Chapter 5: Another Injury and a Loss
Three months later Mac and Stella are standing outside an old building, shivering in the cold, November air, guns cocked in front of them, positioned to enter the building in search of a suspect. "Ready?" Mac asks looking back at Stella before kicking down the door. Mac heads upstairs while Stella searches downstairs.
She is still looking around when she hears him call, "Clear." She pushes open a half-closed door only to come face to face with the suspect. Before she can call out for help the guy raises a gun and shoots her in the stomach.
Mac hears the shot and races down the stairs to find her lying on the floor. He takes off his jacket and applies pressure to her wound while calling for help. A few minutes later an ambulance arrives, and Mac gets in with Stella. To his surprise no one tries to hold him back for questioning.
Mac sits in the waiting room while Stella is being operated on. The doctor said she will probably survive, and all Mac can do is pray while he waits. He thinks about how he can not live without her and how much he loves her. He knows he can't bear to go through what he did with Claire again.
The doctor finds Mac in the waiting room. "Your partner will be fine. She is in recovery now while we get her a room. Then you can go visit her. She will have to take it easy for a while though," the doctor tells Mac.
"Thank you for helping."
"Your welcome. There was one problem though."
"What was that?" Mac asks curiously, almost positive he knows what it is about.
"She was pregnant."
"Yes, I knew that."
"Well, she lost the baby. There was no way we could have saved it. I'm sorry," Mac nods and the doctor leaves.