Acknowledgments:
Omi as always
Everyone who has been emailing me condolences for my loss
Kim for becoming my newest super supportive beta
Disclaimers:
"A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend" - Willow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
I do not own the characters Don, Charlie or Terry nor do I have any rights to anything related to the TV show Numb3rs. I plead fair use and claim only my own writing and characters.
Chapter 1:
They're suited up, they have the house surrounded and Don, as team leader, gives the 'execute' order. They rush the house; Don though the front door, Terry leading a second group of agents coming in through the back door. It's a textbook takedown. No shots fired, all suspects in custody within a matter of seconds.
It's afterwards that everything falls apart.
Don makes sure all the suspects are loaded in the van before it leaves then turns to find Terry standing alone in front of the suspects' house. She's doubled over as if she's going to be sick so Don heads over to her to find out what's going on. Terry's a seasoned agent and it's not like her to get sick at a crime scene.
"Terry..." He begins as he approaches her. She looks up and Don's concern ups a notch when he sees how pale she looks. "You all right?"
"I don't feel so great," she says weakly. She puts a hand to her chest and tries to rub her left shoulder only she still has her bullet proof vest on and it's in the way.
Don notices this and reaches for her to help. "Let's get this vest off you, then." Before he can undo the straps, she leans into him, unsteady on her feet. "Terry?" Don's beyond worried at this point. This is really not like Terry.
She releases her weight and goes limp, slipping to the ground. Unprepared, Don almost doesn't catch her before she hits the ground. He lays her down carefully and yells for the paramedics.
He hears her release a breath and then realizes with a chill he hasn't heard her take a new one. He puts his face up to her mouth and feels nothing. A strong panic takes hold of him but he's in control enough to check her pulse. He tries her wrist then her neck two times.
Nothing.
Don's heart is pounding faster now, almost as if it's trying to make up for the fact that Terry's isn't beating at all. He curses; wasting valuable seconds trying to get her Kevlar vest off so he can give her CPR. He yells for the paramedics again but doesn't hear the reply. There's too much noise in his head to hear.
The vest finally comes away and Don pounds on her chest five times before stopping to breathe air into her lungs. He repeats the cycle murmuring, "Come on... come on..." as if she will hear him and stop this craziness.
Hands try to pull him away and he resists, thinking they want him to give up on her but it's the paramedics. The have a defibrillator and need him to back away so they can shock her back to life.
Only it doesn't work.
They shock her three times. Don begs for a fourth time but the paramedics just shake their heads. One checks their watch to record the time of death.
It's 3:13.