Startled, Laurie glanced down to see the murderous figure of Ronald Masterson, eyes blazing with anger, as he pointed a gun at her. "
"Rick! It's Masterson!" she cried. Instantly Rick signaled the two firemen to stop pulling Laurie up, leaving her dangling just two feet from safety. At once Masterson fired, nicking the rope and leaving just a few strands holding her in the air. "The next one'll be at her head, what's it going to be?"
"Pull her up!" Rick shouted to the firemen then father and son flung themselves onto the edge of the flooring, as Johnson grabbed his weapon and fired at Masterson.
In a moment their assailant collapsed to the concrete below. As the rope started to break, Robbie yelled "Mom, reach for us!" then he and Rick leaned over and managed to catch hold of Laurie's hands.
Within moments the two Simons had pulled her to safety, gasping for breath. Ignoring his own pain, Rick comforted her as she shook with terror.
"It's all right, sweetheart, we've got you. You're safe." Rick soothed her, as she quavered, "He was going kill us both, darling."
"He's the one who didn't make it, Laurie. Ron, is he…..?" Their friend nodded, and Rick let out a deep breath. Instantly he felt her relax against him.
"Thank you, Rick, you and Robbie are my life savers." She managed a smile then kissed Robbie then her husband. "Hmmm, you're welcome, angel. Best catch we ever made, right son?" Rick grinned as Robbie hugged his mother. "Right, Pop!"
Just then the paramedics arrived with a stretcher for Rick, and thankfully he climbed on and let himself be strapped in. "Mrs. Simon, can you make it out or do you need help?" one of the firemen asked.
"No, I can keep up with you guys, besides I've got two big strong men here!" Laurie answered, as Robbie put an arm around her shoulders and helped Ron maneuver her around the rubble toward the emergency exit of the building.
As they came out of the building, two figures came out of the dawning light. "Laurie, Rick!"
Overcome with emotion, Laurie cried, "Dad!" as Oscar and Rudy rushed to their side and took turns hugging the two Simons.
"I'm sorry, Rudy, I shouldn't have left you, I did wait for you and Oscar at the entrance." Laurie told him, as Rudy grabbed her and held her in a bear hug.
"I know, but never do that again, honey. I almost lost it when I heard you scream then that door slammed…." The words caught in his throat and Laurie wanted to cry.
"I'm sorry, I promise. I thought you and Oscar…that you guys thought that Rick was gone..I knew he wasn't!" she sniffed as her father embraced her.
"Honey, that wasn't it, I wanted you away from the building because A.J. overheard him ask Rick if you had a radio. He figured out you knew he was down there and I was afraid he'd come after you. How did Masterson find you?" Oscar asked as Rick was loaded into an ambulance.
Climbing in with him and sliding over for the others, Laurie reached for Rick's hand and started to tell how the would-be murderer had surprised her. When she got to the part about being thrown off the stairs, Rick swore a blue streak.
"Rick, no, no, I'm all right, just sore." She tried to placate her husband, as Rudy gently lifted the back of her shirt, and then uttered a cuss word of his own.
"Missy, I'm having Allen look at you too, sore nothing." He growled, then put a blanket around her.
"Yes Rudy." Laurie groaned, then leaned against her father, who carefully held her until the ambulance pulled in front of the emergency room.
Hours later Rick waited impatiently for Laurie's return from x-ray. A.J. had met them in the emergency room, where he had gratefully embraced his brother and sister-in-law, then once he was bandaged and assigned a room, Rick was visited by Ramona and his granddaughter.
"Here you go, Dad, someone wants to meet you." The girl beamed, then unwrapped a pink bundle to reveal a little dark-haired girl, stretching and yawning.
Rick took one look and felt like crying, she was so perfect looking. "Hey, little …." He looked up at Ramona. "What's her name?"
"Laurie Angela Light Anne Simon." Rick grinned as she added, "After her grandmothers."
"That's great, hey, little LaLa, who's your grandpa?" he whispered, then laughed when the baby yawned in his face.
"Oh Dad, that's perfect, LaLa." Robbie exclaimed, coming in with his daughter's carrier.
"Yeah, well wait until your mother sees her, you'll be lucky to get a peek in edgewise." Rick teased his son.
"Is she still in x-ray? She should have been out by now, Pop." Robbie's face clouded, then a familiar voice said "Here I am, where's Rick?"
"Right here, darlin' and we have a visitor." Relief washed over the older Simon as he watched their friend Dr. Allan wheel her in, then help her onto a spare gurney.
"I'm sorry, guys. Every other bed is full on this floor, and I want to keep both of you overnight for observation." He apologized.
"I'm okay, Allan, oh, here's our baby, Rick, isn't she beautiful?" Laurie smiled as Ramona gently took her from Rick's arm and brought the now sleeping child to her grandmother. Rick caught a glance from Dr. Allan and realized he was going to talk to Rudy. As the doctor slipped out of the room, Robbie gave a worried look, then his face brightened at the sight of his mother's expression.
"Mom, I want you to meet your namesake, Laurie Angela Light Anne." Ramona proudly placed the baby in Laurie's arms, then teared up at the look of joy in her mother-in-law's eyes.
"Hello, little Laurie, I'm grandma." She whispered, then she softly dropped a kiss on the rosy forehead.
"Ramona, she's so beautiful, what does Angelina have to say?"
"Mom's thrilled, I thought she was happy when Andy came, but she's at our house decorating the nursery right now." Ramona laughed, then sighed at the tiny yawn that came from her daughter.
"Is grandma boring you, LaLa, Ramona, did you think of that?" Laurie grinned when she saw Rick pointing at himself.
"Pop's the first one who connected her names like that, LaLa, I think Andy will like that too." Robbie snickered, then picked the baby up as she started to stir then let out a sturdy wail.
"Whoops, time for lunch I think, Mom." Ramona took LaLa from her husband then bent over and kissed Laurie's cheek.
"Robbie'll be back later, Mom. The baby and I are being sent home in a little while. You and Dad get some rest." She told them, then Laurie leaned forward and embraced her.
"Thank you, sweet, you're all the medicine we need." Robbie wiped his eyes then hugged both of his parents.
"I'll be right back, guys, you stay put."
"We aren't going anywhere." Rick teased, then as the door closed behind his son, he reached for his wife's hand and pulled her as close as he could.
"I missed you, Laurie. How do you feel?" he asked, kissing her hand.
"I'm aching, darling, I can hardly wait to take you home so we can both soak in the spa tub." She admitted with a tired smile. "Poor Allan, he's scrounged every bit of space in this hospital, I haven't the heart to tell him this isn't the most comfortable bed I've been in." Laurie cleared her throat, then quietly said, "I was so afraid I'd lost you, Rick. When Masterson told me he was leaving me to die with you, I almost panicked. But you didn't leave me, you made it."
"I'll never leave you behind, sweetheart." He leaned over and caressed her cheek, thenmade a quick decision. "Come here, my angel."Rick said, moving over then patting the place next to him.
He saw he didn't have to ask twice with the speed of her sliding off the gurney then managing to climb onto his bed. "Anything you want, my love." his wife sighed, then cuddled against his chest as he put the covers over her and tucked her in his arms.
"You are my anything." He whispered, then their lips came together.
A few minutes later, a loud "ahem" reminded husband and wife they weren't all together alone.
Looking up, Rick turned red as he saw Oscar and Rudy in the door way.
"Uh, hi Dad, Rudy."
Laurie blushed, then giggled at their stern looks.
"I was cold, so I wanted to get warm, Dad."
"Likely story, honey. You're in luck though. Allan just has too many people here, so I persuaded him to let Oscar and I take you two home, with the provision, " Rudy held up a stern finger, "that you will stay in bed the next couple of days."
"I promise, Rudy, and if I stay in bed, " Rick raised an eyebrow at Laurie, who smirked back, "so will my naughty girl here." A serious look came over his face as he asked, "Is Laurie's back all right, she's really hurting."
"She's lucky, son, nothing broken but she has a sprained back and deep tissue damage to the muscles in her back and shoulders. The swelling should go down over the next couple of days with the medication we'll give her.
Now, I don't want Laurie to do any running around for the next week, you'll have plenty to do with your new granddaughter!" Rudy replied. "Oh, I think that'll keep us occupied." Rick laughed, his arm around his wife.
"All right, I'll line up a couple of wheelchairs, I've got the van outside just in case." Their friend smiled at Oscar, who shook his head, laughing.
"You planned this all along, Doctor Wells, good work!"
"I try." Rudy returned gleefully.