Hey guys, it took me a while and this was partially written before I saw the Champ episode. Hope you like and also I hope to finish this tale in 2 or 3 chapters. (Fingers crossed because that usually doesn't work)
This day, this mission had been hell.
The hostages were held in an old bank building with an underground safe. Encased in several feet of steel and concrete it had been really hard to even get communication working with the self-proclaimed civil rights group. Street had offered to climb down the old air duct and without any protests from Hondo or Deke he had started on his task. To say it had been a stupid idea now would be as cruel as "I told you so."; but she was angry right now.
Why hadn't they searched for a different approach? Tow flash bangs and then full force entry? At least Street wouldn't be in intensive care right replays the day in her head over and over again and trying to find a better solution. But every idea she plays through Jim lands in this bed, with tubes feeding in and out of him. The vent is humming silently but constantly, keeping him oxygenated.
She squeezes his hand. "Don't you dare die on me!" she whispers before whipping the stray tears rolling down her cheeks away.
The door opens and Luca walks in. "Hey Chris, go home and get some sleep. I'll stay with him a little while."
She debates not leaving but Luca mouths shower at her and pinches his nose. Chris throws up her arms in defeat and after a final squeeze to Jim's hand she leaves.
At home she steps under the steaming hot spray of her shower and tries to wash away not only the grime of the day but also her worries and the fear of loosing her best friend. The later is not exactly working.
After her shower she notices that her phone is blinking. It looks like she missed a couple of calls, but somehow, she can't bring herself to call back Kira and Ty. She wouldn't even know where to begin and they certainly wouldn't understand. So, she just ignores their messages, grabs a sandwich for herself and prepares something for Luca. She also grabs two bottles of soft drink and she arrives back at the hospital it is only a little over an hour later. Luca has taken her seat in the chair and Hondo leans on the wall at the opposite side of the bed. They both look at her when she walks in. They both know one thing as clear as herself: their team, SWAT in general is family and you always show up for family.
Her phone starts vibrating again and after she has ignored the first two attempts Hondo quips at the third attempt: "Did you break up with someone and they don't want to accept it or who are you ignoring?" She wants to be angry at him, but Chris realizes her boss is right. She owes her partners an explanation. So, she grabs her phone and steps out of the room to call them back. At first, she tries Kira, but her phone goes straight to voicemail. Her next try is Ty and he picks up: "Chris are you okay?" Chris takes a deep breath and explains softly, with as little information as possible what had happened and that she was just with her team to work through the day. She doesn't tell him that they are at the hospital and that Street is the one that is hurt. It feels weird telling Ty about Street, but she couldn't say why. Well if she were honest the reason is that she still wasn't sure if Kira was also Jim's Kira and only thinking this was weird and hurtful and did Ty know?
Chris desperately wanted to talk to Street about it first but for now that was impossible and so she needed to wait and live with her fear.