Blood. That's what he saw as he walked into her house. Blood, shattered glass, broken objects on the floor. Something happened, Emily had called him for backups and he got there as soon as he could, hoping it won't be too late. Looking at the amount of blood on the floor his heart started beating fast, fear overcoming him, what happened?
He turned left, entering the other room and he saw a body on the floor, covered in blood and barely moving; he got closer slowly, trying to focus his eyes on it, the dark room wasn't really helping. As soon as he spotted the long dark brown hair he panicked, it was her. He got closer, trying to get her attention, she was alive but barely conscious, her lower abdomen covered in blood; he was glad he had found her before someone else could or before she passed out.
He called her name, telling her to breathe as he tried to stop her body from bleeding but it wasn't working, he had to take her to the hospital. He picked her up like she weighed nothing, trying not to hurt her even more and he run to his car, gently laying her in the backseat.
"You're gonna be ok Em I promise" his voice broke, tears starting to form in his eyes.
It wasn't the best idea to drive now but it was the quickest way to get to the hospital. He got into the driving seat and started to drive as fast as he could, his hand putting pressure on her wound.
"Move!" he shouted, as the driver in front of him could hear.
She had to live, he couldn't loose her. Loosing her wasn't an option he wanted to even think about, she had survived six years of captivity and a few of near death experiences they went through together, she had to survive this one too.
As he drove through Boston's traffic he couldn't help but thinking about that same morning, he couldn't help but smile while they were boxing together, joking and talking about his weekend. He felt more tears on his eyes as he remembered telling her he had had better partners when she asked if he had missed her. They both knew he was joking but his heart broke at the thought that those words could have maybe hurt her in some way or she didn't got his joke... and that maybe, he would have lost her without explaining that he was joking.
"Don't you dare die on me Emily, if you're gonna die they have to step on my dead body before, please stay awake" he said as he took the last turn left to the hospital.
He had missed her, every single day for the whole time of her suspension. She wasn't just his partner, she was his friend, he understood her and he would have liked to open up more in the last months, telling her that he had been thought it too, that he knew what it meant to have PTSD, he wanted to tell her so many things. He had promised himself that once she had been back he would have made her understand that he had feelings for her, that those feelings were so much stronger and deeper than a simple friendship.
He parked into the hospital's parking lot, the nearest one from the entrance, it was night so he had no problem in finding one. He took her in his arms again, her head falling on his shoulder as he felt her breath slow down.
"I need a doctor please help!" he shouted, entering the building.
As soon as they noticed him some nurses run to him with a stretcher to allow him to lay her on it.
"Her name is Emily Byrne, 39, her brother Jack Byrne works here. We're from the FBI, she called for backups but I didn't arrive on time, I don't know what happened but I could clearly see she got stabbed in her lower abdomen" Cal explained, trying to be as calm as he could to give all the informations they needed.
"Ok page Jack Byrne and tell him his sister is here" a nurse said while moving her toward the emergency room.
"Emily it's gonna be ok, we made it to the hospital, stay with me" he said holding her cold hand as her gaze seemed lost.
"Sir we need to bring her to the operation room you can't come with us" a doctor suddenly stopped him and his eyes focused the operation room's door in front of him.
"Cal, it's gonna be ok, I've got her" said Jack appearing from the inside of the room.
He let out a sharp breath, looking at her once again before the door shut close in front of his eyes. His fist hit the wall immediately, letting out a grunt of pain, it wasn't right. He should have been there for her, he could have had her back but it was too late.
"Sir, if you want you can come with me I can check your bruises" a nurse offered, approaching him.
"It's not my blood, I'm not hurt" he said looking at the closed door in front of him.
"Family?" the nurse asked.
"Partner, someone attacked her and I arrived too late" he said, trying to keep his tears from falling.
"You brought her here, you may have saved her life. I'm sure our surgeons will do their best to save your girlfriend but for now you can sit here and breathe because your adrenaline is gonna disappear in some minute so you should sit" the lady explained, pointing a chair to him.
He followed her instructions, thinking about the fact that the lady misunderstood his words, he was so used to refer to Emily as her partner at work that he didn't even think about the possibility that it had a total different meaning in every day life. She wasn't his girlfriend, but he did wish she was. In that empty hospital hallway Cal Isaac promised himself that once Emily had come out of that room alive, because she had to live, he would have confessed his feelings for her. He didn't know how, but it had to be soon, the first opportunity he would get to talk to her in private.
Looking down at his hands and clothes covered in her blood he felt his heart break again, he wanted nothing more than remove the stains but he just couldn't find the strength to stand up and go to the bathroom to wash it. He didn't want to leave her alone in the operation room.
"Cal?" Jack's voice distracted him from his thoughts as he stood up.
"She is ok. She lost a lot of blood so she is gonna be pretty week now and she needs some rest, but she is alive and there shouldn't be any complications" Jack explained.
She was alive, she was fine. His arms immediately pulled Jack in a thankful hug.
"Thank you" he said pulling away.
"Thank you for bringing her here. I know my sister is stubborn when it comes to work but I'm glad she has someone like you by her side" Jack put a hand on Cal's shoulder as a sign of support.
"Can I see her?" he asked.
"Actually no... only family members are allowed to see her before she wakes up... but I guess I can pass this rule and let you in since you saved her life. Her room's number is 134, our father should arrive soon. Please just don't try to wake her up and if she does wake up don't stress her and call us" Jack explained before being called for another emergency and leaving him standing there alone.
When he entered her room his eyes wandered around, focusing on everything but her, he didn't know if he was ready to see her like that, even if she was alive she still had been beaten and hurt and he wasn't sure his heart could take it. He took one of the chairs and he positioned it near her bed, his hands took her as soon as he sat down. It was cold, injured and he hold it gently, to let her know he was there, even if she was asleep. He looked at her face, she was pale and he noticed the big bruise on her cheek, a mark that had become visible in the last hour; he may have come in time to save her but he was late at protecting her.
"Who the hell are you?" a man's voice made him jump on his seat, turning around.
He saw a definitely scared and worried old man in front of him, it must be Emily's father. Suddenly his words got stuck in his throat, how would he even explain to her dad that she got hurt because he got there too late.
"They told me my daughter was still unconscious and her boyfriend was with her, she doesn't have a boyfriend, who are you?" he asked again, getting closer.
"I'm Cal Isaac, I'm not her boyfriend, I'm her partner, at work, the nurse misunderstood our bond" Cal explained.
"Why are you here? And why are you covered in blood? Did you get hurt too?" Warren asked, taking another chair and sitting on the opposite side of the bed.
"I found her, she called for backups and I was too late. She got stabbed and I brought her here. I'm so sorry, I should have been faster to protect her" he looked at her face, holding her hand and he couldn't help but let a single tear fall on his cheek.
"You saved her life man, it's ok" Warren tried to confort him, knowing that if she was there it was just because of him.
Cal shook his head, drying his tears while looking down at their jointed hands, rubbing it softly as Warren stared at him. Suddenly he felt her hand slightly move and he immediately looked up at her. A pair of tired hazel eyes were staring back at him confused; he breathed out the air he wasn't even aware to hold back, he really thought he would have never seen them again.
"Hey, you're ok" he told her, understanding her confusion.
"What happened?" she asked.
He suddenly remembered that he had never messaged Crown to tell him what happened, he would be so mad... As Warren's words went in and out of his ears he thought about every single particular of that night, trying to remember everything to explain it to their boss. He had to leave the room but he clearly didn't want to, his hands were holding her and he brought it near his face to kiss it quickly, something totally spontaneous that he was sure didn't go unnoticed by her dad; he had noticed her watching him but somehow her eyes looked unfocused.
The hospital's hallway was empty and he took the occasion to call Crown, who arrived immediately, asking if everything was fine and if he could talk to Emily. Cal nodded, telling him to enter the room while Warren exited it.
"You can't fool me" the old man said once Crown closed the room's door.
"Excuse me?" Cal asked confused.
"You know what I'm talking about, I may be old but I'm not stupid, I know that look" Warren said getting closer.
Cal lowered his head, toying with his fingers and trying so hard not to look at the big stain of blood he had on his white shirt.
"I'm not judging you man, my daughter's personal life is no one of my business, but I think the interest is mutual" he explained, catching Cal's attention, his eyes looking at him.
"I know who you are, well, your name. I didn't know your physical aspect but your name is in as many conversations as my daughter can put you in. Cal said this, Cal did that, Cal and I, I need to call Cal... I can go on if you want" Warren chuckled.
"My biggest worry right now is to find the people who did this to her and keep her safe, I need to protect her, I can't risk loosing her, I can't-" live without her, that was it.
"My daughter is a fighter, I'm sure she would be able to protect herself, she needs someone by her side, I mean also a friend you know, even if I highly doubt that's what you want" the old man told him.
He looked back down, not really sure of what to say.
"It's ok, like I said my daughter's personal life is no one of my business but I just want you to know that if she can shoot well with a gun it's because I taught her, so I can shoot even better... so watch out if you hurt her" he warned him chuckling a bit before leaving him there.
He had to go back to the bureau to do some paperwork, Crown hat told him to go almost thirty minutes before and he was still there. He decided that the best thing to do was to go home and change, he just couldn't stand the vision of her blood on his shirt anymore, then he would have gone to work.