Page 57 of Silent Smile

Sheila's eyes darted to the bandages visible beneath his hospital gown. "How bad is it?" she asked, dreading the answer.

Finn shrugged. "Doc says I'll live. Bullet missed anything vital. I'll be back to chasing bad guys in no time."

Sheila nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The beeping of the heart monitor filled the silence between them, a constant reminder of how close she'd come to losing her partner, her friend, her…

She pushed the thought aside, not ready to confront the complicated tangle of emotions that word brought up.

"Finn, I'm sorry," she said finally, the words tumbling out in a rush. "For everything. For bossing you around, for not listening, for pushing you away. I thought if I could just do everything perfectly, make all the right calls, I could keep it all together. But I've been an idiot."

Finn's eyes softened. "Hey, you're not the only idiot here," he said. "I'm sorry too. I should have respected your position more. You're the Sheriff now, and that means something. I just... I guess I was afraid of losing what we had. Of losing you."

The last words hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken meaning. Sheila felt her heart skip a beat. "You haven't lost me," she said softly. "We haven't lost anything. We're just... adjusting. But we'll figure it out. Together. That is… assuming it's really what you want."

She waited, her heart thumping against her ribcage.

"You mean the transfer?" he asked. He chuckled dryly. "I was frustrated, not thinking straight. Working with—not to mention workingfor—the same person I'm in love with may be complicated, but that doesn't mean it's not worth it. This journey we're on together… I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Sheila leaned down and kissed him on the lips. They were still kissing when they were interrupted by a commotion in the hallway—raised voices, the sound of running feet. Sheila pulledaway from Finn, her hand instinctively moving to where her gun should be. But before she could react, the door burst open.

Star stood in the doorway, her face flushed and her eyes wild. A harried-looking nurse hovered behind her, saying something about visiting hours and family only. Star had clearly ignored her in her rush to find them. She took in the scene before her—Finn in the hospital bed, Sheila at his side, their hands still clasped together—and seemed to deflate slightly.

"Finn!" she exclaimed, rushing to the bedside. "Are you okay? What happened? They said on the news there was a shootout in the dunes, and I couldn't reach either of you, and I thought..." She trailed off. She seemed to be trying hard to compose herself, to mask her feelings as she usually did.

Sheila met the nurse's gaze and gave a small nod. The nurse sighed heavily and retreated.

"Hey, kiddo," Finn said to Star, his voice gentle. "I'm okay. Just a little scratch."

"How did you get here?" Sheila asked, suddenly realizing she hadn't called Star herself. The guilt hit her like a physical blow—she'd been so focused on Finn, she'd forgotten about the teenager who depended on them.

"Mrs. Jacobs saw it on the news," Star explained, her voice small. "She was helping me with my history paper when it came on the TV. She drove me here right away—didn't even let me argue about it. Said that's what family does for each other." Star's voice caught slightly on the word 'family,' as if surprised by Mrs. Jacobs' declaration.

Sheila felt a surge of gratitude toward their neighbor. Not just for bringing Star, but for understanding exactly what Star needed to hear in that moment. "I'm sorry, Star," she said. "I should have called you. I wasn't thinking straight."

Star shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but Sheila could see the hurt in her eyes. "It's okay. I get it. Finn was hurt, you had to focus on that."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Sheila watched as Star fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, her eyes darting between Finn and Sheila. She could almost see the gears turning in the girl's head, trying to figure out where she fit in this tableau.

Finally, Star spoke. "So, um... I know you guys probably have a lot of police stuff to talk about, but... maybe when Finn's feeling better, we could all do something together? Like, I don't know, have a movie night with lots of pizza?"

The hopeful note in Star's voice made Sheila's heart ache. She exchanged a glance with Finn, seeing her own emotions reflected in his eyes.

"What do you think, Finn?" Sheila asked, smiling. "Up for a movie night once you're out of here?"

Finn nodded, wincing slightly at the movement. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. Maybe we could watch that new sci-fi flick... what's it called? 'Nebula Rising'?"

Star's face lit up. "Yes! That's the one I've been wanting to see! It's got that actress from 'Quantum Leap' in it, and the special effects are supposed to be amazing!"

As Star launched into an enthusiastic description of the movie's plot, Sheila felt some of the tension drain from her body. They were okay. Battered and bruised, maybe, but alive. Together.

The moment was interrupted by the return of the doctor, who tapped his watch meaningfully. Sheila stood up, her body protesting the movement. "We should let you rest," she said to Finn. "I'll drive Star home."

Finn nodded, his eyes already starting to droop. "Thanks, partner," he murmured. "For everything."

Sheila squeezed his hand one last time before gently letting go. She ushered Star out of the room, closing the door softly behind them. For a moment, she leaned against the wall as the events of the past few days caught up with her.

Star stood silently beside her. When Sheila finally looked at her, she saw a mixture of worry and uncertainty in the girl's eyes.

"He's going to be okay, right?" Star asked, her voice small.

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