Cal couldn't believe he found himself running into the hospital for the second day in a row, panic threatening to consume him entirely as he raced to the third floor towards Ria's room, with Gillian, Loker, Reynolds and Eva right behind him. When the hospital had called 10 minutes earlier, all they had told him was that a guy had come in, shot her, and then turned the gun on himself. They didn't say anything about her condition and he had slammed down the phone and raced out the door once again. When they ran into her room they found two police officers standing where the bed used to be, taking pictures and processing the scene.
Gillian felt her heart drop into her stomach as she surveyed the room, fearing the worst, and felt her lungs constricting as she struggled to take a deep breath. They stood there for a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity, mouths open and eyes wide in shock at the sight of the blood on the floor and the broken glass and spilled daffodils covering the nightstand. A nurse who had seen them running down the hall followed them into the room.
"It's okay. She's alive. He fired at her twice, one bullet hit the flower vase, one grazed her shoulder, but it was a flesh wound. She's going to be okay. The guy didn't make it though."
They spun around to stare at her, and relief hit their faces as they took in her words. Gillian found herself gasping in air, her eyes brimming with tears as she finally found herself able to breathe freely again.
"Where is she?" Cal demanded, having to see for himself that she was really okay.
"They treated the wound and she's just been moved to room 337 down the hall." He didn't wait to ask permission if he could see her, just took off out of the room in a hurried pace, followed by the others. When he found the room, he barged in, not bothering to knock, and saw her sitting up in bed, wide awake and looking at the sudden intruders into her room standing by the doorway. He expected to find her desolate and crying, or even giddy with happiness to be alive, but what he didn't expect to see was her face void of all emotions, except for a strong look of determination.
"I'm fine." She stated before any of them could ask the inevitable question. Not waiting for any comments from them, "I just want to be left alone." She was looking at her hands in her lap now, not wanting to see or read the expressions that she knew would be spread across their faces. No one moved from their spot, just staring at her in shock at this new turn of events. "Just go." She insisted, her voice a little harsher than she intended. She laid back and twisted onto her side as well as she could with a cast on her leg, turning her back to them. Gillian, Loker, Eva and Reynolds reluctantly backed out of the room, uncertain whether it was better to give her her space or not, but thinking it was probably better to respect her wishes. Cal, on the other hand, decided differently.
He moved closer to her bed. It was driving him nuts that he couldn't see her face properly, couldn't tell what she was feeling automatically. She was usually so easy for him to read – he could always tell what she was thinking or feeling – so it unnerved him that she had suddenly become so closed off. He took another step closer. "Torres." She let out a sigh, barely noticeable, but it felt like one of resignation to him.
He didn't expect the words that followed her sigh. "I quit." There was no question, no self-doubt in her voice, just a tone of determined resignation.
He didn't know what to say. "I…uh…what?" His voice betrayed a slight hint of disbelief that this is what it was all coming down to.
"I quit." She repeated herself, her voice just the same as before, no room for argument or questioning.
He stood there for a long moment, just staring at her, with her back to him. Seeming to come to some sort of internal decision, he turned around and left, slowly shutting the door behind him. It wasn't until she heard it click shut that she finally gave into the sadness that she had been holding inside, hiding from everyone, since she woke up from the accident that morning. Sobs wracked her body as the tears slid down her face, wetting the pillow beneath her.