“Good.” The doctor looked up at Saylor. “Now that you’re both here, I’ll tell you what I’ve just told Mrs. Sharp. Tabon’s organs are all functioning, and we have significant brain activity, enough that we believe we can withdraw life support.”
“Isn’t that wonderful news?” her mother asked.
“He’s going to be okay?” Ava whispered.
“I’m not going to lie,” the doctor answered. “His recovery may not be easy or quick, but yes, I believe he’s going to be okay.”
The doctor turned back to Saylor’s mother. “Would you like to be with him when we turn off life support?”
“Of course,” she answered, standing and reaching for Saylor’s hand. “Ava, would you like to be with us?”
Ava squared her shoulders and took Saylor’s other hand. “If you don’t mind, yes, I would.”
The doctor led the three of them out of the office and back down the hallway. “A respiratory therapist will be assisting me by disconnecting the tube from the machine. I’m confident that Tabon will begin breathing on his own immediately.”
“Are you sure you want to be here?” her mother asked once more. Both Saylor and Ava nodded as they walked into the room.
Saylor’s mom put her hand on Razor’s arm and motioned for her and Ava to do the same.
At the same moment they disconnected the tubing, Saylor saw her brother take a breath on his own.
“Thank you, God,” she whispered.
“Now what happens?” her mother asked the doctor.
“We wait for him to wake up,” he answered.
“How long will that take?” Saylor asked.
The doctor shrugged. “That’s up to him.”
?
?:—
When Saylor and her mother were taken back to see Razor, Monk went in search of Gunner. The man wasn’t just Razor’s partner in K19, the two had been close friends for many years.
When he found him in the chapel, Monk quietly opened the door, dipped his finger in the holy water, and crossed himself before taking a seat next to Gunner.
He took the rosary from around his neck and handed it to him. “My mother held this and prayed when I was shot,” he told him.
Gunner held out his hand, and Monk rested the rosary on his palm.
“We’re all praying,” he said as he stood and gave the man back his privacy.
Not long after he’d returned to the ICU waiting room, Ava came out.
“He’s breathing on his own. We’re just waiting for him to decide to open his eyes,” she reported. “Where’s Gunner?” she asked, looking around the room.
“In the chapel,” Monk answered.
“Where is that?”
When someone else volunteered to take her to him, Monk stood to leave, but when Saylor and her mother came out of the double doors, he sat back down.
“He’s breathing on his own.” Saylor repeated Ava’s words and then sat down beside him.
Monk nodded.