Joan
He got me to the car, opened the door, and helped me in.
His shirt was stained, and since it was a lighter grey color, the blood was obvious.
Ironic, that we were both bleeding, both capable to take lives. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his palm resting against my cheek as he locked eyes with me.
“You’ll be fine. The baby will be fine too,” he said softly, and a tear slipped from my eye. Another followed, until I was crying again.
I didn’t want to lose our baby. What kind of mother does that make me, if I can’t even protect my child?
“What if-”
“Shush,” Aaron interrupted, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard.
“I’m going back in there to finish this, okay? If I’m not out in five minutes, press this button.” He pointed to a button just beneath the steering wheel.
“The car will automatically drive you wherever you need to go once you input your location in the GPS,” he added, but I shook my head.
He looked away, quickly typed an address into the GPS, then turned back to me.
“What about you? You’re bleeding,” I sniffled, and he just shook his head.
“Think about the baby, okay? Once you press this button, the car will move and take you to the hospital,” he said, taking my hand gently.
“Promise me you’ll leave in five minutes if I’m not back,” he murmured, his eyes searching mine.
I closed my eyes and nodded. The baby first.
“Good girl,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my lips before straightening up. I stared up at him.
“Aaron,” I called, just as he was about to close the door. He paused, swallowing again.
He was scared too, wasn’t he? He’d thought of everything-the good and the bad.
“Promise me you’ll come back to us,” I pleaded. His eyes softened, and he opened the door wider, even as gunshots rang out in the distance, the air thick with dust and smoke.
“I will. I’ll come back for you and our baby,” he whispered.
I nodded. I trusted him. He would keep his word.
He rubbed my cheek with his thumb before closing the door and running into the building. I watched him until he disappeared inside, then sagged against the seat.
The pain in my stomach sharpened, and I could feel the blood sliding down my legs.
I wrapped an arm around my stomach.
“Hold on, baby. Stay with Mommy, okay?” I whispered, glancing at the timer. 5:45.
We could hold on until Aaron got back. We had to. But that gnawing feeling wouldn’t leave me.
Something bad was coming.
Good things never last with me. What if… what if they kill him like they killed Ace?
The memory slammed into me. The gunshot. The blood-so much blood. Wide, empty eyes. A limp body.
I clamped my eyes shut, but the mental image wouldn’t go away.
I sank deeper into the seat, trying to shut out the chaos inside and around me.
The pain worsened with the way I slumped, and I forced myself to sit up straighter.
I checked the time again. 5:48.
He wasn’t back. The gunfire hadn’t stopped. What if he got shot again? Would he survive it?
I stared out, waiting. Still, nothing.
5:52. I didn’t press the button. I couldn’t. I kept hoping.
5:53. No sign of him.
5:54. I was getting drowsy.
5:55. Summoning what little strength I had left, I pressed the button. The car roared to life, reversing smoothly before driving off.
Tears streamed down my face. I hated feeling this helpless. I couldn’t even call for help-they’d smashed my phone.
I was utterly alone.
The car finally stopped in front of what looked like a hospital. I didn’t have the strength to get out. I pressed the horn, hoping someone would hear.
Once. Twice. Thrice. Nothing.
I slumped forward, my head resting against the wheel.
Then, a knock on the window startled me. I looked up to see a uniformed man standing there.
I rolled the window down slightly.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” he asked. I shook my head weakly.
“My… my baby,” I whispered, and he blinked, confused. My vision blurred.
“Help me. Get a nurse,” I croaked, my voice faint.
Thankfully, he understood. He turned and called out to someone nearby.
“Hey! Get a stretcher! There’s a woman dying in here!” he shouted, opening the door and helping me out.
Everything after that blurred. I drifted in and out of consciousness as they wheeled me into the hospital.
My head felt so heavy. I just hoped Aaron would come. I prayed he’d survive.
I prayed we both would.
I was placed on a bed. I felt people go in and out.
They touched me too. Checked my eyes and all and then, I was left alone. I had no idea what happened after that.
When I slipped into consciousness again, I heard the door opening.
“What’s going on?” a woman’s voice asked after a while-it must have been a nurse.
Someone touched me.
“She’s pregnant,” a man said firmly, wrapping something around my arm.
“Get an IV-fast. The baby’s gone. We need to save the mother.”
And then, darkness took me. But those four words echoed in my mind.
The baby was gone.