“His wife? Why didn’t you say so sooner honey? He just got prep for surgery so we won’t really know the outcome until it done. You hang in there dear, that man look like a fighter” she said the latter part after seeing the look on Evangeline’s face.

“Thank you and he is.” Walking back to the waiting room, she sit down on a chair. Tears threaten to fall with every breath she took. I have to be strong. I have to be strong for John. Getting up she walks around the waiting room, leafing through magazines but not retaining any of what she read.

Sitting down again for the thousand time, an edgy feeling creeps up on her. She didn’t want to wait anymore she wanted to see John. She wanted…no needed to see John’s smile at her and tell her everything would be okay. What am I going to do if he doesn’t make it? The very thought of him dead brought back emotion she never wanted to feel again.

“Evangeline.” she got up when she heard Michael voice. Meeting him half way, they hug. Holding on to him tightly, her throat got stuffy. His hands rub soothingly down her back. Stepping out of hid comforting hug, she wipes the few tears that did escape.

Sniffing she smile, glad to see a familiar face through this chaotic moment. “What happen Michael? How is he? They said he was in surgery?” she fire questions at him in one breath.

Putting his arm around her shoulders, he walk her over to a chair. Sitting across from her, he took her hand in his “He is going to be alright.” A breath she hadn’t known she was holding comes out in relief.

“Thank God.” Her hand no longer grasping his so tightly. “What happen Michael? Did it have anything to do with those criminals I heard in the news?”

“Yes, it did have to do one with them. None can really sure what happened because none else was around. So basically what we believe to have happened is one of the two punks must have stab him when he wasn’t aware.” when she gasps, he pats her hand. “He got stab in his lower left side and his liver was punctured.”

Putting her emotion at check, she sat straighter in her chair, through her hand grip his even stronger. Hiding behind the lawyer persona, “What does that mean?”

“It means that he has to be perform on to fix it. The knife didn’t go in that deep in the liver. He should make it just fine. He has the best surgeons money can buy working on him. He is going to be fine.” He said with convection.

“He has to be fine Michael…he has to be.” her voice choking. He stay with her, more for his benefit than hers.

“I have a patient to go look after,” he said reluctantly not wanting to leave her. “ Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about me, I’m a big girl.” Giving her one last hug, he left.

Absorbing everything he said, she didn’t feel quite as bad. John is going to be fine. Checking her watch, she realize she miss her flight. She had completely forgotten about it. They can fire me if they want but I’m not going anywhere until I know John is fine.

Going in the bathroom, she rinse her hand and wash the grim from her face. Drying her face with a paper towel, she carefully reapplies her makeup. Putting on a thin coat of lip-gloss on her lips. Straightening out her thigh length skirt, and blouse, she fixes her ponytail. Looking herself over, she dust off a speck of dirt on her leather knee length boots.

Walking out the bathroom with a new found confidence, she walk over to the receptionist to ask if there is an update. After the receptionist told her there was no change, she walk back the waiting room and found Antonio talking to another cops. Walking over to him, she wait until the other cop left.

“How are you Antonio?” she ask.

“I’ve been better. How you holding up?” leading her to a chair he sit across from her his elbows on his knees.

“I would be lying if I said I was fine.” Looking into the noisy hallway and waiting area she block the sounds of everything.

Patting her hand, he drew her eyes to his. “Everything going to be okay Evangeline.”

“How do you know? Everyone keeps telling me that but no one can know for sure. Is it written on the wall somewhere?”

Grabbing her hand in his “No, it isn’t but I know because I know John. He wouldn’t leave all these people that are depending on him and most importantly he wouldn’t leave you so some other guy or RJ could have you.”

The last part made her laugh, which surprise her. She didn’t think she could still laugh or that she would be laughing so soon. “I don’t think that going to happen but thanks for the laugh.” After sitting down quietly, Evangeline ask the question that was most on her mind. “What happened out there?”

“Smith tell us that he went to go chase down one of the punks while he went to go get help. We know that John shot one in the leg and we were able to get out the perp that he was the one who stabbed John. My best guess about all of this is John was probably extremely exhausted and losing a lot of blood but he still kept fighting the good fight.”

“What is going to happen to the killers?”

“They are in custody and they are not getting bail. The D.A is going for a life sentence or the death penalty and with out a doubt he’ll get it the question is do they live the rest of their miserable lives in jail or do they get the death penalty. Unless you plan on representing them?” He said with a grin

Evangeline made a face at even the thought of representing those guys. Giving him a hard stare “Do I look like I would?”

“Sorry bad joke. I was just trying to lighten the situation.” They sat together in silence, listening to the whirlwind of the hospital. People screaming at each other, others demanding assistance for their illness. Clasping a hand on her shoulder “John is a strong guy, he’ll get through this, he’s been through worst as an FBI agent I’m sure.”

“I know…I know I just can’t stop think of the worst possible scenarios.” Running her hand through her hair, a trait she got from John.

Antonio nods his head in understanding, he to was afraid that John might not make it. Despite John being responsible for his brother’s death in a round about way, he had come to care for the gruff detective.

“I’m just so angry at the guys who did this, at John for letting himself get into that position and most importantly at myself.”

“Why? Why would you be mad at yourself? Why does that sound like a story?” Antonio said while edging sitting upright.

“It’s so stupid but I never wanted to care so much…I told myself I would never get this involve with a man again.”

“Again?” he ask definitely intrigue. Evangeline wasn’t one to speak much about her self if it wasn’t necessary. It must be John at death’s door that is making her so loose tongue he realizes.

“Yeah. It was a long time ago actually back in my college days.”

“He must have burned you pretty bad.” He could see the pain in her eyes, pain that had nothing to do with John Mcbain.

“He did. And I never really got over it until John.”

“What did he do?”

“I caught him in bed with his best friend…who was a guy.”

Antonio made a choking sound, when he choke on his own salvia. “Oh my gosh! Give a man a warning before you say something like that. I can’t imagine how you must have felt.”

“Not good that for sure…hey how did we get to this point?” smiling slightly.

“Well you know how things are. Have you told John?”

“No, it embarrassing enough without having to tell John. And no I don’t plan on it.”

“You should, it would do you some good to get it off you chest.” Checking his watch, he grimace “I hate to run but I have to pick up Jamie from RJ so…”

“Hey don’t worry about it, thank for being here.” Getting up to hug Antonio.

“Call me if anything happens okay?” he whisper in her ear. He hugged her extra tighter getting the feeling that she needed it.

“Don’t worry I will. Say hi to Jamie for me.” at his curt nod and a comforting hand on her shoulder he left. Not more than 20 minutes had pass since Antonio left and there was still no news.

“Evangeline, how is he?” ask a voice, grabbing her elbow.

Pulling her elbow back, Evangeline turn around to find Natalie.