Miller nodded, and turned quickly to open the door. “I’ll go see to it.”

“Wait!” Tina called out.

“I’ll be seeing you, Tina,” she turned and said with a quick smile, “I was just doing a favor for Jackson here, and came to talk to him.”

“But …” Tina tried again.

“No worries. We’ll visit when all the excitement has died down, ok?” Miller said, and then slipped out of the door.

Tina looked at Bette with questioning eyes.

Bette shrugged, and then turned to Jackson, “So we wait until we’re done with the police, or what?”

“To do what?” Tina asked, still confused about the abrupt departure of Miller.

“I just want to have a conversation with the leadership of the gold collective,” Bette said briefly. Tina gave her a puzzled, worried look.

“Nothing to worry about, T,” Bette said.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket before she could say more. “Jules?” she asked. “Any news?”

After a quick exchange, she grabbed Tina by the elbows lightly. “C’mon, baby. Jules said the doctor has an update about Diane. We could hear more about Peter, too. Brom is being stitched up, and will be wheeled into recovery soon.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The three of them got to a sobbing Jules. Bette held her friend in a tight embrace as the doctor repeated what he’d said.

“We’re still working on her partner. She lost a lot of blood, and the bullet travelled very close to her spine, so we’re carefully working in the area to make sure we don’t cause further damage…”

“And Peter?” Jackson asked.

The doctor pursed his lips and wiped his brow. “We’re still working on him also … but … I have to be honest. It’s not looking good right now.”

Jackson slumped against a wall, and bent over. The doctor reached a hand out sympathetically, and said, “I have to go back in and help out there.”

He turned around and pushed past the double doors.

Tina rubbed his arm and tried to soothe him.

“We’re really sorry, Jackson,” she said quietly.

Bette exchanged a look with Tina. She mouthed “Let’s all sit for a minute.”

Tina guided Jackson to the nearest group of empty chairs while Bette half-dragged Jules along.

“I’ll go get us all some tea or something,” she said after a few minutes.

An hour later, and after several rounds of tea, the doctor walked through the double doors again. He had a resigned look. Bette felt her insides clench.

“D-d-d-iane?” Jules asked, stammering.

“She’s in recovery. It’s still early, and we have to watch her closely. But it’s more likely now that she’ll make it,” the doctor answered, with a smile.

Jules collapsed into Bette’s arms, sobbing in relief.

The doctor turned to look at Jackson with sadder eyes. All color drained from Jackson’s face. He felt the room spinning. The disjointed voice of the doctor came through, “… we did all we could … but there was just too much damage … a lot of blood loss…”

He thought he could make it to the chair, but fell to the floor instead. He felt himself being turned to his back, and heard shouts from the doctor about a gurney. He saw Bette’s warm, brown eyes full of concern lock into his with determination just before darkness claimed him.