Sam parked in the lot outside the emergency entrance but couldn’t seem to bring herself to go in there. What if the worst had happened? How would any of them cope with that? Sure, it was always a risk with their jobs, but no one ever expected it to actually happen. Besides, hadn’t they used up their squad’s share of bad mojo for the next decade after Cruz was shot last winter?

Leaning her head on the steering wheel, Sam summoned the wherewithal to go in there and face this thing head-on the way she always did. Her team needed her, and this was no time to lose her shit.

A light rap on the window had her looking into the hazel eyes she loved more than any other. He opened the door and crouched next to her. “Come here, babe.”

Sam took off her seat belt and practically flung herself into his arms.

“It’s okay. No matter what happens, I’ll be right there with you.”

She held on tight to him and let him shoulder the load for a few minutes until she could breathe normally again.

“Are you ready?”

“I think so.” Sam wiped her eyes. “Do I look like I’ve been freaking out?”

“You look like you’ve been out in the cold.”

That earned him a small smile full of gratitude for the fact that he almost always said exactly what she needed to hear.

He stood and held out his hand to her.

Wrapping her hand around his, she locked her car and walked with him into the Emergency Department. Her squad had taken over the waiting room, and they were rallying around Christina and baby Alex.

Nick went straight to Christina.

She flew into his arms and held on tight as her body shook with sobs.

“What’s the latest?” Sam asked Freddie. She was almost afraid of what he would say.

“He’s in surgery. The bullet nicked his carotid artery. The doctors said the pressure Arnold put on the wound is the only thing that gave him a chance, but he’s in critical condition.”

Sam glanced at Gonzo’s partner, who sat alone in the corner, covered with blood and looking shell-shocked. She gave Freddie a hug and went over to sit next to Arnold. “You did good out there, Detective.”

He released an unsteady deep breath. “A lot of blood. So much blood.”

“He’s going to be okay because of what you did for him.”

“What if it wasn’t enough? What if he dies? He can’t die.”

Sam reached for the young detective and held him as he broke down. “He’s not going to die. He’s at the best trauma center in the area, and they’re taking good care of him.”