Disclaimer: not mine, and not going to be, unless one of these days someone wants to give me a crap load of money to buy it.

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"So did you bring her in?" Faiths face was etched with anger. She ground her left foot into the floor and waited for Swersky to answer her even unasked questions.

"She's in the wind. . ."

Faith cut him off with an outburst, "Oh, of COURSE she's in the wind, I mean what would you except from that rotten little bitch?" she couldn't believe she finished that sentence out loud; in front of her Lieutenant no less.

"I'll take into consideration the severity of the situation, and ignore that," he snapped, running his hand through his graying hair.

"Sorry Lieu," she stepped back a little and turned to go back to Bosco.

"Faith," he stepped in front of her, blocking the path to Bosco's door, "we have reason to believe that Animal and his boys were carrying out hits for Cruz. . .either of you could still be a target."

Faith was surprised. She hadn't actually thought that Cruz had been the one giving the orders, she hadn't actually thought about her involvement in the shooting at all.

"Targets? Of Sergeant Cruz?" She spoke in a shell-shocked manor. She subconsciously looked over her should, gazing into Bosco's room. He lay, in a restless sleep, the thought of Cruz wanting to hurt him surprised even Faith.

"We have little to go by, but Animals word, Bosco in the hospital, Cruz MIA, it all stand pretty good in my court," he sighed and followed Faiths gaze through the glass window, "how's he doing?"

Faith let out a sigh, "He's Bosco."

"Ok, keep me posted," he slid out of view and left Faith with her partner.

*~*^*~*

Bosco's eyes automatically flinched as the light from the hallway entered his room. The door opened and Faith flounced in as if she had not a care in the world.

"Who was that?" his voice was getting weaker from exhaustion and lack of use.

"Uh, just Swersky check'n in on us," she smiled a fake smile into the dark room. Bosco found himself nodding, despite his instinctive receptors for a lie. A lie by omission was no different.

"D'he have any leads?" he coughed, adjusting his position in the gurney.

"No, and you need to rest, your mom's going to want to see you eventually," she winked and brushed her hand gently on his arm.

"Stop lying to me Faith," he forced out.

She cast her eyes down and an imaginary spot on the floor, "nothing you need to worry about now, Ok?"

"If I felt better, I'd be mad, "he sucked in a breath and continued, "but I don't, so you lucked out."

"Ok," she smiled sadly, "feel up to seeing your mom?"

"Oh man, she's going to have it in for me," he kidded and slowly nodded his head.

Faith took a moment and leaned over his bed, brushing his short hair back, "Yeah, she isn't the happiest woman in the world, she cares about you."

"Don't I know it," he seemed to brace himself against the bed and Faith withdrew her gentle touch.

She took a step towards the door, then another, and another, until she was out in the hall. She scanned the chairs in the waiting room briefly before approaching the front desk.

"Mary, you see where Rose went?" She tapped the desk anxiously.

"Uh," she looked around, "I think she went to the cafeteria," she smiled warmly.

Faith returned the smile and took off toward the elevator. She reached out and pushed the "up" button. The doors opened and she looked hesitantly back at Bosco's door. A frown crept across her face and she pivoted on her heals, opting for a trip on the stairs.

*~*^*~*

The halls of the hospital had been silent since Faith had watched Rose enter her son's room. Faith choose a seat near the lounge to give them space and had aloud her eyes to slide closed for a rest.

It couldn't have been longer then a ten-minute rest before a loud outburst rang out from down the hall.

"Help! Someone help! Faith!" Came Rose's pleading cries. Her head and upper torso were protruding from Bosco's doorway and she had a clearly panic stricken look across her face.

Faith sprung for her chair in a complete daze. She pushed in the door, past Rose, and into the darkened room. The blaring alarms and the thrashing form of her partner were secondary causes to her next action. The first thing that hit her was the dark figure of a man, next to Bosco's bed, with his hands tightly brought around Bosco's neck.

"Police freeze!" Faiths voice echoed in the room and she raised her now unholstered gun. The man didn't move from his position and his grip on Bosco just became stronger.

The sounds swirled around Faith, the machines, Roses sobbing, the pitter-patter of hurried feet on the linoleum, an in an instant, the darkened figure rose his gun and all that could be heard was a single shot.

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TBC oh I'm so cruel huh?