When they arrived at the hospital, a news team was there, ready to pounce. As she got out the camera crews jumped on her as the reporters asked offending questions.
"How does it feel, after losing your brother to help someone?"
"How does it feel coping with losing your brother then almost losing your life?"
Mercedes tried to dodge them and went into the ER. Mary Proctor saw her and the reporters and moved her to an exam room so she could be left alone. Bosco walked in a few minutes after she was settled and looked at her, sitting on her bed.
"Your hero of the day. You found that homeless lady and saved Walsh." He pet her hand as she just stared at him.
"I was doing my job. Why are camera's here? I've saved people before and reporters never bothered me. Why now?" Bosco shrugged because he didn't know.
"They keep asking me about Mikey. He died 3 months ago can't they ever leave things alone? There is no point in bringing up; there is nothing to report anymore." She sat up and started coughing as a nurse walked in.
"Mercedes! Get that mask back on!" She barked she passed her a washcloth to clean the soot off her face.
After 3 hours of oxygen, she was let out of the hospital. Bosco took her to 55 David and opened the door for her, moving to get in himself. Pulling the door the rest of the way, a camera crew jumped at her and a reporter got in her face with questions.
"Mrs. Nieto! How does it feel knowing you saved the life of a fellow firefighter, but couldn't save your own brother?" The reporter stood there, waiting for an answer, as Mercedes face went emotionless. Bosco waited for her to get in before he closed his door.
"You want to know how I feel? You really want to know?" In the blink of an eye, Mercedes jumped the reporter and knocked her to the ground, punching her about the face repeatedly. Holding the reporter by the neck, she started pummeling her face with her left fist. Bosco jumped out with Faith and tore the 2 girls apart. By the time they had the two women apart, the reporter was bleeding profusely. Bosco held his sister against the car as the reporter curled into a ball and started screaming about her face. Looking at his sister, he knew why she did it, but it still wasn't right. He moved her into the car and closed the door behind her. She watched him and Faith get in and started to bawl. Looking at her hand, her knuckles were bleeding, but she had punched the reporter with her left hand. She wore her wedding ring on that hand. Bosco called into the station to call the hospital and get the reporter. She suddenly felt terrible for beating on her.
"Oh god... I could have killed her... What have I done?" Covering her face she started to cry harder. Faith looked back and sighed, shaking her head to Bosco who was just as distraught. He had never seen his sister flip out like that before, on anyone.
When they got back to the Precinct, Bosco let his sister out and she didn't even look at him, just ran in the firehouse and up the stairs. Carlos was standing there, getting ready to leave, talking to Kim about going to pick up his wife, when Mercedes ran by him and continued to the 3rd floor where the beds and showers were. Seeing her run by and Bosco fly up after he stopped Bosco.
"Whats going on?" Carlos looked worried and Kim stared up towards the bedrooms.
"Mercedes just beat the crap out of a reporter who asked her the wrong question. She almost killed the poor girl." Bosco stood there. He knew not to go up there. Looking at Kim, she nodded, knowing he wanted her try to talk to Mercedes. Moving towards the upstairs, She walked up slowly, listening for Mercedes.
"Mercedes, Merc? Are you all right?" She moved through the bedrooms to the bathroom and saw Mercedes holding her hand, crying. Her heart sank, seeing Mercedes cowering in the corner.
"I beat her. I wanted to kill her and I couldn't help it. She was staring at me, expecting me to answer her. All I could think of to do was kill her." She stood up and started to wipe the blood off her hands. Sighing she moved by Kim and got her things, shoving them into the FDNY bag she had. Kim watched her walk away and shook her head. Following her, Kim watched her go to the kitchen and stop halfway to the stairs. Kim looked at what Mercedes was looking at. It was the news report of the reporter who got beaten an hour or so ago.
*****TV*****
"She just came at me. I was doing my job and she started hitting me. God knows what other damage I might have suffered. That firefighter is a menace to society. She's a loose cannon! God knows whom she'll hit next. Maybe one of the guys she works with. She should be fired." The woman ranted on camera, as her nose was bandaged. Mercedes blinked as she dropped the bag. Jimmy turned and jumped up, hugging her as she started to cry.
"They aren't going to fire me, are they? I can't lose this job; it's all I know! Please don't let them, Jimmy." She sank to the floor as Jimmy went with her, holding onto her. Carlos came up to see Jimmy holding Mercedes and Kim sitting behind her, rubbing her back.
"What happened?" He rushed to his wife's side.
"That reporter she beat up made a public appearance, saying she should be fired and she's a loose cannon." Jimmy said softly, caressing her hair. He loved Mercedes with all of his heart. Mercedes was the little sister he never had. He knew from the time she was 19 until now. They had lost friends, and gained friends. He wasn't about to lose this one.
"Mercedes, Love... Come on. Let's get you home." Carlos moved to her and helped her up. Wiping her eyes, she looked at Carlos.
"I can't lose this job. If I do, I'll lose my mind. Don't let them take this from me too." She leaned on him as he wrapped his arm around her waist, and guided her down the stairs. Jimmy followed with Kim as Doc stopped at the foot of the stairs. Looking at her, he looked at Jimmy. Carlos moved by her and outside, towards Bosco's car. Jimmy looked at Doc and frowned, telling him what happened.
Bosco walked out of the precinct house with Faith, Ty and Sully. Getting close to his car, in the middle of a conversation, Ty patted his shoulder and pointed behind him. Bosco saw Carlos leading Mercedes towards him and walked over.
"What the hell happened!" Bosco looked at Carlos, who pointed towards Jimmy. Bosco moved towards Jimmy and growled. After telling Bosco the story, Jimmy patted his back and told him everything would be all right. Bosco took a look at him. He was pissed now. No one said that shyt about his sister without getting in some kind of trouble.
"Ty..Take Mercedes and Carlos home! I have something I need to do." Without even getting an answer, Bosco was in his car and backed up, skidding off. Faith looked at Ty. She knew what Bosco was going to do. Carlos looked towards Ty who moved towards his car, and let them in.
At the hospital, Bosco barged into the ER and asked Proctor where the reporter was. Mary told him she wasn't allowed visitors, but Bosco saw the reporter in her room. Proctor grabbed his arm. Getting out of her grasp, he walked into her room and got in her face.
"You leave my sister alone! She's been through enough shit and she doesn't need you saying she's nuts! Leave my family alone! I ever hear you said something bad about my sister again, your going to wish you went into another line of work!" With that he stormed back out.
"How does it feel, after losing your brother to help someone?"
"How does it feel coping with losing your brother then almost losing your life?"
Mercedes tried to dodge them and went into the ER. Mary Proctor saw her and the reporters and moved her to an exam room so she could be left alone. Bosco walked in a few minutes after she was settled and looked at her, sitting on her bed.
"Your hero of the day. You found that homeless lady and saved Walsh." He pet her hand as she just stared at him.
"I was doing my job. Why are camera's here? I've saved people before and reporters never bothered me. Why now?" Bosco shrugged because he didn't know.
"They keep asking me about Mikey. He died 3 months ago can't they ever leave things alone? There is no point in bringing up; there is nothing to report anymore." She sat up and started coughing as a nurse walked in.
"Mercedes! Get that mask back on!" She barked she passed her a washcloth to clean the soot off her face.
After 3 hours of oxygen, she was let out of the hospital. Bosco took her to 55 David and opened the door for her, moving to get in himself. Pulling the door the rest of the way, a camera crew jumped at her and a reporter got in her face with questions.
"Mrs. Nieto! How does it feel knowing you saved the life of a fellow firefighter, but couldn't save your own brother?" The reporter stood there, waiting for an answer, as Mercedes face went emotionless. Bosco waited for her to get in before he closed his door.
"You want to know how I feel? You really want to know?" In the blink of an eye, Mercedes jumped the reporter and knocked her to the ground, punching her about the face repeatedly. Holding the reporter by the neck, she started pummeling her face with her left fist. Bosco jumped out with Faith and tore the 2 girls apart. By the time they had the two women apart, the reporter was bleeding profusely. Bosco held his sister against the car as the reporter curled into a ball and started screaming about her face. Looking at his sister, he knew why she did it, but it still wasn't right. He moved her into the car and closed the door behind her. She watched him and Faith get in and started to bawl. Looking at her hand, her knuckles were bleeding, but she had punched the reporter with her left hand. She wore her wedding ring on that hand. Bosco called into the station to call the hospital and get the reporter. She suddenly felt terrible for beating on her.
"Oh god... I could have killed her... What have I done?" Covering her face she started to cry harder. Faith looked back and sighed, shaking her head to Bosco who was just as distraught. He had never seen his sister flip out like that before, on anyone.
When they got back to the Precinct, Bosco let his sister out and she didn't even look at him, just ran in the firehouse and up the stairs. Carlos was standing there, getting ready to leave, talking to Kim about going to pick up his wife, when Mercedes ran by him and continued to the 3rd floor where the beds and showers were. Seeing her run by and Bosco fly up after he stopped Bosco.
"Whats going on?" Carlos looked worried and Kim stared up towards the bedrooms.
"Mercedes just beat the crap out of a reporter who asked her the wrong question. She almost killed the poor girl." Bosco stood there. He knew not to go up there. Looking at Kim, she nodded, knowing he wanted her try to talk to Mercedes. Moving towards the upstairs, She walked up slowly, listening for Mercedes.
"Mercedes, Merc? Are you all right?" She moved through the bedrooms to the bathroom and saw Mercedes holding her hand, crying. Her heart sank, seeing Mercedes cowering in the corner.
"I beat her. I wanted to kill her and I couldn't help it. She was staring at me, expecting me to answer her. All I could think of to do was kill her." She stood up and started to wipe the blood off her hands. Sighing she moved by Kim and got her things, shoving them into the FDNY bag she had. Kim watched her walk away and shook her head. Following her, Kim watched her go to the kitchen and stop halfway to the stairs. Kim looked at what Mercedes was looking at. It was the news report of the reporter who got beaten an hour or so ago.
*****TV*****
"She just came at me. I was doing my job and she started hitting me. God knows what other damage I might have suffered. That firefighter is a menace to society. She's a loose cannon! God knows whom she'll hit next. Maybe one of the guys she works with. She should be fired." The woman ranted on camera, as her nose was bandaged. Mercedes blinked as she dropped the bag. Jimmy turned and jumped up, hugging her as she started to cry.
"They aren't going to fire me, are they? I can't lose this job; it's all I know! Please don't let them, Jimmy." She sank to the floor as Jimmy went with her, holding onto her. Carlos came up to see Jimmy holding Mercedes and Kim sitting behind her, rubbing her back.
"What happened?" He rushed to his wife's side.
"That reporter she beat up made a public appearance, saying she should be fired and she's a loose cannon." Jimmy said softly, caressing her hair. He loved Mercedes with all of his heart. Mercedes was the little sister he never had. He knew from the time she was 19 until now. They had lost friends, and gained friends. He wasn't about to lose this one.
"Mercedes, Love... Come on. Let's get you home." Carlos moved to her and helped her up. Wiping her eyes, she looked at Carlos.
"I can't lose this job. If I do, I'll lose my mind. Don't let them take this from me too." She leaned on him as he wrapped his arm around her waist, and guided her down the stairs. Jimmy followed with Kim as Doc stopped at the foot of the stairs. Looking at her, he looked at Jimmy. Carlos moved by her and outside, towards Bosco's car. Jimmy looked at Doc and frowned, telling him what happened.
Bosco walked out of the precinct house with Faith, Ty and Sully. Getting close to his car, in the middle of a conversation, Ty patted his shoulder and pointed behind him. Bosco saw Carlos leading Mercedes towards him and walked over.
"What the hell happened!" Bosco looked at Carlos, who pointed towards Jimmy. Bosco moved towards Jimmy and growled. After telling Bosco the story, Jimmy patted his back and told him everything would be all right. Bosco took a look at him. He was pissed now. No one said that shyt about his sister without getting in some kind of trouble.
"Ty..Take Mercedes and Carlos home! I have something I need to do." Without even getting an answer, Bosco was in his car and backed up, skidding off. Faith looked at Ty. She knew what Bosco was going to do. Carlos looked towards Ty who moved towards his car, and let them in.
At the hospital, Bosco barged into the ER and asked Proctor where the reporter was. Mary told him she wasn't allowed visitors, but Bosco saw the reporter in her room. Proctor grabbed his arm. Getting out of her grasp, he walked into her room and got in her face.
"You leave my sister alone! She's been through enough shit and she doesn't need you saying she's nuts! Leave my family alone! I ever hear you said something bad about my sister again, your going to wish you went into another line of work!" With that he stormed back out.