Sam Gerard stepped out of the helicopter, his eyes automatically moving to the courthouse, emergency vehicles everywhere, people rushing about, stretchers lined up on the lawn with patients awaiting transport. He automatically headed in that direction, scanning the victims for a familiar face. Where was she?
Suddenly a young cop appeared at his side, startling Sam. How had he got that close without.... He shook his head slowly. He was losing it big time. "Are you Marshal Gerard?" the cop asked. He had hurried after the man when he had noticed the marshals logo on his jacket, hoping Sam was the one that other marshal had told him to look for. He shook his head a bit. Who would have ever thought that the school janitor would turn out to be a US Marshal?
"Yeah. One of my people was in that when...."
"They got her out maybe an hour or so ago," the officer said as he motioned for Sam to follow him towards a group of peach officers gathered at what looked like a command post. "Captain Jacobs? This is Marshal Gerard. He's here about...."
"Marshal Walsh? Really sorry about her, son," an older cop said as he detached himself from the group and came over to join Sam and the younger cop. "Phillips here will get you over to the hospital."
Sam felt a wave of cold wash over him at the man's words. Sorry? Why.... "How bad?" He asked, not trusting himself to say anymore. This wasn't happening, not again. 'Noah, son, please....'
Captain Jacobs shook his head, hating to tell the man. From the expression on his face, he was the kind who really cared about his people. Not enough who did anymore, it seemed. "Son, you ought to prepare yourself."
Sam barely remembered the ride to the hospital, sitting numbly in the passenger seat of the patrol car, trying in vain to force his mind to go blank but images of Catherine, of Noah the last time he had seen him, of blood, kept dancing in front of his face. 'Son, I tried, I tried to save you. Please, please, don't let Catherine....' Tombstones. They were passing a cemetery. An omen, maybe? Another tombstone next to Noah's? Sam covered his face with his hands, trying to block out the sights, the memories, and failing.
He hesitated as the car pulled up to the emergency entrance, not wanting to get out, wanting to stay safely outside the hospital where he wouldn't have to know, wouldn't have to have the news confirmed that.... He owed it to her to be there, though, owed it to her to do what he couldn't bring himself to do with Noah. He slowly climbed out of the car, forcing his mind absolutely blank as he walked through the automatic doors, headed towards the treatment area like some sort of robot.
Suddenly he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see a staff member wheeling a body covered by a white sheet out of a room. 'Son, please.... Don't let it be....' Catherine's size, about her shape.... He approached slowly, not wanting to see but unable to turn back, mesmerized by the small figure underneath that dead white sheet.
"Sam?" A voice called his name, causing him to look up, his eyes widening with shock at the person standing there, just behind the stretcher. "Son?" he whispered, his eyes twitching back and forth from the body to Noah, not quite knowing where to focus.
"Sam, are you all right?" Noah said as he started towards his boss, fastening his shirt as he went. He really didn't like the look on Sam's face, like he had just seen a ghost or something.
Body. Noah. Scars. He caught a glimpse of scars on Noah's chest as he fiddled with the shirt. Body. Catherine, how could she be.... Noah. Band-Aid, some kind of cartoon Band-Aid on his arm. Spinning. Everything was spinning.
"SAM!!" Noah yelled as he saw something he thought would never happen. Sam Gerard's eyes rolled back in his head and his legs buckled, only Noah shoving quickly around the stretcher and grabbing him keeping him from literally hitting the floor.
"What's going on here?" Colleen demanded as she came around the corner and spotted Noah kneeling on the floor next to Sam, a confused looking staff member staring at the two men in shock.
"I don't know," Noah muttered, relieved to see that Sam was at least still breathing and had a strong pulse. "Sam, wake up!" Sam was never sick. What in the world....
The marshal's eyes slowly blinked open, staring up with a dazed look at the young man kneeling beside him. "Noah?" Maybe he was dead too, not that it really mattered to him now. Cath gone, Noah gone, the.... "I'm sorry, son. So sorry. I tried to save you. Should have been faster, figured out what was...."
"Here, let's get him in a room," Colleen said as she came back with a gurney and a couple of helpers who swiftly lifted Sam up off the floor. "Sam?" Noah moved to his boss', his friend's, side once more as soon as he had been wheeled into a nearby room. Suddenly he recalled what Catherine had been rambling about, about him being dead. He hadn't been sure she actually knew what she was saying but.... Maybe she had.
"Sam, I'm not dead."
Sam Gerard stared silently at the man beside him.