela and him together. He had both Ray and Neela as a part of him yet was so unique. They couldn't lose him.
"Hey, look what you've done to your hands, Ray," Neela inspected his bruised knuckles, "That's not gonna help, is it?" Ray didn't reply.
Suddenly the door of the OR opened and Dr. Dubenko came out. His face revealed nothing of the outcome of the operation. Ray jumped up and looked expectantly at the surgeon.
"The surgery went well," Dubenko told them, "We managed to fix the bleed. It's still touch and go though."
Neela breathed out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.
"But you've repaired the damage and he has a chance to recover?" Neela asked.
"Yes," Dubenko nodded.
Ray stared down at Tommy's battered facial features: the ugly purple swelling on his cheek where it was broken, the crooked angle of his nose, his black eye, and the numerous other bruises and cuts scattered across his face. Ray could not see his other injuries as they were hidden beneath the bed covers.
Tommy was laying unconscious in a hospital bed in the ICU. Drips and lines were attached all over his body to pump the fluids in and out of his weak body. A machine beeped steadily by his side and Ray focused on that rather than his son's injuries. It told him his son was still alive despite all he had been through.
I'll kill whoever did this to Tommy. Ray thought to himself, anger growing but then it dissipated realising how irrational that was. No, I won't. I just want that person to be caught. I just want Tommy to get better.
R&R please, I will love you forever if you do!!!