Disclaimer: I do not own Third Watch.

Author's note: You know there are not a lot of stories on this site for this show. I should write more.

Hello

"What could he be doing that's so important that he would not come in to work? I mean it's not like Carlos has much of a life. Who'd want to go out with that ass anyway?"

"Just shut up man," Ty snapped at Bosco. "He's not like that all the time." He snorted.

"Plus it's not like you can talk."

"Boys!" Kim's voice crackled over the radio. "Could you can it? Or at least turn off the radio? The two of you are enough to drive an elephant up the wall!"

Bosco leaned down to grab the mike. "Elephants can't climb walls Kim."

"That's the point!"

Playground school bell rings again

Rain clouds come to play again

Has no one told you she's not breathing?

Bosco banged on the door of the small apartment. "Come on Carlos open the door." Ty looked over at him.

"Are you sure he's here?" Kim nodded.

"He answered the phone earlier, but he sounded a little funny." Bosco sneered.

"He's probably trying to pass a cold off as a life threatening disease."

Ty shook his head. "Naw man, Carlos wouldn't do that. He loves his job. He rarely even takes a sick day unless forced to."

Doc gently pushed Bosco out of the way. "I have a key."

Pushing the door open Doc walked into the living room of a small but clean apartment. The kitchen was to the left and a hall to the left. There was no sign of Carlos in the kitchen so he had to be in the bedroom.

"Doc." Turning to Kim, who was in the kitchen, he saw the objects she was pointing at. An empty bottle of pills and a cork from a wine bottle sat on the counter.

A feeling of dread crept over Doc and he turned quickly to the hall. Even Bosco had cut short his litany of abuse against Carlos when he saw what Kim was pointing at. The group followed him down the hall. Looking into the first room he saw that it was the bathroom. The medicine cabinet above the sink was open and they could see the numerous bottles of pills filling the shelves. The names of some of them made the Paramedics' eyes open wide and they almost ran to the next door.

Pushing it open, Doc paused at what he saw. Carlos was lying on top of the sheets on the large bed that filled most of the room wearing only his boxers. A slender young man was wrapped in his arms, blonde head tucked under his chin, eyes closed. Carlos didn't seem to notice their intrusion and kept playing gently with the hair at the back of the other young man's head. Doc started, Carlos had tears running down his face from sunken, dark ringed, and tired eyes.

Hello

I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to

Hello

Doc could feel his stomach roiling. The other man was too still, too quiet, too limp. His face must have show some of what he was feeling because Bosco, who had started to step forward with his mouth open to say something, stopped and watched him uneasily.

Kim stepped forward hesitantly and walked around the bed to the blonde's side. Carlos's shoulders tensed minutely. Kim reached a hand down to touch the young man's neck. She had barely touched him when her hands flew to her face and a sob escaped her. Bosco and Ty jumped forward as Kim stumbled back.

"He's dead. Oh my god, he's dead."

Bosco stared down at the couple on the bed. The normally healthy and loud Carlos Nieto was staring blankly at the wall, hand working on automatic as it twisted blonde strands around its fingers. He could tell that Carlos had dropped weight rapidly, but next to the other man he looked healthy. Up close Bosco could see that the emaciated blonde in his arms was not breathing and his skin had taken on a bluish cast to it. The young man had clearly been ill. He turned to face Doc who was still at the door.

"What are the pills for?" Doc started and tore his eyes away from the couple.

"They're pain medication, the strongest that you can get outside of Hospitals." Bosco looked back at the scene.

"We have to call this in you know." Doc nodded. Ty walked past the two to stand outside the door and raised the radio on his shoulder to his lips.

Doc came forward and gestured to Bosco.

"Help me move Carlos." Bosco swallowed.

"He wouldn't want people to find him like this."

Bosco watched as Doc walked to the bed and touched Carlos's shoulder. The other man didn't acknowledge the touch and continued to stare at the wall. He leaned down.

"Carlos. Carlos, you have to let go." He gripped the other man's hand and tried to pull it away from the blonde's hair. Carlos's muscles tensed and he shook off the hand.

"Go away."

If I smile and don't believe So I know I'll wake from this dream

Bosco stepped forward and grabbed the man's arm roughly.

"Let go Carlos! He's dead!"

The violence of Carlos's reaction shocked them as he sat up and swung at the policeman screaming.

"He is not! He's not! Go away! Leave us alone!" Sobs wracked the thin form as he threw himself back down and took the body back into his arms, pressing the blonde head against his chest.

Kim covered her mouth, tears dripping down her face at the pitiful sight before her. Carlos started petting the blonde man's head murmuring words of endearance into deaf ears.

Don't try to fix me I'm not broken

Hello

I'm the lie living for you so you can hide

Don't cry

Bosco looked sideways at Doc to see what he wanted to do and was shocked to see the tears running down his cheeks. Again they reached for the young Hispanic man and gently grabbed an arm each.

"Come on Carlos," Doc said soothingly. "You have to let go so we can help him." The hopeful look in the tired brown eyes that rose to look at their faces almost broke their hearts.

"Can you save him?" Carlos looked back down at the blonde man and started stroking his head again, smoothing the hair back. "Mark wanted to be around for our four year anniversary."

Bosco was shocked at the choked sob that burst out of him-self. Carlos ignored the sound and started to rock back and forth, singing a low Spanish song to the body in his lap that they realized meant more to Carlos than his sanity.

Doc looked around the room to see if there was any indication of what Carlos was talking about. A picture on the nightstand next to the bed showed a picture of the two young men at what looked to be a wedding, holding the same wine glasses that were next to the picture to the other's face. He cleared his throat.

"Carlos, was he your husband?" Carlos nodded and burst into tears.

"Three… years… today."

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping

Hello

Kim came forwards and enfolded him in a hug from behind, Carlos's arms coming up to hold onto her.

"I'm sorry Carlos. I'm so sorry."

Taking advantage of the situation, Doc and Bosco moved the body from Carlos's lap and helped Kim move him off the bed. Carlos started screaming.

"NO! Let me go! I have to stay with him! I promised! I promised! Let go!

Carlos writhed madly in their arms. Twisting, he escaped from them and ran to the bed again. Climbing up next to his husband, he leaned down and placed a kiss on the blue tinged lips before laying down next him, pulling the body to his chest again. His eyes focused on the people around his bed and the shape of Ty coming in the door.

"I'm sorry," he whispered brokenly, hands trembling. "I can't stay here alone."

Bosco recognized the gun that Carlos lifted to his temple. It was his service pistol that Carlos must have taken from him when he escaped their hold. He looked directly into Carlos's eyes, distantly hearing people yelling NO! DON'T! Carlos looked directly back at him.

"I'm sorry."

BANG.

I'm still here

All that's left of yesterday…

Yes! I finally finished this story! Please review and tell me what you think.