This is a remake of my original I Love You
Chris POV
I walk out of the locker room and I can hear Street getting up. I don't think Street understands that his mom put herself in jail, and that he is not at fault. He's my best friend and I want him to feel better, but I guess only time will tell. Suddenly my phone rings and I answer
"Alonso"
"Hey Chris, this is Jack. Duke has just been retired and I've been looking for a good home for him within the LAPD. Is that poster you put up for a dog still open?"
"Hey Jack! I'm glad you answered, and yes, it is still open. I can pick him up tomorrow if you want?" She replies
"That'd be great, I love him to death, so him going to another officer will be great. Have a good shift"
"You too. And thanks again, he will have a great home with my friend" Chris ends the call and goes into the car to the event
Hondo reassesses the group of Tan, Chris and Street.
"Remember that our main job is to protect Irina" he explains again "Tan and Street, if Chris or I see anything suspicious or a possible suspect, you are to follow them but don't act unless we have proof. Now let's get this done so we can put Irina safely on her plane tomorrow. Fill the gaps"
"Stay liquid" the group shouts as a response, and a few short minutes later, the car rolls into a garage where Irina is with Rocker.
"Hondo, she's all yours" Rocker says, walking away
"I have to get the stage Hondo" Irina says, but her tone is much kinder than it was earlier
"Ok, Chris?" Hondo asks with his eyebrows raised
"Of course, let's go" and Chris leads Irina and Hondo follows. This leaves only Street and Tan together
"Let's stay on opposite sides that way if Hondo points out two people on opposite sides, we should be good" Tan says in more of an asking way, though Street knows that he is telling him, but he doesn't mind since it is a good plan.
On Stage
Street POV
As Irina gives her speech, I look over to Chris, who stands to the left of the stage. My heart still aches when she said she wouldn't date me, when I see her, I think everything is possible. I think back to her saying that it isn't my fault. She can't be right, it was my fault, but my heart is telling me something different. The clapping brings me back to SWAT mode and Hondo comes over the coms
"There's is a potential suspect going towards the kitchen" Tan nods to me and leaves, I stay put in case Hondo says anything else. The crowd begin to swarm as Irina signs her book.
"Make room" Hondo says and I go to make a path for Irina, then Luca and Deacon start talking over the coms
"Hondo we think they are weaponizing poisonous gas. We don't know the activator yet, but clearly-" Deacon says
"They're weaponizing it" Hondo concludes over the coms
"The only way to get it past security, was to get it past the metal detectors" Cortez adds and my brain is turning to find the possible suspect. Finally..
"Hondo we think they're using pens to hide the VX" Luca says and I locate Irina. She is about to touch a pen being held out to her, but I can tell it is not at the right angle for 'signing'
"Irina! Don't touch that pen!" Hondo yells, he must have thought the same thing, he begins to make his way over. I'm about to join him when Chris just rushes over and pushes Irina out of the way. The man presses the pen and all the VX hits Chris. Realizing that he got the wrong person, the man begins to run
"Street get the runner!" Hondo shouts and I run. Determined to get him and make him pay for what he just did to Chris.
Russian Apartment (a few minutes earlier)
Deacon and Luca are searching the Russians apartment and they find a huge chemical lab
"They are going to kill Irina with poisonous gas" Luca says and Deacon just looks at him. Deacon is a bit side tracked tonight, no matter how hard he tries to shake it off, his gut feeling is telling him that something bad is just waiting to happen.
"Hondo we think they are weaponizing poisonous gas. We don't know the activator yet but clearly-" Deacon says over the coms
"They're weaponizing it" Hondo concludes
"The only way to get it past security, was to get it past the metal detectors" Cortez answers and Luca opens a desk drawer and sees loads of empty pens
"I'm pretty sure pens could do that" suddenly it hits them both at once
"Hondo we think they're using pens to hide the VX" Luca says and there's silence. They both just look at each other, waiting for a response. After a few seconds of silence
"We have a code 3, officer is down. Officer was hit with VX. I REPEAT code 3, I repeat officer down!" Hondo shouts over the coms. Both men hear Cortez talking but they can't think, they can't move, both are in shock. They look at each other, minds racing to figure out who it could be. It takes another minute when Hondo returns
"Deacon, Luca, I need the shot in the cash box from Black Betty! The one for Chris!" Hondo says, snapping out of their daze, they immediately run into Black Betty and Luca presses on the gas. Meanwhile Deacon is going through the box of already prepped shots and finds the shot labeled Chris Alonso. His stomach turns as he smiles slightly, he begins to remember that the label used to be Christina, but she crossed it off and put Chris instead, insisting that it looks better if other people riding Black Betty thought she was a guy. Deacon is snapped out of his thoughts when Luca begins to drive Black Betty faster than he ever has before, faster than he should be; he doesn't care. All he cares about is getting to Chris before it's too late.
On stage (a few seconds earlier)
Hondo POV
"Irina! Don't touch that pen!" I shout to her, but it was too late, she was already reaching for it. Time slows as I begin to run over, even though I know I'm not gonna make it. Chris then jumps in front of Irina and her face is in direct contact to the VX. Both of them hit the ground and it's chaos. "STREET!" I shout "get the runner" I go to Irina to make sure she is ok. Then I realize that Chris isn't getting back up
"Chris?!" In panic mode I go to Chris and I roll her on her back. It doesn't take long for her to roll back over to her side again and she is in a fit of coughing and her face is all red and slightly blue. She has her hands on her throat and I take them away and put her hand in mine. I call it in and all I get from Deacon is
"Hondo, the shot's prepped. Be there in ten" Deacon shouts over the radio
"Make it 8, or she's gone man!" I shout, tears springing into my eyes, "hold on Chris". As an answer Chris' coughing become less frequent as her eyes begin to glaze over, meaning she is beginning to suffocate. I pick her up and I run to the front of the building
"Just keep squeezing Chris!" I say, placing her hand in mine, I try to stay calm, all I get is Chris' hand slipping from my grasp. "Come on Chris!" Once outside I put her on her back again and the impact from the ground must have unblocked her airway slightly because her coughing starts up again. I pull off her vest in prep for the shot "Deacon I got her ready"
"Alright Hondo, we are on our way, 7 minutes out" Deacon replies
"Chris, just focus on breathing in and out" I say "just squeeze my hand, it's all going to be ok"
"Hondo! What's the time!?" Tan asks as him and Street run over to me
"7 minutes and counting" I answer and then Chris' eyes begin to glaze over again
"Hey, hey, hey, hey keep fighting " Street says
"Come on Chris squeeze! Do not stop!" I say "do not let go" Chris gives a few weak coughs and her eyes close and her body begins to relax, her hand in mine becomes limp
"Chris!" Tan shouts as tears stream down his face
"CHRIS!" Street shouts, as his tears fall on to Chris' face. Suddenly I hear Black Betty's alarm roaring. Luca jumps out, and him and Deacon run over
"MOVE" both of them shout "Make room! Get out of the way" Street moves over as Deacon slides in and pulls a piece of Chris' shirt back. Pulling the cap off with his teeth
"Got one shot at the heart Deac" Luca whispers as he plunges in the shot, hitting directly at Chris' heart. Then there's silence.
Seconds go by like minutes as the group stare at their friend's limp body. Hondo is about to call it, when Chris takes a gasp of air.
"Chris?" Street asks, unsure if this is really happening. Chris continues to cough but her airways seem to have been cleared.
"I" she tries, but then her coughing takes over as blood spits out of her mouth and she rolls on her side. Her eyes become unfocused and she begins to see black doting her vision. As her coughing becomes stronger, more blood spill over the carpet out front.
"Sit her up!" Hondo orders and Tan and Luca place her on Street. Her coughing continues to get worse and her eyes become even more unfocused as she tries to keep talking
"Shh, it's ok Chris." Deacon says coming over to check her over. He looks quickly over and as more and more blood comes out, making it pour down her shirt, he knows "Hondo, we both know that she won't make it by the time the EMTs arrive" Hondo nods, Tan and Deacon pick her up and place her on Street's lap in Black Betty while everyone gets in and Luca again drives to the nearest hospital. "Please Chris. Stay with us"
"Irina?" Chris mumbles as the coughing is starting to slow down again
"Shhh, it's ok, she's safe and on her way to HQ" Deacon answers.
"Ok" she says, as she closes her eyes, Deacon and Hondo quickly assess her
"I don't think the shot was strong enough. The rash is still there and I think it's spreading" Hondo says quietly
"Then let's give her another one!" Street says angrily
"That isn't how it works Street" Hondo says, in a sad but serious tone "we don't know how much to give her anymore. Too much can do just as much damage then if we didn't give her enough!" Deacon looks down at Chris again as her body becomes heavier
"How much longer?!"
"Two minutes" Luca says from the front. At the hospital nurses and doctors run over and bring Chris into surgery.
Two hours later and the group is still stunned into silence as they wait in the waiting room. The doctor comes out with a tired smile
"Alonso?" He asks and they all stand up "I'm Dr. Hanson, Christina's head surgeon. She's through surgery. But I can't say she'll make it. Her lungs were full with blood and we needed to cut them open to release the blood. Not to mention that the rash must have enough time to react and it swelled her whole body, primarily her lungs, throat and face making breathing extremely difficult. Finally, when we were almost done, she coded, thankfully we got her back."
"What are her chances?" Luca asks
"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprise if she passed away tonight. We have antibiotics in her IV to bring down the swelling as well as improve her breathing. I'm hoping she makes it through the night, if she does, her chances are higher. But anyone who wants to see her, needs to see her now" with that the doctor leaves
"I need to tell her uncle and aunt" Hondo says, as team leader, it is his job "go see her together" the guys walk in and Chris is barely recognizable. Her face is all red and swollen, and her mouth is crusted in blood from earlier. She is strapped to too many machines to count and her breathing is very irregular. They circle her and just look at her, a few minutes go by until Luca speaks
"You know, when she first came into the academy, all the guys thought she'd quit" Luca says, all the memories of Chris were flooding back "and no joke, this guy told her she should just quit because she would never make SWAT. But she made it and was first over all"
"I never knew that" Street said "did you think she'd make it through?"
"To be honest, and I never told her, I thought she wouldn't. But after the first week I changed my mind when they were climbing and this guy almost fell, but Chris took his hand dragged him up. That determination, it's not often we see that, I knew that she would make it after that" Luca answered.
"Wow" Street says "I'm not surprised"
"I remember her first undercover mission, we did not want to send her, but this mission required a girl" Deacon says "I kept thinking she was going die without one of us there to protect her. But in the end, she did better than any man could have." he finishes as tears roll down his cheeks.
"I remember when I first joined, at first, I thought it was really weird to have a women teach me. But boy did she work my ass off, harder than even Luca did in SWAT Academy" Tan says laughing slightly "she is very good at changing anyone's mind that she doesn't belong here" The groups stays in silence until Hondo comes in.
"I told her family, they are trying to get here, but they are in AZ right now. Sounds like they won't make it by dawn" Hondo answers "anything?"
"No" Tan answers "Hondo? Do you think she'll die?"
"Tan. She's putting up a good fight right now as we speak. I don't know for sure, but I do know she ain't done fighting."
Throughout the night, the men recount stories of Chris and a few others come, like Bonnie and Annie. Before they knew it, Chris made it through the night, it was a miracle the doctors said.
"What are her chances now?" Hondo asks and Dr. Hanson smiles
"If she wakes up today, then I expect to see her back on SWAT" he answers "just know that the longer she is not awake, the lower her chances are" as he leaves. Hicks comes in after to check in on Chris.
"Be honest, how bad?" He asks
"If she wakes up, then we're in the clear, if she doesn't, then I don't know" Hondo answers. Just then Chris' phone rings, the team took it out of her uniform after surgery. Everyone looks at each other, signaling who will answer it. Street then picks up the phone
"This is Jim Street" he answers putting the phone on speaker
"Sorry, who is this? Is Chris Alonso there?" Says the unknown caller
"She's currently unavailable. What can I do for you?"
"Well, I have Duke with me and I want to make sure she will be picking him up? By the way, I'm Jack Garvey" Jack replies. Street looks at everyone confused, but Deacon smiles sadly as he takes the phone
"Hi Jack, I'm David Kay, but everyone calls me Deacon" Deacon says
"Hi Deacon"
"Look, over her shift, Chris was severely injured. And I can't go into details, but any plans should be put on hold" he answers, it is clear that he is trying not to cry
"Oh no! Keep me posted please! I can hold Duke awhile longer, but not forever, he is tearing my house apart" Jack answers
"Thanks for understanding, I'll talk to the team and see what we can do" Deacon answers as Jack thanks him and hangs up.
"Who's Duke?" Luca asks
"Well, he's a retired patrol dog from K9. And Chris was getting him for you" Tan answers "it was supposed to be a surprise, we got you an apartment and everything"
"Wow, that's super sweet thanks. Hopefully Chris will wake up so I can tell her thanks" Luca says tears rolling down his face.
"Where is she?" Uncle Sarzo asks as he, Aunt Elena, Thomas, and April, Chris' niece, come in. "Please don't tell me she's..." to scared to say it
"No, she's here. She made the night" Hondo says "we will give you some space" and they all shuffle out of the room. Once outside
"Im gonna pick up Duke" Luca says "he can stay at your place, right Street?"
"Of course" he answers
"Now that that is sorted out, all of you, go home. Sleep and take care of yourselves. Come back in 4 hours and we will see where we are. Besides, if it happens, we will know because the DA will be at our throats" Hondo says
Four hours later, Chris is still not awake, and her breathing is still not stable. When the team comes back and Dr. Hanson tells them the truth
"She might be too weak to fight through this" he says "She is in a coma. It could be weeks or months before she wakes up, if she even does"
"That's not true!" Street says "Chris can pull through this!"
"Street" Hondo says as he puts a kind hand on the kid's shoulder "she's been through a lot. We need to think about the idea that she won't pull through"
"No! She's not done and I know it!" Street answers, pulling away "what happened to you all saying that's she's tough as hell?! I know she can wake up, give her time"
"Street, we aren't pulling the plug. We are going to wait and see." Luca says "it's just, she really might not make it and I am not going to let her suffer" this calms the group down, but Street is more restless than ever. The group stays in the hospital for the whole day, their faith in Chris waking up deteriorating.
"Guys, it's almost night fall, her family already left. Is everyone ok" Hondo asks, when no one responds "anyone?"
"I'm not ready to say goodbye" Street said visibly shaking and his eyes are rimmed with tears
"None of us are" Tan says also crying "but I don't want her to be in pain while we hold on to the idea she might wake up"
"She'll wake up" Deacon whispers holding the cross tightly "she just has to" The time crawls by, and days turned into weeks and weeks turned into a month. Chris was still not awake, Dr. Hanson eventually comes in and says they are at the point where they need to make a decision
"No!" Street yells "you can't give up on her"
"It isn't our decision Street" Hondo says "her family has made the choice"
"Why!" Street yells, his anger burying his grief
"Because, they need closure, just like we do" Hondo explains "besides, if she woke up, her life would probably never be the same and we all know that Chris wouldn't live a happy life" as an answer, Street just nods
The team surrounds Chris with her family as the doctors turn off the machines. The heart monitor changes from being slightly unsteady to a flatline. Tears roll down the team's faces
"I can't believe she's gone" Tan says
"She made it this far, that is a miracle in itself" Hondo says trying to comfort the group. One by one, the group begins to walk away
Suddenly the heart monitor be begins to beep again making everyone turn and they all run back over
"Chris?" Street says grabbing her hand, as a response, Chris squeezes back. Dr. Hanson rushes over and checks her vitals
"It's a miracle" he says "all she needed was to fight for herself"
"That's our girl" Deacon says, kissing the cross as he thanks God
"Cough" Chris slowly wakes up and her vision is white and slowly becomes more focused. Eventually she sees her whole team and her family looking at her smiling
"Chris!" Street says
Chris coughs slightly as blood trickles down her face. This makes everyone nervous, eyes turning to the doctor, but Dr. Hanson reassures them
"This is natural, and honestly, this is a good sign. Her body is still able to react!" He says excitedly
"I-I" Chris says, exhausted "Irina?"
"She's ok Chris, and so are you" Deacon says "what do you remember?"
"Uh" she says, stumbling "I think I remember from before some body said, Luca maybe, said pens and VX? After is just, just a blur"
"Chris, you have been in a coma for a month. You didn't wake up until we turned off the machines off" Hondo says
"What?" Chris is still very dazed
"Officer Alonso" Dr Hanson speaks "you were exposed to a high potency of poisonous gas, this would continuously stop your breathing. You went into surgery and came out in a coma. You woke up a month later, and now with rest, we can figure out the next step for you" Chris still comprehending, when she remembers an event from a month ago
"Duke?" She asks and Deacon smiles
"He's at Luca's new place as we speak. Jack says thanks for giving him a great home" He answers
"Now that you are done worrying about everyone else, it's time to worry about you" Hondo says and Chris smiles as she relaxes for what she wanted to only be a second, but she falls asleep immediately.
It's morning and Chris is able to get up and wheel around a bit. However she gets winded easily and still needs assistance with an air canal. This gets her very frustrated, wanting to do everything herself, but she is told to be patient. Happy that Chris is awake, the guys were able to do a shift at SWAT. After they come by to visit her
"Hey Chris!" Hondo says cheerfully "how are you?"
"Alright" she says "I'm going stir crazy here"
"Any news from the doctors?" Street asks
"They said I should be able to walk again" she says "and if I can, then I should be back on full duty in two months"
"That's amazing" Street says "do you know when you can go home?"
"When I can walk" Chris says, then whispers "if I can"
"Don't start that" Deacon says
"Dr. Hanson says my chances are low" she says tears coming into her eyes "I have a 5% chance I'll walk again"