[RP] Over the line can't define what I'm after....
(Co-written with enjoythe_ride. Sam is freelncesuphero, Sara-Rose is gramslilpicasso, James is anyminute_now, Lizzie is dads_lilhacker, Michael is feel_theburn, and Haley is hel_hathnofury.)
Sam wavered on his feet, his hand brushing over his face as he exhaled. His phone was in his hand, but he was scared to make the call he had to make. Blood stained his clothes and hands. An ambulance was driving away, sirens blaring. He opened his phone and dialed her number slowly, then held the phone to his ear. He needed to get to the hospital, but he also knew if he didn't call Bela right away, she'd later have his hide. Telling her that her husband had been shot was just about the last thing he wanted to do.
Bela was home, working on putting dinner together when the phone rang. She hesitated for only a second, before picking up the receiver and putting the phone to her ear. "Hello?"
"Bela, it's Sam. Now...just relax, okay? There's been a slight hitch with the job, but...don't freak out."
Sam should have known by now that putting those words together was not the way to make Bela not freak out. She straightened a bit at the statement, her grip tightening on the phone as her mind ran through all the possibilities and options. They just kept getting worse as she went and eventually she swallowed and just asked. "How big a hitch?"
His eyes closed and he took a long breath. "Mikey's been shot. But...he's okay. He's...alive."
"Shot where? What happened, Sam?"
"We were watching McMillan's building, and some big guys showed up...we almost got out of there, but.." He started for the car. "He got hit in his side. Kept conscious 'til right before the paramedics showed up. They're taking him to the ER right now."
Bela's hand came up to cover her eyes as she sank into one of the nearby chairs. "He bloody promised me he'd be careful," she muttered before running a hand through her hair. "What hospital were they taking him to?"
He rattled off the name of the nearest hospital as he started to pull out into traffic. "I'm on my way there now."
"I have to call my children," she sighed. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
"You...you want any help with that?"
"No, I'll take care of it. They should hear it from me -- no offense, Sam."
"No, none taken. I'll be at the hospital."
"I'll be there in a bit," she nodded, before hanging up the phone. She tried Lizzie first, but got no answer. Frustrated, she hung up and tried Sara-Rose next, just placing the phone to her ear and listening to it ring.
Sara-Rose was in the middle of a painting, and usually she ignored all calls while she was working, but honestly she needed a break. She wiped a paint-stained hand across her forehead and went searching for her phone. It was somewhere in her clutter. "Aha!" She grabbed it and checked the ID, then answered it. "Hi Mom!"
"Hello, sweetheart," she said softly. "Are you busy?"
"Nah, I was just trying to get a project done for one of my classes. I think it's too disproportionate though." She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as she studied her work.
"I'm sure it looks beautiful regardless."
She smiled. "Thanks."
Bela swallowed. She was never any good at delivering bad news, and this was some of the worst. "Listen, sweetheart, there's been a bit of an incident. With your father."
Sara-Rose frowned. "Dad? What happened?"
"Sam called. He says he's been shot."
"What? Is-is he okay?"
"I don't know. All I know is that he's alive and he's being taken to the hospital." Bela was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Look, I have to call your brother and get down there, but Lizzie wasn't answering her phone. Could you please continue trying to get a hold of her?"
"Yeah...yeah, sure. And...I'll come to the hospital. Just...call me if you hear anything?"
"I will," she nodded slowly, going quiet again before speaking up again. "He'll be fine, love. I'm sure of it."
She was shaking already as she nodded and sat on the couch. "Yeah...of course he will…"
"I'll talk to you soon, alright?"
"Okay. Bye Mom." She hung up the phone, staring at it blankly.
James came back into the apartment with a loud bang! as the door closed behind him. The dogs were with him, and he spotted Sara-Rose on the couch, giving her a smile as he walked over. "Hey, babe -- " His voice trailed off when he saw the look on her face, and he was instantly at her side. "Hey. What's wrong?"
"My dad was shot," she said softly. "He's in the emergency room."
"Shit," he said, before wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "You okay?"
She nodded slowly. "I hafta call Lizzie."
He nodded. "Anything I can do?"
"Just...stay here." She leaned against him as she tried Lizzie again.
He did so, resting her cheek on the top of her head. The phone rang a few times before Lizzie's breathless voice came over the speakers, sounding a little frustrated. "Westen."
"Hey Lizzie," she said. "Got a minute?"
"Just barely," she replied as she glanced down at her watch before slumping in her desk chair. "What's up?"
"It's Dad..."
"What about him?" She still wasn't paying attention enough to pick up the tone in her sister's voice, so the question was mostly dismissive, trying to get through this as quickly as possible.
She closed her eyes and leaned into James more. "He's at the hospital. He was shot."
That statement caused her to stop dead in her tracks, the phone hanging on her ear for a second as she tried to process that. "He what?"
"Sam called Mom. Mom tried calling you..."
"Yeah, but I'm in the middle of a ... " Lizzie paused for a minute, trying to get a handle on herself. She was in the middle of a crowded bullpen. She didn't need to be losing her cool. " ... I was probably on the phone. What hospital is he in?"
She told her and sighed. "Mom's calling Cole and then going over there, and…I guess I'm going in a minute."
"Okay. Okay." Lizzie looked over the paperwork on her desk before nodding. "I don't think I can head over there right now, but -- I'll be there as soon as I can. Just -- keep me updated?"
"I will. I promise."
"Thank you," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'll let you go." There was another pause before she caught her breath. "He's gonna be fine, right? I mean, he's Dad. He's been through worse. Right?"
Sara-Rose bit her lip. "Sure...he'll be fine. He's Dad."
She let out a half-laugh. "You sound just about as convinced as I am."
"You're supposed to be the one reassuring me, sis."
"Sorry, I know."
"It's okay. I'll call you when I hear something."
"Thanks," she sighed. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Okay." She hung up and looked at James.
He looked back at her, before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Want me to go with you?"
"Probably not the best time for everyone to find out," she sighed.
"Don't care," he said. "Do you want me there or not?"
"I do," she said slowly. "I just...don't know if I'm ready to throw this at everyone."
He took a breath before nodding, and just pulling her closer, not caring that she was covered in paint. "Call me and I'll be there in two minutes, okay?"
"Okay." She tipped her head up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."
"What I'm here for," he nodded. "And he will be okay. Your mom is not going to let him go without a fight, and she's got skills."
"I know."
"Just keep thinking positive, okay? You'll get through it.
She nodded and leaned forward to pull her shoes on. She really didn't care how she looked, she didn't want to bother with getting cleaned up before she left. "I'll call you soon." She kissed his forehead and was quickly out the door.
***
Bela had finished cleaning up the kitchen after calling Sara-Rose, and was getting ready to head out the door to go to the hospital when she started calling her son. Cole was the one she was least worried about when it came to wondering if he would pick up the phone. Unless he was irrevocably occupied, he almost always picked up the phone when she called, and that was what she needed from him right then. She tried to keep her breathing calm as she made her way to the garage to get her car, keys balanced in her hand.
Cole had just come out of a meeting with a prospective client when Bela called. He was ditching his tie and jacket in the car, and trying to kill time before meeting up with Haley. "Yo," he said, answering the call.
"Cole, it's me. Where are you?"
He smiled when he heard his mom's voice. "SoHo."
She paused for a moment. "Do you think you can get back to Midtown quickly?"
"I...guess I could. I have dinner plans though."
"They might have to wait. There's been an incident," she sighed. "Your father's in the hospital."
"Why? What happened?"
"He was shot."
Cole stopped, his eyes narrowing. "By who?"
"I don't know. Sam didn't give me a lot of the details. All I know is that he's in the hospital, and that as far as Sam knows he's alive."
Anger was starting to flash through him. "Son-of-a..." he sighed. "You okay? You want me to come get you?"
"I'm fine. Just -- get to the hospital. As soon as you can."
"Yeah," he said a bit distantly. "On my way."
"Thank you," she said softly, before rambling off the hospital name. "I should be there in a few minutes."
Cole hung up and went around to get into the driver's seat. He was already thinking over talking to Sam about whatever case he and his father were on, and finding out who exactly fired the shot. He didn't take kindly to his father being shot. He put that aside for a moment though to call Haley. The last thing he needed was for her to think he stood her up when he didn't show later.
Haley was in the middle of working on a composition when the phone rang. She barely looked up, just reached over and hit the speaker button so she could keep working. "Hello?"
"Hey babe," he said with a sigh.
"Hey," she said with a bit of a grin. "Everything okay?"
"Not really," he said. He was still angry and it probably showed some in his voice. "Someone shot my dad."
"What?" she gasped, dropping back into her seat. "When? What happened?"
He looked down. "Not long ago, I guess. He's in the hospital now and I have to go there. I...I don't know what happened, but I'm gonna find out."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"I...don't know," he said quietly.
She took a deep breath before settling back on the piano bench. "Look, just take a deep breath, and get to the hospital. They'll tell you everything you need to know there."
"Yeah," he nodded, though she couldn't see. "And Sam will tell me what they can't."
"It'll be okay, Cole."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do," she sighed. "I've been here, okay? My dad's been shot in the line of duty before. Just take a deep breath, and you'll get through it."
He took a deep breath and let it out. "Can I call you later?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Of course."
"Okay. Sorry about dinner."
"It's okay. I understand."
"I'll talk to you soon, Hales."
"Talk to you soon," she nodded before letting him go.
Cole hung up and started for the hospital. As soon as he got there he found parking as fast as he could and rushed towards the emergency room waiting room, looking around for anyone.
Bela was sitting in the waiting room, legs crossed in front of her and Sam next to her. She was trying not to seem worried, but it was there in the way she was sitting, tense and poised, almost as though she was barely focusing on what was in front of her.
"Mom!" Cole spotted her and went over.
She looked up at the sound of her son's voice, before pushing herself up and pulling him in for a hug. She wasn't sure why, but it was the instinctive thing to do right then.
He was okay with that. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. "It'll be okay, Mom."
"I know," she said softly, not sure if she believed it, but it was what she needed to say. "I know."
Sam got up, his hands shoved in his pockets. He was feeling kind of guilty. Cole let go of Bela and turned to Sam. "You okay, kiddo?" Sam asked.
Cole shrugged. "Any updates on Dad?"
Sam shook his head. "Not yet."
Sara-Rose appeared then, paint-smeared and frantic. "Any word?"
"No," Bela sighed, shaking her head. "Did you get a hold of your sister?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "She couldn't get away, but she's trying."
"Is she on her way?"
"She said she'd be here as soon as she could," Sara-Rose shrugged.
Bela nodded slowly, before reaching for her daughter to pull her closer. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she said, leaning close.
She nodded again, before wrapping her arms around her and just staying close, waiting for the doctor to come and give them information.
Cole turned to Sam and crossed his arms. "Who did it?"
Sam eyed Bela nervously before looking back at Cole. "Some hired thugs, but don't worry about it, okay?"
"Don't worry about it?!" Cole looked at Sam, incredulous. "Are you kidding me? Who were you after?"
Sam looked to Bela for help. He didn't want to start anything.
"Cole," she said firmly, reaching for his wrist. "It can be dealt with later."
He yanked his wrist back. "After we sit here waiting for Dad to not die?"
"Jesus, Cole," Sara-Rose said, stepping back.
Bela took a breath, closing her eyes for a moment, before reaching for her son's arm gently again. "Come with me. Let's get some air."
He looked at her. "I don't want air. I want to talk to Sam."
Sam sighed and moved over to Sara-Rose, who was looking anywhere but at her brother. She was clearly getting more upset. "Go with your Mom, Cole. If you wanna talk later...it'll be up to Bela." He wrapped his arm around Sara-Rose, who leaned into him.
Bela wasn't backing down, gently pulling him back towards the door and away from his sister. "Come on."
Cole couldn't help but go with her.
She pulled him out of the ER, back towards the parking lot and didn't stop until they were a good distance from the door. "Going into this hot-tempered isn't going to help matters."
He glared, out of anger more than at her. "You want to just let whoever shot Dad get away with it?"
"Absolutely not. But running after him guns blazing isn't going to help either," she said with a glare. "In fact, it will only get you into more trouble, which is why we need to wait and think about this when we have a clear head."
"And give them time to go into hiding."
"They can't hide," she said softly. "Not from me. Odds are, they have no idea who they're dealing with." She took a step closer to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I will take care of this my way. I can handle it."
His jaw set and he looked over her shoulder. "Yeah...fine."
"Cole ... " The tone was one meant to warn, and she didn't have to do it often with him, but it happened often enough.
He met her eyes. "Okay."
She held his stare for a moment. "Thank you."
He looked down at his feet, changing the subject. "Lizzie should be here."
"She'll get here," Bela sighed, trying not to seem nervous that she wasn't here already. One family tragedy was all she could handle for today. "She may need a little time. You know how close she is with your father."
Cole just nodded.
She took another breath. "Can we go back inside without you assaulting Sam now?"
"Okay," he said.
"Good," she said with a nod, before moving closer to him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders as she walked him back in.
****
After a few more hours, the head surgeon on the case came out to talk to them. Michael had gotten through the surgery successfully and the bullet had been removed. It had done quite a bit of damage and he was going to need a lot of downtime, but he was alive. They wanted to keep him in the hospital a few days to monitor him. He was still sleeping off the drugs, and the doctor said they could each go see him.
Sara-Rose and Cole looked at each other, then at Bela. "You wanna go first, Mom?" Sara-Rose asked.
She nodded. "If you all don't mind?"
No one objected, and Sam nodded. "Go ahead, I'll sit with the kids."
She reached over and squeezed his hand gently as she got up, before following the doctor's lead back towards Michael's room.
Once Bela was gone, Cole looked at Sam and opened his mouth to speak, but Sam cut him off. "No."
Sam wavered on his feet, his hand brushing over his face as he exhaled. His phone was in his hand, but he was scared to make the call he had to make. Blood stained his clothes and hands. An ambulance was driving away, sirens blaring. He opened his phone and dialed her number slowly, then held the phone to his ear. He needed to get to the hospital, but he also knew if he didn't call Bela right away, she'd later have his hide. Telling her that her husband had been shot was just about the last thing he wanted to do.
Bela was home, working on putting dinner together when the phone rang. She hesitated for only a second, before picking up the receiver and putting the phone to her ear. "Hello?"
"Bela, it's Sam. Now...just relax, okay? There's been a slight hitch with the job, but...don't freak out."
Sam should have known by now that putting those words together was not the way to make Bela not freak out. She straightened a bit at the statement, her grip tightening on the phone as her mind ran through all the possibilities and options. They just kept getting worse as she went and eventually she swallowed and just asked. "How big a hitch?"
His eyes closed and he took a long breath. "Mikey's been shot. But...he's okay. He's...alive."
"Shot where? What happened, Sam?"
"We were watching McMillan's building, and some big guys showed up...we almost got out of there, but.." He started for the car. "He got hit in his side. Kept conscious 'til right before the paramedics showed up. They're taking him to the ER right now."
Bela's hand came up to cover her eyes as she sank into one of the nearby chairs. "He bloody promised me he'd be careful," she muttered before running a hand through her hair. "What hospital were they taking him to?"
He rattled off the name of the nearest hospital as he started to pull out into traffic. "I'm on my way there now."
"I have to call my children," she sighed. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
"You...you want any help with that?"
"No, I'll take care of it. They should hear it from me -- no offense, Sam."
"No, none taken. I'll be at the hospital."
"I'll be there in a bit," she nodded, before hanging up the phone. She tried Lizzie first, but got no answer. Frustrated, she hung up and tried Sara-Rose next, just placing the phone to her ear and listening to it ring.
Sara-Rose was in the middle of a painting, and usually she ignored all calls while she was working, but honestly she needed a break. She wiped a paint-stained hand across her forehead and went searching for her phone. It was somewhere in her clutter. "Aha!" She grabbed it and checked the ID, then answered it. "Hi Mom!"
"Hello, sweetheart," she said softly. "Are you busy?"
"Nah, I was just trying to get a project done for one of my classes. I think it's too disproportionate though." She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as she studied her work.
"I'm sure it looks beautiful regardless."
She smiled. "Thanks."
Bela swallowed. She was never any good at delivering bad news, and this was some of the worst. "Listen, sweetheart, there's been a bit of an incident. With your father."
Sara-Rose frowned. "Dad? What happened?"
"Sam called. He says he's been shot."
"What? Is-is he okay?"
"I don't know. All I know is that he's alive and he's being taken to the hospital." Bela was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Look, I have to call your brother and get down there, but Lizzie wasn't answering her phone. Could you please continue trying to get a hold of her?"
"Yeah...yeah, sure. And...I'll come to the hospital. Just...call me if you hear anything?"
"I will," she nodded slowly, going quiet again before speaking up again. "He'll be fine, love. I'm sure of it."
She was shaking already as she nodded and sat on the couch. "Yeah...of course he will…"
"I'll talk to you soon, alright?"
"Okay. Bye Mom." She hung up the phone, staring at it blankly.
James came back into the apartment with a loud bang! as the door closed behind him. The dogs were with him, and he spotted Sara-Rose on the couch, giving her a smile as he walked over. "Hey, babe -- " His voice trailed off when he saw the look on her face, and he was instantly at her side. "Hey. What's wrong?"
"My dad was shot," she said softly. "He's in the emergency room."
"Shit," he said, before wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "You okay?"
She nodded slowly. "I hafta call Lizzie."
He nodded. "Anything I can do?"
"Just...stay here." She leaned against him as she tried Lizzie again.
He did so, resting her cheek on the top of her head. The phone rang a few times before Lizzie's breathless voice came over the speakers, sounding a little frustrated. "Westen."
"Hey Lizzie," she said. "Got a minute?"
"Just barely," she replied as she glanced down at her watch before slumping in her desk chair. "What's up?"
"It's Dad..."
"What about him?" She still wasn't paying attention enough to pick up the tone in her sister's voice, so the question was mostly dismissive, trying to get through this as quickly as possible.
She closed her eyes and leaned into James more. "He's at the hospital. He was shot."
That statement caused her to stop dead in her tracks, the phone hanging on her ear for a second as she tried to process that. "He what?"
"Sam called Mom. Mom tried calling you..."
"Yeah, but I'm in the middle of a ... " Lizzie paused for a minute, trying to get a handle on herself. She was in the middle of a crowded bullpen. She didn't need to be losing her cool. " ... I was probably on the phone. What hospital is he in?"
She told her and sighed. "Mom's calling Cole and then going over there, and…I guess I'm going in a minute."
"Okay. Okay." Lizzie looked over the paperwork on her desk before nodding. "I don't think I can head over there right now, but -- I'll be there as soon as I can. Just -- keep me updated?"
"I will. I promise."
"Thank you," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'll let you go." There was another pause before she caught her breath. "He's gonna be fine, right? I mean, he's Dad. He's been through worse. Right?"
Sara-Rose bit her lip. "Sure...he'll be fine. He's Dad."
She let out a half-laugh. "You sound just about as convinced as I am."
"You're supposed to be the one reassuring me, sis."
"Sorry, I know."
"It's okay. I'll call you when I hear something."
"Thanks," she sighed. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Okay." She hung up and looked at James.
He looked back at her, before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Want me to go with you?"
"Probably not the best time for everyone to find out," she sighed.
"Don't care," he said. "Do you want me there or not?"
"I do," she said slowly. "I just...don't know if I'm ready to throw this at everyone."
He took a breath before nodding, and just pulling her closer, not caring that she was covered in paint. "Call me and I'll be there in two minutes, okay?"
"Okay." She tipped her head up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."
"What I'm here for," he nodded. "And he will be okay. Your mom is not going to let him go without a fight, and she's got skills."
"I know."
"Just keep thinking positive, okay? You'll get through it.
She nodded and leaned forward to pull her shoes on. She really didn't care how she looked, she didn't want to bother with getting cleaned up before she left. "I'll call you soon." She kissed his forehead and was quickly out the door.
***
Bela had finished cleaning up the kitchen after calling Sara-Rose, and was getting ready to head out the door to go to the hospital when she started calling her son. Cole was the one she was least worried about when it came to wondering if he would pick up the phone. Unless he was irrevocably occupied, he almost always picked up the phone when she called, and that was what she needed from him right then. She tried to keep her breathing calm as she made her way to the garage to get her car, keys balanced in her hand.
Cole had just come out of a meeting with a prospective client when Bela called. He was ditching his tie and jacket in the car, and trying to kill time before meeting up with Haley. "Yo," he said, answering the call.
"Cole, it's me. Where are you?"
He smiled when he heard his mom's voice. "SoHo."
She paused for a moment. "Do you think you can get back to Midtown quickly?"
"I...guess I could. I have dinner plans though."
"They might have to wait. There's been an incident," she sighed. "Your father's in the hospital."
"Why? What happened?"
"He was shot."
Cole stopped, his eyes narrowing. "By who?"
"I don't know. Sam didn't give me a lot of the details. All I know is that he's in the hospital, and that as far as Sam knows he's alive."
Anger was starting to flash through him. "Son-of-a..." he sighed. "You okay? You want me to come get you?"
"I'm fine. Just -- get to the hospital. As soon as you can."
"Yeah," he said a bit distantly. "On my way."
"Thank you," she said softly, before rambling off the hospital name. "I should be there in a few minutes."
Cole hung up and went around to get into the driver's seat. He was already thinking over talking to Sam about whatever case he and his father were on, and finding out who exactly fired the shot. He didn't take kindly to his father being shot. He put that aside for a moment though to call Haley. The last thing he needed was for her to think he stood her up when he didn't show later.
Haley was in the middle of working on a composition when the phone rang. She barely looked up, just reached over and hit the speaker button so she could keep working. "Hello?"
"Hey babe," he said with a sigh.
"Hey," she said with a bit of a grin. "Everything okay?"
"Not really," he said. He was still angry and it probably showed some in his voice. "Someone shot my dad."
"What?" she gasped, dropping back into her seat. "When? What happened?"
He looked down. "Not long ago, I guess. He's in the hospital now and I have to go there. I...I don't know what happened, but I'm gonna find out."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"I...don't know," he said quietly.
She took a deep breath before settling back on the piano bench. "Look, just take a deep breath, and get to the hospital. They'll tell you everything you need to know there."
"Yeah," he nodded, though she couldn't see. "And Sam will tell me what they can't."
"It'll be okay, Cole."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do," she sighed. "I've been here, okay? My dad's been shot in the line of duty before. Just take a deep breath, and you'll get through it."
He took a deep breath and let it out. "Can I call you later?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Of course."
"Okay. Sorry about dinner."
"It's okay. I understand."
"I'll talk to you soon, Hales."
"Talk to you soon," she nodded before letting him go.
Cole hung up and started for the hospital. As soon as he got there he found parking as fast as he could and rushed towards the emergency room waiting room, looking around for anyone.
Bela was sitting in the waiting room, legs crossed in front of her and Sam next to her. She was trying not to seem worried, but it was there in the way she was sitting, tense and poised, almost as though she was barely focusing on what was in front of her.
"Mom!" Cole spotted her and went over.
She looked up at the sound of her son's voice, before pushing herself up and pulling him in for a hug. She wasn't sure why, but it was the instinctive thing to do right then.
He was okay with that. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. "It'll be okay, Mom."
"I know," she said softly, not sure if she believed it, but it was what she needed to say. "I know."
Sam got up, his hands shoved in his pockets. He was feeling kind of guilty. Cole let go of Bela and turned to Sam. "You okay, kiddo?" Sam asked.
Cole shrugged. "Any updates on Dad?"
Sam shook his head. "Not yet."
Sara-Rose appeared then, paint-smeared and frantic. "Any word?"
"No," Bela sighed, shaking her head. "Did you get a hold of your sister?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "She couldn't get away, but she's trying."
"Is she on her way?"
"She said she'd be here as soon as she could," Sara-Rose shrugged.
Bela nodded slowly, before reaching for her daughter to pull her closer. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she said, leaning close.
She nodded again, before wrapping her arms around her and just staying close, waiting for the doctor to come and give them information.
Cole turned to Sam and crossed his arms. "Who did it?"
Sam eyed Bela nervously before looking back at Cole. "Some hired thugs, but don't worry about it, okay?"
"Don't worry about it?!" Cole looked at Sam, incredulous. "Are you kidding me? Who were you after?"
Sam looked to Bela for help. He didn't want to start anything.
"Cole," she said firmly, reaching for his wrist. "It can be dealt with later."
He yanked his wrist back. "After we sit here waiting for Dad to not die?"
"Jesus, Cole," Sara-Rose said, stepping back.
Bela took a breath, closing her eyes for a moment, before reaching for her son's arm gently again. "Come with me. Let's get some air."
He looked at her. "I don't want air. I want to talk to Sam."
Sam sighed and moved over to Sara-Rose, who was looking anywhere but at her brother. She was clearly getting more upset. "Go with your Mom, Cole. If you wanna talk later...it'll be up to Bela." He wrapped his arm around Sara-Rose, who leaned into him.
Bela wasn't backing down, gently pulling him back towards the door and away from his sister. "Come on."
Cole couldn't help but go with her.
She pulled him out of the ER, back towards the parking lot and didn't stop until they were a good distance from the door. "Going into this hot-tempered isn't going to help matters."
He glared, out of anger more than at her. "You want to just let whoever shot Dad get away with it?"
"Absolutely not. But running after him guns blazing isn't going to help either," she said with a glare. "In fact, it will only get you into more trouble, which is why we need to wait and think about this when we have a clear head."
"And give them time to go into hiding."
"They can't hide," she said softly. "Not from me. Odds are, they have no idea who they're dealing with." She took a step closer to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I will take care of this my way. I can handle it."
His jaw set and he looked over her shoulder. "Yeah...fine."
"Cole ... " The tone was one meant to warn, and she didn't have to do it often with him, but it happened often enough.
He met her eyes. "Okay."
She held his stare for a moment. "Thank you."
He looked down at his feet, changing the subject. "Lizzie should be here."
"She'll get here," Bela sighed, trying not to seem nervous that she wasn't here already. One family tragedy was all she could handle for today. "She may need a little time. You know how close she is with your father."
Cole just nodded.
She took another breath. "Can we go back inside without you assaulting Sam now?"
"Okay," he said.
"Good," she said with a nod, before moving closer to him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders as she walked him back in.
****
After a few more hours, the head surgeon on the case came out to talk to them. Michael had gotten through the surgery successfully and the bullet had been removed. It had done quite a bit of damage and he was going to need a lot of downtime, but he was alive. They wanted to keep him in the hospital a few days to monitor him. He was still sleeping off the drugs, and the doctor said they could each go see him.
Sara-Rose and Cole looked at each other, then at Bela. "You wanna go first, Mom?" Sara-Rose asked.
She nodded. "If you all don't mind?"
No one objected, and Sam nodded. "Go ahead, I'll sit with the kids."
She reached over and squeezed his hand gently as she got up, before following the doctor's lead back towards Michael's room.
Once Bela was gone, Cole looked at Sam and opened his mouth to speak, but Sam cut him off. "No."