The school phone rang as everybody looked up. Joan looked persistantly at
Ramsey.
"Pick it up, pick it up," she silently begged. Needless to say, after the
third ring, he picked it up.
"Hello?" Ramsey asked.
"This is Brian Geller. I just want to talk to you, Ramsey."
"I don't want to talk to you-you're just some stupid negotiator person.
I've got people scared to death here because of me, and I like that
feeling."
Ramsey turned on the speakerphone, and walked around room and motioned to
Joan to go with him to the front of the room.
"I've even got the police chief's daughter with me-Joan Girardi."
Brian was silent for a moment as he stood outside the school beside the Girardi family. (Adam had gone home with his father.) Joan could here her mother's crying from the phone reception, as fresh tears ran down her face. She was alive. Ramsey pointed the gun at Joan's forhead. She could feel the cold metal on her skin, and was so afraid she couldn't think. Was this what her Dad had felt like? Joan darted her eyes to look at Grace, who had a few tears running down her cheek. Grace-the solid one, who most of the time didn't seem to have a care in the world.
"Ramsey." Brian's voice was calm, strong, but persistant. "We'll give you everything you want, we're here to help you. Killing isn't the answer, especially not these young people. You all have parents and friends that care about you." The words sounded comforting to Joan, as she came to the sudden realization that the negotiator was God.
"Come out Ramsey, come out, please." Brian said. "You're still a child, would you really want to be known as a child-killer?" Ramsey's face crumpled as he dug the gun deeper into Joan. Her breathing became shallow. "Nobody has ever cared about me before. How will that change?" "I've talked with your father and he's assured me that he'll do whatever it takes for you to become a better man. He does love you, Ramsey. He always has. He's just had a hard time putting it into words." Brian looked at the Girardi family waiting beside him and gave them a thumbs up. Kevin started to smile, but Helen, Will, and Luke were mainly in shock still.
Ramsey sighed, and let go of Joan. Joan shakily walked back to her place beside Grace, and then almost-collapsed with relief. "I..I'm glad you're alright," Grace said. Joan tried to smile. "I know, Grace. I know." "Thank you God. Now help get us out of here. Please. I need to tell my family how much they mean to me."
Ramsey shouted to the class, "Go! Before I change my minds." He was still talking to Brian about his father, but in-between tears realised he couldn't kill those teenagers-he didn't want to live his life in jail.
Joan looked at Ramsey incredulously, but than Grace pulled her away and they ran as fast as they could to the exit. The door burst open as the twenty-something kids ran outside. Joan searched for her family, and spotted them nearby. Thankfully, both Helen and Luke had made it out alive. Both of them were sobbing, as they held eachother tight. Finally, Joan pulled away. "I love you Mom." "Oh sweetie," Helen replied. "I love you too."
Still crying, Joan went into the arms of her father. "You saved my life, Dad." "I had to, you're my only daughter." Joan squeezed him harder. "I love you so much," she managed to get out. "I'll always love you too, Joan." he said, tears running down his face also. This had been a hard time for him, a day he was never going to forget.
Joan turned to her brothers. Her little brother, Luke. He smiled at her as he grabbed her in a hug. "I was so worried," she said. "All I could think about were you and mom, and whether you had made it out alive or not." "Here I am," he said. "I was worried, too, Joan. Love you." Joan managed to laugh and cry at the same time as she said affectionatly, "I love you too."
She turned to her older brother Kevin, who had tears in his eyes watching the reunion. "I think I know how you felt during the night of my accident," he said, "it was torture. Pure hell. I felt the same way today Joan. It made me realize how much I love you and this family." Joan cried again as she hugged Kevin tightly. "Thanks, Kev."
Joan took a deep breath as she looked around and saw Grace nearby. "I'll just be a mintue Dad, okay?" He smiled at Joan, looked at Grace, and then kissed Joan's forhead. "We'll wait in the car, honey." Helen came and kissed Joan too. "We're going to get through this, sweetie. Together." Joan half-smiled. "Thanks Mom-for everything." She watched them walk to the car, Helen and Will holding hands with Luke and Kevin in front of them.
"Hey," she said quietly as she walked over to Grace. "Are you okay?" Grace shrugged. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "I know how you feel," Joan said softly. "We knew people that got killed. So many people.." Grace looked at Joan. "I'm glad you're alive, Girardi." Joan smiled. "Thanks. I'd better get going, my family's waiting. Where's yours?" "They'll get here soon," Grace said. For a second the two girls looked at eachother, then hugged quickly. "We'll get together tomorrow," Joan said. "Bye Grace."
Joan sat beside Kevin and Luke in their car. "Mom? Do you know if Adam made it out okay?" Helen smiled. "He did, he said he'd call you tonight." Joan shook with relief. "By the way, Joan- he called you Jane." Kevin said, and winked at her.
Driving home to her house, Joan smiled- it was going to be a hard road to deal with it but at least she could with her family.
Brian was silent for a moment as he stood outside the school beside the Girardi family. (Adam had gone home with his father.) Joan could here her mother's crying from the phone reception, as fresh tears ran down her face. She was alive. Ramsey pointed the gun at Joan's forhead. She could feel the cold metal on her skin, and was so afraid she couldn't think. Was this what her Dad had felt like? Joan darted her eyes to look at Grace, who had a few tears running down her cheek. Grace-the solid one, who most of the time didn't seem to have a care in the world.
"Ramsey." Brian's voice was calm, strong, but persistant. "We'll give you everything you want, we're here to help you. Killing isn't the answer, especially not these young people. You all have parents and friends that care about you." The words sounded comforting to Joan, as she came to the sudden realization that the negotiator was God.
"Come out Ramsey, come out, please." Brian said. "You're still a child, would you really want to be known as a child-killer?" Ramsey's face crumpled as he dug the gun deeper into Joan. Her breathing became shallow. "Nobody has ever cared about me before. How will that change?" "I've talked with your father and he's assured me that he'll do whatever it takes for you to become a better man. He does love you, Ramsey. He always has. He's just had a hard time putting it into words." Brian looked at the Girardi family waiting beside him and gave them a thumbs up. Kevin started to smile, but Helen, Will, and Luke were mainly in shock still.
Ramsey sighed, and let go of Joan. Joan shakily walked back to her place beside Grace, and then almost-collapsed with relief. "I..I'm glad you're alright," Grace said. Joan tried to smile. "I know, Grace. I know." "Thank you God. Now help get us out of here. Please. I need to tell my family how much they mean to me."
Ramsey shouted to the class, "Go! Before I change my minds." He was still talking to Brian about his father, but in-between tears realised he couldn't kill those teenagers-he didn't want to live his life in jail.
Joan looked at Ramsey incredulously, but than Grace pulled her away and they ran as fast as they could to the exit. The door burst open as the twenty-something kids ran outside. Joan searched for her family, and spotted them nearby. Thankfully, both Helen and Luke had made it out alive. Both of them were sobbing, as they held eachother tight. Finally, Joan pulled away. "I love you Mom." "Oh sweetie," Helen replied. "I love you too."
Still crying, Joan went into the arms of her father. "You saved my life, Dad." "I had to, you're my only daughter." Joan squeezed him harder. "I love you so much," she managed to get out. "I'll always love you too, Joan." he said, tears running down his face also. This had been a hard time for him, a day he was never going to forget.
Joan turned to her brothers. Her little brother, Luke. He smiled at her as he grabbed her in a hug. "I was so worried," she said. "All I could think about were you and mom, and whether you had made it out alive or not." "Here I am," he said. "I was worried, too, Joan. Love you." Joan managed to laugh and cry at the same time as she said affectionatly, "I love you too."
She turned to her older brother Kevin, who had tears in his eyes watching the reunion. "I think I know how you felt during the night of my accident," he said, "it was torture. Pure hell. I felt the same way today Joan. It made me realize how much I love you and this family." Joan cried again as she hugged Kevin tightly. "Thanks, Kev."
Joan took a deep breath as she looked around and saw Grace nearby. "I'll just be a mintue Dad, okay?" He smiled at Joan, looked at Grace, and then kissed Joan's forhead. "We'll wait in the car, honey." Helen came and kissed Joan too. "We're going to get through this, sweetie. Together." Joan half-smiled. "Thanks Mom-for everything." She watched them walk to the car, Helen and Will holding hands with Luke and Kevin in front of them.
"Hey," she said quietly as she walked over to Grace. "Are you okay?" Grace shrugged. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "I know how you feel," Joan said softly. "We knew people that got killed. So many people.." Grace looked at Joan. "I'm glad you're alive, Girardi." Joan smiled. "Thanks. I'd better get going, my family's waiting. Where's yours?" "They'll get here soon," Grace said. For a second the two girls looked at eachother, then hugged quickly. "We'll get together tomorrow," Joan said. "Bye Grace."
Joan sat beside Kevin and Luke in their car. "Mom? Do you know if Adam made it out okay?" Helen smiled. "He did, he said he'd call you tonight." Joan shook with relief. "By the way, Joan- he called you Jane." Kevin said, and winked at her.
Driving home to her house, Joan smiled- it was going to be a hard road to deal with it but at least she could with her family.
