Chapter 17
Mia's POV
I reach down and check for a pulse and any breath sounds. It's faint, but I get a pulse. "Dom try to keep her back straight. We don't know what kind of injuries she could have." The ambulance is speeding down the street towards us. The medics place her on a board and move her to the stretcher. We get in our cars and follow the ambulance as it speeds away.
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Dom's POV
An hour has past since they brought Bella into the emergency room and still no news. I have asked the nurse at least 15 times about Bella's condition. Finally, a doctor is heading in our direction. "Are you Mr.Toretto? "
"Yes I am. Do you have news on my sister?"
"Would you like to step into a private room?"
"No, you can tell us all. We're family." Looking around at each of them, they truly are my family.
"If that is your preference. Your sister, Bella, has suffered many injuries. The most serious being two broken vertebrae in her back."
I interrupt him, "Broken vertebrae? You are telling me that she broke her back. Can you fix it?"
"Understand that this is a serious injury. She will require surgery to place steel rods in her back. There is no guarantee that she will ever walk again, but we will do everything in our power to help her."
"Does she know?"
"Miss Toretto has been told of her condition. She wishes to see you before her surgery."
"Lead the way doctor." We walk through the doors back to the triage unit. He leads me to the first curtain and gestures for me to enter. Bella is lying on the bed still in the crash collar. I move close to her face so she can see me, "How ya holding up?"
"Been better. Dom I am sorry."
"I'm the one who should be sorry. If I hadn't been so hard headed about everything."
"We were both hard headed. I know that you just want the best for me. Just wish you would consult me before you make decisions that affect me."
"I promise that for now on I will." Two orderlies walk in the room and begin to prepare to move Bella to the O.R. "Take care of her, you hear me." They nod at me.
Bella looks up at me, "Dom will you promise me one more thing?"
"Yeah what is it?"
"Go get Aria from Aunt Maria and take care of her."
"I will. Don't you worry." I follow them as far as I can and watch them take her into the room. I head back to the team to let them know what's going on. When I walk into the waiting room, I notice more people have arrived. Edwin and a few of his crew are talking to Brian and Mia. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Hector pacing back and forth. "Hector, we need to talk."
"Dom, man I'm sorry. She called at the last minute and told me she wanted to race. Normally, I check that car from top to bottom."
"How long has this been going on?" The anger is growing inside of me.
With fear in his eyes he tries to explain, "The tires were new. I just don't understand."
"How long?" My fists are tight.
"She was always careful."
"You didn't answer my question." I have him by his shirt against the wall. People are around me trying to pull me back.
An unexpected voice answers me. Leon is standing beside me, "She's been racing since she came back. I didn't find out until the night we went to Mexico to get you."
"And why didn't you tell me sooner?" My anger now focused at him.
"She promised that she would never race without the team again. I never thought she would lie." He's looking down at the floor.
"Did Jesse know? Where the hell was he?" Letty asks.
Leon looks over to her, "He didn't know what was going on. They split up a month ago."
Hector is trying to make his way away from me. I tighten my grip on him, "You are not out of trouble yet. You should never have let her race. We will settle this later. Now get out of here." I let him go and watch him run out the door. Calmly, I walk over and have a seat next to Letty and rest my head on her shoulder.
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Bella's POV
My vision is a little blurry when I begin to open my eyes. Two figures stand above me. As my eyes clear, I can make out the two faces. It's Dom and Jesse smiling down at me.
Mia's POV
I reach down and check for a pulse and any breath sounds. It's faint, but I get a pulse. "Dom try to keep her back straight. We don't know what kind of injuries she could have." The ambulance is speeding down the street towards us. The medics place her on a board and move her to the stretcher. We get in our cars and follow the ambulance as it speeds away.
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Dom's POV
An hour has past since they brought Bella into the emergency room and still no news. I have asked the nurse at least 15 times about Bella's condition. Finally, a doctor is heading in our direction. "Are you Mr.Toretto? "
"Yes I am. Do you have news on my sister?"
"Would you like to step into a private room?"
"No, you can tell us all. We're family." Looking around at each of them, they truly are my family.
"If that is your preference. Your sister, Bella, has suffered many injuries. The most serious being two broken vertebrae in her back."
I interrupt him, "Broken vertebrae? You are telling me that she broke her back. Can you fix it?"
"Understand that this is a serious injury. She will require surgery to place steel rods in her back. There is no guarantee that she will ever walk again, but we will do everything in our power to help her."
"Does she know?"
"Miss Toretto has been told of her condition. She wishes to see you before her surgery."
"Lead the way doctor." We walk through the doors back to the triage unit. He leads me to the first curtain and gestures for me to enter. Bella is lying on the bed still in the crash collar. I move close to her face so she can see me, "How ya holding up?"
"Been better. Dom I am sorry."
"I'm the one who should be sorry. If I hadn't been so hard headed about everything."
"We were both hard headed. I know that you just want the best for me. Just wish you would consult me before you make decisions that affect me."
"I promise that for now on I will." Two orderlies walk in the room and begin to prepare to move Bella to the O.R. "Take care of her, you hear me." They nod at me.
Bella looks up at me, "Dom will you promise me one more thing?"
"Yeah what is it?"
"Go get Aria from Aunt Maria and take care of her."
"I will. Don't you worry." I follow them as far as I can and watch them take her into the room. I head back to the team to let them know what's going on. When I walk into the waiting room, I notice more people have arrived. Edwin and a few of his crew are talking to Brian and Mia. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Hector pacing back and forth. "Hector, we need to talk."
"Dom, man I'm sorry. She called at the last minute and told me she wanted to race. Normally, I check that car from top to bottom."
"How long has this been going on?" The anger is growing inside of me.
With fear in his eyes he tries to explain, "The tires were new. I just don't understand."
"How long?" My fists are tight.
"She was always careful."
"You didn't answer my question." I have him by his shirt against the wall. People are around me trying to pull me back.
An unexpected voice answers me. Leon is standing beside me, "She's been racing since she came back. I didn't find out until the night we went to Mexico to get you."
"And why didn't you tell me sooner?" My anger now focused at him.
"She promised that she would never race without the team again. I never thought she would lie." He's looking down at the floor.
"Did Jesse know? Where the hell was he?" Letty asks.
Leon looks over to her, "He didn't know what was going on. They split up a month ago."
Hector is trying to make his way away from me. I tighten my grip on him, "You are not out of trouble yet. You should never have let her race. We will settle this later. Now get out of here." I let him go and watch him run out the door. Calmly, I walk over and have a seat next to Letty and rest my head on her shoulder.
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Bella's POV
My vision is a little blurry when I begin to open my eyes. Two figures stand above me. As my eyes clear, I can make out the two faces. It's Dom and Jesse smiling down at me.