Brennan began to wake up and was immediately greeted by Emma smiling down at him. "How are you?" she asked.
He took a moment to give her an honest answer as he took stock of his injuries. "Ouch! Been better," he said as he tried to move. He looked over to his right and saw Shalimar in a bed beside him. "Shalimar!"
Emma put her hands on his shoulders, trying to get him to stay in bed. "She's going to be okay."
"Shal!" he yelled out to her.
Adam burst into the room when he heard the commotion. "Brennan, please. You need to stay in bed. Shalimar can't hear you right now."
Brennan's face was white with fear. "Why? What's wrong with her. Emma said she was okay!"
"She is okay. She's just heavily sedated."
"Why is she on a respirator? Adam! Don't lie to me!"
Adam injected Brennan's I.V. with some medication to help calm him down. Within a few seconds he began to relax.
"One of the bullets passed through George and hit Shalimar in the upper right chest. It didn't go all the way through her because it didn't have enough speed but it pierced her lung. The respirator is helping her breathe until her lung gets strong again."
"I want to touch her," Brennan said in a sob.
Emma and Adam looked at each other.
"Please!"
Adam went over to Shalimar's bed and carefully wheeled it next to Brennan's.
Brennan reached his hand out and took Shalimar's hand. A single tear rolled down the side of his face, "She's so cold."
"She lost a lot of blood. It will take a little while for her body temperature to return to normal," Adam informed him.
Emma began to cry as she watched another tear fall from Brennan's eye.
Adam motioned to Emma, "We better let them get some rest." Adam tapped Brennan's leg before exiting the room with Emma.
"Shalimar, I KNOW you can hear me right now." Brennan wiped the tears from his eyes. "I want you to know that I love you."
Brennan rubbed her hand, trying to warm it. Just as he was about to put it down he felt her give his hand a slight squeeze.
THE END