She sat clutching to the weapon that, over the years ,she had come some what attached to. The gun had been the memento of years of doing the same job but never had one of the two ever been induced in as much pain and damage as he had to fight through at this exact moment. Three bullets to the chest and several spotted elsewhere, it's a miracle he's made it so far. As she would say next time watch your own back or next time you won't be here. But this was no time for jokes.

He held her deep in his heart and like her hand at this current time, he refused to let go. She raised her weapon and fired a single titanium bullet, with any luck it would hit her target. A man who seem to him as her target was hiding and beginning to lurk from the shadows.

Of course, it did just that and there ,over 50 metres ahead of the gun's end, her target laid pinned to the ground, screaming in excruciating pain. That same pain that the target had gifted to him. But they should have known not to mess with a trained marks 'man'. But "oh good on me, I hit him" was not the first thing that came to her mind, in fact it was the last thing she could bare to think about. 

He was slipping away and she couldn't help him. After all the times she saved his arse, she never felt hopeless; she always felt strong. His heart slowed in his chest and all she could do was to try to keep him awake and call for help.

"John...John please... I need you to stay with me...please"

She searched without care, inside all of her pockets and his to find the emergency GPS to save not only her partner but the man she loves regardless to the fact that he doesn't know.

When you've worked with a partner for years and when you think that you can put your gun to rest, you remember that if you left he would have to find another you. Why find another you, when you can have the original? When you have that trust that neither one will walk away until they both agree it's the right time, you have an unbreakable bond. 

So she continues to sit by him, never to leave to save her own skin, but to stay until he's safe. Until help comes for them.

Samantha is with him and John is with her. "Together or not at all"

 Those that kill together, stay together.

Those that lie together, die together.

Those that love each other, find each other.

But she was still waiting, still waiting for someone to tell her everything was going to be okay. Someone like him, someone who stood by her regardless. But he couldn't stand and she couldn't get up and leave him. 

Help was coming. I mean, she hopes that help is coming. She hopes that through all the noise and chatter that someone was listening, someone was searching for her voice. Because now more than ever, her voice needed to be heard.

" SOMEBODY PLEASE!!    Help us!!"

But they waited without response, both in unbearable pain. A pain, a hurt that crushes hearts. But upon instinct, she rises and she struggles to bring him to his feet. If this were a normal day, it'd be the other way round. Her in his arms being carried away like in a Hollywood romance. This was no romance film, she was hopelessly attempting to carry (drag) her partner to safety. Or better, home.

And there they were. 

She had his arm slung round her shoulder as a support and she lifted most of his weigh as they walked. 

In a time of trouble it takes hope to carry pain away and to invite the health and healing. But when hope is struggling it hurts them both.

Eventually after hours of struggling Samantha's voice was heard and her people came calling. Almost 20 agents, that she had worked with over the years, had come to her rescue but they were running out of time. John was losing blood, it was like watching the Mississippi pour from the sky and she felt helpless. The hospital was one thing but getting him there was going to be an expedition. It was going to be a journey for the heart and where there is a heart there is hurt.

* It's a small world when you look at it but when you realise the pain and suffering they go through, everything suddenly gets bigger and brighter than ever. You see stars that only heaven can see, but then you realise this is When We Hurt.*