In The Wrong Place
Chapter 23
A/N Apologies for only updating this now..The office application was acting up on my computer...Finally here is the next installment....
Steve pulled at the handcuffs and felt his anxiety levels rise. Unsure of what Joe's next move was he remembered the bullets that were still enclosed in his left hand...Fearing that Joe might try to take them back and use them on Mike, Steve frantically tried to think of a way he could get rid of them so that Joe couldn't get them but handcuffed to the sideboard and feeling as weak as a kitten there really weren't any solutions to Steve's dilemma...Joe saw Steve look at the bullets and guessed what he was thinking...
"Relax Steve...I don't need them...all I need is this!" Joe said looking at the empty gun ...
Steve looked at Joe confused trying to figure out what he was up to...He wasn't sure if it was the fever that was raging through him,the blood loss or the dizziness but his brain wasn't functioning properly...
"What?...What are you talking about?" and once again he pulled at the handcuffs out of pure frustration...
"Will you stop that kid!...You're going to dislocate your wrist pulling at that" and with that Joe took a key out of his pocket and put it up on the sideboard..."When they come in, the key is up there to get you out of that..."
Just then from outside Mike's voice boomed again...
"JOE!...COME ON JOE!...LET'S TALK...PLEASE JOE!...IS EVERYONE OK IN THERE? ANSWER ME JOE !"
Steve looked at Joe again trying desperately to figure out what his plan was..
"Look it's over Steve...and don't beat yourself up about it...Even the greatest hero in the world can't save everyone...But you sure tried, I'll give you that!...And I'm grateful to you but I'm tired Steve...real tired...I just can't do this anymore...You asked me earlier what happened to me...didn't you kid? Life happened and sometimes life sucks!...You know you're ok Steve...You're a good cop...You just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be ok...Don't let life get to you...And you really should tell that little lady what you feel about her you know...Life is too short for regrets...Look, I need you to do me a favour Steve...I want you to give this to Nina and Corky for me..." and taking an envelope out of his jacket pocket he leaned over and put it in the pocket of Steve's sweatshirt..."Now I have to go and see your boss..." and with that Joe headed for the door with his gun in his hand...
"Joe! You go out there waving that gun and they're gonna shoot..." and just as the words left Steve's mouth realization dawned on him..."Oh God, No Joe! Don't do it! Joe! That's not the answer!..That's never the answer Joe!"
"Bye kid!"
"JOE !...NOOOOO !"
The next two minutes went by in a blur...
As Joe opened the door, he charged out and pointing his gun at Mike he yelled...
"MIKE STONE! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"...
As soon as Joe had run out Steve used the little energy he had left to shout at the top of his voice...
"MIKE ! HE'S NOT ARMED...THE GUN'S EMPTY ...MIKE !...MIKE !"
When Mike saw Joe appear and point his gun at him he instinctively ducked and from inside the house he heard Steve yelling...When he heard what Steve was saying he glanced at Corky who was poised to take the fatal shot that would take Joe down and realizing in that instant what Joe was trying to do he yelled at Corky…..
"CORKY! NOOOOO! HOLD YOUR FIRE!"
But his order came a few seconds too late…..
When Corky saw Joe charge out and point his gun at Mike and when he heard what Joe had yelled he thought about his father…Seeing Mike duck he thought to himself " Not this time Joe!" and with tears forming in his eyes and his heart pounding in his chest he discharged two bullets that with expert precision hit Joe squarely in the chest…Joe saw Corky and staggered for a few seconds and then dropped onto the cold concrete steps….
For the next thirty seconds silence fell over the scene as everyone took in the horror of what had just happened…..
Inside the house Steve heard the two gunshots and feared the worst…For a split second Steve wondered if Joe had hidden any bullets from him and feared for Mike's safety…He pulled at the handcuffs again out of sheer frustration….He hated the fact that he was totally immobile and unable to get out to see what had happened…He listened to see if he could hear any signs that Mike was ok but as the silence ensued he strained to hear anything at all…. Feeling totally emotionally and physically drained he leaned his head back against the wall, his eyes glued on the door and anxiously waited to see who would be the first one to enter and rescue him….
Outside Mike was the first one to pull himself together and bounding up the last few steps he knelt beside Joe and removed the gun from his hand…Joe was barely conscious and after assessing the damage the bullets had done Mike knew that Joe was in serious trouble….
"GET PARAMEDICS UP HERE!"…he yelled..
Then turning back to Joe he saw Joe's eyes flicker open and stare at him….
"Why Joe? Why?" he pleaded…
" Better….this way…." Joe stuttered in obvious pain…."You take care….of that kid in there….He's a good kid…..You know Mike….That daughter of yours….and him…make a real nice couple….She couldn't find a better guy….than one who would die for her…." He groaned and stopped talking then as the pain worsened….
"Take it easy Joe…Don't talk…Help's on the way!" Mike reassured the injured man…
Corky had arrived up beside Mike and Joe…The young man was visibly shaking and upset and knelt beside his Godfather…. Seeing Corky Joe spoke again….
"It's ok son….You did….the right thing….I'm sorry…about your Dad…I didn't mean it…I'm really….really…sorry…." and with that Joe's head dropped to one side and his body went limp…
Searching for Joe's pulse Mike's shoulders sagged when he couldn't find any sign of life…Looking over at Corky, Mike shook his head and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder as the young man broke down….Then taking up Joe's gun Mike checked it and found no bullets in the chamber…Seeing Mike check Joe's gun and seeing the gun empty Corky cried out….
"Oh God Mike!...What have I done?...I killed him for nothing…."
Seeing the shock in the young man's face Mike grabbed both his shoulders and spoke firmly to him….
"CORKY! Listen to me now! You did the right thing…You didn't know the gun was empty! It was a righteous shooting…Joe made that choice himself…You've got nothing to feel guilty about…Do you hear me now?"
Corky just nodded still staring at Joe's lifeless eyes…..
Just then Lee and Dan came bounding up the steps… Lee was the first one to speak…
" Mike the paramedics are delayed…They'll be here in a few minutes…."
"Ok Lee…It's too late for Joe anyway…" Then taking control of the situation again he started issuing orders…." Dan! Take Corky back down to your car and stay with him…I think he's in shock...Lee! Arrange for the coroner to get Joe out of here….I'm going to check on Steve…" and then getting up quickly Mike's priority turned to finding his partner….
"STEVE!"
As Mike entered the house Steve sighed with relief and let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding…
"Thank God! Mike! Are you ok?"
Turning at the sound of Steve's voice and seeing the young man sitting against the wall Mike's heart skipped a beat…The boy looked awful…Mike had seen corpses that had more colour in their faces than Steve had right now… He was sweating profusely and shivering violently and appeared to be in great distress… Rushing over to him Mike swallowed back the raw emotion that threatened to choke him at seeing his partner in such a bad way..
"Am I ok? Dear God Steve you look terrible!.."
"Mike…Joe?" Steve asked although his gut instinct already knew the answer….
Mike shook his head..
" Aw Mike…Mike..His gun was empty…" Steve uttered and opening his left hand and revealing the bullets to Mike he felt himself getting upset…This whole ordeal had taken an immense toll on the young man and he was desperately trying to stay in control despite the tears that were trying their best to form..
" Now, now Don't get upset Steve….I know…I know…I heard you yelling but it was just too late…Joe knew what he was doing…He knew it would go down fast….Come on now buddy boy…You're hurt and sick and tired and you've just been to hell and back…Take it easy…Ok? Let's check you out and then get you out of here and down to the hospital…Everything will be ok…It's over now…"
Looking at Mike, Steve nodded and then remembered something important…
" Mike…Is Jeannie ok?"
"Jeannie's fine…thanks to you…She's with Norm and she's safe… Now let's concentrate on you for a change buddy boy…"
Seeing the handcuffs Mike's first thought was to free the boy so that he could check him over properly…"Steve, where are the keys for these…Are they on Joe?"
"No…They're up on the sideboard….I couldn't reach them…."
Mike stood up and retrieved the key and removed the handcuffs from Steve's wrist…He saw a huge red welt on Steve's wrist and again swallowed back the lump in his throat as he realized how desperately Steve had tried to escape his bonds….
Mike could see that Steve was struggling to stay conscious as he had almost become indifferent to the pain that he was obviously in and wasn't even wincing at Mike's ministrations…Mike checked Steve's wrist and more worryingly saw that the earlier rash had spread rapidly down his arm and was within inches of Steve's new wrist injury…Next he felt Steve's forehead and was alarmed at how hot Steve felt…He could feel Steve shivering….
"You're burning up Steve…Are you feeling cold?" Mike asked….
Steve just nodded not even looking at Mike's face anymore but staring at the front door absentmindedly….
Steve's lack of response was starting to worry Mike greatly as he took off his trench coat and placed it around Steve's shoulders in an effort to stop at least some of the chill that was causing Steve to tremble so violently….
Next Mike checked Steve's side and gasped in horror when he saw the blood soaked towel that Steve was pressing against his side…
"Dear God Steve! Were you hit again?"
Realizing what Mike was thinking Steve struggled to reassure the older man…Blackness was threatening to close in on him again and it was taking everything he had to remain conscious….
" No….Burst stitches….." was all he managed…..
Mike didn't like the amount of blood that he had lost and yelled out the open door…
"LEE!...WHERE ARE THOSE PARAMEDICS?...WE NEED THEM FOR STEVE!"
Then turning to Steve he knew he had to try to keep the boy awake until they got here…So he did the only thing he knew would work…..
"Looks like you'll be travelling in style to the hospital buddy boy…Just as well or else you'd be bleeding all over the car..!" Mike said studying Steve's reaction and hoping he would rise to it as he normally did…
True to form…Steve heard what Mike said and seemed to come out of his trance…looking at Mike disbelievingly he answered somewhat shakily….
"The car? I'm here bleeding to death and you're worried about the car?"
" Oh stop being so melodramatic…You're not bleeding to death..It's just oozing a little…" Mike continued realizing that his plan was working as he saw Steve getting more annoyed….
" Oozing a little? Are you out of your mind?…You know you want to try getting shot through the side…See how melodramatic you'd be! It's no walk in the park you know?..."
"Well I did get shot in the side…You remember…by that Serpent gang…It was nothing to write home about…You didn't see me complaining did you?"….Mike continued almost enjoying the exchange as he realized it was working…as he heard Lee shouting from outside…
"THEY'RE HERE MIKE!"
" That doesn't count Mike that was just a flesh wound…You didn't have a bullet go straight through you…"
Knowing he only had to continue it for a few seconds more as he heard the paramedics coming up the steps he gave his last remark…
"Say…Is that my sweatshirt you're bleeding all over?"
" Your sweatshirt?" Steve said again hardly believing how unsympathetic and harsh Mike was being and then seeing the paramedics come through the door Steve suddenly realized what Mike had been up to….keeping him conscious until help arrived…
"Oh you are bad…You know that…You are really bad Mike…"You had me going there…" Steve said smiling and patting Mike's shoulder…
Mike smiled back….
"Sorry buddy boy…It was the only way I could keep you with me…You looked like you were about to pass out….Hang tough now and let the medics do their work…Ok?"
And with that Mike stood back as the paramedics took his place and began taking care of Steve…Steve nodded and relaxed, comforted by the fact that Mike was still hanging around not letting his partner out of his sight again..…..