Chapter Twenty Four:

~*~AN: the events in the beginning of the chapter are happening at the same time.~*~

Bo and Nora’s house….

Nora had stopped at the store on her way home from the office that afternoon  and picked up a few items that she was going to leave around the living room for Bo to find as a way to tell him about the baby. She bought a bib, a rattle, a book of baby names, a pacifier and for dinner they were going to have babyback ribs. Nora looked around the room, the candles were in place, and the CD’s were in the stereo. Everything was perfect…..

Thought I was in love before
Never knew that there was more
Saw the world in black and white
until you came into my life
Suddenly before my eyes
there’s a rainbow in the sky
Reaching out and telling me
that it's you I need

Now that I love you
I know I never loved anyone before you
cause this is so real
Now that I found you
I know I could never live my life without you
Now that I love you..

The Alley….

Bo could hear the footsteps of the shooter as he ran away. Ignoring the pain and the overwhelming desire to just give up, Bo reached into his holster and pulled out his gun.  He pointed the gun trying to keep it steady.

“Freeze.”

The shooter turned and pointed the gun at Bo. He was about to fire again when Bo shot him in the shoulder sending the gun falling to the ground somewhere behind him. The shooter fell to the ground as Bo finally gave into the darkness.

A salesperson from the store came running out when she heard the gunshots. She pulled out Bo’s cell phone and dialed 911. Ten minutes later Bo and the shooter were on their way to Llanview Hospital….

I was taken by surprise
All at once I realized
how your love completed me
and how you are my destiny
You've become the air I breathe
nothing less than everything
Your in my heart and in my soul
You have made me whole

 

Now that I love you
I know I never loved anyone before you
cause this is so real
Now that I found you
I know I could never live my life without you
Now that I love you..

Bo and Nora’s house….

Nora finished getting dressed and went downstairs to wait for Bo to come home. She looked at the clock on the mantle.

Placing her hand on her stomach, “Daddy should be home any minute little one, and then we can tell him all about you.  (sits on the couch) Maybe you’ll be a little girl. Oh, boy if you are a little girl the boys of Llanview better watch out. Your daddy’s going to….Uh oh, there’s the phone, maybe it’s daddy telling us he’s on his way….Hello?...”

The phone falls to the floor…

Never in my life have I been touched this way
Never been moved to say
I want forever with you
Never have I wanted more than you
Never been closer to my heart
and now that I love you..

Now that I love you
I know I never loved anyone before you
cause this is so real
Now that I found you
I know I could never live my life without you
Now that I love you..

ER at Llanview Hospital….

“Okay what do we have here? Bo?”

“Yeah, it’s the Commissioner. He was found in the alley behind the shops on Riverside with a GSW to the chest.”

“Okay let’s get him in to the room.”

The paramedics give Larry the specifics of Bo’s condition as the other stretcher is wheeled in. The shooter is taken into the room next door.

Nora runs off the elevator and over to the nurse’s station. She sees Antonio standing outside the door. She runs over to him and when he sees her he walks towards her.

“Where’s Bo. Antonio, where’s Bo?”

“He’s in there. Larry’s with him.”

“What the hell happened?”

“We’re not exactly sure. All we know is he was walking in the alley towards his car which was parked behind the shops on Riverside. A salesperson found him. He was shot once in the chest.”

“No, this can’t be happening again. I can’t lose him Antonio. I can’t.”

“Nora, Bo’s strong. He’s got a lot to live for. He’s just found his son, you two have finally reunited. He’ll make it.”

“He has to, Antonio. He just has to.”

Nora walked up and put her hand on the glass beside the door. Her whole body was wracked with sobs as she watched them work on him. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked into the loving eyes of her ex-father in law. He wrapped her in his strong arms and held her tight.

“Honey, let’s go sit down. You’re as white as a ghost.”

“Asa…”

“Shhh…he’s strong and he’s stubborn and he loves you and Matty very much, he’s going to make it.”

Nora just nodded and laid her head against Asa’s shoulder. They waited for what seemed like an eternity for Larry to come out of the room. A half hour passed and Asa had gone down the hall to make some phone calls when Larry walked out of the room.

“Nora.”

Nora looked up and tried to read Larry’s expression but she couldn’t. Before she could speak she saw him being wheeled out of the room.

“Larry, what’s going on?”

“He’s being taken up to the OR for surgery. The bullet is lodged just under his heart, and we’ve got to remove it before it does anymore damage.”

“Oh, God. Is—is he going to make it? I mean how many times can one person get shot before it’s too much?”

“Nora, he’s strong and in good physical condition but that being said it really is too soon to tell. We’ll know more once the surgery is done. If he makes it through that his chances will improve greatly. I’m sorry I wish I could tell you more. I’m going to go up to the OR and observe, and Nora?”

“Yeah?”

“You need to be resting. So I want you to go into that room over there and rest, okay?”

“Larry, I’m fine.”

“No, Nora I’m serious. I don’t want you on your feet. This is a high risk pregnancy to begin with, you know that. Now get in there.”

“You’ll come and get me the minute he comes back down here. I mean the very minute?”

“I swear.”

“Okay.”

Nora went to lie down in the room next to Bo’s. She was almost asleep when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

“Ms. Buchanan?”

“Yes, I’m Nora Buchanan.”

“These are your husband’s personal belongings.”

“Oh he’s….thank you.”

The nurse handed her the plastic bag. She sat up on the bed and crossed her legs in front of her. She ran her fingers over the bag where his name was written in black marker. The tears fell down her cheeks as she reached into the bag. She pulled out his wallet. She opened it and noticed that he had an old and tattered picture taken of them on their wedding day. He had Matthew’s most recent school picture in there, and one of the two of them at the Phillie’s game. She ran her fingers over Matthew and Bo’s faces and smiled, they really did look like father and son, how had she missed that all these years. She laid the wallet down beside her on the bed and reached in and pulled out his badge. She opened it and a yellowed and crumpled piece of paper fell out, landing in her lap. She picked it up and carefully opened it. As she read the words the tears fell freely down her face….

I hope to God you never have to read this letter, and if you are reading it you understand why. I wrote this letter because I want to remind you that I know first hand how wonderful it is to be loved by you. You need to have love in your life, and I couldn’t rest easy knowing that you thought you’d be better off without it. So miss me, a lot, and always love me, but go on living, and remember how very much I have loved you, and always will. Goodbye my love, Nora.

“He must’ve gone back in the room when I wasn’t’ looking. My God, Bo, please be okay. Your son needs you, I need you, and this baby needs you.”

Nora folded the letter back up and held it in her hand as she reached in and pulled out a small bag. She opened the bag and pulled out the small box. She opened the box and just when she thought she had no more tears to shed, she cried. In that small box held a ring, a ring that was the symbol of their future, a future that now, because of events beyond their control lies in the balance.

To Be Continued….