I'LL STAND BY YOU
"Docter Carter?!" Sheridan called, still holding Luis's hand as she stood by his bed, "Docter Carter?"
Docter Carter walked into the room and said, "Yes?"
"Docter Carter I think he's waking up!" Sheridan said as she squeezed his hand tighter.
The docter checked his stats and took his pulse, "Yeah it looks like it,"
Luis shook his head from one side to the other and said, "Sheridan?" in a weak, dry voice.
"Luis? Luis I'm here." Sheridan whispered in his ear while she touched his forehead.
"Sheridan, what happened?" He asked in a hoarse voice.
"You were shot." She said, "You were doing your job and you were shot."
Luis let out a kind of sigh and said, "Why can't I feel my legs?"
There was a silence, until Docter Carter said, "Where don't you have feeling, Luis?" Then Carter took out this dull metal instrument and touched it to Luis's knee, "Can you feel this?"
"Feel what?" Luis said.
Sheridan gasped and let out a sob, then she grabbed Luis's hand.
"What about his?" asked Carter as he pressed the object to Luis's thigh.
"A little." Luis said.
"Miss Crane could you come with me?" Carter asked as he ushered her out into the hallway.
"I'll be right back Luis," Sheridan said as she squeezed his hand.
"What is it?" Sheridan asked once they were in the hallway, she put her hand to her face and sobbed again, "Why can't he feel his legs?"
Carter looked down at his clipboard and said, "Well we don't know what it is yet, but what I think happened is that there is still a bullet fragment in him. We're going to take him up to X-ray and we'll have the results back within the hour, and we could have him into surgery by this time tomorrow."
"If you find the fragment and take it out, does that mean he'll be okay?" Sheridan asked, worried as one could get.
"We don't know." Carter said, "That depends on the damage sustained to the spinal cord."
Sheridan sobbed and asked, "Could you tell Pilar and the other people in the waiting room?"
"Yes I will." Docter Carter answered.
Sheridan composed herself before she entered the room.
"I'm back Luis." Sheridan said as she took his hand again.
"Oh, I'm finally starting to wake up. I feel so drowzy.." Luis said.
"I'm just happy you're okay." Sheridan said, fighting back tears. She kissed his forehead and then Pilar, Antonio, and Eve came into the room.
"Oh Antonio," Luis said as he quickly let go of Sheridan's hand, "how ya doing?"
"How am I doing?" Antonio asked, "I think the question is how are you doing." He paused and then said, "Luis it's okay."
Sheridan took Luis's hand again and said, "I told him Luis."
"Told him?" Luis asked, and even though he was still a little hopped up on whatever drugs the docter had him on, you could still see the surprise in his face, "You mean about.." he raised his eyebrows.
"Yes Luis," Antonio said, "She told me."
"But Luis that's not our focus right now." Sheridan told Luis, "Docter Carter told us all what is going to be happening, and right now we just need to focus on that." Sheridan said, starting to sob inbetween words.
Luis swueezed Sheridan's hand and said, "It's okay, everything will be alright, no matter what the outcome tomorrow."
There was a pause before Pilar said, "I think that we all should go and let Luis get his rest." She suggested, "I don't know about the rest of you but I'm going to go to the hospital chapel to pray."
They all exited and Sheridan was about go to but Luis said, "No, stay."
After a mintute Luis asked, "So how'd you tell him? Must have taken you a while, did you show him our scrapbook or did you just tell him about it step by step?"
"Um," Sheridan thought, "I don't quite remember actually. It all happened so fast and I was so worried about you, it just kinda came out." Then Sheridan added, "Luis I'm so sorry about the last time we spoke-"
"-it's okay." Luis said, "That's all over now."
Sheridan let out a deep breath of air of air and said, "Oh, I feel like I've been holding my breath since I found out you were hurt yesterday."
Luis stroked Sher's hand and said, "I'm sorry I had to put you through his."
"Oh no Luis don't say that." Sheridan said.
"No it's true," Luis said, "This is all my fault, I shouldn't of left in such a scuffle then maybe you wouldn't of had to forced all that information on Antonio in such a hurry-"
"-Luis I think you're forgetting the big point" Sheridan said, "Antonio knows, and he's okay. Eve said that his condition hasn't changed, that isn't good but it hasn't gotten any worse either."
"I guess you're right." Luis said, he let out a long sigh and he said, "I'm so tired."
Sheridan sat on the bed next to him, and as she rubbed his forehead brushing the stray hairs away she whispered, "Go to sleep,"
"But I wanted to talk to you some more." Luis said, eyes drouping. He lifted his right arm and held her face in his hand and said, "You know I love you."
"I love you too." Sheridan said, she took his hand and added, "And no matter what happens tomorrow, or the day after, or whenever, we'll get married as soon as you've got your strength back."
"But what if I never get Iall/I of my strength back?" Luis asked.
"You know I'll stand by you no matter what," Sheridan said.
Luis nodded and repeated, "No matter what."
****
"How is he?" Pilar asked Nurse Abby who had just come out from assisting in the surgical room.
Sheridan, Pilar, Antonio, Theresa, Little Ethan, and Miguel all gathered around as the nurse said, "He's in stable condition and they're moving him out of the OR now."
"When will we be able to see him?" Sheridan asked.
"In about an hour." Said Nurse Abby, as she walked away.
They waited and waited for what seemed like days, years even. Sheridan would of still been wearing the same clothes as two days ago if it wasn't for the fact that Theresa brought her some clothes to change into.
When it finally came time to see Luis, Docter Carter came into the waiting room first and said, "Well he's awake."
"And?" Antonio asked.
"And it looks like he's gonna be okay. He's strong, and he might need some physical thearpy but I'm sure he'll be up and around in no time."
Sheridan let a tear or two roll down her face as she smiled and said, "So you mean he's alright?"
"He's fine." Docter Carter said, "We got out the fragment and there seems to be no permanent damage to the spinal cord. It must of taken a mircle." He said as he walked out of the waiting room.
"Yes I'm sure it did." said Pilar as she hugged her family.
Sheridan walked into Luis's room and saw him there on the bed, "Hey you." she said.
"Hey." He answered, his voice stronger and more resolved.
Sheridan smiled and Luis said, "Don't ask me how I am, I'm fine."
"I wasn't going to ask you that.." Sheridan said, still looking guilty.
"How's mama? And Antonio?" Luis asked, eager to know.
"They're both fine," Sheridan said, smiling and sitting down on a chair next to the bed, "Greatful you're okay."
"And how are you?" Luis asked, holding Sheridan's hand.
"Well I was very very worried," Sheridan said, "Then very very thankful that you're ok. And that's when I found out that I'm pregnant."
"Oh that's grea-" Luis said, not exactly hearing at first what she said, "What? Did you just say.."
Sheridan smiled and nodded saying, "Yeah I did, we're gonna have a baby!"
"Oh...wow!!" Luis said, too surprised for words, "Does anybody else know yet?"
"Only Eve, she's the one who told me." Sheridan said.
"So when do you want to get married?" Luis asked, smiling.
"I was thinking..around 11." Sheridan said.
"You mean the second of next month?" Luis asked, a little confused.
"No," Sheridan said, "I mean at 11 o'clock today."
"Oh," Luis said, surprised and happy, "That works for me."
"Good." Sheridan answered, as she bent over and kissed him.
THE END
"Docter Carter?!" Sheridan called, still holding Luis's hand as she stood by his bed, "Docter Carter?"
Docter Carter walked into the room and said, "Yes?"
"Docter Carter I think he's waking up!" Sheridan said as she squeezed his hand tighter.
The docter checked his stats and took his pulse, "Yeah it looks like it,"
Luis shook his head from one side to the other and said, "Sheridan?" in a weak, dry voice.
"Luis? Luis I'm here." Sheridan whispered in his ear while she touched his forehead.
"Sheridan, what happened?" He asked in a hoarse voice.
"You were shot." She said, "You were doing your job and you were shot."
Luis let out a kind of sigh and said, "Why can't I feel my legs?"
There was a silence, until Docter Carter said, "Where don't you have feeling, Luis?" Then Carter took out this dull metal instrument and touched it to Luis's knee, "Can you feel this?"
"Feel what?" Luis said.
Sheridan gasped and let out a sob, then she grabbed Luis's hand.
"What about his?" asked Carter as he pressed the object to Luis's thigh.
"A little." Luis said.
"Miss Crane could you come with me?" Carter asked as he ushered her out into the hallway.
"I'll be right back Luis," Sheridan said as she squeezed his hand.
"What is it?" Sheridan asked once they were in the hallway, she put her hand to her face and sobbed again, "Why can't he feel his legs?"
Carter looked down at his clipboard and said, "Well we don't know what it is yet, but what I think happened is that there is still a bullet fragment in him. We're going to take him up to X-ray and we'll have the results back within the hour, and we could have him into surgery by this time tomorrow."
"If you find the fragment and take it out, does that mean he'll be okay?" Sheridan asked, worried as one could get.
"We don't know." Carter said, "That depends on the damage sustained to the spinal cord."
Sheridan sobbed and asked, "Could you tell Pilar and the other people in the waiting room?"
"Yes I will." Docter Carter answered.
Sheridan composed herself before she entered the room.
"I'm back Luis." Sheridan said as she took his hand again.
"Oh, I'm finally starting to wake up. I feel so drowzy.." Luis said.
"I'm just happy you're okay." Sheridan said, fighting back tears. She kissed his forehead and then Pilar, Antonio, and Eve came into the room.
"Oh Antonio," Luis said as he quickly let go of Sheridan's hand, "how ya doing?"
"How am I doing?" Antonio asked, "I think the question is how are you doing." He paused and then said, "Luis it's okay."
Sheridan took Luis's hand again and said, "I told him Luis."
"Told him?" Luis asked, and even though he was still a little hopped up on whatever drugs the docter had him on, you could still see the surprise in his face, "You mean about.." he raised his eyebrows.
"Yes Luis," Antonio said, "She told me."
"But Luis that's not our focus right now." Sheridan told Luis, "Docter Carter told us all what is going to be happening, and right now we just need to focus on that." Sheridan said, starting to sob inbetween words.
Luis swueezed Sheridan's hand and said, "It's okay, everything will be alright, no matter what the outcome tomorrow."
There was a pause before Pilar said, "I think that we all should go and let Luis get his rest." She suggested, "I don't know about the rest of you but I'm going to go to the hospital chapel to pray."
They all exited and Sheridan was about go to but Luis said, "No, stay."
After a mintute Luis asked, "So how'd you tell him? Must have taken you a while, did you show him our scrapbook or did you just tell him about it step by step?"
"Um," Sheridan thought, "I don't quite remember actually. It all happened so fast and I was so worried about you, it just kinda came out." Then Sheridan added, "Luis I'm so sorry about the last time we spoke-"
"-it's okay." Luis said, "That's all over now."
Sheridan let out a deep breath of air of air and said, "Oh, I feel like I've been holding my breath since I found out you were hurt yesterday."
Luis stroked Sher's hand and said, "I'm sorry I had to put you through his."
"Oh no Luis don't say that." Sheridan said.
"No it's true," Luis said, "This is all my fault, I shouldn't of left in such a scuffle then maybe you wouldn't of had to forced all that information on Antonio in such a hurry-"
"-Luis I think you're forgetting the big point" Sheridan said, "Antonio knows, and he's okay. Eve said that his condition hasn't changed, that isn't good but it hasn't gotten any worse either."
"I guess you're right." Luis said, he let out a long sigh and he said, "I'm so tired."
Sheridan sat on the bed next to him, and as she rubbed his forehead brushing the stray hairs away she whispered, "Go to sleep,"
"But I wanted to talk to you some more." Luis said, eyes drouping. He lifted his right arm and held her face in his hand and said, "You know I love you."
"I love you too." Sheridan said, she took his hand and added, "And no matter what happens tomorrow, or the day after, or whenever, we'll get married as soon as you've got your strength back."
"But what if I never get Iall/I of my strength back?" Luis asked.
"You know I'll stand by you no matter what," Sheridan said.
Luis nodded and repeated, "No matter what."
****
"How is he?" Pilar asked Nurse Abby who had just come out from assisting in the surgical room.
Sheridan, Pilar, Antonio, Theresa, Little Ethan, and Miguel all gathered around as the nurse said, "He's in stable condition and they're moving him out of the OR now."
"When will we be able to see him?" Sheridan asked.
"In about an hour." Said Nurse Abby, as she walked away.
They waited and waited for what seemed like days, years even. Sheridan would of still been wearing the same clothes as two days ago if it wasn't for the fact that Theresa brought her some clothes to change into.
When it finally came time to see Luis, Docter Carter came into the waiting room first and said, "Well he's awake."
"And?" Antonio asked.
"And it looks like he's gonna be okay. He's strong, and he might need some physical thearpy but I'm sure he'll be up and around in no time."
Sheridan let a tear or two roll down her face as she smiled and said, "So you mean he's alright?"
"He's fine." Docter Carter said, "We got out the fragment and there seems to be no permanent damage to the spinal cord. It must of taken a mircle." He said as he walked out of the waiting room.
"Yes I'm sure it did." said Pilar as she hugged her family.
Sheridan walked into Luis's room and saw him there on the bed, "Hey you." she said.
"Hey." He answered, his voice stronger and more resolved.
Sheridan smiled and Luis said, "Don't ask me how I am, I'm fine."
"I wasn't going to ask you that.." Sheridan said, still looking guilty.
"How's mama? And Antonio?" Luis asked, eager to know.
"They're both fine," Sheridan said, smiling and sitting down on a chair next to the bed, "Greatful you're okay."
"And how are you?" Luis asked, holding Sheridan's hand.
"Well I was very very worried," Sheridan said, "Then very very thankful that you're ok. And that's when I found out that I'm pregnant."
"Oh that's grea-" Luis said, not exactly hearing at first what she said, "What? Did you just say.."
Sheridan smiled and nodded saying, "Yeah I did, we're gonna have a baby!"
"Oh...wow!!" Luis said, too surprised for words, "Does anybody else know yet?"
"Only Eve, she's the one who told me." Sheridan said.
"So when do you want to get married?" Luis asked, smiling.
"I was thinking..around 11." Sheridan said.
"You mean the second of next month?" Luis asked, a little confused.
"No," Sheridan said, "I mean at 11 o'clock today."
"Oh," Luis said, surprised and happy, "That works for me."
"Good." Sheridan answered, as she bent over and kissed him.
THE END