***Author's Note*** Just needed to say, from now on, whatever I need to say will be inside (()) instead of just ( ) because it's hard to tell something that's part of the actual story that's inside parentheses from my thoughts inside parentheses, so single parentheses are the story's, double are mine. Get it?? LoL. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At nine o'clock that morning Landon left for school. He had a test coming up so a lot of studying lay ahead of him. It was kind of funny sometimes, realizing that at 24 years old here he was having recently begun medical school with many other young people not having started their lives yet, while he was widowed (as painful as it was to think about) and the father of a five-year-old daughter. Still, he couldn't have been more in love with his amazing daughter and more happy because of the fact that Jamie had ever come into his life and he'd gotten the chance to love such a wonderful person, so he rarely thought about this.

As they reviewed material having to do with the upcoming tests ((Please note that I am a middle school student, far from college, and therefore I do not have a very good idea of the sort of things they actually do in medical school...so bear with me!)), Landon worked hard at it to cram it all in. Thank God for mothers who live nearby and are in a good position to help out, he thought to himself, since being the father of a young girl didn't make it easy when trying to study this stuff at home.

What are you complaining about? he asked himself. Hope is like Jamie's little clone, the most wonderful daughter anyone could ask for. Besides, it just comes with the package of fatherhood, watching out for her. Still... what the hell would I do without my mother sometimes?

Landon shook his head and chuckled at his own mixed thoughts.

He checked his watch. It was 10:48 a.m. Morning session would be over before too long. ((Like I said...I don't know how med school works...that's the last time I'll say it, sorry...hehe)) A few more minutes passed by when there was a knock on the door of the classroom. Some people ignored it, others looked up as the teacher, Mr. Pierce, got up to answer it. A tall man with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes and a crisp suit walked in and spoke to him briefly - it was the Dean. Landon didn't pay too much attention, but instead focused on his materials, trying to take it all in. He needed the study time.

Landon was sitting near the front of the room and could hear them speaking softly. Mr. Pierce nodded. "Yes, sir, thank you," he said. The Dean began to leave the room as Mr. Pierce spoke.

"Mr. Landon Carter?"

Landon looked up, a little startled at first, but not enough for everyone else to notice. "Yes, sir?"

"You're dismissed from class." He waved him up to his desk. Landon, puzzled, began to gather his things, slide them into his bag and then approach the desk.

"What for, sir?"

Mr. Pierce began to speak in a lower voice as the majority of the class resumed their studies. "The Dean informed me that it's urgent. Your mother is here. In the Dean's office."

Urgent?

"Oh," he said, mind suddenly swirling with possibilities. "Uh, thank you, sir."

As Landon hurried down the corridors and towards the Dean's office, his mind raced and he gradually increased his pace. Once he'd reached it, he saw his mother almost immediately. She looked shaken and afraid. His heart pounded. "Mom," he said, walking up to her. "What's going on?"

"Honey..." She hugged him. This couldn't be good. What was happening? He just wanted to know!

Finally she pulled away. Landon was alarmed to see tears in her eyes. "There's been...an accident."

((Note: I was going to cut it off right here and leave you guys with a cliffhanger, but I figured as long as I was writing the chapter right then, why start a whole new one? So you should be thankful! ^_^))

Landon's mouth went dry. "An accident? Mom -"

"Just come on - we're going. I'll tell you in the car."

"But, Mom, I have my car here. Can't you just tell me now??"

Cynthia sighed and looked up at her son. "Honey...it's...it's Hope."

His eyes widened. No, he thought.

"What...? What did she...?" He couldn't get the words out. First Jamie was taken away...now...? He couldn't help but think the unthinkable.

"At school...just...just get in your car and follow me there..."

They were off. Landon broke into a run as he started for his car. School shooting was the first thing that popped into his mind. Perhaps an older kid had gotten a hold of a parent's gun and brought it to school? It was terrifying. He didn't want to think. He just had to get there...fast as hell.

He didn't care if he exceeded the speed limit a little as he drove. He just barely ran a red light on his way to Beaufort Elementary. Once he got there and pulled up in front of the building, he was relieved to not see zillions of cop cars and ambulances and "Caution" tape all around. Instead, there was a single ambulance parked near the schoolyard playground. Holy shit, Landon thought, mind a blur. He climbed out of the SUV and sprinted over to the playground, where a group of kids, teachers and a few EMTs surrounded the tall slide.

Cynthia followed him. A teacher and an EMT immediately approached Landon. "Where is she?" he said, voice shaking. The EMT, a red-headed woman in her early thirties, spoke calmly. "We're taking care of her. We'll be taking her to the hospital shortly, as long as we can make sure she's...she's breathing."

Make sure she's breathing?!? Landon's mind screamed.

"I want to see her," he said urgently. Mrs. Carter placed a shaking hand on her son's shoulder, wiping her eyes with her hand.

"It's all right, Mr. Carter...you'll be able to go with her," the woman informed him. "We're just trying to...get a response from her. She fell from the slide, near the top... she might have a concussion."

Landon pushed through the crowd and knelt down by his daughter's side. Tears blurred his vision as he saw her laying pale, unmoving and limp. An EMT felt her wrist for a pulse as he leaned down over her mouth to see if he could hear or feel her breath.

"Please, baby, be okay," he said, lifting a limp, cold hand and squeezing it tight. He leaned down over her and begged the Lord silently to have mercy on him... Don't take her away, too...

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TBC

What now?? Like it so far? Gimme your thoughts, and thanks for the good review I got from hopelessromantic88, your good reviews are what encourage me! Not-as-good ones tell me what I need to improve, but let's still hope I don't get as many of those, lol. ;)