"You are so perfect, so beautiful…. Hold on Chris…please …I…..I need you" Street whispered as he leaned over and gently kissed her forehead.

He had been watching the monitors like a hawk, seeing her strong heart beat glide across the screen was the only thing keeping him from losing it and falling apart. Perched anxiously in the chair next to her bed, his hand on hers he tenderly stroked the back of her hand as his mind raced. He almost lost her. She had been dying in front of him on that sidewalk and he couldn't to do a thing about it. In that moment he remembered thinking "no …..no ….no… I haven't told her everything yet, haven't made this work or figured that part out, she can't leave me yet, she can't" The whole scenario swirled through his mind over and over again. He was aware of his own heartbeat as it raced, and he struggled to take his eyes off her.

Chris had been unconscious since the medics had arrived at the theatre. They had placed her in an induced coma to let her airways repair from the damage and chemical burns inflicted by the poison.

Chris's ventilator made rhythmical background noise that made Streets mind wander as his eyes took in every inch of her. He closed his eyes for a brief second and replayed some of the moments the two had shared in the last year and half. From the bliss of that drunken kiss, to how she had always been there for him no matter how bad he had screwed up. Her huge smile lit up every room and her infectious laugh was burnt into his brain.

Street was terrified, terrified that if he left her side, even for a moment that when he returned, she would be not be there. He had not been home since the beginning of that shift. His hand had barely left hers since the doctor finally let him into her room. He knew she was unconscious and probably had no idea he was there, but he could just not bare to leave her side. He felt right down to the essence of his being that he had to be here, at her side and looking out for her. He knew Ty and Kira and Chris's family were moments away but he needed every second with her that he could get.

As daylight began to filter through the blinds he paced back and forth by the window, looking out on the city skyline. He was reminiscing about teasing Chris, sharing heart felt moments and being each other's confidante. Their relationship had been strained since the night of the police fundraiser when they shared that kiss on his porch, after consuming most of the contents of a bottle of bourbon whiskey. He had tried to talk to her, explain the way the felt but Chris was scared, felt guilty and was completely shutting him out. He had tried again earlier as they suited up for that god damned mission. He was replaying the conversation in his head.

"Hey, I got a lead on my mom" Street said as he closed his locker door and stepped forward to be closer to Chris.

"That's great" Chris replied in a distance voice still facing into her locker.

"Chris…..When are we…..Look I really need to talk to you…..I can't go on like this" he stammered as she slowly turned her head to look at him, he was heartbroken and terrified of what would fly out his mouth next. She had already told him twice now that "We are team mates Street, nothing more". Both times Street felt the pain shoot through his heart. He couldn't understand how she could walk away from what he was sure she felt too. He was positive she felt their spark, she had kissed him back as deeply as he had kissed her. What Street didn't see and didn't know however was that Chris did feel that heartbreak too herself after pushing him away in the kitchen and telling him there was nothing going on and never would be. She had walked back to her car and sat in the carpark with tears rolling down her cheeks, or the grimace of heartbreak and a huge sigh of pain after she turned and walked away when Street had stopped her in the hallway at HQ to talk.

Clunk…..bang….

"Hey guys, there's a situation popping off in the valley, suit up" Deacon shouted as he busted in the door of the locker room.

Street never finished trying to talk to her and he missed the way they used to share laughs and verbal slurs, which would often end in her playfully punching his arm and both of them laughing about it all day.

As they sat in the back of Black Betty next to each other he didn't notice the broad smile that spread across his own face. He was deep in thought about Chris. He knew that he had begun falling in love with her the moment he met her. He had never met a girl like her. She held a special place in his heart that no woman had ever managed to reach.

"Fill the gaps…" Hondos words snapped him back to reality and like a well-rehearsed chorus the team let out

"Stay liquid" as the doors swung open and the mission began. The mission that landed him here in the hospital room, that almost caused him to lose her.

Streets thoughts jumped to how much his chest hurt when she pushed away with her words. He felt like she had ripped out his hearth and squished it in front of him. Anyone else in this situation would probably want to get as far away from that person as possible, but Street couldn't leave her side, he knew now that he deeply loved her, the type of love that only comes once in a life. As thoughts of how/when and if he should try to tell her again how he felt began forming in his mind he was interrupted by the sound he had been praying for.

Chris's eyes were beginning to flicker as the sedation wore off, her hand moved on the bed and rustled the sheets which made Street spin around and instantly be at her side.

"Chris, Chris…it's okay Chris I'm here"…. "don't try to speak…"

Street raised his voice and shouted "Hey can we get some help in here, she is awake"

2 nurses in blue scrubs ran into the room and began reassuring Chris as they worked to remove the intubation tube. The doctor followed seconds later, and Street stepped back to allow him to work. Those next moments felt like a blur to him. Nurses, doctors and people came in and out fussing over Chris, but his eyes did not move from her. The doctor approached Street,

"I'm Dr Harris, are you Ms Alsonso's partner?"

Street took a moment to process what he had said,

"Ah.. no… I mean I'm her work partner… team member" He fumbled.

"ok, Mr? …"

"Street….Jim Street"

"Mr Street…She is slowly regaining consciousness but will be groggy and pretty tired for the next few hours. I am happy for her to have one person in here but the rest of your team needs to wait outside in the waiting room and allow her to rest."

"Thank you…. Um Doc. . . . what's the prognosis now, how is she?"

"She has suffered a very serious incident Mr Street. It is going to take a few weeks for her airway to recover, she will be here in the ICU until then"

"Will she make a full recovery?"

"With time and the right care, I am confident she will recover 100% yes"

A wave of relief overcame Street. He turned his gaze back to Chris as she lay on the bed, slipping in and out of the groggy state.

"Thank you Doc" Street said as he shook his hand, and moved back to the edge of the bed.

Chris's eyes flickered as she groaned and wriggled in the bed,

"Hey you" Street said softly as he sat on the edge of the bed and placed his hand on her shoulder "You scared me, you scared us all"

"I ….(cough) ….I (cough) " Chris tried

"Hey.. Hey….It's okay, don't try to speak, I got you, you're ok now" Street softly nudged her cheek with his hand and stroked her head, letting his hand cradle her face for a second.

Chris managed a small smile and Street felt her nuzzle in a little as his hand ran down her face.

He smiled and closed his eyes for a brief moment. Feeling her acknowledge his touch made his heart race. She was slowly beginning to be more alert and conscience of her surroundings. Speaking was a struggle so Street gave her a notepad and a pen.

Her eyes looked at him like she was trapped in her own body, pleading with him to help her. He encouraged her with a nudge to write.

"Are you ok?"… "in pain?" … "need anything?" he asked

"I'm good" she wrote turning the pad to show him.

Street raised his eyebrows at her, "really?"

"Ok It really hurts but I'll live" she wrote, Street could tell she was terrified that her injuries would be the end of her career or mean she had an ongoing health issue, so he tried to reassure her.

"Doc says you will make it back to 100% but it will take a few weeks, you will be here until everything heals properly"

He could see the disappointment spread across her face. Her eyes said everything.

There was a knock at the door and Street turned to see Ty and Kira with the rest of Chris's family. He ushered them in and excused himself.

As he walked down the hall towards the waiting rooms his head was a mess. Scrambled thoughts of Chris, his feelings and their shared moments.

"Hey Street, what's the word? How is she?" Luca called out as he stood at the end of hall with a tray of coffee's in his hand.

The rest of the team swarmed out of the waiting room and rushed towards Street.

"She's … uh .. good" he smiled a smile so big it was hard to hide his excitement.

"She is awake, no more tube and her family are here" he said smiling as Hondo, Tan, Deac, Luca, the Captain and Commander Hicks patted his arms and high fived him.

"Have any of you been home?" Street joked as they headed back into the waiting area,

"Nuh man, we've all been here since they brought her in" Luca said

"Smells like it" Street teased!