"WHAT?!" James cries, tears coming to his eyes.
"Yeah...a truck was speeding and when they were crossing the street...it hit them head on...we gotta go down there...I can tell it won't be pretty..." Logan informs them, his voice cracking.
"Let's go," Kendall mutters, his facial expression grim. Silently, Carlos follows him out the door, Logan and James rushing behind.
The drive to the scene is in stony silence. All four of them are imagining the worst, praying that the girls aren't hurt that badly. The paramedic sounded pretty worried on the phone, so Logan knows that this can't be good.
Kendall hasn't said much, and there's a reason for that. He doesn't like to express his emotions freely. He honestly feels like breaking down right there, but he has to be strong for Katie. He promised his mom that he'd take care of her.
Carlos is imagining the absolute worst. Death. He can't help imagine that. He loves his Care-bear so much, and if she was to die, he has no idea what he'd do. He's praying that she'll be okay, but also assuming the worst, and praying that his assumption is incorrect.
Finally arriving on the scene, the guys jump out of the BTR mobile, glancing at each other.
"Text when we get to see them?" Kendall suggests. He receives three nods, and turns away, looking for Katie.
...
James catches sight of chestnut hair, and rushes toward it. Jenna needs to be okay, he tells himself, skidding to a halt when he sees his sister. She looks so beaten up, blood pouring out from various places on her skin. A bone is sticking out of her left leg, and that terrifies him. He can tell she has other broken bones, and it's possible that she has a head injury. Worst of all, her breathing is ragged, like she has to concentrate to inhale oxygen. She's barely conscious, eyes half-closed.
"Jen, baby?" James whispers, kneeling down next to her. "Can you hear me?" A paramedic is there too, trying to gauge her injuries and have her colleagues prepare a stretcher.
"...J-Jamie?" Jenna croaks weakly, trying to turn her head. She cries out, a few more tears streaming down her cheeks. "It hurts..." James feels his heart break at her words. She really looks terrible, and he never wants to see her crying. It breaks his heart.
He knows that she wants to be held. So, James looks at the paramedic for permission, before placing an arm behind her back, and the other one under her knees. Jenna whimpers, as he lifts her to his chest.
"Oh, baby...it's gonna be okay, I gotcha." He's trying his best to soothe her, murmuring words of comfort in her ear, rubbing her back as best he can, without hurting her.
"J-Jamie..." Jenna cries, squirming in his arms. She lets out a scream, and slumps against his chest, weeping silently.
...
Logan finally sees Lianna's body, lying on the side of the road. He runs over, gasping at the sight of her. She looks awful, severely beaten. He can tell she has a few broken bones, and lots of cuts and bruises. She's bleeding from her head, and Logan knows that head injuries can be serious. He shrugs out of his long-sleeved shirt, leaving an undershirt beneath. Balling up the shirt, he presses it against her forehead, trying to stop the bleeding. All her injuries are serious, but the worst part is the very faint rise and fall of her chest. She looks really, really bad.
"W-Want...L-L-Logie..." She whimpers, almost inaudibly, not realizing that her brother is right there with her.
"Hey, are you Logan Mitchell? She's been crying for you this entire time, not letting any of us touch her. She screams if one of us gets too close," A paramedic tells him.
"Yeah, I'm Logan. And, I know. She's always been scared of people she doesn't know, especially in this kind of situation. She's very clingy, and pretty attached to me. I'll handle her, if that's okay? I'm medically knowledgeable, somewhat, and I'm going to be a doctor in a few years."
"That's fine, just take her to the ambulance, when she's ready. Do you want the same conditions to apply for Katie, Jenna, and Carrie?"
"Yeah, that would be good, thank you." The paramedic gives him a nod, before rising to his feet, leaving Logan and Lianna alone.
"I'm here, babygirl. I'm here," Logan says softly, stroking Lianna's cheek. "You're gonna be okay..."
He's startled when Lianna turns to face him, ignoring the exploding pain in her body. She lets out an ear-splitting shriek, trying to reach her arms out to him. The pain is excruciating, and she needs to be in her brother's arms. She needs to know she's safe, she needs his gentle hands, his soothing voice, and the smell of him.
Logan realizes this, and as gently as possible, gathers Lianna into his arms. He's doing his best not to hurt her, while trying to keep the shirt pressed against her head.
"It...hurts..." Lianna manages to choke out, before burying her head in his chest, shaking the shirt off. Her blood begins to soak into Logan's undershirt, though he doesn't mind. He can tell that she's distraught, and just needs comfort, so that's what he gives her. He holds her tighter, kissing her cheek gently.
"You're going to be okay, babygirl. I love you, and I'm going to make it better, okay?"
...
Carlos kneels beside Carrie's body, staring in shock. She's covered in blood, bleeding from her head, along with many cuts scattered all over her body. He can tell she's way more injured than she looks, but he's not a doctor. He places his hand on her forehead, wincing when he brushes her head wound. She feels a little warm, but that doesn't seem unusual.
"Care-bear? Can you hear me?" He asks softly.
"...C-C-Car-Car?" Carrie croaks, using her baby nickname for him. "It...it hurts..."
"Oh, baby...I know..." Carlos whispers sadly. She looks so pitiful, practically begging for help. Tears stream down her cheeks and she whimpers.
"...H-H-Hold me...?" Carrie wants nothing more than to be in her brother's arms. She feels beyond awful, consumed by pain, and she just wants to be comforted and loved.
Carlos does just that. Gently, he lifts her into his arms, wincing when she cries out in pain. "I'm sorry," he murmurs, kissing her head. He uses his jacket to try and stop the bleeding, as Carrie begins to sob.
"It's gonna be okay, baby. I'm gonna fix you. You're safe now."
...
Kendall stares at Katie's beaten body with tears in his eyes. She looks so...broken. Helpless. Pitiful. His heart breaks for her. He loves her so much, and this is what he was worried about. This is why he didn't want them to go bike riding.
"Kit Kat?" He whispers, placing a hand on her shoulder. She's facing him, but her eyes are closed, so he doesn't know if she's unconscious or not.
She blinks, and he's relieved to see chocolate brown eyes staring at him. Immediately, they fill with tears and spill over, as Katie begins to sob. Her body trembles and convulses, as she shakes with heaving sobs, crying out in pain.
"Oh, baby sister...it's gonna be okay, I'm here," Kendall coos gently, slipping one arm behind her back, and the other under her knees. He lifts her to his chest, cradling her in his arms. Katie nuzzles into his shirt, her tears soaking into the soft fabric.
"...I-I'm s-s-sorry..." Katie whimpers. "Y-You were r-r-right..."
"No, baby, it's okay. I'm not angry. This wasn't your fault at all. Shhhh. Just rest, okay? I've got you," Kendall soothes, dropping a kiss on her head. "I've got you, and I'm never going to let you go."
Thank you guys for all the reviews on the first chapter. I'm glad you're liking the story. So, this chapter was a lot of angst, and I'm sorry. The next chapter should be a little lighter. I'll try to post it tomorrow morning, possibly tonight. Review!
XO ~Neha