"Shouldn't we have heard from them by now?" Jack Hudson was pacing the Bullpen. It had been two hours since Myles had last called in.

Tara Williams shrugged. "It's possible Everton stopped somewhere, and they're just sitting watching him. If they're still out in those hills, cell reception would be almost impossible."

"What about the radio? Anything?"

"Not a peep."

Bobby Manning put a hand on Jack's shoulder before he could swing around for another lap. "They're fine, Sparky. You worry too much. They were just tailing a suspect— Myles has done that only about a thousand times. What could possibly go wrong?"

stfbe-

stfbe-

Myles breathed a prayer of thanks for the fact that the back seat folded down to allow trunk access, since the only tool he could have pried the trunk open with was in the trunk; he grabbed the emergency kit and pulled it out. Unfortunately, his weight shifted the car just enough that it started to slide further down the hill. Sue screamed, not knowing what was happening; he turned to place a reassuring hand on her arm, wincing as his shoulder hit the back seat, and trying to stay balanced as the car slid over the uneven ground.

There was a screeching sound as the back door was torn off; the jagged metal edge caught him mid-thigh and sliced deeply into his skin. He only partially stifled the cry of pain that escaped his lips.

The car came to rest at the bottom of the hill. As soon as it stopped moving, Myles ripped off his tie, tying it around his leg in an attempt to stop the flow of blood. It wasn't easy to do with only his right arm functioning. "Oh, lovely," he muttered to himself. He looked heavenward for a moment. "Anything else? On second thought, never mind. I don't want to know."

Sue's voice was panicked. "Myles!"

He reached over the driver's seat and found her hand. YES.

"What happened? And is it going to happen again?"

As grave as the situation was, her last question made him laugh. C-A-R S-L-I-D. B-O-T-T-O-M O-F…H-I-L-L N-O-W. S-H-O-U-L-D S-T-A-Y P-U-T.

She must have caught a tremor in his hand. "Are you all right?"

He refrained from running the litany of what wasn't all right through his head. F-I-N-E. …G-E-T Y-O-U O-U-T O-F …J-A-M-M-E-D S-E-A-T-B-E-L-T. G-O-T K-N-I-…F-E I-N E-M-E-R-G-E-N-C-Y K-I-T.

With great care, he eased out of the back seat and returned to his spot next to her, well aware of the trickle of blood running down his leg as he moved. Got to get settled before long; can't go into shock… He focused on slashing the lap and shoulder belts pinning his colleague in her seat.

Once the seatbelt was undone, he gently eased her legs out from under the steering column. S-T-I-L-L R-A-I-N-I-N-G, he told her. B-E-S-T S-G-…-H-E-L-T-E-R B-A-C-K S-E-A-T. C-A-N Y-O-U M-O-V-E L-E-G-S?

She gingerly tested her legs. "Yes."

O-K. N-E-E-D Y-O-U-R …H-E-L-P L-I-T-T-L-E. He put his good arm around her waist and helped her stand.

She swayed a little, a wave of dizziness hitting, but she was fairly steady until she tried to sit down on the back seat. Her foot slipped in the wet grass, and she automatically grabbed onto him, hitting his shoulder and leaning against his ribs. Sue felt the gasp of pain he let out, and as soon as she was seated she gently confronted him.

"I thought you said you were just a little banged up."

He didn't respond, just helped her get her legs back inside the car, then sat down heavily next to her, his eyes shut tightly as another wave of pain hit.

"Myles?"

He tried to answer, but any movement right now was too much. Then he felt soft fur push its way under his hand. He petted Levi for a moment, surprised at the strength he could draw from so simple a gesture. "Thanks, boy," he whispered.

The honey-colored dog whined, then moved out around the car and climbed in the passenger side back door opening, the door having sprung open during the final slide down the hill. Levi crawled in next to Sue and laid his head in her lap.

She tried again, more insistent this time, and reached out for her colleague. "Myles?"

Now he could answer. YES.

"How bad is it? Really. And don't tell me you're fine. I know better."

He sighed, wincing again at the pain in his ribs. C-O-U-…-P-L-E B-U-S-T-E-D R-I-B-S A-T L-E-A-S-T, P-L-U-S D-I-…-S-L-O-C-A-T-E-D S-H-O-U-L-D-E-R, G-A-S-G-…-H I-N L-E-G P-R-E-T-T-Y D-E-E-…-P. C-O-U-L-D B-E W-O-R-…-S-E.

She leaned her head back against the seat. "Mind telling me how?"

He eased his leg up onto the console between the front seats, trying to keep it elevated to slow the bleeding. I C-O-U-L-…-D B-E S-T-U-C-K G-…-H-E-R-E W-I-T-H M-A-N-N-I-N-G.

Her breath came out in a laugh, and she shook her head, very slowly. "You are unreal, you know that? Is there anything in that emergency kit we could use to splint up your shoulder?"

T-…-H-I-N-…-K S-O.

"Then it's my turn to help. It may just take me a minute."