Chapter Text
Ready to be discharged from the hospital, Sharon finished gathering all her things. Taking her cell phone from the pocket of her gray blazer, she didn't hesitate for a moment and dialed Andy's number. Hearing the first ring, she walked over to the window of the hospital room.
"Hey, sweetheart. I'm just pulling up," came Flynn's excited, yet incredibly happy voice. "How are you? Are you ready?"
"Hi, honey. I'm all packed, got the doctor's recommendations, and now I'm waiting for you," Raydor replied with a radiant smile.
"How are you feeling? Is your doctor absolutely sure you can be discharged already?" his usual concern was evident in his voice.
"Andy, I'm fine. Really," she said, her voice faltering for a moment, betraying her fatigue. "The doctor said I've made a full recovery and now I just need to take care of myself. I'm ready to come home."
"I remember what the doctor said," Flynn chuckled, a playful tone creeping into his voice. "No heavy lifting, no running, no jumping... and a few other things," he added meaningfully. "But it's temporary, so I'll manage. Although, honestly, this many days of abstinence is sheer torture."
"Oh my God! Andy Flynn!" Sharon laughed, feeling the color rise to her cheeks. "You're impossible. I just had surgery, and you're already..."
"What? I'm just stating a fact," the lieutenant continued, but there was such tenderness in his voice that Sharon was ready to forgive him any joke. "Honey, I've parked. Come on out."
"I'm coming. Slowly and carefully, as the doctor ordered," she smiled and ended the call.
When the lieutenant heard her voice, so lively and laughing, something inside him finally unclenched, and a long-awaited wave of relief washed over him. But the memories of that evening, which had nearly been Sharon's last, were still far too vivid.
***Flashback***
The workday was almost over. Sharon was sitting at her desk, but suddenly the doors to her office burst open, and Provenza walked in with a suspect.
The whole unit was watching the interrogation through the surveillance camera.
Nothing seemed amiss, when suddenly Sharon sank heavily back into her chair, her head lolling limply onto the wooden desk surface.
Everyone immediately rushed to the Commander's office.
Sanchez was the first to reach her. He carefully lifted Sharon from her chair and laid her on the floor. Then Flynn ran over and took her hand in his. Amy gently removed the glasses from the Commander's face and tucked them into her blazer pocket.
"Oh, God! Sharon! Sharon, can you hear me?" Andy shouted, but she didn't respond.
Raydor's heart had stopped.
"I'm starting an indirect heart massage!" Julio stated quickly and clearly.
"One, two, three, four…" Sanchez whispered, rhythmically pressing on her chest. "Come on, Sharon, come on! One, two, three…"
Sharon suddenly started breathing heavily.
Julio had managed to restart the Commander's heart. But the relief was short-lived. By the time the paramedics arrived, her pulse was gone again.
Andy stood in the corner of the office, holding a sobbing, screaming Rusty against him. He watched his wife die right before their eyes, and there was nothing he could do. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
The paramedics managed to restart Sharon's heart with a defibrillator. But as soon as they reached the hospital, her heart stopped again.
After twenty grueling minutes of fighting off death itself, Sharon's attending physician managed to restart her heart.
Immediately after that, the cardiologist sent Raydor for an urgent operation.
Andy, Rusty, and the entire Major Crimes division sat in the hospital foyer, waiting patiently. One hour. Two. Three. No one left. No one spoke. Rusty sat clinging to Flynn's forearm, silent.
And Andy… Andy prayed silently. For the first time in years. He sat with his head bowed, clutching Sharon's wedding ring in his hands, the one they had removed before the surgery. Uncontrollable tears dripped onto the floor, and only one thought echoed in his mind: "God, please… Please… Not Sharon. Please, not my Sharon."
Seven hours later, the cardiologist who had operated on her came out of the operating room.
Everyone immediately perked up, and Flynn and Rusty quickly approached the doctor.
"Lieutenant Flynn…" the doctor, exhausted, paused meaningfully.
In that second, Andy felt as if his own heart would stop right there in the hospital corridor.
"I congratulate you. The surgery was a success. Your wife's life is no longer in danger," the doctor said with a smile.
"Oh my God… Doctor, thank you… Today you saved two lives. My wife and me. Thank you," Flynn expressed his gratitude, shaking the cardiologist's hand firmly.
Andy sat by her bedside in intensive care for several hours. Sharon was pale, surrounded by wires and various tubes. But she was breathing. On her own. Her heartbeat was steady and calm. He held her hand all night and all morning until she finally regained consciousness.
***End of Flashback***
Now she stood at the hospital entrance, rosy-cheeked, smiling, and most importantly, alive.
Waiting for her outside was Flynn's gray sedan. Andy was leaning against the hood, and the moment he saw his wife, his face lit up with such a happy smile that Sharon's eyes stung with tears.
"Sharon!" He rushed over to her. "Oh, damn. I can't just pounce on you, can I?"
"Definitely not," she laughed, and in the next second, she stepped into him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Andy hugged her carefully, tenderly, as if she were made of the finest glass. He slowly closed his arms around her waist, savoring the warmth of her body beneath the fabric of her gray blazer. Flynn pressed his lips to her temple, breathing in her familiar scent.
"Oh my God... How I've missed you," he whispered into her hair.
"I know, honey. Me too," she replied, burying her nose against his shoulder.
They stood there for a long time, just breathing in each other's scent, feeling the warmth, and knowing that everything was over.
"Okay, let's go home," Andy finally said, opening the passenger door for her.
"Let's go," Sharon smiled, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and settling into the front seat.
When he got behind the wheel, the first thing he did was reach for her hand, intertwining their fingers.
"Are you really okay? Honestly?"
Sharon looked at him and saw in his eyes that very fear that had haunted him all these weeks. The fear of losing her.
"Honey, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired... I'm tired of the hospital, the ivs, and these white walls. But my heart..." She put her free hand to her chest. - It beats steadily. And do you know why?
"Why?"
"Because I know you're here with me. And that's the best medicine."
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, lingering on each finger.
"Never in my life have I been so scared," the lieutenant admitted. "Three times, Sharon. Three times your heart stopped. I thought I'd go crazy."
"But I'm here," she said softly. "I'm alive. And I'm not going anywhere, you hear me?"
"I hear you," he nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "It's just... sometimes it feels like a dream. Like I'll wake up and you won't be there."
"I'm here, Andy. And I'm not going anywhere," she squeezed his hand. "I promise."
He took a deep breath, shaking off the illusion, and started the engine.
"Well then, Commander, keep in mind: you now owe me a week of heightened attention, care, and..." he paused, squinting slyly, "fulfilling all my whims. Within reason, of course."
"And what do you want?" Sharon raised an eyebrow.
"For you to just be home, lying on the couch, watching TV, while I bring you tea and fix your blanket," Andy said dreamily. "And then, in about a week, when the doctor allows it..." he wiggled his eyebrows meaningfully.
"Andy!" she laughed, swatting his shoulder. "You're incorrigible."
"That's why you fell in love with me," he smiled, pulling out of the hospital parking lot.
They talked the whole way home. About all sorts of little things - how Rusty had managed without her, what a nightmare the precinct was without the Commander, how Provenza had driven everyone crazy with his jokes again. Sharon laughed, and Andy caught every chuckle, every sigh, and every movement.
At the house, Flynn turned off the engine and got out to open Sharon's door.
"Commander Raydor, hand over your bag this instant," Flynn demanded playfully.
"What? But this bag isn't heavy," she protested.
"Honey, your only job right now is to walk to the door and not fall down. Everything else is my concern," Andy replied, taking the bag.
"And how long will you treat me like I'm made of fragile glass?" Sharon said, smiling.
"At least until your first scheduled check-up in a month. And I hope that during that month, you won't run off to work at the first opportunity..."
Flynn didn't get to finish.
Sharon cupped his face in her hands and gently kissed her husband, leaving a pleasant warmth on his lips. Without a second thought, he pulled her closer.
They clung to each other, deepening the kiss. And they didn't care about the people walking by and staring.
"I love you, Sharon Raydor," he said seriously, pulling away from her lips.
"And I love you, Andy Flynn," she replied just as seriously, looking into his brown eyes.
The lieutenant escorted Sharon all the way to the apartment. Waiting for them there were the rapid response team officers Mason had sent for Sharon's protection.
"Hello, Commander," Lieutenant Moses greeted her, walking down the hallway.
He was a large, rather tall man. Deep wrinkles marked his face. He had short gray hair. Moses was five years older than Provenza. His calm, icy gaze, with light gray eyes, was fixed on Sharon.
"Commander Raydor, we're glad to see you in good health," Detective Ross greeted her, standing next to his partner.
Detective Ross was a young, lean officer. His attentive, quick brown-eyed gaze also swept over Raydor, like an object they were assigned to protect today.
"Lieutenant Moses, Detective Ross," Sharon greeted them back, nodding towards the officers.
Seeing the door closed and the Commander's life out of immediate danger, the officers went back into the living room, leaving Flynn and Raydor alone.
"Sharon," Andy said, taking a deep breath. "I need to tell you something..."
"What's wrong?" she asked, worried.
Hearing the anxiety in her husband's voice, Raydor tensed noticeably.
"Don't worry, okay? It's about Rusty," Flynn said quietly, placing his warm hands on Sharon's shoulders.
"What...?" she said, her voice faltering.
"Today, Stroh killed two more people. At the murder scene, he left a message. Philip wrote on the wall that Rusty is next."
"Andy..."
The lieutenant took a ragged breath and looked into her light green eyes, which were now filling with moisture.
"This time, we'll arrest Stroh. Rusty won't get hurt; he's at the department with us. He's safe."
"Don't let that bastard hurt our son," Sharon whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
"Everything will be okay. I promise you," Flynn pulled Raydor close, hugging her tightly.
She pressed her whole body against her husband and closed her eyes for a second, trying to calm down.
After waiting another few seconds, Andy broke the embrace, gently kissed Sharon on the forehead, and hurriedly left the apartment.
"Be careful," she said finally, closing the door behind him.
Quickly wiping the moisture from her face, Sharon took a deep breath and headed to the living room.
"Officers," she said, forcing a smile.
Folding her arms across her chest, Raydor looked away towards the window, trying not to cry right there. Her voice sounded steady and professional. But her too-straight back and too-tight shoulders betrayed her inner state.
"According to regulations, I should remain in the same room as you. But I hope you won't mind if I lie down to rest in my room," she said, trying to suppress her emotions.
"Yes, of course, Commander," Moses replied, noticing Raydor's slightly reddened eyes. He frowned but remained silent.
"We, along with your department, thoroughly checked the entire apartment. Everything is fine. You can be in your room," Ross added, exchanging a surprised glance with his partner.
"Thank you," Sharon replied and turned to head to her bedroom.
The moment her back was to the officers, uncontrollable tears streamed from her eyes. Her shoulders trembled slightly, but she didn't allow herself a single sob. She just dug her fingers harder into the fabric of her blazer.
Ross froze, watching her go. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lieutenant Moses gestured for him to stop. Both officers silently watched as Commander Raydor, a woman whose iron will was legendary in the department, walked into her bedroom, and even from behind, it was clear how difficult every step was for her.
She was crying. And they understood.
"And Commander," Moses stopped her, his voice softer than usual. "Please don't lock the door from the inside, just close it."
Without turning around, Raydor nodded and hurriedly retreated into her room.
"Damn," Ross exhaled quietly, turning towards the window. He suddenly felt unbearably ashamed that they had witnessed this moment of weakness.
Moses silently sat down on the couch and stared at the floor, giving the Commander the only thing he could give in this situation - the illusion of privacy and his silent presence behind her door.