The phone rang and Molly jumped up to get it. “Shane?! Shane is that you?” she asked frantically.

“No, ma’am. This is Officer Bradley. Am I speaking with Molly Kroll-McCutcheon?”

Concerned, Molly cautiously replied, “Yes, this is she.”

“Ma’am, I’m calling about your partner, Shane Kroll-McCutcheon.”

“Oh my God,” Molly said softly, as she stumbled back to the couch. “Is she okay? What happened?”

“There was an accident ma’am. They’ve taken her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. You should probably get down there as soon as you can.”

“Okay,” Molly said, her voice shaking. She hung up the phone and dropped it to the ground. “Shay!” she yelled out. “Shay!”

Shay came running out of his room, hearing the fear in Molly’s voice. “What is it Molly?”

“Shane’s been in an accident. Get dressed,” she said as she pulled on her sneakers. Shay ran back into the bedroom to throw on some clothes as Molly ran around the house, grabbing her keys and her purse. There was a knock at the door and then Alice burst through.

“Come on. I’ll drive you,” she said, holding the door open.

“How’d you know?” Molly asked, perplexed.

“I saw it. I drove past it while I was looking for her.”

Molly grabbed Alice’s hand. “How bad was it?” she asked, looking in her eyes, pleading for the truth.

Though Alice didn’t want to tell Molly, she knew she couldn’t hide it from her. She grabbed Molly by her elbows to support her in case she stumbled and said, very seriously, “Bad, Moll. It was bad.”

Molly gasped as she stumbled back a bit, but Alice held her tight. When Molly regained her composure she whispered, “Don’t tell Shay that.” Alice nodded and called out to Shay who came running into the room, pulling his sweatshirt on. Shay bolted out the door with Molly right behind him. Just as she was outside, Alice grabbed her arm, spinning her back.

“She’s a fighter. She’ll be okay,” Alice said, nodding, trying to convince both Molly and herself that Shane would make it. “She’d never leave you,” she added.

Molly nodded and wiped a tear from her eye, as she turned back towards the car and headed out, as Alice closed the door behind them.