He wouldn’t go into the hospital zipped up in a bag. Jet would go in with the honor of a warrior.
“Let’s walk him in,” she said. “The bag stays open. He deserves this last walk with his family. We deserve to do this for him because he was ours.”
And that said it all.
Raphael went to one side, and she and Uriel walked the other side. As they rolled it into the hospital morgue, staff held the door for her, clearly alerted for a hero walk.
She said nothing, but he was getting cold as life left him. Still, she refused to let go as she held on out of love.
A mother would hold onto her child, and she meant what she’d said countless times.
He was her child.
Staff held the doors, and Elizabeth walked alongside the gurney. The only sound was their boots hitting the floor as they escorted him.
Inside, when the door opened, there stood familiar faces. It was Doctor Legend, and with him, Doctor Dalia Cooper.
Her MEs.
As soon as she saw them, tears slipped past her lashes. Them being there to take care of Jet was the kindest, most compassionate thing they could ever do for her.
She’d never forget it.
Ever.
Seeing her, Zane headed her way.
“Hey, Boss. We thought we could do this for you, so you didn’t have to leave him alone with anyone. We loved Jet, and we wanted to be here for him too.”
She wasn’t sure how.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
Dalia kissed her.
“Chris called us, and he asked us to do this for your family. He said that Jet should be taken care of by the people who knew him, because he deserved that.”
Raphael dropped his arm over her shoulder and let her lean on him.
At that moment, they all needed this.
Desperately.
“Thank you for that,” she said. “I want him to be loved because he was special. He’s one of my children. He’s one of mine,” she whispered.
Oh, they understood.
Working with Elizabeth, you learned one thing about her.
She was loyal to a fault.
Once you were hers, you stayed hers. There was no doubt that she’d want them to protect Jet now that he could no longer protect himself.
She was honest.
“He wouldn’t want an autopsy, so can you just stay with him and make sure the paperwork is done. He’ll be interred in Arlington, and I want him to look his best.”
Dalia squeezed her hand.
