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Chapter Nine
Hank could see someone moving in the shadows behind the furnace... it was Sheridan. He didn't know how, but it
was. He took aim and was about to pull the trigger when he was hit from behind. The gun went off and then it flew
from his hand and skittered away under some junk. Sheridan screamed, her voice seeming to echo through Hank's head.
Luis shoved Hank away from him, pointing the gun right at his old friends chest. "Don't move Hank." "You
wouldn't shoot your old buddy would you?" Hank gave Luis a nervous smile.
"Try me." Luis' voice was menacing and cold. "I want to see you rot in prison Bennett, but I'll
kill you if I have to."
Hank looked down at the floor, trying to look contrite, then he suddenly lunged for Luis' gun. The two men struggled
for control of the weapon, and it wavered back and forth between them. Sheridan watched in horror as they moved
around the basement, knocking over boxes and piles of abandoned junk. Then the gun went off and there was a loud
crash as both men dropped to the floor. Sheridan screamed again, and went to move towards the men, but the sharp
pain in her side stopped her and she too fell to the ground. Until that moment she hadn't even realized that Hank's
bullet had hit her when Luis had jumped him from behind. Suddenly the pain was too much for her and she felt herself
losing consciousness. "Luis..." she whispered just before she passed out. She was certain he was dead...
Luis wasn't dead... just lying on the ground under the dying body of his former best friend. He rolled Hank off
of him and looked at him sadly. What a horrible way for this all to end. As rotten as Hank had turned out to be
they had once been so close...
Hank was barely breathing and Luis knew that he was as good as dead. "Sheridan, you can come out now Honey..."
He waited for her to appear and frowned when she didn't. He moved around a pile of stuff and saw her lying on the
ground. "Oh God, Sheridan..." Luis flew over to her, dropping to his knees and checking her pulse. She
had a strong pulse and she was breathing, but he could see a steady flow of blood seeping from a wound on her side.
"It'll be alright Honey, I'm going to get an ambulance...I'll be right back..." He took the stairs three
at a time and returned with the portable phone, talking to the emergency services already.
"It's alright Sheridan..." he whispered, kneeling beside her and taking her hand. He stroked her face,
as tears streamed down his own. She couldn't die... he needed her. He cursed himself for trusting Hank and leaving
her with him to begin with. And then he cursed himself some more for not doing things differently. He didn't know
what exactly, but he should've done something to avoid this.
She'd been through so much pain in her life already... this was more than anybody deserved. Luis grasped her hand
tightly and whispered words of love and encouragement to her while he waited for the ambulance. It seemed like
forever before he heard the sirens... much longer than it ever seemed to take when he'd been waiting for ambulances
for strangers.
Luis watched helplessly while the paramedics worked on Sheridan, and carried her upstairs to the ambulance. He
trailed along behind them, riding in the ambulance with her. The whole way to the hospital he never let go of her
hand and he never stopped crying. He didn't care if the paramedics thought he was a blubbering mess... he couldn't
help himself.
At the hospital they took her from him, and when their hands separated his started to shake. He couldn't lose her...
he just couldn't. Not now, when they had just finally found each other.
Luis sat in the waiting area... his mind working at lightning speed. He remembered the first time he'd seen Sheridan...
the night she'd run into his jeep. He'd found her beautiful even then...in a cold, icy, arrogant way. He smiled
as he remembered her haughty tone. Then he hadn't know it was all an act. Sheridan was no more an icy snob than
his own mother was.
He remembered her with the kids at the center when she was doing community service. It was then that he realized
there might be more to her than he'd originally thought. She was gentle and patient with the kids and to his surprise
she'd seemed to enjoy them.
There were many sides to Sheridan Crane, most of them unexpected and wonderful and Luis knew there were facets
of her he'd yet to see and he prayed for the chance. He sat there, making bargains with God if only He would spare
Sheridan's life. Luis would be a better man if only he could have her... and he vowed to never ask for anything
again if it was granted.
There was a commotion out in the hallway and Luis sighed. THEY were here. Ethan appeared in the waiting area first,
panicked and pale. He was followed by Ivy, who also looked worried and scared. Julian trailed behind, looking annoyed
more than anything. He scowled at Luis and retreated to the corner of the room.
"What happened?" Ethan approached Luis, demanding an explanation. Luis told him and Ivy about their two
days in the bathroom and the events following them. Both were shocked and appalled to hear about Hank and Luis
could see the blame in their eyes as they looked at him.
He didn't care if they blamed him... he deserved it. It was all his fault and he would give anything to do it again.
Ethan and Ivy sat together a few chairs away and Luis dropped his face into his hands and took a ragged breath.
It should be him in there fighting for life... not sweet, innocent Sheridan.
Luis wondered why nobody had come to speak to them yet. He couldn't just sit there forever and he stood, meaning
to find a nurse or something. Just as he was about to leave the waiting area Eve Russell appeared in the entryway.
Luis stared at Eve's grim face and his heart lurched once and seemed to stop all together. "No..." he
whispered...
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