This can't be happening. Faith can't be lying here in front of me, fighting for her life and for the life inside of her. I want her to open her yes; I want her to tell me everything's going to be okay because I'd believe her. I trust anything she tells me. I don't want to see her here; I don't want this to be happening to us. We've had too many complications in the past for us to be hit with another one. And this one hits home. She's not showing yet; the timings right. I know in my heart that this baby is mine. I should've seen the signs, should've realized what they meant earlier, then I'd have her on desk duty, far from the danger on the streets. I know she would've fought me on it, she hates working the desk, but I don't care, the life of her child is far more important.
Why didn't you let me take those bullets? I have a goddamn vest on too, Faith! Why do you have to care so much about me? Why'd you do it when you know there's a chance of hurting this baby?
"ETA, 2 minutes." Grace says from the front, "how's she doing?"
"She's unconscious and her vitals are dropping." Carlos tells her, and I hold my breath for a moment. You hold on, Faith, you have to make it so I can kick your ass later for doing something so foolish.
"Is she going to be okay?" I manage to say, even though I really don't want to hear the answer to my question. For fear it's not gonna be good.
Carlos glances at me for a brief moment, "we'll know once we get to Mercy. The worst is possible hemorrhaging," he says right before he sticks a needle in Faith's shoulder, injecting her with a clear liquid.
All this from being shot? I can't believe it's this serious. Faith and I have taken bullets in the vest before, we never did bleed internally or anything as critical as possible hemorrhaging. What's going on? Faith's heart rate and blood pressure seem to be improving from whatever Carlos just injected into her. As I look at the man in front of me, I thank God that he's here. Since Doc took a turn for the worst, and Kim left to be with lover boy Jimmy, Carlos is the damn best Paramedic the 55 has to offer. And I know he's doing all he can for Faith.
We finally reach Mercy. I linger close behind Carlos and Grace as they take Faith into Emergency. Mary Proctor's there to greet us and we follow her to the nearest trauma room. Once Carlos makes sure the doctors have her, he turns and leaves the room, thankfully taking Grace with him.
"She's pregnant," I say over Mary's shoulder, trying to get a look at Faith if I can.
"What?" Mary's stunned as she turns back to me, "how far along is she?"
I shrug, "I really don't know."
"Sir, we need you to wait outside." A tall, lanky doctor tells me. I stare back at him. I'm so completely drained emotionally that I can't seem to get my legs to move. I don't want to leave her. I can't leave Faith to fight this alone.
Mary's suddenly taking me by the arm and escorting me out of the room, "she's in good hands, Boscorelli." She tells me before returning to work on Faith. I thought she was in good hands when she was with me, but I turned out to be wrong. How could I let this happen? It could've been prevented, I could've prevented it.
I turn from the scene in front of me, I don't want to see the heart monitor with two heart beats on it, one stronger than the other. I don't want to see the tubes being stuck into her, I don't want to see the distress in the faces of the doctors trying to save her life.
"Maurice." I look up to see Grace standing in front of me. I forgot she was even here. She takes me by the hand and starts to lead me to the nearest chair, "you should really sit down."
"No, I'm good." I pull my hand from her grasp. I don't mean to be rude or anything, I just want to stay as close as I can to Faith right now. Grace doesn't seem to understand that, that's why she takes offense to the gesture, looking as if I hurt her feelings or something. Give me a break, I can't deal with this now.
"Bosco!" Before I can say anything to Grace I turn at the sound of Cruz's voice. I see her coming through the Emergency doors, her guys following close behind her. And I thought my day couldn't get any worse. "Is that Yokas?" She asks, trying to look over my shoulder when she finally reaches me. Don't even pretend to care, Faith.
"Yeah. Mercado shot her." I tell her.
"What the hell happened?" She hisses at me.
"What the hell happened?" I repeat, anger rising in me as I step forward so that I'm right in her face, "what happened is that our back up didn't show in time because they were to busy sitting on their asses back at the Station."
"We were looking for Fuentes." Cruz says, giving me the lamest excuse she can make up. I can't help the laugh that escapes me.
"All eight of you?" I counter, looking at every single on of her guys standing around us. Bunch of useless jagoffs they turned out to be today, "Sully had to come, but even he wasn't there on time. But I don't blame him, oh, no. I blame you, you should've been there."
"There you go." Cruz throws her hands up in the air, turning away from me, "blaming me again for every shit situation you get yourself into. Give it up, Boscorelli. I told you we were gonna look for Fuentes, you decided to go after Mercado on your own."
Am I hearing her right? She's the one who wanted me and Faith to handle Mercado alone. I can't believe she's blaming this on me. When someone in Anti-Crime needs back up, they get it from there own. Today, we had to get backup from Sully, who's in Uniform. She's only doing this for her own benefit, she likes to draw attention to herself, look like a god in front of those lap dogs of hers. I hate her so much right now I'm thinking I don't care if she's a woman, she deserves a beating.
I remain silent as Cruz steps up to me again, her face only inches from mine. I force myself to look at her. "You still don't know how to get the job done. You're a disappointment. You ain't puttin' this one on me. This time, it was all you."
Before I can stop myself, I shove her back. Two of her guys catch her while the other five come after me, restraining me from doing any further damage to her. Can't blame a guy for trying, right?
"You're a piece of work, Cruz. You know that?" I curse at her, but I'm having no luck getting pass the five pairs of arms holding me back. "Get the hell off me." I break free and step back, still glaring at that bitch.
"What you gonna do tough guy? Huh? You gonna hit me?" Cruz taunts, oh, she's asking for it.
"He doesn't have to." Grace is suddenly in this as she steps in front of me and bashes Cruz right across her nasty face. Cruz is thrown off balance and goes down hard. I'd break out laughing if I wasn't so shocked at what I just witnessed.
Two of Cruz's guys advance on Grace but I pull her back. Stepping in front of her so those jagoffs can't touch her. Cruz's expression is classic, she is too stunned for words as she looks up at Grace.
"Stupid, bitch." Cruz curses when she gets back on her feet, even more pissed off than she was moments ago, if that's possible. "You gonna pay for that—."
"Want some more?" Grace jeers, stepping toward Cruz.
"She's not worth it," I say as pull Grace back again. She stands next to me, her eyes still fixed on Cruz. This is definitely a side of Grace I haven't seen before.
"You takin' me by surprise like that—you got some real balls, girl." Cruz wipes the blood from her lip, "that's assaulting a Police Officer. You all saw it, didn't you boys?" Cruz looks around at her team, all of them nodding in agreement. I hate that we're so out numbered here.
"Just let it go, Cruz. It's over." I tell her. I really don't have time for this BS. My main concern right now is Faith. And the fact that I don't want Grace involved in anything Cruz related. I already got my partner shot, I'm not going to let Cruz hurt any one else I care about.
"This ain't over, Boscorelli." Cruz says before exiting with her entourage in tow. And people say their lives are complicated.
"That woman is such a bitch." Grace tells me and I just nod, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my jeans. I can't keep this up, I've gotta tell her about Faith and this baby. But when I look into her eyes, those trusting eyes of the woman in front of me, the words get caught in my throat.
"What is it?" she asks moving closer to me.
I have to do this, she's gotta right to know I'm gonna be a father to someone else's child. A father. I still can't believe it.
"We need to talk—," I start but then I see Carlos running toward us.
"Grace, we gotta call." He says, "let's go."
Fate works in mysterious ways. Grace turns back to me and gives me a quick kiss, "we'll talk later." She says before hurrying after Carlos. I watch her leave with a mixture of guilt and relief. I was hoping to tell her about Faith sooner than later, but then again, I have no idea how I'm gonna tell her. I was never good with words and verbalizing them, but that part of my life has always been easy when it comes to Faith. Most times she knows what I'm thinking and feeling without me having to say anything. Sometimes talking makes matters worse, and that's definitely what I don't want happening.
"Boscorelli." It's Mary again, coming out of the trauma room. I study her face, her expression is grim, sadness written on her every feature. Whatever she's gonna tell me can't be good.
"How is she?" I ask.
"Bosco, maybe we should sit down."
Don't give me that crap, just tell me how she is.
"I'm fine. Is she okay?" I can't believe Mary won't just give me a straight answer.
I stop breathing when she shakes her head, "she has a severe concussion to the head, probably when she hit the ground. The impact of the bullets uncharacteristically caused some internal bleeding—she started hemorrhaging—the doctors did the best they could, but—she's gone into a coma."
"And the baby?"
"I'm afraid that—," she voice falters as she looks down at her hands.
"That, what? What's wrong, Mary?"
"—I'm afraid that we can only save one of them. There's severe swelling and it doesn't look good."
I'm at a lost for words as my eyes return to look pass Mary and into the trauma room. Faith's the most important thing in my life, I can't lose her. I refuse to believe this. I can't make this decision for Faith because for me right now, what I'm hearing from Mary is that she wants me to give the 'okay' to terminate Faith's pregnancy. Of course I want Faith to live, but I don't want her living knowing that I was the one responsible for killing her baby. Our baby.
"I need a 'yes' from you, Bosco." Mary won't even give me time to think.
"Can't—isn't there a chance that—that you can save both of them? You know, if the swelling goes down." I have to ask.
She sighs deeply and locks eyes with me, "the way things look right now—I'll be honest with you, it doesn't look good. Given that she's in a coma—well, we can't wait for long. You're gonna have to decide soon."
"Could I see her?"
"For a little while," Mary touches my arm lightly when I pass her and I look back, "come out with an answer." I nod before turning back around and slowly entering Faith's room.