Chapter 10

Chris managed to get a charter flight to Chicago. She had called Mark to tell him they were on her their way. Mark told what he knew. Matt had interrupted an attempted robbery at a local convience store. He was shot ln the back by the getaway driver as he had both robbers covered. They got away but it didn't take long before they were caught. Matt was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. He went into emergency surgery and that was all that Mark knew.

Mark met them at the airpot and drove him the Northwestern Medical Center. She met her whole family in the waiting room while Christ looked for a place to park. Hugs were all around. For the first time in her life none of the boys poked fun at her. Sara sat on Mark's lap giving up her chair for Gabrielle. They told her that Matt was holding steady but still was in critical condition. The only change to Mark's story was Matt had shot and killed one of the three robbers in the store when the lookout/ getaway driver shot him twice in the back puncturing one of his lungs. Mayor Daley had been there to tell them as soon as Matt was well, he'd be given a citation for heroism.

Jeff had launched into the chief of police for not having two men in a car in dangerous areas. The man told the Briggs family how sorry he was that Matt was shot. Chris arrived at that time and stood off to the side letting Jeff vent on the police chief how his son was shot because he was alone.

Erin walked out of ICU to let Peg know that she should see her son. Gabrielle jumped to her feet and hugged Erin as they both cried. She joined her mother going back to Matt's ICU unit. An intern tried to stop her but when she showed her ID that she was a member of the House of Representatives, he wisely backed off.

In the room Matt had all kinds of monitors, bags of liquids in his arm, and a catheter hooked up to catch his urine. He was pale, had a tube for breathing covering his face and a table the size of the bed at the end due to his height. His eyes were glazed but the nurse said it was from the morphine that was in his drip.

"Hey Matt, pull through for me," Gabrielle said quietly. "I want you around to see your new nephew or niece and to tease me." Tears fell from her eyes onto her red silky blouse.

"It'll be a while," Peg said. "Erin's staying in your room. She's barely getting any sleep. She told us last Sunday she's going to have a baby, This has taken all the joy out of it."

"It's hard to kill gorillas, Mom," Gabrielle said, hoping that Matt could hear them.

"You'll have to clear the room," a nurse said, following the doctor in to the room to take care of their patient.

Chris had booked a room at the Ritz Carlton. After a few hours, the Cunninghams left to get some rest. Garbielle was so weary she fell asleep in her clothes. Chris stripped her down to her panties, then undressed himself. He climbed in beside her, cuddled up and went to sleep too. He couldn't help but chuckle about the other night when she was on her head doing what that pretty Hispanic did. Getting fucked standing on her head, moving her hips in an amazing manner He only wished it ran long enough for them to cum. But his wife did even better in his view. He was going to make her do that again once the baby was born and they could have sex again.

Matt slowly continued to improve. He kept running a low grade fever but he improved steadily. Erin was forced to go home to sleep. When she returned she was more frazzled that when she left. Gabrielle took upon herself to look after her sibling while Erin was gone. She bullied Matt into taking liquids by mouth. She gave him a playfull slap on his shoulder when he refused, kissed him on the cheek when he sipped the straw.

She reminded him about him telling her that she had a giant wart on her shoulders when she at the gullible age of six. She'd cry while Peg got the belt. She'd look in the mirror searching for the wart not knowing that Matt had meant her entire head. Matt received beatings for his teasings but he felt it was worth it to antagonize his little sister. They laughed about it now but when she was a child Gabrielle actually thought she was as ugly as her brothers said.

"I always said you were too mean and ugly to die," Gabrielle smiled at Matt laying in his bed in ICU. The crisis was averted. He woke up with Erin and Peg at his side. The doctors were so pleased with his recovery that they intended to send him into a private room. He would be out of service for at least four months, perhaps six.

Matt mumbled something that none understood.

"Erin get him to promise to buy you that house in Edgebrook you've been after him to get you," Gabrielle smiled. "You know houses in that area go fast."