A Hopeless Wound (2/?)

Author's Note: Wow... I mean, wow! I totally wasn't expecting all those great reviews, you guys really made my day! :) A BIG thank you to everyone who replied. If you didn't, here's another chance to let me know if you like the story. (thirdwatchfanatic, thanks for your suggestion, that's what happens when english is not your first language...)

So, you ready to find out who got shot?

Enjoy!

***

Chapter two

***

Bosco instinctively ducked from where he was leaning against the wall as he heard the bullet splinter through the glass. He stood still for a moment, waiting for a second shot, but it never came.

Slowly raising his head, he looked up at the window.

His eyes widened. It was still intact.

He carefully stood up, his hand clutching the curtain as he peered outside.

Nothing.

Still shaken, he raked a hand through his hair and looked to the doorway. His blood froze. "Ma?"

Fear stabbed him, and he had to force down the panic that followed as he hurried out of the room and down the hall. "Ma!"

Heart racing underneath his shirt, he strained to locate a shape in the darkness of the apartment as he called her again.

No answer.

A gust of cold wind hit him as soon as he entered the bedroom, and he stared in horror at the broken window. His gaze slowly travelled to the shards of glass littering the floor, and finally came to rest on his mother's still body lying on top of them.

"Ma? Oh no..." he immediately crouched down beside her and started to apply pressure on the wound, trying not to focus on the red stain growing wider and wider on her white blouse. "Mom, talk to me! Oh no... no, no, no..." he repeated over and over, shaking his head as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Maurice..." Rose murmured, her eyes searching Bosco's frightened ones.

"I'm here, Ma. It's okay, I got you."

"You... hurt?" her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

He chocked back a sob. "No, I'm okay. Just... just stay with me. I'm gonna get you help."

Satisfied that her son wasn't injured, Rose slowly closed her eyes. Bosco's stomach sank. "Stay with me, Ma... stay with me..."

He shifted, placing her head into his lap, then pulled his cell phone out of his jeans pocket and frantically dialled 911. A few moments passed before he heard a voice on the other end of the line. "Yeah, this is... Maurice Boscorelli, NYPD, badge number 3379. My mother... she was shot. I need a bus on a rush." He blinked back tears. "1844 148th street, apartment 10. Hurry up. Please..."

After shoving the phone back into his pocket, he grasped his mother's hand. "Did you hear that, mom? They're coming, but you need to stay awake. Please open your eyes..." His voice cracked as the tears finally started to fall but he kept talking, begging her to hold on until the paramedics showed up, his left hand still firmly pressed on her chest to try and stop the bleeding.

***

Jermaine Marks smiled to himself as he slid into the passenger's seat and listened to the engine roaring as the car quickly sped away from the scene, the rifle that had just fired the evil shot now safely tucked under the backseat.

The good thing about ground-level apartments was that they provided quick escape routes, and that was one of the reasons why he'd agreed to do the job in the first place. He could kill a man and make his escape in less than a minute.

"We did good, Len." he said to his brother, patting him on the shoulder. "Real good."

They'd followed the cop for close to two weeks, learned his habits and schedule, and agreed that the best way to go was to surprise him when he came home at night, but a stupid accident between a car and an MTA bus had cost he and Leonard almost an hour. When they'd finally reached the building, the man was already home.

Vernon had told them to make sure he was alone, but they didn't have time to check that. He'd always been alone. Why would tonight be any different?

Jermaine had almost been ready to fire when he'd first spotted him leaning against the window, but then Leonard had drawn his attention to a man walking his dog on the opposite side of the street, and he'd had to get back in the car. A few moments later, he'd seen him again in the other room, and this time he'd pulled the trigger.

The shot had meant to kill, and although the man had moved at the last second, he was almost positive that he would not recover from his wound.

He remembered the excitement coursing through his veins just before he'd fired his weapon. He hadn't experienced something like that in a long time, since his days with the Marines, but in that split second, as he held the man's life in his hands, he'd felt truly alive.

Vernon was right. It was a great feeling.

"One shot, baby. BANG!" Leonard laughed from the driver's side, his fingers mimicking the shape of a gun.

"You said it, bro." He grinned. "I'm still the man!"

Jermaine didn't know much about the cop, but he didn't need it. Vernon was in jail because of him, and that was enough.

***

Bosco stood outside the trauma room, his teary eyes fixed on the blur of activity surrounding his mother's unconscious body.

He hadn't moved or said a word to anyone since he'd bustled through the emergency doors, but the look of utter desperation on his face spoke volumes, and the whole medical personnel, from the head doctor down to the very last nurse, was doing their best not to get in his way.

The name Maurice Boscorelli was familiar at Angel of Mercy, but today they all wished they'd never seen this side of him. It was far more preferable to deal with his bad attitude than to witness his silent pain.

Mary Proctor, the only one who was partly aware of his family's history, had met his gaze a couple times as she feverishly worked along with the doctor. She'd tried to give him a small smile, but she knew better than to lie to him. His mother was in very serious condition, and although they usually never gave up on their patients, Mary could tell her chances of recovery were pretty slim.

All she could do was pray for a miracle. She really didn't want to be the one to break the news to him if the woman didn't make it.

After what seemed like an hour, the doors finally slid open. Dr. Fields, who was holding one end of the gurney, was the first to come out, followed by Mary and two other nurses he didn't recognize.

"How is she?" Bosco asked as he broke out of his trance and gripped the metal railing, following them across the long corridor.

"We need to move her to the OR. Now. You can take the other elevator to the surgical waiting area."

He nodded and took Rose's hand. "Ma, can you hear me? It's gonna be okay."

She moaned and weakly turned her head toward her son's voice.

"They need to take you up to surgery now, but I'll be right outside. It's gonna be alright..."

Rose gave his hand a light squeeze and tried to moisten her lips.

He leaned closer, ignoring the doctor's disapproving stare. "What is it, Mom?"

She felt the warmth of his breath on her face and despite the increasing pain, managed to utter a few words. "I... I'm glad it was me and not... you." She knew there was a chance she might notmake it, and tried to prepare him so he wouldn't take it too hard. "Thank you... for keeping that promise."

A lonely tear slid down his cheek.

"Maurice..."

"Yeah."

"Don't be sad... I love you." She whispered, her eyes pleading for him to understand.

"I love you too." Bosco kissed her on her forehead, struggling to hold onto his composure while stopping himself from shattering into a million pieces.

Mary bit her bottom lip and turned away, almost embarrassed to have been the involuntary witness of such a private moment.

"Officer, we really need to go now." Dr. Field's voice was grave.

He nodded again and moved aside, watching them as they disappeared inside the elevator. His hand was shaking as he lifted it to rub his temple, the same hand that had tried to stop his mother's precious blood from leaking on the tile floor just half an hour ago.

'Don't you die before me...'

The words she'd said to him after the fire at the grocery store were still echoing in his ears.

'Thank you... for keeping that promise'

'Don't be sad... I love you'

A shiver ran down his spine. It almost sounded as if she... No, she wouldn't... she couldn't.

Swallowing hard, he slowly made his way to the fifth floor.

This was going to be a long night.

TBC...