Helping Hand
Chapter 18
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"Well, how bad is it?" Emily asked Faith as Charlie looked on. Fred sat in the corner of the room, pretending to read the paper.
"Well, it's pretty serious," Faith said. "The bullet went in here," she said, pointing to the area on herself. "And then it hit something - probably a rib - and hit his lung and his spleen. But, the doctor said that they were able to get the bullet out and fix any damage. He said that he's gonna be okay though," she added and looked over at Charlie to see how he was handling it.
"Charlie? You okay?" she asked at the worried look on his face. "I know it's scary and that's okay. I'm scared too, but he's gonna be okay. I talked to him. He's uncomfortable, but he's okay."
"How'd it happen?" Charlie asked finally. Faith thought for a moment on whether or not to tell the whole story - including that she'd almost gotten shot again - and decided that she'd better be honest with them. She caught sight of Fred out of the corner of her eye and thought that maybe it would help Fred to understand and be forgiving if he heard the whole story too.
"Well, I was working at the station - the front desk - and there was this fight between two gangs. It was only a few blocks from the station," she started. She continued until she'd gotten through it all and finished with, "...and then ESU came in. They took over and got us out and Kim and Doc brought Bosco to the hospital. He had the surgery and now he's in a hospital room, recovering," she finished, looking over at Fred who had a weird look on his face.
"So, you guys have some homework, right?" she said, thinking that she and Fred could talk some more.
"Yeah. C'mon, Charlie," Emily said, standing up.
Charlie stood up and as they walked toward their room, he stopped and turned back to Faith. "Can we see him? I want to see him."
Faith looked at her son for a moment, then said, "Yeah, you can see him, but not for a couple of days. He's kind of out of it from the medicine and stuff. They're limiting visits to only immediate family. But, as soon as he's feeling better, I'll bring you over myself, okay?"
"Okay," he said and then he and Emily continued on down the hallway.
Faith stood to pick up some of the dishes off the table and, carrying them to the kitchen sink, she stole a glance at Fred. "You're pretty quiet," she said finally.
He stood up then and grabbed some of the dirty dishes and brought them into the kitchen. "So, if he was hurt so bad, how'd he do that when that guy had the gun pointed at you?" he asked, only half-believing her.
Faith gave a short laugh as she turned off the water when the sink was full. "Fred, there are things that Bosco has done that no one can figure out. It's like he's a bull sometimes and nothing can stop him. Like during that shootout with that guy when Sully and Davis were looking for Chevchenko - you know, when Ty got shot. He drew their fire so that other officers could get into position to get control. I really don't know how he was able to lift his gun and hold it on that kid until ESU got to us, but I can tell you I'm pretty damned glad he did," she said as Fred started drying the dishes.
"Yeah," Fred said in a soft voice as Faith started putting the dishes away. "So, you going back down there tomorrow?" Fred asked.
"Probably. I'll call and see how he's doing first. You know, if he's really out of it, I'll probably just wait until I'm at work and stop in when I bring someone into the ER," she said.
"You're going back out on partrol? Tomorrow?" Fred asked, putting the stack of dishes he had in his hand down on the counter roughly.
"Yeah, Fred. I think I am. After everything that happened, I remember not feeling afraid. Not hesitating. I think I'm ready," she said proudly.
"I thought you were going to ease into it. Besides, I kind of liked you behind the desk. I knew you were safe," Fred said and then remembered that everything happened today while she was working the desk and not on the streets.
"Well, I think I'd be safer out on the street," she said, jokingly.
"Well, if you're sure," Fred said. "Just be careful."
"Always," Faith answered, walking up behind him and putting her arms around his waist. Fred turned to return the embrace and felt Faith yawn in his grasp.
"Tired?" he asked.
"Mmm hmmm," she answered. "My first day back and all the excitement, I guess."
"Well, why don't you take a shower and settle in for the night - watch TV in the bedroom. I'll get the kids to bed and then I'll be in," he told her.
"I think I'll take you up on that, if you're sure," she said. "Thanks."
"No problem. Go ahead," he told her. He watched his wife walk down the hallway and disappear into the bathroom. A moment later, the shower turned on. He stood in the kitchen, thinking about all that happened today and how close he had come to losing his wife again. But, Bosco was there for her, like so many times in the past, like she'd always said he would be.
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The next morning, Fred left for work at his regular time, kissing Faith goodbye.
"I'll be home regular time to get the kids. Call me later when you get a chance," he told her.
"Okay. Have a good day," she said to him as he pulled the door closed behind him.
Now, he stood outside of Bosco's hospital room, just looking through the door at him. He was sleeping.
"Can I help you?" came the voice of one of the nurses.
"Oh," Fred said, startled. "I was just here to see Bosco," he said.
"Are you family?" the nurse asked him.
"Um, yeah. I'm his brother. I just got out of work," he lied. "Do you think I could go in for a minute? I won't wake him up," he asked.
"Just for a few minutes. He's still pretty out of it," the nurse said. "Do you want me to go in with you?" she asked, noticing the nervous look on his face.
"No, that's okay. I'll only be a minute," he said and the nurse smiled and left.
He took a couple of steps to the door and stopped for a moment. He looked up and down the hallway to see if there was anyone around and then stepped into the room.
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TBC...
Chapter 18
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well, how bad is it?" Emily asked Faith as Charlie looked on. Fred sat in the corner of the room, pretending to read the paper.
"Well, it's pretty serious," Faith said. "The bullet went in here," she said, pointing to the area on herself. "And then it hit something - probably a rib - and hit his lung and his spleen. But, the doctor said that they were able to get the bullet out and fix any damage. He said that he's gonna be okay though," she added and looked over at Charlie to see how he was handling it.
"Charlie? You okay?" she asked at the worried look on his face. "I know it's scary and that's okay. I'm scared too, but he's gonna be okay. I talked to him. He's uncomfortable, but he's okay."
"How'd it happen?" Charlie asked finally. Faith thought for a moment on whether or not to tell the whole story - including that she'd almost gotten shot again - and decided that she'd better be honest with them. She caught sight of Fred out of the corner of her eye and thought that maybe it would help Fred to understand and be forgiving if he heard the whole story too.
"Well, I was working at the station - the front desk - and there was this fight between two gangs. It was only a few blocks from the station," she started. She continued until she'd gotten through it all and finished with, "...and then ESU came in. They took over and got us out and Kim and Doc brought Bosco to the hospital. He had the surgery and now he's in a hospital room, recovering," she finished, looking over at Fred who had a weird look on his face.
"So, you guys have some homework, right?" she said, thinking that she and Fred could talk some more.
"Yeah. C'mon, Charlie," Emily said, standing up.
Charlie stood up and as they walked toward their room, he stopped and turned back to Faith. "Can we see him? I want to see him."
Faith looked at her son for a moment, then said, "Yeah, you can see him, but not for a couple of days. He's kind of out of it from the medicine and stuff. They're limiting visits to only immediate family. But, as soon as he's feeling better, I'll bring you over myself, okay?"
"Okay," he said and then he and Emily continued on down the hallway.
Faith stood to pick up some of the dishes off the table and, carrying them to the kitchen sink, she stole a glance at Fred. "You're pretty quiet," she said finally.
He stood up then and grabbed some of the dirty dishes and brought them into the kitchen. "So, if he was hurt so bad, how'd he do that when that guy had the gun pointed at you?" he asked, only half-believing her.
Faith gave a short laugh as she turned off the water when the sink was full. "Fred, there are things that Bosco has done that no one can figure out. It's like he's a bull sometimes and nothing can stop him. Like during that shootout with that guy when Sully and Davis were looking for Chevchenko - you know, when Ty got shot. He drew their fire so that other officers could get into position to get control. I really don't know how he was able to lift his gun and hold it on that kid until ESU got to us, but I can tell you I'm pretty damned glad he did," she said as Fred started drying the dishes.
"Yeah," Fred said in a soft voice as Faith started putting the dishes away. "So, you going back down there tomorrow?" Fred asked.
"Probably. I'll call and see how he's doing first. You know, if he's really out of it, I'll probably just wait until I'm at work and stop in when I bring someone into the ER," she said.
"You're going back out on partrol? Tomorrow?" Fred asked, putting the stack of dishes he had in his hand down on the counter roughly.
"Yeah, Fred. I think I am. After everything that happened, I remember not feeling afraid. Not hesitating. I think I'm ready," she said proudly.
"I thought you were going to ease into it. Besides, I kind of liked you behind the desk. I knew you were safe," Fred said and then remembered that everything happened today while she was working the desk and not on the streets.
"Well, I think I'd be safer out on the street," she said, jokingly.
"Well, if you're sure," Fred said. "Just be careful."
"Always," Faith answered, walking up behind him and putting her arms around his waist. Fred turned to return the embrace and felt Faith yawn in his grasp.
"Tired?" he asked.
"Mmm hmmm," she answered. "My first day back and all the excitement, I guess."
"Well, why don't you take a shower and settle in for the night - watch TV in the bedroom. I'll get the kids to bed and then I'll be in," he told her.
"I think I'll take you up on that, if you're sure," she said. "Thanks."
"No problem. Go ahead," he told her. He watched his wife walk down the hallway and disappear into the bathroom. A moment later, the shower turned on. He stood in the kitchen, thinking about all that happened today and how close he had come to losing his wife again. But, Bosco was there for her, like so many times in the past, like she'd always said he would be.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^
The next morning, Fred left for work at his regular time, kissing Faith goodbye.
"I'll be home regular time to get the kids. Call me later when you get a chance," he told her.
"Okay. Have a good day," she said to him as he pulled the door closed behind him.
Now, he stood outside of Bosco's hospital room, just looking through the door at him. He was sleeping.
"Can I help you?" came the voice of one of the nurses.
"Oh," Fred said, startled. "I was just here to see Bosco," he said.
"Are you family?" the nurse asked him.
"Um, yeah. I'm his brother. I just got out of work," he lied. "Do you think I could go in for a minute? I won't wake him up," he asked.
"Just for a few minutes. He's still pretty out of it," the nurse said. "Do you want me to go in with you?" she asked, noticing the nervous look on his face.
"No, that's okay. I'll only be a minute," he said and the nurse smiled and left.
He took a couple of steps to the door and stopped for a moment. He looked up and down the hallway to see if there was anyone around and then stepped into the room.
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TBC...