Perfect Storm

Chapter 38 - Please Forgive Me

"KATE!"

Hank dropped to his knees next to her, trembling hands tearing at the velcro keeping her vest in place and the sight waiting for him had his stomach roiling. The bullets had penetrated straight through her protective kevlar, one in the centre of her chest and the other a few inches below her left breast. The iron band of pure terror wrapped around his chest was crushing his lungs, preventing him from drawing breath as he pressed down on the two bullet wounds.

"Stay with me Kate. Please. Please stay with me."

Crimson was already seeping between his shaking fingers. She was loosing too much blood.

"Hank, is she breathing?" Miller dropped to her knees on the other side of Kate's limp body, dropping her weapon carelessly to the floor.

Hank heard her question but he was too preoccupied with trying to keep as much blood inside her as he could, pushing down hard on the wounds to try and stem the flow. Try as he might, he couldn't prevent the pool of blood from forming beneath her, the dark red stain growing until it was seeping into the fabric of his trousers. When she realised she wasn't going to get a response, Sam pressed two fingertips to Kate's neck. She closed her eyes in relief at the slow, thready but very much present heartbeat under her fingers.

"She's alive. GET AN AMBULANCE HERE NOW!"

"5021 Idah, we've got an officer down at 4452 South Indiana. We need an ambo right now." Adam's voice trembled as he made the call, his eyes locked on the tableau of his boss and mentor, cradling the woman he loved as her lifeblood drained onto the cold concrete beneath her.

"C'mon baby, please. Please don't leave me."

The unit stood shellshocked, watching as Hank dropped his head to Kate's chest, hands still pressed to her wounds as buried his face into her rapidly cooling skin. When the paramedics arrived a few minutes later, they gently peeled him away from her, pushing him backwards so that they had space to work. He watched on as they hooked her up to a variety of IV drips, oxygen tubes and an assortment of medication in the hopes that they could do enough to get her to the hospital alive. A set of hands clutched his biceps, tugging him to his feet as they wheeled her back down into the warehouse.

"Up you get, man." It was Stabler hoisting him to his feet, steadying him on wobbly legs with a sturdy hand on his back. "C'mon, I'll take you to the hospital."

Kevin and Sam followed the two men down through the warehouse and out onto the street, the four of them following behind the ambulance to Chicago Med whilst the Olivia and the rest of the unit dealt with Guterra and the rescued children. The car ride was almost completely silent, the quiet occasionally broken by Sam updating the CPD brass on the status of their case, telling them to contact Benson whilst she was at the hospital. When the four of them piled into the emergency department, Will Halstead was already waiting for them, a grim expression on his face.

"They've taken her straight to surgery. She's..." His blue eyes locked on Hank's tortured brown. "...she's not in good shape, Hank."

He felt sick.

Her blood still coated his skin and clothes, the metallic smell making his stomach churn. Wrenching himself away from Will's grip, he tore back through the automatic doors and emptied the meagre contents of his stomach, the bile burning his oesophagus with each wretch. He braced his shoulder against the cold brick, sweat beading on his forehead as tears streamed down his face. That was how Sam found him a few moments later, her hand gripping his shoulder.

"Will said she's going to be in surgery for a few hours."

He didn't answer, instead he dropped his head back against the brick none too gently, the sharp spike of pain somewhat comforting.