A/N: The story is slowly coming to an end. Slowly. Very slowly, but I
have an ending somewhat planned. Please review, and let me know what you
think. Thanks to my reviewers, it means a lot! And thanks to MM for beta-
ing.
Hank immediately dialed Caitie's home phone number. At the first ring, Tyler answered the phone.
"Hello?" Tyler answered into the phone.
After a brief moment of silence, Hank recognized the voice on the other line. He took a deep breath and began speaking. "Tyler, it's me. I was trying to reach Val actually."
"She's in class. Hank . . . Listen, I have to go . . ." Tyler replied, disturbed by the message he had recently heard. He knew Caitie was fine. He just had to find her, to wash away his doubts.
"It's Caitie. Listen man, she was just emitted into the ER."
"Is she all right? What happened?" Tyler closed his eyes and awaited an answer.
"It's pretty bad. I would get down here right away. I'm going to go call Jamie at work."
That was description enough for Tyler. He recalled how Hank reacted in serious cases when they were on the same EMS squad back in high school. After all those years, the same tone was apparent in his voice. "I'll be right there."
Tyler jotted down a note for Val, briefly explaining the situation. He immediately rushed out the door and headed towards his car.
* * *
"Jamie Waite." He always answered his office phone in the usual manner.
"Jamie, it's Hank."
"What's up?" Jamie wondered why Hank was calling him at work, not that he minded. Usually Hank was so busy, they only had the luxury of conversing over the weekends.
"Caitie was emitted into ER about fifteen minutes ago."
The words uttered hit Jamie like a ton of bricks. "How . . . what . . . happened?" he managed to ask. A million thoughts ran through his head.
"I'll be right there," he stated without waiting for a response.
Jamie hung up the phone and grabbed his briefcase. He exited his office, ignoring his secretary, and rushed right over to the hospital.
* * *
Jamie entered the main entrance of the hospital. He immediately found his way to the emergency room. He found Hank talking to a doctor down the hallway.
"Hank," Jamie called out.
Hank walked over to Jamie. He was dreading the inevitable. He was the one. He had to explain to Jamie the seriousness of Caitie's condition.
"Jamie, Hank!" Tyler ran over to his long time best friends.
Both Jamie and Tyler were awaiting an explanation from Hank.
"You guys better sit down." Hank suggested, trying to maintain his composure.
"No. Tell me. Hank . . . be straight with me." Jamie's tone was firm yet his eyes were pleading.
Hank began speaking. "She was found in an alleyway this morning behind the diner near the apartment. A waitress that was walking home from her shift and found her unconscious, and recognized her. Caitie has several lacerations on her back, and a broken arm. Her ankle is swollen and she has a severe concussion."
Jamie shut his eyes tight. He believed that doing so would prevent the tears that were quickly forming from being shed. Tyler ran his hand through his blonde hair. He tried to take in the information.
"Where is she now?" Jamie managed to form a sentence.
"She's in OR. There is . . . internal bleeding. She was hit in the stomach with a lot of force. I just checked up on her. She's still undergoing emergency surgery."
"It was Alec."
Jamie and Hank both looked at Tyler.
"There was this message on the answering machine . . ." Tyler began to relay the message he had heard.
*
After several intense hours of waiting, Caitie returned from the operating room. She was taken to the recovery room. An older man in a white coat approached the group.
"Are you here for Caitie Roth?" the doctor asked.
Jamie immediately replied. "Is she all right?"
The doctor had a look of sympathy written across his face. "The good news is that the surgery went well. We were able to stop the internal bleeding in the abdomen. The broken bones were set properly and all other areas were dressed."
"And the bad news?" Hank questioned.
"She still has not regained consciousness." The doctor kept his responses very formal.
"Will she soon?" Tyler asked.
"That cannot be determined at this time. If there is any change, I will keep you posted. It's still early. There is a chance things will improve." The doctor offered that last statement as some reassurance.
"I . . . should of . . . I could of stopped this." Jamie spoke after the doctor left. It was the first thing he had said during the long tense wait.
"It's not your fault." Tyler patted Jamie on the shoulder. "It's not."
Just then Val entered the waiting room. Tears streamed down her face. "What happened?" she managed to ask in between her sobs. Tyler wrapped his arms around her.
"Shh. Caitie was brought in this morning. She just went through surgery. She's in recovery now."
"Was it Alec?" Val asked in a low voice as her head rested on his shoulder.
The silence answered Val's question. Jamie looked away infuriated.
"I'm going to go out for awhile. I'll be back. Call me if there is any change," he instructed.
A/N: Something is going to happen . . . do you guys wanna know?
Hank immediately dialed Caitie's home phone number. At the first ring, Tyler answered the phone.
"Hello?" Tyler answered into the phone.
After a brief moment of silence, Hank recognized the voice on the other line. He took a deep breath and began speaking. "Tyler, it's me. I was trying to reach Val actually."
"She's in class. Hank . . . Listen, I have to go . . ." Tyler replied, disturbed by the message he had recently heard. He knew Caitie was fine. He just had to find her, to wash away his doubts.
"It's Caitie. Listen man, she was just emitted into the ER."
"Is she all right? What happened?" Tyler closed his eyes and awaited an answer.
"It's pretty bad. I would get down here right away. I'm going to go call Jamie at work."
That was description enough for Tyler. He recalled how Hank reacted in serious cases when they were on the same EMS squad back in high school. After all those years, the same tone was apparent in his voice. "I'll be right there."
Tyler jotted down a note for Val, briefly explaining the situation. He immediately rushed out the door and headed towards his car.
* * *
"Jamie Waite." He always answered his office phone in the usual manner.
"Jamie, it's Hank."
"What's up?" Jamie wondered why Hank was calling him at work, not that he minded. Usually Hank was so busy, they only had the luxury of conversing over the weekends.
"Caitie was emitted into ER about fifteen minutes ago."
The words uttered hit Jamie like a ton of bricks. "How . . . what . . . happened?" he managed to ask. A million thoughts ran through his head.
"I'll be right there," he stated without waiting for a response.
Jamie hung up the phone and grabbed his briefcase. He exited his office, ignoring his secretary, and rushed right over to the hospital.
* * *
Jamie entered the main entrance of the hospital. He immediately found his way to the emergency room. He found Hank talking to a doctor down the hallway.
"Hank," Jamie called out.
Hank walked over to Jamie. He was dreading the inevitable. He was the one. He had to explain to Jamie the seriousness of Caitie's condition.
"Jamie, Hank!" Tyler ran over to his long time best friends.
Both Jamie and Tyler were awaiting an explanation from Hank.
"You guys better sit down." Hank suggested, trying to maintain his composure.
"No. Tell me. Hank . . . be straight with me." Jamie's tone was firm yet his eyes were pleading.
Hank began speaking. "She was found in an alleyway this morning behind the diner near the apartment. A waitress that was walking home from her shift and found her unconscious, and recognized her. Caitie has several lacerations on her back, and a broken arm. Her ankle is swollen and she has a severe concussion."
Jamie shut his eyes tight. He believed that doing so would prevent the tears that were quickly forming from being shed. Tyler ran his hand through his blonde hair. He tried to take in the information.
"Where is she now?" Jamie managed to form a sentence.
"She's in OR. There is . . . internal bleeding. She was hit in the stomach with a lot of force. I just checked up on her. She's still undergoing emergency surgery."
"It was Alec."
Jamie and Hank both looked at Tyler.
"There was this message on the answering machine . . ." Tyler began to relay the message he had heard.
*
After several intense hours of waiting, Caitie returned from the operating room. She was taken to the recovery room. An older man in a white coat approached the group.
"Are you here for Caitie Roth?" the doctor asked.
Jamie immediately replied. "Is she all right?"
The doctor had a look of sympathy written across his face. "The good news is that the surgery went well. We were able to stop the internal bleeding in the abdomen. The broken bones were set properly and all other areas were dressed."
"And the bad news?" Hank questioned.
"She still has not regained consciousness." The doctor kept his responses very formal.
"Will she soon?" Tyler asked.
"That cannot be determined at this time. If there is any change, I will keep you posted. It's still early. There is a chance things will improve." The doctor offered that last statement as some reassurance.
"I . . . should of . . . I could of stopped this." Jamie spoke after the doctor left. It was the first thing he had said during the long tense wait.
"It's not your fault." Tyler patted Jamie on the shoulder. "It's not."
Just then Val entered the waiting room. Tears streamed down her face. "What happened?" she managed to ask in between her sobs. Tyler wrapped his arms around her.
"Shh. Caitie was brought in this morning. She just went through surgery. She's in recovery now."
"Was it Alec?" Val asked in a low voice as her head rested on his shoulder.
The silence answered Val's question. Jamie looked away infuriated.
"I'm going to go out for awhile. I'll be back. Call me if there is any change," he instructed.
A/N: Something is going to happen . . . do you guys wanna know?