Chapter Two

Nicole Ames, who had finished getting stitches and had been told she was free to go, bumped into her cousin and Jim in the hallway. They could see how upset she still was.

'How is he?" She looked at Jim, hoping to hear something, anything, good.

"I don't know, yet." Jim explained where Pete was and why he, Jim, had come to see her. "Look, you were upfront with me when it comes to who hit who, so I have no cause to doubt you when you say you were doing your best to drive safely. This is just an unfortunate accident. Whatever comes because of it, isn't really anyone's fault."

"My head knows that, but I guess I'm having a hard time accepting it. I hate the fact that Sergeant…" she hesitated, embarrassed to admit she was trying to remember the last name her cousin had used when they talked about the other driver.

"MacDonald," Jim, who realized what the problem was, gave her the name again.

"Yes, I don't like the idea that Sergeant MacDonald's been hurt because I hit his car...even if it was because of the weather."

"He won't blame you once he learns all the facts." Jim assured her. "Just go to your children. I'm sure they're scared and upset."

"Thank you." She started to walk away with Kel Brackett only to stop and look back at Jim. "Please, tell Sergeant MacDonald if he needs anything to just say so."

Jim nodded. "Okay,"-even as he knew Mac would never do or ask anything to add to the guilt Mrs. Ames was already feeling. He then excused himself and headed straight for the ER. The halls were practically empty, and the silence felt almost eerie. His mind wandered back to the first time he met Mac, to the time when Sergeant MacDonald became a watch commander and up to the car accident. He found himself feeling rather helpless and silently found himself thinking, 'Please, don't take him yet.'

He might have continued deep in thought, only he saw Pete walking towards him. The serious look on his partner's face, the fact he wasn't saying anything, and the fact that Pete continued walking once he reached his partner had Jim preparing for the worst.

"Is he…" Jim stopped, unable to actually voice his fears.

"No, but he's not conscious either." Pete stopped walking for a moment. 'They're running a number of tests at the moment." Pete began walking again as he listed the different concerns the doctors had. By the time Pete was finished he and Jim were in the waiting room and repeating everything-from the moment they arrived at the scene to what Pete had just told Jim- to Captain Moore, who had actually gotten off work minutes before Pete had contacted the station to inform them of what had happened and to get permission to go to the hospital.

Pete wasn't surprised when the good captain, who had been standing up, sat back down. "I'm not due back to work until tomorrow, and no one is at my house at the moment. I think I'll stick around for awhile."

Jim looked at Pete, who seemed to read his mind.

"Dispatch has put us on seven." Pete, who had no trouble inviting the captain to join them, looked at the captain. "Hospital food might not be the best. However, for now, it's what we have. Want to join us?"

Despite the gravity of the situation, Pete and Jim couldn't help but smile and chuckle when the gentleman raised his eyebrow and replied, "I'm not that hungry yet.'"

As Pete and Jim walked down the hall that led to the corridor that held the cafeteria, they could see a couple sitting on a bench. The man and woman were holding onto each other. As the two officers drew closer, they could tell the couple had been crying. It had them feeling bad for the man and woman, but it also made it so they had to keep their own fears pushed aside. They just couldn't entertain the options that seemed to want to come.

"Some really should call his children." Jim said once they got far enough away from the couple they'd seen.

"I'm sure the station has done that already, or will." Pete said as he opened the door to the cafeteria.

Once inside they grabbed a couple of trays, got some food, and then sat down. They ate in silence until a small child around four surprised them by walking up to Pete and reaching up and taking a hold of his lower arm.

"Up? Please," The child said as he tried to climb up on Pete's lap.

"David!" exclaimed the child's mother, who had moved as quickly as she could-considering she was seven months along in another pregnancy.

"It's okay, ma'am. He's fine. I don't mind." Pete smiled and picked the child up. With all that was going on, Pete was grateful for a bit of positive distraction.

"David's fascinated by the uniform. He likes any uniform." The woman, who was still a bit embarrassed, explained as her son ran his fingers over Pete's badge, and making rather cute remarks about it. Pete talked with the young child for a few minutes before the woman insisted that her son get down-as she had to meet her husband in front of the hospital soon. "We only came in to visit my grandmother. Thanks for giving him some of your time."

"Happy to do it," Pete smiled.

"Bye!" Four year old David, who had a hold of his mother's hand, turned back and waved at Pete and Jim with his free hand.

"Cute boy," Jim said after the child and his mother left the cafeteria.

"Yeah, children like that sure help one get through the day." Pete returned to eating his food. The sooner they were through eating, the sooner they could go see what was happening with Mac.