Chapter 15

I shut my eyes for a second as I felt blood splatter on my cheek because I turned my head slightly. When I opened my eyes I saw the man on the ground. A gunshot wound straight to his head. The door opened but I didn't take my eyes off of the man.

I felt someone grab my shoulder causing my to turn. I looked at Jay who had a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I lightly nodded my head "Come on, let's get you cleaned up" He lead me out the room.

I stood in front of the sink and mirror that was in the locker room. I finally cleaned the blood off my face. I looked at myself in the mirror and let out a shaky breath. I couldn't stop thinking about the man. He was going to surrender, I know he was. He had a daughter, and now he's gone.

"Hey"

A voice pulled me away from my thoughts.

"Are you okay?"

I turned around and brushed a piece of my hair behind my ear "Yea, I'm fine. I gotta get back to the 31st" I tried to smile as I walked past him and walked out.

~

"Liz you should talk to someone" Nathan said.

We were in our locker room after work getting ready to leave.

"Nathan" I said sighing "I don't know how many times I have to tell you I'm fine"

He closed his locker "Doesn't matter how tough you are. You just witnessed someone get shot a few feet in front of you. Close enough you got blood on you. Doesn't hurt to talk to someone" He turned around and walked out.

I stared at a picture I had in my locker. It was of Jay and I. Maybe he's right. I closed my locker and walked out.

After getting home and eating some dinner I sat on the couch. Kelly was on shift so it was just me tonight. I sat on the couch thinking. I could still see the mans face, and I don't even know his name. I stood up from the couch and grabbed my bag. I grabbed my keys and headed out of the door.

Once I got to Jay's place I knocked on his door. He opened it almost a minute later.

"Hey, come in" He said stepping aside.

I walked in and put my bag down. I turned around to face him. He closed the door as he held onto his beer "Everything okay?"

"Not really" I said shaking my head "It's about today. I can't get that man out of my head"

We walked over to where the couch was "You did go through something traumatic" He said putting down his beer in the table.

"Nathan suggested I talked to someone. So I am" I let out a sigh "I can't get him out of my head. I know what he did was wrong but he was just confused"

"Still doesn't justify what he did"

"I know that but-"

"Cassie" Jay said grabbing my hand "None of this was your fault. He had a gun to your neck"

"I know. Who shot him anyway?"

"I don't think that matters"

I looked at him "It does to me"

"I did"

"What? How?" I asked.

He was beginning to look confused "There was an opening between the blinds"

I took my hands off of his "He was going to surrender. He was going to hand the gun over to me" The tone in my voice was beginning to change.

"Cassie he had a gun pointed to you. He was going to shoot you"

"He was going to give the gun to me he wasn't going to shoot me. He had a daughter Jay"

"He should've thought of that before he put a gun to your neck"

I looked at him in disbelief "You had no right to shoot him" I turned around and began walking towards the front door.

"Are you kidding me? I did what I had to do to save your life" He said as he followed me.

I stopped and turned around to face him "I was talking him out of it. All you had to do was wait!" I was raising my voice "He wasn't in his right mind. I was walking to him because he was going to give me the gun"

"Are you seriously defending this guy?!"

"Yes! You weren't in the same room with him"

"The same room where he was threatening to shoot you?!"

"Yes! I saw the look on his eyes, they weren't evil. He was hurting!"

"I did what I had to do! Especially to protect you and get you out of there safely!"

"Well I don't need you to protect me!" I yelled as I opened the door and walked out slamming it hard.

~

An hour later I found myself at the firehouse. I didn't want to be at the apartment by myself. I was laying on Kelly's bed in his office as he was working on paperwork. We sat there in silence for about 10 minutes. I rested my head on my hand as I stared up at the white ceiling.

I heard Kelly turn around followed by his voice a few seconds later "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

I picked my head up to look at him "Not really" I pulled myself up and swung my legs over the bed. I stared at the ground feeling the tears wanting to emerge. I did my best to hold them back by lifting my head then turning to look at Kelly "It's just been a long day"

The alarm suddenly went off. We stayed silent listening to who was being called. With my luck they called for Squad 3 along with everyone else. Kelly stood up from his chair "I'll be back"

I nodded my head "Yea, go ahead. I'll be here" I gave him a weary smile. I could tell he didn't want to leave. I watched him walk out the door and run.

I leaned back on the bed and brought my knees into my chest. I finally let those tears that were threatening to fall. I pressed my lips together as the tears traveled down my cheeks in pairs. I leaned my head down as more tears fell. I sobbed thinking about the man that died earlier that day and the fight I had with Jay.

~

Jay sat at the bar staring into his alcoholic drink. He swirled the iceless drink before taking a sip of it. He gritted his teeth together as it entered his mouth. He tuned out the background music and the conversations that were happening around him. The alcohol burned as he swallowed it.

"I still can't believe she said that"

He turned to look at her.

"I mean I would be so grateful if that were to happen to me. Especially if it were you"

He raised his eyebrows and nodded his head "Yea, I don't think it was so much as me. I think she's just taking it hard"

"Still, you saved her life. She should be a little more grateful for that" Maddie said taking a sip of her drink.

After an hour of the fight Jay found himself at a bar, with Maddie.

"I'm really glad we did this" Maddie said. 

Jay swallowed the last of his drink. He put his glass down and turned to look at her. "Yea, me too" 

"Another round for my friend here" Maddie told the bartender. 

"Oh no, I'm good" Jay said shaking his head "I should get going"

"Oh come on. Just one more" Maddie pleaded to him. 

He sighed as he looked at her. She was giving him a sweet smile. He lightly nodded his head "Alright"

She softly squealed "Great. Another round for us" She told the bartender who nodded his head and began to fill the drinks.