AN Okay, please please don't be angry! This isn't the end of it, we swear! Dream is working on the Epilogue tonight yet so don't panic! Hold off with the yelling until we get that up, okay? LOL

One of the paramedics flicked a syringe to get rid of air bubbles and injected her with a clear fluid. She cried out once more when her arm was jolted as they loaded her into the ambulance and then she passed out. She didn't hear the explosion back at the foundry.
Shelby drifted in and out of consciousness a few times during the night at the hospital. When she finally fully woke, a nurse was hovering over her.

"How are you feeling?" the woman asked.

"My mouth feels like cotton, there are jackhammers in my head and I want you to amputate my arm," Shelby told her.

The nurse smiled. "Sounds like you're just fine. I'll bring you water and painkillers."

Shelby squinted against the bright sun flooding the mostly white room. She saw a sleeping figure in a chair in the corner but couldn't make out who it was. When Maggie Fellows, Ben's wife, entered the room, Shelby knew it was her faithful partner sleeping there. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Danny. She was pretty sure she remembered him being there – in spite of her strict instructions not to be.

"Hey, sweetie," Maggie said softly, her maternal instincts in full-force. "How are you?"

Shelby forced a grin. "I've been better."

"You look like shit," Ben's groggy voice came out of the corner.

"Yeah, and you look so much better," Shelby answered him.

Ben grinned and let out a groan as he heaved himself off the chair. "Glad you're okay, kiddo," he said.

"Was anyone else hurt?" she asked.

"Nope. Your surprise idiotic plan got everyone out of the building before the meth-amphetamine lab they had set up there blew the whole place to smithereens," Ben explained.

"What? The building blew?" Shelby asked in shock.

"Well, not the whole building, but there was enough of an explosion to basically gut the place." Ben smiled down at her. "You were right, there was definitely something wrong. How did you know?"

Shelby just shook her head, trying to absorb this latest information. "I don't know."

"Well, whatever the case, you did awesome, even if you didn't warn me about what you were planning."

"I didn't really plan it, to be honest," she admitted. "It just kinda – happened."

"Women's instinct," Maggie stated with a grin and a squeeze of Shelby's good hand.

"Was Danny there?" Shelby asked, because she just really needed to know.

"Yeah. He showed up about five minutes before you pulled your party trick. He was here all night, but Maggie sent him home about an hour ago," Ben explained. "God knows how far you would have run if he hadn't stopped you."

The nurse came back in just then with a bottle of water and a cup of pills. "Not enough to knock you out this time, sorry," she apologized with a smile. "But it should get rid of the jackhammers at least."

"Thanks," Shelby said, taking the items from her and quickly swallowing the lot down.

"Hey, Mags, you wanna go see if there's any breakfast to be had in this place?" Ben asked his wife after the nurse left.

"Sure. I'll be right back," she said, with a knowing look at her husband.

Ben pulled a chair up to Shelby's bed. She was trying to peek under her bandages to see how bad her wound was.

"Shelby, I want you to keep this guy."

She looked up at her friend and partner. "What?"

"This Danny Messer. I think you should hang on to him."

"Ben, come on. You know how good I am at relationships…"

"Don't start with me. I know you better than that. You're just scared, that's all."

"Yeah, I'm scared. I'm scared I'll lose everything I've worked for in my job. I can't have anything to lose in order to do this well. You know that."

"No, Shelby, I've never bought that. I'm tired of you insisting that you 'need' to be alone. It's a crock of shit and you know it. Besides, this Danny guy suits you. Hell, even Don thinks so."

She gave him an incredulous look. "Suits me? What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what that's supposed to mean," Ben said. "Look, little sister, all I'm saying is that maybe it's time to stop running. Just – think about it, okay?"

She turned away from him. He was right, of course, but she wasn't about to let him know that. She had already decided that she was going to tell Danny this 'thing', or whatever it was, was not going to happen. She had a momentary lack of judgment, but now she was seeing clearly again.

Ben and Maggie stayed for a little while longer then announced that they needed to retrieve their kids from Maggie's mom.

The doctor came in and told her that he wanted to keep her for observation for at least another two hours and then she could go home. It was then that Shelby realized that she had no way to get home. She sighed, frustrated at her situation. She felt out of control and she hated it.

She was in the middle of changing into the clothes Maggie had left her when she heard the knock.

"Come in," she called absently, trying to figure out a way to get her pants on without hurting her arm too badly. The nurse had already helped her with her shirt, so Shelby hoped she was back to finish the job.

"Shot in the arm, but still looking to get some?" Danny asked her with a grin upon seeing her in her state of half-undress.

She looked up to see him standing there in a t-shirt and jeans with a big bouquet in his hand. "Ha, ha," she laughed dryly. "Mocking an invalid, how nice."

"Here," he said, putting the flowers down on the bed and bending down to help her into her pants. The feel of his hands on her stomach as he zipped and buttoned her was enough to make her pulse race. She grit her teeth in order to stick to her resolve.

He didn't move away from her right away. Instead, he kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you're okay."

She pulled away from him. "Me too. Thanks for…" she was kinda at a loss. She hardly remembered what happened after she started running.

"For saving your life?" he prompted.

She rolled her eyes at him. "I got shot in the arm. Hardly life threatening."

"A guy can dream, can't he?"

She sighed, but couldn't help smiling. "Those for me?" she asked, indicating the flowers.

"Nope. My other girlfriend. She took one in foot," he joked. He didn't like the distance she was forcing between them. She looked so tired, and he just wanted to hold her.

She walked over to the bathroom to have a look at her appearance. She looked like she'd been on a vicious bender. She ran a hand through her curly hair, but knew there was no point in trying to tame it.

"Could you do me a favor?" she asked.

"Sure."

"I need a ride home."

He grinned. "No problem. Your carriage awaits," he said with a flourish and a bow.

Shelby fought with herself the entire car ride home. This shouldn't be this hard, she thought to herself.

Danny helped her up into apartment, trying to keep the conversation light. He sat down next to her on the couch once all her stuff had been put away. She hadn't said much since the hospital and it worried him. He braced himself for the worst, but leaned down and kissed her anyway. Maybe, just maybe he could change her mind…

She returned the kiss, it was soft and sweet as though he were trying to be very careful about not hurting her. She turned away and sighed heavily.

He winced in spite of himself.

"I need to walk away," she said quietly.

He'd been expecting that. He and Ben had talked ad nauseum about how afraid she was to commit to anything or anyone other than her work. "Okay."

This time, she winced. She had kind of thought he would fight her. They both got up and walked towards the door. She couldn't look him in the eye, she felt so guilty about all of this.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "See you around, Shelby," was all he said before walking away.

She closed the door behind him and collapsed back on to the couch. She felt cold and alone and angry.