EPISODE 26

Emily's hospital room --

"Bobbie? He is okay, isn't he? Please tell me he's okay." Emily sniffled back the tears the best she could.

"He's out of surgery and they'll be taking him to the ICU on the 4th floor, but it will be a while till he wakes up. The doctors have requested only immediate family may visit. It took a while but they retrieved all the bullets, without complications ....." Bobbie stopped mid-thought, like there was something she wasn't telling.

"What is it? Tell me!" Emily cried.

"Because of where the one bullet was lodged, Zander's quite bruised and his cord is inflamed and swollen, till the swelling goes down, he ... he won't have use of his legs. The doctors are hopeful though that once the swelling goes down, his legs will be full functional. They're just not sure when that will be."

"He doesn't know that though, right?" Ric asked as he stood with Alexis at the foot of Emily's bed.

"No, he doesn't know that yet, and won't know till he wakes up, which could be another 8 to 12 hours. We're not sure, Zander's always been a fast healer though, so I don't forsee him having any trouble coming out of the anesthesia quickly." Bobbie replied.

"I want to go be with him." Emily said quickly as she tried to get out of bed on her own.

"You need to stay in bed, Emily. Zander will be sleeping for quite a while, I'll come back and let you know when he's awake." Bobbie replied as she stopped her from going to her husband.

"Bobbie, he needs me, I can't just lay here!"

"Okay, just so I don't have to worry about you leaving this bed, I will find Dr. Meadows and ask her if it's alright, we don't want to put you or the baby at risk by leaving this room."

Emily was satisfied with that. "Okay."

"Don't worry about Zander, Ric and I will go sit with him." Elenore spoke up and looked at Bobbie to be sure it was okay for her and Ric to do that. Bobbie nodded in agreement.

Emily feeling a little better that Zander wouldn't be alone in the ICU, she relaxed back against the pillow. "I'll stay with you if you want?" Alexis said as she laid her hands upon Emily's legs.

"I'd like that, Alexis ... thank you."

Zander's ICU Room --

Bobbie escorted Elenore and Ric to Zander in the ICU, Alexis took a seat on the swivel stool next to Emily's bed.

Ric and Elenore stood outside Unit # 2, and saw Zander laying lifeless in the hospital bed, tubes and machines attached to him, and Bobbie noticed the scared look on their faces.

"One at a time, we don't want to overexcite him with too many visitors just yet." Bobbie smiled caringly.

Elenore and Ric exchanged glances as to who wanted to go into the room first, and Ric offered Elenore the first chance to sit with her son.

Bobbie opened the door and walked in with Elenore. She pulled the swivel stool to Zander's bedside and sat down. Elenore reached for Zander's hand, and glanced at Bobbie for reassurance. Bobbie nodded.

"It's okay, you can hold his hand and talk with him. Trust me, he's listening."

Before leaving Zander, Bobbie checked his vitals and stats, making sure all was okay. She smiled at Elenore before leaving tell her that her son was okay.

Elenore took Zander's hand in hers and held it tightly. She leaned down and held it up to her lips, giving it a motherly kiss. "Zander .... it's mom, I'm here with you sweetheart...." tears began to well in her eyes as she spoke to him.

Bobbie exited Zander's room, Ric staring through the plexiglass at his brother. "I thought you'd like to know, Zander's guard who was shot also, he'll be out of surgery soon."

"Thomas? He's going to make it?" Ric asked.

"He's holding on for now, we'll have to wait and see."

Bobbie walked away leaving Ric focused back on his brother who laid lifeless, yet listening to his mom's soothing voice.

Zander could feel his mother's touch, he knew she was there with him, and it reassured him to hear her voice. As she spoke to him, he exhausted himself trying to say something, but to no avail. He was yelling inside, but nothing was coming out. It was like he was trapped within his own body.

Elenore continued to talk with her son, and Zander unconsciously realized he could at least tell her he was listening and knew she was there by squeezing her hand.

She wiped her tears and smiled as she felt the light squeeze of Zander's hand on hers. "Zander .... I may not have told you this lately, but .... I love you so much." Elenore sniffled back the tears as she held her son's hand to her lips.

Trying to get the words out but couldn't, Zander's words just echoed through his body .... "I love you too, mom."