More Problems
Mark rode to the hospital in the ambulance with Jesse, who was still unconscious. The paramedics had managed to sustain the bleeding, but Jesse had lost a lot of blood, and surgery would need to remove the bullet.
"Don't give up now, Jess," Mark whispered.
After what seemed to be an eternity, the ambulance drew up outside the hospital. Mark hopped out of the ambulance, and escorted the gurney into the hospital.
Doctors surrounded the gurney, and Mark could only watch as his friend was rolled into an ER room.
Steve came into the hall at that moment. "Is he okay?"
"I honestly don't know," Mark sighed, sitting down on a chair.
Steve sat next to him. "I promised that he'd be okay," he said to no one in particular.
"We all did," Mark told him.
"And we let him down," Steve said, voicing Mark's thoughts.
Meanwhile, Ally was waiting at home for the phone call from Jesse, Mark or Steve to let her know how the plan was going. The phone rang and she jumped.
"Hello?" She asked, expecting it to be one of the three. Instead, she heard an unfamiliar female voice.
"Hi, am I talking to Ally Blake?" the voice asked.
"Depends who you are," Ally replied.
"My name is Dawn Langley, and I'm from the social services."
Ally gulped. "Carry on."
"Well, I know about your current situation, and I know of someone who wants to see you."
"Who?"
"A woman called Claire Hudson wishes to meet you," the woman explained.
"Do I know a Claire Hudson? I think not, so what would she want to see me about? Unless she happens to be the head teacher at my school, in which case, the social services would be calling me. So, explanation?"
"Claire Hudson is your real mother," Dawn told her, getting tired of Ally's attitude. "She wants to meet you."
This shut Ally up. "My real mother? She wants to meet me?"
"That's right," Ms. Langley confirmed.
Took her long enough, Ally thought to herself.
"Is she sure about that? I mean, it's taken a long time to make that kind of decision."
Dawn noted that the girl sounded a bit more human now. "She has been considering it for a long time now, and she really wants to meet you."
"Can I think about it?" Ally asked.
"Of course," Dawn told her. "Here's my number, phone me back soon when you have an answer."
Ally put the phone down, full of questions.
"My mom wants to meet me," she murmured to herself, sliding down the wall that she was leaning against.
"What am I meant to do? I wish I wasn't the only one home."
At the hospital, Jesse was being rolled out of surgery. Mark stood up as he saw the gurney roll by.
"How did it go?" Mark asked the doctor who performed the surgery.
"Fine, Jesse will be fine," the doctor replied. "How are you holding up?"
"Okay," Mark replied. "When can we see him?"
"In a few minutes, when they've settled him in his room."
"Okay then," Mark said, sitting back down on the chair. Both men had a look of relief on their faces.
"We'd better call Ally," Steve remembered. "She's probably pretty worried by now."
Mark whipped his cell phone out and called his home number.
"Hi," Ally picked up the phone.
"Hi Ally, it's Mark."
"Hi, did it work? Is he locked up and has someone swallowed the key yet?"
"Not that simple, Ally. Yes, we've got him, but we had a bit of trouble along the way."
"Trouble?"
"Eric shot Jesse in the leg, it was a bit messy but it's all sorted out now," Mark explained. "He's recovering in the hospital now. Don't worry; I called to let you know what has happened. I'll be home soon, or Steve."
Ally nodded. She was not really in the mood to talk just then. On top of wondering about meeting her real mother, she was now worried about Jesse. What else was life going to throw at her?
"Ally?" Mark asked, not hearing an answer.
"Yeah, I'm here, sorry," Ally said. "Can I make myself a sandwich or something?"
"Yeah, knock yourself out, just leave the house standing for when I get back," Mark chuckled. "We won't be long."
Ally put down the phone. She wasn't really in the mood for anything to eat, it was just something to say to Mark. Her problems kept mounting up for her. One minute, life was swimming along smoothly, then her father died and she was moved to Jesse's, then she kept being chased by a murderer, then her real mother called, and then just when the murderer is caught, Jesse gets injured. More problems that one girl needs in her life at one time.
And Ally had no one to turn to.
Mark rode to the hospital in the ambulance with Jesse, who was still unconscious. The paramedics had managed to sustain the bleeding, but Jesse had lost a lot of blood, and surgery would need to remove the bullet.
"Don't give up now, Jess," Mark whispered.
After what seemed to be an eternity, the ambulance drew up outside the hospital. Mark hopped out of the ambulance, and escorted the gurney into the hospital.
Doctors surrounded the gurney, and Mark could only watch as his friend was rolled into an ER room.
Steve came into the hall at that moment. "Is he okay?"
"I honestly don't know," Mark sighed, sitting down on a chair.
Steve sat next to him. "I promised that he'd be okay," he said to no one in particular.
"We all did," Mark told him.
"And we let him down," Steve said, voicing Mark's thoughts.
Meanwhile, Ally was waiting at home for the phone call from Jesse, Mark or Steve to let her know how the plan was going. The phone rang and she jumped.
"Hello?" She asked, expecting it to be one of the three. Instead, she heard an unfamiliar female voice.
"Hi, am I talking to Ally Blake?" the voice asked.
"Depends who you are," Ally replied.
"My name is Dawn Langley, and I'm from the social services."
Ally gulped. "Carry on."
"Well, I know about your current situation, and I know of someone who wants to see you."
"Who?"
"A woman called Claire Hudson wishes to meet you," the woman explained.
"Do I know a Claire Hudson? I think not, so what would she want to see me about? Unless she happens to be the head teacher at my school, in which case, the social services would be calling me. So, explanation?"
"Claire Hudson is your real mother," Dawn told her, getting tired of Ally's attitude. "She wants to meet you."
This shut Ally up. "My real mother? She wants to meet me?"
"That's right," Ms. Langley confirmed.
Took her long enough, Ally thought to herself.
"Is she sure about that? I mean, it's taken a long time to make that kind of decision."
Dawn noted that the girl sounded a bit more human now. "She has been considering it for a long time now, and she really wants to meet you."
"Can I think about it?" Ally asked.
"Of course," Dawn told her. "Here's my number, phone me back soon when you have an answer."
Ally put the phone down, full of questions.
"My mom wants to meet me," she murmured to herself, sliding down the wall that she was leaning against.
"What am I meant to do? I wish I wasn't the only one home."
At the hospital, Jesse was being rolled out of surgery. Mark stood up as he saw the gurney roll by.
"How did it go?" Mark asked the doctor who performed the surgery.
"Fine, Jesse will be fine," the doctor replied. "How are you holding up?"
"Okay," Mark replied. "When can we see him?"
"In a few minutes, when they've settled him in his room."
"Okay then," Mark said, sitting back down on the chair. Both men had a look of relief on their faces.
"We'd better call Ally," Steve remembered. "She's probably pretty worried by now."
Mark whipped his cell phone out and called his home number.
"Hi," Ally picked up the phone.
"Hi Ally, it's Mark."
"Hi, did it work? Is he locked up and has someone swallowed the key yet?"
"Not that simple, Ally. Yes, we've got him, but we had a bit of trouble along the way."
"Trouble?"
"Eric shot Jesse in the leg, it was a bit messy but it's all sorted out now," Mark explained. "He's recovering in the hospital now. Don't worry; I called to let you know what has happened. I'll be home soon, or Steve."
Ally nodded. She was not really in the mood to talk just then. On top of wondering about meeting her real mother, she was now worried about Jesse. What else was life going to throw at her?
"Ally?" Mark asked, not hearing an answer.
"Yeah, I'm here, sorry," Ally said. "Can I make myself a sandwich or something?"
"Yeah, knock yourself out, just leave the house standing for when I get back," Mark chuckled. "We won't be long."
Ally put down the phone. She wasn't really in the mood for anything to eat, it was just something to say to Mark. Her problems kept mounting up for her. One minute, life was swimming along smoothly, then her father died and she was moved to Jesse's, then she kept being chased by a murderer, then her real mother called, and then just when the murderer is caught, Jesse gets injured. More problems that one girl needs in her life at one time.
And Ally had no one to turn to.