Chapter nine

Author's note: Thanks for all the great feedback guys, I love to read what you write! :) What I like the most is that you think it's realistic, 'cause that's exactly what I wanted. So here's another one, enjoy!

***

Faith heard light footsteps running in the bedroom. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked around. "Emily?"

"Oh, I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean to wake you. I just wanted to get dad his blanket."

"No, it's okay, honey. What time is it?"

"7:30."

"Already? Why didn't you wake me?" she asked, running a hand through her hair and pulling back the covers. "Come on, I'll fix some breakfast for you guys."

"Dad told us not to wake you. Don't worry, I already made breakfast." she said, picking up the blanket and heading out the room.

Faith got up and put her robe on. She walked into the living room and spotted Fred watching tv on the couch.

"Sorry." he apologized. "I told them to be quiet. Thought you needed some rest."

"It's okay." she shrugged. "I don't think I would've slept much longer anyway. I need to go back to the hospital."

"Yeah, I know."

She went to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Great. I think I should go back to work."

She took a sip of her coffee. "When's your next appointment?"

"Next week."

"Well, we'll see about that, okay? I don't want you to rush things." She was about to set her mug down into the sink when the phone rang. "I'll get it." she said, turning around. "Hello?"

"Officer Yokas?"

"Yes, who is it?"

"Mary Proctor from Mercy."

Faith felt her chest tighten and closed her eyes. "What happened?"

Fred noticed the hesitation in his wife's voice and rose from the couch, moving toward her.

"Your partner's awake and asking for you."

Awake, she thought to herself. Awake means alive. Safe. "Thanks, Mary. I... I'll be right there." She hung up the phone and leaned back against the counter, exhaling slowly.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Fred asked, reaching out to touch her arm.

"Bosco, he... he's awake." she smiled. "I have to go."

***

Faith stepped off the elevator, her heart beating faster and faster as she approached Bosco's room. A million thoughts crossed her minds: words of apology, of sorrow, pleas of forgiveness, but they were all gone the minute she opened the door and let herself in.

She could still hear the beeping sound of the heart monitor, but it didn't scare her this time. Bosco looked a lot better, the color slowly returning to his face, and there were only an IV and a few wires connected to him.

Faith took a few steps forward and sat down next to him, in the same chair she'd been sitting so many times over the last few days. Then she reached up and gently touched the side of his face. "Don't you ever do that to me again, Boz." she whispered, taking in a deep breath.

She watched him sleep for a few moments, then closed her eyes and tried to convince herself that he was really going to be okay. Maybe there's really someone up there listening to our prayers, she thought to herself. Here's my second chance, and I'm not going to waste it now. I'm sorry, Bosco, and now I'll finally be able to tell you.

"Hey." said a quiet voice, as if he'd read her mind. A voice that Faith immediately recognized and that brought tears to her eyes. A voice she'd longed to hear for a long time.

She smiled and took his hand. "Hey partner, welcome back."

Bosco looked around, his eyes wandering from the machines surrounding him to the white ceiling above him. Hospital, he sighed. Again.

"How do you feel?"

"Sore."

"I know, it's okay." she said, trying to reassure him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "You just lay still and everything's gonna be alright. The doctor said you should make a complete recovery."

"What happened?" he asked in a whisper.

Faith smiled again. "You want the whole story or the short version?"

"Can't remember... much." he wearily said, momentarily closing his eyes.

"Well, you've been shot and gave us quite a scare, Bosco. Then you woke up and did something stupid." she said as he stared at her in confusion. "You tried to get up, and tore your sutures, so they had to bring you back to surgery to fix the damage." she frowned, lowering her gaze. "That was yesterday. You've been unconscious since they moved you here."

"Ma was here." Bosco said, trying to move. "But... she didn't tell me."

Faith shrugged. "I guess she didn't want to upset you. She was pretty scared, you know, thought she lost you for good this time."

He immediately thought about the fire at the supermarket a few weeks before, about his mother's frightened words. 'Don't you die before me.'

"Must be mad at me." he said, forcing a faint smile.

Faith looked at him. "I'm sure she's not, that wasn't your fault." Don't know about Mikey though, she added to herself. Her gaze drifted over to the door for a moment, then focused on him again. "Bosco, I thought I lost you too." she admitted, shifting in her seat uncomfortably.

He squeezed her hand. "I guess I was... lucky. Those guys really wanted to kill me. Thought I was... some kind of dope dealer." he said, seeing the scene unfold in his mind. "I didn't even have time to..."

"Bosco, I thought I lost you." she repeated, swallowing hard. "...I was afraid. Afraid that you would die before I had a chance to apologize..."

"I... don't know what you're talking about." he lied.

Faith jerked her head up and stared at him in disbelief. "You don't really believe that, do you?" she asked, shaking her head, shocked by his words. "I know I hurt you, and I know things haven't been the same since... but... I miss you" she whispered " and I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for saying those words. You are not useless, you proved that being there for your brother. They would've probably killed him if it wasn't for you."

"I guess that wasn't a very smart move..." he sighed, his voice pained as he relived the moment in his head.

"That's not what I'm saying, and you know that." Faith remarked, meeting his gaze. "Those words, I..."

"What hurt weren't the words, Faith, my father used to call me that almost every day." He took a deep breath and continued. "What hurt was that I heard them from you. I... I couldn't believe it. I was... mad at first, but then I realized you just needed to blow up and..."

"God, Bosco, please forgive me..." she said as she bowed her head at her partner's words and her eyes started to tear up. "I had no right to take it out on you. I... I just want things to go back to the way they were..."

"So you're not sick of me." he whispered.

Faith closed her eyes. He remembers every damn word. "Of course not!"

She tried to smile but couldn't quite manage to. "Bosco, I can't even imagine you not working by my side. I know this has affected our friendship, but... I need my partner back, and I promise I'm going to do everything I can to regain your trust and rebuild our partnership."

Bosco lifted his arm and carefully brushed away her tears with his thumb, nodding his head. "We're gonna be okay." He gave her another faint smile before closing his eyes and taking a breath, then slowly let it back out.

"Are you okay?" she immediately asked, alarm in her voice as she sat forward in her chair.

"Just... tired."

"Okay, I'll let you sleep now, you need to rest. I'm going to let everyone know that you're awake and talking. I'll be back in a few hours." She pushed her chair backward and stood up.

"We're gonna be okay..." he repeated as he drifted off to sleep.

"Yeah." Faith whispered as she gave his hand a squeeze and headed out the door, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

TBC...