Chapter 3

He'd broken every protocol in the book by leaving the scene, but he didn't care. Now he paced in the waiting room; unsure of just how much time had passed. The nurses had let Rex into the room as well since he was part of the police force. Rex did not know how to comfort his partner. He could do it for others but this was different. It was the woman they both loved. Charlie's mind wandered back to the moment their relationship started…

"When you want somebody who isn't available, you do stupid things," he'd said. "You've been feeling this way for that long?" The look in her eyes told him that she was surprised. "Since you started talking about London. Maybe before," he'd admitted. Before she got a chance to respond, he continued – "It doesn't matter. Yeah, I'm happy for you. You and Michael. I just want you to be happy." It had been his turn for surprise when Sarah showed up later that day at the park bench, where he and Rex had been watching the harbor.

"Charlie! You left the scene!" It was his boss, Joe. He had every right to be in the mood he was in. Not only could the case against the shooter be compromised but also, he was worried about Sarah as well.

"I know! Sarah got shot! I should have gotten in there faster. I should have…" Joe stopped him, his mood softening a little, and said,

"No. None of this is your fault. Nor Rex's. You did what you were supposed to do. You didn't know what condition Constable Gadhavi was in. You were trying to avoid anyone getting hurt. I shouldn't have yelled. I just…"

"She got shot Joe," Charlie repeated as he slumped into a chair. Rex quickly stuck his head onto his partner's lap and Charlie's hands went to his soft fur.

"I know, bud. I know," the detective murmured to his partner.

"Who knows how many others on her team would have been hurt if you and Rex hadn't intervened? It was a freak happening. She's a strong woman, Charlie. She's going to pull through this. Heck, she pulled through Jesse operating on her, then real surgeons should have quite the leg up," Joe told him with a smile and a slight chuckle. Charlie couldn't help but smirk and nod. The occurrence had been incredibly scary at the time. While they were away in Northern Ontario, Jesse had had to use what amounted to a dull Exact-o knife and some less than sterile gauze to help stop Sarah's internal bleeding after the plane crash they'd been in. Worse still, neither Charlie nor Joe could reach their friends, but once again Rex had come through in the clutch.

"How are the constables?" The detective wanted to know.

"Gadhavi took multiple shots to the vest. The first two dropped her to the floor and the next two were at almost point-blank range. The vest did its job but she's got four broken ribs and severe bruising. Stevens was rushed into surgery. I haven't heard how his leg is but he definitely has some nasty bruising where he got hit in the vest," Joe filled him in.

"Where did this guy come from? Somehow, he'd gotten into the victim's backyard. That and he wasn't using a shotgun, which was most likely the weapon that killed the homeowner," Charlie frowned.

"The victim's name is Tim Watkins and he was a therapist. Best we can figure is that his patient and our shooter, Danny Bauman, gave him photos of something incriminating or maybe just suggestive and Danny wanted them back. I'm getting a court order for the Danny's records and we're still scouring the house for anything that could have stored photos. Jesse is handling the search of Danny's apartment. Right now, though, our shooter had to be sedated. He's having a full mental breakdown. Mental Health services will take custody of him for the next seventy-two hours, maybe longer," Joe admitted.

"So, for all we know these photos don't even exist!" That angered Charlie. Sarah was hurt over something that could be a figment of man's inner demons. He was mad at himself as soon as he said it though. Danny Bauman was in crisis and it wasn't fair to judge him. He had needed this guy to be some horrible human being and it was starting to sound like his therapist may be extorting him.

"We can't be certain they exist, but to Danny, they existed. That's what we have to go on for now," Joe said.

"I know. I'm just so… helpless right now," Charlie heaved a sigh.

"Look, I'm going to help Jesse dig through everything. You promise to keep me posted, the moment you hear anything?" Joe asked. He hated to leave his detective, but they didn't have enough detectives to go around. The scenes needed oversight and he'd be damned if they couldn't nail someone to the wall for this.

"I will," Charlie promised. Joe grabbed his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Then he petted Rex before leaving. Charlie's mind wandered again.

"I was thinking of heading into the bedroom," she teased, as he looked over his Dodge Charger. He'd thrown that rag so far it had taken him two days to find it. They'd managed to find their way to the bedroom… eventually.

"Detective Charlie Hudson?" The voice calling his name snapped him out of it.

"Yes?" Rex left his spot and Charlie stood up. He was bracing himself for what was to come.

"I'm Doctor Gibbons. Sarah lost a lot of blood but we managed to retrieve the bullet and she's in recovery right now," it was the surgeon who had worked on his girlfriend.

"When can I see her?" He asked.

"Another hour and they'll have her into a room. We're not out of the woods yet though. The bullet perforated her stomach and we had to flush out all of the gastric fluids that had leaked out. There are some serious side effects that we have to be on the lookout for over the next few days," Gibbons explained.

"What kind of side effects?" Charlie immediately grew concerned.

"Internal bleeding, peritonitis, and sepsis. Her digestive system may be affected as well. I know it's a lot but I want you to have all the information," the medical man said.

"I appreciate that, Doctor. Thank you for saving her life," Charlie nodded.

"You're more than welcome. I'll be around checking in with her and the nurses are going to be keeping a close eye as well," Gibbons promised before he retreated to the surgical wing. Charlie quickly sent a text to Jesse and Joe so that they could breathe easier, if only for a few minutes. His mind wandered to the moment he'd really known that his feelings for Sarah were more than just friendship.

"He might not make it Charlie," she'd said of Ian Silver after the man had fallen silent. They were trapped in a cave-in, with only Rex to save them once again. "He's not the one I'm worried about," he'd admitted. She'd reached out to him and he'd more than willingly took her hand. It was then that he realized he was in love with his coworker. She'd even declared that she loved working with him and Rex but once they were out of danger, they slipped back into their normal routine. Burying everything that had gone on between them; maybe chocking it up to the perilousness of the moment. Still, later, when he had opportunities to speak out, he didn't. Sarah went looking for someone who could be with her not just at work but also in all phases of life. It took him two years and the threat of her leaving forever to make him realize that he couldn't let the rules or anything else stand in the way. If he didn't say it now, it would never happen.

"Detective Hudson, you can see her now. Fair warning, she's still out of it, but I'm willing to bet that you'd want to be there when she wakes up," a nurse brought him back to reality.

"Yes, please. So would Rex," Charlie said.

"We'll make an exception for Officer Rex," she winked and then she led the two down the winding hallways until they ended up at the room where Sarah was.

"Thank you," Charlie said.

"Let us know if you need anything. There are nurses at the desk just up the hall," she smiled at him and then left him alone. Charlie settled into the chair next to the bed and Rex got up on the bed and settled next to Sarah's legs. He wanted to be as close as he could be when Sarah woke up. Charlie drifted off; his adrenaline levels were finally petering out.

He woke up and he wasn't in the hospital. He had that bomb strapped to his chest. No, no, that couldn't be. They'd solved that case. Yet here he was. Suddenly, the bomber's words rang out in his head – "I can tell that you care for Sarah. Is she more than a colleague to you?" the answer had of course been "Yes". The bomber's next words hit him like a ton of bricks – "Is she your wife?" He'd looked at Sarah. They hadn't talked about that and he didn't want to give this bomber any satisfaction but also, he had to let Sarah know he cared. He answered – "Not yet." Suddenly, the bomber laughed is awful, maniacal laugh. "Oh well." Then the bomb went off.

Charlie snapped awake and somehow managed to catch Rex off guard; his partner yelped. That yelp caused Sarah to stir and Charlie quickly took her hand in his.

"Charlie? Rex?" The words came out barely above a whisper.

"We're both here. You're going to be fine," he reassured her. He got up and kissed her temple. Sarah visibly relaxed, as if she'd been tensed up over something.

"I wanna go home," that was the medicine she was on talking. She'd never speak so ineloquently.

"We will. We just need to stay here for a few days. The doctors want to be sure that you're ok," Charlie promised her. That seemed to appease her and she went back to sleep.

To Be Continued…