Chapter 15
Lucy stood stoic after Tim was pushed towards surgery. Blood drenched her wool police uniform. Her hands were covered in Tim's blood as well. She didn't move until she felt hands on her shoulders.
Grace smiled weakly at Lucy. Although Grace was no longer with John Nolan, she still helped where she could with police officers. "Hey, Tim will be in surgery for a while. Your friends are here. But you need to get out of those clothes. Here is a bag to put them in. Here are some of my extra scrubs to dress in. Let me take you to clean up."
"I can't leave Tim." Lucy's voice came out in a weakened whisper.
"He will be in surgery for a while. Besides, Tim's sister is on her way. After you, Tim put her second on the list to call in case of emergency. Please. Just let me help you. You don't want her to see you like this." Grace pleaded.
Lucy glanced down at her uniform then she peered at her hands. Tears began to pour down her face as she let Grace lead her from the hall. Grace nodded at Angela as they rounded the corner to the waiting room. Angela followed. This way Grace could allow Angela to take all of Lucy's belongings including her guns.
Lucy was helped out of her clothes by Angela and Grace. Angela took Lucy's stuff and locked it in her shop lock box. Lucy would be alone to shower.
When Lucy stepped into the shower, she broke completely. The residue of Tim's blood pooled around her feet. The crimson puddle was a testimony of how much blood Tim had lost. Lucy sank to the tiled floor. It didn't seem that enough soap could take Tim's blood away.
She wrapped her arms around her knees as she cried. Her body involuntarily shuddered in the quake of what had taken place. Tim had jumped in front of a bullet for her. Lucy hitched her breath realizing she needed to get out of the shower to wait on news of Tim.
"Tim would hold it together for you." Lucy whispered to herself. "Do this for him."
It wasn't long until Lucy was with the rest of her friends waiting for news on Tim's condition.
Despite her own emotions, Angela pulled from Wesley to approach Lucy. Her arms embraced Lucy tightly. "Shhhh. We're all here."
Lucy gulped back tears. "Tim jumped in front of the bullet. It was meant for me."
Angela rubbed down Lucy's hair. "Oh Lucy, he'd jump in front of a bullet for you any day. Don't you get how much that man cares for you?"
Lucy placed her head on Angela's shoulder. Both women shook with tears as they allowed their emotions to be displayed in front of everyone. Their fellow police officers swarmed around Lucy like a protective cocoon. Grace had removed herself after getting Angela to help with Lucy. Grace's scrubs were long on Lucy but fit well enough. Lucy being in scrubs alerted them all she wasn't leaving any time soon. She'd remain at the hospital as long as it took for Tim.
Lucy glanced up to see Genny with a tall lanky man. Lucy assumed it was Genny's husband.
"There's Genny." Lucy wiped her cheeks quickly after releasing Angela from their embrace.
"Is he….is Tim?" Genny's voice came out broken. Her husband drew her closer to his side.
"He's in surgery." Lucy answered quickly. "He hasn't been in that long. I'm so sorry, Genny. He saved me. He jumped in front of me."
Genny took Lucy's hand in hers. "That's just like Tim. He's always jumping in to save someone he cares about. Mom, me and now you. It's okay, Lucy. I wouldn't expect anything less from Tim."
Chris walked into the emergency waiting room. He saw the group of police officers along with another man and woman standing together. Walking briskly, he approached Lucy. He could see how distraught she was. Her body was shaking as she cried. Then her face lifted to meet him.
Lucy propelled herself at Chris. Lucy's fists were soon connecting with Chris's chest.
She cried out in anguish. "GET OUT OF HERE! YOU DID THIS! YOU DID THIS!"
Her small fists reddened as they repeatedly struck Chris on his chest. She wailed out in anger as she continued her tirade. Her emotional pain was evident with every strike of her fist.
Chris tried to embrace her but Lucy was wildly fighting against it. She was pulled away by Nolan. He was having a difficult time holding Lucy back from her attack on Chris. Finally, Lucy's body practically melted. Nolan had to hold her up from hitting the floor. He pulled her to a chair to sit. Soon, Genny was hugging Lucy trying to calm her as all gathered around her.
Angela approached Chris. "Maybe you should leave for now. She's distraught. Tim and Lucy mean something special to each other. She has to process what is going on before she can think coherently."
"I didn't know the man was helping Rosalind." Chris pushed his hands in his pocket. He had already explained but he wanted to repeat his position. "I only made a deal with him because I was told to. I was told he made a deal with the DA about a bigger fish. I had no idea that Ashley was involved at all. This shocked me as much as it did the rest of you."
"We all know it wasn't your fault. But Lucy needs someone to blame." Angela nodded her head towards the other woman. "That's Tim's sister, Genny. She won't understand though. All she knows is Lucy blames you. Lucy killed Ashley today. She has her partner fighting for his life. She is an emotional wreck. You are the only tangible one to blame at the moment."
Chris agreed. "I guess it is a lot to take in. Please let me know how Tim is when you hear any news."
Angela shook her head in agreement before she went to sit with Lucy. Wesley was soon beside his wife rubbing her back. Chris watched as the group comforted one another. He knew he didn't belong in the group. Not because he wasn't a cop. Wesley wasn't a cop either. Still, Wesley fit in with the Mid Wilshire family. It was because of the shared experiences between them. It was because of the love they had for one another.
Ashley was a cop's daughter yet she never fit either. That fact drove her insane. She was obsessed with Tim. She wanted to own him. Ashley wanted to own Tim so badly she was willing to murder Lucy to do so. In the end, it was Ashley who had died.
There it was glaring at Chris. Ashley knew that Tim and Lucy were inseparable. They shared a bond no one could break. It drove Ashley to craziness. Her obsession with Tim stemmed from always getting her way. She was the beauty queen. The girl every man wanted. Except Tim. He wanted Lucy.
Chris knew he was partly to blame. He was so busy trying to fast track his career that he never bothered to question the DA's office on a lot of cases. He did what he was told to add points to his resume. He was out to succeed. He cut corners. He crossed lines. Now a good man's life was in jeopardy due to those facts. He could've checked into the cases more thoroughly. If he had, he would've seen Ashley's influence over Sean Del Monte.
As Chris pressed the button on the elevator, he let it all register. Lucy was easy to fall in love with. In a short time, he realized he had fallen hard for her. Chris couldn't blame Tim for loving Lucy. He supposed Tim was every woman's dream as well. He saw how protective Tim was of Lucy. How Tim made Lucy his priority. He couldn't blame Lucy for falling in love with Tim either.
For Lucy's sake, Tim needed to survive.
