He laid in the hospital bed. A series of scenes constantly replayed in his head. " Sam!" He heard her yell, as he heard it he turned to see the man they were looking for. And then he was down. He heard a second gun shot. He heard her voice. Her sweet, soothing, perfect voice. "Stay down Sam. I need to keep pressure on the wound. Stay down, okay?" And then it went blank. He remembers her telling him a story. It wasn't much of a story. But it was perfect. He knows she has nightmares frequently, it became natural for him to just pull her to him for comfort. "That's a good story" he remembers saying. "It's not over, Sam. It can't be the way the story ends. I need you Sammy." It went blank again. But then started over. The scenes played constantly.

"Look Sammy boy, you need to wake up. McNally... She's not doing good. She's not eating. She has bad nightmares that wake her up in the night," Oliver said in the chairs near the bed, "tbh none of us our doing to good. My girls? They need their uncle. I'm hardly sleeping buddy. Frank hadn't left the prescient, Noelle and the baby have kinda been staying with Nash to help out with Andy. Gail too. Everyone visits you. Except Andy... I think it's too hard on her. Seeing you like this. It scared her more." He took a deep breath, "it's time to wake up buddy".
Still nothing.
It was a week since the shooting. And not only were the people on edge, but so was the 15th divisions private community. Ford targeted there own. Marlo was on suspension. Andy was out of it and could hardly function think about Sam. Oliver didn't mention part of the reason he couldn't sleep was his own night terrors think of what ford did to him. Then there was Sammy. He laid in the hospital and had yet to wake. The bullet entered his upper abdomen. It tore through the skin, and fractured a rib ricocheting against others, before puncturing a lung. The doctors say it's nothing short of a miracle that he survived. It's just the waiting game for him to wake up.
The doctor said most wake up with in a day, but let's be real, this is Samuel Swarek. He has never been the usual, the normal. He does things his own way, just look at his record.
Anyway, many people visited that day, throughout. Lunch breaks and end if shifts. Friends, colleagues and some mere acquaintances from the division.
Nick Collins entered the door hesitantly. He stood against the door, he didn't want to move any closer. He was there as a courtesy. "She's a great woman. An amazing one actually. But you know that. I know you know that. I saw the way you looked at her.
"I started to fall for her. You knew that too though. Deep down I hoped she would fall for me too. But I knew somewhere deep down that wasn't going to happen. She's in love with you. You're it for her. You're her story. You're the letter on her vest. And I know she's the same for you. She needs you. You need to wake up. You need to tell her the truth. "
With that being said he left the room with out looking back. He saw Gail and Nash with Andy, but he paid them no mind. He stalked back to his truck and left with out a word.
Gail saw him, she wondered what he was doing here, but decided to focus more so on Andy. "I don't want to go. I can't see him like that"
"Andrea McNally! I could give a shit whether or not you want to go in or not. You're going. God! You and Swarek are the most stubborn people I know! You know I'm willing to bet he hasn't waken up yet because you're not there. And you're not there because it hurts. You need to get up and get in that hospital and see that man". Gail Peck was forced to be reckoned with. Don't let her hard exterior fool you. When she loved, she loved deeply. And when she cared for someone, she gave her all.
The two may have had their differences. But Gail knew that right now wasn't the time to deal with them. She and Andy are friends, and her friend needed help. She knew Traci Nash couldn't do it on her own. Thank god she had Holly, she listened nicely to her.
Andy nodded with her head down still and her arms wrapped tightly around herself, as if she was holding herself together. She technically was.
Gail and Traci walked with their arms around her, guiding her around the corridors. She hated hospital. Leo and Noelles baby was the only good things to come from it. Gail was taken here. Jerry was. Sam was after he was tortured.
Nothing good happened in hospitals.
The girls waited in the hall. There were some chairs and they say themselves down. They knew it was going to take time.
Andy. Andy McNally was a mess. Her hair was thrown up in a very mess, tangled bun. She wore her yoga pant and Sam's large red thermal. Her eyes were tired, red and puff from crying. She had bags under her eyes too. As she walked into the room, her eyes roamed over the detectives motionless body. She pulled the chair close to the bed and took a seat. Her hands found his and she picked it and placed them to her lips. "Gail yelled at me. She said I was being stubborn 'cause I wouldn't see you. She said you were being stubborn for not waking up until I got here. I'm sorry I didn't come earlier. I just couldn't. I haven't slept much... Nightmares keep up. They're worse than before. Different. It's hard to eat too. I can't keep anything down, I'm so anxious. I haven't been to work. I don't think I can until I know you'll be okay.
I've tried being strong. But I can't. I need you. Our story can't end like this. Please don't leave me?" She cried. Her tears soaking both of their hands, as she still held hers close to her body, "I love you Sammy, please come back to me".
She sat their in silence with nothing making a noise but the beeping of the machines. The moments passed and she rested her head on his bed clutching his arm to her chest for dear life.
He heard her voice again. But he knew it wasn't from that dream, that memory? "I love you Sammy" was the new mantra that was said in his head. He needed her. He needed to tell her he was okay. He needed to hold her and kiss her. But he couldn't speak. He couldn't move. Her voice still rang throughout his head.
When all of a sudden everything stopped. The voice was gone, but it was replaced with machines beeping and a light snore. He felt weight on his left arm and he tried to move it but couldn't. He tried to open his eyes but the room was so bright. He tried again allowing a little bit if light in at a time, letting them adjust. He looked over to his arm and saw the brunette resting. He wiggled his fingers and arm a little, trying to wake her... That failed.
She shot up- groggy and clearly sleep deprived, he thought. "Hi"
"Hi" she said quietly and sheepishly.
"Andy, I... Im sorry i did what I did. I should have told you from the beginning that I did. I mean I shouldn't have waited until I almost lose you. Cuz then I really did lose you. You didn't say goodbye and then I thought you moved on. I thought I did too but when I saw you that day, when you called me... I lost it"
"Sam, you're rambling like me" she tried to joke.
"Just let me?" She nodded and he continued, "things were tense between us. I knew you didn't like Marlo. I could see it. I also saw you weren't with Collins until a few weeks ago... But fuck what I'm trying to say is I love you. And I should have told you long before now."
She sat there, tears in her eyes, "I love you too" she chuckled and she moved up to capture his lips in a passionate and much need kiss for both parties. There's no sense denying what the heart, mind and body crave.
When they let up for a breath she swatted up side the head.
"Ow what the hell was that for?!"
"You... What were you thinking?! No gun, no vest?! Here we were chasing a mad man who wanted to kill us and you wander around with out a damn vest! What were you thinking? I could have lost. I can't lose you" the anger sprung out of nowhere he thought, but she was right. It was a very stupid, even rookie mistake.
"You won't lose me. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere with out you, okay?" She looked at him, tears in her eyes still, "come here" he said patting a place on the bed next to him. She slipped out of her shoes and complied. She didn't usually like taking his orders but this was different. She needed him and this was him showing how much he needed her. "I'm here as long as you want me"
Laying down and resting her head on his chest, "So forever? Great, that's what I was thinking too" she giggled.
"Sounds perfect McNally" he said kissing her forehead.
For the first time in a week Andy McNally slept for more than 20 min. For the first time in months, the two were truly happy. Things could go back to normal now.