368 Robbery in progress

Liz turned to make her way to the cash register, and she froze when she saw that the clerk at the cash register is facing a man, and he is petrified.

The man in front has a hoodie over his head, so Liz can't see his face, but the thing he is holding onto is definitely a pistol! Liz realized that there is a robbery in progress!

Liz was focused on the scene at the cash register, and she didn't notice that Dr. Snow was pulling her backward. His one arm was around her waist, while the other one was pressing on her shoulder, trying to get her to bend.

"Stay down, this will be over in a minute…", Dr. Snow spoke with urgency, only for Liz to hear.

"You want us to hide?", Liz whispered, and her disapproval was obvious.

"Don't be a hero.", Dr. Snow warned. "The man will get his money and leave, and everyone stays safe."

"What if he shots?", Liz asked. "And it's not right to let him steal."

Dr. Snow was frustrated. "Don't risk your life for a handful of money he might get from the register…"

Liz pressed her lips into a line when she realized that Dr. Snow's arms are around her. "Let me go!"

Dr. Snow let go of her reluctantly. Ah, he finally got into a touching distance, but this situation is less than favorable, no matter how he looks at it.

"Lenny? Are we ready to close?", a cheerful female voice came from the back of the store.

Liz peeked through the merchandise and she saw the clerk (aka Lenny) nervously glancing on the side while the robber whispered something to him.

Lenny shook his head in refusal, but when the gun was one inch away from his face, he responded. "I need a minute, Beth! Can you…"

Lenny stopped talking when a girl came into the view.

"Ahhh!", the girl screamed on an instinct, and that made the robber jolt in her direction.

'BANG!'

The sound of the gunshot shook the store and Liz lunged at the robber before Dr. Snow could catch her.

Liz's kick connected with the robber in the middle of his lower back, sending a paralyzing pulse through his body. He lost his balance and Liz grabbed a metallic pen-holder from the counter and smacked him in the head.

The robber fell on the ground like a ragdoll and Liz flicked the gun out of his reach.

"Call the police!", Liz shouted at the clerk who looked at Liz in disbelief.

The clerk's whole body shook, and he reached for the phone before he remembered… "He shot at Beth…"

Liz made sure that the crook is unconscious and then went to check on the woman. She was on the ground, and she moved, which means that she is alive. When Liz approached her, she noticed a dark red stain spreading on the women's light blue t-shirt. She was shot in the shoulder.

"It's OK. You will be OK.", Liz comforted the woman who looked at Liz with pure horror in her eyes.

The woman's mouth was opening and closing, but due to the shock, she was unable to talk.

Liz tried revealing the wound, but she didn't have enough strength to tear the fabric and she didn't want to expose the woman unnecessarily.

"Chris! Some help here! She is losing blood!", Liz yelled impatiently.

Two seconds later, Dr. Snow was by her side.

Dr. Snow cursed himself internally. He was composed when he saw the robbery and he hoped that the man will be fast and leave without spotting them, or at least before Liz notices what is going on at the cash register. After all, Liz was so immersed in that spoon, that she didn't realize that he came close to her… close enough to inhale the scent of her shampoo.

But when Liz jumped into the trouble, Dr. Snow's body refused to react. Now Liz probably thinks that he is a coward, but he has no regrets because if he didn't stop Liz from going the first time, Liz would be the one with a gunshot wound and not this no-name woman.

For Dr. Snow, every woman compared to Liz is not relevant and he will never put anyone's safety above Elizabeth's even if that means sacrificing others because by protecting her, he is protecting himself. Since Dr. Snow found out about Liz, it started with curiosity, but it quickly morphed into admiration and infatuation. Now, Liz is his reason for waking up and striving for excellence and he will not give up on trying to get close to her.

Dr. Snow observed the woman for a second and smiled. It is usually to comfort the patient, but this time, his smile was due to the fact that he will get to work with Liz. This woman on the floor is THEIR first patient... she should be honored.

He ripped the woman's shirt, starting from her collar, to expose her shoulder.

Dr. Snow and Liz applied pressure on the wound and agreed that it's not life-threatening unless the woman loses too much blood. The bullet is still inside her body, so she will need surgery.

Liz spoke to the woman to distract her until the ambulance arrived and Lenny (aka the clerk) was observing them from a few steps away, too afraid to approach them.

The police arrived shortly after the ambulance.

Liz and Dr. Snow spoke to the paramedics, who took the woman in the ambulance van.

The police took the unconscious robber and the detectives at the scene interviewed the clerk, Liz, and Dr. Snow.

Only then Liz started shaking. The whole incident lasted a few seconds, but the amount of adrenalin was something she never experienced. She didn't notice that Dr. Snow was patting her shoulder, but when he reached to hold her hand, Liz crossed her arms over her chest to avoid him.

The detective saw the black carryon and he didn't know to whom it belongs.

"We will need you to stay in the area... if we have more questions.", the detective spoke to Liz and Dr. Snow.

Dr. Snow confirmed that he is from Portland, he is not going anywhere. He liked the idea of Liz sticking around. Maybe they can do something together tomorrow. Considering how shaken up Liz is, there is a big chance that she will need comforting tonight. Well, he is available, but he does not want to appear too pushy. When the police leaves, he will offer Liz a drink or two and take it from there.

Liz didn't like the idea of extending her stay in Portland. "Uhm… I am going to Seattle tonight. I was here for a conference and I only came to this store to get a souvenir."

Liz extended her hand, showing a silver spoon.

"It's a weekend. Can you stay in the Portland area longer?", the detective asked. He didn't like the idea of the key person leaving.

"You are welcome to stay at my place.", Dr. Snow offered to Liz quickly.

"No. I have things to do.", Liz refused Dr. Snow's offer immediately.

Other than spending time with Max, Liz has nothing else planned, but there is no way that she will go to stay at Dr. Snow's place. What is he thinking? Well, she knows what he is thinking, but it's not happening. Even if she needs to stay, she will go to a hotel.

Liz looked at the detective. "The clerk is here, and so is Dr. Snow, and the woman is alive. I am sure they have some camera that can show you what happened, and if you need to reach me, you can do it over the phone."

The detective frowned, obviously not liking Liz's persistence to leave. "There are things that are more effective in person, and if we delay we risk that the trail gets cold. I insist that you stay in the area."

Dr. Snow feared that Liz is getting herself into trouble. Why is she arguing with police over a few extra days? It's a weekend and her work will not be impacted. "Liz, why don't you…?"

Dr. Snow stopped talking when Liz lifted her hand and shot him a glare.

Liz was irritated by Dr. Snow's meddling. But he is not important.

Liz observed the stubborn detective. She does not want to cause problems, but how she sees it, there is no need for her to stay and she did nothing wrong, so the detective's insistence is only on his whim. "Am I under arrest?"

The detective exhaled in defeat. "No, you are not. But you staying longer will help us wrap this up quicker and not allow the guy to wiggle out on some technicality like the main witness not being present." He saw that Liz is not willing, so he decided to compromise. "Can you at least accompany us to the police station and give a full statement? After that, we will ask you questions and hopefully, that will be enough. That can't last more than a few hours."

Liz pressed her lips into a line. She didn't like it, but she didn't like the idea of that crook slipping away either… Liz does not want to stay for the weekend (or longer), but if a few hours can help, she will do it.

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