This chapter is occurring at the same time as the prologue. This is from Don's perspective.

Chapter 1: Waiting

It happened so fast.

One minute, Don was on the phone with Jess, making plans for the night. The next moment, shots rang out. He was running into the diner. Jess was down. The image of her, lying on the floor covered in blood, would never leave his mind.

He had managed to get her to the hospital, and she was rushed into surgery.

Now, Don sat on the hard plastic chair in the sterile, dimly lit waiting room, lost in the agonizing stretch of time. He had no sense of how long he'd been sitting there. Minutes? Hours? Time had ceased to matter.

His hand ran through his hair, and he took a shaky breath. That's when he noticed the blood. Her blood. He looked down and saw it on his shirt, staining the fabric a deep, dark red. His stomach churned. He almost gagged but managed to keep his lunch down.

This couldn't be happening. Jess and he had finally crossed the line from friends to lovers only six months ago. He loved her, and now…

She was fighting for her life.

If he lost Jess… he couldn't allow himself to even consider that thought.

Don wiped his face with his hands, rubbing the exhaustion and disbelief from his features, when Danny and Stella appeared in the hallway.

Stella was the first to see Don as they rounded the corner, and what she saw nearly broke her heart. Don looked terrified, worn, and utterly broken.

"Don," she called out, her voice soft, as if afraid of hearing the answer.

"Jess is still in surgery," Don replied, his voice a little rough, the weight of fear and hope mixing in the words.

Danny and Stella took seats beside him, each sitting on one side of Don, offering their quiet support.

"Did you call..." Stella began, but Don cut her off.

"Yeah, her family is on the way. Ryan works here. He was on call when she came in. He went for news." His voice was distant, strained.

Stella and Danny nodded. "Listen, I'm really sorry to do this now," Danny said, his tone gentle but firm, "but I need to ask you what happened. And we need your clothes for evidence."

Don's stomach tightened at the thought, but he nodded. "Yeah," he murmured. "Do we know anything?"

"Mac and O'Bryan are on it," Stella answered, handing him a clean shirt and an evidence bag. "We'll get answers soon."

Don nodded, taking the shirt and stuffing it into the bag. He sighed deeply. "I don't know anything. Jess and I were just making plans. The next thing I hear is shots. I was around the corner... I was there within minutes, but Conner was already gone, and Jess..." His voice trailed off.

"Okay," Danny said quietly. "I got it."

"She wasn't even supposed to be there," Don stated, his voice raw with frustration. "Dunbrook was my case. Not hers. Jess should never have been in that diner."

"Don," Stella said softly, "this is not your fault."

Don's eyes squeezed shut, a bitter knot forming in his throat. "I should've told her not to go. She's been dealing with O'Bryan's bullshit for weeks. He was punishing her for the operation with you, Stella. It was my case, not hers. She shouldn't have been involved."

"Hey," Danny said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Don't go down that road. You didn't cause this. It's not your fault."

Don let out a heavy breath, feeling a storm of guilt and anger rise inside him. "One of those assignments… escorting Conner to the courthouse. That's what did it. She never should have been in that diner today."

Don stood abruptly, his legs shaky as he walked down the hallway toward the bathroom. He wasn't gone long, just long enough to take off his blood-soaked shirt. Danny waited outside, and when Don came back out, he handed over the evidence bag with the shirt.

"I'm heading back to the lab, but Stella is going to stay here," Danny said, his voice quiet but filled with understanding.

Don nodded, unable to form words.

"We'll get these guys," Danny said, his hand resting on Don's shoulder in a gesture of solidarity.

Don gave a weak nod, but he wasn't sure if the words brought any comfort. "I'm coming too."

"Mac and O'Bryan have it covered," Danny said firmly, "You're needed here. You're too close to this case, Don. We need you to stay put."

Don opened his mouth to argue, but Danny's words hit harder than any physical blow. He didn't want to be here, in the waiting room. He wanted to be on the frontlines, chasing down the bastards responsible for hurting Jess. But he knew Danny was right. If he crossed that line and got too close to the investigation, he wouldn't be able to focus on anything but revenge. It wouldn't be justice. It would be personal.

"Mac and O'Bryan aren't going to let you anywhere near the investigation," Danny added. "You can't be objective right now. I know it hurts, but let us handle it. Jess needs you here. To wait."

Don couldn't speak. His chest tightened with an anger he couldn't control, but he couldn't deny that Danny was right. He sat back down in the chair beside Stella, who had been silently watching him.

"Don, it's okay," she said, gently taking his hand in hers.

Don didn't reply. His thoughts were a whirlwind, flashing back to that morning. It had been a good morning, a normal morning. Jess had come over early for a run, and they stopped for coffee on the way back.

He remembered their last moment together.

He had been in the shower when Jess called, "Donnie, I'm headed to the station."

"Kay," he had called back. "Be safe, babe."

"You too," she had said, walking into the bathroom and pulling the shower curtain across. She leaned in for a kiss. "I'll call you later."

And that was it. She had left for work, and he had finished his shower, heading out to meet his CI. He didn't want to think about the call. Every time he did, he was haunted by the gunshots. His world crashing down in that diner.

"Don," Stella said, her voice pulling him back to the present. "It's Ryan."

Sure enough, Ryan Angell appeared, walking down the hallway with a look of exhaustion etched on his face. His expression was guarded, and Don immediately knew that Ryan didn't have good news to share.

"She's still in surgery," Ryan said, his voice low. "That's a good thing. But…" His face hardened with concern. "She's not out of the woods yet."

Don's heart sank. He had been bracing himself for the worst, but hearing it from Ryan, hearing it aloud, made the reality of the situation hit even harder.

"I've been a cop for ten years," Don said quietly. "I know when injuries are bad."

Ryan nodded, looking over at Don with a mixture of pain and sympathy. "It's bad. Dr. Morris is the best we've got, but he's not a miracle worker."

Don felt the knot in his chest tighten. He had already known the odds, but hearing them confirmed made it so much more real.

They waited. Time dragged on. The waiting room slowly filled with people who loved Jess. Her father, stepmother, her brothers, Chris, Mike, and Andrew. Her best friends, Olivia and Abby. They all came. They all waited.

The room filled with familiar faces—detectives, uniforms, and fellow officers who came to see how their colleague was doing.

And they waited.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ryan saw Dr. Morris walking down the hall.

"Dr. Morris," Ryan said, standing up, his voice filled with tension.

The family gathered around, holding their breath as they silently prayed for good news.

Dr. Morris stopped in front of them. "Detective Angell pulled through the surgery."

It wasn't much, but it was enough to make their hearts skip a beat.

The wait wasn't over. But Jess was still alive.

Later, Don found himself sitting in another hard plastic chair, this time in the ICU. She had made it through surgery, but she wasn't out of the woods. Her vitals were stable, but the doctor had warned them that things could still go either way.

"How is she?" Ryan asked, his voice filled with concern as he walked back into the room. He knew the medical odds. But Jess was his sister—his best friend.

"The same," Sherry said softly, holding Jess's hand. She may not have been Jess's biological mother, but she loved her as if she were.

"She's barely hanging on," Don said, his voice tight with worry.

It was the truth, though. He hated to say it aloud, but it was the reality they were facing. Jess was strong, but the odds were not in her favor. And every second felt like a lifetime.

"She's a stubborn girl," Cliff said, his voice full of love and concern. He looked at his daughter's still form and remembered how hard she had fought every day of her life. She was a force of nature.

"Yes, she is," Abby agreed, her voice catching as she stared at her best friend. Jess had always been there for her. No matter what.

Olivia nodded, her heart heavy. She, Abby, and Jess had been inseparable since high school. Jess was their sister, no matter what.

Chris, Mike, and Andrew sat in silence, watching their baby sister. They had their differences, but Jess was family.

The room was filled with a quiet, heavy silence, only broken by the rhythmic beep of the machines.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Don couldn't take it anymore. He stood up, needing to get away from the sound. He walked out of the room, hoping to find something, anything, to distract him from the helpless feeling that gnawed at his insides.

Sherry nodded at Cliff, and he followed Don out of the hospital.

"Sorry, Cliff," Don muttered, not looking at the older man. "I just can't sit there anymore. I need to do something."

Cliff understood the pain Don was in. He had been there himself, after losing his wife Marie. He knew the burning need for vengeance. But he also knew that it wouldn't bring Jess back.

"Come back inside," Cliff urged gently. "Jess wouldn't want you to avenge her. She would want you to trust in the system. Come back in. Wait with us."

Don couldn't argue. He was too tired. He needed a moment to clear his mind, but he knew he had to go back. For Jess.

Just as they were about to return, Ryan came running out of the hospital.

"Dad, Don," Ryan called. "She's awake."

And just like that, Don's world shifted again.