A/N - Again unbeta'd but I didn't want to keep you all waiting. Let me know of any errors. Feedback is always most welcome. Thank you for all your faves, follows & reviews. Keep 'em coming. :)

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Do not die on me, Lunchbox! I will never forgive you if you die on me!"

Think, Gail. Think. What's the first thing? Stop the bleeding. I can't see where it's coming from.

Quickly crawling out from behind Holly she got out of the van, added salt to one of the previously unopened bottles of water still on the workbench and mixed it up. Another part of her Peck training. Salt was an excellent natural cleanser and even though it would hurt Holly intensely, it was the best she could do. They had officially reached desperate.

She ran around to the front of the van and turned on the overhead light, bottle still in hand. She crawled in back and said out loud, "Hopefully, you won't feel this but if you do, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of this. Please don't die."

With that, she poured the salty solution over the wound on Holly's right leg. As far as Gail could tell, that's where the majority of the blood was coming from. She used the bandages to wipe away the excess blood and found the source of the bleeding. Using a fresh bandage, she applied pressure with her hand for ten minutes. Still applying pressure to keep the bandage in place, she checked around her hands and the bandage for signs that the wound was still bleeding badly.

She then stripped off her belt and secured the bandage on Holly's leg. She was careful not to dislodge the bandage knowing that if she removed it, even to check the bleeding, she could cause the bleeding to worsen again. She cleaned the other leg to make sure that it wasn't still bleeding and said a silent prayer of thanks that it wasn't.

She gently pushed Holly's hair back from her face. "Holly, Holly, can you hear me? I'm not leaving you, but I have to do something. I have an idea. I have to try something. I can't wait around for you to bleed out. I can't be responsible for that too. So, just try not to die. I'll be right back. Okay?"

Getting a stick from the fire, she wrapped it with a rag she found in the garage making a torch. Like a woman possessed, Gail ran into the store office. The phone was hooked into the wall with an old-fashioned jack. She jerked it out of the wall then began the delicate task of splitting the wires with a knife she found at the checkout counter. She'd seen a telephone pole outside and hoped she knew how to do this.

Theoretically, even if the line to the store was dead she should be able to tap into the main wires. She worked as quickly as she could. She found some metal wire clips in the store and hooked them to the telephone wires. If this worked, she was going to have to thank her mother. Goddammit. If it came to that, she'd be thankful. Hell, she'd even be gracious. She'd do anything, anything to save Holly, celebrate anything and anyone that saved Holly.

She found a bag and put the phone in it. She figured that she'd been away from Holly for about ten minutes. She didn't like that and wanted to go check on her but she needed help to come soon and the sooner she did this, the sooner they could get there. She ran outside and to the bottom of the pole. She'd have to climb it up to the point where she could use the pegs. The bag with the phone hung around her neck she shrugged out of her jacket and twirled it so she could use it as a rope. How am I going to see up there? I'm going to have to take the torch. She put the stick in her teeth, the burning end as far away from her mouth as possible. Then she put her jacket around the pole and climbed with her feet, sliding the jacket up in increments with her hands. It worked, but she was relieved when she could rest her feet on the metal pegs, wrap one arm around the pole and hold the torch in the other. The torch was smoking and getting into her eyes.

Eyes watering, she tightened her grip around the pole with her arm and wiped at her eyes with the inside of her other wrist being careful not to touch the torch to the wire or lose her balance. She moved the torch to the hand around the pole holding on tightly with her elbow. Digging the knife out of her pocket she began to peel away the outer wire covering. Once she got the inner wires exposed she put the knife between her teeth and moved the torch back into her free hand. She held it up and examined the wires, memorizing them. Torch back in the hand around the pole she took the knife out of her teeth. She threw a small plea out into the universe that this worked and began cutting. It took several tries and she almost fell a few times but she was finally able to connect the phone's wires to the line. She pressed 0 for operator and waited.

"Operator."

"This is Detective Gail Peck with the Toronto Police Department."

"Hello?"

"Hello. Can you hear me?"

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Goddammit!" Think, Gail. Think.

She pressed the 1 three short times then three long then three short. S.O.S. Hoping the operator knew Morse code. She kept at it over and over only pausing long enough to listen for a response. Please, God. If not for me, then for Holly. I'll give her up. Just don't let her die.

"Hey, listen, I…are you okay?"

S.O.S.

"That's…that's S.O.S. I'm recording this. I don't know Morse code but I'll get someone to translate it. Go."

Gail started the message. To Toronto PD. Perik dead. Escaped cabin. Went South. Send EMS. Holly hurt badly. Peck.

"Okay. Can you stay on the line? Give me one long beep if you can."

Gail answered with a long beep.

"Good. I've got my supervisor working on this already. She was in the navy." The operator was going through the standard just stay on the line be calm speech when she stopped and began again. "Okay. Is this the message? One long beep for yes and a short one for no. 'To Toronto PD. Perik dead. Escaped cabin. Went South. Send EMS. Holly hurt badly. Peck.'"

Gail answered with a long beep.

"We're to send this to the Toronto police department?"

Gail answered with another long beep.

"You're Peck?"

Another long beep.

"Do you know where you are?"

Short beep.

"Don't worry. We'll have the technicians check the lines. They should be able to track down a signal. Are you still good to stay on the line?"

Short beep.

"Are you safe?"

Short beep.

"Peck. We're sending this to them now. Help is coming."

Gail didn't know how she wanted her to say thank you so she just answered with a long beep then disconnected. She had to get back to Holly. She dropped the torch on the ground and cautiously made her way down dropping the last few feet and landing awkwardly on her feet, falling to her side. But she couldn't worry about that now. She got up, picked up the torch and ran back to Holly as fast as she could only limping slightly.

"Holly! Holly!" She checked her pulse. It was thready at best and Holly was still unconscious. There wasn't any new blood so she had done everything for Holly she could. What she needed to do now was make sure that any possible rescuers could find them easily. She went back into the store and found all the lighter fluid she could carry. Assembling another small fire outside the garage that wouldn't be visible from the road, she spent the next hour pacing between keeping the small fire going and Holly while she built a larger pile of wood that she could ignite at the first sign of help.

Gail checked on Holly rubbing the inside of her wrist to check for a pulse. Finally, Holly's pulse slowed to the point where Gail was beginning to beg God to spare her making those deals that people make when they are desperate. Please, please let her live. Just let her live. I don't care about me. Why couldn't it be me? You know how dark the world will be without her. Without her goofy, nerdy jokes. Without her crooked smile. Without her beautiful eyes and her even more beautiful brain. Let her live. Not for me. For her. I swear. I know this is my fault. I won't wreck her life again. I'll make sure that she's as far away from me as possible. Please. Please. Gail closed her eyes and pressed the back of Holly's limp hand to her forehead.

That's when she heard it. Off in the distance. It was a helicopter. Helicopter meant law enforcement. It was quite possibly the sweetest sound she'd ever heard. "Holly! Holly, you hear that? It's the cavalry. You hang on. Don't you die on me now. You're gonna live a long and happy life from here on out. I'm going to make sure of it." She squeezed Holly's hand once for luck and ran out to light the bigger signal fire. If she'd thought it would do any good, she'd have burnt the store to the ground too.

She heard them change direction slightly and start to fly toward the fire. They landed on the road on the other side of the store. She recognized Parker immediately by her long loping stride. "Peck, where are you?!"

"Over here! Holly's in the garage. Did you bring EMTs?"

"Hitched a ride with them in the chopper. They're unloading the stretcher now. How bad is it?"

"Bad," was all Gail could get out in response.

"All right. They'll take good care of her. Traci and the others are all coming to process the scene at the cabin with the local l.e.o.s. I'm assuming if Perik is dead there's a scene."

"Yeah," Gail answered as she watched the EMTs, one male, one female, run into the garage.

"All that can wait. I know you'll want to go with Holly. We can interview you later. Are you okay? They should check you out too. You look like hell."

"It's amazing you're still single."

"Yeah, Holly said the same thing. So you ride back in the chopper with her and I'll wait here for Traci, Luke and the rest of them."

Gail shook her head and looked away. "I'm staying. You go with Holly. Where are they taking her?"

"St. Michaels, I think," Ryan answered cautiously, not knowing what to think about Gail's refusal to leave.

"Okay. Ask for Dr. Lisa Gordon. She's a plastic surgeon. She's a good friend of Holly's. Make sure that she makes it so Holly doesn't have any scars."

"Gail, what happened?" Ryan stared at Gail and tried to get her to look her in the eye.

Just then Maclean and Gibbons rolled Holly by them on their way back to the helicopter. Maclean said, "She's lost a lot of blood and we need to get her back as soon as possible. We need to go now."

Gail said, "You heard the lady, Ryan. Go."

"Here. Take my walkie-talkie. I'll radio them where you are on my way back. Are you sure, Gail?" Ryan didn't think this was right but she saw no way to force Gail to go since she had only one working arm, and Holly looked a hell of a lot worse than Gail.

Gail nodded in response.

"They're on their way. Stapleton is in custody. So you don't have to worry about her," Ryan said as Mac and Gibbons finished loading Holly inside the helicopter.

Gail nodded again. Then Ryan began to run back to the helicopter whose blades were already starting to spin. Gail called out, "Ryan!" Ryan turned back as she was climbing inside to look at Gail thinking Gail had changed her mind. "I'm glad you're not dead!"

"You too, Peck! You're sure?!" Ryan gestured to the transport.

"I'm sure!"

Ryan nodded solemnly and shut the door. Gail watched the helicopter take off and made another deal with God. See? I can give her up. Now let her live. Let her be happy and whole, and Holly. She walked back inside the garage, crumpled to the floor of the van and sobbed.

"You know, when you called and said you needed a favor this wasn't what I was expecting," Mac said as she attached tubing to an IV.

Ryan was seated next to Holly holding her hand. Not looking at Mac she asked, "What were you expecting?"

"Not this. This is a helluva field dressing though. Your friend we left out there do this then?"

"I dunno. Holly is a doctor maybe she told her what to do before she passed out," Ryan answered finally looking at Mac. "Is she going to make it?"

"She lost a lot of blood. I can tell you that for the field with the injuries that she had, they did the absolute best that they could have. This belt on her calf here? That probably kept her from bleeding to death but I'm going to need to loosen it because I can't get a pedal pulse. We're going to pump her full of fluids to sort of stabilize the blood loss but she'll need blood when we get to the hospital. When I loosen this I want you to watch it. Make sure there's no new blood."

"I can do that," Ryan said taking a deep breath.

"Ryan," Mac said waiting for Ryan to look at her. "We're going to take care of her. I promise we're going to do everything we can for her."

"I know you will. I'll owe you."

"No. Not for this. This is what we do. Right, Gibby?"

"Righto."

"That doesn't inspire confidence. All the things you could say and you go with 'righto'?" Mac asked.

"Give me a break. It's three in the morning and I'm not trying to impress the hot FBI agent," Gibbons said as he hooked Holly up to various monitors. Mac blushed crimson but said nothing. Ryan smiled a tiny almost imperceptible smile but turned her eyes back to Holly's leg.

Soon, the slow steady beep of Holly's heartbeat could be heard above the noise of the engine. "Holly! Holly! You hang in there girl! Peck worked too hard to keep you alive for you to die on her! You hear me Holly?! You've got a lot to live for! You keep fighting!" Ryan yelled at her. "You're safe now! We're taking you to the hospital! You're safe!"

Ryan paced swiftly back and forth in the ER waiting room her cowboy boots clacking on the tile. She'd passed on Gail's request for Dr. Gordon to be in on Holly's case to Mac and was now on her cell phone with Traci.

"Traci, I think she's hurt. She had bruising on her face and I think maybe something with her ribs…yeah, yeah, takes one to know one. Clever…Just check on her when you get there. Make her consent to being treated…Yes, I know it won't be easy. Why do you think I left her out in the middle of nowhere? I swear she's part mule."

Ryan looked up from her phone when the ER doors swung open. Mac was coming towards her. Ryan tried to determine what Holly's status was but Mac's face was carefully blank. She wondered fleetingly if all medical professionals learned that blank look out of some book or in some class. It was infuriating.

When they had arrived Mac and Gibbons had rolled Holly into the ER with the efficiency of team that had a lot of practice. Somewhere during the litany of things wrong with Holly as the ER docs took over treatment, Ryan's cell phone had rung and she'd been on the phone first with Oliver and then with Traci. She'd been shown out of the ER bay and into the waiting room by a nurse that thankfully didn't comment she shouldn't be on her phone.

"Traci, I've got to go. I'll call you as soon as I know something. I promise."

Ryan hung up her phone and looked at Mac. "Well?"

"They're taking her to surgery now," Mac answered neutrally.

"And?" Ryan asked impatiently.

"And, we won't know until she gets out of surgery."

"That's not an answer."

"I know, but it's all I have right now." Mac reached out and lightly touched the outside of Ryan's injured elbow. "How about we walk to the surgery waiting room and I sit with you? Would that be okay?"

"Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah, Follow me."

They walked through a series of hallways and took an elevator up to the surgery floor. Mac led the way into the emergency surgery waiting room. She was a calm steadying presence to Ryan who, while she had spent a lot of times in waiting rooms because of her job, was feeling a little lost and vulnerable.

"Don't you have to go back to work?" Ryan asked with an almost hopeful look on her face that clearly said she wished Mac didn't.

Mac gestured to two empty chairs and they sat down. "Nah. Gibby and I basically hijacked the heli. The flight crew owed us both one, and we were about to go off duty when you called and asked if you could ride."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know who else to call. I was desperate." Ryan looked down at her lap.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. I'm glad you called. I'm glad I could help," Mac said and touched Ryan's good hand. Ryan looked up at her and smiled. "Besides, I wasn't going to pass up another opportunity to see you." Mac smiled back.

"I always thought you Canadians were a shy people."

"We're polite. There's a difference."

"Well…"

"Look, I'm not that much of an ogre. I know that you're worried about your friend. I'm just trying to take your mind off of her for a bit."

Ryan closed her eyes and rested her head on the wall behind her chair. "Thanks."

"Are you in pain? I can get someone to give you something. My buddy, who's a doc, works here. You'd like her. She wears cowboy boots with her scrubs."

"Yeah, but I want to make sure I understand what they say when they finally say it. So 'no' to the pain meds. Cowboy boots, huh? Where's she from?" Ryan asked but didn't open her eyes.

"Regina."

"Where the hell is that?"

"Saskatchewan."

"Yeah, I've seen that. Still don't know where it is."

"Well, I know Texas is located near the middle of the bottom of the U.S. and it's big and shaped funny but that's about it."

Ryan opened her eyes, leaned forward and looked into Mac's eyes, "Darlin' you don't wanna get me to talkin' 'bout Texas, now."

Mac tilted her head. "Did you do that on purpose or did it happen naturally?"

"Do what?"

"Your accent got thicker just now."

"Did it?" Ryan tried for innocence.

"You did it on purpose!"

"That depends."

"On what?"

Ryan closed her eyes, leaned her head back on the wall and said, "On if you liked it or not."

"Agent Parker, I have found that there's very little of you thus far that I have not liked," Mac said and smiled coyly. "But I must admit the accent is…something."

"Good?" Ryan asked, not moving.

"You know it is."

"Mac?"

"Yeah?"

"When will we know something about Holly?"

"Not for a while yet. Why don't you try to sleep and I'll wake you if they come out?"

"I promised a beautiful woman I wouldn't go to sleep because she said I might have a concussion."

"Well, she'll make an exception."

"Will she?"

"Yes. Besides, I don't think you have a concussion. You're much too hard-headed to have one," Mac said with laughter in her voice. "You found your friends. Just like you said you would. Sleep now. I'll wake you when there's news."

A doctor in scrubs and a scrub cap came into the waiting room. Mac recognized her as Dr. Lisa Gordon. She shook Ryan gently to wake her. "Ryan. Ryan, wake up. The doc's here."

"Wha'?" Ryan yawned.

"That's Dr. Gordon there," Mac said as she pointed.

Ryan stood up and Lisa walked over to her and Mac. "You're Special Agent Ryan?"

"Yes."

Lisa shook her head and muttered, "She's always had a thing for blondes…"

"Excuse me?" Ryan asked.

"It's nothing. You brought Holly in?"

"Yeah. Well, I flew with her on the medi-flight helicopter. Mac" she gestured toward Mac, "and her partner Gibbons did all the hard work. How is she?"

"She's going to make it. She lost a lot of blood but we were able to repair the damage. I'm not sure if there will be complications at this time. So it's a game of watch and wait at this point. I was able to close most of the wounds so there will be minimal scarring. How did you know to ask for me?" Lisa asked.

"Gail," Ryan answered.

"Is she responsible for this?! Holly got involved in this because of her didn't she?" Lisa raised her voice.

"Now Dr. Gordon, Gail saved Holly's life in the field. I'm sure of it. I don't think it's very fair that you…" Mac started.

"Whatever! Stupid beat cop! Holly could have been anything she wanted and she pokes at dead people. This is Gail's fault! Isn't it?"

"Now just wait a minute. You're gonna want to take that back. Gail Peck is one of the finest law enforcement officers I've ever known. If you keep talking like that we're going to have a problem."

"Then we have a problem because she's the worst thing that ever happened to Holly."

Ryan couldn't take it anymore. This had been the most unbelievable day. She'd used up all her self-control with Megan Stapleton. Before she knew it, Lisa's head snapped back and she had a stinging pain in her left hand. "Shut the hell up! You've got no idea what you're talking about. Holly's injured because Ross Perik injured her. Gail Peck saved them both. Perik and his niece have been torturing Holly for months! For months!

"Holly is the best forensic pathologist I've ever seen! She's put away countless criminals. Solved hopeless cases and brought closure to hundreds of families. You will not reduce that to 'poking at dead people.' Do we understand each other?"

Lisa held her hand over her right eye. "How dare you!"

Mac stepped between them. "Ladies, emotions are running high right now. Ryan you were almost kidnapped yourself and apprehended a murderer. And Dr. Gordon, you just performed surgery on one of your good friends. Let's just all step back and take a breather. Okay?"

"Fine," Ryan growled still looking at Lisa.

"Not fine. She hit me!"

"Dr. Gordon, please. It's been a horrible day all around. Please," Mac pleaded.

Lisa narrowed her eyes. You're friends with Dr. Harris aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am," Mac answered warily.

"I want an introduction and a date," Lisa answered.

"A…a…" Mac stammered

"Or I file charges against your friend here."

"I can't promise you a date but you'll get your introduction. Best I can do," Mac said as she held out her hand.

Lisa shook it. "I'll look forward to it but you have to try for the date. At least try."

"Deal."

"Good." Lisa turned and walked away.

The next morning Ryan was sitting by Holly's bedside holding her hand when Holly finally stirred. Mac had finally gone home at Ryan's insistence. Ryan wasn't sure what she'd owe Mac or Dr. Harris for getting her out of a situation made of her own impatience and stupidity, but it promised to be substantial.

The team was still out at the cabin processing the scene. According to Traci, it had taken Oliver ordering Gail to be treated before she'd let the EMTs look at her but she was going to be okay. They wanted Gail to go into the hospital but she wouldn't leave until the scene was processed.

"Hey, hey there, Holls. Can you open your eyes for me?" In response Holly grimaced and struggled finally opening her eyes. "Hey there beautiful. Good of you to rejoin us."

"Ry? Ry, what happened?"

"You're at the hospital. You had surgery. You're gonna be fine."

"Where's…where's Gail?"

"She's still at the scene. I'm sure she'll be here soon. She's fine or she'll be fine. The EMTs have checked her out but she refused to leave until the scene was fully processed.

"No offense, but you're not exactly the gorgeous blonde I was expecting when I woke up."

Ryan laughed. "None taken, Darlin'. None taken."

So yeah, no idea if any of this is possible. I hope no one looks at my Google search history anytime soon "how to treat a knife wound using household items". But officer, it was for fanfic!

Also, sad about the cancellation of Rookie Blue. So I took out some of my frustration on Lisa. I know it's unrealistic but I wanted to so badly. But you know what if you hated it, write me a review and tell me how much! :)

I'd love to get your opinions on all of it. That's the best part of putting anything out here. Your input makes it worthwhile. Thank you so, so much.