It was dark the next time Sharon woke up, and she was really thirsty. Her head moved easier than it had before; she didn't feel like it was weighted down, but she still had a headache. She turned her head on her pillow, away from the window where the city lights lit up the night sky and looked toward the door. She moved her hand when she saw Andy was asleep in the chair next to her, putting her hand on his, which he had on the side of her bed. It was real. Whatever she'd been thinking or dreaming during her coma, well, that still needed to be sorted, but Andy, her Andy, was here and sitting by her side. She touched his arm again, almost hating to wake him. Andy immediately sat up, as if he hadn't been sleeping at all.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," she said in her raspy voice.
"Let me get you some water," he jumped up. Her eyes followed him as he refilled the water and returned to her side. "I was just dozing. You can happily wake me anytime. It's what I've wanted and been praying would happen. I'm just so glad you are awake," he said, choked up, tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry I've worried you," she said, raising her hand to grasp his. He nodded and sat down gingerly on the side of her bed with the water, gesturing to her with it. He put a straw in it and helped her sip it.
"I almost can't believe you are awake. We've been praying for this moment, hopeful for it. How are you feeling?" Andy asked.
"Better," she pursed her lips. "Actually, I feel awful, but I feel better than I did when I was awake before. What time is it? I think I slept through any exams or tests the doctor did."
"Just after 10 now, late. Rusty came by earlier, and I finally sent him home. He was exhausted and had homework, plus I didn't know when you might wake up again. I told him he could come by tomorrow. Doc also didn't know how long you might sleep. You mentioned the doc's tests. Do you remember waking up before?" Andy took her hand in his and just held it, shaking his head. "I've been holding your hand for so long. It's such a relief to feel the life back in it, Sharon."
"I remember waking up, but everything is so fuzzy. I'll need you to explain it to me," she winched as she tried to shift. "My shoulder is killing me." She paused, trying to recall things, and then, she shook her head again, "It's all fuzzy."
"Oh," he said, moving to the table next to the bed. He picked up a case containing her spare glasses and shook them slightly in the air. "I had Rusty bring these. We can get you new ones when you are up and out of here. Your old ones broke with everything, but here," he said as he pulled out her glasses and handed them to her. Sharon took them, her hands slightly shaking, and she put them on, giving him a small smile as she leaned her head back against the pillow.
"You aren't a blur," she patted his hand and continued to look at him.
"I hope not, although," he grinned, "many people throughout my life wish they could remember me as just a blur. You, my dear, are no blur; you're my life. Now," he said, moving his hand up hers in a caressing motion. "You do remember waking up, yes? Wes was here."
"I do, and that is when I started to panic a little. I don't remember him at all," she frowned. "I remember most things about work, but it was alarming to wake up with him there. I remember," she paused and nodded, remembering again, "I remember waking up, thinking it was morning. I even remember thinking the bedding felt unfamiliar, but that we bought a new comforter set last weekend. We did buy one, didn't we?"
Andy grimaced and then nodded, "Yeah, we did, but that was about six weeks ago. Honestly, after you were shot, the first night I went home, I took it off the bed. It didn't feel like you. It didn't remind me of you. I put the old one on because it smelled like you. Rusty thought I was crazy because he couldn't understand my obsession with an old one while I had a new, perfectly good one there too. It's still piled up in the corner. It's been so busy, such a mess," he sighed and ran his hand over his face. "I have so much to tell you. Anyway, yes, we did buy a new comforter set, and yeah, it was before the shooting. We can put it back on when you finally go home. Regarding Wes, you aren't forgetting him. You haven't met him, at least not before you woke up him yesterday. He came with the Darnell shooting case."
She nodded as she listened, "So, I didn't dream that, you with me at our condo. I remember that conversation, that we'd call it ours because you and I are in this together. You, Rusty, and I live there, correct?"
"Correct," he said, squeezing her hand. "We decided to live together awhile ago, and moving in with you has been the greatest decision I've made. It's just been so lonely there without you, seeing all your things, all your clothing. Rusty and I have really missed you."
She shook her head slightly with it on the pillow, "I can't even imagine the panic you have all had. I miss the kids," she said breathlessly, "but, I'm so exhausted, that I'm not sure even seeing them now would be easy. I do want to see them."
"Rusty is coming back tomorrow. Nicole wants to come by as well, but she knows the boys need to wait to see you," he smiled at her. "Ricky said he would come back down this weekend. The kids have all been here. Emily was here for a few days, but she had to go home. I know she will move her schedule around after you get out of here. Nate, even," he nodded to Sharon, "said you need to get better to keep me in line. All of them have been worried, and the team, well," he shrugged. "They think of you as family. They've really been there for Rusty and me, in particular, because we've been the ones here."
"What is still foggy to me, well," she paused and closed her eyes before she continued, "a lot is foggy to me, but what is strange is that when I woke up and looked around, I didn't think about being at home. I was thinking about now. It was like I knew that buying the comforter was a long time ago, and so much has happened, with work, with us. We really aren't married?"
"No," he lightly chuckled and raised her hand to kiss it. "I like your persistence, though, and hey, I'll get people in here right now to take care of that," he winked. "We aren't married. Before you were shot, yes, we were living in the condo with Rusty. We hadn't specifically talked marriage, other than general talk of spending the rest of our lives together. We both agreed when I moved in, it was a permanent deal, at least the two of us together. Marriage has been on my mind, but we hadn't discussed it yet. Apparently, it's been on your mind."
She frowned and shook her head again, "I'm trying to figure out why it's so disjointed, for me to wake up and think I was there, before I was shot, and then, to wake up further and think all of this had happened. I suppose I was dreaming it all, or much of it."
He nodded, "Doc said the mind can do crazy things in a coma. You'll have to tell me all of it, everything you think is your reality. We'll sort through it. I know that I sat here night after night, talking over cases with you. We've had a few. The team, they've been busy. I've had a lot going on too, things you need to know."
"Things I need to know?" she raised an eyebrow. He held up his hand in defense.
"There have been no other women in my life," he winked. Sharon chuckled lightly and hummed, closing her eyes.
"I never doubted that, Andy," she said, in her sleepy tone.
"Good. I never want you to doubt it. I know Jack made you doubt a lot. I don't want that with me. Speaking of the dirt bag, even he's been concerned and has come by a few times. Seeing this side of Jack, I almost see why you married him," he chuckled. Sharon made a face at Andy and closed her eyes again to listen to him.
"My head still hurts," she said. "Why was I in a coma?"
"Trauma," he nodded. "The shooting, Sharon, I haven't even told you about that," he sighed loudly. "To answer your question, you were shot, and you started to bleed out, badly, I might add. I know. I was the one who held my hands over you until help arrived. I used my suit jacket like a towel over you to try and stop the blood. There was so much blood, Sharon, so much. Surgery was rough because the bullet, really the bullets from his gun, sent fragments flying. A few fragments were lodged here too," he gestured behind her ear. "That's probably when your glasses broke because the whole time I was applying pressure to you, I was staring at your broken glasses," he said, tears again forming. Sharon used her free hand to wipe some of his tears. "I'm sorry. It was a lot. I can still see your body there, almost lifeless. I mean, sure, cops, we are trained how to handle that and have seen shootings before. It's just," he shook his head and looked away, swallowing to catch his breath. He looked back at Sharon, "It's just when it's your family, the woman you love there, on the ground, looking lifeless and bleeding out, it's hard to take."
Sharon frowned, "I don't remember any of it. I should remember the shooting, right? Why don't I remember it?"
"You've had a lot of trauma. They got your right into surgery, but they said the bullet blew up inside you, really tearing up your shoulder. I am sure it hurts, and I won't lie. Physical therapy won't be fun. I had nothing like you, and physical therapy was terrible. I hate it for you, but you're alive. I am so thankful each day that you lived," he closed his eyes and shook his head.
"So, the suspect, he got one of the guns from the court officers?" Sharon asked.
Andy opened his eyes and found her looking intently at him. He shook his head again, "No, he had this twisted plot and used his own evidence gun to do the shooting. We took the case, or really, I should say Provenza took it. I was trying to focus on you, and the team honestly needed something to keep their mind off you. I was in and out of the loop on all of it. Provenza wanted me to keep busy, knowing I would be frantic about you, but it was a lot."
"He shot me? Why me?" Sharon asked.
"You tried to stop him. You did get a couple bullets off at him, one good one, and report said your bullet was the one that finally killed him. You hit him square on, but he was still moving. It all happened so fast, a few split seconds. I jumped and then hit him too. He finally went down; it just took a moment after your bullet hit him, but he finally did; you did too. That's when I jumped into action. Taylor tried to take him out as well. This Darnell, Sharon, he killed a few people that day."
Sharon's eyes widened, "Who-Taylor?" She started to shift in the bed, almost in a panic. "Andy, Taylor?"
Andy nodded solemnly, "Taylor, Sharon, Taylor. He was sitting right beside you. He tried to fire first, but Darnell shot him. That's when you jumped in and fired two shots. My first shot was at almost the same time as your second. I hit him too, but like I said, yours was the deadly shot. Needless to say, he was done, killed right there. He killed a guard too and the lawyer. He tried to shoot Judge Richwood, but he was spared. He's been really worried too, Sharon. A lot of people have been, and it's going to be so good to tell them you are awake."
"I just don't remember any of this," she said in frustration. "I can't believe Taylor is dead. I know he annoyed us-" she paused.
"Yeah, I had my share of run-ins with him, but still," he shook his head. "He was a cop, a good one, and he didn't deserve that."
"How was his funeral?" Sharon frowned, closing her eyes again as she sighed.
"I wasn't there. The team went, but I ahh, had things here too. There was so much going on with just everything. We can talk about all that later. It will keep," he said in a reassuring tone, running his hand over hers.
Sharon hummed, her eyes still closed. She then sighed, "I can't believe he's gone. He was a good cop, even with all his issues over the years. I know he didn't follow through with all his promises to me, but still," she said with a shaky voice. Andy continued to run his hand over hers, and the two were quiet for a few moments. Sharon finally let out her breath, "Who's taken his position?"
"It's open right now. Fritz," he waved with his hand, "Fritz is filling in as acting assistant chief right now. He doesn't want the job, though. I think he'd be good for it, but you know, with Fritz being former FBI, they won't hire him."
"I suppose they will be filling that spot soon," Sharon frowned. "I can't imagine someone else there, in that office."
"Agreed," Andy nodded. "It was weird enough when His Highness moved out, and Taylor moved in. Oh, by the way, Pope has even been by here twice."
Sharon opened her eyes and eyed Andy. He gave her a small smile and nodded, "Yup, told you he always liked you. He has been worried about you, and the only funny thing through all of this is that he had to talk to me to get any information," Andy chuckled. "The first time he came by, it was just the day after everything happened. He didn't say much about us. You know he was aware, and your condition was pretty serious then. He came by what, maybe another two weeks later, and that time, he gave me a little grief," he smiled at Sharon. "Pope said he didn't see us together, from what he'd heard and envisioned, but he was surprised at my devotion and even said he could see I loved you. So, yeah, even Pope has been concerned."
"I hate that I've been the talk of the department," she said quietly. "What is the plan for assistant chief?" Sharon yawned as she spoke. She gestured to the water, and Andy moved to get it again.
"Let's save that for later," he said, running his hand over her hair. "You're tired again. I don't want to wear you out too much."
"You aren't wearing me out," she reached for his hand and clasped it in hers.
"Right, I'll save wearing you out for when we're home, alone, in the privacy of our room," he winked at her. Sharon chuckled quietly.
"It still hurts to laugh," she admitted.
"Right, back to your yawning-if I'm not wearing you out, I must just be boring you," he winked.
She tried to chuckle again, "Stop making me laugh," she swatted at him, her hand just grazing his arm.
"I've missed you, missed this," he told her, looking at her warmly. He shifted again on the bed to put his knee up on it. "I've gotten good at sleeping in this place, in that chair," he pointed to it.
"I don't like hearing that, Honey," Sharon said. "You need to go home, get some rest."
"Well, Rusty has been worried like crazy too, and honestly, I felt if I wasn't here, he'd try to sleep here each night. He needed to rest with school and all. Sharon, he's doing fine. I made sure of it. I knew you'd worry about him. We're good. You know we finally got over our awkwardness and issues after my dust up with the car. Now, this last month, we've really pulled together as a family. He and I are good. We've been working together at home, and he's finally really trusting me, looking to me like a real parent. He talks to me each night, even if it's to just tell me about his day or ask my opinion. He's been worried about me too; all of the kids have been worried about me, but I'm going to be okay. You're going to be okay. Through all this with Rusty, I wanted to make sure he was going to class and all. He's doing that internship with Andrea, and anyway, I didn't want him here each night."
"Thank you for that," Sharon nodded at him. "You're a good dad, Andy, good to your own kids and my kids. Rusty," she slightly rolled her eyes, "we each have our strengths with him. I'm glad he's adjusted to you being around the house, and I'm very glad he's seeing you as a father-figure. You and I know he hasn't had that. Seriously, though, I want you to go home and sleep."
"This will probably be the first night I've slept well in over a month. It still won't be right; you won't be there, but I will go home. I can call the kids on the way," he said leaning to kiss her hand again. "I just can't get enough of you, Sharon. I'm so glad you are awake."
"I just hate I've put all of you through all this mess. I can't imagine the exhaustion you have from being here, going to work, talking to all five of the kids, and even people like Jack and Pope. You are a saint, and I just want you to get some rest and take care of yourself," she told him.
"Like I said," he sighed, "I have a lot to tell you, but for tonight, we both need our rest. I will wait here with you while you fall asleep, and then, I will go home-home, to our home, Sharon. I was worried it would never be our home again. It's felt so empty without you there. I can't wait for you to be home with me."
"Hmm, I can't wait either," she said, her eyes closed now. Andy could tell she was almost asleep again, but she spoke while her eyes were closed. "Home sounds good. You've said we aren't married, so I suppose this other memory here is a dream too. I thought we got engaged at the condo."
"Really?" Andy asked. "I will have to hear all about this courtship, engagement, and marriage when you are stronger. I am liking all of this. It's giving me a lot of ideas," he said in a teasing tone.
"Hmm, I would be up for that discussion. After everything, I have no reservations with being married again, at least I don't think I do. I am still sorting my thoughts from all of this, but I know I love you and have for a long time. If my memory is correct, it took you being in the hospital for me to admit it. What is it with us and hospitals?"
"I love you too, Sweetheart, and you have no idea how much I want to get out of the hospital. It will be too soon if we ever see one again. It's music to my ears to hear you say that, that you love me; the feeling is completely mutual. Now, just rest for tonight. I'll be back tomorrow, and I'm sure Rusty will be back as well. I love you, and we are going to do whatever it takes now to get you home."