Chapter 24

First Instincts

Teresa looked up. Her first instinct was to jump and try to save the man that she loved. She saw blood. Lots of blood. Teresa screamed, "Help me. Somebody help me, please!"

She looked down at him as they lay on the ground, "Please, please, don't leave me I love you. I can't live without you. Wake up, wake up!" She cried as she stroked his hair.

The man opened his eyes, "You must be an angel, have I died and gone to heaven?"

"No, no, stay awake. Don't close your eyes, I love you. Stay with me." She begged.

The man placed a bloody hand against Teresa's cheek and a tear rolled down his face, "I'll love you always. Please, don't leave me..." He fell unconscious.

Chief Bennett ran over to Teresa and picked her up off the man she had jumped to save, "Come on Teresa, let me and Eve work. I've got ambulances on the way." He walked her over to Pilar and ran back over to help his son and Fox. Pilar brought her daughter into and embrace and Teresa laid her head down on her mothers chest.

Teresa stood there in a daze as she watched them work on Ethan and Fox. She didn't want to loose either one of them, but she didn't know what to do if she lost the man she loved. Teresa's eyes surveyed the crowd. She looked down in front of her and there lay Rebecca dead. Sam's shot taking her life. Chad was holding Whitney in his arms. Her arm was bleeding from the bullet that had grazed it. Chad was holding his shirt over it. Sheridan was tending to Luis who had taken a bullet to the shoulder trying to keep Little Ethan out of harms way. Oh my God, Little Ethan!

"Ethan, Ethan, where are you?" She broke her mothers embrace and ran around the crowd.

"Teresa, Teresa, calm down, here's your son." Julian had come to his rescue when he noticed that Luis was wounded. Julian handed him over to Teresa, still keeping a hand on Little Ethan's back and the other on Teresa's shoulder. She needs all the comfort she can get, he thought to himself.

Teresa pulled him into her arms and hugged him as tight as she could. "Oh, Little Ethan, moma loves you. I don't know what I would've done if I lost you." She sobbed as she laid kisses on his head.

Beth came walking over the Teresa. "Teresa, the ambulances are here for Fox and Ethan. Would you like for me to take Little Ethan so you can be with them?"

"Yes, Beth, that would be nice." She handed him to Beth and ran toward his ambulance. If he was going to leave this world, it would be in her arms.

Eve and Chief Bennett were helping the paramedics load Fox and Ethan unto their ambulances. Teresa started to step in when a hand stopped her, "I'm sorry ma'am, only family."

Eve looked up at the medic, "Sir, it's fine. This is the man she loves and I think she deserves to be with him."

He nodded impatiently. "Ok, then, come on." He helped Teresa into the ambulance and they headed to the hospital.

As they made their way, he had to be revived twice. He was in such bad shape. Blood pooled underneath his stretcher and his skin was ashen and his lips blue. She took his free hand and held it to her heart.

"Please, please hang on. I can't live without you. Not now, not ever. Do you feel this? Do you feel my heart beating? It beats only for you. The day you die, I'll die! Please stay." She whispered. She leaned down and kissed his cheek. So cold, he's so cold. Teresa looked down and a solitary tear ran down his cheek. She wiped it from his face and held his hand tighter. "Hang in there. Fight it for me, for us." She laid her hand on his chest and sobbed.