Location: LAPD Headquarters
He instantly knew where they would take her. Good Samaritan Hospital was only a ten minute drive from the LAPD headquarters, but Andy could make it in five when he had the motive. And motive he had.
He'd forgotten Rusty's presence outside the door, so he nearly knocked the boy off his feet as he swung it open. Never had Rusty seen Andy so unglued. It startled both the boy and Andrea to the point where they were unable to even ask what had happened.
Andy summoned any composure that was left to keep from scaring the boy.
"Your mom is being taken to Good Samaritan's. I'm sure it's just cuts and bruises, but I am going to meet her there." Andy reached for his coat and badge.
"Wait, she was fine! Was there another explosion? Don't tell me she's hurt. She's hurt, isn't she. I-I told her to be careful-" Rusty's mind jumped to every collusion.
"Don't start worrying, Sharon wouldn't want that. I'm just making sure everything is ok."
And with that, Andy practically ran to the elevator, pressing the downward arrow more times than necessary. Anything to make the commute to the hospital go by quicker. He stepped into the elevator car and hit "G." His phone, now grasped between is thumb and palm, began to sound.
Provenza the screen read. Andy accepted the call after only one buzz.
"She's hurt isn't she." Andy spoke, using the same words Rusty had only moments before.
"She was responsive at the scene, but she was the closest to the explosion. They're taking her to-"
"To Good Samaritan, I figured. I'm in the elevator now." The door opened to the lowest floor and Andy fumbled for the keys in his pocket while rushing to the car.
"Andy, you might should...her...bruising."
"What? You're breaking up." Andy heard three beeps on the other end signaling the call had been dropped.
He cursed under his breath as he finally reached the car door.
Location: Good Samaritan Ambulence
Provenza sat nearby in the back of the bus as a paramedic pumped oxygen through a mask indelicately placed on Sharon's face. He placed an IV in her hand which would provide a numbing agent in the case of internal bleeding.
Sharon's eyes began to twitch as she cringed at the bright light of the ambulance. The paramedic noticed she had awakened and moved into her view.
"Captain, we'd like you to talk to us if you can." The paramedic looked to Provenza to take over.
"Captain. Do you know who I am?" Provenza took her blood stained hand.
"Louie," Was all she could muster. The pain in her abdomen seemed to control everything, including her ability to speak. The paramedic hooked up an additional anesthetic to the IV.
"Good. Tell me about your family." Provenza desperately tried to take her mind off the pain.
"Mmmm Emily, Rusty, Ri..." she moaned as small tears ran down her cheeks.
"The pain will be over soon, Captain, just keep talking." The paramedic added.
"And Andy is...uhh..."
More tears.
Her eyes drooped and she succumbed to the anesthetic that her abdomen was so desperately clawing for.
"Thank you, Lieutenant, she can rest now. We'll arrive momentarily."
Provenza sat in silence, staring at her disheveled hair and the open cut intersecting her cheekbone.
Location: Interior Good Samaritan Hospital
Sharon was whisked away to an "authorized personnel only" zone. Not minutes before she was out of sight, Andy flew through the emergency wing entrance, spotting Provenza as he rounded the corner.
"They took her back a few minutes ago."
A sigh was the only thing to escape Andy's lips. Neither spoke for a few seconds.
"Was it bad." He had to know.
Provenza's hesitation didn't help. He simply nodded and placed a hand on Andy's forearm.
"But she's strong, you know that."
Andy sat. The only thing he could do.
"I gotta call Rusty. He'll be worried sick by now."
Andy dialed his number but didn't have a chance to finish, as Rusty walked through the entrance.
"Andy! Have you seen her? Heard anything?" Rusty was out of breath. He had parked his car in one of the last spots at the end of the parking lot and sprinted to the door.
Provenza piped up in fear of Andy's voice breaking. That was the last thing Rusty needed to witness.
"They took her through those doors a bit ago. We haven't heard anything, yet. But, listen, she was talking in the ambulance. All the way up until they gave her the anesthetic."
Provenza and Rusty took a seat on opposite sides of Andy. They waited for a couple of hours. The time was filled with pacing, phone calls, and paperwork.
After an obscure amount of time preparing for the worst, a doctor emerged from the direction Sharon had disappeared. All three men leaped to their feet, adrenaline surging through their bodies.
"Two broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a concussion. She was lucky."
Holding his breath had become a habit for Andy in the past few hours. He felt his eyes well up as he released his tension and the doctor continued.
"I've glued the cut on her cheek,but the one on her collar bone required a few stitches. If she'd been any closer, she might not have had a shot at recovery."
"Thank you." All other words left Andy's brain as he shook the doctor's hand.
"Oh, and here are her personal items."
The doctor handed Andy a bag before he turned away. The sight of the contents threatened Andy's ability to remain stone-faced.
The two items in the bag were her glasses and her engagement ring.