First of all, I want to thank you all for your reviews! I am a sucker for the hurt/comfort family stuff, and Rusty/Sharon have given me a lot of potential and ideas for them, this being one of them. I am happy you are all enjoying this so far. I must warn you that this was never intended to be a long story, so there will only be one or two more chapters of this, so don't get TOO attached. Thanks again, and please R&R!
Another two hours had passed after that, and Sharon found herself drifting off to sleep, her head resting on the familiar feeling of Andy's shoulder. She didn't want to sleep, but her body and mind were telling her otherwise.
Andy was happy to see that she was finally resting. She had been through enough and he had a feeling that things were only beginning. He vowed to stand by her, be there for her, in whatever way she may need him.
When a doctor came towards them still dressed in scrubs, Andy nudged her gently. She opened her eyes and could feel her heart in her throat when she realized the doctor was walking towards her. She stood up quickly, bracing herself, Andy beside her and squeezing her hand.
Doctor Mendle stopped in front of them. "Miss Raydor?"
She nods. "Rusty…is he…?"
The doctor gave them a little smile, instantly easing the sinking feeling in her stomach. "Rusty has a long recovery ahead of him, but he is going to be just fine. We managed to repair the damage done by the bullet. His left lung collapsed but we repaired it. He received two blood transfusions and we'll be transporting him out of the OR shortly."
Sharon's eyes filled with tears, she could feel her knees go weak with relief. "Thank you, doctor. When can I see him?"
His smile became wider. "I'll have a nurse let you know when he's stable. Shouldn't be longer than another hour or so, but the visit will have to be short until he wakes up."
Sharon nods. "Of course. Thank you so much…"
He nods at her. "Rusty is lucky to have someone to care about him so much, ma'am."
She just nods, overcome with relief and emotion. "Sometimes I feel like I'm the lucky one."
"I will be checking on him in the morning. Have a nice evening, all of you." He gestures to the rest of the people in the room, who had all gathered around Sharon and Andy, all of them with relieved looks on their faces.
When he is out of sight, everyone began sighing and laughing quietly in relief. Sykes was hugging Sanchez, Tao and Provenza shook each other's hands, and Sharon threw her arms around Andy's neck, sobbing with relief.
"He's going to be okay…" She buried her face in his neck.
Andy nods, letting his fingers play with her hair. "I told you he would be, Shar. Everything is going to be all right."
She nods, taking a deep breath in relief. She pulls back from him and smiles her big, beautiful smile, the one Andy fell in love with the first night he realized that there was so much more to her than just being his Captain from IA who was obsessed with the rules. "I'm starving…the doctor said it wouldn't be another hour…do you want to head to the cafeteria with me?"
He nods, taking her hand in his and kissing the knuckles. "Let's go."
After ordering some soup and coffee, they take their seats in the cafeteria. The look of bliss that had been on her face a few minutes before suddenly darkened, and she became silent as they ate, a look of concentration and almost anger on her face.
He reached across the table to put his hand over hers. "What's wrong?"
She put her spoon down, biting her lip and shaking her head a bit. "Who would do this? Who would hurt him like this? Why him? He's been through so much already in his life, and I left him alone in my house for hours, because I am so obsessed with cracking a case?"
Andy shook his head. "Sharon, this wasn't your fault…"
She nods. "Part of it was, Andy. Lt. Provenza said that the gun I kept hidden in accent table drawer in the hallway was missing, and Lt. Tao said that the shell casings found in the kitchen were consistent with the bullets used in that gun. Rusty was shot with MY gun, and I wasn't there to protect him. I vowed to protect him since the moment he came home to me after his mother didn't show up at the bus station. And I failed him. Just like everyone else in his life. I'm no better than any of them."
Andy shook his head furiously, his voice raising slightly. "Sharon, stop it! Stop! You don't know if you could have been able to help Rusty even if you were there. And just because it was your gun that was used to hurt him, doesn't mean a thing. You didn't pull that trigger, Sharon. You love that kid. It was just a horrible thing that happened. Stop blaming yourself!"
She sighs, her appetite suddenly gone. "It's been a half hour. We should get back to the waiting room. I think when I see him I will feel better…"
He nods, getting up and helping her out of her chair. "After you see him, you are coming back to my place to rest for a few hours."
She was too tired to protest. "All right, but I need to be here when he wakes up."
Andy nods, rolling his eyes a bit at her bossiness. "Of course. I'll make sure we get a phone call if he wakes up before we get back here tomorrow."
She grasps his hand as they make their way back to the waiting room. When they get there, she walks over to the rest of her team, the four of them huddled together in an intense conversation. She clears her throat to get their attention.
Sykes turns around. "Captain? Is there anything we can do?"
Sharon shakes her head and smiles slightly. "No, Amy. Thank you. I just…" she looks at the five people staring at her with tired eyes. "I just want to thank you all for being here for Rusty and I tonight. But I want you all to go home now and get some rest."
Provenza clears his throat. "Are you sure, Captain?"
She nods. "Yes, Lieutenant. But tomorrow I want you all on this case. I need to know who did this to Rusty, but I don't think I can leave him here alone tomorrow. I'm counting on you to lead the investigation."
He smiles, putting his hand on his shoulder, a rare gesture of affection coming from the normally grumpy Lieutenant. "Yes, Captain. We'll find who did this to Rusty. I promise you that."
She swallows back the lump in her throat. "Thank you, Lieutenant." She looks around the room. "Thank you all. Have a nice evening and get a good night's sleep."
Within a few minutes, goodbyes were exchanged and she was once again sitting on the uncomfortable chairs, Andy still beside her, holding her hand and caressing the back of it with his thumb. It was comfortable silence this time, rather than an uneasy one.
When the nurse came out to tell them that Sharon could see Rusty now, Andy smiled at her and gave her a quick kiss. "Go ahead. Take all the time you need. I'll just wait here."
She nods and smiles at him. "Thank you, Andy. For everything."
He squeezes her hand as she walks away from him, heading back to the waiting room to watch old sitcom reruns on the old television that was in there.
Sharon made her way into Rusty's hospital room, taking in his pale face and the oxygen mask placed over his nose and mouth. She took a deep breath and sat down in the chair beside him, taking his hand in both of hers. She just stared at him for a few minutes, listening to the monitors, watching his chest rise and fall with each precious breath that he took. He looked so fragile lying there, and even though the doctor told her that he was going to be okay, she couldn't help but feel uneasy at seeing him like this.
She took a few deep breaths, trying hard not to cry again. She had cried more in one evening than she had ever cried in her whole life, the fear of losing Rusty too much for her. She bit her lip as the tears started to fall, instantly wiping them away with the back of her right hand, the other still holding onto Rusty's. "I'm so sorry, Rusty. So sorry I wasn't home with you. Andy says it wasn't my fault but, I'm your protector and I don't feel like I took care of you. And I'm so sorry for that, Rusty. You deserve so much better, I know that. And I promise to be home with you more often from now on. I promise."
She rests her head beside his shoulder, reaching up to brush some of his hair out of his eyes. "You aren't alone anymore, Rusty. I'm here. I'll never leave you, and I promise to never let anything happen to you ever again. We're gonna find who did this to you, Rusty. I promise." She lifts her head up and kisses the back of his hand, sniffling as more tears trickle down her cheeks.
"I'm gonna go to Lt. Flynn's for a few hours, to rest. But I'll be back soon, okay?" She sighed. He of course was asleep, and she wasn't sure if he could hear her, but it made her feel better to talk to him, made her feel like he really was going to be all right. She stands up and leans down to kiss his forehead. "I love you, Rusty. You changed everything for me over the last few months. You rest now and I'll see you in a little while."
She reluctantly steps away from the bed and heads out of the room and back to the waiting room where Andy was waiting for her, dosing a bit. She smiles when he notices her and gets up to go to her. "How is he?"
Sharon shrugs. "He's pale, but he looks peaceful in his sleep."
Andy smiles, putting his arm around her as he leads her out of the room. "That's good. In a few hours he'll be awake and you'll be able to talk to him again."
She nods. "Thank God for that. I don't know what I would have done if this turned out differently."
He links his fingers within hers. "Luckily we won't have to worry about that. Let's get you to bed, shall we?"
She nods, resting her head on his shoulder. "Mmmm….sounds heavenly."
They walk out of the hospital that way, both feeling a little less weight on their shoulders as they did so. They had each other, and Rusty was going to be all right. Sharon couldn't ask for anything more at that moment, even though she knew the investigation into the shooting would take a whole new toll on them in the coming days. She knew that when they found who did this to him, there was going to be hell to pay. She'd make sure of that.