Cold Case

Underestimated

*beep beep beep*

I clutch the hand of the man laying on the bed. I don't know what happened one minute everything was fine and the next minute hell. That's the only way to describe it, the sudden explosion the heat of the fire and bullets flying everywhere. We were unprepared, it was just supposed to be a simple drug bust of a new ring. There were no connections to a mafia ring, or nothing we could find. We should have dug deeper, they covered their tracks, we underestimated them and now he's paying for it.

*beep beep beep*

I should leave get some fresh clothes and a good nights rest, that's what he would want, but I can't, anything could happen. Stable but critical, that's what the doctors say, the first twenty four hours are the most critical and his chances for surviving go up after that, but it's the 'what if's' that scare me. I can't move, all I can do is stare endlessly while clutching his hand.

*beep beep beep*

Next time I comeback into focus someone else is in the room.

"..Nomura I can't" I look up into the eyes of the founder of Second Unit.

After a few seconds of silence he breaks it, "Shelby you gotta, he wouldn't want you like this."

I feel tears starting,"I know... it's just..."  I look down I can't leave him.

Nomura moves closer sitting next to me, "Shelby...your lucky your not in a similar bed."

I look down at the bandages on my leg and touch the stitches on my arm grimacing,"I'm the reason he's in the bed in the first place, if I would've moved faster..." I trail off remembering.

'Fox move!' I hear before I hear gunshot.

I don't know how he got there but next thing I know I was down on the ground with Hiroshi on top.

'Kirsawa?' I try to push him off but stop when I feel the blood,'Hiroshi?'

*beep beep beep*

I can't get the scene out of my head, it's playing on repeat,getting jumbled up with every one of my thoughts.

I hear a sigh before Nomura speaks the words I didn't want to hear," I'm ordering you to go home, for your own health, you can't do this to yourself."

Everything goes mute, in some part of my mind I understand what he's saying, but "...why should I when the man I love is in the hospital because of me?"

"Cause you know he wouldn't want you to waste away, he would want you back on the streets solving the case," Nomura reasons, damn him for being right, the tears I've been holding in begin to fall, the dam breaks and soon I'm sobbing with Nomura rubbing my back for comfort.

Everything I've been through in the last ten hours hits me like truck."..I..really hate..that your right," I sob out, I try to stop but I can't.

"I wouldn't be saying it if you didn't need to hear it," he whispers gently.

"I...know," I whisper hoarsely back calming down a bit.

"I can give you a day or two but then I'm gonna need you back," he rubs his neck,"I wish I could do more."

I shake my head managing a small smile,"..Thank you Nomura."

He gets up and walks towards the door," Just take care of yourself Shelby. And go home."

"I'll try," I answer looking back down at Hiroshi.

Shaking his head and laughing slightly Nomura walks out leaving me alone with my thoughts and the beeping of the heart monitor.

To be Continued.