Chapter 26

Abby held Mike's left hand as they rode to the hospital. The beeps and other various noises of machines echoed in the background. She tried to tune out the EMTs talking and focus on her boyfriend. They had to revive Mike at the scene. He was on pretty rocky ground.

Fiona stood in the ER bay waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Much to her surprise when the back doors opened her daughter got out. They locked eyes. Fiona could see that Abby had been crying. When she saw that it was Mike the EMT's were bringing down in the gurney she understood why. "Mom, you've got to help him," Abby plead.

Fiona nodded to her daughter. "Wait over there," she pointed to the waiting area. Fiona forced herself into doctor mode.

"Shot gun wound to the right lower abdomen," an EMT repeated, "BP is 60 over 40."

Fiona turned to her team. "Get the patient into OR 2 stat!" she ordered, "I want two litters of O positive waiting!" Vincent and Piers arrived just as they were running him back.

Abby stared after him in a daze. "He's in good hands," she murmured mostly to herself. Mike had to be ok after all this.

Back in the operating room Fiona went to the bay and scrubbed in. She stared through the window at the young man lying there on her operating table being prepped. If something went wrong and he didn't make it her daughter would be shattered. Everything was ready when Fiona put on her gloves and mask. She walked in, called for a scalpel, and got to work.

The three people left in the ER stood silently for a moment. Piers balled up his fists. He couldn't look at Abby. Abby could see Piers was mental kicking himself. "This is not your fault," she place a hand on his arm.

"I was supposed to protect you- I never should have let Raleigh up," Piers hung his head.

"You had no reason to distrust your friend," Abby insisted.

"I'm O positive I'm going to go give a pint," Piers pulled away and went to talk to a nurse to see how to go about it.

"Why don't we sit?" Vincent said, "It's going to be awhile." He walked her over to the rows of chairs. Abby sat down in one of them. She rested her elbows on her knees. Vincent sat beside her, "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine, I'm not the one who was shot," Abby wiped away her tears.

"I can't help Mike now, but the best thing I can do for him is to take care of you," Vincent insisted. "Here," Vincent got his cell phone out, "Why don't you call someone to bring you some new clothes?"

"Hello?" her father answered.

"Daddy…" her voiced sounded as if her heart were breaking.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Brennan asked.

"Mike's been shot," Abby whimpered.

Vincent finished taking Abby's statement when Brennan entered the ER waiting area. His eyes search the space for his daughter. Abby stood to greet him. Brennan looked over his daughter with wide eyes at her bloodily clothes. "It's not mine," Abby explained when he got closer, "It's mostly Mike's."

Brennan took her into a hug, "My poor angel."

"I wish he hadn't been hurt," she replied.

Brennan pulled away and locked eyes with his daughter, "Of course not. I wish it never happened too, but Mike is a strong, young man."

"He's a fighter," Vincent concurred.

"Is there anyone we should call for him?" Brennan asked. Abby shook her head no.

"Abby and I are his emergency contacts," Vincent explained, "He's got no one."

"He's got us," Brennan pronounce. He resolved to take more interest in his daughter's boyfriend. "Here are the clothes," Brennan handed a bag to Abby.

"Thanks."

"Go ahead and change we'll come and get you if there is any news," Vincent urged. Abby nodded. A female agent accompanied Abby so she could change and the bloody clothes be entered into evidence. Abby and Piers returned to the waiting area at the same time.

It was another hour and a half before Fiona appeared. All eyes turned to her. She went to Abby. Fiona took her daughters hands. "Mike came through the surgery with flying colors," she pronounced.

"Of course he would," Piers quipped. Happily this time Mike's perfectionism paid off.

"I repaired the arteries effected and he's minus an appendix, but all in all, given the location it could have been much worse," Fiona relied, "We have to watch him for infection."

"When can I see him?" Abby asked.

"Soon," Fiona answered, "He's back in recovery, but I'll take you to his room once we move him."

Mike was back asleep by the time Abby got to his room. She tugged the lone chair closer in the room closer to his bed. Abby sat. She held his hand and watched while he rested. Mike was hooked up to all sorts of monitors and had oxygen canolites in his nose. Mike slowly began to stir. His eyes blinked open. "There are those baby blues," Abby smiled. She leaned over and kissed him.

"Hey," he softly croaked.

"Hi," she smoothed down his bangs. The smile slowly disappeared as he remembered where they were. "What's wrong, Mike? Should I call a nurse?" Abby asked. The defeated look on his face worried her. She got him some ice chips out of the cup on the tray and fed them to him with a spoon.

"How are you?" Mike asked.

"A thousand times better now that you woke up," Abby beamed.

"I'm a sh!tty boyfriend," he frowned.

"You are a wonderful boyfriend," she countered.

"You deserve better," Mike muttered.

Abby raised an eyebrow, "I'll chalk that comment up to the drugs."

"Abs, it's the truth," he replied.

"You are not responsible for Titus, Raleigh, or Isla's actions," she replied, "And if you are tempted to feel guilty for what happened just remember you saved me."

"We saved each other," he remembered her fighting off Isla.

"We did everything within our power right," Abby asserted.

"I just hate that this touched you," Mike replied, "No one would blame you if you ran for the hills."

"Just try and get rid of me- I am not going anywhere," she replied. He watched her eyes as what Abby had said hit her. "Ok, that sounded stalker-ish. You do have some say in the matter," she chuckled.

Mike relaxed back into his bed, "I don't know if I want to get you angry- you've got a mean kick."

"I had a great teacher," Abby smiled.

There was a knock. "How's the patient?" Fiona came in.

"Tired," Mike answered.

"With the amount of blood you lost I'm not surprised," Fiona said, "It's completely normal." Vincent waited in the doorway while she did some quick checks. "All want you to do is rest for the remainder of the night," the surgeon ordered.

"Roger, roger," Mike agreed. Fiona smiled at the couple before she left to get back to work.

"Hey," Mike called Vincent in.

"Hi," Vincent stepped in, "I am glad you are all right."

"You gave us all a scare," Abby caressed Mike's cheek. Vincent's face grew stern in agreement.

Mike winced, "Am I going to get yelled at?"

"When you get back to work," Vincent said. Mike groaned. He didn't want to even think about how long that was going to take.

"Was anyone else hurt?" Mike inquired.

"No, they pretty much surrendered- the girls are being seen too," Vincent relied.

"And Raleigh?" Abby asked.

"They found him in the back dumpster," Vincent answered. Abby hung her head and closed her eyes. This was going to devastate the traitor's family. Mike squeezed her hand. He knew what Abby was thinking. That's just who she was. "I don't want you taking any more risks like that, understood?" Vincent ordered.

"Yes, Sir," Mike replied.

"I'm getting married in a few months and somebody's gotta be the best man," Vincent smirked. Mike's mouth dropped open. "Can I take that as a yes?" Vincent asked.

Mike stammered, "I'd be honored."

"I am counting on you to heal by then," Vincent charged.

"I'll do my best," Mike promised.

"Now I have got to get back to HQ and work on Isla," Vincent excused himself.

"Rest," Abby coaxed, "I'll be here when you awake up." She went to sit back in the chair.

"Come're," Mike urged her to his uninjured side. He motioned that he wanted her to get in the bed with him. "Let me hold you," Mike requested. Abby bit her bottom lip then acquiesced. She carefully, gingerly got in. Abby laid down beside him. He wrapped his arm around her. She laid her head and a hand on his chest. Abby closed her eyes and relished listening to his heartbeat. Soon it lulled her to sleep. Once Mike felt her breathing change he wasn't far behind. He could truth rest now he had her close.