“It’s okay,” Mrs. Gonzales said as the entire squad stood behind her and her husband. “These people are his family too. They can hear whatever you have to say.”

“We were able to repair the wound to his carotid artery, and he’s in recovery. He lost a lot of blood, and he’s still in critical condition, but we expect him to make a full recovery.”

Sam sagged against Nick, the relief coursing through her and making her legs go weak.

His strong arm around her was about the only thing that kept her from landing on the floor in a heap.

“When can we see him?” Christina asked.

“He’ll be in recovery for the next couple of hours and then in ICU after that. We’ll let you know when he’s ready for company.”

“Thank you so much for saving his life,” Christina said tearfully. “He means an awful lot to all of us.”

“He’s a fighter,” the surgeon said. “It was a very close call, but he hung in there. Whoever applied pressure to the wound in the field is the one who really saved his life.”

The entire squad pointed to Arnold, who had tears on his cheeks as he heard his partner was going to survive.

“Well done, Detective,” the surgeon said before he left them to celebrate the good news.

Nick hugged Christina, who held on tight as her emotions got the best of her.

“You all should go home and get some sleep,” Sam said to her team. “It’s been a long week. I hope you’ll all feel free to stop by at some point on Thanksgiving. We’ll be home.”

Every one of her detectives hugged her on the way out of the waiting room.

“I’m really proud of you,” Sam said to Arnold. “You held up out there today, and you saved his life.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Arnold said before he beat a hasty retreat.

Freddie was last in line.

“You did a very courageous thing today.” Sam rested her hands on his arms and looked up at him. “Thanks for not getting killed while doing it.”

Freddie’s engaging grin couldn’t hide the relief she saw in his eyes. Gonzo was one of his closest friends too. “I know how much you hate the paperwork, so I do what I can.” He hugged her and held on for a good long time. “I’ll see you on turkey day. Lots to be thankful for this year.”

“Indeed. Bring your parents if they’d like to come.”

“I’m sure they’d love to.”

Elin surprised Sam by giving her a quick hug on the way by.