“McCall!” Hunter was seething. “Look at the stupid assignment the Captain has given us now! We’re valuable detectives, we deserve better than to be sent on some wild goose chase looking for a seventeen year old runaway.”

          “Take it easy Hunter, it’s kind of nice to have something to do that doesn’t involve us getting shot at for a change.”

          “Yeah, whatever. Let’s get this over with. I’m driving.”

          Hunter’s car is as usual in deplorable condition and Dee Dee has to slide across the driver’s side because the passenger side door won’t open.

          “You know Hunter, I’d offer to let you drive my car once in a while but you always wreck it. I sent you out to buy beer and you came home with my beautiful, clean, working car in pieces! That’s why the Captain sticks you with these hunks of junk all the time. You can’t hang onto one for more than five minutes.”

          “No McCall, it’s because he knows how much you love them and he wants to give you everything you want.”

          “Ha! That kind of giving I can do without. Don’t you even have a radio in this thing?”

          “I’ll sing for you McCall,” Hunter said with a grin.

          “Thanks anyway Hunter, you drive, I’m going to take a nap.”

          “Late night last night McCall? Who was it this time?”

          Dee Dee grins mischievously, “My fish were sick, I had to stay up and take care of them.” She leaned back against what was left of the seat in the old junker and closed her eyes. She was immediately dozing blissfully.

          Hunter looked over at her. She looked so much like a little girl when she was sleeping so peacefully. She was by far the best partner he had ever had. She was also the one he most wanted to see get out of police work. For all her spunk and hard headedness she didn’t belong on the streets getting shot at all the time. He thought about the scars that must still be on her body. ‘Bullets leave scars, and she’s so beautiful’ he thought to himself. He turned his attention back to the road. They were driving out to the desert. The middle of nowhere was the destination.

Two hours and a couple hundred cacti later McCall woke up. “Are we there yet?”

“Not yet daughter,” he joked. “About five more minutes.”

“Good, I’m famished. Do you think they’ll feed us?”

“I wouldn’t count on it McCall. We’ll find somewhere to eat before you waste away though, don’t worry. We haven’t passed any signs of civilization in quite a while. We are effectively isolated out here.”

“Isolated from what? Hunter why are you telling me this, it’s like you are warning me that something bad is about to happen.”

Hunter laughed, “I was thinking we needed gas. Are you paranoid or what McCall?”

“Sorry Hunter, I guess I’m still waking up.”

They finally arrived at the house. It was a single structure with no other houses in sight. The middle of nowhere was a really good description. Just as Hunter suspected, the whole trip proved to be nothing more than a wild goose chase. The young man who answered the door said he didn’t know the girl they were looking for and since they didn’t have any reason to disbelieve him they went back out to the car.

“Hey McCall, you want to drive?”

“You want me to drive? Is there something wrong with you?”

“Just drive McCall.” He threw her the keys and got in the car.

McCall looked at him to see what hew as thinking but he wasn’t paying attention to her so she shrugged to herself and got in the car. Not two miles down the road Dee Dee looked in the rearview mirror and saw a big orange car barreling down on them at top speed. “Hunter,” she said to the sleeping man beside her. “I, uh, I think we have some serious company.”

Hunter started. “What?” He looked behind them just as the orange car rammed them from behind. It rammed them again and this time sent the big green car off the side of the road and end over end before the driver’s side door came to rest against a large tree. Hunter was stunned for a minute and didn’t move. Then he slid out the open window and called to McCall. “Come on McCall, get out here, it’s going to be getting cold soon.”

McCall didn’t answer him and he realized he hadn’t even looked at her, he’d just assumed she was fine. He crawled back in the window and gasped. He took McCall’s hand. “Dee Dee, Dee Dee can you hear me?”

She moaned softly. Hunter looked in alarm at the blood falling from her temple. She appeared to be trapped behind the steering wheel. Dee Dee slowly came to and winced in pain. “Hey Dee Dee,” he said softly. “I’ve got to get you out of here, I don’t want to hurt you but this isn’t going to be fun.” He reached under her and grabbed the handle that released the seat. It didn’t want to move at first and he had to shake the seat a few times before it slid back. Dee Dee groaned and lost consciousness again. Fortunately the gap was big enough to get her out of there. Hunter had been afraid the car would explode, he didn’t want to waste any time getting away from it.

He carried her outside. The sun was going down, it was going to be freezing soon and he and McCall weren’t dressed for the weather. Hunter laid McCall down gently and tried to make her comfortable while he looked for wood to make a fire. When he came back five minutes later with an armful of twigs and sticks McCall’s eyes were open. She was watching him quietly. He dropped what he was carrying and bent over her. “Tell me what hurts,” he said.

She licked her lips. “It hurts everywhere.” She tried to smile at him.

He looked her over carefully. She must have hit the steering wheel, there was an ugly bruise on her forehead and her ribs were tender. He thought she might have fractured her right femur. He was really worried about her going into shock. It was just too cold. He built the fire and she lay there with her eyes closed. He noticed that she was coughing as well as shivering. She looked so little and pale. Damn, he should have been driving. The car that hit them had taken off. At least they aren’t shooting at us he thought.

Dee Dee was lying there with her eyes closed but she was conscious. It was getting harder to breathe with each passing minute. She was also coughing up blood, something she hadn’t told Hunter. He was worried enough without her adding to it. The world was coming and going. She hadn’t been exaggerating when she told him that everything hurt. They were out in the middle of nowhere though. There was nothing he could do about this. She did want to talk to him though. He was her best friend and she needed him. “Hunter?” She said softly.

He was staring into the fire a couple feet from where she was lying. He turned toward her and leaned in close so he could hear her.

“What are you thinking?” She asked him.

He struggled to remain upbeat. “I’m thinking it’s past your dinner time.” He smiled.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Anywhere you want to go, and I’m buying too.” He thought for a second. “Wait here,” he walked over to the totaled car and came back with a king sized bar of chocolate. “Look McCall, fine dining.”

“Why don’t you save it Hunter.”

He sat down at her serious tone. It was then that he noticed how labored her breathing was.

“Hunter, I’m not sure I’m going to make it out of this one…”

“Of course you are McCall, I’ll get you out of this just like I’ve gotten you out of all the bad situations.”

“Rick, let me talk okay?”

He nodded silently.

“We’re out here in the desert alone. The only car we saw ran us off the road. If this doesn’t go right I just want you to know some things.”

Hunter took her hand and looked like he wanted to interrupt but he held his tongue and heard her out.

“None of this was your fault. You always blame yourself for things that you have no control over. You are the very best friend I’ve ever had and I love you. You are my rock, my reason for being.” She started to go on but Hunter interrupted her.

“I love you too Dee Dee.”

She looked up at him and tears filled her eyes. She reached up and touched his cheek. He turned his head and kissed her fingers. He leaned down and touched her lips with his. She smiled at him but was overcome by a coughing fit. She could no longer hide the fact that she was coughing up blood.

Hunter visibly paled. He watched her struggle for a breath. He hadn’t realized how serious things were with respect to McCall’s physical condition. He had thought she was being a bit melodramatic with the whole if I die routine but now he realized that she was just telling it like it was.

She closed her eyes and seemed to relax. Hunter thought she was sleeping and allowed himself to relax for a moment while he tried to figure out how he was going to get his partner, the woman he loved, out of this mess. Suddenly with no warning McCall went into convulsions. Hunter didn’t know what to do so he wrapped his arms around her and held her close and waited for them to subside. She lay there, perfectly still for a few minutes before opening her eyes and finding her big strong partner staring her in the face. “I don’t want to die Rick,” she said.

“I know you don’t honey, I’m going to get you out of here, I promise.” The obvious way out was to walk but McCall couldn’t do that and Hunter was wary of carrying her, he didn’t want to injure her further. He couldn’t leave her there as defenseless as a baby either. The only option seemed to be to take her with him. “Dee Dee, there was a gas station about ten miles back down the road. Are you going to be okay if I carry you?”

She still struggled to breathe but she nodded yes as eagerly as she could manage. McCall had never been content to sit and do nothing.

He looked at her hesitatingly, with more concern than if she were simply his partner and lifted her gently in his arms. She was too weak to put her arms around his neck but she laid her head on his chest so sweetly that his heart melted. He looked over at the six-foot incline that he had to navigate with her in his arms but he wasn’t deterred. He would get up there without hurting her if it killed him. He carefully braced each foot and slowly he reached the top. He looked down at Dee Dee to see how she had taken the not completely gentle trip and realized that she was sleeping. She hadn’t passed out from pain; she was contentedly sleeping against him. He smiled. They were on their way to making everything right, and he did mean everything.

Two miles and thirty minutes later Hunter was still going strong but slowing down. Little as McCall was she was still heavier than anything Hunter was used to carrying ten miles. Hunter wasn’t used to walking ten miles in a stretch period so this was quite the workout. Dee Dee seemed to be doing okay though; she was still sleeping soundly on his chest. As pain free as could be expected for the situation. Hunter plodded gamely along. He wasn’t going to let McCall down after she said that she loved him. Suddenly he stopped moving as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. She had said she loved him. He said he loved her too. All this time he had been waiting for the perfect moment to come out and say what he felt and she had simply looked at him and told him. Hunter felt rejuvenated and as he walked he daydreamed about all the things they would do together. Some of those things were G-rated, like going for a carriage ride in the park, and some of those things were X-rated. He had seen McCall in her nightgown before and it was a very very pretty sight. Hunter reached the gas station before anyone who worked there did. There was an old truck sitting in the parking lot. He laid Dee Dee down in the bed of the truck while he hot-wired it. 

Many long, torturous, and uncertain hours after the car wreck Hunter pulled up in front of the hospital. He lifted Dee Dee who had been leaning against him since they got in the truck and carried her inside. He rejected the offer of help he received from several orderlies and walked straight to the main desk. In a very commanding voice Hunter said to the nurse, “I want a doctor now, I have an officer down.” Hunter got attention as only Hunter could.

They swept Dee Dee away and left Hunter to agonize over Dee Dee’s well being. He had done everything he could to take care of her and he was completely exhausted. He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep when the doctor came in and tapped him on the shoulder. “Sergeant Hunter? Your partner just came out of surgery.”

“How is she?” He sat up anxiously.
          “It’s going to be touch and go for a while. There was a lot of internal damage but I’d give her about a fifty percent chance of making it.”

Tears welled up in Hunter’s eyes. He didn’t like the odds. The thought of losing her after only finding their love for one another was almost more than he could bear. “Can I see her?”

“Yes, she’s awake and asking for you but she needs rest. Don’t stay long.”

“I won’t. If I don’t say it later Doc, thanks for taking care of her.”

“My pleasure Sergeant. She’s a lovely lady.”

Hunter walked into the room slowly, afraid of what he might see. The stark white walls and antiseptic smells of the institution were not welcoming. Dee Dee was under the covers looking for all the world like she was taking a catnap. The only giveaway was the dark circles under her eyes and all of the big machines that she was hooked up to. She looked tiny, dwarfed by the machines. He sat in the only chair and gently took her hand. She squeezed back and opened her eyes. “Hey,” he said.

She licked her lips. “Rick, than you.”

“How do you feel Dee Dee?”

“I feel okay, but I’m scared.”

Hunter stroked her cheek. “You’re going to be fine. You’re as tenacious as a pit bull. Just relax, try to get some rest.”

Dee Dee looked at him with big eyes. “Don’t leave okay?”

“I wouldn’t think of it, now rest.”

She relaxed and slept and Hunter tried to get comfortable in the hard chair. He had just managed to drop off himself when a shrill whining noise came from the machine above Dee Dee. Nurses and doctors ran into the room and all hell broke loose. Hunter wasn’t sure exactly what was happening in the flurry of activity but he was sure it wasn’t good. A nurse yelled for Hunter to get out but he only moved a few feet away and watched. He had promised Dee Dee that he wouldn’t leave. He was determined to keep his promise no matter what. He watched in horror as they tried vigorously to save her. After what felt like an eternity to Hunter the gentle beep beep beep of the heart monitor resumed. The group quietly filed out of the room not appearing to notice Hunter standing there. He was afraid to move or breathe for a few moments. Finally he sat back down and did something that he never did, he prayed. He prayed for the love of his life and he prayed for a chance to make things right with her, to love, honor, and cherish her. Exhausted he fell into a deep sleep.

It was Dee Dee herself who woke him up. She reached out and touched him. It was finally morning and everything looked brighter. “Rick, the doctor was here this morning. He said I’m going to be fine and I can go home the day after tomorrow.”

“Hey, that’s great, and I’ll come over and watch you while you’re recuperating.”

She smiled, “That would be nice.”

“And then when you’re feeling better you can marry me. I was so scared of losing you McCall. I can’t imagine wasting another minute that I could spend with you. You’re all I really want.”

Happy tears shimmered in McCall’s eyes. “That’s all I really want too. I love you.”

“And I love you.”

The End – and they lived happily ever after, together with no problems or anything bad ever happening again because they had each other!!

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