Chapter 17: A Change in the Tides (Yes, I do know this isn't from the song, but I ran out of lines to use!)

"NO!" She screamed into the silence of the night, her voice reverberating back to her in taunting echoes. Immobilized by fear, Michaela watched as Sully slumped over the deadly blade and fell onto the wet pavement. "No, no! SULLY!" Michaela called out again, as her legs thawed enough for her to rush to his side, cradling his head in her lap.

"Sully…Sully, please answer me!" She cried to him. When her screams continued to go unrequited, Michaela's eyes grazed his body, searching for the injury. Even in the darkness of the night, the glistening of the blood soaking his shirt contrasted greatly, causing Michaela to gasp at the sight of it all. "Oh Sully, no…stay with me…please, oh God…I love you…"

But her pleads were only met with an evil silence that wrung at Michaela's heart. Anger and bitterness was soon replacing her fear, and Michaela glanced over her shoulder, hoping to thrash out at David; but instead found little more than a brick wall and darkness. David had managed to silently slip into the shadows. "He got away…" Michaela whispered venomously to herself.

Calming her anger, Michaela looked back down at Sully. All her years of medical training seemed to slip out of her grasp as she sat on the cold pavement, still holding Sully's head gently in her lap. The blood…all the blood...why wont it stop! That's it…I have to stop it….how…how do I stop it?

Michaela looked from her trembling hands to the lesion in Sully's side, the pressure mounting as his blood continued to ooze from the abrasion. "Pressure….pressure that's it!" Michaela exclaimed as she quickly took of her coat and placed it under Sully's head, while she maneuvered her way to hi injured side.

Quickly, ripping a piece of fabric from her coat, Michaela applied it to the wound. Placing her hands over the cloth she held it firmly against his injury, praying for the bleeding to stop.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks and onto the ground, mixing with the melted snow. Glancing around at the abandoned alley way, Michaela found herself feeling so alone and helpless. "Help me….please, God help me!" She whispered to the heavens. Taking in a deeper breath, Michaela called out louder. "Help me….anyone! Please, help me!" But echoes of her pleading calls were the only reply.

"Oh, God, this is all my fault…Sully…no, no, no, no!" Michaela sobbed as she sulked over Sully's fading body.

Then, Michaela heard a small voice behind her, like the coo of a dove. "Excuse me?"

Whipping around, Michaela found a skimpily dressed young woman, with ginger hair flowing down to just below her shoulder, standing worriedly at the side door of the club. "I need help!" Michaela whispered, as relief washed over her.

"My God, what happened" The woman gasped as she kneeled next to Michaela.

"He was stabbed….I need to get him to the hospital, but I have to stop the bleeding first…" Michaela said in on rushed breath.

"Ok, what can I do?"

Michaela's brain worked at a hundred miles per second as she contemplated what would be best to do. "Normally we shouldn't move him…but it's not good for him to be laying here in the cold…is there somewhere inside where we can lay him?"

The young woman blushed slightly. "Well, yeah there's plenty of places..."

Michaela didn't pick up on the woman's hesitation. "Good, can you go get help to move him?" The young woman nodded and turned to leave, before Michaela placed a hand on her arm. "Hurry…"

The woman nodded and rushed into the establishment to get help, leaving Michaela alone once again. "Oh Sully…I'm so sorry….I'm so, so sorry…" Michaela whispered to him, as she continued to apply pressure to the wound.

The noise of bickering sounded from behind the door and Michaela turned again, as the door opened revealing a long-haired bartender arguing with the young woman.

"Myra, what do ya…" But the man stopped in his tracks and grew mute at the sight of Sully lying unconscious next to Michaela. "What the hell happened?"

"Sir, he was stabbed. I have to take him inside to give him more medical attention, and I need to call 911 to get help…" Michaela tried to explain hurriedly.

"Hold your horses woman…I can't have you takin' a stabbed man inta my establishment and then callin' the cops…" The man argued.

"Hank…" The young woman moaned.

"Shut-up, Myra! I ain't…" Hank cut Myra off.

"Then will you at least help me get him into my car, so I can take him to the hospital?" Michaela interrupted.

Hank eyed Michaela and then Sully, before giving in. "Fine! But you better not tell no one that I was any part of it!"

Michaela agreed and stood up to get out of Hank's way. "Please be gentle, I only just got the bleeding to subside." Michaela alerted.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…I'll be careful." Hank muttered as he lifted Sully and walked out of the alley.

Michaela turned back to Myra and silently whispered her thanks. Myra smiled and nodded but was interrupted before she could say anything.

"Hey, ya gonna show me where your car is or not?" Hank's voice echoed into the alley.

Michaela sighed and picked up her coat from the wet ground before she ran to catch up with Hank.

Opening the back door, Michaela turned to Hank. "Just lay him in the back…" Hank did as she requested, carefully laying Sully's slack body across the back seat of the jeep. "Thank you…"

"Sure" Hank muttered as he turned to leave.

Michaela ran to the driver's seat and was about jump in when Hank's voice stopped her. "Hope your friend there is ok."

Michaela smiled slightly and nodded her appreciation. "Thanks, me too…" With that, Hank walked away and Michaela threw herself into the car, and started it up.

Her hands trembled as she gripped the steering wheel and her head made the occasional backward glances at Sully. Fear gripped her soul and caused the lump in her throat to choke her periodically. The last time she had been to the hospital with this much fear and worry nagging at her, had been when her father past away. With such memories filling her mind, Michaela drove into the ER lot, parked the car and dashed from her seat to get to Sully.

"Help! Help me!" Michaela cried out for help.

"Michaela?" Came a familiar voice from far off.

Michaela turned from the car to find William and Dorothy running towards her. "William! Go get a stretcher! Sully's hurt!"

Michaela heard Dorothy gasp behind her and William rush off to get what she had requested.

"Oh my God, Michaela! What happened?" Dorothy cried when she saw Sully's limp body in the back seat.

Michaela merely shook her head, too distraught and shaky to explain anything at the moment.

Suddenly, they heard the clattering of the stretcher being run across the parking lot towards them. William, with the aid of several doctors pushed the stretcher up to the car and brought Sully onto it. Michaela ran along side them as they brought Sully into the hospital.

Rushing through the waiting room, Michaela glanced down at Sully, just in time to see his eyes flicker open. "Michaela…" he breathed.

"Sully…Sully I'm here, I'm not leaving you…" But just as the words left her lips, Michaela felt someone grab her arm from behind, not allowing her to continue with the other doctors into the emergency room. "No, Sully…"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but you're not allowed in…" The waiting room attendant informed Michaela.

"No, I'm a doctor, I work here…let me go!" Michaela fought to get away.

"I'm sorry Dr…."

"Quinn….Michaela Quinn, now let me go help!"

"I can't let you do that, we need you to answer some questions about the accident now…bedsides, my records say that you're only an intern, so I can't let you go in there anyways." The attendant went on to say.

"Come on Michaela…why don't you sit down?" William suggested.

Michaela continued to stare at the swinging doors Sully had just passed through, her heart yearning to be with him and hold his hand. Breathing heavily, Michaela nodded slightly and allowed William to lead her into a small room just outside of the waiting room. There she sat with a heavy heart, as guilt and torment continued to nag at her.

As the time went on, various people came in to question Michaela on the night's various events. Speaking in a monotone voice, Michaela told them how David had tried to force himself on her, how Sully had left to seek out David when he discovered what happened, how she arrived at the scene and watched as David stabbed Sully in the back when he glanced over at her.

Hours passed and Michaela felt as if she sat there for an eternity waiting for news of Sully's condition. About three hours after they had arrived, the door opened as a young nurse walked into the room. Michaela lifted her head for the first time in hours and stared into the nurse's sad eyes, dreading the news.

"Dr. Quinn…um, we've assessed Mr. Sully's condition, and…"

"Yes?" Michaela pushed.

"The blade…it didn't hit any organs…" The nurse stuttered.

"But…?" Michaela continued to push, unwillingly.

"We're not sure, but it may have damaged the spinal cord…he may be…"

"Paralyzed…" Michaela finished the sentence.

The nurse nodded. "We won't know until he wakes up…"

"Will he?" Michaela questioned.

The nurse didn't even need to question what she was asking about. "He's lost a lot of blood…but he seems strong. He'll have to fight."

Michaela nodded, knowingly. "May I see him now?"

The nurse nodded.

Michaela's heart stopped when she saw Sully lying on the hospital bed. Never had she anticipated on ever having to see him in such a condition. And it was killing her to see him in such a way. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Michaela held Sully's hand, silently begging for him to wake. Tears that had hours ago dried up, renewed themselves in her contrasting-colored eyes.

"I'm sorry Sully…this is all my fault…if I hadn't…" Michaela made to hide her tears, as she heard the door behind her open.

"I'm sorry Quinn, but I need to see you immediately…" Dr. Bernard said sternly as he waited at the door.

Michaela nodded, and after a quick glance back at Sully's lifeless form, she parted her hand from his and accompanied Dr. Bernard outside.

"I'm sorry to put this on you with everything that's happened, but there's something I think you should know. "Dr. Bernard spoke quietly as they stood just outside Sully's room.

"Yes?" Michaela said flatly.

"It has come to our attention that earlier today, several medicines seemed to disappear from our stock." Michaela felt her heart beat quicken and her face begin to pale before a blush took to her cheeks. "Normally, this would be looked over and forgotten as a simple miscalculation; however, one of the drugs happens to be morphine."

Michaela felt one side of her nerves relax while a new bout of anxiousness swept over her. "Morphine?"

Dr. Bernard nodded. "It's missing from the room you operated in earlier today…do you know anything about this?"

Michaela shook her head, trying to piece together the mismatched information. Spontaneously, every clicked in Michaela's mind. "Oh no….morphine…that explains everything…"

Well, there goes all of my previous plans. I hope this was an acceptable chapter; it has probably been one of the more difficult one for me to write (why? I have no idea). I just hope that doesn't show through in my writing. Thank you for your previous reviews! I deeply appreciated your input!

Penny