Part Eight:

Nora was halfway back to the bedroom when he called her name. She turned around slowly, grateful that she had already returned the phone. He stood up and walked towards her, “What were you doing, Nora?”

“Nothing, Shawn. I woke up and I couldn’t fall back asleep, I thought maybe there was some milk or something in the refrigerator.” She watched him closely, hoping he believed her, “There wasn’t any so I was just going back into the bedroom.”

He walked closer to her, slowly backing her against the wall. He stared at her; she held his stare, swearing to herself that she wouldn’t look away, “You wouldn’t lie to me, would you? You know I hate it when you lie to me.”

 “I’m not lying, Shawn. I swear. I just couldn’t fall asleep.”

The silence in the room was broken as the front door crashed to the floor. He grabbed her and swung her around in front of him, his arm wrapped tight around her neck, just as Bo was yelling at him to let her go. In an instant a flash of steel passed before her eyes, she felt the cold steel pressed against her skin, “Let her go, Hanson!”

“Ahh, we’re using our proper names now, I see.”

Bo kept his gun aimed on Shawn, “I said let her go!”

“No can do, Commissioner, she’s staying with me. We’re either leaving here alive, or we’re leaving here dead, either way it’ll be together.”

Bo looked over at Nora; she nodded, letting him know she was okay. He continued to move towards Shawn, never taking his eyes off of Nora. He hoped she was getting his message, hoping she knew what he wanted her to do. She slowly raised her bound hands up to her face, brushing her finger across her nose, and smiled. He smiled a small smile and nodded his head.

“Its okay, Bo, I’m okay. Shawn and I, we’re going to be together now.”

“See Commissioner, you’re not needed here. Nora’s where she wants to be.”

“That’s right, Shawn, but you have to let me go. Bo understands now, who I want to be with.”

Nora could feel his grip on her loosen and suddenly she was pushed down onto the floor. Before Bo could make his next move, Shawn quickly raised his gun, pointing it directly at Bo. Within a matter of seconds shots rang out.

Bo waited a few seconds, until silence filled the room once again, the sounds of the gunshots echoing through the canyons, no longer ringing in his ears. His eyes were focused on Shawn as he slowly slid down the wall and onto the floor. He looked over at her, as she pulled herself up off the floor and walked towards him.

Everything happened in a flash; mere seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours, as they cleared the distance between them. Suddenly her eyes widened, as a shot from behind her rang out. He quickly closed the distance as she fell into his arms. He looked over her shoulder as Shawn’s hand goes limp and his eyes slowly close.

Bo sinks to the floor, bringing her down with him, “Nora…”

She opens her eyes and looks up at him, “I…I’m sorry, Bo…I…I tried….”

“Shh…” he whispered. “You did fine. You did just fine.”

“M…Matthew,” she whispered between ragged breaths.

 “Shhh…save your strength.”

“I…love yo…” was the last thing she said before her eyes slowly drift closed.

“I love you, too, Red,” he whispered, as he rushes to loosen her restraints.

Within moments of the shooting, John and Antonio rush into the room, followed by a team of Federal agents. The agents rush over and tend to Shawn. Bo stands up and carries her outside, laying her on the gurney, never taking his eyes off her.

Hank rushes over stepping aside as they load her into the waiting chopper. Bo climbed up, taking a seat beside her. Hank climbed into the co-pilots seat. Within moments they were on their way to Llanview Hospital.

Larry shields his eyes as the chopper lands. He ducks and runs towards the helicopter, followed closely by the trauma team assembled just moments after they called it in. Bo jumped out of the helicopter, following them onto the elevator. Larry turned and looked over at Bo, “What happened here, Bo?”

“He shot her…She was coming towards me. It happened so fast.”

They rushed off the elevator and took her straight into the trauma room. Larry held up his hand, stopping Bo’s progress into the room. Bo stopped, the door closing in his face. He walked over and looked through the small window.

He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Hank for a moment, his attention quickly turning back to the activities before him. They stood there in silence for a few minutes. When Bo finally spoke, his voice was flat, void of emotion, “Is he dead?”

“Yes,” was all he said.

Bo nodded, “Good.” More silence came between them as they watched the activity unfolding before them. After what seemed like an eternity the door opened and Larry walked out. Bo walked over to him, “How is she?”

“The bullet is still lodged in her back, close to the spinal chord. We’re preparing her for surgery, now. We’ll know more about her chances once the surgery is over.”

“Just take care of her, Larry. I know she’s in good hands.”

The door opened again and she was wheeled away before he had a chance to even react. He stood there and watched her as she disappeared around the corner. Hank walked up to him, “She’s going to be okay, Bo. You have to believe that.”

“I know, Hank. I do.”

A few more minutes pass in silence before Hanks asks the questions that plagued his mind, “What happened, Bo? What went wrong?”

Bo turned and looked up at his best friend. His voice held the same flat, unemotional tone, when he finally spoke, “She tried to convince him that she would go with him, and I think he actually believed her. He pushed her out of the way and she fell to the ground. Before I knew it he fired his gun. Lucky for me he was a lousy shot. I fired back, obviously.” He walked over to the row of chairs and sat down. Hank followed suit, “I started walking towards him; I wanted to secure his gun.” He shook his head, “She walked towards me, she should’ve stayed down.” he swallowed hard, the emotions beginning to fill his voice, “Before I could tell her to stay where she was, it was over. Just like that, it was over.”

“So he shot her because he saw that she was going to you.”

“He said they would leave there together, he didn’t care whether they were dead or alive.”

Anger flashed across Hank’s face, images from thirty years ago flashed through his mind; her sitting there on the floor, cradling her best friend in her arms. He remembered the nightmares that plagued her for years, the guilt she fought so hard to stop feeling. Hank looked over at Bo, “I can’t believe he got to her again.”

Bo looks up at Hank, “He’s not going to win, Hank. She’s going to come through this.” He stands up and walks over to the door to the trauma room, pushing it open, leaving Hank by himself. He looks down at the mess on the floor, the white tiles stained with her blood. He turned and looked up at the ceiling, his head resting against the half opened door, “Don’t you dare die on me, Nora. Not when I have so much left to tell you.” He finally gives into the tears that he tried so hard to keep from falling, “Please God, please give me a chance to tell her how I feel.”

“You’re going to get that chance, Bo.”

Bo turned and looked into the face of his long time friend, “She’s going to make it?”

Larry smiled, “Yeah, Bo. She’s going to make it. She’s tough as nails that one.” Bo nodded, a smile spreading across his face for the first time since he received her message almost 16 hours ago, “They’ll be bringing her down to recovery in a few minutes.”

Bo shook Larry’s hand, pulling him into a quick embrace, “Thank you, Larry. Thank you for taking such good care of her.”

“She did all the work, Bo, and she has a tough road ahead, but if what I overheard you saying when I walked up on your little confessional, I’d say she has a lot to look forward to when she wakes up.”

“I love her, Larry.” He said with a smile.

“Bo…when haven’t you loved her,” Larry said with a smile as he walked away.

Bo watched him walk away, knowing what Larry said was true. There wasn’t a time he couldn’t remember not loving her, and he was getting a second chance to tell her, a second chance he wasn’t going to let pass him by.

TBC…