"Mrs. Danko? Mrs. Danko."

She opened her eyes to Lt. Ryker kneeling in front of her. She glanced around confused, but found she was sitting on her couch. Why was Ryker here? Where was Mike? The fog in her brain slowly cleared.

"Apparently, a shoot-out has occurred at the warehouse . . ." The tv brought her back to a grim reality. Ryker rose and snapped the tv off.

"Why are you here?" She asked sitting up.

"Drink some water." He said anxiously, handing her a glass. She pushed it aside.

"No. Why are you here?" She ducked her head fighting down tears. "He's dead." She whispered softly.

"Mrs. Danko . . ." He began kneeling in front of her again.

"He's dead." She repeated loudly and angrily.

"No." Ryker said, rubbing his neck with the his hand. "No. We don't know what happened. They were ambushed. They were taken hostage. We heard gunfire."

"What do they want?"

"What . . ." He studied her, surprised by her strength.

"The men who took them, what do they want in exchange?" She said coldly.

"A way out - a helicopter and some money." He said numbly.

"We have $1200 in our savings." She chewed the corner of her lip, and ran a hand through her hair.

"Mrs. Danko." He shook his head. "Mrs. Danko."

"Maybe Mike's parents . . ."

"They want half a million dollars, but it isn't going to come to that." He told her. "We are going to get them out of there. You just have to wait."

She looked up at him sharply at the word "wait", her eyes filling with tears.

"But maybe if we pay," She whispered desperately. "Maybe they'll let them go."

"Is there someone I can call?" He asked her. "Family? A friend to come and stay with you?"

"Yes." The tears began to roll down her face. "You can call Mike."

Ryker let out a long sigh. "We don't know if he was shot. We don't know if anyone was shot."

"But you came here to me." She said. "Why did you leave? Who's in charge down there?"

"My superior took over." He moved and sat beside her on the couch. "There must be someone I can call."

"I want to go down there."

"No, that's not possible, and you know it."

"They always need medical personnel." She argued.

"Mrs. Danko . . ." He shook his head. "Not you. You know it can't be you. I'm sorry. You have to wait."

"Can I wait at the station?" She asked him.

"Mrs. Danko . . ."

"What about Willie and Terry? Are they hostages too?"

"Willie is with Mike. Terry was . . . he's injured."

"Where is he?" She asked, rising suddenly. "Is he at Memorial?"

"Yes, I was coming to . . ."

"Can you drive me there, please?" She asked. "I don't . . ." Her eyes welled with fresh tears. "Mike took the car."

Ryker rose amazed by her strength. He rose and said, "Of course." He put a hand on her arm. "It started raining. You'll need a sweater." He added gently. She nodded numbly and took a sweater from the closet, sliding her arms into it absently. As they stepped out the door together, without any thought, she reached for Ryker's hand. He swallowed a lump in his throat thinking, not for the first time, that maybe it was a mistake to befriend these rookies. He glanced at the side of her face as she reached up with her other hand and wiped tears from her eyes. She was so damn young! They all were! Nothing but a bunch of babies wearing badges!

"We'll do everything we can. I promise it, Mrs. Danko." He told her.

She turned to look at him with just the hint of a sad smile across her features. "I really think you ought to call me Jill." He nodded and squeezed her fingers.

"He's a good cop, Jill." He told her. "I know he's just a rookie, but he's got good instincts." He opened the car door for her, and helped her inside. She looked up at him with wide, dark, tear-filled eyes.

"I know my husband, Eddie." She said quietly. "His instincts are to put Willy's safety above his own. He'll make sure the kid is okay first, and you know it."

He studied her thoughtfully, trying to find something to comfort her. She was right of course. It was the same thing Terry had said. He chewed the corner of his lip wishing that this whole day could just start over. He hadn't expected facing her to be easy. It was never easy facing down a cop's wife and telling her that her husband may or may not be dead, but she was different. He'd let himself become friends with them; with her. She was just a few years older than the daughter he'd lost and part of him always saw her that way. It didn't help that she was infinitely sweet, but with just enough spunk to remind him of his own Mary Kate. Seeing them together always reminded him of that time in his life; his dearest friend always waiting at home for him. He could see that it was the same for the Dankos.

"But it isn't just Mike making the decisions." He said to her at last. "He isn't alone, Jill. We are gonna work to get them out; both of them."

***R***

"Lie still!" The nurse said pushing Terry back down. "You are going to make things worse!" He struggled and fought against her.

"I need an orderly!" The nurse shouted over her shoulder.

"No, you don't." Hearing the voice, Terry immediately stopped his struggle. "He's gonna lie nice and still now, aren't you?" Jill asked looking down at him.

"Yeah." He whispered, his dark eyes wide and . . . guilty. "Jill . . ."

"Hush, now." She said softly, moving close to his head, so that the nurse could examine his wounded leg. "Were you shot?"

"Shrapnel." He said.

"Shrapnel?" She asked, her voice cracking on the word. "They must have some pretty big weapons if it is causing . . ."

"He'll be okay." Terry interrupted her. "He is smart. He survived the war."

"Close your eyes and rest." She said ignoring him. She rubbed his cheek with the back of her hand. "That leg has got to be causing you a great deal of pain. Just rest, Terry."

"He was okay when they took him inside. I could see him, Jill. He wasn't hit." He reassured her, trying to pull himself up to a sitting position.

"Lie still!" The nurse said, and Jill put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down.

"Okay, Terry. Okay." She said soothingly. "You lie down."

He lay back down, but his eyes never left hers. He could see how terrified she was. Her skin was ghostly white, and her large eyes seemed to have doubled in size. There were tracks of tears, but she wasn't crying now. She was keeping herself together. He recognized it. He'd seen it once before, when Willie had been hurt. She'd rushed around his hospital room, fussing and somehow managing to be all business. At the time, he'd been impressed with her ability to keep it together. He'd gone out into the hall, barely hanging onto his emotions - seeing the kid busted up like he was and had found Mike rushing to meet him.

"The kid okay?" He'd asked.

"He's gonna be. Jill's with him now." Terry had told him. "It was pretty close there for a bit."

"She okay?"

"She's tough as nails. I don't know how she does it! I'm shaking! She's in there fussing and taking care of everything."

"Oh." Mike said shaking his head sadly. "It's just an act, Terry." He'd said. They'd both headed into the room then and Willy, was still asleep.

"Hey, Kid." Mike said moving to stand beside him. "You get better." He glanced over at Jill, who, Terry noticed, wasn't meeting his eyes. She continued to fuss checking and rechecking his IV.

"Hey," Mike said softly to her. "Babe?"

"He'll be okay. They thought he might have broken his back, but he didn't. He's gonna be mighty sore, though. That was a long fall." Her voice was all business, and she still didn't meet Mike's eyes.

"Knock it off, Nurse Danko." Mike said stepping closer to her, and putting his hand on her arm. Terry watched shocked and amazed, as her eyes welled with tears, and her facade of fearlessness fell away. One lone tear slid down her face, and Mike reached out with a tender hand and wiped it away. She fell into his arms then, sobbing, and Terry had stepped out into the hall then, stunned by the intimacy.

"You mind holding my hand, there, Nurse Danko?" He asked watching her eyes grow wide with surprise at his request. "I don't know about you, but today is starting out pretty bad, and I'm feeling a little bit scared."

"Yes." She said reaching for his hand, and wiping a lone tear that slid down her cheek. "Me, too."

He squeezed her fingers, and closed his eyes - mostly to avoid seeing the pain and anguish in hers.

"Not enough flowers in the world for a cop's wife!" Was it just yesterday Mike had said that?

***R***

She stayed at the hospital, waiting with Terry. When they had wheeled him to surgery to take out the small bits of shrapnel, she'd paced the waiting room, avoiding the tvs. She knew Ryker would come to her. He had promised he would bring news whenever he could. He was trustworthy, she knew that, and the news got things wrong most of the time. She was pacing when the head nurse came to her.

"Jill, do you want some coffee? How about something to eat?" But Jill had simply shook her head.

"You can lie down, if you want."

"No, Mrs. Conners." She had replied. She could never manage to call the head nurse by her first name. She was a tough administrator and the best nurse Jill had ever worked with.

"I took you off the rotation for the time being." Nurse Conners continued. "If you need anything, anyone of the girls can find me; even if I'm off duty." She reached out and squeezed Jill's shoulder.

Jill looked up surprised by the warm, compassion. "Thank you." She responded shakily.

"I'll say prayers for your husband." The head nurse said before she turned to walk away.

Jill watched her go until she had disappeared around the corner, and then resumed her pacing.

"No one can say for sure what has happened inside that warehouse." The news man's voice filled the silent waiting room. "Officials aren't speaking with us just now. But we've heard several unconfirmed reports that more gunfire has been heard from inside the warehouse. And although we can't speculate on what has happened, one thing is sure, gunfire can't be good news for the two officers held inside."

She stood frozen, her eyes on the tv, as they flashed pictures of both Mike and Willy across the screen. Her eyes locked onto Mike's in the picture - even in a serious shot like this one, she could see the hint of laughter hiding in those sweet, beautiful eyes. She forced herself to turn away, and heard a man say near her, "Those poor officers. They are probably already dead."

She looked at him horrified. "Why would you say that?" She whispered.

"Why would they keep them alive?" He said looking at her surprised. "No one knows what's happening inside. They could get what they want and just tell the police they are still alive."

"But they need them to get away."

"Lady, do you know them?" He asked seeing how upset she was. "Look, I don't know anything. I was just talking." And clearly, uncomfortable he rose and left the room.

***R***

He found her sitting with Terry, who was asleep. He tried to step into the room quickly so as not to alarm her, but of course seeing him there filled her with dread.

"Mike's not dead." He began trying to keep things as honest and straightforward as possible. "He'll be okay?" He asked indicating Terry.

"It was just shrapnel. He's got some wounds, but he'll recover." She said rising. "Why are you here? What has happened?"

"You haven't been watching the news, then?" Lt. Ryker asked her.

"No. Too scared." She admitted. "I heard there was more gunfire."

"There's been internal fighting with the group." He explained.

"How do you know?" She asked anxiously, fearing his answer.

"They sent Willie out to us. He seems alright - a little bruised maybe. He said he's fine."

She studied him, waiting. She knew he was waiting for her to ask, but she didn't want too - didn't want to hear the answer or know it.

"Wha . . wha . . what about Mike?" She asked at last.

He glanced at Terry who still slept. "Let's go into the hall." He said gently.

"No!" The response burst out of her. "Tell me!"

"Jill," He began.

"Eddie! Don't . . .don't . . .don't make me keep asking!" This sentence came out as a whisper, but harsh.

"Sit down, Jill." He said easing her back into the chair. "Willie said that he'd . . .he's been shot, Jill."

He had expected her to explode at him and become hysterical. Instead, she dropped her head and began to quietly cry. Somehow, that was much worse than the yelling he'd imagined. He knelt in front of her.

"He said that Mike's hanging in, and he was able to stop the blood." He hesitated on the word.

"But time is running out." She said meeting his eyes.

"Yeah," He admitted. "We are working on it, though."

She glanced at the clock. It was nearly four. They'd been "working on it" for nearly a day now.

"I know." He said looking at the clock, too. "Jill, I'm going to get him out. I promise it. I do. No matter, what. I swear it."

"I know." She said softly, and he was stunned by her composure and her compassion toward him.

"Mike'll be okay." Terry said from his bed and they both turned surprised that he was awake. "He's the most stubborn man I've ever met, and when it comes to you . . ."

"You should be resting." She said coming to stand beside him. "How do you feel?"

"How do I feel? Jesus, Jill! I got a hangnail on my toe that's bugging me some." He said sarcastically. "Lieutenant, you believe her?" He turned toward Ryker.

"Terry . . ." She began. "I'm just . . .it's easier to worry about you. I can do something to help you."

"Yeah." He said nodding his head, as Ryker put an arm around her shoulders. He squeezed her gently, and wasn't at all surprised as she leaned into him.

"I need to head back." Ryker said to her. "I wanted to tell you in person - I was afraid you'd see it on the news. You got that number I gave you? Dispatch will put you straight through to me. I told them it is priority one."

"Yes." She said patting her pocket.

"You'll be here?" He asked her. "You can keep an eye on him for me. Make sure he rests."

"Yes." She said glancing at Terry, who was drifting back to sleep.

"Alright then." He sighed glancing at her. "You need anything else?"

Mike she thought. I need Mike.

"No." She shook her head.

He squeezed her shoulder one more time, and then throwing all attempts at "professionalism" in the trash, leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"I'll get him out, honey. I swear it."

"Yes, sir." She said softly. He sighed and turned to leave her, but just as she reached the door she called out to him.

"Lieutenant?' She asked.

"Yes?"

"Could you do one favor for me?"

"Anything." He said.

"Could you go with me to the chapel and pray? Just for a minute?" And unable to speak, he had simply nodded and held his hand out to hers.