A Hero For Hire: Chapter Twenty-Seven *FFY Sequel*

OKDeanna's Passions Fan Fiction Forum > Luis & Sheridan Stories > A Hero For Hire: Chapter Twenty-Seven FFY Sequel
	Next Topic >>

Subject: A Hero For Hire: Chapter Twenty-Seven *FFY Sequel*
Posted By: OKDeanna - ezOP
Posts: 337
Posted At: (8/24/03 1:40 pm)
Reply

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Pain exploded in her chest. Sharp. Blinding. She staggered. Fought to remain on her feet. Blood poured from the open wound; stained her shirt. She lifted a hand, pressed it against the quarter-size hole. The flow of the blood didn’t stop. She could feel it… Warm, sticky… Pooling against her hand.

Oh God. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when… “Luis…”

Sheridan closed her eyes. Swayed. She drew in a breath, shallow, broken. It wasn’t enough. She needed air. She needed—

Her knees buckled. She swayed again. Started to fall. Panic rose in her throat. Her eyes flew open. And then she saw him. On the ground. In front of her. She met his eyes. Saw his fear. And then…she saw nothing.

* * *
As chaos still rained around him, Luis could barely comprehend what his eyes were seeing. What his arms were holding. Blood. Lots of blood. Everywhere. Covering her chest. Her hand. “Sheridan… Oh, God. No. No!”

He pulled her hand away. Stared at the wound, the blood… Oh, God. It was bad. Real bad.

Laying her on the ground, Luis quickly shed his shirt, pressed it into the open wound. It would help. But not enough. He needed to get her to a hospital. Now. Before she lost any more blood. “Sheridan…can you hear me? Sweetheart? Please…you need to wake up. You need to talk to me. Come on… Sheridan… Dammit. Wake up! Wake up and look at me.”

When her eyes remained closed, Luis shook his head. Closed his eyes. Please, God, let her wake up. Let her open her eyes. Look at me. Don’t let her—

Luis opened his eyes, leaned forward, until his lips met her right ear. “Sher…you have to wake up. You can’t…you can’t leave me. Not now. We just found each other again. Come on. You have to be strong. You have to…”

Her head turned toward his voice, barely a fraction of an inch, but it was enough. “That’s it. Come on, sweetheart. Open those beautiful eyes of yours. I need to see them.” Please, please wake up.

As he continued to talk, her lashes began to flutter. And when they finally lifted, Luis felt some of the tightness leave his chest. “Hey there, sweetheart. I knew you wouldn’t leave me.” He smiled, shook his head when she tried to talk. “No. Don’t talk. Save your strength.”

“But— Hank. Roger. Have to…help.” She coughed, shook her head. “Luis…have to…help.”

After a second, her words finally registered. Damn. She was right. But he couldn’t leave her. If he left her, if he removed his hand from the wound…

He turned at the sound of Roger’s voice. Watched as the Frenchman landed a heavy punch against Hank’s jaw, knocking him backward, into a tree. Roger bent at the waist, picked up the gun near his feet.

Luis looked around. Spotted the other gun less than a foot a way from him. He straightened, reached for it with his left hand. His fingers curled around the barrel, his eyes never leaving Roger. He watched as the Frenchman lifted his gun toward Hank, saw him ease back on the trigger.

Without stopping to think, Luis removed his hand from Sheridan, aimed his gun, fired. Roger dropped his weapon as soon as the bullet hit him. He staggered, started to fall.

Luis didn’t wait to see Roger hit the ground. He simply met Hank’s eyes, nodded once, and turned back to Sheridan. There would be plenty of time to deal with what he happened later. Much later. After…after Sheridan was okay.

As he met Sheridan’s eyes, saw the sadness in them—for him, he knew, and what he had been forced to do—he almost lost it. Even wounded, almost faint from the loss of blood, she still worried for him. Worried over him. And she still knew, still recognized, that no matter how much he hated Roger and what he had done—to both of them—shooting him would weigh on his conscience for a long time to come.

Luis dropped the gun in his hand, replaced hers on her chest. “It’s okay, Sheridan. It’s okay. Everything is all right now. Just hang on a little bit longer, okay?” He looked at Hank. Saw him check the Frenchman’s pulse. Shake his head. “Hank… Call an ambulance. Tell them to…tell them to hurry.” He turned back to Sheridan, wiped her forehead with one of his hands. “She’s lost a lot of blood.”

“Already dialing the number,” another voice replied.

Luis turned his head, looked over his shoulder. Hal and Julian stood just inside the trees on his left. He hadn’t even heard them arrive. He shook his head, nodded. Looked at Julian. “I should’ve trusted you. If I had…”

His voice trailed off as Sheridan squeezed his hand, coughed again. “Not…your fault. Not—“

“Save your strength, Sheridan. Don’t try to talk. We can…” His voice broke, moisture gathered in his eyes, slipped down his cheek. “We can talk later, okay?”

“Luis…” She lifted her hand, touched his cheek. “No…don’t…” she coughed, dropped her hand. “Don’t cry.”

He nodded, smiled. Swept his thumb under her right eye. “Only if you won’t.”

A smile, weak and shaky, touched her lips. She blinked, sniffed, coughed. “De…al.”

Sirens sounded in the distance. Luis leaned down, kissed her lips lightly. “Hear that? It’s the Calvary.”

Sheridan gave a small snort. “Lit…tle…late.”

Luis blinked, sniffed lightly, swallowed a golf-ball sized lump. “Nah, they’re not late. They’re right on time.” A door slammed in the distance, heavy footsteps echoed into the night. “See? What’d I tell you? Before you know it, we’ll be riding in style.”

Another tear slipped from Sheridan’s eye. “Luis, I…”

“Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare say your goodbyes.” He shook his head, grabbed her hand, squeezed. “You’re going to make it. You hear me? You’re going to make it, Sheridan. So you fight, okay? Don’t give up. Don’t you dare give up. Not now. I can’t lose you now.”

“I’m…I’m scared.”

So was he. Terrified, in fact.

* * *
If Julian had ever doubted Luis’ love for his sister, the tears falling from his eyes now would’ve convinced him. As would the terror he could hear seeping into the other man’s voice. The same terror that laced his sister’s voice.

Julian lowered himself to the ground, kneeled beside Luis. “Sheridan, don’t be scared. It’s all right. Everything is going to be all right. I promise. It’s going to be all right.”

Sheridan blinked, turned her head toward him. “Ju…Julian?”

“Yes,” He grabbed her hand, hesitated only slightly when he saw the blood covering her fingers, staining her palm. Just like it had that night so long ago. Julian swallowed the memory, forced himself to speak. “I’m here, Sheridan. I’m right here.”

Sheridan squeezed his hand, her grip weak from the loss of blood. “You…said that…before. Remember….that night. When you…stayed with me.” She shook her head. “I didn’t mean to do it, Julian. I didn’t mean to do it.”

Julian nodded, met Luis’s eyes. “I know, Sheridan. It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. I promise. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yes…I did. I’m a…wicked…wicked girl. No one…will ever…love…“ She stopped, tears gathered in her eyes as she once again affixed her eyes on him. “Is he…dead? Did I…did I kill him?”

Julian swallowed, hard. “No, Sheridan. You didn’t kill him. You didn’t kill anyone.”

“Promise?”

“I promise, Sheridan. You didn’t kill him. You didn’t.”

She nodded, started to close her eyes. “Tired. So…tired.”

“No!” Luis yelled, placing his hands on either side of Sheridan’s face. “Don’t close your eyes. Stay with me, Sheridan. Stay with me. You have to stay with me. You have to stay awake. The paramedics are…they’re almost here. I can hear their footsteps. Just hold on for them, baby. Just hold on. Don’t let go. Please, don’t let go.”

Just as Sheridan’s eyelids started to flutter, the paramedics arrived and instructed him and Luis to give them some room. Minutes later, as they loaded her onto a stretcher and carried her toward the waiting ambulance, a hand fell on his shoulder. Blurry-eyed, Julian turned to find Hal standing beside him. A grim expression on his face. “Don’t say it, Hal. Don’t even think it. She’s going to make it. She has to. She just has to.”

To Be Continued...

Edited by: OKDeanna at: 9/6/03 8:38 am

Next Topic >>

Replies

A Hero For Hire: Prologue - Chapter Seven FFY Sequel	OKDeanna	10/19/02 7:40 am
A Hero For Hire: Chapter Eight - Fifteen FFY Sequel	OKDeanna	10/19/02 7:43 am
A Hero For Hire: Chapter Sixteen - Nineteen FFY Sequel	OKDeanna	10/19/02 7:53 am
A Hero For Hire: Chapter Twenty-Twenty-Five FFY Sequel	OKDeanna	10/19/02 8:03 am
A Hero For Hire: Chapter Twenty-Six FFY Sequel	OKDeanna	8/19/03 7:34 pm
A Hero For Hire: Chapter Twenty-Seven FFY Sequel	OKDeanna	8/24/03 1:40 pm
A Hero For Hire: Chapter Twenty-Eight FFY Sequel	OKDeanna	9/6/03 8:36 am

Email This To a Friend
Topic Control Image

Topic Commands

Click to receive email notification of replies

Click to stop receiving email notification of replies