Chapter 4
When they left the car in front of Lisbon´s home, it was instantly clear that Cho had been right: The front door was ajar.
An unbearable trepidation overcame Jane when Cho pushed the door open.
Lisbon lay on the floor in a puddle of red. The blood rushed into Jane´s head, leaving his fingers ice cold in an instant. He heard a low, keening sound, a terrified wailing, the desperate cry of a fatally wounded animal- he suddenly noticed that it came out of his own throat.
Cho ran to Lisbon´s side and placed his hands on the gash in her abdomen, he screamed for Jane to help him, but Jane couldn´t, he cried like a small child, totally useless, shaken to the bones, so Cho took his cellphone out and called 911 before bringing his hands back to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding- there was so much blood everywhere, it soaked into the carpet beneath her, Cho prayed silently for her to stay alive while Jane whimpered and moaned with agony, the tears falling freely from his face. Cho was scared- for his boss and for Jane, whom he´d never seen like this.
The EMT came fast, and Cho pulled Jane out of the way while the medics tried to save his boss´ life. Jane was short of breaking down, he was shaking badly, his eyes wild and restless, he breathed desperation with every gasp for air. Cho made him sit down on the ground so he wouldn´t collapse.
When Lisbon was ready for the transport Cho helped Jane to his feet and pushed him into the ambulance with her, sensing that the ride might calm him. Jane shivered heavily and sobbed inconsolably- when suddenly his eyes fell on Lisbons still form. He became quiet in an instant. His hands moved out of their own volition, touched her skin, the masses of black hair, her soft, bloody lips…
"Is her nose broken?", he whispered to the medic sitting next to him.
"No, you can touch her face. The main problem is the wound in her abdomen- she lost lots of blood. We don´t know yet how far the damage is reaching- but she will require surgery, that´s for sure."
Jane bowed closer to her face, let his breath stroke her features.
"Don´t go", he whispered, "If you leave me, I have finally nothing left."
He pressed his lips to her cheek, regardless of all the blood, it didn´t matter.
"I promise you", he breathed into her ear, "when you allow me to, I´ll make it better. I´ll ease your pain. Please, fight."
And Lisbon, deeply unconscious, did just that- she fought.