A/N: Okay I am aware I'm a terrible person, I said a few days and it's literally been a month since my last update. I got tied up with a bunch of unexpected stuff and to top it off I've been sick the last week and really just didn't feel up to proofreading. So for what seems like the millionth time I'm gonna say sorry for the wait and I will try better to get the rest of them up in a more timely manner. As for the last chapter I know it was kinda a sucky one, and this one isn't a whole lot better but I'm thinking you all will like the next one so don't give up hope on this fic yet. We are getting pretty close to the end here with ten chapters left, I'm hoping it ends up paying off for those who have been following along since a year ago when I first posted this. Anyways I'll stop rambling and get to the story, let me know what you think and enjoy!
Alex had always paced when he was waiting for someone at the hospital, he had done it all the times they brought his mother in after she had hurt herself or overdosed on the meds her doctor had her maxed out on. His father had once pointed out that it was probably good for him, exercise keeps the heart strong and with all the stress he put on himself he was definitely going to need one of those. He had rode in the ambulance with them and watched as Oliver lost consciousness a couple times, once after his lung collapsed and they had to insert a tube during the ride there. By the time they got to the hospital he was awake again but looked like he was struggling to even hang on. He called Krista right when he got there. She was at their house having supper with her parents where Oliver was supposed to be, instead of lying in a hospital clinging onto life.
Krista came rushing into the waiting room, running right to Alex. "Where is Oliver?" She asked frantically.
"They took him into surgery, he has a collapsed lung and they need to figure out if it hit any other vital organs."
"Oh my god." She said, putting her hand over her mouth. "How did this happen?"
"It doesn't matter right now."
"It sure as hell does, my husband is lying on some operating table and I want to know why."
"Krista you need to calm down, this isn't good for the baby."
"I will calm down when I damn please, tell me what is going on."
"I can't, it's not something I can just explain."
"So this has to do with Nick Ford?"
Alex looked at her surprised a moment before placing his hand on her arm and trying to guide her somewhere more private. "Keep your voice down."
"It is." Krista stated, pulling her arm away from him and staying put. "I should have known this would happen."
"How do you even know about that?"
"Oliver told me. I'm his wife, he tells me everything."
"So you know he was being blackmailed?"
"Why else do you think I would let him leave our holiday dinner? He said he was going to put an end to it tonight, and he said not to worry because you were going to be there with him."
"He didn't tell me he was being blackmailed or that he was there to stop it, I would have been by his side otherwise."
"What are you talking about?" Krista asked, confused. "You were there with him."
"I was leaving, he went to meet with them alone."
"You were leaving him? He asked you to have his back for once and you just left?" She said, raising her voice at him.
"I didn't know-"
"I don't care what you didn't know. He has been there for you during everything and when he needed you you just up and left him?"
"I'm sorry, I wish I could change what happened but I can't."
"If he dies I never want to see you again, I won't forgive you for that." Krista said then walked away from him, likely heading to another waiting room.
Alex finally let everything hit him, sitting down in the chair beside him and shoving his face into his palms to try and calm himself down.
"Alex?" Norma said, getting his attention. He had called her after he spoke with Krista on the phone to let her know what was going on and told her to stay with the boys, that he would be fine on his own. Of course she hadn't listened, he couldn't complain though because as soon as he stood up she pulled him straight into a tight hug and as if it were magic he calmed right down. Norma pulled back, leaving her arms at his sides. "How is he doing?"
"No word yet, all I know is that they took him to surgery." Alex said, his words laced with pain. "Where are the boys?"
"Maggie's at the house with them, she's gonna sleep on the couch till we get home so we can stay as late as you need." Norma said, running her hand up to the back of his head and rubbing his hair gently. "What about you, are you okay?"
Alex bit the his top lip, taking a shaky breath before speaking. "I feel so terrible, this is all my fault."
"Why? Why would this be your fault?"
"Because he asked for my help and I wouldn't do it, I thought the worst of him instead of talking to him about what was going on. He got shot because I let him go alone, I should have been there for him when he needed me."
"This is not your fault, you have to stop blaming yourself for these things." Norma said, trying to talk some sense into him. "You went when he called and you were there to get him help, you did not cause this."
"It sure doesn't feel like it, Krista thinks the same thing."
"She does not. Why would you think that?"
"Because she just told me that she thinks that, right before she stormed off away from me."
"Alex, how long is it going to take you to realize that a woman under stress will lash out at just about anyone?"
"What she was saying was true, Oliver wouldn't have been in this situation if it wasn't for me."
"You don't know that. We can play out a million different what if's in our head but we never really know what would have happened. We accept what comes our way for what it is and we keep going regardless, you taught me that."
"I don't know if I can accept this."
"Deputy Romero?" A nurse said then the both of them turned to look at her.
Alex hurried over to her, Norma following right behind him. "That's me, how is he? How's Oliver?"
"The doctors have got him stable now and he's out of surgery. The bullet passed through his lung which was repaired and went into his spleen then straight out, it ruptured but they were able to remove it without too much trouble."
"So you're saying he's going to be okay?"
"At the moment it looks to be that way." The nurse said then Alex turned to Norma and pulled her into a hug.
"He's okay?" Alex whispered, still in disbelief.
"Yes, he's okay." Norma said then they pulled apart and looked back at the nurse.
"Can I see him?" Alex asked.
"He's in recovery right now and it's going to be awhile before he comes to, but I'll let you know as soon as he is."
"Thank you." Norma told her then she gave them a smile before walking off. She took Alex's hand and lead him over to the chairs, sitting down with him.
Alex remained quiet a minute, playing with her hand that was still intertwined with his. "I'm glad you came, I don't think I could have held it together much longer if you hadn't shown up."
"Hey, you always show up when I'm falling apart and help me, I figured I'd repay the favor."
"This is all so surreal." Alex said, glancing around the room at all the other families waiting for word back on their loved ones. "It's weird the things you think of when you are in here. I remember one of the times I was in here when my mom crashed her car while she was driving drunk. They didn't think she was even going to make it through the night, and it was the first time I ever saw my father cry. It was this really emotional moment but I couldn't stop thinking about that song, 'Unchained Melody'. It was the song my parents danced to at their wedding and when my mom was cooking breakfast that morning she was dancing around the kitchen singing it out loud. Looking at her lying in her hospital bed hooked up to all those machines I couldn't even comprehend how she was the same person I saw earlier that day."
Norma noticed the shaking of his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze to stop it. "What were you thinking about today?"
Alex let out a soft chuckle. "I was thinking it was a good thing I found you."
Norma smirked, thinking he was just being sweet. "What were you really thinking about?"
"That is actually what I was thinking." Alex said truthfully. "Oliver and I met in third grade, we were both outcasts and didn't really have anyone in our lives. Over the years we had made friends but none were like the bond we had together, we get each other in ways no one else did. Towards the end of high school I was so fed up with my father, I just needed to get away from him and away from all the shit he had put me through so I decided I was going to join the marines after I graduated. I think the hardest part was telling Oliver, I didn't want to leave him but I knew it was something I had to do. He wasn't very happy about it either, he told me if I died he was going to be alone. So the next day at school I pulled Oliver over to where Krista was, the two of them both liked each other but neither of them were willing to admit it. I told them they were both being ridiculous pretending they didn't have feelings for each other and that they should just go out already, I had never seen them both turn so red." Alex said with a chuckle. "They stumbled on their words awhile but settled on a date that Saturday, when I walked away I whispered to Oliver 'There, now if I die you won't be alone'. When Oliver became sheriff he said with his job in this town the chances of getting killed were about the same as being in a battlefield and that I needed to find a woman so I wouldn't be alone if something happened to him. Today I thought I was really going to lose him, but even so I knew you would be there to help me through it. I wasn't going to be alone."
Alex and Norma spent the next couple hour sitting there, he had wrapped his arm around her at one point and that's where it had remained the whole time afterwards till the nurse walked up to them and they stood up.
"He's asking for you." She said, looking at Alex.
"What room is he in?"
"I'll bring you to it." The nurse said turning away and Alex went to follow her but stopped when Norma let go of his hand.
"You coming?" Alex asked, looking back at her.
"I think you should talk to him first, figure things out."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, tell him I'll stop in after." Alex gave her a quick smile then went back to following the nurse to the room. He froze once he got outside the door, looking inside at his partner sipping at the ice water he had beside him.
"You just going to stand there and gawk at me all day or are you going to come inside?" Oliver said, flashing him a weak smile.
Alex walked inside and over to his bed, sitting in the chair next to him. He had been avoiding eye contact the whole way in till the nurses left the room so when he finally looked up at him he almost broke down all over again. "I'm so sorry." He barely got out.
"For what?"
"For getting you to this point, I made you bend the the rules. First with snooping through the Jacobson's room then helping me put Norma in witness protection, and everything with Keith Summers. You covered up my crimes, I never wanted to put you in a place where you had to do any of that."
"I did all those things willingly, they were my decision." Oliver said seriously. "Believe me when I tell you that you didn't make me do any of that. Maybe we change, or maybe we are destined to be the people we become. Either way I put myself into this mess, not you, and don't you ever feel guilty for the things I've done."
Alex sniffled and pulled himself together more. "So, how did Gil find out about Nick Ford?"
"They got us on video showing up at the marina that day before his time of death."
"I thought you got rid of all their video footage."
"I did but Gil keeps a camera there too, they use it to keep an eye on their sales."
"Why did he just blackmail you then? I was there too."
"He never specified, but I think there's a pretty obvious explanation."
"My dad. You think he told him not to do anything to me?"
"Knowing your father he didn't say a word. But Gil despite being a criminal and an altogether terrible person is also very smart, he would know that if your dad couldn't get you to budge and come over to their side that there was no way in hell he would be able to."
"Well don't worry about him, I'm going to find a way to take him down one way or another."
"Okay, but just make sure it's all above the board. I wouldn't want your first case as sheriff to be a dirty one."
"What?"
"The mayor came into see me awhile ago, I told him I was going to be out of work for awhile but that I had the perfect guy in mind to take my place. As of midnight tonight you will be the interim sheriff." Oliver said with a smile. "Just don't go changing around the office too much, it took me a long time to get the right height on that chair."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, if you thought you had a lot of work before you are in for an awful surprise."
Alex smirked at him. "I'm really glad you're okay."
"Don't think you could live without me?"
"Honestly I was more worried what Krista was going to do to me if I got you killed."
"Yeah, she told me she might have lashed out on you a little. She already feels bad about it."
"Well tell her it's alright, I understand where it was coming from."
Oliver looked over at the clock as it hit midnight. "So what are you still doing here sheriff? You got a family at home to spend Christmas with."