"Two months. We were only together two months, but in that short amount of time she turned my life upside down. Amazing isn't it?" Ashley continued to whisper, as if whispering kept it hidden.

Slowly she drifted into a dream, a quiet, calm place that she hadn't been to in a long, long time.

Tyler's heart ached for Ashley, for the torment she had to endure at the hands of someone who loved her. She didn't know how Ashley felt. She'd never had to go through something so traumatic and wondered how Ashley had kept it so well hidden from everyone.

Ashley had fallen asleep on Tyler's shoulder, snuggling close as she drifted off. Tyler tried to move backwards on her bed, giving room between her and Ashley, but each time, Ashley moved herself closer to Tyler. Now, she was practically leaning on Tyler's body, her red hair cascading down Tyler's chest. Reaching up, she fingered the soft locks of hair, bringing one up to her face and brushing her check with it. Luckily for Tyler, Ashley had pajamas on. Otherwise the open back of the hospital gown would put Ashley's shapely rear in her groin. Still, the contact was intimate and was starting to have an effect on Tyler. She had thought Ashley was beautiful the first time she saw her at the bar, now here she was practically laying right on top of her. She was being tested, she knew it.

It was clear guilt had placed itself firmly in Ashley's grasp and now she had to carry around the extra baggage of the shooting. Lucky for Tyler, Kelly had given her a heads up on the ex-girlfriend being the shooter. It had given Tyler time to process the shooting and the connection between Leslie and Ashley. Otherwise, she wasn't sure what her reaction would have been when Ashley told her about Leslie. Oh, she was sure she wouldn't hold it against Ashley, but the thought that it could have been prevented would have nagged at Tyler. Kelly had made it clear that she thought something was wrong with their relationship, but Tyler was sure she didn't know the half of it. Kelly would have to find out from Ashley herself. She wasn't about to repeat what had clearly been a difficult situation for Ashley.

Without a doubt, Leslie had issues, but Tyler couldn't connect the dots that it took to hurt another person. Life was valuable and yet it was so easily taken away. If being in a war zone hadn't taught her that, losing Jill had. The more she thought about what Leslie had done, the madder she got. Holding Ashley a little tighter, she let herself enjoy the feel of Ashley's body against her own.

Chapter Twenty-four.

Tyler woke up to find herself alone in her bed. Sometime during the night Ashley had gotten up and left, leaving Tyler with an emptiness she couldn't explain. It had been a long time since she had spent the night with a woman. Even if it was in a hospital room, Tyler liked the feel of Ashley lying against her. She blushed at the memory of Ashley's a.s.s planted firmly in her groin. She had resisted running her hand down Ashley's arm or responding when Ashley moaned in her sleep. At one point in the night, Tyler was so stimulated by the contact she thought she might combust, leaving only a wet spot behind.

"Hey, where's Sparky," a young man's voice boomed through her room. "There you are." J.J. and Mike came into the room in their typical loud and obnoxious way.

"Shh, you're in a hospital for G.o.d's sake," Tyler said, shushing the guys.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Mike said, sitting on the corner of Tyler's bed. Mike looked none the worse for wear from his experiences at the scene of the shooting. In fact, he couldn't have looked better to Tyler. She worried he would get caught in the line of fire, but seeing him now gave Tyler some peace.

"Hey, how are you doing Mike? No nicks, no sc.r.a.pes, no burns?' Tyler asked jokingly.

"Naw, it's all good, Sparky. You're the one that took all the shrapnel. How's the neck and the leg?" Mike inquired, nodding his head in the direction of her a.s.s. "Heard you took one in the a.s.s. Man that's gotta be painful. Oh wait, you're already a pain in the a.s.s, so you know what that feels like," Mike said, high-fiving J.J. "Awe, you know I'm kidding, right?"

Tyler smiled at the young gun. His time was coming and he knew that as soon as she went back on shift he was fresh meat. Time was her friend, and he would have forgotten his little dig at her by the time she got back, but she wouldn't.

"It's fine. You know the saying, 'you can't keep a good woman down'," Tyler said, wiggling her eyebrows at the guys. "So how's work?"

"Awe, you know, same ol', same ol'. I think the captain's still p.i.s.sed at the stunt you pulled. But other than that, nothing new."

"You guys miss me, don't ya?" Tyler knew she would be the talk of the department. Her practical jokes and escapades were legendary, according to J.J. But now they had the shooting to talk about.

"Seriously, Tyler, you okay?" J.J. grabbed her shoulder and squeezed.

They both came on the department at the same time and had been tight friends ever since. Tyler smiled up at her friend and patted his hand, nodding. His concern for her touched her and she couldn't give voice to her thoughts without the possibility of crying, just a little.

"So, did you hear the news about the cop that got shot? Her girlfriend's the one that shot you guys, I mean gals." Mike quickly corrected his mistake. "So, I guess this means she bats for your team. d.a.m.n, why are all the cute ones lesbians?" He asked rhetorically.

"Really? Well aren't you glad I didn't take you up on that stupid bet at the restaurant?" Tyler smiled. How lucky could she be to have a cute one batting for her team?

"So, Sparky, when are you getting out of this palace?" Mike raised his hands and turned looking around. "I mean, you get all the breaks. Hot nurses waiting on you hand and foot, your meals being catered, and to top it all off you get to sleep all day. What more could a firefighter ask for?"

"Well, the pain in my a.s.s keeps me from sleeping on my back and you see that walker over there. I need that just to walk the ten feet to the bathroom. Oh, and I have all these lines and that contraption to pull along with me when I take a pee." Tyler smirked at her buddies. "But the scenery is nice. I got to admit that."

As if on cue, a cute, young nurse pulled the privacy curtain back and smiled. "Morning, Ms. Jackson," she said, making Tyler feel old. "I need to take your vitals." Looking at the men in attendance, "If you gentlemen don't mind?"

"No, please don't let us stop you from doing your job, Nurse..."

"Wakefield." She smiled, clearly not influenced by the firefighter's uniforms.

"Nurse Wakefield, please don't let us stop you from doing what you need to." Mike smiled at Tyler then bit his knuckle.

Tyler raised an eyebrow at the antics and then gave them both a dirty look. She hated when the guys acted like overgrown adolescents and right now they were worse. As the nurse went about her duties, the guys kept checking the nurse out. Their gaze worked from the top of her cute little brunette head all the way down to the sensible shoes. Why didn't nurses have to wear dresses anymore, thought Tyler, as she extend her arm for the blood pressure cuff. The scrubs were cute with little thermometers and nurse's hats on them, but it left little to the imagination. There was something to be said for a white dress and stocking and those cute little high heels they wore. Oh wait, that was the nurse's outfit from a recent Halloween party, Tyler remembered. Oh well, one can dream.

"So Ms. Wakefield, are you single?" Mike asked, puffing his chest out and trying to look buff.

"No," she said, peering at his name tag.

"Oh, you can call me Mike."

"No, Mike, I'm not, but thanks for asking." Turning to leave she looked at Tyler and continued, "I'll be back, Tyler, to take that IV out and those leads off." Winking, she smiled and left.

Tyler smiled back, then looked at her buddies and smirked. "Guess she bats for my team, too."

"f.u.c.k, no way," Mike said, shaking his head.

Tyler shrugged her shoulders and smiled again at the frustrated paramedic.

"So I guess that means you'll be getting out of here soon, Stud." J.J. clapped her back. "And back to the grindstone, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess it'll be desk duty for me until they clear me to come back."

Desk duty was the kiss of death to an active firefighter. There was nothing more boring than answering phones and doing the mountains of paperwork that got left behind. Whoever was on desk duty did all the school tours, cleaned around the station and often times did the lunch detail. Unfortunately, cooking wasn't her forte so she hoped it was the one thing she could skip. Every time the alarm sounded her blood pounded, adrenaline pulsed through her and she amped up. How would she cope with that when she sat behind the desk? Oh life was going to be miserable while she was on desk duty.

"Well," J.J. cupped his hand and lowered his head to her ear. "I heard the captain say he thought they might put you on suspension for what happened."

"What?" Tyler looked at J.J. surprised. "The chief didn't say anything to me when he visited."

Shrugging his shoulders J.J. said, "All I know is he's p.i.s.sed you went against orders."

"What orders? He never gave me any orders! That's bulls.h.i.t." Tyler's face flamed when she got angry.

How could the little weasel do this to me? She had never gotten along well with her captain, but she was a d.a.m.n good firefighter and he had no right to request she be put on suspension. She would get to the bottom of this when she talked to her dad later. She would quit before she got suspended, that was all there was to it. p.i.s.s on that little rat b.a.s.t.a.r.d, she hated him anyway. Maybe she would ask to rotate to a different station instead. There was no way she was going to let him win, no way.

"Well, we gotta go, Sparky. I'll come by later and we can chit chat about that officer of yours."

"She's not my officer, J.J., so don't be starting any rumors."

"Too late," Mike said, slapping her back as he walked by. "That's the talk back at the station. Well, that and the fact that her lover shot you both. Man, you just can't make this stuff up. Can you?"

"No gossiping, you guys. Jeez you're as bad as some women I know. G.o.d!"

Tyler waved at the men as they left with a promise to kick their b.u.t.ts if they talked about the shooting at the station. She heard them laughing all the way down the hall, then nothing. Laying her head back on her bed, she wondered what else everyone was saying at the station. Then she remembered what J.J. told her, she was facing suspension if the captain had his way. Well that wasn't going to happen if she had anything to say about it. Picking up the phone, she pressed the b.u.t.ton for an outside line and dialed the phone.

"Hey, Dad, got a minute?"

Chapter Twenty-five.

There you go, all done," Nurse Wakefield said, pulling off her gloves and disposing them and the bandages into the trash. "I've gotten as much of that adhesive off as I could, Tyler. There are just a few spots left. But if I rub the areas any more, you'll be raw there. So maybe when you take your shower you can see if soap and the washrag will do a better job."

Tyler looked down at the red spots on her chest and arms. Not pretty, but better than the alternative. Pulling her top closed, she smiled at the pretty nurse. She was going to miss the extra attention she got from the nursing staff when she left, so she enjoyed it while it lasted.

"Oh, I brought you a cane. The doctor thought, since you've been up and around, the cane might make walking easier now that you don't have to pull the IV stand around."

"Did he say when I was being released by any chance?"

"Well ..." Nurse Wakefield fidgeted with a piece of tape on her scrubs. "He said he wanted to wait to see how you do without the drains, so a day or two. But let's wait and see what he says, okay?" She smiled at Tyler, grabbing the rest of her supplies and turning to leave. "I'll be back to check on you. Do you need help with your shower?" she asked, smiling again.

"No, I think I got this, but thanks," Tyler said, smiling back. I am a lucky woman.

"Just buzz me if you need me."

A shower sounded good. Now with no leads, IV or a bulky stand to pull behind her, she felt like a prisoner who had just been released. The bulky dressings on her neck and leg had been exchanged for non-stick three by four bandages. Stretching, she flinched when she felt the tug on her leg and b.u.t.t. Pulling herself up, she slid down to the floor, her feet jerking at the cold tiles. She had tossed the pink booties the hospital had given her because they made her feet sweat. Now, she looked around the room for them, sure she was going to need them after her shower.

"Screw it. I'm tough," Tyler said, grabbing the cane Nurse Wakefield had brought in. Putting her weight on her good foot, she tested out the cane as she moved forward. She realized that there was no way she could put all her weight on her right leg as she felt the stabbing pain arc through her upper thigh. Just how much digging did they have to do in there to get the bullet fragments? She wondered. A slow walk around the room and Tyler had tackled the cane successfully. Dragging the walker around had been more of a pain than the pain in her a.s.s and her aching shoulders were the testament. Walking to the closet, she noticed her street clothes folded next to her clean pajamas. What I wouldn't give to be putting those on right now and getting the heck out of Dodge. Grabbing her robe and clean pajamas, she let the thought linger for a moment more before she headed to the shower.

The steam billowed from the shower head as she sat on the bench naked. She wondered why her father hadn't said anything about the possible suspension. Surely, he would have told her something if he was considering it. Taking a deep breath, she let the moisture coat her lungs and relax her. She had asked the nurse to put a plastic cover over her neck bandage to protect the wound, but she was still tentative as she ducked under the shower head. The warm spray felt good, no great, as it pelted her body. She'd only had sponge baths the whole time she was in the hospital so the shower was a welcome change. Not that the nurses giving her the sponge baths weren't nice, but she liked to see to her own personal hygiene. Looking down at the cane, she wondered if the darn thing would rust since she hadn't thought anything about bringing it in the shower with her. No matter, she wouldn't be using it long enough anyway. She would talk to the doctor about physical therapy, so maybe she wouldn't need it. It was only a muscle tear and a chipped bone. Those wouldn't need much she was sure.

A knock at the door startled Tyler as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair.

"Are you okay in there, Tyler?" Nurse Wakefield inquired through the door.

"Yes, I'm fine thanks," Tyler said, smiling. She was almost certain she heard a soft giggle on the other side.

"Well, you've been in there a long time so we thought something might have happened."

"No, I'm fine. I'm just enjoying my first shower in days, that's all." Tyler smiled.

"Okay, well you let me know if you need anything. There's a b.u.t.ton on the wall in there if you need immediate help."

"Thank you, Nurse Wakefield."

Had she been daydreaming that long? Time had slipped right through her fingers as she thought about the suspension and work and she hadn't even thought about Ashley yet. She let the water cascade down her body for a few more minutes before she turned the shower off. Her dad was coming that afternoon and she wanted to be ready for his answer when she questioned him about the suspension. Was quitting an option if she didn't like his answer? Surely, he would understand why she had to rescue Ashley. What would he have done? That's what she would have to ask him. Put him in the situation of rescuer and see what he would do.

"Good Morning, Officer Henderson," a voice said breaking into Ashley's drowsy mind.

Swallowing, Ashley licked her lips and tried to smile, but she had a rough night and just wanted to rest. It wasn't that she couldn't sleep last night, it was the fact that she was laying on Tyler's warm body. Ashley's own body vibrated from just remembering how inviting Tyler felt. She nearly came undone when Tyler wrapped her arm around her waist and buried her nose in Ashley's hair. Tyler's arm under her head had exposed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s to Ashley's back. She thought she could feel Tyler's nipples when she adjusted her position. Embarra.s.sed, Ashley tried not to move again.

If there is a G.o.d, she is torturing me, Ashley thought trying not to move. Her shoulder ached and her ribs were killing her. When would the pain ease? Moving was a b.i.t.c.h, still, and she was almost a week post op. Eventually, she knew she would lose the pain pump, but hopefully not before she could deal with the pain on her own terms. Making an effort to ease up on the medications had left her cranky, but it was doable. While hospitality had hospital as its base, this was not a place where people enjoyed the surroundings and could relax. She yearned for her own bed, her own house, and she missed her dog. Oh s.h.i.t! She hadn't thought about Mongrel since she arrived. Her mom had a key, but had she thought to go by and check on her dog? It wasn't like her mom was a dog person but, hopefully, she remembered that Ashley had one and he needed attention. Her panic was almost palpable as she tried to think about who she needed to call. Grabbing her cell phone from the bedside table, she flipped it open.

"Oops, I'm sorry, you're not allowed to use that in here," said a voice from across the room.

Ashley had forgotten about the nurse who woke her earlier. The nurse had been busy taking notes on her chart and Ashley hadn't even noticed her until now.

"On the arm of your bed is a landline. Just hit nine for a line out and then dial the number."

"Thanks."

Ashley bit her lip. For the life of her she couldn't remember her mom's phone number. She hadn't actually dialed it from memory in...years, maybe. Think, think, think, Ashley, she said to herself holding the handset in her hand. In fact, she couldn't remember anyone's number, not Kelly's, not work's, not anyone's. Now she started to really panic. What was she going to do? How would she make sure Mongrel was taken care of? She needed to get out of the hospital now, or she was going home to a desperate dog at best. At worst, she didn't want to think about the worst case scenario. Ashley groaned at the effort it was taking to right herself on the bed.

"Here, let me help you, Officer Henderson."

Ashley reached out and grabbed the nurse's arm, hoisting herself upright. Once again her head spun. She needed to spend more time sitting up or get used to the ride her head took every time she stood. Steadying herself, she walked to the closet and grabbed her clothes.

"What're you doing, Officer?"

"I need to get home. My dog is home alone and I don't think anyone has been home to check on him."

"Officer Henderson, I can't let you just walk out of the hospital. Why don't you call your mother and see if she can check on your puppy?"

"I would but," Ashley blushed with embarra.s.sment, "I can't remember her phone number and my phone is probably dead so I can't turn it on to get the number. So as you see, I need to get home and check on him."

"Officer Henderson, you're a police officer. Think. I'm sure you can call a fellow officer and have them check on your pet. Do you have an emergency card in your wallet or do you have an emergency number on file somewhere. Surely you have your mother as your emergency contact."

Ashley tried thinking, did I have an emergency contact number listed somewhere? Oh G.o.d, what am I going to do? She couldn't think straight, the pain was really clouding her head.

"Yes, yes you're right. My wallet, in my wallet I have my mother's business card."

Why her mother had a business card was beyond her. She didn't work and she didn't own a business, but she had insisted on having them made because she was tired of going to events and being asked for her personal information. This way, her mother explained, she could just hand out the plain, clear, plastic cards with her phone number on it. The fact it didn't have her mother's name on it was perfect she told Ashley. If they didn't remember who gave it to them, then they didn't actually need her information. Shaking her head she muttered, "Mother."

Dialing her mother's number, Ashley finally relaxed. "Answer, answer, answer it, Mother."

Waiting, she was just starting to think her mother wasn't home when she heard her voice on the other end.