Double Shot

*****WARNING*****This blog post contains violence. Reader discretion is advised. It's also very long:)
______________________________________________________


Alexandra Island, October 10, 2016, 16:48

Thanksgiving Monday, late afternoon

Colin Rankin sat in the passengers side seat of the speedboat as it approached Alexandra Island's smaller public docks. There were only three of them; one belonging to the fire department, one to the police department and one apparently private with an apartment house boat moored beside it. The plan was to tie the boat up and walk up to the clinic from the water. It was the same size and layout of the Cedar Point Pharmacy, except that the clinic was across a small parking lot. This time, they would have much further to go to get to the escape vehicle, but the only ways to get to Alexandra were by air and boat. As he climbed out of the boat, he only hoped that this time, things would go more smoothly. No more smart-ass pharmacist and ex-girlfriends to fuck things up.

Adum Brate stood in the 'bull pen' of the Alexandra Police Department chuckling and drinking coffee. The air around him was filled with a bit of happiness. For the most part it had been an impromptu party with the skeleton crew assembled today. He, Sam Wright and Josh Greene. at the moment. After six o'clock this evening there would be others. Thanksgiving was a day when the usual scheduling went out of the window. It was a holiday, however and more on this holiday since he and Megan had suddenly gotten married. No criticism had come from his subordinates, although Josh Green suggested they get the mayor to open the records office and have the day declared a holiday.

He played with the wedding ring on his finger ... a present from Mayor Shirley Douglas. It almost hadn't made it over his knuckle, but as he'd worn it, he realized that it was more because he seemed to have larger knuckles than anything. With a smile, he helped to finish the cake that Josh himself had bought from Earthcakes and they had been grazing on all shift.

Ken Hall pulled down his ski mask after docking and tying the boat. He glanced towards the Olin with narrowed eyes. "I'll come back for you after Heather." he thought to himself.

He followed Colin and slung the assault rifle across his body, ready.

The young pharmacist stood behind the counter, watching the clock. She looked annoyed to be working on a holiday. Everyone thought they were closed anyway. It was so dead. What a waste of a shift. She restocked the boxes of latex gloves for the fourth time and sighed loudly.

Colin pulls on his ski mask as they come up into view of the Alexandra Clinic, which appears to be closed. It's Thanksgiving after all. He walks behind the building and along the back of the pharmacy and through the tiny pocket park. Then he places his back to the wall and nods at Ken and prepares to enter first, with Ken behind to guard the door, as usual.

Ken waits for Colin and hangs back, stepping in after him. He'll watch the door. The streets are nice and quiet. This one should be a cake walk.

Colin walks into the pharmacy as if he is not holding a large gun and wearing a skin mask. He almost laughs when he sees the girl restocking. Without firing, he looks at her. "Be a good girl and fill THIS." he sets the empty bag on the counter. "All your cash and all your Ficharnol. DO it now and we won't kill you."

The boxes of gloves tumble to the floor and the pharmacist freezes on an intake of breath. With shaking hands she darts her eyes sideways, thinking as she chooses to head to the till first. She unlocks the drawer sliding a swift and careful hand under it to the silent alarm button before scooping all the bills from each section of the cash drawer. Just her luck on the slowest day of the year. She leaves the drawer hanging open to cover the location of the button she just pushed and unlocks the cabinet from a wrist chain. She clears the bottles he's seeking right into the bag in one fell swoop and then holds out the bag with a shaking hand hoping this is the end of it.

Ken pops the door open and looks down the street both ways. By slim chance he does one last look back in the first direction and yells "COPS!" as several squad cars silently pull up.

The pharmacist dives for the floor in terror.

Adum comes out of the bathroom feeling like he has raised he water level a few inches. He is about to speak to Sam about some paperwork that he may as well catch up on when an alarm goes off beside Mert's desk. Moving to it, he snaps his head up, adrenaline beginning to course through his system. "It's the pharmacy." he announces. "Green take car 1, Wright car 2, I got the SUV." that leaves Mert to man the station, but how many crimes can be committed in Alexandra at the same time?

Joshua Green and Sam Wright move to their assigned cars and, with Adum in the lead drive the half a block to the pharmacy. Adum turns the SUV around and blocks traffic eastbound on Water Street; not that there is any on Thanksgiving. Green and Wright stop their cars in positions to block traffic turning north on 2nd Street and heading south on same. Both officers get out of their cars, leaving the doors open for some little shelter.

Adum gets out of the SUV with his pistol drawn and looks in the window. He doesn't see the pharmacist, but he does see two masked individuals, one of which is still holding the door open. He realizes the situation can go from bad to worse, so he trains his gun on the man propping the door open. "Drop your weapons and come out with your hands linked behind your heads." he commands in a loud and commanding voice.

Colin swears seeing at least three cop cars, one of which has disgorged an officer. Risking half a glance back towards the counter, he sees the pharmacist girl is no where in sighs ... and he doesn't have time to go behind the counter, grab her and use her as a hostage. He's trapped, and he knows it. Raising the gun, he fires at the cop outside. Suddenly he feels a solid pressure and great pain in his chest.

Adum sees the masked man further inside the studio begin to lift his gun. He reacts by raising his own and firing at the robber. There is only time for him to pull the trigger once when he feels a blinding hot pain in the left side of his head.

For a moment, Sam freezes, as Adum Brate drops to the pavement like a sack of potatoes. He moves his eyes to the store window which is shattered and sees no one now. Had Adum made that shot?

Josh watches Adum drop and also sees that there is no one but the man in the open door. He raises his gun to line up a shot to the remaining suspects center of mass.

Ken takes one look at how many cops are emerging from the vehicles and decides to ditch Colin and run. He can hear shots being fired. His gun dropped behind him he sprints through the pocket park and behind the restaurant and to the gas station beyond. He tosses the mask into a dumpster there and keeps running. It's nice and deserted and he can't hear anyone chasing him yet. Colin's fight has bought him some time. He races through woods all the way to the north side and sees a house, one he even knows. It was where he took the cash after gunning down Roy Carver. He's aware that it belongs to the head of the organization and this is beyond a breach in protocol. but desperate times call for desperate measures. He stays on the grounds and finds his way to a dock with a speedboat. Ken hot wires it and it starts. He takes off without looking back and heads right for the mainland.

Josh sees the glass door of the pharmacy shatter as the bullet tears into it and the wall beyond. The suspect is gone. Now he has a couple of choices. Chase the suspect and leave to bleeding victims, or remain to see after his chief. He ducks into the car and grabs the radio. "Mert! Officer down. Call the ferry landing and tell them they are docked until further notice." he glances up and sees the Doctor running toward Adum. He follows, motioning to the building. "Check the other suspect, Wright!" he orders. He falls to his knees beside Adum and stares at him. His head is mostly bloody.

Sam swallows hard when Josh barks at him, but it gets him moving. He moves inside of the building and can see the suspects foot sticking out of the far aisle. Moving forward, he can see the man is laying on his back in the aisle. The gun flew out of his hand when he was shot, but Sam kicked it further away, as he'd been taught. He squats beside the man and reaches out to see if he can find a pulse. But he doubts it. There is a hole in the mans chest and he is not breathing that Sam can see.

Susan McKinney comes flying from around the back of the clinic with her medical backpack in her hand. She skids to a stop and sinks to her knees beside Adum and takes a shuddering breath. It is always so hard when she knew them. "Alright, Adum, lets see here." her voice remained calm and professional. She tried to avoid a reaction when he blinked at her. He was alive.

Gareth Dunham sauntered along the road coming from his solo Thanksgiving Dinner at The Breakfast Nook. Breakfast food was always suitable for ANY holiday in his book. He was whistling to himself and grinning until he saw the array of cop cars by the pharmacy. Shit. Was there a robbery? A switch flipped in him and he crossed over into his emergency first responder role, jogging towards the scene and ready to assist the police. It looked like there had been a shoot out from the way the doors were open. Gareth craned his head around and sees Sam Wright kneeling by a man in a ski mask. He's about to head that way to offer back up when he notices Josh, Susan and another officer down. He can't make out who it is at first because there's so much blood but it looks real bad. Gareth jogs closer and then recognizes Adum from the colour of his hair and his lanky form, splayed out. A lump rises in his throat but he pushes it down and kneels beside Susan "How can I help you Doc?"

Megan had been giggling and telling the story of her fast wedding just minutes before. The sound of shots in the street made her eyes go wide and she looked at Kitty "What the hell was that?!"

Kitty had been sitting and actually enjoying the story of Megans wedding. And she could imagine Adum being over the moon about it all. The wedding rings were beautiful also. Then there were shots in the street? She jumped up as Megan demanded to know what it was. "Hold on. I'll look." she moves to her patio and opens one of the doors, stepping outside. She can see three police cars and a pair of legs on the other side of one of the police SUV's. With cautious steps, she moves forward a little more and sees what looks like .. Adum laying with the doctor over him. Gareth suddenly runs up, but Kitty cant hear him. Partly its the distance and partly its the roaring of the blood in her ears. She backs up, hitting the door and almost closing it before the turns and goes back inside. How to tell Megan? Kitty was no weak girl who would fall apart. She moves over to Megan and bites her lip. "There's been a shooting. The doctor is working on Adum." she bites her lip, wondering what to do next. For them, it would be to try and get to whatever hospital Adum was going to be taken to. Her mind goes through several names.

Sam looks out of the door. "He's dead, Lieutenant." he calls out to the doctor. He stands and moves further inside, wondering what happened to the pharmacist. In Cedar Point he had been shot.

Josh nods in relief when he sees Adum blink and Gareth arrive. Then he looks over to Sam and sees him heading further into the pharmacy. "Doctor, I'm going to warm up the helicopter and call this in. I can take both of them." and he moves off, knowing the doctor well enough to know that she heard him.

Susan nods vaguely at Josh's words as she goes into her bag and pulls out bandages. Even as she wraps Adum's head, she gives orders to Gareth. "Start an IV TKO. No morphine with this head shot." her voice is urgent but not panicked. I think we can stabilize him in the helicopter. I'm just not equipped here." but that was why the island had so many helicopters and speedboats. To get people to the mainland in a hurry. "Once the IV is started, go to the copter and lets get him on a gurney and in transit. Make sure Josh called White Rock. Vancouver is too far away." she raises her voice. "Sam get that body on the copter, STAT. I'll take off without him if I have to." she then looks again at Adum, who is looking up at her. He's afraid she can tell, but he trusts her .. and she prays she won't let him down.

Gareth digs into the doc's equipment on autopilot now. He sanitizes his hands, pulls on a pair of latex medical gloves and sets up the IV, working quickly but carefully. After it's done he looks at Adum who seems to be looking at Susan and says "It's OK Adum. Just stay.... with us..." His voice cracks a bit on the last words but then he swallows hard.

Megan feels her breath leave her body, rolling Kitty's words through her head again "There's been a shooting. The doctor is working on Adum." Kitty said it so calmly. Megan's mouth is open and she leans forward like she might pass out or throw up. Then she bolts out the door in sock feet and tears down the stairs, the hallway to the front entrance and right out the front door. She can see the scene of all all down the street and she runs faster than she can ever remember but feels like she's moving underwater. She falls to her knees beside Susan and Gareth and starts shaking uncontrollably. She manages to spit out "Is.....he..." She sees his eyes open, looking at Susan and heaves out a sob "Adum...." She reaches for his hand and just touches his fingers, not wanting to be in the way of what's being done for him.

Kitty is about to try and calm Megan, but suddenly Megan is gone. Following in bare feet, Kitty stops close to Megan and looks at Adum. She sees Megan reaching for Adums hand and she would swear she saw Adums fingers twitch in response. But ... maybe it was a trick of a hopeful mind. "Where are you taking him? We can be there .... soon." she grasps Megan's shoulders to move her away, already with a good idea how they were going to get to the hospital.

Sam gets crime scene photos with lightening speed and then moves to the copter and gets one of the gurneys out, laying the open body bag on the mattress and pulling it back into the pharmacy. He sees the girl sitting now at the register and he nods to her, holding up a finger to let her know he really WILL be right with her. Alone he gets the body onto the gurney and into the body bag, zipping the guy up and wheels him to the copter.

Josh is almost ready to go when he sees Sam coming back with the body. He helps the officer get the body in the copter then turns to him. "You got the crime scene photos?" Sam nods and he nods as well, clapping him on the shoulder. "First thing, call Sharp. She's next in command after me. Then get the witness statement and then process the crime scene photos. It;s too late to look for the perp. He's probably stolen a private boat by now, but call a few of the cops on B shift and have them examine everyone getting on that ferry ... then let it go, but until I say different every person getting ON that Ferry will be questioned and looked at to see if they match the physicals." he knows exactly who is in charge now ... he is. "I'll call from the hospital, but I have no idea when I will bring the Doc back here." he claps Sam on the shoulder. "Go, son! Take the gurney to the Doc so I can get us moving!"

Susan looks over her shoulder at Megan and swallows. "Mrs Brate." she says, still working on Adum. She glances at Kitty and speaks to them both. "We are taking your husband to Greenwood Park Hospital. After you get there, ask for me and they will page me and I will let you know what is happening, alright?" she sees Sam approaching and nods to Gareth when he locks the wheels. "On my mark. Three, two, One, mark!" and they lift Adum onto the gurney. Susan covers him, checking his IV and she runs for the helicopter, not thinking Gareth, but he knows she will ... when things calm down .. she always does.

In their wake are torn bags and a massive MASSIVE bloodstain.

Megan doesn't fight Kitty, allowing herself to be moved. she knows it's necessary and wants whatever needs to happen to get Adum to the hospital fastest to happen. That's the logical part of her brain. The emotional side is however, the visible aspect. She crumples into Kitty just sobbing loudly like a small child would from a place of absolute agony.

Sam starts making calls the moment the helicopter skids leave the ground. Frank Sharp recovers from the news quickly, putting on a professional shield, one Sam suspected they would all be wearing for some time.

Kitty begins to lead Megan back to her apartment, simply holding her. What words could comfort now? None, so Kitty didn't waste her breath. She took off Megan's socks and, in a fit of OCD, washed her friends feet before helping her with loaned socks. If Megan needs to Kitty will listen to her words as she cleaned Adums blood off of her own feet and got into fresh socks. "OK, Megan. Lets go to your house and get the car. I'll drive you to White Rock and stay with you as long as you need." she grabs her phone and sends a text message.

Susan leans over Adum, fussing with him as little as possible. This was the worse part for her ... there was nothing she can really do but take his vital signs every few minutes and hope for the best. The patient keeps drifting in and out. Adum had seemed the most alert those few moments when Megan was beside him. She smiles. "You don't know how happy I was to hear about you and Megan getting married, Adum." she tells him, even though his eyes are now closed. "Finally happy. And now you have to be strong, Adum. It's not just you anymore." she knows she sounds like a chiding mother, but ... all of her patients were also friends ... or sometimes enemies ... but well known either way.

Gareth looks pointedly out the window as Susan speaks to Adum. He's on standby, checking the IV from time to time and just quietly moving through this to get his friend to wholeness. One leg of his jeans is soaked with Adm's blood from the knee to the ankle and there are patches of it on his button up plaid shirt from his gloved hands. As much as he had joked and flirted with Adum, he really did value his friendship. Now his friend was falling from this place of absolute happiness into god knows what and as much as he'd seen injuries and death in his line of work as a firefighter he could barely watch this.

Megan is aware she's moving with Kitty and lets herself be led, her feet be washed and new socks put on her as if she was a compliant doll. She's in a constant state of soft sobbing. Her makeup is all down her face and her eyes are beyond bloodshot. She's still shaking through the migration back to Kitty's. She knows in that hidden logical part of her brain that Kitty will get her to Adum, as long as he's still there to be reunited with at the end of the journey to him.

Susan falls silent as they fly and is relieved on many levels when the copter lands and they are met by what feels like more people than can even fit in her little clinic. As Adum is wheeled to the door, she updates the trauma team and at long last he words "We got it from here, Doctor." and they wheeled him off. Vaguely, she is aware that someone has taken the other body off someplace too. For her part, she has blood all over her, it seems. Both legs, the sleeves of her blouse to the elbows. And she is left standing one the roof with Gareth and Josh.

Once the bodies are off of the chopper, Josh moves it. Greenwood Park Hospital was centrally located for many far away small communities like Alexandra, so its roof had something akin to a helicopter parking lot. Once the chopper was parked, he gets out and joins the doctor and the EMT, Gareth .. on the roof. "Come on." he urges them, realizing that they are all a mess. "Let's get some coffee or ... something." Coffee is a funny thing, he realizes as he leads the way in the building, grasping at the mundane to keep his mind ordered. Drunk to stay awake and to soothe. "I'm buying."

Kitty sent a couple more text messages and, about two minutes left Megan, who did not really seem to notice her, to toss her keys to Kagiso Jackson, who was down on the street looking grim. She tossed him a set of keys she had liberated from Megans pocket and went back inside to check on her friend. Ten minutes later, a horn honks and Kitty leads Megan downstairs, locking her place up. On the street stood Kagiso, who helped Kitty sit Megan in the car. He then handed Kitty an envelope which contained the brand new marriage certificate. He also handed Kitty cash, which Kitty pocketed blindly without counting, took the keys, hugged Kagiso and got behind the wheel.

The wait at the ferry landing was incredibly frustrating, as it seemed that every cop in Alexandra was floating around. But the ferry captain was allowed to take a single car to the mainland. The silver BMW.

Gareth nods noncommittally and follows Josh and Susan. Coffee might help, or coffee, Jack Daniels and a fucking joint. Gareth's whole body was sore from holding tension as he watched Adum, or tried not to watch him, on that helicopter. He slides his phone up from his back pocket and text Kitty as they walk "He's in."

Megan was moved around by Kitty and Kagiso and was barely aware of each transition. She heard their voices talking at her like they were very far away, calling down a long hallway. It was almost trance like, except with the surface layer being quiet hysterics. At some point she looked up and saw the ferry as the car moved onto it. As soon as it stopped she curled into a ball and closed her eyes, not wanting to move.

Susan moves into the hospital with the men and looks at her hand as she reaches for the elevator button. The sleeve of her blouse bloody. It hit her that she hadn't even taken off her bloody gloves. She sighed. "We can't go around like this." she tells them and, when they get on the elevator, she hits a button for the fifth, or top floor. Getting off the elevator, she leads them to two locker rooms ... one for men and one for women. "Scrubs in there ... and showers." she pointed to the men's door. "We should ... change before we go anywhere." it was mundane thinking, which is what she needed. "Then we can walk around without ... upsetting ... anyone." she blows out a breath and enters the women's room. The moment the door closes, she strips off the gloves and puts them in a bio-hazard container for that very purpose. Then she moves into the room and finds, in clearly marked and organized shelves, scrubs in her size. Setting them on a bench, she strips off her bloody clothing and, naked, steps into the showers, turning the water on full and hot. Only then does she give the doctor a moment to be human. She bursts into tears.

Kitty leans back as the ferry gets underway, glad not to have to be driving for a while. Just before they landed on the mainland, the receives the text from Gareth. She blinks away a tear and swallows hard before she replies to him. "Surgery? We're about to land, then I'll drive straight there." she sends the message and looks over at Megan, who is curled up in a little ball in the passengers seat. Right now, Kitty isn't sure what to say, but doesn't want to keep any information from her best friend. "Gareth just sent me a text." she says, not trying to put any sort of false cheer in her voice. "They're operating on Adum." in the movies, this was where they would say something as if this meant he would be just fine. Kitty did not ... this was not a movie. When the ferry docks, she drives off it and towards White Rock at just enough over the speed limit to be safely ignored by police.

Gareth nods at Susan about the bloody state of their clothes . He mechanically goes into the men's room with Josh and takes all his personal items; phone, keys, wallet and several condoms out of his jeans pockets. He was travelling light since he had only walked down to have dinner by himself. Unabashedly he strips naked and walks nude to bag his clothing and set the bag in a locker. Stepping into the shower he lets the water wash over him but is simply numb. He uses some of the available soap and shampoo, washing on autopilot and then rinses and steps out to dry off and find scrubs.

Megan doesn't unfurl until she sees the long mainland coastline through her peripheral vision as Kitty drives off from the ferry. Mutely she presses the button for the automatic window and lowers it, letting the wind whip at her face and hair. She had heard Kitty say Adum was going in for surgery. She had seen all that blood and wondered if they were taking a bullet out of his brain. Two days ago her biggest concern had been getting a wedding ring over his stubbornly big knuckle. This had become unimaginable.

Kitty drives and says nothing when Megan rolls down the window. It's the first sign of ... anything ... that she's shown since ... it happened. She blows out a breath ... and speeds up to go through a yellow light. Then she goes back to the ignore-able speed. Quickly, she takes her hand off of the steering wheel and reaches to take Megans hand and squeeze. And then back to the steering wheel.

Susan finished her cry and her shower. Utilizing her anger, she shook the water out of her dreadlocks almost violently. She uses a towel to wrap her hair and another to dry her body. Then into scrub pants and shirt and surgical booties. Giving her locs a final, violent rub with the towel she takes it off. Her locs would dry ... in time.

Joshua doesn't watch Gareth, but undresses without any shame himself. He showers in an efficient way and comes out to dry off. Then he finds where the scrubs are and changes ... shirt, pants, booties. He'd stood in Adums blood. Suddenly he growls like a dog and punches one of the lockers, which promptly bends. He takes a deep breath and releases it. "OK ... I'm a little better now." he announces and heads for the door. Outside he and Gareth have to wait almost five minutes for her to come out, looking professional and more at home in their new outfits.

Gareth doesn't say anything to Josh about his locker punching. He's numb now but who knows what's coming when that wears off. He stands quietly with Josh, waiting for Susan. Normally Gareth was a continual stream of friendly banter, when Adum was in range, friendly flirty banter even by Josh's view. At one point he meets the other man's gaze and half smiles and then leans his head back into the wall, closing his eyes. When he opens them, Susan is in view, her locs still dripping a bit.

Megan felt Kitty's hand on her, squeezing and squeezes back. The air was bringing her around. She still would not be very communicative but lucidity and awareness were growing.

Kitty breathes a sigh of relief at the squeeze. She'd take all signs of not being catatonic. At her speed, she knows they are about halfway between the ferry landing and the hospital. Hardly anyone was on the road and she is grateful for it.

Susan sees the men in their scrubs and nods. "Alright ... lets go into the cafeteria." she suggests. "There's a Sigh across the street, but Megan will come here first." she blows out a breath and heads in that direction, not wanting to talk .. not truly talk ... until she had coffee in her hand.

Josh nods. "Good idea. I need to check in, so .. lead the way." he get on his cell phone and, his voice clipped. "Report." he pauses, nodding as they walked. He gives simple orders and gives what little information as he has. Adum is in surgery. Wait and see. In the cafeteria he sits at a table for a good half dozen and says nothing. He watches Susan motion Gareth to the non existent line for food and drink. The nearly sleeping cafeteria workers snap to in anticipation.

Gareth can't imagine eating but orders a coffee and picks out a cinnamon bun from a basket, moving along behind Susan. It was clearly not Perkatory quality but he might pick at it later. The cashier was a gorgeous little Filipino man with a smile that could melt a glacier. Gareth simply nodded at him like it was work to do so, paid and left to sink into a chair beside Josh.

Megan looked back from the window and quietly said "Thank you Kitty. I couldn't do this without you." Her voice was hoarse from all the crying but she spoke in an even tone.

Kitty beats another yellow light. "It's nothing, Megan." she demurs. "You're my best friend. I couldn't do anything less." her eyes are on the road, still legally speeding.

Susan takes two more cinnamon buns and orders two coffees. The hospital had good food, for hospital food. She pulls her wallet out of the front pocket of her scrub shirt and pays, then piled on several creamers and a handful of sugars onto the tray and brings it back to the table with Gareth in tow. Setting a bun and coffee in front of Josh, she speaks to him with some familiar authority. "Eat it, of you'll be in here, too Josh." she sits beside him, which puts him between her and Gareth. Adding one creamer and a single sugar into her coffee, she speaks into it. "What happened?"

Josh had opened his mouth to announce he wasn't hungry when Susan gave him an order. "Yes, ma'am." he says in a somewhat dry but kidding tone. He adds three creamers and half a dozen packets of sugar to his coffee and blows on it. "Someone robbed the pharmacy. My guess one of those guys is Colin Rankin, who was ID'd for the Cedar Point robbery." he blows on his coffee and sips it. It's still too hot but the pain on his tongue revives him. "One of them was watching the door and it was propped open. The shooter was deeper in the pharmacy." he tears a bit off of his cinnamon roll and sighs. "It was standard procedure. Adum pulls his weapon out and commands them to drop their weapons and the shooter tenses. I knew he was going to fire, and thank God Adum did too. They fired at the same time." he pops the piece of pastry into his mouth. "The lookout ran like a scared rabbit. We'll get him. Sam told me that rich ass on the other side of the island reported his speed boat stolen, but we'll catch the fucker." he sips some more of the coffee and sighs yet again.

Gareth picks at his cinnamon bun and listens to Susan and Josh. He had literally happened upon the scene and knew less than Susan. Afterwards he pushed the bun away and said "Well at least he got the bastard that shot him, whatever his name is."

Megan nods at Kitty "You're mine too. How far away are we now?" She looks present but anxious. She likely won't see Adum for hours but she'll settle for in the same building. 

Kitty blew yet another yellow light. "Maybe half an hour, at this speed." she suggests. "The upside to it being a holiday." and she sighed. She'd had no plans, but it was still a shitty holiday.

Susan listened and nodded. "Yes ... whoever he is." she leans back a bit, letting her locs drip a bit onto the floor and simply not caring. She picks at her bun and swallows a little coffee, then looks at Gareth. "I know its not easy, but if you haven't eaten today ... you should at least eat that. I have enough patients, thank you very much, Gareth." she chides him kindly. Of course, it would be hard to stomach anything after their afternoon, but if she can do it, he can do it. All three of them were emergency responders and had, truth be told, seen worse. The difference being the worse had been strangers and Adum was a long time friend to all of them.

Josh ate a bit more of his cinnamon roll and lets his hand hover over it. "Someone downstairs will go through the clothes and see if he had any ID, but when the mask came off, he fit the description of Colin Rankin ... which reminds me ..." he pulls his phone out of his pocket and scrolls through the numbers trying to reach Nick Callahan. He needed to know ... all of this. Adum used to be one of his cops, after all.

Meanwhile in Cedar Point, Police Chief Nick Callahan is about to sneak off early when Angie blocks him at the side door with a grave expression "Line 3....Nick, you need to take this one." Her dropping protocol and calling him by his first name indicates it's personal. Nick looks worried and steps back in, shutting the door.

"Callahan here?"

Josh went through a woman at the Cedar Point police department and told her only that it was urgent, but given his day, his upset remains in his voice. "Chief Callahan, this is Lieutenant Joshua Green, of the Alexandra Police Department." he pauses to let that much settle in. "I'm afraid I have mixed news." he inhales and looks at Susan, using his thumb to turn on the speaker, so she can hear. It's not like anyone is in the cafeteria. "The Alexandra Pharmacy was robbed earlier today. One of the suspects got away but not before ..." he swallows before continuing. "Not before the other suspect, who we have identified by your eyewitness descriptions as Colin Rankin, exchanged fire with Chief Brate." he pauses again and just wants to get the news out. There IS no good way to deliver news like this. "Chief Brate killed Rankin, but not before Rankin shot the Chief in the head." the suggestion that they fired at the same time is pretty clear.

There is a long pause. Nick pulls the phone from his face and holds it against his chest, closing his eyes. Then he catches his breath and begs the obvious question "Is he...Did Adum survive?"

Josh nods and shrugs. "He is in surgery now, sir." he tells him. "And his wife is on her way. I can keep you informed."

Nick exhaled audibly enough to be heard into the receiver. He knew it didn't mean Adum was in the clear, just that he was still alive. "Thank you Lieutenant Green. There are some folks here, myself included, who will want to know how he's doing."

Josh nodded. "I thought that might be the case, Chief." he replied. "On a couple of levels. I know Adum was one of your cops ... and Rankin is wanted by you." he paused. "We're going to be a bit busy, but I also know Adum's best friend works for you. If you'd pass the news on, as I give it to you?" the request would free him up by giving him a central, high ranking Cedar Point contact.

Nick glanced in the direction of the main office "Yeah, I'll tell Ryan...course I will. Thanks again Green, and watch over him for us."

Josh nods. "Yes, sir, I absolutely will." he swallows audibly. "He's my Chief." he pauses. "I will get a picture of the body for a positive identification as soon as possible. Thank you, sir. Goodbye." and the conversation is over. He looks at Susan. "Is there someone you can text or call to get a picture to me?" he asks.

Gareth sighs "God that's right...Cedar Point. They'll be a mess over this too."

Megan looks eagerly out the window now, getting edgier and edgier again. This might be a bit of an unpredictable dance with her. "Kitty are we there yet?"

Kitty looks along the streets, still driving way too fast, but much of the city seems deserted. "Almost, Megan. Almost." she tries to learn the lights so she can make as many as possible.

Susan nods. "Hold on ..." she sends a text message and holds the phone in her hand a moment .. then sends another. "They're sending it to you, Josh ... You can send it to the Cedar Point police chief."

Josh is about to reply when his phone announces an incoming message. He looks at it. "Bless you, Susan and thank your friends in Pathology for us all." he looks at the picture a moment. It is only from the shoulders up, not showing the gunshot wound to his chest, but it is the man who shot Adum. The only question is, he asks himself as he forwards it to Callahan, is is it Colin Rankin.

Gareth glances at the man in the picture slightly over Josh's shoulder and frowns, even dead, he evoked a boiling in the gut. With a forced bravado, he glances up at Susan "Well at least some closure can happen if he's a match."

Megan watches Kitty drive and just nods before closing her eyes and turning back to the window, the wind whipping at her again.

Kitty believes she has figured it out and a slow smile spreads across her face as she makes several green lights. Blowing out a satisfied breath, looking in her rear view mirror for flashing lights, she pulls into the hospital's parking lot, parking as close to the emergency room as she can. "Come on. Let's find Dr. McKinney."

Susan nods, looking at her own copy of the picture. "I hope so." she murmurs. "And as much as I love Adum ... my work in Chicago taught me ... everyone has a family to mourn them ... even when they do the unthinkable." and she sighs deeply.

Josh nods and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I can't think like that right now. I know it's true, Susan .. but you know ... it's hard to see both sides of the coin simultaneously. That's not in me." he tenses his jaw.

Megan steps out of the car when it stops and is about to take a step when her phone rings. Her ring tone is The Elle King song "Good Girls" from the new Ghostbusters movie. It does not fit the mood of the day at all. Megan answers after seeing it's her sister calling "Tams..." she bursts into tears at the sound of Tamela's voice "No...we don't know anything. I just got here......no Kitty drove......Thank you....I know... I'll call you when I have more to tell....can you tell Dad?" she sniffs and sobs quietly again "I have to go...I love you too Tams." After she clicks off she looks up at Kitty with wide eyes "I need to call Adam's dad.....oh god...I don't even know the number yet......he's in fucking England. Kitty, I don't know how to do this...."She breaks down again looking like she's trying to fight it so they can go in.

Gareth reaches out a hand tentatively to Josh and will squeeze the other man's shoulder if it seems well received. At the same time he looks at Susan "I know you're right Susan. It's just shitty."

Kitty hears Megans half of the conversation and pulls Megan into a hug when she seems overwhelmed. "Don't worry about that. You just concentrate on Adum. I'll call his Dad, if you want. And anyone else you need me to call or whatever. Just ... you concentrate on Adum. I'll concentrate on everything else, okay?" she will take Megans hand and squeeze, then head into the hospital, stepping right up to the emergency desk and speaking in a confident voice. "We're looking for Dr McKinney, please?" the receptionist picks up a phone when a woman steps up to them with a bundle in her hands. "Oh, perfect! I was just going to see her." the woman replies, looking very friendly. "I'm Aine Stone. I'm Dr McKinney's assistant slash nurse here. If you'll follow me, we'll go to her office and I'll send for them." she motions them towards the elevator, pulling out a phone and sending a text.

Susan nods. "Happy Thanksgiving." she sighs deeply and then her phone vibrates and she looks at it. "Great. My nurse is here." she stands, abandoning the coffee and roll. "And she's taking Megan and Kitty up to my office. Come on." and she heads towards the elevator.

Josh looks at Gareth a little startled, but doesn't have a negative reaction to the touch. He snorts a derisive laugh at Susan's holiday greeting and stands without a word to follow her up to her office.

Gareth only squeezes Josh's shoulder briefly. He's a demonstrative person himself but gets the sense Green is not so much. When Susan says "Happy thanksgiving" he laughs sardonically "Oh god....no.....just another one of my breakfast holidays...."He was about to say more when Susan said they were meeting Megan and Kitty. He looks serious again and follows.

Megan hugs Kitty back and takes deep cleansing breaths "Thank you." She takes her hand and squeezes back and is put at ease by Aine's manner. She walks after her and tries valiantly to keep it together. What she needs more than anything now is information about Adum.

Kitty is also relieved by Aine's personality. She follows the woman into the elevator, up to the top floor and she leads Megan down to a door which seems unmarked.

Aine stops at the door and the first thing she does is slide a placard into the slot around eye level which says Dr Susan McKinney. Then she unlocks the door, adjusting the bulky bundle under her arm. Inside is a nice office, but it doesn't seem to belong to anyone in particular. "They have a couple of empty offices that they use for visiting physicians, like Dr McKinney, to use when they're here." she motions to a couch, love seat and comfortable looking chair. "Have a seat. She'll be up her in a second." she puts the bundle on the desk and its several things. She sets them out, including a doctors lab coat and tablet computer. Just then the door opens and Susan walks in, Aine smiles at her. "Hello Doctor. I have your backup tablet, in case you didn't bring yours. I've already opened Mr Brates file for you. I'll get the coffee on, since no one is here today and then I will get on the phone and see how things are going in surgery." she nods to everyone AS she flies out of the door like a pleasant spring breeze.

Susan walks in and nods as Aine speaks and leaves. "She is a lifesaver, but too hyper to work in Alexandra with me. Working here she can do her nursing duties and becomes my nurse assistant when I am visiting patients in the hospital. She picks up the tablet and sits in the chair. "How are you holding up, Megan?" she asks, her voice full of sympathy and understanding.

Josh walks in and stands beside the door, as if planning to be a sentry.

Gareth takes a page from Josh's book and assumes the same approach. He gives Kitty a loving look and Megan a sympathetic one. It dawns on him that greeting Kitty with affection right now would be salt in the wound for Megan's anguish.

Megan squints at the question and then wipes at her eyes as more tears escape them and just manages to whisper "I don't know how to answer that."

Kitty tries to give Gareth a loving look back, and does manage a small smile, then sits at her friends side, close but not touching. SHe is still in a bit of a protective mode, but says nothing.

Susan nods. "That's about the right answer, considering." she leans forward. "I know you want nothing more than news. I'll tell you what little I know." she pauses and takes in a deep breath. "Adum was shot in the left side of his head." she reports. "I didn't see an exit wound, so the bullet is still in there, and that's what the are doing in surgery right now. Now, I wish I could tell you how long that would take, but the bullet could literally be anywhere in his head. But I CAN tell you." she adds, confidently. "That Adum is young, strong and healthy. On the way in, he faded in and out of consciousness, although he did not speak. But I have confidence that he will survive the surgery." she doesn't go any further than that. Not with a gunshot wound to the head.

Josh remains by the door at what can be called military at ease, but he is listening, even if it looks like he isn't.

Megan sniffs and nods, thinking about this and then looks Susan in the eyes "Thank you."

Gareth looks pained as he listens to Megan, trying not to look at her too often as he does so.

Kitty remains still beside her friend and listens, in her own way calming herself in case she is needed.

Susan offers half a smile. "I havent heard anything out of the surgury, which is a good thing." she tightens her jaw a moment. "I don't know if you were aware that Adum has stated that he doesn't want any heroic efforts to be made to save his life." she holds up her hand to stem anything. "That means I can do everything in my power to save him, but he does not want to be in a vegetative state with no end in sight. I'm not telling you this because I think it will come up, but you need to know. This is not currently a situation where I have to think of it, although Adum may be comatose for a while after such a traumatic head injury. You, as his wife, deserve to have the facts laid before you, Megan."

Josh listens and nods to himself. He has similar requests in his file in Susan's office.

Megan looks down again and then quietly agrees "I wouldn't want that for him either. I understand." She's stopped crying and is simply serious. She and Adum got married so fast, they never even had time for these conversations.

Gareth nods, his plan of this type, also well laid out.

Kitty nods as she sees Megan start to calm a bit more, wondering if the doctor taking plain with her is helping.

Susan nods. "I know. I'm the same." she opens her mouth to say more when her phone beeps. Holding up a finger, she stands. "This might be about Adum." and she heads out of the door, saying only "Dr. McKinney." before the door begins to close behind her.

Aine catches the door and slips in, moving over to the couch. Her red hair is now in a bun and she is looking at Megan, encouragingly.

Josh watches the doctor leave and the nurse return and bites the corner of his mouth.

Gareth 's eyes follow Susan's movements and he looks apprehensive as well.

Megan's mouth drops open at the possibility of news and she misses a few breaths waiting for news, just staring at the door.

Kitty realizes the doctor has left something of a vacuum in her wake. In an attempt to fill it, she speaks. "Have you ever visited Alexandra, Aine?" she motions to the men. "These are Gareth and Lieutenant Green." she introduces them all, since that just hadn't happened yet.

Aine shakes her head. "Dr McKinney talks about it all the time, of course. I really should go .. it seems so nice. But I always see parts of it that wind up here." she shrugs.

Josh looks uncomfortable in the social turn of the tide. He had, of course, worked with Gareth before, but always in a professional setting. His own Chief ... Hank Stanley ... lived on the same houseboat with him ... two older divorcees. Hank was a bit more social than Josh was, but they had been friends a long time. Now, he simply nods at the young nurse ... who can't even be 30 years old yet.

Gareth gives Kitty a twinkley eyed grin. She was always trying to make everyone comfortable even in life's worst moments. He gave Aine a little wave as he leaned against the wall "Good to meet you Aine."

Megan appreciated Kitty's efforts but was not at all up for any social graces so she just kept quiet and watched the door.

Kitty stays close to Megan and listens, hoping it won't be long.

Aine nods and grins a little back. "And you." she opens her mouth to say a bit more when Dr McKinney opens the door and returns.

Susan walks back in, pocketing her phone in her lab coat pocket and moves back to her chair, looking at Megan with a smile. "Adum is out of surgery and in the Intensive Care ward." she announces. "He's in serious, but stable condition."

Josh closes his eyes as the doctor speaks and then opens them, fishing out his phone and texting Chief Callahan, who he knows will text anyone who needs to know.

Gareth's smile fades and he just listens intensely with a somber look on his face. It was good news, sort of.

Megan looked like she was fighting to keep her breathing even and looked pleadingly at Susan "Can I...see him?"

Kitty looks at her friend, wondering if she will go as well ... of course she will ... if she's allowed.

Aine simply stands watching, quiet.

Susan is able to answer immediately. "If you want to." she agrees. "But he is unconscious and I can guarantee you, he doesn't look too good." she pauses. "His head is bandaged, but it was also shaved, so when the bandages come off, don't be surprised." she glances at her nurse. "ICU rules are strict, as well. Two visitors for ten minutes every hour. And visiting hours are eight a.m until eight p.m every day hospital wide. But once he is moved to a regular room, you'll be able to stay the whole twelve hours, if you want to."

Josh nods from the door. "Tell him we're all rooting for him, Megan. And no one from the shop will visit until he's out of the ICU." he won't allow them to take a possible slot from her. It just doesn't seem right.

Gareth nods along with Josh "Give him all our best."

Megan looks resolute "In sickness and in health. I made a vow and he'd be by my side if it was reversed. I just need to be near him. i know it's bad....but just to know he's breathing and in the world..." she breaks off in a quiet sob.

Kitty nods, a small smile in her lips.

Aine smiles outright and nods.

Susan nods. "No doubt." she stands. "I do not count as a visitor, so why don't we go now. Would you like Kitty to come with you?" she looks between them.

Josh nods. "I'm going to stop in the basement for a bit, then head back." he looks at Gareth. "You need a ride, kid?" his tone is almost friendly.


Megan looks between Susan and Kitty and nods vigorously "Yes please."

Gareth smiles at Josh "Yeah that would be alright. Chief's in good hands." He gives Kitty another loving look but doesn't approach her. This is about Megan and he wants Kitty to be able to do all she needs and wants to do to support her friend "You ladies call if you need anything. We'll come right back."


Kitty nods and looks ready to go. "Let's go."

Susan smiles and stands. "We'll head down there now."

Josh nods at the room, then turns, holding the door open for the women. "Come on, Kid." he tells Gareth. His plan is to go down tot he basement ... to talk to the coroner.


Gareth follows Josh after saying goodbye. His casual stride and expression pause when Josh seems to be taking a different way out than they came in. He follows more tentatively but considers that the older man may know a short cut.

Megan walks after Susan with an uncertain feeling. Yes she wants to be with Adum, but she fears this unknown right now.

Josh takes a center elevator down to the basement and they come out directly into a room lines with steel doors ... the morgue. An older man at the desk looks up. "Green! I thought I heard your back behind that text." he stands up and looks at his tablet, then to Gareth. "Civvie?" he looks concerned.

Susan leads them in another elevator to the third floor and through the doors of the ICU. The walls are all clear with a center nurses station. Many of the nurses watch as Dr McKinney walks to ICU-4 and slides a glass door to the side.

Adum lays there attached to all kinds of machinery. Many monitors beep, but steadily, almost slowly.

Kitty walks in and looks at Adum. She feels a lump in her throat and pauses, staring for a bit.

Gareth looks a little confused by where they ended up but replies a little distractedly "First Responder, Alexandra Fire Department. I'm Gareth Dunham." He gives Josh a questioning look.

Megan stops in her tracks looking at Adum in alarm. She thought she was prepared but she really wasn't. She walks closer to him like she's moving through a dream, a nightmare more like and looks for a way to gently hold one of his hands among all the apparatus. She looks back at Susan with a scared expression "Am I allowed.. Can I touch him?"

Josh nods as Gareth introduces himself. "Sam Fujisawa." the older man returns the favor. "I'm the medical examiner. Pretty much the only one that handles cases coming off of Alexandra." he doesn't offer a hand to shake, knowing in advance that when in this chamber, it isn't always welcome. He glances at his tablet. "I'll send you a copy, but ..." he shrugs. "The victim .. did you get an ID Lieutenant?"

Checking his phone, Josh nods. "Yea. Positively identified as Colin Rankin."

Dr Fujisawa nods and types on the tablet. "Mr Rankin is a very simple case. A single gunshot to the heart." he glances up. "How's the Chief?" he asks as if he knows Adum.

"He just got out of surgery." Josh replies. "He's in a coma but stable." he nods. "I just wanted to make sure of the report before I got back. The shoot was clean, no question."

Dr Fujisawa nods and smiles. "Of course. This is the only other body I've had this year out of Alexandra." he shrugs again. "Maybe nothing the rest of the month, eh?"

Josh snorts. "Let's hope so, Sam." he nods and lifts a hand. "Come on, let's go home." he turns back towards the elevator and calls it.

Susan watches Megan watching her husband. "Sure. Hold his hand. Even kiss him. We don't know a lot about coma. Maybe he can feel you or even hear you, even if he forgets. At least I like to think that." she tells her.

Kitty looks at Adum, silently. The bandages hide hair that she realizes isn't there anymore, and she sighs slightly. But he isn't alone ... which is important.

Megan nods slowly and steps right beside him, taking hi fingers in her own, being careful not to shift him too much for the IV. She leans over and kisses his cheek lightly, his mouth being obscured by the mask. He smells medical. She looks up at the bandages and where his hair would have been. Her hands were in it just hours ago, his mouth on hers, their bodies joined in the most beautiful ecstasy she'd ever felt. Now they were here...She feels the urge to say something, thinking her voice might reach him and she begins in a soft sad tone "Adum Brate, you need to get through this. Do you hear me? We have stuff to do together, lots of it, and we're just getting started. I've loved you for half my life and now I get to spend it with you. Please come back to me. I'm serious about the babies. I want them, I want them with you. But you're going to have to wake up for that because it takes two. And I need to...." she starts getting weepy again "call your Dad...and I need to tell him it's all going to be OK....because I have to believe that too. I love you Adum. I hope you can hear me."

Susan concentrates on her tablet, appearing not to listen ...but she is and she swallows hard.

Kitty listens and covers her mouth with her hand, to contain a sob. They really were such a beautiful couple and Megans words were just ... so touching. She can almost hear the clock ticking on their allotted ten minutes and tells herself she will make sure Megan can be here for every visit possible.

Gareth respectfully says farewell to the coroner and follows Josh to the elevator "There's a lot of procedure here I didn't know about. Is that part of it going how you'd prefer? I mean I know the situation is nothing any of us ever wanted..."

Josh gets in the elevator when it comes and, after the doors close and the elevator begins to ascend, he nods. "I want to make quadruple sure this goes well. Should Rankins family tries to say he was gunned down unarmed or some other crap ... Adum's getting one in the head won't stop that nonsense. The gun is in a bag and someone from the White Rock PD will run prints on it instead of us, to avoid tampering." he snorts as the elevator opens directly onto the roof. "I don't know whats harder ... police work, or fire work. Hank and I have debates on it all the time."


Gareth chuckles "Well I'm no expert on all the higher up stuff so you two duke that out. I got into it to help people. So far I've never made a call that's come back on the station in terms of legalities but I guess that could be any of us. "

Josh moves to the helicopter and nods for him to get in. Once in Josh does the pre-flight stuff and grins. "If this was a big city, who knows. Alexandra ... as strange as it is ... it's still pretty ... homelike. The people appreciate the fire department, at least." he chuckles as the copter takes off. "Even if you don't rescue cats from trees anymore."