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Stef POV
I laid on the old wooden floor, desperately gasping for air, while I heard more shots being fired.
While the vest stopped the bullet, it certainly didn't stop the force it came with. The bullet knocked all air out of my lungs. It felt like I couldn't get air in my lung, like my lungs couldn't expand. My body was desperate for air.
"Aaarrhh," I groaned a moment later as I raised my head up from the floor. Looking down to my body, I saw the end of the bullet peaking out from the left side of the vest.
I did not have the time to rest. Laying on floor, while another person is shooting at me or at least my direction, put my life in immediate danger. I had to get out of the way as soon as possible.
With my left, I reached for the radio "Shots fired! Shots fired! I've been hit!" I got out right when another bullet flew through the doors.
After the shot, I heard a distinct sound of gun clicking, but no bullets being fired. The magazine was empty. But, when I heard the person opening the magazine, I knew I had to get out of the way, before a new magazine, filled with bullets, is pushed inside the gun.
With my gun still in my right, trying to stay low to ground, I pulled myself closer to the wall, away from the trajectory the bullets could be fired from the room. I sat on the floor, my back against a wall and took few seconds to catch my breath. I was breathing heavily. Gathering all my strength, I got up and aimed the gun at the doors. It was a sharp angel.
The floor beneath my feet creaked. I assume it was because of the noise, that two more bullets were fired from the gun, trying to keep me from coming closer.
"Hailey!" I shouted out as I got my stance back "You don't have to do this! Just put your gun down and we can talk!"
"No, we can't!" the girl shouted back as I took one step closer to the door "Don't come any closer. I'll shoot you!" she fired a warning shot
"Do you wanna see your brother again?" I called out, aiming the gun to the doors as I was being cautious. I saw similarities between this girl and her brother Harry and the two Jacob siblings. So I was going to use what I knew in my advantage.
"Don't talk about my brother!" Hailey shouted from the other room, clearly upset with me
"He's worried about you! Harry doesn't want you to get hurt. I know you two love each other!"
"Shut up!"
"Don't you want to know how your brother is doing?" There was now a longer silence from her "If you put the gun down, I could arrange for you to see your brother!" that offer must be tempting for her. Her brother is all that she has. He's the only family, only friend she has.
I head footsteps coming from the hallway. Looking at the doors, I saw Officer Murphy peak inside the room. I pointed to the doors, where the girl was hiding in. He nodded back and took a step inside, staying away from the area, where bullets could fly.
"You okay?" he asked quietly. When I glanced to him, I saw how he was looking me up and down, trying to see where I was hit.
"Vest," I assured him and then turned my attention back to the doors "How does that offer sound, Hailey?"
"I don't want to go to jail!" the girl called back, I could hear she was scared
"We know Chad was behind all of it. He dragged you and your brother in. If you put your gun down and walk out with your hands up, we can talk to the judge. Tell him you cooperated," I tried to persuade her to give up without anyone else getting hurt "Don't throw your life away Hailey. You are young. Your whole life is ahead of you. Be smart about this!" There was a long silence from her after that.
Officer Murphy and I closely watched the doors, we were both alert. Ready to act.
The doors creaked opened "Slowly!" Officer Murphy called out
"Let us see your hands!" I added and watched how the girl put her hands out first "No fast movement, okay?" When she walked out of the room, I continued to give orders "Keep your hands up,"
Officer Murphy put his gun in the holster and walked behind the girl. I kept my gun aimed at the girl. He quickly made sure she didn't have the gun on her. Once Murphy had handcuffed her, I lowered my gun.
"I will see my brother, right?" the girl asked desperately as Murphy led her out of the apartment
~o~o~o~
"No broken ribs," Dr. Lane told me as she held the x-ray of my chest up
"Told you," I said as I glanced to Diaz and gave him a look, telling him that I was right. He had insisted on taking me to hospital, so the doctors could check on me.
"Better safe than sorry, Officer!" Doctor replied as she handed the x-ray to the nurse that stood next to her "The bruise will probably disappear in about 2 weeks. You might be sore for while. I would advise you to take few days off of work!"
"Mmhm," I hummed back as I swung my legs over the bed side to sit up. Diaz came closer and handed me my uniform shirt
"You aren't going to take time off, are you?" Dr. Lane asked me knowingly. I guess most of the cops are the same and she has dealt with a lot of them.
"No, I'm not!" I confirmed reaching for my uniform shirt
"No, she isn't!" Diaz shook his head as well, knowing me. I wanted to see the case till end.
"At least take today off," she suggested "Ask your partner to take you home," Doctor gestured towards Diaz
"Thank you doctor," I smiled at her and took my belt that Diaz was holding on to
Doctor Lane sighed "Stay safe, officers," she said before Diaz and I left the examination room
"Lena called you a couple of times," Diaz informed me as we walked down the hallway, heading towards exit
"Did you answer?"
"Do you think I'm crazy?" Diaz laughed back
"You could have picked up and told her I was okay," I said reaching for my phone "Now she's probably worried!"
"She would be worried more if I picked up instead of you!" Diaz argued back
"4 calls!" I sighed seeing the missed calls
"Must be serious," Diaz commented as I dialed Lena's number
After few rings, Lena picked up "Stef!" by her voice, I could tell she was worried and stressed
"Hey, love! Sorry I didn't pick up. I was working, couldn't answer," I explained as Diaz as I flattened against the wall, letting nurses, who were pushing a gurney, pass us
"I figured as much," Lena replied, but I could have sworn that I heard her voice not only in the phone, but also somewhere in the hallways "Where are you?" She asked as we resumed walking
"I'm uh.." I dragged not wanting to tell her on the phone about the incident, Diaz snickered next to me, enjoying this "I'm on my way back to precinct-" I stopped talking, when I saw Lena stand in the waiting room
"What the-" I muttered to myself. Diaz followed my eyes and saw what I saw.
"Honey?" Lena asked in the phone, when I stopped talking
Lowering my phone down, I walked into the waiting room "Lena?" I quickly ended the call and put my phone away.
As I walked inside the waiting room, I saw that Lena was not alone. Jude was with her, he stood just two steps away from her. He looked scared and worried. In his left hand, he was holding the small, brown plastic cup you get in coffee machines. It probably wasn't coffee that was in his cup, maybe a hot chocolate or cocoa. Not far from Jude stood a doctor in a white coat. The same doctor, who treated Callie the time she was here.
Lena lowered her phone down and looked at me shocked to see me here "Stef, what...are you doing here?" she asked perplexed, looking back to Jude briefly
"There was an incident at work," I explained quickly "I will tell you about it later,"
I turned to the doctor. She recognized and remembered me "Officer Adams Foster and-" she looked pass me to Diaz, who stood somewhere behind me "Officer Diaz,"
"Dr. Rose," I extended my arm and shook hers "Is Callie okay?" I questioned. Dr. Rose looked over to Jude and then Lena
"We found Callie unconscious in her bathroom," Lena informed me taking a step closer to Jude and wrapping her arm around the boy. Those news took me by surprise. I looked between the three of them, trying to wrap my head around it.
"Wha-what happened to her?" I asked glancing over to the doctor, waiting to hear an answer from him. All I could think about was that she got dizzy and fainted. The girl does have a concussion from being pummeled in the face and hit with a crow bar.
"She said she slipped as she stepped out of her shower. The good news is that she's awake and fully cooperative. Callie was talking, she knew her name, today date, she could tell us what happened, what hurt," Doctor Rose replied looking at me "As I told your, uh..." he looked between us quickly
"Wife!" Lena and I said together quickly
"As I told your wife and foster son, we took her to take a CT-scan, to make sure she doesn't have swelling or bleeding in her brain from the fall. I will come talk to you, when we have the results and nurse will come get you, once you can go see Callie," Doctor spoke, looking mostly to Jude as he spoke. He then turned and walked away, heading down the hallway.
"When she fell, she bumped her head pretty hard on the tile floor," Lean filled in on the details, when the doctor was gone "Form the force of the fall, her gash on the back of her head was ripped open. They had to put new stitches in,"
It took mew few seconds to process the news, but when I did, I walked up to Jude and hugged him, trying to comfort him. Jude still hasn't said a single word. It worried me. The boy hugged me back and pressed his head to my chest, seeking and accepting my comfort. I kissed the top of his head and glanced to Lena, who was standing right next, rubbing her hand in circled on Jude's back.
Callie POV
"No single room for you this time," Said the same nurse, that I clearly remember from my last visit to the hospital. Her names was Agnes. She was middle aged, light, chin length hair.
Agnes along with another nurse, whose name I haven't learned yet, were settling me in an observation room. They were hooking me up to bunch of machines and wires that, like last time, will trouble me to sleep. Thankfully, this time only for one night as it only was just for observation. There was no bleeding or swelling in my brain, but doctor just wanted to be sure. I will probably be discharged tomorrow.
"Did my insurance not cover it last time?" I tried to joke, my voice very hushed. Words came out of my mouth slowly and I think they were a bit slurred. Because of the pounding headache I had, the volume of my own voice made my head hurt. The light seemed too bright for my eyes. Every small bump on the way from the CT-scan to this room, hurt. Whenever I lifted my head up a bit, I got dizzy and lightheaded, because of my concussion.
"I just don't want to walk that far this time," Agnes joked back
"So I suffer, because you're lazy?" I asked watching, how Agnes put put the blood pressure cuff around my left arm
Agnes laughed back quietly "Well, this the room, where all the fun stuff happens!"
"Fun stuff?" I asked skeptically
"Yes," she confirmed smiling back at me "Just two days ago, we had a somnambulist,"
"A what now?" I asked totally confused, never have I ever heard of that name before "That sounds like nasty decease,"
"Fancy word for sleepwalker," Agnes explained simply "Do you need another pillow or blanket?" she asked as I felt her tuck the blanket after all the wires and medical cuffs and things that monitor my stats, had been put on and set
"No, I good. Thank you," I replied weakly and closed my eyes, trying to stop the pounding headache I had
"Are you up for a visitor? Your brother is eager to see you,"
At that I opened my eyes "Jude? Yes, can you-"
"I'll go get him. Sit tight," she touched my hand gently before leaving. While I waited for my brother, I rested my eyes again.
"Callie?" I heard Jude voice few minutes later and opened my eyes. His foster moms remained standing at the other side of the room, giving us some time alone.
"Heey," I put on a smile on my face just for him
"How are you feeling?" he asked sitting down next to the bed
"Head hurts ruthlessly...otherwise, I'm good," I replied honestly as Jude reached for my left hand
"I'm sorry," Jude's forehead frowned up in confusion at my words "For scaring you like that. Again," I explained
Jude slowly shook his head "You don't have to apologize about that, Callie. It's okay. It was an accident."
"If I keep on like this, it will take moths till I can get you back."
"I'm safe," Jude told me, while he ran his thumb fondly over my palm "You don't have to worry about me."
"I will always worry about you. You're my baby brother," I said, when my eyelids felt heavy again. So heavy, I could barely keep them open. I felt extremely tiered. Maybe this day has simply been too hard and long for me. First the walk to my work, then walk back home, cleaning the house, then the fall, now the headache from my fall – I must have exhausted myself.
At the sound of Jude's voice, I forced myself to open my eyes "How about we worry about you for the moment," I blinked my eyes, trying to keep them open "Close your eyes and rest!"
I closed my eyes and mumbled quietly "I love you."
I felt his lips touch my forehead "Love you, too!" it was like a music to my ears. Those words were like a lullaby to me.
Jude POV
Before going back to the house, Lena drove Stef to the work, so Stef could drive home her car. It was about hour after we left the hospital, when we got back to the house. Lena stayed downstairs to make dinner, while Stef went to take a shower. Meanwhile, I tried to do my homework, although my mind was on Callie.
I knew she was relatively fine. Her brain wasn't swollen, nor there was any bleeding. Doctor wanted to keep her overnight only for precaution, because it was trauma to head. If nothing bad happened during night or in morning, she will be able to go home tomorrow. Her going home was what was bothering me so much, because her home is the apartment, where she is living by herself at the moment.
What if she slips in the shower again?
What if the next fall is much more worse?
What if she lays on the tile floor for hours, because I only get to visit her once a day for an hour?
What if Lena and I hadn't come over? Would she have called for help?
She's all alone there. No one can keep an eye out for her. There is no one, who can help her. I could do it, but I know neither my foster parents, nor my social worker will allow that.
I'm a kid – they would say – Callie is your guardian, not the other way around.
But I wouldn't mind looking after her. Callie has looked after me for so long. It's what family is for. No matter what, family stays together. Through bad times and good times. While one is sick, other can help him get better.
I hate that I can't help Callie. It feels like I'm just looking from afar, while Callie is suffering. I'm outside, looking in, how she struggles alone. I hate that Callie is alone through this.
"Jude! Dinner is ready?" Stef called from the downstairs. I tossed the pen on the desk as I pushed the chair back. The chair screeched at the floor. I made my out of the room. Once I reached the staircase, I stopped and looked back.
There are two empty bedrooms. The twins won't be home till Christmas, Lena said so herself. Callie should be okay by then.
When I walked inside the kitchen, Lena was putting pasta on my plate, while Stef was pouring juice in the glasses. I stopped by the end of the kitchen table and watched the two woman for a while.
They both were genuinely concerned about Callie today and the days before. From the very start, they have been nothing but nice to me. To Callie as well, but they barely know her. Stef and Lena are both so affectionate, gentle, loving and nurturing. All Callie need is for someone to look out for her just for few days.
I knew it was a long shot, but I had to try.
"What if Callie comes to live here for few days, after she's discharged?" I blurt out my crazy idea, hoping that Stef and Lena listen to my arguments, before shutting my idea completely off
AN2: It would be very helpful, if you could fill the poll I put on. Thank you.