FIRE & BLOOD • EVAN 'BUCK' BUCKLEY / 9-1-1

52.

My heart shattered into millions of pieces, a scream ripped out from my throat in horror as I lurched forward to catch Victor from falling to the ground. Forgetting the difference in our weight and how he towers over me in height, I went down with him. The pain from the gunshot wound flashes across his features. His mouth parted as he gasped in a breathe of air, his eyes gazing up at me. They blinked furiously as he placed a hand over his lower abdomen. My hands trembled as I laid his head on my lap, grabbing the hem of my shirt as I put all my strength in tearing off a piece long enough to wrap around his torso. From the corner of my eye I caught a flash of motion. I didn't look up as the young woman sprinted out of the nursery room, the cries of the baby filling the entire hallway.

Victor groaned as I lifted him up, taking the torn off piece from my shirt and wrapping it around him. He looked at me with heavy eyes.

"You need to leave me. That baby cannot leave this hospital" he struggles as tried to speak. I scowl at him. I attempt to lift myself up, him along with me but Victor doesn't budge. I sigh out in frustration.

"Victor right now is not the time to be stubborn. We need to get you help before you bleed out."

"Don't worry about me."
"That's not possible. Now get up"
"I already told you that you need to leave me. I'll be fine" he says sternly.

"Damn it Victor. Please" I beg. "Please just get up so we can get you help!!"

Victor shakes his head, putting all his weight on the ground making it impossible for me to lift him up. Voices sound from down the hallway catching me and Victors attention. The heaviness in my chest grows as I recognize one of them.

"EVAN?" I scream out.
"I'm here Stel, I'm here" He calls back, his voice seeming calm.

"DON'T MOVE OR I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL PUT A BULLET IN YOUR HEAD IF YOU AS SO MUCH MOVE A MUSCLE" the woman yells, her voice steady. That crazy bitch. I close my eyes to shake off the tears burning in my throat threatening to break through. My head was swimming as I thought of a plan to get out of this situation. Someone I care about is in the process of bleeding out in my arms while the love of my life is being pointed at by a gun no doubt all the while Savannah's baby screams out, already being held in the arms of danger in her very short arrival to this earth.

"EVANNN! She has Savannah's baby!!" I warn him. I take a deep breathe, praying to god I don't hear that gun go off.

"Stella" Victor whispers. I open my eyes and look down at him. He doesn't look good and I start to panic. I can't control my body from shaking.

"Stop talking. Just get up please, we can make it out of here" my voice betrays me in every way as I try to sound reassuring. But I am terrified. Fear was taking a great hold of me. "I'm so scared, Victor. I've lost too much already within months. Please don't make me lose you too. It'll shatter me I'm not strong enough. Not after everything I've been through..." I can feel my lower lip trembling. Life has played with my emotions over and over and over.

"You're right. If I'm not around to be the asshole attending who yells at everyone and makes their life hell, then who?" A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. A few tears escaped and have stained my cheeks. I manage a small laugh, Victor joining in with me but then bursting into a fit of coughs. Without thinking it, my hand reached up to his face cupping his cheek. He reaches up and places his hand over mine, brushing his thumb against the back of my hand. I ignore the feeling in my stomach.

"We need to get you into an O.R. Try not to talk"
"You're strong" he says, ignoring what I had said about him not needing to talk. "You're one of the strongest people I know Stella. And you will be one of the best surgeon this country has ever seen. I know it. That is why I may come across harsh on you sometimes. I want you to never give up on your limits. To never give up on who you're meant to be. And you, Moore, are meant to be the greatest."

My cheeks were soaked. The tears have won.

"I am so thankful that this life has allowed us to cross paths. Having you in my life has made me feel so lucky and I've never told you before but I do hope you'll always find a friend in me no matter what" his features were soft as he spoke, his eyes sincere as they stayed fixated on me. And absolute terror ran through my veins as it hit me. It's as if something clicked inside of my brain that I have been fighting for months.

"Victor" I say.
I have never really thought about what Victor meant to me. Not in depth really. He was such an asshole when I first met him. He infuriated me and sometimes he still does. But deep down he is the kindest person. He's warm and familiar. Caring. Ambitious. Comforting. And I know his feelings have  exceeded past friendship for me but he still helped me through all the hard times I went through, despite knowing the truth that I am in love with someone else who isn't him, and I never really appreciated him as much as I should have. In my own way I do love Victor. More than I've ever thought myself to. My heart was growing heavy in my chest as I thought of him dying in my arms. And if something also happened to Evan... if they both were to die right here right now it would be my breaking point. A wave of guilt rushes through me as realization kept hiding me hard. I have loved two people at the same time this entire time...I never wanted to say it nor think it but I can no longer deny it. I have tried to distance myself from Victor in the past trying not to get too close to him. Because I knew what would happen if I did. I love Evan too much to ever complicate things because I do love him and I want to be with Evan and only Evan. But truth is I was at my absolute weakest when Evan lost his memories and if I had even let myself get too close to Victor...

A loud thump makes my head shoot up. A third voice has joined Evan and the crazy woman down the hall.

"LET ME GOOO"
"Not a chance. But don't you worry, you'll be comfortable in your new jail cell soon."
Kelly.
I breathe out in relief as Evan rushes into the nursery room, no evidence that he has been hurt. Some of the weight has been lifted off of my chest seeing him standing there at the door. The baby was snuggled up in his chest, his hand patting her back softly.
"Everything is okay" he breathes out, smiling at me before his eyes landed on Victor. The smile fades from his lips and he immediately rushes towards us. Evan hands me the baby who was shockingly calm and no longer fussing. I take her and hold her close to my chest, thanking god she's safe. I only hoped wherever Savannah was that nothing has happened to her.

"He's in pretty bad shape. We need to get him to an O.R immediately before he bleeds out in the elevator" I say.

"FUCKKK" Victor screams out in pain. Evan dismisses it and practically drags him out of the room, not giving him a chance to argue with him. Before he disappeared out the door and into the hallway, Victor looks back to me. I nod to him and follow behind them with the baby.

"Let's get you back to your mommy."