Ressler was sure his lungs were going to burst as he jogged down the footpath, his ragged breaths filling his ears. But he had to keep going. Liz! He had to stop her before she killed Reddington and doomed her own life by serving the criminal's last request. Breath heaving, sure he was going to fall, he grabbed a lamp post and hung on, willing what remained of his damaged lungs to keep working.

The 10 city blocks from the hospital to Pascual's Restaurant didn't seem that far when he escaped from his hospital room. But now they stretched out before him, almost insurmountable. If he had the breath to curse out loud, he would have. With an effort, he pushed himself off the lamp post and kept running as best he could. But he was too slow! As the blocks inched by he heard sirens, and recognized the FBI vehicles as they turned behind him.

"Go!" he hissed, each breath tearing through his throat, his legs burning as he jogged.

On he jogged, weaving slightly, now seeing the lights of Pascual's a couple of blocks ahead. Behind him, the task force SUV's got stopped at road works, and he jogged on, ignoring them, Liz paramount in his mind. Ahead, he thought he could see her now, dressed in a white sweater walking up to someone. Reddington.

A shot rang out, stopping him in his tracks.

"No!"

Even at this distance, the growing red stain on her white sweater was evident. NO! That spurred him on even more, pushing his damaged lungs to their limit.

And then the air was filled with gunshots in quick succession. He thought he counted six, but the roaring in his ears as he struggled for every breath was too loud.

"Liz!" he tried to call, but he had no air left for speaking and black dots swam in his vision.

As the lights of Pascual's lit up the sidewalk in front of him, he slowed. As if in a dream he saw Liz on the ground.

Why Liz? Why wasn't it Reddington shot on the sidewalk?

Unable to comprehend, he jogged up to her, barely noticing Reddington being led away by Dembe. All Ressler could see was the bright red stain on Liz's white sweater. A stain that slowly spread on the concrete underneath her. No!

In a blur, he dropped to his knees at her side, frantically feeling for a pulse. But he already knew there was none. There was too much blood. As his hand found her cheek, he realized her head was resting on Reddington's fedora. Anger threatened, but was immediately squashed by grief.

"Liz… Liz…" he found himself mouthing, his breathing still too ragged to form coherent words. But she could no longer answer him as her life's blood puddled around his knees. His head dropped toward her. She was gone. As his head found her shoulder, seeking refuge in the warmth that was rapidly leaving her body, he stroked her hair. Liz was gone.

As his tears flowed, running into her neck, his mind traveled back to his hospital bed and holding her hand as she lay beside him. And eyes closed against his tears, he could once more feel the warmth of her mouth on his. A mouth that would never kiss him again, nor laugh, nor speak to him. She was gone.

A ragged cry finally left his throat. "No!" First Audrey dying in the street, and now Liz. Sobbing into her neck, he almost wished he could just die with her right there on the street corner so that they'd be together.

A hand was on his back, but he shrugged it off, holding onto Liz even more, burying his face into her neck, feeling her long hair on his wet cheek.

"Agent Ressler." Again the warm, firm hand was on his back. "Don…" Cooper was beside him, putting his arm around Ressler. "Come on, Don."

He couldn't leave her. Not lying on a street corner like this. But suddenly his strength failed him as the adrenaline fled, his flight now over. Unable to breath properly any longer, dizziness took over. As Cooper knelt beside him, Ressler felt himself losing it as spots danced before his eyes. As his vision wavered, he couldn't stop himself falling as Cooper caught him and eased him down to the concrete beside Liz.

"I've got you…"

He barely heard Cooper's words, and the last thing Ressler saw was Liz's dead eyes in front of him before everything went black.