Meanwhile, James looked up sharply as his ears caught a small noise.
"Did you hear that?" he asked Lisa. Lisa shook her head.
"Hang on." He said, disappearing out of the room. He ran in a few
seconds later, shutting the door quietly, but swearing. "Shit, they
found us!"
"What?" asked Lisa unbelievingly.
"They're here, the place is full of FBI and police."
Samantha looked up in hope.
"Shit!" said James.
"We gotta get outta here." said Lisa anxiously.
James nodded, moving towards Samantha to take her with them.
"Leave her we don't have time!" snapped Lisa. "Just shut her up for a bit."
James grinned and backhanded her in the face again, hard enough to knock her out.
"Come on, out the window. Quickly!" hissed Lisa.
They both climbed out the window into the backyard, not prepared for the police out there waiting to go in through the back. The police
looked as shocked to see them, as they must have looked.
"Police! Freeze!" Yelled Tom Raymond.
Lisa froze, but James in his adrenaline pumping state of mind turned and tried to escape by running to the fence. "Freeze!" yelled Tom again. "You're under arrest." James kept running for the fence, so Tom ran after him, tackling him to the ground. After a short struggle, Tom managed to get James in cuffs. Lisa who had stayed still and silent had allowed the cuffs to be put on her with no protest.
Tom went back into the house to find Jack. "We caught Riley and Atkins, trying to escape by climbing out a window. We're taking them down to the station and the ambulance has just arrived."
"Thanks Tom. Which window was it?"
"The back one there." said Tom pointing down the hall.
"Ok." said Jack walking down the hall, with the rest of the team on his heels.
They cautiously opened the door, guns ready, in case anyone was there, but they were not prepared for the sight that met them. A bloody and bruised Samantha, was slumped in a chair in the center of the room.
"Oh God." muttered Martin. "So much blood."
Almost every inch they could see of her was bloody, or black and blue.
Vivian ran out to the hall calling for the ambulance.
Jack stood in shock staring at his co-worker. Danny walked slowly over to Sam, cringing at the sight. Especially at the blood mixed with tears staining her face. Gathering his nerve, he reached over to check her pulse. Pressing his fingers on her pulse point he waited with baited breath to feel the pulse. When he couldn't feel it, his heart leapt to his throat, and he choked down his tears. "C'mon, c'mon" he whispered.
He shifted his fingers a bit and almost cried in relief when he felt a
beat beneath his fingers. "We got a pulse." he said loudly. "It weak,
but its there." The occupants in the room sighed in relief.
The paramedics came forward and cut the ropes that were tying Sam's wrists and ankles to the chair. They carefully lifted her on to a stretcher and carried her out to the ambulance. The team followed.
"Anyone riding with her?" asked the paramedic.
"I will." said Martin.
"We'll meet you there." said Danny.
Martin followed the paramedic into the ambulance, and watched as the paramedic gave her an oxygen mask, and several injections.
"Is she...will she be ok?" asked Martin nervously.
"She will be given time. If you had found her any later then she may not be so lucky." he said grimly.
Martin moved over to clasp Samantha's hand. "Hey college girl. You're gonna be ok. Just hang in there." he whispered, stroking the back of her hand. "You're gonna be fine."
He stayed like that whispering comforting phrases and holding her hand for the entire journey.
The vehicle stopped outside the hospital, jolting Martin out of his
routine.
"Excuse me sir." said the paramedic. "We have to get her to intensive care.
"Of course." said Martin "Is the waiting area up there?"
"Yes just follow me." said the paramedic.
The paramedics got Samantha out of the ambulance and wheeled her through the hospital.
The only thought running through Martin's mind was how pale and fragile she looked.
11pm
He was stopped by the paramedics outside some double doors. "I'm sorry, you can't go in here. The waiting area is down the hall first on your left." said the doctor.
"Thanks." said Martin walking towards the waiting room. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there when Danny, Vivian and Jack rushed in.
"How is she?"
"Any word?"
"What did the doctor say?" came the barrage of questions.
"I haven't heard anything yet." said Martin.
The others sat down dejectedly. They sat in anxious silence, waiting
for any word from the doctor.
They had been sitting for maybe 30 minutes when the doctor came in.
"How is she?" asked Martin immediately.
The doctor sighed. "She's stable for the moment, but we need to keep a close eye on her." he said unknowingly almost mimicking the same words spoken by James Riley a few hours earlier.
"But what's actually wrong?" asked Danny.
"Ok. Good news first, most of the cuts and bruises are superficial and will heal themselves in time. However some are more serious than others and required stitching. The other bad news, is that there is minor head trauma and concussion. Several broken or cracked ribs, but luckily no other broken bones. Umm, there is a large stab wound to her left shoulder which caused major blood loss. She's still unconscious, she's stable, but the severity of the injuries could cause that to change any moment. And her leg, where she was shot has got worse. She came in a
few weeks ago and we found that the through and through shot caused severe damage to the ligament in that part of the leg, it was healing fine, but she must have fallen or something because the tests show that the damage spread and a larger part is now damaged."
"I'm sorry, what damaged ligament? You said it was caused by the
gunshot?" said Jack
"Yeah, she found out a while ago. Didn't you know?" asked the doctor.
The others shook their head.
"Oh. Sorry I assumed you knew. Well I'd better go and check on the
other patients. I'll tell you as soon as I know anything new. She
should be fine, she's strong." The doctor hesitated for a moment as if he was going to say something, but then shook his head. The others looked at him puzzled, "Was there anything else?" asked Danny.
"Hmm. Oh, no sorry just thinking. Well I'd better be off."
"Thanks." said Martin, when the doctor had left he carried on, "Trust
Sam not to tell us something that important."
"Her and her pride. "said Danny.
"She did look in a lot of pain yesterday when I dropped her back. Must have been hurting quite a bit." said Martin.
Vivian looked concerned and sighed. "She's not going to like it if she
has to take time off you know."
"I gotta go home and see the kids. Sorry guys. Ring if there are any
changes." said Jack.
"Yeah I should go home too. See you in the morning. Please ring if you
hear anything at all, never mind the time." said Vivian.
"I'm gonna stay I think till someone kicks us out." said Danny.
"Same. We will ring when we hear anything. We promise." said Martin.
They had been sitting for about 10 minutes when the doctor came over to them. "You should go home and get some rest. She's still in surgery so you won't be able to see her for a few hours anyway."
"But what if she wakes up?" asked Martin.
"I'll call you straight away. I promise. Please go home rest, take a
shower whatever, and come back in a few hours. She is in the best care.
You need to look after yourselves."
"You will call right?"
"Yes, now go get some rest."
Unwillingly Danny and Martin found themselves forced out of the
hospital by the doctor who made them promise to get some rest.
"Remember you'll be no good to her if you collapse from exhaustion." he said.
5am
Danny and Martin had gotten taxis back to their apartments. After
dozing fitfully for a few hours Danny called Martin and they had
decided to go back to the hospital.
Martin walked in Samantha's room to see her for the first time, from when they took her in. The doctors hadn't let any one in earlier so it wouldn't disturb her. She had come out of surgery, and had all the cuts stitched up and was now in intensive care. She was lying on the bed, covered in tubes, bandages and needles all containing lifesaving substances. Martin sat down on the chair next to her bed and just sat there for a moment looking at Sam. He reached out for her hand, cringing when he saw the marks and bruises on her wrist.
"Hey Sam. You gotta wake up soon. Please, we miss you you know. God just seeing you like this...Please wake up." said Martin looking down,
Samantha's hand twitched.
"Samantha?" asked Martin, his head shooting up to look at Samantha's face.
"Sam?"
Martin heard a small groan and her eyes also twitched, before opening and looking straight at him.
"Sam, hi."
"Martin?" said Sam in a weak voice.
"Yeah it's me. How are you feeling?"
"It hurts, it hurts so much."
"What does?" asked Martin worried.
Samantha coughed slightly turning her head away, when she turned back, Martin was shocked to see a trickle of blood coming out the side of her mouth.
"I'm so tired." she said weakly, not noticing the blood.
"You just need to rest Sam. I uhh I'll get the nurse."
"I'm fine. Just need....to...." she stopped mid sentence her face
constricting in pain, the heart monitor suddenly increasing its beeping frantically.
"Shit." said Martin looking around for the call button, and the
pressing it repeatedly.
The monitor decreased its beeping, Martin looked at the monitor.
"Shit." he swore again. The monitor was slowing worryingly, her heart beat decreasing.
"C'mon." he said pressing the button.
The doctor and a nurse ran in and immediately rushed round checking everything.
A long steady beep suddenly sound in the room as Samantha flat lined.
"We need a crash card now!" yelled the doctor
"Sorry Sir, but you'll have to leave." said the nurse ushering Martin
out the door.
Martin stood in the hallway looking shocked. Danny rushed over to him.
"What happened? Why did the doctor rush in?"
Martin turned his face and teary eyes towards Danny.
"She..uh...she flatlined. They got a crash card in there."
"Oh my God." said Danny "Will she ummm will she be ok?"
"I don't know the doctor didn't say. We'll just have to wait I guess."
They sat down in the plastic chairs waiting for any news.
"I'll call Viv and Jack when we hear anymore." said Danny.
Martin nodded not wanting to speak.
They waited anxiously for about 15 minutes, to them it seemed a lot longer.
The doctor walked out and the rushed over to him.
"What happened?" asked Martin "Is she ok?"
"Well the beatings that she received caused some internal bleeding
which we thought was fine and that it was under control, but it began haemorrhaging, and.... I'm sorry but she's in a coma. She will wake up we just don't know when. The longer she stays in a coma the less likely it is that she will wake up. I'm sorry. But she's strong, and that will count for something."
Martin and Danny looked devastated.
"I should go call the others." said Danny holding back tears. "Excuse me." walking down the hall.
The doctor gave Martin a pat on the back and said reassuringly "I',
sure she will make a full recovery." The doctor walked off leaving
Martin to collapse in one of the chairs unable to stop the tears
pouring down his face.