Through and Through
A/N: I apparently am bad at leaving one shots, one shots. Companion piece to She Hates the Rain.
A/N 2: I have not forgotten my other fics! I've hit some roadblocks with writing and life and been super crazy at the moment. They will be completed, no worries!
It'd been about 4 ½ months since Andy and Nick returned from UC. They did the protocol of getting cleared by the shrink before they were able to slip back into the blues. After her talk with Sam they had pretty much stayed clear of each other. They were civil with each other at work and if they came across each other outside of work they were friendly.
Andy decided then and there that she wasn't to live in the past. She was going to move forward and think positively. Andy had spent a lot time relearning who she was and what she wanted in her life. There was no living down in the dumps this time around. She made sure to keep herself busy.
If Andy wasn't with any of the other rooks she was spending time with her dad or working out. She was always doing something. She'd go running before and after work, hit the weight room, shoot hoops with the guys or Leo, or reading books. She was probably in the best shape of her life.
She was also only at the Penny maybe two times a week. As much as she loved the place and her friends, it was still weird seeing Sam there with someone else. What she didn't know was that the times that she was there, were the times that Sam looked forward to the most, seeing that he rarely saw her these days, a glance at most.
He and Marlo were still seeing each other, enjoying each other's company. Marlo knew that Sam was still holding back on a few things, things preventing them from ever getting more serious, things that she would have to break down eventually, but today was not that day.
"Server, protect, and wear your vests. It's hot and we have a bunch of crazies out there." Best claimed at the end of parade.
"Chloe make sure the vests are in the squad and I'll be out there in a few minutes."
"Yes ma'am."
"What did I say about calling me ma'am?" Andy said raising an eyebrow.
"Sorry Andy."
"It's okay. Be ready by the time I get out there."
Chloe nodded in response and headed out to the cruiser.
"How is she?" Nick asked.
"She's getting better, she listens."
"You headed to the Penny tonight? Chris is coming." Dov asked as he walked up to them.
"I haven't seen him much since he transferred. Count me in, I miss him." Andy smiled.
"Awesome. I'll let him know and spread the word." He smiled, grabbed a coffee, then left.
"How are things with Gail?" Andy asked.
"Good and bad, but we're working through it. How are you?"
"I'm great actually." Andy beamed. "Been keeping busy as you can see and from what I tell you."
"I'm happy that you're okay and not some frazzled sprinkler that you were before." He laughed.
"Shut up!" she laughed punching his arm. "I was having a crisis. It's all good now."
"Maybe you should go on a date."
"I don't know…"
"You said you were good."
"I know. I am. Just need someone to actually date."
"If you want I can find someone for you."
"No thanks."
"Why not?"
"Because the last time you set me up with someone, we arrested him the next day. Or did you forget that?"
"That was a minor technicality."
"Have a good shift Nick." She laughs.
True to his words, Best was right, the crazies were out today. They got call after call, some legit, some not.
It was their last call of the day that really topped it off. They got a call for a domestic disturbance. When they reached the residence they could see through the windows that items were being thrown and could hear yelling, they called for back up.
Walking up, the front door was open ajar, Andy made their presence known.
"This is the police! We're coming in!" Andy yelled.
They entered the house, hands on their guns, finding the wife hiding behind the couch, a young child maybe 2, sitting in the middle of the living room, and the husband who appeared to be intoxicated on the opposite side yelling.
"Andy he's armed." Chloe noted seeing the fire arm tucked in the back of his jeans.
"Sir I need you to settle down and lower your voice."
"Get out of my house!" the man yelled.
"Sir I need you to calm down, we've been getting calls of noise complaints."
"That's this brats fault." He slurs pointing to the kid.
"Have you been drinking sir?"
"What's it to you? A man can't drink in his own home?"
"Officer Price, check on the wife and get the child out of here."
"No! Don't you move! They aren't going anywhere!"
"Sir I need you to comply with me so this doesn't end badly."
"This ends when I want it to end."
By then he had seen the other squad car pull up.
"If your buddies come in here no one is leaving! Do you understand me?!"
"1510 stand down, I repeat stand down." Chloe says in to the radio.
"Sir we're here to help you." Andy says getting his attention again.
"You want to help? The police want to help. Why don't you tell my wife she's not divorcing me, stop spreading it for other men, and a kid that's mine!" he yelled grabbing the bottle of whiskey and taking a swig.
No matter what they said they couldn't calm this guy down. He had now emptied the bottle and was slurring even more and was losing balance.
Andy motioned for Chloe to try and move closer to the mother, but the husband saw her small step, pulled out the hand gun and started to yell once again.
"I said don't move!" he yelled pointing the gun, wobbling at the same time.
"Sir why don't you put the gun down, no one needs to…"
Just as Andy was about to finish her sentence the man fell forward, dropping the gun, with two shots going off. Andy jumped in front of the child, shielding her.
"Shots fired! Shots fired!" Chloe yelled. "Andy?!" she yelled looking over at her as she cuffed the man.
"Andy?" she asked again as she moved to her. She wasn't moving. "I need a bus asap! Officer down! I repeat officer down!" Chloe looked over and saw the pool of blood. Andy had taken a bullet to the neck. She grabbed the closest thing to her and applied pressure. "Ma'am I need you to take your daughter outside."
"What the hell happened?" Oliver said running over. "Andy? No no no, come on McNally!" he yelled, helping Chloe apply more pressure. She was pale. There was so much blood.
"I need that bus now!" Oliver yelled in the radio. "Dov get him out of here!" He says looking at the man who was now passed out.
"Was she hit anywhere else?" Oliver asked.
"Two shots went off, I only know the one to the neck, not sure about the other." Chloe answered coming back with more towels.
Oliver did a quick glance over. "She's not going to be happy." He grinned, seeing as Andy had yet again taken another bullet to the vest. Oliver stripped off the vest, knowing that it was adding pressure to her body.
Soon then the bus arrived and took over. "We'll need blood ready when we reach the hospital." They heard the paramedic yell.
"I'm going with her, she's my partner." Chloe said hopping in the ambulance.
Oliver and Dov stood there, watching them take away their friend, hoping that everything would be okay.
Back at the station, everyone had heard what was going on. Traci was crying, not knowing if her best friend would be okay. Frank had informed her that she was on her way to the hospital. Sam had been sitting there this whole time, not knowing how to react. He had been shaking his leg vigorously, wanting to leave for the hospital, but he knew that he couldn't do that anymore, he could only be on the sidelines. It was killing him.
"Chloe called, Andy got hit in the neck, through and through, she also took one to the vest." Best said coming in to let them know of her injuries.
"Is she going to be okay?" Traci asked wiping away her tears.
"They don't know…" he said not liking his own answer. "You should head over there."
"Leaving now." She said grabbing her keys and running out.
Frank nodded at Sam before leaving the D's office.
Sam had been sitting in his office for half and hour, staring at his computer screen. His blood was boiling not knowing if she'd been okay. With the frustration getting to him, he stood up and threw his coffee mug against the wall.
Marlo had been watching him ever since the called had gone through.
"Why are you still here? You should be at the hospital." She said entering the office.
"I…I have paperwork to catch up on." He says sitting back down.
"Bullshit."
"It's complicated, I can't…we're not…"
"Andy and I may not be best friends, but I know that it's killing you not being there. If she doesn't make it, you're never to forgive yourself."
"Don't say that. She's going to be fine."
"Sam…"
"She's going to be fine!" he yells.
"Go Sam. Go see her."
"Marlo…"
"No Sam. You need to fix things before it's too late, before you never get the chance to."
Sam gets to the hospital and finds everyone either sitting or pacing in the waiting room. Chris and Dov are quietly sitting by the windows, Noelle is sitting with a tear stricken Gail, Nick leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and head down, Frank in the corner talking on the phone, probably with the higher ups, and Traci and Chloe no where in site.
Sam slowly walks up to Nick. "How is she?" he asks, coming out in a whisper.
"Surgery went well, they bullet didn't hit anything major, thank god. She'll need to do PT to help with her neck muscles, they put 83 stitches. She also had a cracked rib and bruising. With all the blood she lost, they lost her twice on the table, but got her back. She's in critical condition, in the ICU in an induced coma for now. Traci and Chloe are with her right now."
"But she'll be okay right?"
"The doctors are hopeful. But they can't rule anything out yet."
Sam closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.
"She's going to be fine Sam, she's been through worse."
"Have you seen her?"
"Yeah, we all have. Only one missing is you."
Sam nodded and turned.
"It's not pretty, there's some bruising on her face. I don't want you to be surprised when you see her."
"Thanks. I uh…I really appreciate everything you've done for her."
"That's what best friends are for." He smiles. Sam shook his hand before walking away towards Andy's room.
Traci and Chloe were sitting at her bed side talking lightly.
"Traci…"
"Sam, come in." she smiled seeing him.
"I'll be out in the waiting room." Chloe says standing up.
"How you holding up?" he asks as the door closes.
"I'm okay, I just want her to be okay. Why does this keep happening? First Jerry, now her. If she doesn't come out of this, I'm going to lose it."
"Hey, come here." He says pulling her into a hug. "She's going to be fine, she's not going anywhere, she's too stubborn." He grins, making Traci laugh.
"I'll leave you alone with her." She says.
"Thanks."
As Traci leaves, she faintly hears him say, "Hi sweetheart" as she closes the door.
"Hi sweetheart." He says getting a good look at her, and lightly places a kiss on her forehead.
He looks over her a few times over, checking the extent of her injuries. Her neck is heavily wrapped with gauze, bruises creeping out from under, and had a breathing tube to help her. He takes a seat next to her and places his hand over hers.
"You're not going to like this, but we're going to have to get you a new vest. I know how much you liked your old one, but it now has one too many holes in it." He grins.
"Andy you have to come out of this okay, no one is going to be able to handle it if you don't. I don't know if you can hear me, but you need to focus on getting better. I don't think I'll be able to function if I don't see your beautiful eyes or smile again." Sam smiled thinking about her smile.
"We're trying to get ahold of your dad but no luck yet, but I'll keep trying."
For a while Sam just sat there, not knowing what to say. She laid there helpless, he didn't know what to do.
"Who am I supposed to love if you're not here?"
And with that, Sam Swarek did something he hadn't done in months since Jerry passed.
He cried.
Feedback is greatly appreciated!