To Live Again
Chapter One
It had started out as a typical Friday night out for the Strallans. A lovely dinner at Angelo's, full of laughter and loving glances, followed by a night out at the opera or symphony or theatre. Edith and Anthony weren't particularly picky in choosing what, as long as they were together they were content. Some would call their routine boring, but for Edith and Anthony, as long as the night ended with them going home, hands locked, it was perfect.
On this night, the couple was eagerly discussing their future in their secluded little booth in the corner.
"What would you rather it be? Another little girl? Or perhaps a boy this time?"
"My darling," said Anthony as he reached across the white linen table, "I couldn't say. I find myself lost for words. Truly, I'd be just as pleased with either."
"Well," said Edith with a coy smile, "I think I'm rather in love with the idea of a little boy with your eyes and your smile. You'd be an excellent father to him; I can see you teaching him to be a proper little gentleman. And of course it would even up the ranks a bit."
A large smile grew on Anthony's face as he thought of their insatiably curious seven-year old daughter, Emily.
"I just can't believe it. I thought the doctors said there was too much scarring from... from before," he whispered delicately.
"Yes well, it appears they were wrong." She said, a contented smile on her face and a hand on the barely there protrusion of where their child was currently growing. "Wonderfully wrong."
"Have I told you how much I love you, my sweet one?"
"Let me think." She tapped her chin and looked at him teasingly, "You've been quite remiss in your husbandly duties. It's been a whole hour since you said it the last time, darling."
"I do, I adore you, Edith. You've made me far happier than I ever dared to dream. And now you've made me a father again."
"Oh Anthony, I can't take all the credit, my darling."
A lingering kiss to her hand was met with her smoldering brown eyes and a crackle of tension was there hanging between them.
"Come on," Anthony said, standing up and lightly tugging her behind him as he left the money for their dinner on the table "I think the opera can wait another night."
Stealing a kiss from his lips, Edith silently acquiesced.
So happy and so wrapped up in each other were they that they forgot to be careful as they strolled down the seemingly empty street.
Angelo's was a great place; it was where they had first met, where they had their first date, and where Anthony had proposed. It had so many wonderful, happy memories. But those happy memories cloaked the simple fact that it was not located in the best part of town.
Reaching their car, a wonderful restoration of a classic, Anthony was distracted from getting the keys when his wife embraced him and they were lost in each other's kisses.
So lost in fact that they did not notice the man until it was too late.
Suddenly there was something very disturbing being pressed to Edith's throat and she was being snatched away from Anthony's arms.
She screamed and then her mouth was being held shut by a large hand.
"Give me the fucking keys or I'll kill her right now."
The man who had grabbed Edith was hardly discernible from any random man on the street except for his eyes, beady and piggish and completely untrustworthy.
Anthony, always the one with a level head, quickly knew to surrender his keys. What was a car compared to life of his wife and their unborn child? He put both hands up, one with the keys the other with his palm open.
"Toss them over."
Anthony didn't hesitate. "Alright, you've got what you wanted." He stepped forward away from the car and closer to Edith and the man.
Edith was terrified and as still as a statue. Anthony locked eyes with her for a moment before moving closer again.
"Let my wife go."
Edith started to tear up, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She had never heard Anthony ever speak in such a desperate tone.
"Please."
An insipid, slimy laugh came from the man.
"Oh, no. You're very wrong. A nice fancy car like that? You must be fucking loaded. I'm not letting her go 'til you give me everything you got."
Wallet and watch were quickly tossed on the ground to join the keys and still the man did not let go.
"I don't have anything else. Please"
"You don't. But she does."
Anthony's blood went cold at those five little words.
"Yeah nice little bird like this, let's see what she's got, hmm?" The man's hand started down her side.
"Don't touch her!"
A disgusting smile crossed the man's face.
"What? It's not like you're going to do anything,"
In his taunting, their tormentor had relaxed, and the knife was no longer right at Edith's neck. Anthony knew his chance was here and that it would be his only one.
"Like hell I won't."
The man was caught off guard when Anthony charged him and knocked them both to the ground. They began to tussle, each trying to overpower the other and wrestle the blade away.
Edith was free, she was prepared to run and get help. She staggered, trying to regain her breath. Her vision was blurred from her tears, but she would never forget the sight of what happened next, and how her whole world came crumbling down because of it.
There was a flash of silver from below Anthony and all was still, like time had stopped. In slow motion she saw Anthony's eyes widen and heard the gasp wrenched forth from him as he fell over.
She screamed like she had never screamed before.
"ANTHONY!"
There was so much blood. She rushed forward as he lay on the ground, holding his stomach.
"Anthony! Oh god!" She ripped her coat off and balled it up, trying to apply pressure to stop the blood.
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" she cried.
"I-I've gotten myself into a-a fine mess, th-this time, haven't I?" He coughed and tried to manage a wry smile.
"Anthony…" The tears were overflowing her cheeks as she looked down at him, helplessness in her every movement.
"No, my darling, n-no tears. I-I'll be fine, you'll see." His grimace of pain and sharp intake of breath undermined his statement.
Edith wiped at her tears, and grasped his hands with one of hers and caressed his cheek with the other.
"Oh god. Anthony, I love you so much, you foolish, foolish man. Why did you have to be so brave?"
"I had to m-make sure you and the baby w-were safe. Th-that man was going to h-hurt you." He was getting upset and he didn't need that.
"Shh. We're safe now, thanks to you."
"Em-Emily and I, we need you too much…love you too much to l-lose…"
"Oh Anthony, but we need you too."
His eyes started rolling, and she knew the blood loss was getting too much for him to keep conscious. It scared her. She knew she could lose him if his beautiful blue eyes were to close.
"Anthony? Anthony, darling, please. Don't leave me. Not yet."
His eyes started to droop, and his breathing became more labored and Edith became more desperate.
"Please. You have to fight for me darling. Please, please, pl—"
She was cut off by the sirens of an ambulance. A large crowd had gathered at the commotion, and someone had answered he pleas of help.
Everything after that was a blur.
All she focused on in the ride to the hospital was Anthony's hand in hers and his eyes on hers. She didn't want to see his barely moving chest, or that he was so limp, his body rocked with the movement of the ambulance, or the way the breathing mask on his face seemed to swallow him up.
She held on to him, praying and begging whatever deity would listen to spare him. Blearily he looked at her, his eyes slowly blinking as the drugs started taking over.
It seemed the ride would last forever and yet not long at all, for quite suddenly they had stopped. There was a rush of commotion as the doors burst open. She held on to him as long as she could, followed the doctors and nurses wheeling him in as long as she could.
"Please… please don't leave me Anthony…please. Fight for us Anthony, you have to fight. Please, please, please."
Finally, she could follow no more and she had to let go as they disappeared behind heavy swinging doors.
She watched them through the little window in the door until they turned a corner and she lost sight of him.
Numbly she backed away and let out a cry. And then everything went black and she collapsed.
…..
*ducks for cover*
Please don't kill me. Or send me hate. Please?