Chapter 173


    Chapter 173


    I bit my tongue, wanting to scream Scarle stood whether she was even breathing.


    name despite likely not receiving a response. Blood stained her clothes, and I couldn’t tell from


    where I


    Ste was there too, her face twisted in anguish as she sobbed uncontrobly. Timothy shouted for


    someone to call the authorities, his voice filled with panic.


    He then kneeled down beside Scarlett, assessing her injuries. I saw Scarlett’s delicate hand fly up


    and squeeze his arm as he consoled her.


    Once the paramedics arrive, they loaded Scarlett into the ambnce. They helped Ste, who was


    still hyperventting, into the truck and they shut the doors. The sirens red on, offering me some


    hope, as that meant Scarlett was still a life to save.


    As the ambnce sped away with Scarlett and Ste inside, sirens wailing, a heavy sense of guilt


    and dread weighed me down. I watched the vehicle disappear into the distance, the urgency of the


    moment etched into my memory. The sudden turn of events had left us all in shock.


    I heard a knock at the door and saw Timothy heard Timothy’s voice, though it sounded muffled. I


    shuffled over and unlocked it, and he came rushing in. His words and movements felt eerily fast-


    paced, and I could barelyprehend was going on.


    Timothy’s hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality. I hadn’t realized he had stopped right


    beside me. “Evie, we need to get to the hospital,” he said, his voice filled with urgency.


    I looked over and saw that he had already helped Olive pack all her things. She seemed ready to go


    and seemingly put together, more of the adult in


    Emergency calls only


    Chapter 173


    the situation than I felt I was. Suddenly spurred into action, I made my way over to her.


    *022% 113:30


    “Olive, sweetheart, we need to go to the hospital,” I said gently, kneeling down beside her. “Your


    Mommy’s hurt, and we need to be there for her.” Olive looked up at me with wide, frightened eyes,


    and I could see the tears welling up. “Is Mommy going to be okay?”


    I hugged her tightly, fighting back my own tears. “We don’t know, sweetheart, but we’re going to be


    there for her, no matter what.”


    The drive to the hospital had been fraught with tension, anxiety gnawing at me like a relentless


    beast. Olive sat in the back seat, her small hands gripping her favorite Gctic Hero action figure,


    her eyes filled with fear and confusion. She hadn’t even seen the incident, but the uncertainty was


    chilling enough.


    As we arrived at the hospital just in time, paramedics rushed Scarlett through the doors on a


    stretcher, her face pale and her face scrunched up in pain. “Scarlett, can you hear me?” I cried


    desperately, following the fast moving stretcher.


    Scarlett’s eyes fluttered open, and she managed a weak smile as she saw me there. “Evie,” she


    whispered, her voice barely audible. “I didn’t see iting.”


    I squeezed her hand gently, tears streaming down my face. “You’re going to be okay, Scarlett. Just


    hold on.”


    “Evie,” Scarlett whispered, and she managed to get a solid grip on my hand. “Take care of Olive,


    please.”


    I nodded, tears stinging my eyes as I watched Scarlett disappear behind those emergency room


    doors. The weight of the responsibility pressed heavily


    Emergency calls only


    Chapter 173


    on my shoulders. I turned to Olive, who was crying softly in the midst of the sterile hospital


    environment.


    “Olive.” I said, trying to keep my own voice steady, “Mommy’s going to be okay. She’s in good


    hands, and the doctors will take care of her.”


    Olive wiped away her tears, her small face contorted with worry. “Is Mommy going to die?”


    22% 13:30


    I knelt down beside her and hugged her tightly, doing my best to reassure her. “No, sweetheart,


    Mommy’s going to be all right. She’s strong, and she’ll N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Timothy nodded, his face a mask of frustration. “I know, but she said she couldn’t handle it and just


    walked out. I don’t understand her sometimes.


    I was taken aback by the revtion. Regardless of how she felt about her sister, that was still her


    family. How could she abandon Scarlett when she needed her the most?


    My anger red, but I pushed it down for Olive’s sake.


    “We can’t worry about Ste right now,” I said, my voice firm. “We need to focus on Scarlett’s


    recovery,”


    Timothy nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with determination. “You’re right, Evie. I just hope


    Ste isn’t doing anything crazy.


    022% #13:30


    “Right,” I said, letting in a shaky breath as I clutched something warm and firm in my fists. He


    looked down at the same time I had and realized that I was holding his arm. Instead of moving


    away, he adjusted my hand so that my fingers were inteced with his.


    He gave me a wordless smile and I tightened my grip, feeling the tension in my body start to ease


    away.


    As we waited in the sterile waiting room, the minutes stretched into hours, each second feeling like


    an eternity. Olive sat beside me, her small hand gripping mine tightly before she eventually fell


    asleep. She had been through so much in such a short span of time, and I couldn’t help but wonder


    how this would affect her.


    The thought of my personal conflict with Bruce weighed heavily on my mind. How many people


    would get hurt because of our unresolved issues? The violence that had entered our lives had


    already taken a toll on Scarlett and her family, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all


    connected.


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