Lyle laid there a minute laughing so hard. "The police?" He stood.
"Why can't you leave us alone?" Jarod asked as Parker moved beside him.
"If you would just let me have what I wanted none of this would have happened." Lyle grabbed the gun off the end table. He pointed it at Parker.
"Just leave." She replied as she watched him back up slowly.
"I'm sorry, but it will only be fair to hurt you like you did me." Lyle pulled the trigger.
The last thing Jarod remembered was hearing Parker scream. Then there was another shot. Parker looked down at the floor as she dropped the gun she took from Jarod's back.
"Jarod!" She ran to her husband's side. "Don't you leave me!" She screamed as two police officers came running in. "Call 911." Parker cried as she stared down into Jarod's eyes.
"I'm going to rest." His voice was soft and barely there. Parker watched as he closed his eyes.
"Open your eyes, damn it." She held pressure on the bullet wound as the paramedic's entered the room.
Her tears hit his face. "I'm not going anywhere." He whispered as he head tilted to the side.
"Jarod!" She shouted as a police officer pulled her away from him.
******
Parker sat in a chair in the surgery waiting area.
"Mrs. Russell, can you tell me what happen?" The officer sat down next to her.
"Tell you what happen? My husband was shot." She snapped.
"I know ma'am but we need to know what happen. When we got there we found a dead body, a man shot, and you with your shirt unbuttoned."
"Look, can this wait! I have to call my family and tell them that their father may or may not live!"
"I know this is not a good time but if we...."
"Excuse me, Brent. Can I see you for a moment?" The other officer said as he approached them.
"Sure." They walked off and a few minutes later the other officer sat down next to her.
"Mrs. Russell, I will make you a deal. I'll let you use my phone to call your family if you help me out and answer a few questions...."
"But..."
"Then when you have calm down some more we will ask you the rest."
She looked up into his brown eyes. Tears fell again. "Okay." She replied softly.
He handled her the phone. She dialed the number.
"Hello."
"Margaret."
"Melissa, Broots said...."
"Margaret listen to me. It's Jarod. He has been hurt."
"Hurt? Where are you?"
"I'm at the hospital on the second floor."
"Is he okay?"
Parker couldn't answer. She was too choked up.
"Melissa?"
"Don't tell the kids anything yet."
"We're on our way."
Parker hung up the phone. "Thanks." She handed it back to the officer.
"Mrs. Russell..."
"Call me Melissa."
"Okay, Melissa, can you tell me what happen?"
"I was on way to visit a client when Lyle was waiting for me in my car."
"You knew this man?"
"Yes. I thought he was brother but it's long story." She stood and paced the waiting area.
"What did he want?"
"My son."
"Your son?"
"Yes. Well, one of my sons."
"Which one?"
"Dylan, he's five."
Parker paced as she told the officer everything she remembered. When Margaret and Charles got there they found her staring out the window as if is she was lost.
"Melissa."
She hugged them both.
"What happen?" Charles asked.
"Lyle." She replied.
A male doctor dressed in green scrubs walked into the waiting room.
"Mrs. Russell?"
"Yes." She turned her head to meet him.
"Your husband's in recovery. We got the bullet out. He has lost a lot of blood."
"Is he going to make it?"
"It's too soon to tell but he is hanging in there."
"When can I see him?"
"I'll get back with you on that. Right now he needs his rest."
"Bullet?" Margaret sat down in the closest chair. Charles put his arm around her and the other one around his daughter-in-law.
"Is there any damage?"
"The bullet was lodge between the heart and his left lung. He was lucky. The damage wasn't as bad as it looked. I have to get back. I will have a nurse keep you informed."
"Thank you." Charles replied as he watch the surgeon left.
One of the officer's came up to her. "Ma'am, I'm glad to hear that he is hanging in there. We can finish this tomorrow."
"Thank you." Parker said as they walked off.
"Finish it tomorrow." Margaret looked up Parker.
"What happened?"
Parker tried to explain it to them when a nurse came out. "Mrs. Russell?"
"Yes."
"Your husband is calling for you. If you will come this way I will take you to him."
Parker followed her to the recovery room.
******
"Jarod." She ran up to him. "You had me scared." She kissed his cheek.
"Melissa." His voice was weak.
"Shh." She held his hand. "Don't you leave me."
"Lyle?" He stared into her blue eyes.
"He's gone."
"Gone?"
"I killed him." She whispered into his ear. She didn't want everyone to hear them talking.
"What did he do to you?"
"Nothing."
"Melissa?" He knew she was avoiding the question.
"Jarod, can we talk about something else? Please."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Melissa, I'm not going anywhere."
"Good. Cause I would hate to know you are leaving me with all those kids."
He smiled at her. "I won't."
She smiled back.
"I'm tired."
"Get some rest. I'll stay with you as long as they will let me stay."
"Melissa?"
"Uh?"
"Just stay until I fall asleep then I want you to go home to the kids. They need you."
"I need you."
"I want you to rest too."
"I will."
"No, promise me you will go home and rest."
"Okay." She held onto his hand tighter. She laid her head down on the side of the bed to rest her chin as she watched him drift off to sleep.
"Mrs. Russell?"
"Mmm." She raised up to see a doctor standing there.
"You need to leave now. We are moving him to ICU. I think you should go home a get some rest."
"I think I will stay a while longer in the waiting area if that is okay?"
"Sure but I think you should get some rest."
"I will." Parker stood from her chair and watched them roll her husband out.
******
When Parker entered the waiting room again she found Sam standing next to Charles.
"Sam, what are you doing here?"
"I have come to take you home."
"I'm going to stay here."
"Melissa, I think you should go home. Your kids are going to be worried." Sam said with concern.
"But..."
"We're staying. We will call you if anything changes. I promise. Now, go get some rest." Charles informed her as he placed his hand on her shoulder again.
"Fine."
Sam took her arm and headed her in the right direction.
"Call me. Promise." She looked back the couple in the waiting area.
"I promise." Charles said as he pointed toward the exit.