When the Porsche didn't get off the 101 at Army Street just south of Potrero, Healey glanced at Jeannie then in the rearview mirror. Mike, who had been sitting up for the past hour or so leaning back on the pillows stacked against the door, had closed his eyes and hadn't seemed to notice. Jeannie, who had looked into the back seat as well, nodded at the Irish sergeant with a relieved smile.

The driver of the spiffy little sports car found a parking space about a block away from their destination and pulled in, its two occupants getting out quickly. Haseejian was already digging into his pants pocket for change to feed the meter while Steve sprinted down the block to catch up to the unmarked sedan.

The LTD swung into the Emergency entrance of Franklin Hospital and slowed to a smooth stop. As he had already arranged with Jeannie, Healey got out quickly and disappeared inside. She turned around in the seat, keeping an eye on her father, who seemed to be deeply asleep.

The right side back door opened and Steve stuck his head in, glancing at Jeannie. He leaned further into the back seat, reaching out to put a hand on his partner's knee and shaking him gently. "Mike…" There was no response. He shook a little harder. With a soft groan, Mike's head moved slightly but he didn't open his eyes. "Mike, can you hear me?" There was another groan, his head moved again but the eyes still didn't open. Jeannie looked at Steve in alarm.

Hearing what sounded like a gurney approaching, Steve backed out of the car and looked over the roof. Healey and two orderlies with a collapsible stretcher were coming towards the car. Steve pointed at the other back door. "He's not going to be able to get out on his own," he said quickly. "I'll hold him so you can open the door and you can get him out that way."

Healey nodded as he and the orderlies approached the other back door; they lowered the stretcher so it was the same height as the back seat. Steve crawled into the car, relieved that Mike as sitting up, which allowed him more room to maneuver. "Okay, I'm just gonna move you a bit here so they can get the door open and we can get you out," he whispered calmly as he knelt on the seat and carefully slid both arms around his partner, trying to avoid the broken ribs, and pulled him away from the door.

Jeannie, who was watching worriedly, yelled, "Okay, Dan," through the open driver's door window and the back door swung open. Healey grabbed the pillows and lifted them out of the way; the orderlies reached for the injured man as Steve released his hold and they lowered Mike onto the stretcher, being careful to avoid putting any pressure on the left side of his chest, and pulled him out of the car. Then, with a smooth and calm urgency, they started towards the hospital doors.

Steve and Jeannie scrambled out of the car to follow. "I'll go park the car and be right in," Healey called after them as Haseejian came jogging up.

Passing a very busy waiting room, the stretcher was wheeled towards an examination cubicle. Jeannie and Steve followed anxiously, both of them unable to tear their eyes from Mike, who was finally showing signs of coming around. A woman in a nurse's uniform caught Jeannie's attention and gestured towards the admissions desk.

With a worried frown, Jeannie stopped and looked at Steve. "I'll stay with him," he raised his voice slightly, "you sign him him." He continued to trail the stretcher.

Nodding uncertainly, with another frightened glance in her father's direction, she followed the woman to the desk.

The stretcher was pulled to a stop in the centre of the cubicle then raised to its full height. As one of the orderlies pulled the privacy curtain closed, a tall young blond man in a white coat and a stethoscope slung around his neck, hurried into the cubicle. He looked at Steve with a combination frown and smile. "So what have we got here?" he asked quickly, already beginning to visually scan his patient.

# # # # #

Sitting in the chair in front of the admissions desk, Jeannie glanced over her shoulder; Healey was hovering nearby. He shot her an encouraging smile. She finished providing all the information she was capable of and got slowly to her feet, crossing to the sergeant as if in a trance. "They, ah, they only allow one person in the examination room with the patient…" she said softly, the worry so evident in her voice. "Steve's in there with him…"

"Mike'll be okay," Healey whispered, leaning close and putting a hand on her elbow. "Ah, let's have a seat. Norm commandeered some chairs for us…" He gestured with his chin towards the waiting room and Haseejian waved at them from the far side. He lowered his head close to her ear and whispered, "He's good at that; it's one of his limited talents." He chuckled and was pleased to see a brief smile wash over her face.

They had just sat when Steve suddenly appeared. He looked relieved as he locked eyes with Jeannie. "He's awake and talking to the doctor and they're just about to take him to x-ray, so you can relax," he said quickly, smiling reassuringly.

Haseejian had gotten up and snagged a fourth chair, dragging it closer and pushing it behind Steve's knees. He sat, facing Jeannie, than glanced at the others. "He's a little pissed that we came straight here before stopping at his house…" he chuckled, "but he'll get over it. Besides, I told him I wouldn't've allowed him to climb all those steps anyway so It was a moot point."

The men chuckled; Jeannie still hadn't relaxed enough for that yet. The sight of her unresponsive father being pulled from the car had rattled her deeply.

Steve patted her knee. "The doctor - Baldwin is his name and he looks about twelve," he shook his head in wonder, "said he'd come out and talk to us when he knows what's going on but it's going to take a little while so we should, and I quote, relax."

Nodding, Healey sat back. "Well, ah, how about Norm and I go and get us some coffees?"

Steve nodded. Jeannie finally found a slightly relieved smile. "Yeah, that'd be great." The two sergeants got to their feet and started for the glass doors. "Ah, the cafeteria is that way," she said, pointing in the other direction.

Haseejian smiled and Healey chuckled, shaking his head. "Cafeteria coffee? Ewwww." He grinned. "Norm and I know this little place just down the block. You'll thank us for it, believe me." With a wink, he headed off, the Armenian sergeant, still beaming, falling into step behind him.

Jeannie looked at Steve and shrugged. He chuckled. "Those two are even better than Mike and me at finding the best places to eat in this town, believe me."

At the mention of her father, her smile wavered and he slipped onto the chair beside her, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. "He's gonna be fine."

# # # # #

They were halfway through their cups of the delicious dark roast when a young blond doctor appeared at the hallway end of the waiting room, scanning the crowd. He spotted Steve and started over. They got to their feet. Steve introduced Jeannie as the sergeants took a step back to allow them their privacy.

"Miss Stone," Doctor Baldwin nodded, shaking her hand. "Okay, so, we've taken an x-ray of your dad's chest and, yes, he does have two broken ribs and a third one is cracked. And the other doctor," he glanced at Steve, "was right, there is a partial collapse of the lower lobe of his left lung. But don't worry, he doesn't need an operation. What we're going to do is remove the air, which is what's causing the collapse, with a needle and a syringe -" Both young people winced and Baldwin paused, tilting his head with a slight grimace. "Yeah, unfortunately it's as painful as it sounds, so we're going to sedate him before we do it - he doesn't need any more discomfort so we'll make sure he doesn't feel a thing."

Steve had reached for Jeannie's hand and he squeezed it tightly.

"He might need a chest tube or he might not, we won't know that till we do the procedure but, regardless, he's going to be spending the night with us, most likely under sedation, and we'll decide tomorrow when he can go home." He smiled at them encouragingly. "Any questions?"

"Will he be okay?" Jeannie asked quickly, her startling blue eyes boring anxiously into the doctor's.

Baldwin nodded. "He'll be fine. It's not as bad as it sounds, really. He'll need to have complete rest for a few days and be careful for several weeks after that but he should make a full recovery."

Nodding, Steve asked, "Ah, what about the bullet wound..?"

"Oh, yeah, I had a look at that, and checked the x-ray, and it looks fine. I took what was left of the stitches out. Whoever removed the bullet did a great job and he'll have a minimal scar and no lasting effects. He was lucky." He grinned at them both. "So, ah, how does all that sound?"

Jeannie exhaled loudly. "A lot better than I was expecting." She looked at Steve, obviously relieved, and squeezed his hand then looked back at the doctor again. "Can I see him?"

"Well, we're going to take him to his room in a few minutes and do the procedure there. We don't need to do it in an operating room. So you can see him after that, if that's all right? It's an easy procedure and it shouldn't take longer than an hour at the most… but we're probably going to keep him sedated for the night, for his comfort."

Jeannie looked down, her focus suddenly far away. "Okay…" she said softly, "okay, well, I'd like to see him anyway… we can wait…"

Steve nodded at the doctor. "Sure, just let us know, we're not going to go anywhere."

"All right then." Baldwin nodded in return, slapped Steve's arm lightly then turned and started back across the waiting room.

Healey and Haseejian, who had hovered close enough to hear what had been discussed, joined them again. Steve looked at them with a relieved exhale. "Ah, listen, fellas, ah, I can wait here with Jeannie and take her home afterwards. We can get the stuff out of your car tomorrow -" he suggested and Haseejian cut him off sharply.

"Are you nuts? We're not going anywhere. We're in this just as much as you two."

Jeannie's head snapped up and she frowned at him, surprised by the fierceness of his tone, then realized he was just as concerned as she and Steve were. She smiled at him warmly, putting a hand lightly on his forearm. "Thank you," she whispered, and Haseejian grinned. Behind him, Healey winked.

# # # # #

Steve pushed the door open and Jeannie preceded him into the room. Mike was lying flat, his head on a thin pillow between the upraised railings. A beige flannel blanket was pulled up to his waist. The deep purple bruise was still visible around the white tape that now covered the broken ribs on the left side of his chest, an ugly manifestation of the nightmare father and daughter had been forced to endure.

Jeannie picked up his right hand and held it in both of hers then leaned over the bed and kissed his cheek. Steve stepped beside her and put an arm around her shoulders as he looked at his sedated partner.

While Jeannie stared at her father, Steve looked at her. Though her wounds weren't as obvious, he thought, they were just as deep. And it would be a long time, he knew, before they would heal, if they ever would.

But no matter how long it took, he vowed, he would be there for both of them.