Chapter Seventeen.

Tyler backed the ambulance out of the protected perimeter and started down a side street that paralleled the one the crime scene was on. If she was right, she would barely have enough time to get to the corner and do what she needed to do. She hoped surprise would be on their side. Reaching the corner, she turned the ambulance around and started backwards toward the scene. Maneuvering the ambulance was easy at first. No traffic and no cars gave her the advantage she hoped would save Kelly's life. Spotting the open door of the cruiser she pushed the gas pedal down. Avoiding two officers who were waving her down, she moved fast hoping they would get out of the way. No one was going to stop her, including the police. Hopefully, they would see what she was doing and put a diversion together so she wouldn't get shot at.

Then it happened. The first shot at the ambulance missed Mike by inches, causing him to hit the floor.

"f.u.c.k, Tyler, they're shooting at us."

"Just stay down, Mike. I got this." Tyler continued on her path towards the open door of the cruiser. A few more yards and they would be close enough to save Kelly's life, hopefully. Another shot came through the cab and broke Tyler's side window, gla.s.s showering all over her. Unperturbed, Tyler continued her methodical path towards the police car, dodging another cruiser and the officers who had taken refuge behind it.

"Tyler, is that you Tyler? What the f.u.c.k are you doing?" Captain Russo squawked on the radio. "Get your a.s.s out of there or I'm gonna fire you."

Tyler didn't lose her focus on her target. She was about fifty yards away when another bullet hit the ambulance, coming through the roof and lodging in her seat. Clearly, the shooters were aiming for the driver, trying to stop her progress.

"Tyler, you're going to get yourself and Mike killed. Get the h.e.l.l out of there now, before they shoot you," Captain Russo radioed again.

Tyler could hear someone in the background questioning what was going on and who had given the order to rescue the fallen officer. At worst, she would be fired. At a minimum, she would face a reprimand with a letter in her personnel file. But she didn't care. Kelly's husband and son were not going to go through what she had when Jill died.

"Hold on, Mike. We're almost there. Remember, stay back until you hear me call you." Tyler kept her eye on the cruiser as the ambulance neared its target. As she inched closer, the radio squawked again. Before she heard the voice on the other end she turned it off, choosing to risk losing her job rather than losing much needed concentration. The corner of the ambulance was diagonal to the cruiser's b.u.mper, so she had about five feet until she reached the downed officer. If she got any closer, she wouldn't be able to open the barn doors of the ambulance, so she was as close as she was going to get. Grabbing her helmet, she put it on and hoped it would offer her head some protection. Snapping it closed, she walked between the seats and looked over at Mike who was obviously shaken by the gunshots.

"Mike, once I open those doors they're going to be shooting at me. So timing is critical. Once I get her over to the bus, I need you to floor it. Once we're out of harm's way we'll trade places and you can work on her." Tyler peeked out the back window but still couldn't see who was down. The officer's hat hid her face and she still wasn't moving. From where Tyler was, she still couldn't see any blood, but that didn't mean anything. She might have internal wounds and be dying right before her eyes. "Ready?"

Mike gave her thumbs up and stood up.

"Stay down and against this panel," Tyler said pointing to her left. "I don't think a bullet can reach you here. The angle's all wrong." Taking a deep breath, Tyler put her hands on the handle and said a little prayer.

"Be careful out there, Tyler."

"Always." With that, Tyler pushed the doors and ran as fast as she could to the cruiser, diving for the tight s.p.a.ce just under the car.

Luckily, she had her turnout pants on, so her legs were protected but her palms and elbows took the brunt of the asphalt rash.

"f.u.c.k," she said, wishing she had put on her gloves.

"Tyler?"

"Ashley? s.h.i.t." Tyler suddenly felt lightheaded realizing that it was Ashley and not Kelly next to her. "How badly are you hurt? Can you move? What are you doing in Kelly's cruiser? How did-"

"Tyler, I don't know how much longer I can stay awake. Help me." Ashley's voice was barely a whisper now.

Scooting closer to Ashley, Tyler ran her hands over the fallen officer's chest looking for something, anything that would tell her how badly Ashley was injured. A bullet hole in the center of her vest at breast level, one on her right side and one more dead center of her abdomen was all she could feel. Her mic clip on her left shoulder was all that was left of her mic. A few shattered pieces had embedded in her neck and jaw.

"Hey, you lookin' for a cheap thrill?" Ashley coughed and then turned her head slightly towards Tyler. "Under my arm pit. The bullet went in above my vest right there. I'm having a hard time breathing."

"Shh, try and relax. I'm gonna get you out of here, but you have to do exactly what I say. Okay?" Tyler crawled closer to Ashley and looked up at the building across from the cruiser. So far, the shooters hadn't started shooting again, but it was only a matter of time. Looking back at the ambulance, she could see Mike peeking out from around the cabinet watching her. Nodding in his direction, she watched him give another thumbs up.

"My vest, Tyler. Take my vest off and put it on. The ambulance is too far."

"No, I got this. Don't worry. Besides, your vest might be compressing your injuries just enough to keep you alive." Tyler grabbed Ashley's wrist and checked her pulse. She could barely feel it. "This is probably going to hurt, but I'm gonna pick you up and carry you to the bus. Sorry."

"Don't worry about me. Please promise me you'll be careful."

"Okay, if you promise me you'll stay alive long enough to go out on a date with me."

"Really? You're asking me out on a date at a time like this?" Ashley could barely open her eyes as she responded to the request.

"Really. Okay, be ready. On three," Tyler said, squatting next to the fading officer. "One." Tyler slid her arms under Ashley and pulled her gently against her legs. "Two." Tyler started to stand, the limpness of Ashley's body sent a frightening chill through her. "Three." Standing, Tyler pulled the light body tight against her chest and started for the ambulance.

Ping. The gla.s.s window in the ambulance door shattered. Without missing a step, Tyler pushed her body hard to stay upright. The weight pitching her forward almost made her lose her balance. Ping. Tyler felt a stinging on her neck. Finally getting her stride under her, she ran towards the ambulance and the waiting paramedic, his arms outstretched.

"Get back, Mike."

Ping. Tyler felt herself stumble as she listed to the right. A sharp stinging pain almost caused her to drop Ashley, but she kept going. Ping. Another shot buried itself as it hit the pavement where her right foot had just been. Pushing harder, she barely reached the ambulance when she heard another shot hit the back of the ambulance.

"Grab her Mike," Tyler said, barely able to push Ashley into Mike's waiting arms.

Tyler jumped, twisted, and landed on her back against the diamond plate floor. She watched as Mike picked Ashley up and laid her on the gurney, starting oxygen immediately. Tyler turned to her right and tried to push herself upright, but found herself face down on the deck of the ambulance.

"f.u.c.k," Tyler said, her head spinning as she rolled on her back.

"Tyler."

Tyler looked up to see Mike swimming above her head. She vaguely saw a gauze pad pressed to her neck with instructions to keep applying pressure.

"Just take care of Ashley, Mike. I got this," Tyler said, rolling to her left side and pulling her legs into the ambulance. Suddenly, Tyler's world went dark.

Ashley faded in and out of consciousness. Each time, she tried to focus on the words swirling around in her head.

"She's lost a lot of blood."

"Let's get her into surgery."

"Her mom's here. What do we tell her?"

Ashley tried to talk when she heard the last statement. She felt her lips move, at least she thought her lips moved, but nothing came out. She tried to swallow, but her throat rubbed against something. A tube. She was intubated. Darkness started to slowly creep back in and her mind started to fog again. It took all her strength to push out a moan.

"She's awake, Doctor."

Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into a set of caring blue eyes. "Officer Henderson, you've been shot. Can you understand me?"

Ashley barely nodded her head as she continued to stare at the man.

"I'm Doctor Wainwright. You have a tube in your throat so you aren't able to speak. We're going to take you into surgery. You have a collapsed lung with internal bleeding and we need to get that bullet out." Nodding in another direction he spoke to someone else, "Nurse, let's get her to surgery." Looking down at Ashley, he continued, "Officer Henderson, I'll see you when you get out of surgery."

Ashley felt a gentle pat on her shoulder just before her world faded to black.

"Tyler?" A soft whisper caressed Tyler's ear.

Turning her head towards the whisper she smiled as she recognized the voice.

"Baby."

"Tyler, what are you doing, Honey?"

"What? Nothing. I'm just laying here thinking about you, Jill. Come here and let me hold you." Tyler held out her arms waiting for Jill's soft body to fill her grasp. Warmth filled Tyler as she relaxed in the embrace. Jill's touch was always healing and today was no different. "How was your day today, baby?"

Tyler laid back on the bed reveling in her wife's touch. Jill had a way that made Tyler crave her touch. The soft way Jill caressed Tyler's face and body sent a charge right through her body. A soft fragrance filled Tyler's senses as she inhaled deeply. The sharp motion caused a stabbing pain in her thigh. Grabbing the bandage, Tyler winced remember the day before.

"Are you okay?" Jill's soft melodic voice reverberated through her ears.

Tyler's journey between the two worlds was starting to confuse her. The edge of the sharp pain dissipated, helping her start to center herself in the here and now. Her mind was clearing, but her heart lost in the memories of her love for Jill kept her firmly anch.o.r.ed in both worlds, for now.

"Tyler, you need to stop this destructive behavior." Fingers feathered through Tyler's short hair.

Leaning into the stroke, Tyler whispered, "Jill, I want to be with you. Either here or there. Clearly, I'm there right now or I wouldn't be able to touch you." Looking up into big, brown eyes told Tyler she was right. She stood somewhere between Jill and life. It felt good to be so close to Jill, to touch her and feel Jill finally touch her. But the pain in Jill's eyes tore at Tyler's heart. "What is it baby?" Tyler grabbed Jill's hand entwining their fingers, and then pulled them to her chest. She knew what was coming, but she wasn't ready for that yet, not just yet.

"Baby. You need to live. You need to go on without me. There is so much still waiting for you out there. Someone waiting for you out there. Don't you understand, baby?

"I don't care. I want to be with you." Tyler smiled into Jill's brown eyes. "I'm done here, Jill. There isn't anything else for me here. Besides, you and my mom are where I want to be."

"Your mom is p.i.s.sed Tyler. She sees everything and is so worried about you."

"Where is she? I want to see her."

"You can't. It isn't time yet, Honey." Jill's warmth infused Tyler's body. "Honey, it just isn't your time. You have things that still need to be done. Trust me on this. You've got a full life ahead of you and all I can say is that you're going to meet someone special, Tyler. Be open to it."

"But-"

"Honey, you've already started the transition to your new life. You don't need me anymore. Besides, as long as you're holding on I can't transition either." A tear rolled down Jill's face and Tyler wiped it away as her own tears fell. "She's a wonderful woman, Tyler. You just have to be open to it. Promise me you'll give love another chance."

"Jill, please!" Tyler pleaded with her wife, holding her tight. She didn't know why, but she knew she didn't have much longer with Jill.

"I'll be waiting for you when it's your time, Baby. But trust me, this isn't it."

Tyler watched as Jill stood. A light popped behind her and started to envelope Jill. Shading her eyes, she gripped Jill's hand tighter but felt her grip loosening. Soft lips touched hers and a whisper in her ear told her something that made Tyler smile. Shaking her head, she felt a peace come over her that she hadn't had in a year.

"I'll always love you, Baby." Tyler started to cry.

"I'll always love you, too. Remember, I'm always with you and you know it."

"I know, I know," Tyler whispered as Jill disappeared into the light, which dimmed suddenly and was gone.

Tyler laid her head back and closed her eyes. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about what Jill whispered in her ear. Tyler knew that she wouldn't see Jill again. In her dreams, in her mind, she would have that Jill. Tyler had finally released Jill's spirit to go be with her mom. She was on her own, but then again, she had probably always been on her own and just didn't know it.

Chapter Eighteen.

Her eyes still closed, Ashley took a shuddered breath, and at least breathing was easier. The smell of flowers mixed with coffee permeated her brain as she tried to focus on something, anything but the pain radiating through her body. The beeping of the monitors told her everything she needed to know about her condition, she was still alive. A warm touch ran up her arm and then back down grabbing her fingers and giving them a squeeze.

"Hey, Mom," Ashley whispered, her eyes still closed.

Her throat was killing her and every time she tried to swallow it felt like sandpaper was rubbing against sandpaper. Coughing, she winced at the shooting pain through her chest. She lifted her hand to grab her chest and realized she was tethered to two I.V.'s. Reading her mind, her mother lifted a spoon with ice chips to her lips. Greedily, she took the offer and slipped back to her pillow.

"How do you feel?"

"Like someone punched me in the chest. How bad do I look?" Ashley looked at her mom through slits. The light hurt her eyes and she couldn't stand it. "Can you close those blinds, Mom? I've got a splitting headache."

"The doctor said you have a concussion from hitting your head on the pavement."

"No s.h.i.t."

Ashley tried to a.s.sess everything that hurt. Her chest felt like a mule had kicked her, not that she knew what that felt like, but she had a pretty good guess. Her head and neck were killing her, so moving fast wasn't an option anytime soon. Every deep breath hurt like a son of a gun. Smiling at the joke, she turned to look at her mom who was studying her closely.

"How long have I been here?"

"Two days. The doctor said you would wake up when you were ready."

"Not sure I'm ready, but I'm awake." Ashley felt something being pushed into her hand.

"The doctor said this was for pain. You just push it and it'll give you a dose of pain medication. He said you can push it as often as you want, but it'll only give you one dose. It's timed so you can't get too much."

Ashley could tell her mom was nervous because when she was nervous she talked too much. Putting her hand on her mom's she tried to rea.s.sure her with a smile.

"It's fine, Mom. Could you get the nurse? I want this d.a.m.n catheter out."

"Oh, sure. Let me get him."

"Ah, no. Get a female. No offense, but I would feel more comfortable with a woman."

"I'll go to the nurse's station and see what I can do. Relax, Honey. I'll take care of this."

Ashley watched her mom go into mother mode. She felt sorry for anyone who didn't agree with her wishes. Trying to move, Ashley felt her body fatigue with just the little movements she had made. It looked like it was going to be a long recovery if she tired this easily.

"Ah, our patient is awake. How do you feel this morning, Officer Henderson?" the short stocky woman asked as she took Ashley's pulse and looked at a monitor over Ashley's shoulder.

"Good."