Chenford: Closer

Heartbreak

The flurry of activity was difficult to keep up with. Angela screamed once. Tim went to move, but there was someone just a bit faster. The pop of a gun. Angela screamed again. The silence Lucy, Tim, and all present with horror. The shock lasted barely a second before Lucy was on her knees beside her best friend whose life was bleeding out of him rapidly.

La Fiera screamed. "You idiot! You're a cop killer now, you know that right? You've just put a target on our faces!" She made a quick gesture, and her right-hand man shot the trigger-happy gang member down.

The calvary, as always, arrived just when it looked like things were going to get ugly. Well, in this case, uglier. A few tedious seconds passed, but La Fiera and her minions all ended up in handcuffs. Tim placed a gentle hand on Lucy's shoulder. She hadn't moved her hands from the wound in Jackson's chest. It had been a fatal shot, he knew it. He knew she knew it.

He didn't want to be harsh but he needed to invoke action from her. "Chen," he said in a tone that was the middle ground between tough T.O and understanding T.O. "Chen, time to go, now. The medics need to get him, okay?" She nodded slightly. She stood, her face void of expression. He has a faint pulse, let's go people! A flutter awoke in her heart at the words of the medic behind her now getting Jackson on a stretcher. Tim did too. But he didn't say anything. No one did. They all knew that the likelihood of Jackson surviving transport to the military base was slim. But when one has been robbed of everything they grasp at straws of hope, no matter how short.

~~~ 1 hour later ~~~

Pacing. That's all he could do. Tim had separated himself from the rest of the group. He hadn't been connected with Jackson in the way that Lucy or Angela was. But he had ridden with him before. Did his job, made him a better cop. He couldn't be in there with the others. Typically, sitting still, waiting, was not an issue for him. But part of him already knew, just as the rest of them did, that he was not going to make it. Lucy of course though, was holding onto hope stronger than any of them. No one dared to say anything in case he did make it. Well, no one dared say anything because they were frightened by what Lucy might do if they dared to doubt that he wouldn't pull through. Tim heard the flap of plastic, a shoddy replacement for surgeon privacy doors. The clicking and rustling of everyone, Wesley, an Angela who rebelliously snuck out of bed, Grey, John, and Lucy, crowding around the surgeon. Who's expression was probably a mix of unreadable emotions. 

Angela's scream followed by sobs came, and what he had already known was heartbreakingly confirmed.