Chapter 2 Warning! This story contains a violent crime against one of our favorites.
Rated PG 13 for sexual themes, violence, language and anything else that may be offensive. Thanks to those of you who gave such kind reviews. This was a hard story to write and while I cannot explain my reasons for it, my hope is that somewhere down the line someone will benefit from it by the time it's done. Please give me your feed back on this and again I truly hope that no one is offended. It was never my intention to do so.
Disclaimer: I own nothing or anyone to do with Third Watch.
Bosco was nearly out of his mind by the time he got to Faiths apartment. After hearing everything on the phone until he could stand it no longer. He had put the phone on the car seat, but could still hear her cries for help. Filled with rage and adrenaline rushing through his veins, he was up the stairs to her apartment in record time. With his gun drawn, when he reached her door he never even stopped, he just simply went through it. Faith, hearing her door crashing open feared her attacker was back. Wrapped in the sheet from the bed she made her way over to a corner of the room and crouched down on the floor. She heard his footsteps coming down the hallway but didn't connect that someone was calling out her name. Neither did she notice the sirens as they stopped in front of her building. All she could think of was that he was back! He checked every room quickly on the way even though he knew he'd most likely find her in her bedroom. "Faith! Faith!?! Where are you?!" Bosco called out desperately. "Faith!" Bosco reached her bedroom. His eyes wild with fear and rage. Holding his gun ready hoping to catch the bastard so he could kill him. He saw no one. He looked for a light to turn on but from what he could see from the window light the only lamp in the room was lying in pieces on the floor. He was about to turn and leave to search another room again when he heard what sounded like muffled crying from the far left corner of the room near the dresser. Faith still not coherent enough to realize who it was tried to back herself further into the corner of the wall knowing he had seen her. With her heart pounding and breathing ragged she pleaded. "No.... Please no more!" Her voice breaking as she spoke. Bosco realizing he'd found her looked at her horrified as he lowered his weapon and knelt down beside her.
"Oh my God Faith!" He reached for her, but she didn't recognize him at first and coward away. Thinking she was probably in shock and knowing what she must have thought he tried to control the emotion in his voice as he said gently and softer. "Faith it's me. It's Bosco." Finally she looked up at him with eyes full of tears and a shatter look that broke his heart and said with a weak and raspy voice.
"Bosco?" "It's okay Faith. He's gone. He's gone now." Looking him in the eyes she understood then and reached for him, clinging to him as if he were her life line. Relieved, that she was safe yet still so completely afraid.
He held her tightly. She was trembling so violently. Unable to control herself she sobbed into his chest. He simply just couldn't help it as his own tears began to fall one by one down his cheeks as he held the back of her head, gently stroking her hair.
"It's alright Faith. I've got you now. I've got you." he whispered into her hair choking on the words. He'd failed her again. He hadn't been able to protect her or stop this from happening. If only he could've gotten here sooner or better yet, if only he'd already been here when the son-of-a-bitch came in! "Why Bosco? Why?" she sobbed. "Wh..What did I do?" she cried all the more. "Why?" His jaw tightening as he held her, he just shook his head.
"I don't know Faith." he said almost whispering. Then realizing what she had just said. He shook his head again as he firmly told her, holding both sides of her face, looking her dead straight in the eyes, "You! Didn't do anything wrong you hear? Look at me Faith." he told her when she tried to look away. "You.. didn't do anything!" His voice deep with emotion as he pulled her back closer to him trying to comfort her.
A moment or so later there was a voice calling from the busted doorway into her apartment. "Police!" Bosco knew the voice instantly and identified himself to Sully telling him that it was Faith. That they were in the back room and that all was clear, but he needed a bus now! Sully called for the ambulance and stated that it was a member of the force as he and Davis entered the room. Bosco shouted over his shoulder at them to go look in one of the other rooms and grab a lamp of some kind. Faith just buried her face in Bosco's shirt begging Davis and Sully to go away. She couldn't bear the thought of her friends seeing her this way. She tried pulling the sheet tighter around herself. But at the same time she was also becoming extremely light headed and dizzy. Within minutes Kim and Carlos arrive. Sully pointed down the hallway to where she was just as Davis plugged in a lamp. Faith was losing consciousness. What no one had seen in the darkened room was that she was hemorrhaging. Bosco had been holding her and rocking her back and forth lightly when she suddenly went limp. "Faith?" Bosco asked lightly when he felt the full weight of her body against his. The light from the lamp had been switched on at the same instant she had passed out and Kim and Carlos entered the room. Bosco looked down at Faith's pale features horrified when he saw the blood soaked sheet and her bruised and beaten body in the light that now flooded the room. He shook her gently trying to wake her. "Faith!" his voice becoming panicked again.
Kim, finally convincing him to move so that they could work began checking her vitals quickly. Faiths breathing had become shallow, her pulse was weakening and she knew they needed to get her to the hospital and fast! Judging from her bruises that were clearly visible now, she knew that there could be internal bleeding as well. They carefully loaded her on to the backboard covering her with a blanket and then out to the bus. With sirens blaring through the night they rushed her off to Mercy. By now Bosco was almost in shock himself as he stood there watching the ambulance going further away from them. He glanced down at himself taking in the sight of her blood on his shirt and jeans, even on parts of his shoes. The sight taking him back to the night at Nobles hotel room. He too was shaking furiously. He felt as though he might throw up. This was almost more than even his mind could accept. He just couldn't lose Faith too. Davis and Sully seeing their friend and the state he was in offered him a lift to Mercy with them. He hadn't been allow to ride in the ambulance with Faith, and Kim had given him no time to argue before pulling the doors closed on the bus.
In the ambulance on the way to the hospital Kim grabbed a stack of four by fours shoving them between Faiths legs in an attempt to control some of the bleeding. She shook her head in disgust at what had happened to her friend. She quickly started an IV bag and was giving her oxygen to help her breathing. Faith was drifting in and out of consciousness as Carlos sped through the streets thankful it was night and traffic wasn't a problem. Sully, Davis and Bosco right behind them now.

More than two hours had passed since they'd brought Faith in. Ty had called Lt. Swersky to let him know what was happening and told him that they were staying at the hospital with Bosco until they had some word on her condition. He had cleaned himself up in the lounge restroom to the best of his ability once they'd been told it could be awhile before they would know anything. Bosco sat with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands as he waited. Now and then he would get up and pace clinching his fist, looking through the E R doors for any signs of Faith. He thought surely Mary would've come and told them something by now. What if it was even worse than they'd thought? Kim and Carlos had been called away for another run. But promised to check back as soon as they were able.
Swersky had just arrived a short time earlier and questioned Sully and Davis on what they knew had happened. Then he came and took the seat beside of Bosco. At first he just sat there with him not wanting to have to question him, but if they were going to have any chance of finding this bastard he knew he had to gather as much information as quickly as possible.
"Bosco?" Just as the Lieutenant was about to began and finally after the third hour had passed a doctor came out asking to speak to a man named Bosco.
He jumped up when he heard his name called and quickly made his way over to hear what the doc. had to say. The doctor was apparently new to Mercy Bosco noted, or at least to the emergency room. He had never seen this one before.
"I'm Bosco." he stated anxiously looking at the doc. trying to read his expression.
"Hi, I'm Doctor Hardison he introduced himself.
"Okay, why don't we talk over here." he motioned toward an empty space in the waiting room away from the other people. Ty and Sully exchanged glances at one another taking in the grim look on the doctors face.
"First of all she's stable now. She's lost a lot of blood so we're still in the process of giving her some back.. Whoever did this to her was extremely rough on her. She was torn pretty badly and it's taken some time to control the bleeding. We've done test to make sure that there was no internal bleeding. She does have a very mild concussion. The rest of her injuries are pretty much superficial and should heal quickly enough. We're going to keep her here for observation over the next twenty-four hours and see how she does." "She's been given medication for the pain and a light sedative that we can increase if she becomes too upset again. We also have her on antibiotic IV fluids to help ward off any infections as well as giving her blood. The rape kit should be ready to send off shortly.
I know I don't need to tell you she's been through hell tonight. Physically she should be fine in a week or so provided no complications should arise, but emotionally it's going to take some time and she's going to need all the support she can get. Come with me and I'll show you to her room. She's been asking for you." Bosco just nodded his head in agreement and followed Doctor Hardison to her room.
He took a deep breath before entering her room not knowing what to expect. Sure he'd seen plenty of things like this happen to other women but this was Faith. His Faith! He also knew that some of those women never fully recovered. When he walked in he couldn't help but flinch a bit as he saw her bruised face and the marks on her arms and neck. He was gonna catch this sorry son-of-a-bitch and when he did, he knew he'd kill him, but not until after he'd tortured him first with a beating and a half. He could feel the heat from his anger rising in him as he moved closer to Faith, his fist clinched tightly at his sides.

She seem to be sleeping and he didn't want to frighten her but just let her know that he was here for her. "Faith?" he all but whispered. She opened her eyes and upon seeing him they quickly filled with tears again. "Hey." she said quietly, looking down at the bed sheet, trying to smile a little for his sake. He came and stood beside her taking her hand in his. She looked away from him shamefully. Reaching around he pulled up a stool and sat down beside her bed never losing the connection with her hand. "It's gonna be alright Faith." he said softly. She just shook her head. "I should've been able to fight him off Bos. I'm a trained New York City police officer. He was just too strong." she said as silent tears fell down her cheeks. She couldn't look at him.
"Faith, I promise you! I'll never let anything like this happen to you again! Ever!" His voice heavy with emotion again. He knew he was on the verge of breaking down again himself. She just looked so broken and it was killing him. He loved her. Plain and simple. He always had. He'd never felt the way he did about anyone like he did Faith. He loved the sound of her laughter, the way she picked on him teasingly, the way he could always talk to her about anything. She had a beauty about her that was unlike anyone else's when she smiled. He loved the way they could read each other, but as much as anything her strong spirit. The more time they had spent together over the last several months the stronger his feelings had become. If he thought he'd felt bad last year, it was nothing compared to this. He just felt so damn helpless.
He was hoping to be able to tell her someday soon how he felt now that it was over between her and Fred, but he knew he had to give her some space first. And now this! Still.... no matter what, for as long as she would let him he would do everything within his power to take care of her and protect her like never before. Even if it meant camping out on her door step. Nothing or nobody was ever going to hurt her again. Not as long as he was alive!
She knew he was blaming himself for not being able to get there in time. "Bosco don't." she said as another tear escaped rolling down to her neck. He looked up at her questioning. "Please don't blame yourself." He put her hand to his lips. "I'm so sorry Faith." "It's not your fault Bos." "Just stay with me a little while please?" "I know I must look awful but please don't leave." She said weakly. She was beginning to drift off to sleep, but not before he reassured her that he would never leave her.
Mary Proctor had been coming in now and then to check her vitals and see that she was still stable. Bosco had ask her to talk to Sully, Davis and the Lieu who had still been in the waiting room.
She was sleeping now. He sat there with her, watching her as she slept for several hours. Afraid that if he took his eyes off of her for one second something else would happen to her.
It was well in to the morning now. After awhile though he too, being exhausted, gently laid his head down by her hand still holding it firmly in his own as he allowed himself to drift off listening to the soft sound of her breathing. Comforting each other just by the simplicity of the touch of their hands.