Somewhat based on the promo for 3x22 where Jamie and Vinnie get shot at. This is just a drabble of sorts. It's a little different than how I usually write so it's far from perfect, but I hope you enjoy it. :)

It's one of those things.

Indescribable.

Unimaginable.

And freaking terrifying.

In the split second it takes to register in your brain, you stop thinking.

You just react.

You do what you're trained to, what your instincts tell you to do.

That's just how it works.

...

You throw yourself behind anything around you. A cement wall, a car, a trash can. Anything that gives you even the smallest amount of comfort.

You take on the philosophy of the Ostrich.

I can't see him…. He can't see me.

If only that were the truth.

But in all honesty, the second the shot rings out, truth holds no meaning.

It's not about what you learned in Sunday School as a child.

If you hold to command "Thou shalt not kill," chances are you'll end up dead.

That's the world we live in.

...

So you hide from the volley of bullets.

You take a second to gather yourself and confirm you aren't spilling your blood supply all over the sidewalk.

You take a deep breath. Or two or three.

You check on your partner.

And then you pull your gun.

Right then, it becomes about nothing but survival.

Neutralizing the threat.

That's your job, after all.

...

Your family.

Your dead brother.

Your sergeant and colleagues.

Your girlfriend or boyfriend or wife or husband.

It's about them.

It's their faces that flash through your brain when you exchange fire with the shooter.

All you want is to come home to them tonight.

That's when you start praying.

...

It takes one moment to change your life.

You turn around to reload as the bullets continue to fly.

And in the corner of your eye, you see your partner fall.

You're scared to look.

A shout escapes your lips.

Or maybe it doesn't.

You just don't know anymore.

That's when it all stops making sense.

...

You curse the fact that backup hasn't arrived yet.

You curse the shooter, for being so messed up.

And then you pull yourself together.

You peek around the side of your hiding place.

You become your own backup as you emerge from behind your cover.

And you drag your partner to a safer place.

You call 'officer down' over the radio and look down at his bleeding shoulder.

That's when you decide enough is enough.

...

At this point, you're nothing but walking, talking, adrenaline.

A part of you knows you're going to collapse as soon as this is over.

But that's later.

This is now.

And right now, you have a city to protect.

A partner to get to the hospital.

A family to come home to.

That's your guiding light. Your motivation.

...

You run in the direction the bullets are coming from.

Nothing gets in your way.

You jump over flower pots, hurdle any fences in your way.

And you see him.

Or- more precisely- them.

A pair of thugs sit in a large truck with their guns still aiming at you.

You're delighted by the look of shock on their face.

That's when they realize they're screwed.

...

Cops never charge suspects who have the upper hand.

It's not procedure.

But this day has been long.

You're tired.

You have no backup.

Your partner is bleeding on the cement.

And frankly, you're pissed.

That's when you just say to hell with it.

...

They fire at you as you close in on the truck.

But they're bad shots.

Which explains why only one bullet hit it's mark in 10 minutes of continuous gunfire.

The dumbasses don't even think to turn on the ignition and drive away.

And it makes your job just a little bit easier.

One of your bullets connects with a shoulder.

A cry of pain and the sound of his gun hitting the sidewalk below resounds in your ears.

That's when the scumbags finally give up.

...

You're cuffing the second guy when a procession of cop cars and ambulances screeches to a halt a few yards away.

You point to where your partner is laying.

You make your way over to a bench several feet away.

And you sit.

Sirens are blaring.

The guy you shot is screaming.

The investigators are tagging the scene.

But this is the calmest your day has been.

That's when you smile.

...

Eventually, you have to go back to the precinct.

The commissioner releases details to the press.

The city hails you as a hero.

Your partner says you saved his life.

Your family calls you an idiot.

You just call yourself lucky.

That's when you realize just how much life is worth.

...