A nod to E-F-M with the suggestion of what to do with Quinn.

Thanks for your reviews and words of encouragement.

Sookie

"Please. Eric, I need you. I love you." I picked up his hand and placed a kiss on the back. I wiped away the tears from my eyes to see that Eric's eyes had fluttered shut and he hadn't heard me.

"No!" My voice was unrecognisable. "Please don't leave me!"

I didn't know what to do. I pressed the towel I'd grabbed hard onto his wound and moved my head to his chest to make sure he was breathing. My whole body was trembling, I had never been so scared in my life, but there was a faint heartbeat and his chest was moving, albeit shallowly. It was wrong having his strong but lifeless body beneath me. I would have given anything to have swapped our positions. I would have taken that bullet for him.

As I waited to the paramedics I prayed to every god I'd ever heard of to make sure that Eric pulled through this. I didn't know what I'd do if Eric died. And he would have died because of me. If I hadn't insisted on coming back we would never have seen Quinn. I could have stayed with Eric forever. And now? Now I could lose him. Would he even want me if he did recover considering that I'd nearly killed him?

He'd told me he loved me just before Quinn shot him and even then I couldn't say it back. If he died he'd never of known how much I loved him.

In fact, I'd told him that I didn't love him. Was I completely stupid? I deserved to rot in hell for the way I treated Eric. Life would not be worth living. I was sure Gran still had some old sleeping pills …

"Miss, are you in there?" My black thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of help.

"In here!" I yelled. I noticed them make a detour to Quinn's body which was on the other side of the kitchen. "No! Please, help Eric. That man tried to kill us both, let him rot. Help Eric, please don't let him die!"

"Miss, I'll need you to step back."

I reluctantly moved away from Eric while two of the paramedics tended to his wounds and a third female paramedic checked me over, and was seemingly satisfied that I had no fixable surface wounds. I wasn't sure that they could do anything for a broken heart or the pain I felt. After working on him for a few minutes the woman went to get a gurney which they strapped him to and transported him to the waiting ambulance. I noticed more men had entered my kitchen to deal with Quinn, but I didn't care what came of him.

"Where are you taking him?"

"Shreveport. He needs specialist care. Are you a friend?"

"I'm his girlfriend." I regretted that Eric never got to hear me say that. "Can I come with you?"

"Sure." The female paramedic smiled at me and helped me in the ambulance next to Eric.

"Will he live?" My voice was shaking as tears continued to fall from my eyes.

"He's stable at the moment but he'll need surgery. I can't tell you any more than that."

I was silent for the rest of the journey and focused on holding Eric's hand and sending him all the love and strength I could as if we had some mystical bond between us. I needed him to pull through this. Without him I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to survive. When we got to the hospital he was quickly wheeled out of the ambulance and surrounded by doctors as they moved him into the ER. I tried to follow, but I was stopped by a nurse.

"Are you the next of kin? I'll need some paperwork filled out."

"I'm his girlfriend. He has a sister, she's his closest family."

"Then we'll need her to sign any consent forms. Can you call her?"

I didn't want to have to face Pam, but I didn't have a choice. "Sure."

I pulled Eric's phone out of my pocket and found Pam's number. I found a quiet corner of the waiting room I'd been ushered into and called her.

"Eric, what do you want?" She already sounded annoyed.

"Pam, it's Sookie. There …"

"Where is Eric? What have you done to him?"

"I'm at Shreveport hospital. We …"

"What have you done, you bitch!"

"He was shot by Quinn!" I knew it was a losing battle.

"You'd better hope he's okay or I swear I will kill you myself, Sookie Stackhouse." She hung up on me and I could only wait her arrival, my whole body shaking as I thought of the events of the evening.

I didn't have to wait long for Pam to arrive.

"Where the fuck is he? What did you do?" I heard Pam before I saw her. She stormed into the room and came straight up to me and punched me hard in the face, once, twice and as I waited for a third time she was stopped by a tall dark-haired man behind her who seemed to be able to calm her slightly.

I welcomed the pain that came from her hitting me and I brought my hand to my tender flesh.

Pam scowled at me before walking up to the nurse and demanding to be told about Eric. The nurse was obviously more forthcoming with Pam then she was with me and she led Pam and what I assumed to be her fiancé away from me. I felt the gaping big hole inside of me at not knowing how Eric was and it was beginning to consume me and I sank down onto the uncomfortable seats of the waiting room.

When the nurse came back I approached her. "Please can you just tell me if he's okay?"

She gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Miss. But Miss Ravenscroft has specifically given instruction that you are not to see Mr Northman or be given any information about him. She is his listed next of kin, and we have to listen to what she has asked. I do know that the police are wanting to speak to you."

My tears were flowing steadily again and I numbly let the nurse lead me to where the police were. "Miss Stackhouse?" the tall police officer asked and I nodded. "I'm going to need you to come down to the station so we can ask you a few questions about what happened." I simply nodded again and let them lead me to the marked police car that was sat outside the hospital.

There were a few photographers outside the hospital having obviously heard about Eric being shot and I was ushered into the back of the car as the photographers were taking photos and hurling ridiculous questions at me. I wasn't quite sure which way was up let alone be able to answer their questions.

The journey to the station didn't take long at all and I was led to an interview room which was painted a cold grey and had a metal desk in the centre of the room and an uncomfortable chair. I sat down heavily and buried my head in my hands, my thoughts filled with images of seeing Eric crumple in front of me from his chest wound.

After an unknown period of time a man entered the room and introduced himself as Detective Flood. I tried to smile but I was sure it came out more like a grimace.

"Miss Stackhouse, can you tell me what happened?"

After somehow managing to control my breathing I told him about Eric calling me on the Monday to tell me that Quinn had held him at gunpoint and stolen his car and that he'd suggested to Eric that he may come in my direction. I then told him how we'd walked into my house and Quinn had backed us into a corner as he threatened to rape me and kill Eric. I told him how I managed to pull my shotgun from behind the water heated in the kitchen and shoot Quinn at the same time as he shot Eric.

"Is Quinn dead?"

"No. He lost a lot of blood as you shot him in the groin, but he's still alive." I almost smiled at that thought.

"Am I going to be charged?" I had no idea how this worked.

"We'll need to talk to both Mr Northman and Mr Quinn, assuming they both pull through." That set my off with another round of tears. What would I do if Eric didn't pull through. I almost hoped that Pam would take up her offer.

"But will I be charged?" It hadn't escaped my attention that the detective did not answer my question.

"I can't answer that, but from you've told me it sounds like self defence. We may need to speak to you further so I suggest you don't leave the state." I certainly wasn't planning on going anywhere with Eric still unconscious in hospital. "That's all for now, Miss Stackhouse, we have your details s we'll be in touch if we need to ask you any further questions."

He left me alone in the room before another officer came and escorted me back to the main entrance of the station. It was only then that I realised that I didn't have any money, car or means of getting back to the hospital. The one thing I knew was that there was no way I was going back to Bon Temps.

I was grateful at least that I still had Eric's phone and even more grateful that he had Amelia's number stored in it. I tried her number, but with no avail as after thirteen rings it went to voicemail. I didn't leave a message.

I sank down onto a bench outside the police station and stared down at Eric's phone in my hand. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help myself but looking through his pictures in the hope that he had one of himself. I needed to see his face and if a photograph was all I was going to get I would happily accept that.

I found some photos of buildings and parks, ducks and some birds I didn't recognise. There were pictures of places he'd been – New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, all the famous monuments on his phone. I finally found one of him that he'd taken himself as he stood by Buckingham Palace from his trip to England. He looked beautiful and handsome – he always did – but even in that picture I could see that he didn't have the sparkle in his eyes that I had come to know recently.

Seeing that picture made me realise how much Eric had cared for me right from the start. He had no need to, I was just some girl he slept with ten years ago who stubbornly wouldn't accept his apology. But my harsh words had hurt him, and I had continually pushed him away from me. I was denying my own want of him. My heart was telling me I loved him but my head was remembering the hurt he caused me. I had to forgive him. I had to try and forget what happened, move on, put it behind me.

I flicked through a few more pictures until I was surprised by seeing one of me. It had obviously been taken the night he came to my house and I cooked for him, but I hadn't noticed him taking it. The picture showed me looking up at Eric, gazing almost. I had a smile on my face and I didn't remember ever seeing myself look so happy. That was what Eric did, he made me happy. A solitary tear ran down my face.

And now? Now I was stranded at Shreveport police station with no way of getting home.

I saw that it was after nine in the evening and I scrolled through Eric's contacts list to find Isabel's number. She was about the only other person I could think who would help me.

"Hi, Eric!" She answered the phone after a few rings.

"Isabel, it's Sookie. Eric is …" I couldn't say any more and I leaned forward putting my head between my knees to try and quell my nausea.

"Sookie, are you okay? What's happened to Eric?" I could hear the concern in her voice for her friend.

"He was shot," I muttered between sobs, "it's my fault, he was protecting me."

"Sook, what hospital are you at? Have you called Pam?"

"Pam won't let me near him. I'm at the police station, I had to give a statement to the police about what happened."

"Stay where you are, I'll be there in ten minutes."

I sat on the bench outside suddenly realising how cold I was. I was still only wearing my long sleeved dress and I was cold down to my bones. I sat in an almost catatonic state thinking about Eric until Isabel arrived and jumped out of her car. She ran up to the bench and pulled me into her arms.

"Are you okay, what happened?"

"Eric drove me home after our session. Quinn was waiting for me in my house, he had a gun. Eric tried to protect me, he stood in front of me while Quinn pointed his gun at us. He was shot because of me." I started sobbing into her shoulder.

"And Quinn?" Isabel asked as I pulled away from her slightly.

"I shot him. My Gran kept a gun behind the water heater in the kitchen and I managed to get it. I shot him in the groin, but he's alive."

"Good shooting. I hope that you've blown his dick off. He's an asshole."

I couldn't resist the slight smile. "You knew him?"

"I never liked him and always warned Eric about him. I knew your brother as well, he was a good man but was easily corrupted by Quinn. I never thought Eric would get himself tangled in Quinn's schemes."

I swallowed as a tear fell down my cheek as I thought back to what she was referring to. Isabel looked deep in thought and I slipped into my own memories of Eric.

After a while I noticed Isabel looking at my face strangely. "What happened to you? Did Quinn hit you?" she'd turned my head slightly so the light shone on my bruising cheek.

"No, he didn't get chance, I shot him as soon as he shot …" I couldn't say it. My chest was getting tighter and tighter. I needed to see Eric.

"Sookie, who hit you?" Her voice was soft and eyes were earnest.

I didn't want to answer that. "It doesn't matter. Can you drive me to the hospital?"

"I'm serious, tell me." Her voice was a little firmer, but I didn't respond. I turned to look away from her, not able to meet her in the eye. "It wasn't Eric, was it?"

"No!" I yelled, my eyes meeting hers again. "He would never do that." I couldn't believe that she'd even asked.

"Pam?" No doubt my expression gave me away.

"It really doesn't matter. Please, I just want to see Eric, or at least be near him. I need to know that he's okay." A sob escaped my lips.

"Pam hit you?" She was still pressing for an answer and I have a brief nod. "I'm going to have some serious words with her."

"Isabel, please don't. I don't want to cause further trouble. She's upset about Eric, and I had to be the one to tell her. And she's right anyway, it is my fault. I should have just gone with Quinn instead of hiding like a coward behind Eric." I angrily wiped my tears away.

"Sookie, do not blame yourself for this, and don't be so ridiculous. Eric would never have let anything happen to you. It was Quinn that shot him and it sounds like you saved Eric's life by shooting Quinn. I don't doubt that that psycho would have killed you both given the chance. You were very brave, I'm not sure that I could have done what you did. Now come on, I'll have words with Pam for you and we'll find out how he is."

We drove in Isabel's Mercedes to the hospital in silence, neither one of us seemingly knowing what to say. I had never been more scared. I feared what the doctors would say. I feared being told that he didn't make it, that his surgery was unsuccessful or that he was in a coma and not likely to wake. Once we were parked we walked solemnly back into the hospital and towards the waiting room where I had been previously.

Isabel left me alone while she went to see Pam and hopefully come back with at least some information for me. I didn't particularly think that Isabel would be able to convince Pam to let me see him, but I hoped for news at least. I picked up an old magazine and flicked through the pages, but I could not have told you what was on them. I was just trying to distract myself from thinking the worst. From imagining that Isabel was going to walk back into the room and tell me that Eric had died.

The large white clock on the wall seemed to be going at a quarter of the pace I'd normally expect it to. I was certain I saw the second hand hold stop on occasion. I was vaguely aware of other people entering into the room, but I took no notice. I wasn't interested in other people.

It was after exactly thirty-seven minutes that Isabel re-entered the room and blocked my line of vision with the clock on the wall. I looked up at her and saw no hint of a smile. Her face was as solemn as mine. I feared the worst.

I found that my mouth was dry and when I tried to speak nothing more than a squeak came out. Isabel answered anyway. "He's alive, she told me that much."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I could accept that as a small miracle for now. "Pam …"

"She won't tell me anything. She asked how I knew he was here and I had to admit that you called me. She knows I'll tell you anything so she won't tell me. We had a huge argument over her hitting you, and it nearly came to blows. I get that she's stressed, but she's being a huge bitch even by her standards."

It crossed my mind to ask Isabel about how her and Pam had got on previously, but I couldn't quite find the motivation to ask.

"I tried to talk to one of the doctors I know that works here, but even he couldn't tell me anything. It seems Pam has threatened the staff that they'll personally be sued if any information about his condition gets out. Eric gives this hospital a lot of money so people are scared to piss Pam off. I'm sorry, Sookie."

I closed my eyes as my tears slid down my face. "Thank you for trying." I spoke weakly, my voice just a whisper. I resumed staring at the clock on the wall.

"Sookie, why don't you come back with me to my house."

"I'm not leaving." I said defiantly.

She looked sympathetically at me. "They're not going to tell you anything, and where Pam might be given a bed, you'll be stuck in here. A shower and a comfortable place to get some sleep will do you good."

"I'm not leaving." I repeated. I shut my eyes briefly and turned to face her. "I can't leave. Pam may not be willing to let me see him or even know anything about his condition, but I cannot leave him here. I will not."

"I wish you would, Sook. Eric wouldn't want you to be in pain like this, and he's going to be mad as hell at Pam when he wakes up."

"If he wakes up." I corrected, glumly.

"You need to think positively. If you assume the worst it will eat you up. I know what it's like to lose someone you love, and I do not want you to go through the same. I stayed by Godric's side the whole time he was in hospital, but I was always hopeful that he would recover. Even at the very end. You have to have hope. Believe in him."

I felt traumatised that I had not considered Isabel's past when I called her to bring me here. "I'm so sorry, I didn't think. I'm a horrible person."

"No you're not. Eric is one of my closest friends and I would want to be here anyway. But he will kick my butt if he finds out that I let you stay here alone. Please, just come back with me for a few hours. I promise to bring you back first thing in the morning."

"I'm sorry, Isabel, I can't leave. I have to be here. Thank you so much for being a friend, thank you for helping me in the way you have. I don't know what I would have done without you."

She sighed. "I can see that I'm not going to change your mind. I'm coming back first thing tomorrow, is there anything I can do for you? Anyone I can call?"

"No, thank you. I'll call Amelia tomorrow, I don't want her worrying about me. I'll be fine here."

"Call me if you hear anything, okay? Whatever time, I don't care."

"Sure." I muttered, trying to contain my tears.

Isabel leaned down and kissed me on the head before leaving. I was praying that I didn't have to call her back with bad news. The clock on the wall said that it was only eleven-fifteen. I had a feeling that it was going to be a long night.

As I was the only one in the room I was at least able to dim the lights in the room, but there was no where hugely comfortable to sit, and I certainly had no chance of laying down since all of the chairs had wooden arms which meant that I couldn't push them together.

At around three in the morning a nurse came in with a pillow and a blanket for me. I hadn't noticed how cold I had gotten until she spread the thick blanket over me.

While she placed the pillow behind my head she leaned in close to me. "He's out of surgery but it's too early to know whether he'll pull through. He lost a lot of blood from his injury and had extensive internal bleeding. But I didn't tell you that." I nodded, not that I could see her face anyway, but I was eternally grateful for the news. "Try and get some sleep. I'll be back to check on you in the morning."

I curled up in the blanket I'd been given and eventually did manage to get some sleep, but my dreams were plagued with images of Eric being shot, of a funeral, of me being arrested for John Quinn's murder, of Pam killing me. I woke many times during the night and probably got no more than an hour's sleep in total, but I did feel slightly better for it.

At about six a.m. I had to tend to my bathroom needs and walked into the too brightly lit corridor and headed in the direction of the bathroom. I looked like death warmed up. The reflection in the mirror didn't even look like me. I splashed some cold water on my face and wiped away the small amount of black under my eyes that was left over from my mascara.

I was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Sookie, it's Isabel. Can I come in? I have some spare clothes for you."

I opened the door to let Isabel in, locking it behind her. She had a large bag with her and handed it to me.

"In there you'll find a complete change of clothes, hair brush, toothpaste and toothbrush and a few other bits you may need."

"Thank you so much. You didn't have to do this for me."

"Sure I did. Eric was great to me when Godric was sick and I'm returning the favour. I'll meet you back in the waiting room." She smiled at me and walked out.

I rummaged through the bag and brushed my teeth before having a strip wash and applying some deodorant. Isabel really had thought of everything and I was hugely grateful. I brushed the knots and tangles out of my hair and put it back in a loose ponytail before pulling on the clean underwear, jeans and t-shirt that had been provided. The jeans were a little long since Isabel was taller than me, but it was nothing that couldn't be rectified by rolling them up. I finally slipped on the black ballet shoes and I felt more human than I had. I just wished I had some news of Eric.

When I got back into the waiting room I was hit by the welcome smell of coffee. "I wasn't sure how you liked it, but there's milk and sugar if you want it." I added the milk and sugar even though I didn't normally take sugar. I just needed the extra sweetness. After a few swigs of the hot beverage I began to feel a lot better.

"Thank you, Isabel, I don't think I'd be in one piece if it wasn't for you."

"That's okay. I know what it's like. I know that you forget to look after yourself. Have you eaten?"

I hadn't eaten a thing since Friday lunchtime, but I was certain that I would throw up instantly if I ate a thing. "I'm not hungry."

"I know you're not, but you need to eat something. You need to keep your strength up. You're no good to Eric if you're unwell yourself."

She handed me a Starbucks bag with a cinnamon bun and croissant inside. It wasn't my usual breakfast, but it was probably just what I needed. I slowly picked at the pastries while we waited. Isabel did her best at distracting me and she even told me the story of how Eric lost his virginity to her.

Both Isabel and I had again tried to find out information on Eric's condition, but no one was willing to give us any information.

I was starting to go out of my mind again. I was assuming the worst. It didn't seem good news that I hadn't been told anything, but then would Pam even tell me anything? Would I have to wait and find out with everyone else if Pam made a press release?

I felt sick.

I had to run out of the room and to the nearest bathroom where I threw up the pastries I'd had for breakfast. As I hadn't managed to lock or even close the door Isabel came in after me and rubbed my back while I threw up. After I had nothing left to give I could do no more than curl up in a ball on the floor of the bathroom and sob.

"Sookie, come on. Let's go back to the waiting room."

She was rubbing my back, but I couldn't move. My limbs wouldn't respond to any order that my brain gave them. As Isabel was unable to lift me herself she called out to a few nurses who came to help me up. Rather than taking me back to the waiting room I was laid down on one of the beds in a private room. I curled up and buried my head into the pillow.

I was vaguely aware of other people around me besides Isabel but I could take no notice of them. My only thoughts were of Eric. I felt as if his very life force was somehow connected to my own, that if he were to die, so would I.

"Sookie, are you okay? Talk to me hun."

I was able to focus enough to see the faces of Amelia and Tray crouched down besides the bed, but I was unable to respond. I couldn't. I remember an unfamiliar face coming to stand in front of me and someone trying to explain something to me, but I don't remember what was being said. I felt a prick at my arm as the person spoke to me, and I drifted away into a dreamless sleep.

.

I opened my eyes and stretched out in the bed. I saw the face of Isabel smile at me as I woke and the sudden realisation of where I was hit me with full force and I let out a strangled sob.

"Sookie, it's okay, he's awake. He's asking for you."

I couldn't quite comprehend her words. Did she say that he was awake and asking for me? I wiped away the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand.

"What?" It didn't sound like my own voice.

"He woke up a couple of hours ago."

"How long have I been out?" I felt panicked again, had I missed time with Eric?

"He's okay, stop panicking." She somehow seemed to know what I was thinking. "You were asleep for six hours. You needed it, your mind was going into shut down, you needed to rest. And anyway it's probably a good job you didn't witness the argument between Eric and Pam. It wasn't pretty."

Great, now Pam really would kill me.

"Come on, get up. You don't want to keep him waiting any longer than you have to."

I somehow found the energy to almost jump out of bed and I let Isabel take my hand and guide me into the private wing of the hospital where Eric was obviously staying. I caught a glimpse of my hair in the glass door and set about smoothing it out. Isabel laughed at me and rolled her eyes.

When we reached a door she stopped and turned to me. "Go on in, he's expecting you."

I smiled at her in thanks and slowly placed my hand on the door handle and opened the door to get my first glimpse of Eric. He was propped up slightly in bed and was not wearing a shirt though his left shoulder was heavily bandaged with more bandages going around his chest. My eyes filled with tears again as my eyes met his and I rushed to his side, but stopping short at touching him for fear of hurting him further.

"Eric –"

"Sookie –"

We both spoke at the same time. "Go on, Eric, please." I took his hand in mine and kissed it softly.

"Thank you, Sookie. Thank you for waiting. Thank you for saving my life." I tried to protest but he placed a finger over my lips. "You did save my life. I don't doubt that he would have shot again, and he wouldn't have missed my heart the second time." I shuddered at the thought.

"I was so scared. I thought I'd lost you."

"I'm not going anywhere. Although we might need a little bit more therapy!" He chuckled slightly which turned to a grimace as his chest hurt. He obviously saw my expression change. "I'm okay, I promise." I held my lips to his hand and rested my head momentarily on his bed.

"Eric?"

He looked me deep in the eyes. "Mmm hmm?"

"I love you."

So she finally told him. And sorry, should I have warned to have a Kleenex handy?

I'd love to know what you think.