In the days that followed Jessica quickly forgot her promise to Steve worrying about his safety the entire time he was gone. She arrived home late one evening after a grueling shift at the hospital. It had been 5 days without any word from her husband-to-be. She felt like a piece of her was missing since he departed. She dreaded the empty feeling of her dark house as she unlocked and opened the front door. As she turned to deposit her keys on the small oak foyer table she saw a long stemmed red rose with a small note attached stating, “I’ve missed you terribly.”

She smiled as her index finger traveled over Steve’s cursive handwriting. Flicking on the living room light she turned to see the scattered rose petals trailing across the foyer and up the stairs. She followed them until she came upon a second rose halfway up the staircase. The note read, “I’ve been thinking of nothing but you.”

She brought the flower to her face and inhaled the delicate scent as she wandered further up the stairs. The randomly placed petals on the carpet ceased at the bedroom door. She opened it slowly to find the room filled with lighted candles in various sizes spread about the room, their flickering light causing shadows to dance along the beige walls. Her eyes fell upon the queen-sized bed covered in pink and red petals, filling the room with their gentle fragrance. As she took a deep breath she felt familiar arms encircle her waist from behind and found a third rose held in front of her. Her smile grew into a grin as he whispered in her ear “I love you. Jessica.”

She turned to face the hopeless romantic behind her. They shared a passionate kiss, trying to convey all the tender feelings they had for each other. Her eyes took in every inch of his unclothed and tanned muscular body, reassuring her that he had returned without as much as a scratch. A crooked grin greeted her brown eyes when they finally made their way to his face. He leaned in and began kissing her neck and whispered in her ear, “You are over-dressed for the occasion.” She met his blue eyes and allowed him to assist her in undressing. They spent the next hour reacquainting themselves before falling into a peaceful sleep.

The time commitment of their respective careers began taking its toll. Steve had been on 4 consecutive assignments in then past 2 month with no more than a 48 hour break between them. Jessica was covering extra hours at the ER due to a temporary staffing shortage. Steve decided to take matters into his own hands. He told Oscar he would be unavailable for the next 4 days and covertly arranged coverage for his physician bride-to-be. He met Jessica just as she was leaving the hospital. She was shocked to see him there.

“Steve what are you doing here? I thought you had to work.”

“Well I came to take you away from this place.”

“But Steve I brought my car.” She reminded him as they headed across the parking lot in the opposite direction of her vehicle.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m driving.” He threw his left arm around her waist and slid his sunglasses onto his face.

They turned the corner of the building to face the large empty lot adjacent to the parking lot and she stared wide-eyed at the navy blue and white helicopter parked there. “Steve what are you up to?”

“I told you. I’m taking you away from this place. I figure 4 days should be enough, don’t you?”

“I can’t just leave! I have to work the next four days!”

“Not anymore. I discussed it with your supervisor and he agreed you’ve been working too much lately. So for the next 4 days you are in my care.”

“But where are we going?” She felt relieved and excited at having an unexpected vacation.

“To an island paradise where the sand is soft, the sun is hot and the drinks are cold.”

“But I need to pack first.”

“I already did it. Everything you need is in the back. If I didn’t pack it we can buy it. Besides all you need is a bikini.” He gave her a wide grin as he assisted her into the passenger seat and belted her in.

As Steve walked around the borrowed aircraft Jessica looked around the complicated cockpit realizing she had never flown in a helicopter. She couldn’t believe he went to all the trouble to spend time with her. She watched him fasten his seatbelt and start the engines. ‘Yes he was definitely one of a kind’. He gave her a quick wink as the skids lifted off the ground, neither could wait for the fun-filled days that lay ahead of them.

They arrived on the island after dark, allowing the young man to lead them to their bungalow while carrying their bags. Steve had managed to reserve the only hut with a bedroom open to the beach and a perfect view of the sun setting each night. Receiving the generous tip the young uniformed employees bowed his thanks and left the over-worked couple alone.

While Jessica grabbed a bubble bath Steve called room service to order dinner. While waiting for its delivery he stood on the deck looking out over the moonlit ocean and had an idea. His thoughts were interrupted when the meal arrived complete with perfectly chilled wine. The food smelled wonderful and Steve knocked on the bathroom door.

“Jess, honey, dinner’s here.” Not hearing a reply he slowly opened the door with a concerned look on his face. His expression turned into an amused smile as he looked at his fiancé. She sat deep in the high-sided tub with bubbles piled high upon the water covering her entire body except her neck, face and right forearm that was resting on the side of the porcelain tub. Her face was relaxed and her eyes closed. He cleared his throat but she still did not respond. He realized she had fallen asleep. He walked to her and gently touched her arm, careful not to startle her.

“Jess?” He whispered. Opening her eyes she inhaled the lavender scent of the bubbles and looked up at his handsome face, “You fell asleep. Are you hungry?”

She lazily smiled and stretched, “Famished.”

“I ordered your favorite…lasagna.” He explained while assisting her carefully out of the slippery tub. He exited the room while she dried herself off before slipping into a light robe. They ate their meal on the deck, too fatigued for conversation. As soon as they finished Jessica slid her five foot ten frame into the king-sized bed while Steve grabbed a quick relaxing shower, undoing the stress of the real world. Returning to the bed he laid himself next to her and watched her sleep while warm breezes passed over them. She was on her back with the soft, white cotton sheet pulled loosely to her chest. Her ample breast barely hidden, rising and falling with each breath she took. His heart felt full with the love he had for this unique woman. Although he ached to have her at that moment he knew he would have to wait. After quietly turning and extinguishing the light he kissed her still lips tenderly before curling up next to her and falling into a restful sleep.

The next day was filled with sailing and snorkeling. At lunch they ate at the resort’s restaurant. Jessica was shocked when they entered the room and two young staff members stopped Steve to request his autograph. The two boys shared their vivid memories of Steve’s walk on the moon while he obliged their request by signing his name on the paper they provided. Jessica enjoyed his embarrassment as she continued to tease him playfully about it throughout the afternoon.

The couple was pleasantly fatigued after the day’s activities. They sat on their private deck sipping wine and watching the spectacular sunset. Without a word Steve suddenly stood in front of her offering his hand then escorting her to their bed. Slowly and tenderly over the next two hours they physically communicated the depth of their love for one another. Jessica was surprised how easily he brought out the woman in her several times before they fell asleep, tightly spooned together.

Their second full day on the island began when breakfast arrived on their doorstep with a knock. Jessica came out of the bathroom, wet from the shower and dressed in her robe to answer it. Once alone she began calling for Steve but he was nowhere to be found. She decided to eat the food he obviously ordered while she was showering. She was glad she did since it was over an hour before he returned to the bungalow. He greeted her with a passionate kiss and vaguely answered her question about his whereabouts. “I was making arrangements.”

“What kind of arrangements?” She knew his love of surprises.

“You’ll see soon enough. Ready to start the day?” He asked as she began to dress

“Aren’t you going to eat breakfast?”

“I’m not hungry.” He sat on the edge of the bed waiting for her.

She perched herself on his lap and draped her arms around his neck, “Even after all the energy you expended since last night?”

He chuckled, “Even after last night.”

“Alright.” She stood up, “What’s on the agenda for today?”

“Well let’s see. There’s shuffleboard?” He joked. She just rolled her eyes. “Okay how about horseback riding?”

“I’m game!” She grabbed her sunglasses.

“Then after lunch I made an appointment for you.”

“For what?”

“A massage.”

“Oh you are a wonderful man aren’t you?” She purred as she hugged him not realizing he had an ulterior motive for keeping her occupied.

Kissing her lips he replied, “If you say so I’m not going to argue.”

After the hours spent on horseback and a light lunch Jessica was looking forward to her Swedish massage. She asked Steve what he had planned during her two-hour absence. She teasingly pretended to be concerned that women would be throwing themselves at him because he was famous. He swatted her backside and told her to enjoy her time with Enrique, her masseuse, but not to enjoy it too much, punctuating the statement with a wink. She laughed as she headed toward pure relaxation.

While she was gone Steve busied himself with some light shopping before settling himself at the outdoor bar sipping an iced tea. The bar, like the rest of the resort, was empty. This time of year was not the high tourist season which was fine with Steve, he hated crowds. As he looked around the beach on this sunny afternoon he caught sight of her sitting on the sand. Using his telephoto lens he also noticed the handsome, slightly balding forty-something man chatting with her. After a few minutes he left her side only to be replaced moments later with a young, muscular, blonde surfer-type. Steve smiled as he watched the scene unfolding before him. He walked to the structure’s edge, leaning against a post, as the blonde left his Jessica’s presence. Returning to the bar to deposit his empty glass on the counter he turned back toward the beach again only to find a third male with dark hair and a lean build in his mid-twenties approach her. It finally occurred to him that in the past 10 minutes three different men had ‘hit’ on his wife-to-be. He did not feel insecure about the situation just amused. He couldn’t wait to tease her about it, seeing it as payback for all the ‘famous astronaut’ taunting he had to swallow lately. He confidently ambled across the sand taking in her darkened tan accented by the light pink bikini top and white shorts. Her long hair was pulled up into a loose bun with strands of wavy hair falling randomly on her face and neck. She had her chin resting on her knees that were pulled to her chest as she stared out at the water

Seeing the serious look on her face he dropped his plan to tease her. Sitting at her side he offered, “Penny for your thoughts.”

She greeted him with a smile before looking back out at the waves hitting the beach. “I was just thinking how time flies. We met, what, a few months ago and sometimes it seems like only yesterday.”

“I know what you mean.” He agreed.

“Steve, do you ever wonder how much time you have here?”

“One day.” He giggled at his logical answer since they had to be in Washington tomorrow night.

“No silly, here on earth.”

“I don’t really think about it.”

“Why not?”

“I guess because I figure I’m on borrowed time.” She looked at him bewildered. “I should have died in that plane crash 3 years ago, every year since has been a bonus. Why are you asking such a morbid question?”

“It’s not morbid, deep maybe, but not morbid. I guess because of what I see day after day in my job or because you are frequently in harm’s way. I sometimes wonder how much time we will have together.” She didn’t want to reveal the true reason for her thoughts.

“Yeah, I think of that every time I leave on a mission.” He said honestly as his gaze left her perfect profile to fall upon the distant horizon. They sat through a few moments of silence. He placed his arm around her shoulders.

“I can’t believe we have to leave tomorrow.” She looked at him as if wanting him to tell her they could stay indefinitely but he couldn’t.

He smiled, “I have something special planned for our last night.” He was wishing to lift her spirits.

“And what would that be?” She asked hopefully.

“You’ll have to wait and see. First, we need to change our clothes. Come on.” He pulled her to her feet and they walked hand-in-hand across the beach.

They both quickly showered. Steve dressed in white linen trousers and a white cotton shirt, opened to his mid-torso, displaying his tanned chest. Jessica donned a white cotton sundress with her hair French braided and draped over her right shoulder.

As he walked her to the bar he glanced at the sun knowing their time was running short. He hoped everything would fall into place. They stepped up onto the wooden planks that elevated the bar floor from the sand. Steve led her to three strangers he recently met and introduced her.

“Jessica this is Reverend Pollard from the local protestant church. Jessica shook his hand as she greeted him. “And this couple is Sadie and Joe Miller from Rhode Island.” Jessica nodded to the gray-haired couple and threw a confused look at Steve. “They have agreed to be our witnesses.”

“Witnesses for what?”

“Our wedding!” He stared at her letting the information to sink in. When it did the tears began to build in her dark eyes.

“Oh Steve!!” She hugged him tight then broke away to ask, “Don’t we need a license?”

“All taken care of courtesy of Uncle Oscar, it just needs signatures.” He leaned in and whispered, “It nice having such powerful people in high places. I told him I couldn’t return to work until this was taken care of.” He looked at his wedding party, “So is everyone ready?”

The three acquaintances nodded, excited to be part of the event. Steve looked at his bride, “Jessica?”

“Absolutely!” She felt like she could burst.

On their way to the beach Steve retrieved from the bartender a small bouquet he purchased earlier. He turned, handing it to his bride and pulled one white rose bud from the arrangement and placed it in her hair. They assembled in front of the bungalow. The sun continued its unwavering descent as Jessica stood next to her groom and held his hand tightly. Mrs. Miller began taking photographs of the happy occasion.

Neither the bride nor the groom could fully concentrate on the words streaming from the clergyman. They were both reveling in the strong feelings they held for each other and the excitement of the moment. Jessica was snapped back to the present as the words hit her ears, “Do you Jessica Conrad take Steven Austin to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, till death do you part?”

“I do!” She looked at Steve, her smile leaving him breathless. She looked down as he handed her one of the gold bands he purchased this afternoon. She took it and slipped it onto the ring finger of his left hand. The electricity between them was almost palpable.

“Do you Steven Austin take Jessica Conrad to be your lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold from this day forward, till death do you part?”

“I do,” He slipped her gold band next to her engagement ring. He looked up at her with the familiar lopsided grin that melted her heart.

“Then by the powers vested in me I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Steve enveloped her well-toned body in his arms and kissed her passionately, flashes from the camera preserving the moment for posterity. They thanked their new friends for their time and took a long walk on the beach, the sun now gone and the sky starlit. When they reached an outcropping of large rocks they stopped. Steve glanced at his watch; it was already 11:00. He quickly glanced around before giving her a wicked grin. She slid her hands inside his un-tucked shirt and ran them over his back and muscular stomach. He asked her, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

She smiled seductively, “Maybe. Tell me Mr. Austin have you ever made love to a woman on a secluded beach under the stars?” She was thinking briefly of all the exotic places his job has sent him and the beautiful women he no doubt spent time with.

He looked to the sky deciding how he wanted to answer such a personal question, “I can’t say I have Mrs. Austin.”

She giggled, “I find that very hard to believe.”

They kissed until they were breathless, falling onto the silky sand. They made love for the first time as husband and wife as the warm salty water licked at their bare feet. He moved off her as their breathing slowed. They shared a few moments in the afterglow looking at the clear night sky before redressing and returning to their room.

Steve fell into a deep sleep quickly, the light sheet pulled up and resting at his hips. Jessica laid in the crook of his left arm her eyes taking in his look of contentment and his rugged features. Staring at her wedding ring as her hand rested on his well-defined stomach she wondered if she made the right decision. She rolled over onto her back and gazed at the slow moving ceiling fan above the bed. She had no doubt that marrying him was the right decision but felt a twinge of guilt at not being totally honest with him. She was slowly pulled into a fitful sleep.

The following morning the newlyweds packed their belongings and reluctantly returned to Washington.

Steve locked his car, stuffed his keys into his hip pocket and headed across the parking lot. He decided to see if Jessica was up for a late dinner. They saw little of each other since returning from their wedding/honeymoon 4 weeks ago. Jessica was covering double shifts at the hospital 5 days this week for a doctor on vacation and Steve had been on back-to-back assignments the past 7 days. At 10 pm he walked through the double doors of the ER to an unusually quiet waiting room anxious to see his wife.

A few nurses recognized him from either his short trip through their department after his accident or from photographs Jessica kept on her desk. They each greeted him warmly as he entered, explaining that his wife was in the back with a patient and would be finishing soon. He gave the young blonde nurse behind the desk a quick ‘thanks’ and a charming wink, making her blush. He wandered around the empty chairs. As he folded his arms, left over right, across his chest his wedding ring caught him eye. He still could not believe he was a married man. He let his thoughts travel back through the preceding weeks. It still amazed him how effortlessly they had settled into married life and their routine lives, as if they had always been together. His first order of business upon returning from their island vacation was to hire a housekeeper. He laughed when Jessica balked at the idea but he explained that with their limited free time he didn’t want it wasted cleaning, doing laundry and grocery shopping. He said her time away from work was for things that she enjoyed doing and, of course, spending time with him. After the first 2 weeks she was very happy with the decision. He, too, was immensely happy in his life right now, thinking nothing could possibly make it better until Jessica confessed to him this morning that she might be pregnant. That was part of his reason for coming to the hospital for dinner, he couldn’t wait until she came home to hear the news, she was planning to take a pregnancy test some time today on her break and he knew it was something she would want to tell him in person. He looked up to see the friendly nurse staring at him. “It’s a quiet night tonight.” He commented.

“Oddly quiet,” Was her reply from behind the desk.

Steve paced the waiting room about 30 minutes mulling over how he and Jess would work out the logistics of parenthood with such busy work schedules if she was indeed pregnant. His thoughts dissolved instantly at the sudden blood-curdling scream that came from the back room.

Steve immediately ran towards the terrifying sound followed closely by the charge nurse from the desk. Before rounding the final corner three gunshots echoed down the corridor. Steve continued his forward momentum but with more caution, his heart and adrenalin pumping. Giving a quick glance around the doorway he caught a glimpse of the horrific scene. There were two male orderlies and a female nurse lying on a blood covered floor, all victims of gunshot wounds to the chest. They were beyond his help but his wife wasn’t. She was being held in a chokehold with a .22 automatic to her head. In a whisper Steve instructed the nurse at his side to contact security, which she was more than happy to do seeing as it took her from the violent scene.

Steve took a deep breath before entering the doorway, immediately catching the gunman’s attention. Jessica wasn’t sure if she was relieved or frightened that her rescuer was her husband. She witnessed this madman’s lack of respect for human life. She herself was not afraid to die; years ago death had taunted her and she had made peace with her life and her God. What did frighten her was the possibility of seeing her husband gunned down in cold blood.

“Dr. Conrad are you alright?” He didn’t want to give this criminal the leverage of their relationship.

“Yes,” She whispered in a controlled voice.

“Who are you?” The blonde man demanded.

“Steve. Who are you?”

“No one you want to mess with tonight.” He pointed the gun at Steve’s chest.

“What’s your name?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not staying.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because this here doctor was planning on calling the cops on me and I’m not going back to that hellhole!”

Steve could tell he was high on something by the tremors, heavy perspiration and bloodshot eyes. “Why are you here?”

“I fell asleep… in the park. I wasn’t hurting anyone! They had no right to pick me up and bring me here! NO RIGHT!!”

Slowly the pieces were falling together. Steve tried to figure out his next move as he could hear the heavy footsteps of the security guards coming closer.

“Let her go and you can walk out of here okay?” He stated in a calm voice.

”No, she’s going with me. They won’t shoot me if she’s with me.” Steve stomach twisted at the thought of the man using Jessica as a shield.

“Look she’s scared; she’ll probably just slow you down. You don’t need that. Let me take her place. A hostage is a hostage right?” Jessica knew Steve just wanted to get within arms reach of this maniac.

“NO!” The instant the single syllable left his mouth he fired two shots into Steve’s chest. Without forewarning Steve had no time to escape the projectiles’ path. Jessica felt like the slugs of lead hit her chest at the moment of impact. She watched her husband drop to the floor, disbelieving all this was happening in just under an hour’s time. As Steve lay motionless and bleeding on the floor she was dragged to the parking lot.

The hospital security force had assembled as the fourth gunshot was heard. They immediately moved to attempt to intercept the gunman as he exited the building. With the help of local police they almost had the suspect surrounded when the frantic man threatened Jessica’s life if they didn’t move back. The armed officers complied all the while trying to reason with the criminal and hoping to prevent him from taking her from the scene or harming her. The ex-con asked Jessica which car was hers and she indicated the silver BMW at the end of the lot. He demanded her keys, which she surrendered after pulling them from her pants pocket with a shaky hand. She was trying to remain calm and co-operate, using the hospital training she received before beginning work in the ER. She never thought she would need it. Her thoughts traveled back to Steve, her best friend, her lover and husband. She doubted he could have survived the wounds.

The gunman continued to use her as a shield as he entered her vehicle. Once inside, he started the engine, put the car in gear, and then coldly shot her in the head. The tires squealed at his hasty departure as Dr. Jessica Conrad-Austin lay still on the cold black macadam.

The local police chased after the stolen BMW driven by the ruthless murderer. The only two survivors were quickly tended to by Dr. Richard Gerard, chief trauma surgeon. As he took charge of their care the charge nurse informed him of the need to contact Dr. Rudy Wells regarding Steve’s care.

Rudy was met by a staff member immediately upon entering the ER and escorted him the operating room. Dr. Gerard introduced himself and quickly relayed his findings of Steve’s injuries as both surgeons scrubbed up for the impending surgery. Steve had sustained two bullet wounds to the chest; one was very close to his heart. It was fortunate that the event took place in the hospital; as he would not have survived any delay in treatment. He informed Rudy that Steve had already had two units of blood to increase his chances of survival. Rudy finished up and entered the cool operatory. As the nurse assisted him with donning his surgical garb he stared down at his friend lying still on the table, intubated and pale. He prayed the outcome would be successful. The anesthesiologist nodded the patient was ready to begin and the doctors began their tedious work. As the surgery went on Dr. Gerard filled Rudy in on the events that transpired that caused Steve and Jessica to become seriously injured. Rudy inquired of Jessica’s condition only to be told she was in critical condition in an adjacent operatory with a gunshot to the head.

Oscar arrived as soon as he could after being notified only to be told Steve and Jessica were just taken into surgery. With a distraught look on his face he nervously paced the hallway until he saw Rudy approaching him. Glancing at his watch and noting only 2 hours had passed he didn’t think it was enough time to remove two bullets from a man’s chest.

“Rudy!”

“He’s alive but he lost a tremendous amount of blood. We were able to remove the bullet that was causing the excessive blood loss without difficulty.”

“What about the other one?”

“Because of the blood loss we had to end the surgery prematurely when his vital signs bottomed out. We couldn’t take the risk of him going into cardiac arrest.”

“So you’ll just wait and take the second bullet out when he is stronger,” Oscar stated simply.

“It’s not that easy Oscar. We got a look at the second bullet and the x-rays confirmed it, it’s lodged in the wall of his heart. That’s why we cannot risk his heart stopping. If it does, any effort to restart it, by defibulator or manual CPR, will just push it into the heart muscle.”

“I don’t understand. Why can’t you just wait it out then?”

“It’s lodged in the pericardium, the sac around the heart. There is fluid there that circulates and assists the heart in pumping normally. If the bullet blocks the flow of fluid it could be fatal.”

Oscar was silent and took a deep breath realizing the gravity of the situation. He realized Jessica might also be in as dire a condition as Steve, “How’s Jessica?”

“She’s out of surgery. Right now she is in a coma and on a respirator.” The doctor inhaled before finishing, “At this moment there are two top neurologists with her trying to determine if there is any brain activity at all.”

“You mean she’s…brain dead?”

“She might be.” He replied in a hollow tone. “Nothing has been confirmed yet. I think if Steve regains consciousness we should keep this information from him. The news could increase his heart rate or blood pressure and that’s the last thing he needs right now.

“Okay. Can I see him?”

“Sure”

Before arriving in their destination the men were intercepted by a tall, grey haired, gangly man in his early forties, looking quite disheveled in his cheap brown suit.

“Dr. Wells?”

“Yes.” Rudy eyed him curiously.

“I’m Detective Tom Shaffer, Homicide Dept, Washington D.C. Police. I was wondering if I could speak with Colonel Austin about the events that transpired last night.”

“Well Colonel Austin just got out of surgery and is in guarded condition. I don’t think he will be up to speaking with you for a few days.”

“Doctor, I’m sure you are aware he is our only survivor that saw the gunman, who may be able to give us a description. Time is not in our favor. The longer we wait the farther away this criminal gets. I would think Austin would want to help us catch the man who shot his wife.”

Rudy could not contain the anger that rose in his throat. “Maybe you aren’t aware that Steve Austin could die at any time and that’s without you prodding him for information.”

The detective looked the tired doctor directly in the eye, “All the more reason to speak with him now, in case he doesn’t make it. I’ve checked Dr. Wells; no one else got a good look at the assailant except Austin and Dr. Conrad, and we both know she won’t be providing any information. There were no usable finger prints found at the scene to help us identify the man.”

Rudy was suddenly torn. The lawman made some strong points however he was seriously concerned about the impact it would have on his patient. He realized he would have to make the decision as Steve would. He knew, without a doubt, Steve would want to provide any information he could that might help the police. Oscar’s weary face displayed his shock when Rudy replied, “Okay, he may, and I’m emphasizing the word may, be able to talk in an hour or so. Meet us in the I.C.U.”

“Thanks, I’ll do that.” He swiftly turned and walked away before the doctor could change his mind.

Oscar turned to Rudy, “What are you doing?”

“Oscar I have to take Steve’s wishes into consideration. You know as well as I do he will want to help if he can.” Rudy strode off in the direction of Steve’s room with Oscar following yards behind just shaking his head.

The head of Steve’s bed was elevated to ease his weakened intake of the supplemental oxygen being delivered through the nasal cannula under his nose. Bandages covered his chest absorbing the blood and fluid still oozing from the incision site. Surrounding the gauze were four white electrodes monitoring his heartbeat. Colorless fluid trickled down the long plastic tubing into his bloodstream through the needle inserted in his neck, leaving his left arm available to monitor his blood pressure. His brown hair was matted to his forehead by a sheen of perspiration, an indication of the difficult struggle he was waging to remain in this world. Rudy and Oscar, both with concerned looks etched on their faces, made small talk as Rudy checked the patient over. The nursing notes in the chart stated that Steve had roused briefly and inquired about his wife only to be told she was being well cared for. Rudy was relieved the note indicated Steve did not have a chance to question any further before falling asleep.

The detective arrived at the scheduled time. Rudy stepped up to Steve’s right side and gently rolled his head towards him while softly calling his name. Steve whispered an unintelligible response.

“Steve, do you remember what happened last night in the ER?” Rudy figured this may all be wasted energy if Steve had no recollection of the incident. Steve provided a weak nod without opening his eyes. Rudy could tell it was taking tremendous effort for Steve to communicate. “A detective from the Washington police dept is here and would like to ask you a few questions. Are you up to it?”

Steve nodded again.

As Rudy stepped back to make room for the notebook yielding man he whispered, “His condition is very precarious. If his vital signs change in the slightest I will end this immediately. Keep to questions that require one-word answers okay?” Det. Shaffer nodded.

“Colonel Austin did you see the assailant?”

Steve nodded a ‘yes’ trying to conserve his strength.

“Was he white or black?”

”White.” Came in a feeble whisper.

“Height?”

“Six feet.”

“Hair color?”

“Blonde.”

“Age range?”

“Mid-twenties.”

“Eye color?”

“Brown.”

“Body build?”

“Medium.”

“Anything else that might help us find him?” Steve nodded affirmatively.

Steve’s attempt to take in a deep breath was hindered by an invisible weight on his chest. He was only able to get out a staccato sentence, “Scar…left…cheek.”

“That’s good information,” The detective closed his tablet and began to step away when he heard Steve speak again, “He… has…prison…record.”

Rudy, who was eyeing the monitors the whole time, saw irregularities begin to show on the dark screen. He immediately asked the detective to leave.

Tom Shaffer thanked Steve for his effort and his exceptional observation skills before making his exit. Rudy returned to Steve’s side and saw his absolute exhaustion. He turned to leave with Oscar when Steve suddenly grabbed his forearm with a weak grasp, “Rudy…Jess...”

”Yes Steve?”

“What… about…baby?”

“Baby, what baby?”

“Jess…thought…she was…pregnant.”

“She thinks she is or definitely is pregnant?” Rudy deliberately kept the conversation in the present tense when speaking of Jessica.

“Don’t…know…she…didn’t…get …chance…to tell me.”

Rudy rested a comforting hand on Steve’s shoulder, “Okay Steve I’ll check it out. Right now you need to rest. I’ll check on you later.” Steve would have responded but the thick blackness had already enveloped him.

Rudy met Oscar in the hallway and filled him in on the heart-wrenching situation. They made their way to Jessica’s room three doors down. Immediately upon entering they found the air thick with dread. The nurse busied herself with the basic care of her patient. The respirator could be heard forcing air into the inert form. Her head was bandaged where the bullet had left its mark, just above her right ear. Her black hair covered most of the pillow’s whiteness. Her face was peaceful in spite of the intrusive plastic tube inserted into her trachea through her mouth, secured to her lips with paper tape. They saw Dr. Jason Scanlon, Jessica’s neurosurgeon, staring helplessly at his once vibrant colleague. He was a respected 35-year-old physician educated at Yale and well known in his field. Dr. Wells relayed the information regarding the possible pregnancy and Dr. Scanlon immediately ordered a serum pregnancy test. As they waited on the results the two physicians went to the Doctor’s lounge to grab some coffee and discuss their respective patients. Oscar decided that it was unrealistic to think he could return to his office and be productive so he chose to sit with Steve.

“Dr. Wells, I’m sorry to say Jessica was declared brain dead an hour ago. I’ve known her for some time and I’m aware she has a Living Will requesting all life-support be removed in a situation such as this.”

Rudy wondered why a young healthy woman would feel the need for such a document. He shared his curiosity with the neurosurgeon only to be told I the information fell under the patient-doctor confidentiality. “Please tell me you are not going to discontinue the life support before her husband is well enough to say good bye?”

“Dr. Wells I think it’s a moot point if Jessica is in fact pregnant. Since this special circumstance is not specified in her legal document and if she is in fact with child, it will be her husband decision on how to proceed. As you know we can attempt to keep her alive until the baby is to term but there may be complications for the baby.”

“And if she isn’t pregnant?”

”Well I’m sure we could wait for Steve to get a little stronger but as his physician do you feel Steve will be able to handle the situation?”

“I don’t know.”

”I think you should consider it may be an act of compassion to make the decision according to her wishes now while her husband is not fully aware of the situation.”

Rudy’s coffee cup froze half way to his lips when he realized the weight of the statement. Once again Rudy was put in the position to make a major decision for Steve since he could not. He swallowed the last bitter remains of his coffee and stared absently at the cup.

“Think on it Rudy. You know where you can find me if you decide we should proceed. Please understand that legally and ethically I cannot keep her on life support indefinitely if she is not carrying a child.”

As the neurosurgeon stood to leave a nurse approached him with a sealed envelope. Rudy stood next to him and the colleagues exchanged a glance as Dr. Scanlon broke the seal. His eyes quickly scanned the report with Jessica’s name on it, “It’s the lab report on Jessica.”

“And?”

“She is definitely pregnant.”

Rudy’s heart broke for his longtime friend. He knew with medical intervention they could attempt to maintain Jessica until the baby was to term and Steve would have a piece of her to keep with him. Unfortunately he would have to endure 40 weeks of seeing his beautiful wife maintained by machines wasting away. After delivering the baby by Cesarean Section the life support would need to be disconnected.

While Rudy was meeting with Dr. Scanlon Steve, unable to be fully sedated due to his weakened respiratory status, dozed fitfully, the conversation with the detective bringing his memories about the violent events into his subconscious mind. His dream started innocently enough with him and Jessica looking at new homes to accommodate a large family. They entered a large Victorian mansion hand in hand. He watched her travel from room to room smiling at the thought of making this their home. Suddenly the light was lost and Steve heard Jessica calling his name over and over. He knew she needed him but he couldn’t find her in the house. He ran to the different rooms and different floors. Every time he caught sight of her she would quickly disappear. He became frantic trying to reach her. Finally he grabbed a hold of her wrist as she rounded the corner only to slip from his grasp. The panic began to build as he could feel she was in danger. He continued to call out her name but only silence answered him.

The two nurses tending to Steve saw the rapid eye movement and the monitors began beeping their warning. One nurse requested Oscar step outside the room. The other immediately had Dr. Wells paged overhead.

Rudy rushed in inquiring why his patient was so agitated. Getting no useful information from the nurses he tried to calm Steve down.

“Steve, what’s wrong?” Rudy was also trying to calm himself as an alarming heart rate displayed on the monitor.

“Jessica…I need to…find…her” It took all his strength to communicate through a forced whisper.

Suddenly the EKG showed a moderate arrhythmia and Steve’s breathing became labored. Rudy used his stethoscope and heard the amplified irregular rhythm. Steve became unresponsive and Rudy knew they had run out of time to wait. Oscar followed the gurney transporting his friend to the operating room. He didn’t have to ask before Rudy filled him in, “Steve’s heart rate is very irregular and blood pressure is too high. I’m hoping we can remove the bullet before it’s too late.”

“What are his chances?”

“Right now …slim. The discussion with the detective took a lot out of him and now this. His chances would have been much better if this could have waited another 24 hours.”

With that Oscar stopped as they wheeled the unconscious patient into the sterile environment where Dr. Gerard was waiting to assist as requested. Oscar thought back on all the dangerous assignments he had sent Steve on and now he may lose his life from a senseless violent act that occurred while he was coming to take his wife out to dinner. Sometimes life just didn’t make sense.

...Continued