I brushed it off and kissed him good-bye as he left for work. We texted here and there as we always do before I lay down. Around 9:40 that night, I texted him that Nola was having trouble falling asleep and he texted back saying to let her work through it. At approximately 11:08, I woke to my phone vibrating relentlessly. The first thing I seen on the screen were Facebook messages asking me if Kirk was working and if he was okay. I felt that pit turn into a boulder. Then the hospital number starting ringing...I knew. I knew something was majorly wrong. I managed to answer although I could barely breathe. The doctor told me that they had Kirk in the ER and that he had been in a trauma. She proceeded to tell me he had been shot twice. The sheer panic set in. I managed to ask her if he was okay and where he was shot at. She told me he was going to be okay and had been shot in the upper leg and hand. A small bit of relief as I knew we could work with those injuries. I remember another doctor getting on the phone who knew us personally and she explained that he was alert and angry but that he was going to be okay. Shortly after they hung up with me and I was still standing in the same spot hyperventilating and dry heaving, my phone rang again. This time, the sergeant was on the phone and he told me not to drive and that an officer was on his way to pick me up and bring me to the hospital. It was then that I realized I needed to get dressed and call someone to come over to be with the girls. My cousin is who had messaged me asking if Kirk was okay when she heard an officer had been shot so I knew she would probably answer. She was able to get to our house before the officer and took over things with the girls so I could leave immediately. The officer drove me to the hospital as fast as he could even though it felt like an eternity. I remember pulling into the ambulance bay and knowing I just had a short distance left to travel before I could see him and touch him. I ran. I ran the rest of the way. There he was. Laying in the trauma room, calm and pale. The first thing he said to me was, "I'm 100%" as I gasped and felt relief flood my soul. This man who is always so strong and calm, still saying he was okay even as the trauma doctor explained that his femur was shattered and they needed another CT of his hand to see what damage was done there. The pain, surgeries and days to follow are a blur.
There are things that stand out more than others. His parents and brother rushing to the hospital and embracing me with so much support and love. Driving Kirk's car home from the hospital after an officer brought it over and hearing the most profound song playing (Get Up by Shinedown) and I cried big ugly tears for the first time through this. And the most vivid memory; the sight of seeing Kirk stand up from his bed with the help of physical therapists on day 4 and mastering the modified walker as if it was all he ever knew. It was at that moment that I knew he would overcome this as strong as he has alway has. His calm and steady demeanor never wavered.
We are at almost 2 months post injuries and I am even more amazed by him than I was before. The unimaginable super man! He still has a long ways to go in his road to recovery and healing, but has come so far already. As hard as this all has been, I can say that this has brought us closer. He makes me laugh and smile every single day. So many stories but for another blog. I want to end this by saying how amazing the support has been from every angle. From all of his family, friends, co-workers as well as mine. They always say that the men in blue are a tight family and I can say first hand, it most definitely is. I am so proud of this man that I am so lucky to call my own.
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