The last two days flew by in a blur and Bosco found himself sitting in the
RMP with Faith on the 20th of June. He played the events of this day over
and over in his mind, searching for a way to stop the shooting but always
coming up blank. He couldn't understand why he was brought back and given a
second chance if he couldn't do anything to save her. He regretted not
whisking Faith off to that cabin he'd thought of before. Maybe it was
possible to just prevent it and everything would continue as normal. What
if he'd missed his chance?
"Bos, I need some Chapstick. Stop at the next drug store okay?" She wasn't expecting an answer and just waited for him to pull into the next store.
Bosco's heart was beating a mile a minute. This was it. It was starting. The chain of events that he wasn't sure he could break. But he refused to drive her to her death. He wouldn't make it that easy.
"Can't you just get some after the shift"
"No, I can't. My lips feel like the Sahara. Just stop I'll only be a minute."
Bosco reached over and handed her something from the glove compartment.
"Here, use this"
"Bosco that's disgusting. Why is it even in our car? No wait, I don't want to know why"
Faith held the tube of lubricant by the edge and tossed it back into the glove compartment, then grabbed it again and tossed it out the window. She'd never be able to look at the glove compartment again without having weird thoughts if she left it there.
Bosco shrugged his shoulders and gave her a confused look.
"What? It's a just in case tube...ya know, just in case"
"Just when I think I've herd it all.." she was cut off by the sound of the radio.
"55 David respond to a robbery attempt at the Mini Mart Drug Store on 78th and Lexington."
" 55 David, 78th and Lexington" Faith answered the call quickly, not leaving Bosco any chance to object. She had already flipped on the sirens when she noticed he wasn't starting the car.
"Bosco come on let's go!"
"No. We can't go, just trust me on this Faith. Someone else will pick it up"
"What are you talking about? We can't just ignore a call, we have to go Bosco co.." She was interrupted when he grabbed her by the shoulder and yelled something she didn't quite catch.
"What?"
He took a deep breath before repeating himself. "I said, if you go in there you'll die."
Faith was stunned by his words and unsure of how to respond. She waited for him to say it was a joke, but his eyes were hauntingly serious.
"55 David respond to a robbery at the Mini Mart Drug Store. Shots have been fired and there are no other units in the area"
Faith reached over and started the car before looking him in the eye and saying only two words.
"Go. Now."
They stood at the entrance of the Mini Mart and peered in, hoping to catch a glimpse of the gunmen. There was no one to be found and Bosco assumed they were toward the back by the counter. He signaled for Faith to fall in behind him before entering the store.
They quietly made their way passed the isles and stopped at the sound of voices. What Bosco saw was all too familiar. Two gunmen were arguing while the third raided the cash register. Only this time the storeowner had been shot and was lying slumped over the counter. The extra time it took Faith and him to arrive on the scene had cost this man his life.
Bosco raised his gun at the closest perp and aimed for his shoulder. But fate had a different plan. Sully chose that moment to radio Faith and ask for their position, oblivious to the fact that he had just given them away.
The sound of gunshots rang throughout the room, leaving no question that many of the bullets hit their target. Bosco shot two of the gunmen in the leg, bringing them down in an instant. Faith got the third man in the arm and as he fell backwards his gun went off, sounding one final shot.
"We did it! I didn't think we could, I was so worried, but we did it Faith!" Bosco rambled on as he tried to catch his breath.
"Faith?"
She wasn't answering him. He swung around and found her lying on the floor in a pool of blood. She had caught that last bullet in her neck and was now gasping for breath.
"Oh god no, not again." Bosco knelt down beside her and applied pressure to her wound, hoping to somehow stop the blood flow. He could hear sirens in the background and wondered what was taking them so long.
"Just hold on Faith. You're gonna be all right. Please just hold on" he continued to speak soothing words to her until he was pulled away by Sully and Davis. They had to drag him out of the building until he gave up and fell to the floor, resting his head in his hands.
********
Bosco never believed in fate or destiny, but that day changed his mind forever. He had no doubt that Faith was meant to die in that building, and no matter what he did there was no stopping it.
" Bos?"
"Yeah"
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Bosco listened to the quiet beeping of the heart monitor before answering her. "I was just thinkin how your guardian angel must be workin overtime"
Faith grinned back at him. She could just imagine her guardian angel with a tattered white dress and skewed halo, trying desperately to keep up with her.
Bosco slipped his hand into hers and held it gently. She was lucky. Or maybe he was the one that was lucky. He'd thought for sure that he lost her that day. She died on the floor of that drug store, even if it was only for a minute. Somehow the paramedics brought her back and she managed to defy fate.
The last five days had been an eye opening experience for him. He saw her in a different way now and he fully intended to make the most of their second chance together.
"How did you know what would happen?"
Bosco smiled down at her and squeezed her hand. "It doesn't matter now. You proved me wrong."
The End!
"Bos, I need some Chapstick. Stop at the next drug store okay?" She wasn't expecting an answer and just waited for him to pull into the next store.
Bosco's heart was beating a mile a minute. This was it. It was starting. The chain of events that he wasn't sure he could break. But he refused to drive her to her death. He wouldn't make it that easy.
"Can't you just get some after the shift"
"No, I can't. My lips feel like the Sahara. Just stop I'll only be a minute."
Bosco reached over and handed her something from the glove compartment.
"Here, use this"
"Bosco that's disgusting. Why is it even in our car? No wait, I don't want to know why"
Faith held the tube of lubricant by the edge and tossed it back into the glove compartment, then grabbed it again and tossed it out the window. She'd never be able to look at the glove compartment again without having weird thoughts if she left it there.
Bosco shrugged his shoulders and gave her a confused look.
"What? It's a just in case tube...ya know, just in case"
"Just when I think I've herd it all.." she was cut off by the sound of the radio.
"55 David respond to a robbery attempt at the Mini Mart Drug Store on 78th and Lexington."
" 55 David, 78th and Lexington" Faith answered the call quickly, not leaving Bosco any chance to object. She had already flipped on the sirens when she noticed he wasn't starting the car.
"Bosco come on let's go!"
"No. We can't go, just trust me on this Faith. Someone else will pick it up"
"What are you talking about? We can't just ignore a call, we have to go Bosco co.." She was interrupted when he grabbed her by the shoulder and yelled something she didn't quite catch.
"What?"
He took a deep breath before repeating himself. "I said, if you go in there you'll die."
Faith was stunned by his words and unsure of how to respond. She waited for him to say it was a joke, but his eyes were hauntingly serious.
"55 David respond to a robbery at the Mini Mart Drug Store. Shots have been fired and there are no other units in the area"
Faith reached over and started the car before looking him in the eye and saying only two words.
"Go. Now."
They stood at the entrance of the Mini Mart and peered in, hoping to catch a glimpse of the gunmen. There was no one to be found and Bosco assumed they were toward the back by the counter. He signaled for Faith to fall in behind him before entering the store.
They quietly made their way passed the isles and stopped at the sound of voices. What Bosco saw was all too familiar. Two gunmen were arguing while the third raided the cash register. Only this time the storeowner had been shot and was lying slumped over the counter. The extra time it took Faith and him to arrive on the scene had cost this man his life.
Bosco raised his gun at the closest perp and aimed for his shoulder. But fate had a different plan. Sully chose that moment to radio Faith and ask for their position, oblivious to the fact that he had just given them away.
The sound of gunshots rang throughout the room, leaving no question that many of the bullets hit their target. Bosco shot two of the gunmen in the leg, bringing them down in an instant. Faith got the third man in the arm and as he fell backwards his gun went off, sounding one final shot.
"We did it! I didn't think we could, I was so worried, but we did it Faith!" Bosco rambled on as he tried to catch his breath.
"Faith?"
She wasn't answering him. He swung around and found her lying on the floor in a pool of blood. She had caught that last bullet in her neck and was now gasping for breath.
"Oh god no, not again." Bosco knelt down beside her and applied pressure to her wound, hoping to somehow stop the blood flow. He could hear sirens in the background and wondered what was taking them so long.
"Just hold on Faith. You're gonna be all right. Please just hold on" he continued to speak soothing words to her until he was pulled away by Sully and Davis. They had to drag him out of the building until he gave up and fell to the floor, resting his head in his hands.
********
Bosco never believed in fate or destiny, but that day changed his mind forever. He had no doubt that Faith was meant to die in that building, and no matter what he did there was no stopping it.
" Bos?"
"Yeah"
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Bosco listened to the quiet beeping of the heart monitor before answering her. "I was just thinkin how your guardian angel must be workin overtime"
Faith grinned back at him. She could just imagine her guardian angel with a tattered white dress and skewed halo, trying desperately to keep up with her.
Bosco slipped his hand into hers and held it gently. She was lucky. Or maybe he was the one that was lucky. He'd thought for sure that he lost her that day. She died on the floor of that drug store, even if it was only for a minute. Somehow the paramedics brought her back and she managed to defy fate.
The last five days had been an eye opening experience for him. He saw her in a different way now and he fully intended to make the most of their second chance together.
"How did you know what would happen?"
Bosco smiled down at her and squeezed her hand. "It doesn't matter now. You proved me wrong."
The End!
