Chapter 1

Detective Steve Sloan grabbed his time card and clocked out before heading to his car. Getting in, he turned onto Santa Monica Blvd and drove a few blocks away to the First National Bank and found a parking space. Walking inside, he sighed at the line in front of him. Anxiously waiting his turned, his eyes skimmed over the people in front of him. A heavily pregnant woman smiled at him as she waited her turn when his eyes met hers. With a slight nod and a smile, he continued to look around at the large bank. For a Wednesday it was busier than usual and they had at least five tellers open.

A loud bang suddenly startled everyone standing in line, Steve included. All eyes were drawn to a man standing at the last teller.

"I'm not going to tell you again!" he said waving a gun in the teller's face.

Steve acted quickly as the customers all froze where they stood. Drawing his revolver, he started to inch slowly forward before raising his gun and cocking it. "Police, don't move!"

The bank robber froze, his gun still pointed at the teller as Steve moved n front of the people waiting in line. "Put the gun on the counter and back away," Steve ordered as the man made no attempts to move. "Do it!"

The robber started to lower the gun when at the last possible minute he spun around and fired toward Steve only he had moved and the guns aim was right at the pregnant woman beside him.

"Nooooo!" Steve yelled a split second before he turned around and grabbed the woman shielding her with his body. As the bullet slammed into Steve's back, the robber fled the bank leaving the detective bleeding on the floor where he collapsed and the pregnant woman unscathed.

Mark was standing at the nurses station in the ER of Community General writing some notes in a chart when he heard the news on the tv in the background.

"It was horrible the way that bank robber just shot him in the back," a hysterical bystander said as the camera crew surrounded her. "He saved that pregnant woman's life," the bystander continued. "I never saw anything like it."

"Things getting worse and worse around here every day aren't they Doctor Sloan?" The nurse asked as she watched the footage on the tv.

Mark grunted as he looked up from the chart he was working on and sighed. "Seems that way don't it," he said as the tv flashed a picture of Steve on the screen. Mark froze as he heard the reporters words but they didn't seem to register in his brain.

"We're getting reports that it was Defective Steve Sloan who was the lone officer in the bank hold up," the reporter said looking around at the bystanders. "Witness accounts seem to suggest that he was mortally wounded in the shootout."

"Steve," Mark said tearing himself away from the counter as an ambulance pulled up to the hospital. The emt's opened the door and slid the gurney out in front of him. "Gunshot wound, there was a bank robbery," he said pushing the chart into Mark's uncooperative hands as he looked down at his unconscious son.

"Mark," Jesse said running over as he took in the scene. "I just heard it on the tv," he said pulling his stethoscope from around his neck and listened to Steve's chest. "Let's get him into a room!"

Mark moved automatically as he followed the gurney into an exam room. Jesse and the nurses worked quickly to strip Steve's clothes off as they gently turned him on to his side looking for the entrance to the bullet wound.

"Where's that portable x-ray?" Jesse snapped looking up at Mark who stood emotionless as the x-ray machine was brought into the exam room.

"Okay, everyone," Jesse said, stepping back. "I want a unit of O neg blood, stat. And vital's every fifteen minutes. Move it, people."

A nurse started a central IV as Jesse ordered a light sedation for Steve's comfort before moving next to where Mark stood still clutching the chart. "There's no exit wound, Mark," Jesse said with more concern than he intended. "Couple that with where the entrance is and we might be looking at something far more serious."

"Tell me," Mark whispered harshly.

Jessie blew out a breath as he turned to watch the x-ray technician doing his job quickly and efficiently. "I won't know for certain until we see the x-rays," Jesse said as gently as possible. "But if I had to take a guess, I'd say it's possible the bullet is lodged somewhere near his spinal column."

Mark's face drained as he looked over at his prone son. The thought of Steve in such peril brought a tear to his eye. "I want to know the moment those x-rays are ready and get someone from Neurosurgery down here," he said as he felt a comforting hand on his back. "Amanda," Mark said as Amanda nodded at Jesse who stepped away to see about the x-rays. "Did you hear?"

"I did," Amanda said taking the chart from Marks hands. "But we have to stay positive for Steve's sake."

"He could be….." Mark didn't want to say the word. "Paralyzed."

"Well we don't know that, Mark," Amanda said moving so that he was forced to look right at her. "Don't jump to conclusions, let's take a look at the x-rays first and see what the Nuro doctor has to say, okay?"

Mark nodded as Jesse came rushing over. "The x-rays are ready," he said leading the way to the next room. "Doctor Hamilton is looking at them now." Hamilton was a dedicated neurosurgeon and head of the department and like Mark had been at CG for years.

Mark followed Jesse with Amanda by his side as they entered the room where an older white haired doctor stood in front of the x-ray view box with his hand on his chin. So intent on studying the x-ray, Hamilton didn't hear the three doctors enter the room.

"Richard," Mark said standing beside the neurosurgeon. "How's it look."

Hamilton didn't turn to look at Mark, instead he pointed to the x-ray in front of him. "I'm afraid, Doctor Travis was right, Mark," he said pointing to an outline of what clearly appeared to be a bullet lodged near Steve's spinal cord. "Lumbar region," he said pointing at the area. "L-one, two, three, four and five," Hamilton said showing Mark on the x-ray. "It's lodged between three and four."

Mark's face belied his thoughts as Hamilton turned to face him. "Before we can even think about preceding, I have to know where the feeling begins and ends, we'll have to bring him around," Hamilton said as Mark nodded.

"I agree," Mark said quietly. "And then?"

"Then I'll know more about proceeding with surgery or if it's better to leave it there," Hamilton said with a sigh.

Mark nodded as he looked over at Jessie. "Bring him in here," he said as his lower lip quivered slightly. "It's more private."

Jesse nodded as he went to retrieve the gurney that Steve was on, he knew the need for privacy was just as much for Steve's benefit as Mark's. Finding out you may never walk again was a life altering experience and both father and son would need time to adjust to the life changing event.

Once Jesse and Amanda got the gurney into the room, Jesse stopped the light sedation and looked at Amanda. "We'll wait outside," he said as they both headed for the door.

"Oh no you won't," Mark said stopping them from leaving. "You two are just as much my family as he is and Steve's going to need his whole family for support," Mark said stiff lipped. "Please, I can't do this alone," he admitted as much to himself as to them.

Amanda hugged him tightly as Jesse squeezed his shoulder. "You'll never be alone," Amanda whispered as Jesse nodded.

"Mark," Hamilton said as Steve moaned softly from the gurney.

Mark rushed to Steve's side and put his left hand into Steve's and squeezed his son's hand. "Steve, it's dad," he said urgently looking down at Steve's eyes as the eyelids started to move. "Son, please squeeze my hand," he said brushing the sweat dampened hair with his right hand away from Steve's eyes. "C'mon son, you need to wake up now. Steve can you hear me?"

Somewhere between sleeping and awake Steve floated in and out. Hearing his father's urgent voice made him pay a bit more attention, if only they hadn't strapped him down. Dad," Steve barely whispered.

Mark smiled despite the grave situation they faced. "I'm here son," he said smiling a bit. "Listen Steve," he said more serious now. "I need you to follow my orders now and do exactly as I say, ok?"

"Yeah," Steve responded dreamily.

"Can you squeeze my hand," Mark said before looking down at the hand that held his. "C'mon son, squeeze it!" he said a bit forcefully.

Jesse and Amanda waited at the bottom of the gurney and watched just as anxiously as Mark did while however feeble, Steve squeezed Mark's hand.

"That's good son," Mark said smiling broadly as Doctor Hamilton nodded. "Now listen Steve," Mark said forcibly again. "I want you to wiggle your toes."

Jesse rolled the sheet up to Steve's knees and watched his feet for any movement.

"C'mon," Mark said urgently again. "Can you do it, Steve!"

"Can't feel my feet," Steve said as his eyes fluttered open. "What have you got me on Dad?"

Mark looked Steve in the eyes which were now a lot more alert than before. Swallowing hard, he tried to make his voice as soft as possible. "Nothing more than a light sedation," he said with a slight crack in his voice.

Steve looked bewildered as his foggy brain tried to comprehend and grasp what Mark was saying. If they didn't have him on something really strong then why couldn't he feel his feet or legs for that matter.

Mark watched as Steve tried to make sense of what he was telling him. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Yeah the bank," Steve said slowly trying to recall the details from the haze that his memories were in. "Dad, the pregnant woman," he said suddenly very agitated.

"She's fine son," Mark said with a slight bit of proudness in his voice. "You saved her life."

Steve closed his eyes with a sigh and relaxed back onto Mark's arm that was cradling his head. "And my legs?"

Mark looked up at Hamilton who moved closer to the gurney. "The bullet you took is lodged in the soft tissue of your spinal cord, that's what's preventing you from feeling your legs and feet. Before I can make a determination to remove it, I need to know exactly where you can and can't feel anything," he said looking down at Steve who nodded slowly. "I'm going to do a sensory exam and I'll need you to answer when I ask what you can or can't feel, are you ready?"

"Yeah," Steve said closing his eyes. He needed to know as much as the doctor did.

Hamilton moved the sheet aside at Steve's waist and took a dull needle from his pocket. "Tell me if you feel this Steve?" he said pressing the needle into Steve's skin above his waist about midway between his breastbone an navel.

"Yeah, I feel that," Steve said softly.

"Okay," Hamilton said bringing the needle just below Steve's bellybutton. "Here," he said watching any reaction from Steve.

Steve concentrated as hard as he could but he felt no sensation at all. "Nothing," he said gripping Mark's hand harder hoping he didn't break.

Mark looked at Hamilton and nodded as the neurosurgeon moved to Steve's legs and proceeded to do the same test. "Anything here, Steve," he said pressing the needle into Steve's thigh.

Rather than answer, Steve shook his head no as Hamilton repeated the test at the knee and below on both sides before he returned to the head of the gurney.

"Options?" Mark asked never letting go of Steve's hand.

Hamilton crossed his arms and looked again at the x-rays as though he was studying it. "If he is to have any chance of recovery, surgery will be his only hope but it doesn't come without risks."

"Risks?" Jesse asked curiously.

"Removing the bullet won't fix the damage, Doctor Travis," Hamilton said gently. "Only time will heal that."

"How much time?" Mark asked.

"Weeks, months, years," Hamilton said meeting Mark's eyes. "It may never happen but we must do everything we can."

"Do the surgery," Steve whispered painfully. "Please dad."

Mark nodded as he pressed Steve's head into his chest. "If that's what you want son," he said quietly.

"Alright then," Hamilton said looking at Jesse. "Would you like to observe Doctor Travis?"

"Definitely," Jesse said with a slight grin as Mark nodded his agreement.

"I'll be waiting when you wake up," Mark said as Steve did his best to cheer up his dad by giving him a thumbs up as Jesse wheeled the gurney away to the surgery department.