Chapter 31

As they went to walk downstairs, Camille was walking up them.

"Hold it right there." Camille said, with Justin walking next to her. She looked over and noticed Leslie in uniform.

"What is a paramedic doing dressed up in one of our uniforms?"

"Don't worry about it."

"This is illegal, you know that."

"I don't really care."

"I am your commander and you WILL do what I say."

"You're my wife, that doesn't make you my boss." He stormed out and everyone followed him.

Meanwhile at the house, Pulpo had other ideas. Kim had fallen asleep and she was waken up the the slamming of the door.

"You and I are gonna have a little fun." He ripped the tape from her mouth, making her scream.

"Get away from me!"

He grabbed her chin. "You are going to do what I say."

She kicked him and he was thrown into the opposite wall. He ran at her, but she moved out of the way.

"Don't you know the smart one always wins?"

He picked up a crowbar and hit her, knocking her to the ground. She turned over just as he tried hitting her again, but jumped up just in time. She found a heavy piece of plywood and picked it up. As he was getting up, she flung it at him.

"You think you're so tough!" He punched her in the face.

She put her hand on her lip, discovering blood because he had punctured her lip during the punch.

"Aw, did someone get hurt? Does someone want their mommy now?"

"Don't start with me!" She screamed in his face.

He took her and threw her onto the ground, repeatedly kicking her. With all the kicks, she was nearly knocked unconscious.

"...just let me go..." She said, gasping for air.

"I don't think I can do that." He kicked her in the head. Her eyes rolled back into her head.

After they arrived at the house, Leslie found the basement entrance from the outside and pointed to it.

"Don't even." Erin stopped her.

"Why not?"

"We need to wait for backup. We do nothing until it arrives. Okay?"

Leslie nodded her head. "Alright alright."

Backup arrived and parked behind the house, two other patrol cars parked one street over. Hank gave them the nod, signaling for them to go in. Pulpo refused to answer the door, forcing Antonio and Kevin to break the door down.

"Chicago Police! Show yourself!" Hank yelled as he walked in, waving his gun around.

Erin checked all the bedrooms. "Clear!" She said when nothing was found.

Julie saw the back door swing shut. She bolted right through the house to the back and caught Pulpo trying to hop the fence. She tackled him to the ground and cuffed him.

"Not today." She pulled him up by his hair and kicked him into the house. Everyone stood over him.

"You honestly thought you were going to get away with this?"

"I get away with what I want to."

"Not this time."

"Fine, you win."

"Don't I always?" He stepped on Pulpo's chest.

"Um, ow?"

"I'm not jamming my foot into you so shut your mouth. Where's Burgess?"

"Go take a look downstairs." He grew the cockiest smile on his face.

"If you did ANYTHING to her-" Adam screamed.

"You might wanna hurry, I don't know how much longer she has."

Adam used full force to break the door down. He found Kim nearly beaten to death and barely conscious.

Her leaned down to cover her. "I'm here."

She looked up at him, placing a hand on his cheek. "What happened?" She said, weakly.

"Thank goodness for the tracking app. If it wasn't for that, we never would have found you."

"Are you hurt?"

"No I'm not, but you are. You need to see a doctor."

"What happened to me?"

"By the looks of it, I'd say you were beaten. You're covered in bruises, your lips are bloody and you have a black eye."

"Who would do this to me?"

"It was Pulpo. Voight's handling him right now."

He picked her up, being gentle in case she had any broken bones.

"Is anything broken?"

"I don't think so."

Suddenly, her body went limp in his arms.

"Kim! Kim, wake up! Come on!" He started crying.

"We need an ambulance! NOW!" He was yelling as he headed outside.

"I'll deal with you later." Hank threw Pulpo in the back of his patrol car.

The ambulance arrived within minutes. Gabby and Sylvie jumped out, yelling and asking what happened. They placed her on the backboard and began attending to her as they strapped her on.

"What happened to her this time?" Gabby asked in a rush.

"He beat her." Adam said, barely holding it together.

Gabby caught sight of Pulpo in the back of Hank's patrol car. She rolled her eyes.

"Not that asshole again." She muttered to herself.

They all raced to the hospital as Kim was being wheeled into the operating room. Her parents showed up an hour later, along with Adam's father and stepmother.

"Maureen...Christopher..." Adam began.

"Don't blame this on yourself." Christopher told him.

"I did everything I could to try keeping her awake, but nothing worked. Oh god..." He started crying all over again.

"I know my daughter. She never gives up."

The doctor that was doing the operation on her came out a while later. Everyone looked up, awaiting an answer.

"Mr. Ruzek?" He said.

Adam jumped up. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, but..."

"NO!" Maureen leaned into Christopher's shoulders. Tears started falling from her eyes.

"She's not dead, but...she is in a coma. She's on life support and we are doing everything we can. There's no telling when she'll wake up. It could be hours, days...even months."

Silence took over the waiting room as everyone looked at each other.

"Can I see her?"

"Right this way."

The doctor left them alone. Adam took her hand in his.

"It's going to kill me to not hear you say I love you, to hug me, to kiss me or to even say goodnight. I know you're in there. I was looking at old pictures of us from camp today after I heard you were missing. That brought such a huge smile to my face. I just want you to know that I love you and our children more than anything in this world. When you wake up, we'll be right here waiting."