Chapter 12

So here is chapter 12 and after discussion and advice the rating for the story has not been raised. However I am putting a warning on this chapter for content relating to a suicide attempt. If you would prefer not to read about this please don't. The chapter is not graphic but the theme is throughout.

Threats can be to individuals and can destroy lives.

Allison McCord did not take threats well. She was a worrier and always had been. Months before, when the news had reported the threat of nuclear bombs, she'd been in a panic. When her mom had disappeared in Iran, she'd freaked out. Now tonight's events were simply causing her more worry than she could cope with.

From the moment the large security man had stood in her doorway, it had felt like she'd been wading through treacle. She was sluggish, couldn't fully focus, and genuinely felt that she could be experiencing her first panic attack.

Allison had managed to cheer her mom up when they'd been driving here in the SUV but had been as surprised as everyone else with Stevie's shock announcement. Her parents had always been easy to talk to and fairly modern in their outlook. Her mom had given her the 'sex' talk a few years ago and she expected Stevie'd had the same one.

Don't go straight in to it, be in a relationship first.
Make sure the other person has feelings for you.
Use protection.

From what she could gather, Stevie had broken two of the rules, but she did know for a fact that Stevie had feelings for Harrison and, if the display in the reception area was anything to go by, then he also had feelings for her. Although, of course, she couldn't really talk. She'd almost broken two of the rules when her parents had been in Venezuela. She was so grateful to her big sister for having taken him home before anything had happened so that she hadn't made that mistake then.

Allison was trying to be strong for Jason but, in reality, she wasn't doing very well. She and Jason were in the room they shared. Jason was glued to his iPad, which had finally reconnected to the outside world and he was clearly following what was being reported about the terrorist threat. Occasionally, he'd make a comment about something but it seemed obvious that the media had no real idea of what was going on and they were simply making up speculations as they went along.

Although she cared about the explosions, Allison really wanted information about Stevie, so she got up off the bed and went out into the corridor. She wondered if the detail would have any information but was surprised when she found no one there. She supposed it was because they were in a military base so there was no threat to her and Jason, and her mom was at the hospital, so most of the detail would be there. She walked along the corridor to the room where her dad and Stevie had been earlier. Stevie had looked awful when the detail had moved her to their vehicles. Allison hadn't been back in the room since her dad had left but she needed to see where it had all happened.

She slowly opened the door and noticed the light was out. She reached to the side of the door and hit the switch and the sight that met her caused her to scream.

"Help! Somebody help!" she shouted into the empty corridor, then ran back into the room.

Harrison was lying in the middle of the bed with blood coming from both his wrists. Allison ran to the bed and pulled at the sheet under him to try and wrap his arms. It was at that point that she realised the bedspread was covered with both dry and fresh blood and she realised just how ill Stevie must have been.

"C'mon, Harrison, wake up!" Allison begged him as she kept trying to wrap his wrists, hoping it would be enough to keep him alive.

Jason barged in the door "Ali… oh my God..." He rushed across to the bed. "What should I do?" he yelled, panicking.

"Call the detail, call Blake, call Dad. Call someone!"

Jason ran out of the room, screaming for help. Allison could hear his voice getting quieter as he rushed down the stairs. She reached over and tried to feel a pulse at Harrison's neck and leaned over to see if he was breathing. She sighed in relief when she felt a faint pulse and breath on her cheek. She decided that the best way to help stop the bleeding would be to hold his arms up, so she did, praying that her brother would bring help soon.

Allison heard the help coming long before she saw them. She could hear the pounding boots as they ran up the stairs, voices shouting to each other to get an ambulance. They finally appeared at the door, men similar in size to the one who had awoken her only a few short hours before.

"Help him, please, he's cut his wrists."

One man only needed a quick glance to take in the whole scene and immediately spoke into his cuff mike. "I need immediate medical assistance. Barracks floor 3. MSec's room."

A woman, whom Allison hadn't seen behind the man, approached her. "Is he alive?" she asked Allison gently.

Allison nodded tearfully. "He has a pulse in his neck. It's really weak, though. And he's breathing but not much. I tried to stop the bleeding but I don't know if I did the right thing."

The female officer moved to stand beside Allison. "You did really good, honey, but you can leave him to us now." She reached up to take Harrison's arms but Allison couldn't let go.

"I can't let go. He needs me to stop the bleeding."

"Okay, okay, you stay like that for now. We have an ambulance coming from the hospital."

Allison nodded and realised that she was shaking and covered in Harrison's blood. "There's so much blood," she whispered.

The agent started stroking her head. "I know, but you've done everything right, okay?"

"Is he going be all right?"

"I don't know but I do know that if he is, then you saved his life."

They all stood around the bed, Allison, three agents and Jason, waiting for the ambulance. Allison tried to focus on the fact that Harrison was still breathing. She couldn't understand how someone could do this to themselves, and then it struck her. "Stevie! Is Stevie okay? Dad took her away. Blake said she was in surgery. Did he do this because something happened to her?" Now she really began to panic.

The agents all made eye contact with each other. MSec's detail had told them what had happened to her daughter but they had no idea if the other children had been told. However, the female agent made the decision to tell them, given the panic that was rising in Allison.

"Your sister's fine. She's out of surgery but she lost the baby."

"That's why he did this, isn't it?" Jason asked quietly.

"We don't know, son," the male agent said. "The best we can do is get him some help."

Just as he finished speaking two military paramedics appeared in the doorway.

"Can you clear the room, please? Let us through," one of the paramedics said, rushing into the small room.

They quickly checked Harrison's condition before putting an oxygen mask on him. They took pity on Allison, who was still struggling to let go of Harrison's arms.

"Please, miss, we need to get him to hospital," one of the paramedics said to her quietly. He gently removed Harrison's arms from Allison's grip. "You've done a wonderful job but we'll take it from here." He quickly bandaged Harrison's wrists while the other paramedic got the gurney ready. When he was done they both transferred Harrison to the gurney and headed for the door.

"Can we come with you?" Allison begged the paramedics, who looked to the others and saw the imperceptible nod from the agents.

"Our parents are already there," Jason added, hoping to get confirmation that they could go in the ambulance.

"We'll inform the Secretary and the President. You two go. One of us will go with you to the hospital." He nodded to the female agent, who looked grateful to have the job. She walked up behind Allison. "C'mon, sweetheart, let the ambulance men get him down the stairs quickly and we'll take you to your mom and dad."

Allison didn't move, rooted to the spot in shock. She only looked around when Jason came back into the room with her jacket that he'd fetched from their room. "C'mon, Ali, you did good. Let's go." He helped her put on her jacket.

Allison nodded, unable to reply, and followed the others from the room and out to the stairwell. She didn't notice Blake until he was almost beside her.

"Blake, we're going to the hospital," she heard Jason say next to her.

"Okay, I'll come with you. I just have to call Nadine."

"No, Sir, no calls yet. We need to tell the President first," the male agent said curtly.

"I know, I was sent by the President to find him," Blake said succinctly. "I have it covered. No press, I promise."

"Very well," the agent agreed as they sped down the stairs behind the paramedics and out into the dawn.

The ambulance was waiting for them, along with one of the detail SUVs. Allison and Jason watched as the gurney was loaded into the back of the ambulance and then Blake guided them to the car that was waiting for them. The ambulance sped across the base with the siren blaring and its lights flashing, and the SUV followed, also with its lights going.

The night was ending but the threat to individuals and families may have only just begun.

Thanks for sticking with the story till here. I will update again at the weekend. Thanks for those who have favourited the story or given a review. Comments are always welcome.