Deliver Me by Lucy Maria Elmer

EMAIL: sweetshipper@yahoo.co.uk

CATEGORY: Drama, action. angst, romance, Bos/Faith.

RATING: PG-13.

SEASON/SEQUEL INFO: Takes place after season 2, however Faith doesn't have cancer.

SPOILERS: Unfinished Business, Walking Wounded, and probably a few more.

ARCHIVE: Yep sure, just mail me and ask. I'm nice so I'll probably say yes.

SUMMARY: On the day Faith's young cousin comes to New York City to do ride alongs four peoples lives are forever changed.

AUTHORS NOTES: To all those affected by events on September 11, 2001, whether you are in America or any other country, whether you've lost family or saw events on television, whether you're providing aid or helping in the rescue effort, or just praying for those lost souls and their families and the world around you that is now forever changed...now is the time to stand united, to embrace our loved ones. This is for you all.

Thank you to Deb, Mariane, Lauren, Anna and Ruth also for helping me out.

(Note: At the time of writing this I haven't seen any season 2 episodes so I'm going by spoilers and have relied on my beta readers for information, (you guys rock!!!) so please excuse any mistakes, I have tried!!! this story was just begging to be written)

Deliver Me.

Deliver me out of my sadness,

Deliver me from all of the madness,

Deliver me courage to guide me,

Deliver me strength from inside me.

All of my life I've been in hiding,

Wishing there was someone just like you,

Now that you're here,

Now that I've found you,

I know that you're the one to pull me through.

Deliver me loving and caring,

Deliver me giving and sharing,

Deliver me the cross that I'm bearing.

All of my life I was in hiding,

Wishing there was someone just like you,

Now that you're here,

Now that I've found you,

I know that you're the one to pull me through.

Deliver me.

Deliver me,

Oh deliver me.

All of my life I was in hiding,

Wishing there was someone just like you,

Now that you're here,

Now that I've found you,

I know that you're the one to pull me through.

Deliver me,

Oh deliver me.

Won't you deliver me?

---

The young woman sat alone at the table in the coffee shop, her coffee sitting in front of her still untouched as the bustle of New York City carried on around her. She nervously fiddled with a necklace she wore around her neck, her light brown hair falling around her shoulders as her pale eyes shone in the light. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the voice from behind her.

"Hey excuse me? Are you all right?"

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh." The young woman chanted nervously.

"Hey." The voice said concerned putting a hand on her shoulder.

The young woman looked up to see an attractive, long blond haired woman standing behind her, a cup of coffee in her hands. She smiled.

"Uh yeah. Sorry." The girl replied smiling a smile that the woman found strangely familiar.

"Mind if I sit?" the woman asked motioning to the chair opposite and brushing her blonde hair back off her face, her eyes shining under the light. "Sure, go ahead. Sorry if I scared you. I'm kinda nervous." The young woman, obviously in her early twenties explained.

The woman took a sip of her coffee.

"You from around here?" She asked.

"No. I'm staying with my cousin who lives here in New York City. I'm doing ride alongs with the FDNY EMTs. I'm training to be a paramedic."

"No kidding. I am a paramedic for the FDNY." The woman told her smiling.

"Cool. I'm Katy." The young woman told the woman offering her hand.

"Kim." The blonde haired woman replied. "So this is your first day on ride alongs?"

Katy nodded.

"You'll be fine." Kim told her reassuringly.

"You're always scared at first but you'll get over it."

"Gosh I hope so. I started training a while ago then had to stop. I started again a couple of months ago and now I'm here. I'm just hoping I'm up to it."

"Why'd you have to stop?" Kim asked.

"I lost someone that I was close to. I needed the break." Katy replied looking down at her hands, unwilling to say any more than that.

Kim nodded sympathetically knowing just what it meant to lose someone who was your world and then feel like your whole world was falling apart.

"But now I'm better and I'm really looking forward to this....though yeah I'm nervous and some of my family aren't very supportive of me being here. The only person who seems to be the slightest bit proud of me is my cousin. I'm meeting her before her shift." "That's too bad about your family. It's a great feeling knowing you've made a difference." Kim told her then looking at her watch. "Well I better get going. Nice meeting you."

"Have a good shift. Nice meeting you too, Kim." Katy replied watching the woman go.

"Hey Faith." Kim told her colleague as they met in the coffee shop doorway.

"Hey Kim. How are you?"

"Doing okay. You?"

"Okay. Joey all right?" Faith asked waving to Katy.

"He's fine." Kim replied. "He's keeping a close eye on his mother at the moment bless him. It really shouldn't have to be that way though should it." Kim replied.

"You know if you need to talk..." Faith offered.

"Thank you." Kim replied sincerely. "How are things with Fred and the kids?"

"Usual." Faith replied. "The kids are fine. Me and Fred seem to be arguing again for no reason. Look. You have enough to worry about. I'm fine." Faith reassured, not wanting to weigh Kim down with her own problems.

"Okay. Well the same goes for you if you need to talk. I'm not gonna break through listening to other peoples problems especially not my friends." Kim told her. "Well later."

"See ya." Faith replied before heading over to a table where a lonely figure sat.

"Hi sweetie. How ya feeling?" Faith asked the young woman as she sat down opposite her.

"How does it look like I'm feeling?" she asked curiously.

Faith smiled.

"Katy you're gonna be great. You have nothing to worry about. Know who you're riding with yet?"

Katy shook her head.

"What if they hate me? I mean what if I turn up and just get on their nerves or something. I seem to get on Freds a lot."

Faith moved her chair next to Katy.

"Honey at the moment everything gets on Fred's nerves. He just gets like that sometimes. It's not cos he hates you, he's just that way with a lot of people. You should see him with Bos sometimes, there aint much love lost there." Faith put a finger under Katys chin and tilted it upwards so that the young woman was looking into her eyes. "There is no way they're gonna hate you." She told Katy reassuringly. "Now Bos they do hate, and he's okay with it." She joked.

"You don't know that they won't hate me." Katy replied quietly.

"I'm your cousin Katy of course I know it. I know things have been tough for you lately sweetie, but you can't keep thinking of yourself as someone who the whole world is against. You have so much to offer the world. I mean you've been great helping me out with Emily and Charlie, they love you and so do I. You are one of the sweetest people I know and you can't let the setbacks you've had convince you that you aren't good at anything."

Katy smiled.

"Hon, were you just talking to Kim?" Faith asked the young woman resting her head in her hands.

"The woman you were speaking to at the door? With the long blond hair? Yeah, she seems nice."

"She is nice. Hon...?"

"What?" Katy asked.

"I know you're working with the FDNY paramedics when you're doing your ride alongs which means you could be working with Kim or Doc..."

"Yeah so..." Katy prompted.

"A few months ago Kim lost someone very close to her. His death...well it hit her really hard. She has loads of regrets where he was concerned and well...since then she's been finding life pretty hard to deal with."

"That I can relate to." Katy commented.

"I Just...If you're with her keep an eye on her. She's been feeling really low Kat....really low and I think that you two could be good friends. Both of you lost people you loved and she needs someone around that she can talk with...someone to help her let go who isn't gonna judge her or dismiss her feelings."

"What aren't you telling me Faith? What are you scared of telling me?" Katy asked.

"Kims’ lowest point was a little while ago. She took a bunch of pills with some wine. She has a son but after this guy’s death she just seemed to lose her will to go on. She really wanted to die that day."

Katy looked down at the table, fiddling with a ring on her right hand.

"You don't have to be scared to tell me things like that Faith. I'm not planning on going anywhere. I know all about low points but that doesn't mean I'm gonna give up on ya. Not again."

"That baby I am glad to hear." Faith told Katy putting an arm around her shoulder.

"I'll keep an eye out, promise." Katy replied.

"I know you will." Faith told the young woman rubbing her nose against Katy's.

"So when do I meet this partner of yours?" she asked in between giggles. "The infamous Bos."

"You'll get to meet him. Just don't be surprised if he attempts to chat you up." Faith warned.

"Is he really that bad?" Katy asked smiling

"People seem to think so. Lets just say a few months ago he had an incident with a bouquet of poison Ivy, you shoulda seen his face."

"Got a bit of a rep going on?"

"What he's got is a big mouth. Lands him in way too much trouble."

"But you wouldn't swap him for the world huh?" Katy asked taking a sip of her coffee which was then promptly spat out.

"Didn't your mother teach you manners?" Faith teased.

"It was cold." Katy exclaimed giggling. "What was I supposed to do?"

"And on that note we better be heading off. I'll walk you there." Faith told her. "C'mon kiddo." She told her young cousin pulling her up and patting her on the behind.

"You are so not gonna answer my question are you?" Katy asked. "Not a chance in hell sweetie." Faith replied.

*****

It was half an hour before her shift started and Kim had already checked that everything was as it should be with the rig, had rung up the school to make sure Joey was okay and had rung up Bobbys mother to see how she was doing. Now she was enjoying the peace. She tiredly sat on the back step of the rig, the doors open and the sun shining inside, reading a book.

Hearing laughter and the voice of her partner Kim got up, placed the book aside and followed the sound. Peeping around the side of the rig she saw Faith Yokas, Doc, and the young woman she had met this morning. Kim smiled, walking round to meet the group.

"What do we have here?" she asked smiling at Katy.

"We have an extra pair of hands for a week." Doc replied.

"Kim this is my cousin..."

"Katy. Nice to see you again." Kim told her smiling.

"You too. Looks like you have the pleasure of my company after all." Katy replied smiling.

"However will we cope?" Kim commented, teasing the young girl. "Come on lets get you kitted out. Want something to eat before we go?"

"What's on offer?" Katy asked.

"I'm sure we'll find something. See you guys in a few." Kim told Doc and Faith as she lead the girl inside.

Before she went, Katy ran up to Faith and gave her a hug.

"You watch yourself okay. And behave." Faith told her.

"As if I wouldn't. You too okay." Katy replied.

"And remember what I told you." Faith whispered.

Katy nodded.

Just then the group heard another familiar voice from behind them. All turned around to see Faiths partner Maurice Boscorelli walking up behind them all.

"Afternoon." He told them all cheerily walking over to his partner.

"Good night Bos?" Faith asked smiling.

Bosco smiled at her cheekily.

"Oh yeah." He commented. He then noticed Katy.

"Hello. I don't believe we've met."

"Eyes and hands off Bos, she's off limits." Faith told him.

Bosco pouted.

"And why?" he asked cocking his head to one side.

"Because Bos this is my cousin Katy and if you lay one finger on her I'll kick your ass so...."

"Okay I get the idea. Geez, give a guy a break will ya." He replied. "Nice to meet you Katy." He told her sincerely.

"Boy have I heard a lot about you." Katy commented cheekily before heading off with Kim, leaving Bosco open mouthed behind.

"Well it didn't take long for them to bond." Doc told Faith.

"They spoke earlier on. Met in the coffee shop before the shift and got talking. Katy was kinda nervous." Faith told them.

"She doesn't seem to be the type to get nervous." Bosco replied.

"Look Doc, Katy's been through a lot lately, she's had pretty much the same deal as Kim. I think it's a blessing they've been put together really...but could you keep an eye out for her?"

Doc nodded.

"Of course."

"Thanks." Faith replied.

"You coming?" Bos motioned to Faith as he started walking over to the precinct.

Faith nodded.

"So uh, what kinda things has she heard about me?" Bosco asked.

"If only you knew." Faith told him walking off as he froze.

"And what does that mean? Yokas what?" He called after his partner who had a huge grin on her face all the way up to the locker room.

****

For Kim, Doc and Katy the shift so far had been pretty slow. This however had given all of them a better chance to get to know each other. Kim and Katy were especially getting on and were currently sitting in the back of the rig talking. Kim was showing Katy a picture of Joey.

"He's so adorable." Katy told her.

"Yeah he is." Kim replied. "I love him to bits."

"I can tell." Katy told her "You still with his father?"

"Ah no I'm not. Things there are complicated."

"Life always is." Katy replied with a sigh.

"Tell me about it." Kim answered as Katy then noticed a figure on another picture.

"That Joeys father?" Katy asked Kim, whose face almost immediately took on an expression of incredible loss and sadness.

"No, though he always did a pretty good job of being a surrogate one. That's my partner Bobby..."

"I thought Doc was your partner." Katy asked obviously confused.

"Bobby was my partner for a long time. He uh, passed away a few months ago. He got shot and he died." Kim told her.

"I'm sorry." Katy told her realising that Bobby must've been the man Faith was talking about earlier.

"Me too. He was my best friend...." Kim was finding it hard to find the words.

"He was very handsome." Katy commented noticing Kims difficulty.

Kim smiled sadly. She opened her mouth to reply, the feeling that she could trust the young woman in front of her overwhelming. For a long time she hadn't known who to speak too about what was happening with her, about how sad she felt but now more than ever she thought maybe there was one person who could understand though how she knew this she had no idea.

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a shot. Immediately Doc moved the rig to where the sound had come from, this being an alleyway nearby. There they were flagged down by a group of people.

"What happened?" Doc shouted out of his window to the group.

"One of our boys has been shot. That’s what." One of the group shouted back.

Doc opened his door and stepped out of the rig. Looking around he saw a huge group of people, guns pointed, crowded around a wounded figure on the ground.

"You tell em to put their weapons down and we'll help." Doc told the young man.

"We aint putting nothing down. We gotta protect our own." The young man said, Doc immediately realising this was a gang situation.

"So have we." Doc shouted getting back inside the rig and attempting to radio for the police. Just as he got on the radio one of the gang members pulled open the back of the rig, got hold of Katy and pulled her out, then taking a lot of supplies with him.

"Your girl is gonna help us." He told Kim coldly as he led Katy away to the wounded gang member.

"She's only a trainee. You take me instead." Kim told him.

"Nah. I like this one." He replied leering at Katy.

"You are not taking..." Kim started, stopping promptly as another gang member came over to the ambulance and pointed a gun in her face.

"You stay there, both of you, or your girl dies." He told both Kim and Doc.

Katy was thrown down by the side of the young boy who had injuries to his chest.

"Hey, what's your name." Katy asked calmly.

"That aint gonna help him." One of the other members of his gang told her.

"I didn't ask you. What's your name?" she asked again.

"Jamal." He told her, obviously in a lot of pain.

"Hey Jamal I'm Katy. Can I look at your chest?" she asked him.

Jamal moved his hand from where it was positioned so Katy was able to see where the bullet had entered his body. He was bleeding badly and when she turned him over she could see no exit wound.

"So can you help him?" One of the others in the group asked.

"There's no exit wound which means the bullets still inside his body. What Jamal needs is a hospital and surgery."

"We aint going to no hospital."

"I can't do anything here except apply pressure to the wound and give him oxygen and drugs. Without surgery he won't live so either you let us take him, or we'll have to leave him."

"You aint leaving our boy."

"Then let us take him to a hospital. Come on you obviously don't want him to die. If he's your boy you'll help him. So what's your choice? You choose life? Or you choose letting him die?"

"We choose you helping him here. No hospital." The gang member shouted back.

"Why not." Katy asked.

One of the gang members leaned over and grabbed her. "You ask too many question’s baby."

Katy fought him off.

"Have you done something? You scared of the cops finding out?" she asked.

"We aint done nothing."

"Then why's he been shot huh? Was it a gang thing? You did something wrong by another gang and this is payback?" Katy asked.

"Honey this is none of your damn business. We got the money fair and square and there aint no one gonna say otherwise."

Jamal shouted out in pain. The gang member who had previously grabbed Katy then leaning back over her.

"You help him or die honey, your choice." He told her coldly.

"He needs a hospital." She replied. "I can try and stop the bleeding and help him breathe but I'm only a trainee. I can't do something I've never been taught." She told them.

"Why don't we let the others’outta the ambulance Ray? They can help Jamal."

"We can stabilise him but we can't save his life. The only people who can are surgeons and you won't let us take him to them."

"Help him." Ray shouted angrily.

"I can't." Katy shouted back. She grabbed some pressure pads and bandages and pushed them on the wound, Jamal screaming in pain as she did it. She then used a bandage to hold the pressure pad tightly over the bullet hole to try and stem the bleeding

"The rest of our equipment is inside the ambulance. Let me go back and get it."

"So you can help? You were lying?"

"I can give him oxygen and make him comfortable but Jamal has severe internal injuries we can't treat. I was not lying. I just need some drugs and to get some oxygen for him to keep him comfortable. He's going into shock."

"You go back to that ambulance and you won't come back." One of the younger gang members Marcus told her.

"I will I promise. Now you gonna let him go to a hospital or what?"

"No way." Ray told her. "And you aint going no where honey."

"So you're gonna watch him die? All because of something you've done? Don't you realise how stupid you're being? He will die!"

"We can't let him die man." One of the other gang members shouted.

"Yeah and we can't risk seeing the cops either." Ray shouted back.

"He's my brother man come on." One of the other members shouted. "Let them help."

"You telling me what to do?" Ray asked. "No one tells Ray what to do."

As Katy began to back off, all hell broke loose, gunshots ringing out as the gang turned on each other.

It wasn't until a couple of minutes later when Kim looked out of the ambulance that she saw Katy had been hit in her left leg and was badly bleeding. Kim attempted to get out of the ambulance but the gang members who had been guarding it before once again appeared putting their guns to her head.

"She won't help our boy. You won't help your girl." One of them told Kim coldly.

"She couldn't help. She's not even fully trained." Kim shouted.

"You wanna get shot?" one of them asked her.

Kim shook her head.

"Then you get in the front of your ambulance and you stay there. We watch our boy die. You watch sweet thing over there." He told her putting a gun to her back as she climbed in front with Doc.

Kim put her head in her hands as soon as she got inside.

"She's been shot Doc, and they're not even gonna let us help her." she told her partner.

"Bos and the guys will be here soon Kim." he reassured, only wishing he knew if that was the truth.

"I don't know how much time they've got." Kim told Doc sadly.

****