Inside the Ladies Room, Faith was still trying to get the dried blood off her hands. She scrubbed and scrubbed although the blood was long gone. Faith didn't know what she would do if Bosco would die. She couldn't even think it. Bosco would pull through, he always did. He simply had to. For her. For his Mom.
Faith looked up from her reddened hands into the mirror over the sink. Her eyes were swollen from crying and her face pale. She looked like hell. Over and over again she saw Bosco laying in front of her, not able to speak. She heard that gurgling sound he had made when he wanted to say something to her. Faith looked down at her hands again. They still felt dirty, bloody. She felt hot tears sting in her eyes and suddenly, she felt sick. Faith hurried into one of the cabins and threw up. She couldn't stop. Every time she saw Bosco in front of her, another wave hit her. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she was able to get up again and returned to the sink to wash her face and her mouth. She looked into the mirror again and felt the tears force themselves out. Faith covered her mouth with her hand as if she wanted to hold the sobs in and sunk down next to the sink, crying, praying for her partner to stay alive…
About a half hour after Boy 55-3 had brought Walsh and Converse in, Lieutenant Johnson and his crew arrived at Mercy's. The fire was under control, so the Chief had sent them off to check on their colleagues. Mary Proctor spotted them and pulled Johnson aside.
"How are they?" he immediately asked and from the look on the nurse's face he knew there was something going on.
"Well, we still have to wait for the final results of the head scan, but it seems like Walsh has a concussion," Mary started.
Johnson shook his head slightly. He knew that Walsh had hit the driver's window hard in that crash, but he hadn't noticed anything. He hadn't paid attention.
"And about Miss Converse…I fear it's a little more serious with her…"
Mary told them about the collapse in front of Trauma Room 3 and that they had to reanimate her. She had been intubated because her oesophagus had been swollen.
"She's on ICU now. She inhaled a lot of that smoke," Mary closed. Her beeper sounded.
"Sorry I have to go. Walsh is resting, but you can visit him if you like." And off she hurried.
When the crew of Squad 55 went into the waiting area, they were surprised to find Lieutenant Swersky and several other high ranking officers there. It dawned Johnson that this had to do with the reassignment of Adam 55-3 just prior the fire.
"Joe? What happened?" he asked and Swersky told him about the shooting in the station house.
"What are you doing here?" the NYPD Lieutenant asked in return, so Johnson told him.
"Any word on Boscorelli?" Lombardo wanted to know. The bucketboys weren't exactly friends with Bosco, but at least they cared enough to hope he was okay. Teasing Boscorelli had always made their day on slow shifts.
Swersky shook his head.
"But it's serious…," he added and looked anxiously at the nurse coming towards them.
"Lieutenant Swersky?" she asked. When he introduced himself, she gave him a pink piece of paper. Swersky read it and went pale.
"Everything's okay?" Johnson asked when he saw the blank look of the policeman.
"I gotta go, it's urgent," he snapped out of it.
"When Faith comes back, tell her to inform me immediately when she hears about Bosco…"
As soon as Swersky was gone, the NYPD brass moved as well, leaving the waiting area crowded with FDNY only.
All the way down to the apartment building where Christine Thomas lived, Swersky couldn't help the thoughts of "what if" crossing his mind. He knew he was biased, but it had to be the ex-boyfriend. He had to be the perp. And he would get him for that. That Swersky swore.
As soon as he was up the stairs, the Lieutenant spotted a green-faced Gusler and knew it had to be bad.
"Tell me!" he simply ordered when he reached the young officer.
Steven looked at his superior and tried to say something, but the image was too strong. So he simply pointed inside the apartment where Greene, Davis and Sullivan were. The ME was already present, examining the dead body of Miss Thomas, while Detectives in suits were trying to get in charge. When Swersky wanted to enter the bed-room, Sully held him back.
"It's bad, Boss."
"Any clues about the perp?" Swersky wanted to know, looking past Sullivan and into the bedroom. There she was, laying in her own blood, without privacy now. Being measured, photographed and numbered. For a moment, he wanted to go over there and cover her. And for a moment, Lieutenant Swersky thought he was getting to old for this. Guilt mixed with anger swelled up inside of him when he watched her body for several moments longer before he turned around to talk to Gusler and Greene.
"Bring me that Bruce guy! I want him at the precinct NOW!" he ordered Greene in a louder voice that would have been necessary, implying that Swersky was ready to blow.
Gusler came joining them, holding the yellow "police line – do not cross" tape in his hands. One of the Detectives had ordered him to put it up.
"Ehm, Boss, where shall I put the crime scene tape?" he asked innocently.
Ty instantly raised his hand over his mouth to cover the smirk he was developing while Sully was trying to keep serious next to Davis. He knew that this was all Swersky needed to explode.
"Dammit, you're a cop so start acting like one!" he yelled at Gusler and angrily stormed outside, while Gusler was trying to figure out what he had done wrong.
