Jesse's heart dropped suddenly, but tried to stay as calm as he could, in order to help Steve. "HELP!! We need help in here, please!!"

He then turned back to Steve, taking as much of the destruction off him as he could, and started putting pressure on Steve's heart, determined that he wasn't going to lose his best friend.

Seconds passed by, which seemed like hours, but Jesse breathed a sigh of relief when he heard someone approaching them. "It's okay, you're going to be allright Steve," he said, still applying pressure to his heart.

"Is there someone in here?!"

"Yes, in here!" Jesse shouted in response. "Please help, my friend is in trouble!!"

"Allright, just relax. Now what's wrong?"

"He has no pulse, that's what's wrong! I need you to help me with CPR!! You do the chest pressures, and I'll do the breathing!"

"Allright, allright, just take it easy, I'll help, but you need to calm down or-"

"Look, buddy, I don't have TIME to calm down, my best friend is fighting for his life, so if you'll excuse me, I'll stay as calm or loud as I damn well please!!"

The rescue worker looked a bit taken aback, but slightly nodded, soon helping a hopeful Jesse, to try and save Steve's life. **

"Daddy, my leg doesn't feel too good."

Mark smiled, and sat down next to his six year old son's bedside. "Well, son, maybe you'll listen to me the next time I tell you not to climb up that shed."

"But I was just trying to be a cowboy. They always climb up buildings and things and then get the bad guys."

"Well that's fine, Steve, but that's a dangerous thing to do. Television is a lot different than real life. A lot of it can be misleading."

"Mis- what?"

Mark laughed a bit. "Tricky. Just because they may not get hurt on tv, doesn't mean that you can't. That's why when mommy and I tell you something, you need listen to us, because we care about you and we know what's best for you. Do you understand, son?"

Steve nodded and hugged his bear closer to him. "You always try to protect me, daddy. And I'm sorry when I don't listen. But I'll listen to you from now on and you can protect me for the rest of my life!"

Mark grinned. "Well I'll surely try my best."

"Yeah, well I know you can do anything, because you're the best daddy in the whole wide world!"

"Well, I don't know about that," Mark said with a sly grin.

"Hey, would I lie to you?"

"No, I guess not!"

Steve smiled a wide grin, showing his two missing front teeth, as Mark settled him into bed for the night. "Good-night, son."

"Good-night, daddy. Oh, and daddy?"

"Yes, Steve?"

"I love you a lot, too."

Mark smiled, giving him a big hug and kiss. "I love you, too, kiddo. I love you, too..."

Mark came back to the previous and looked around at all the chaos around him. He clenched his hands together, and closed his eyes tight, trying to fight back the urge to run in to see if his son and Jesse were allright.

"They are, you know."

Mark looked up into a calm Amanda's eyes, and sighed. "Are what?"

"They're going to be allright."

"How can you be so sure? I'm Steve's father, and almost like a father to Jesse, and I can't protect either one of them!"

Amanda gently placed a hand on Mark's shoulder. "Mark, no one expects you to. You can't always protect everyone, and as a doctor you should know that."

"I know, but I just feel so... So helpless."

"I know. But don't worry; I'm sure that they're both allright. All we have to do keep is faith and hope..." **

"Come on, Steve!! Breath, damn it!!" Jesse said, in-between breaths.

"Look, Dr. Travis, we've been working on him for a minute now. I think you're going to have to accept-"

"NO! I'm not going to accept anything! And I don't care what you or anyone else might... Wait! Hold on a second!"

Jesse eagerly leaned down towards Steve's chest and touched his neck, a smile soon spreading over his face. "He's got a pulse!" **

"Dr. Sloan?"

Mark turned around, facing a rescue worker and nodded. "No, I already told you, I'm not going to the hospital until I hear about Steve and Jesse."

"Actually, I wanted to tell you that I just got radioed by another worker inside the building. They found both of them."

Amanda and Mark's mouths dropped, as they listened in anticipation to the worker. "B- both of them? Are they alive?" Mark asked.

The worker nodded. "Yes, but one of them is in critical condition."

"Which one?" Amanda asked, suddenly.

"Uh, I- It's your son from what I was told, Dr. Sloan. But don't worry, we'll do all we can to help him."

Mark stood speechless for a moment. "How, uh... I mean, when are they coming out?"

"Right now," a familiar face said behind them.

Amanda suddenly shrieked and wrapped her arms around a half-alive looking Jesse. "Oh, Jesse! I'm so glad you're allright!!"

Jesse smiled, as Amanda wiped some tears from her eyes. "Me, too."

"Me, three," Mark responded, giving him an embrace as well. "Have uh, you seen Steve? They told me-"

Mark stopped suddenly as he watched Steve being wheeled past him in a hurry. "Steve? Wait! I'm going with you!" he shouted, running over to the ambulance.

"Uh, Dr. Sloan, we really don't think-"

"Well I could give a rat's behind on what you think, but I'm going with my son and that's final!! Now if you would kindly move out of my way."

The emt sighed and allowed Mark on, ready for the long trip ahead of them. **

"He's a fighter, Mark, he'll make it," Jesse said later while in Steve's room.

Mark nodded, not taking his eyes off his son. "You know, he never would have made it if it weren't for you, Jess. I don't know how I can thank you enough."

"Aw, just let me beat ya at poker every once and awhile and we'll call it even."

Mark slightly laughed for the first time in awhile. "Not a chance, kid." **

As Mark and Jesse talked in Steve's room, they never noticed the shadow lurking within viewing distance... "Well isn't that sweet. Mark Sloan and his loved ones. Well, I may not have gotten you yet, Sloan, but I will. And when I get through with you, you're going to wish you had never been born. And that's a sure promise."

TBC...