24: Xmas eve; A.C. 199 II
She did. "He threatened to tell his wife about it unless my father agreed to never pull a stunt like he did again. Farther did not keep his promise, a month later he tried again to steel the program and was caught by Mrs. Toshino, who then destroyed the program completely so it could not fall into the hands of the enemy. It was written by my father that she had a back up memory on the Stratagos program in her mind, except this time she turned it into a human performance drug; it was to triple the strength of the pilot so he could overcome the complications of the mobile suit or any other machine regardless of his ill-knowledge. It was still in the early development so she used it on herself while in a pregnant state. She only made one syringe of the drug. My father was furious and tried to kill Rei for doing so because he knew he would not be getting paid. This however lead to his demise. When Duke Dermail found out farther tried to kill an important figure head in his plans, he had someone kill him. Father was eating dinner with us and shot, severely injured; bullet wounds in the lower torso and neck. It was Christmas Eve when he died. It was only after his funeral I learned of who his killer was through Duke Dermail who paid a personal visit to my family. I was only 13 at the time.
He had no qualms in telling me someone he knew had gone out of their way to kill my farther (in fact he seemed almost eager to tell me). I under the impression it was what he, the Duke, had killed him. He told me her name was Margaret Cypher, an ex-marine and Mercenary who was apart of the Alliance military force. I sought to kill this woman but from the file Duke Dermail showed my mother, she had an impressive amount of medals and she was an expert in all sorts of assassinations and CO-vert missions of that type, I thought twice before seeking my potential reaper." Gabrielle paused running her hands through her hair not really sure why she was telling them this.
"A.C. 195, the battles between colony rebels and the Alliance were getting worse and supplies in Russia were becoming scarce because the Alliance was becoming desperate in wanting to be rid of the rebels shadowing them. My mother and two little sisters and baby brother were killed in a rebellious organizations raid on my neighborhood four years earlier, A.C. 195. It was only after colony 197 that I became Senator with the help of the new Romafeller foundation and not so honest influence within the former OZ before the end of the wars. I came up with a plan to merge two large companies together as a way to save all the unfortunate children of my country and others. However, as time passed by, around Christmas Eve A.C. 197, I began to feel the back lash of my adoring media and fans saying that my idea to try to merge two companies together due to their different goals was absurd and I was trying to be Relena Darlain."
Gabrielle said the young woman's name with such spite, it was hard to believe the woman was a Senator. "I kept telling them I was only doing my part to keep the peace in the ESUN but no one would listen to me. Pretty soon I was the laughing stock of the entire Earth sphere; no one would take me seriously anymore! I began to remember it was nearing the anniversary of my father's death and needless to say I wanted to avenge him still. So I did something rather unexpected; I contacted my father's murderer. I wished not only to get back at her but the entire ESUN along with Relena, I wanted to start a war." Jennie's brow creased in confusion as to what the Senator meant; this entire crisis was for revenge? A grudge? "...Margaret was currently working for a company called Gravitation and was skeptical at first when I explained what I wanted her to do, but $10,000,000, 000 was enough to persuade her to take the job.
I got a list of missing orphans from the colonies from Sansever and gave her a copy of the list with circles around the desired orphans I wanted her to capture in order to find out which one of them knew about the Stratagos program, basically, find out if the rumors of Rei Toshino's child surviving the colony accident was true. She told me herself that the boy was dead but went along with my wishes. I also told her to kill them if they did not know what she spoke of to ensure nothing about my plan got out to the public. I had the Gundam's, Epyon, the Mercurius and the Vayeate rebuilt as a symbol of my power, and I planed to dethrone Darlain and claim her position as the new vice minister after I had executed her. But then something went wrong. I let my emotions get the better of me and I was the tool of my own demise. My farther will never be avenged."
Gabrielle looked up from the table at Jennie and Eriol they seemed to in show although they did not show it outwardly Gabrielle knew they were in a state of disbelief. Swallowing roughly Eriol regained his wits, he explained to Gabrielle there was no way she wasn't going to jail for conspiring against the ESUN in the worst possible way. Gabrielle didn't care she simply wanted to be left alone with her thoughts, Jennie and Eriol exited the interrogation room with more than enough evidence on the Senator to take her down, they only hoped Une was doing all right on her part of the plan.
Chris watched her brother place her suitcase overtop of where they were sitting inside the plane that would take them to the coldest city she knew, Chicago. Ralph was obviously struggling with the suit case but managed to get inside the compartment. "You look tired, sit down and rest," Chris coaxed taking her brother's hand in hers. Ralph sighed flopping down in the seat next to his sister slumping against the back of it. He and his sister had spent the last three days packing everything up inside their apartment and getting it shipped to Chicago and that was more than an easy task. Ralph had been the one to do the most work, he had his sister helping him out a little bit but most of the work she did was moving light weight boxes and tossing old clothes into the garbage. Ralph did most of the heavy lifting that required every bit of his energy.
They were now just getting on the plane, Ralph felt like he had been standing for sleepless hours in those three days, he was glad to finally be able to sit down. He felt Chris' fingers running through his hair soothing his wrecked nerves; he had been so eager to get out of Japan. "Don't worry brother, she'll never find us. I promise you that," Chris whispered to the older man. "I know," Ralph whispered.
He snuggled closer against his sister seeking the peace she offered him. Soon Chris was listening to her the soft breath of her sleeping brother just as she plane jerked into motion, she was startled but saw no cause for alarm. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now heading out of the airport, please fasten your seat belts and remain seated. Enjoy the hospitalities that are offered to you while on the Mt. Fuji airlines! Chris felt the plane ascending into the air and her brother grasp her other hand with his, the two of them relaxed happy to be in each others presence.
Relena Darlain sat upon a sheetless bed inside a moderate sized hospital room, she glanced about her carefully examining the exterior of the room. The paint on the walls were stained with brown spots, the childish wallpaper trimming the walls above the white paint were feeling and falling off gradually, she noted. Across from her sat Trowa Barton, who was currently getting the gun-related injury atop his head treated. She kept her eyes on his face that held such a demeanor of peace she had to remind herself that she was no longer being held captive but was safe from danger.
Relena turned her head toward the frosted window and stared at the mobile suit, Tallgese III guarding the front door of the hospital. A small smile graced her features; naturally Zechs hid the worry for her well-being when he landed along side the mobile suit carrier with Noin, he had practically jumped out of his suit to ensure she wasn't hurt. Relena reassured him that she was badly hurt in anyway thanks to six special young men. Zechs looked skeptic but did not press the issue any further, he went to go report his mission to Une afterward. They had all taken the mobile suit carrier to the hospital although there was not much room for over ten people inside.
Une (and Margaret) remained behind telling them she would catch up later after she took care of something. No one objected to her wishes and boarded the carrier. It was tough trying to get everyone situated inside the aircraft, Heero's dislocated leg, Duo's broken arm, Jin's unconscious state proved to be more of a complication than Zechs and Noin originally thought it would be, they had to separate the three of them from the others to keep them as comfortable as possible. Trowa keep Jin in his grasp for the boy was still trembling from his ordeal. When they arrived at the hospital the four injured young men were escorted quickly into the hospital despite their best efforts to drive the grabby hospital personnel away from them. Relena, Dorothy, Wufei, Quatre, and Hilde quickly followed after them after being granted permission to do so from Zechs.
"Is there something bothering you, Relena?" Trowa's voice broke the girl's gaze away from the window, she turned to meet Trowa's green eyes. They expressed worry which for Relena was nothing new since practically the entire world worried about her. Relena shrugged absentmindedly playing with the ends of her cuffs, of course there is something bothering me Trowa, she thought. The fact that Heero practically lied about Jin not even being at the base was something I know is a petty thing to be angry about but I just can't see why he did it. "He did it for you own good, Relena," Trowa spoke as if he read her mind.
"But still--- I can't see that as a valid reason to lie to me, Trowa. I just can't," Relena swallowed roughly rising from the bed straightening out her cotton turtle neck, she briskly exited the room obviously bothered by the entire ordeal. Trowa sighed wincing slightly as the ointment burned his skin again he glanced up at the nurse with a slightly annoyed expression. The man looked down at the Latin American with an inquiring look of his own but did not utter a word as he finished up the final procedures, Trowa grunted in slight surprise when he felt a small prick of the exess bandage being cut from his head. "There all done," The nurse announced proudly. Trowa didn't even both to touch his head he nodded his thanks to the male nurse as he hopped off the bed.
"Uhh sir, do you know where my friends are?" He asked. The male nurse paused in his retreat from the hospital room for a brief moment before taking a look at his chart; Trowa watched the Native American man scan the papers on the chart until he saw the man's eyes brighten in relief. "Uhh--- Yuy, Maxwell, and Toshino--- right?" Trowa nodded in confirmation. "They're in rooms 210, 209, and 207. Straight down the hall and take a right." Trowa once again nodded to the nurse, pulling the suspenders back onto his shoulders he ran down the hall evading every obstacle in his path. When he arrived there he found Quatre and Dorothy standing the door way of room 207--- Heero's room, obviously speaking to the stoic Asian.
Wufei remained in the seat across the hall in front of room 210 and 209--- Duo and Jin's room, the doors were closed and the Chinese preventer was in a mediative state of mind. Jin's room (209) was currently empty for he was in the ER being treated fo. He prayed the for boy's life. As he advanced through the hall he glanced at Duo's door once more. Trowa knew better than to open the door to Duo's bedroom also. Heading over to Wufei he was sure the young man was aware of his presence so he made no effort to creep up on him, Wufei proved his observation when he opened one onyx eye and focused on his tall figure. "Hey you might want to sit down, Duo's under the influence of sleeping drugs and won't be awake for a while I think. Jin's still being operated on." Trowa sat down beside the Chinese teenager with a groan careful to keep his head away from the cold white hospital walls.
"So I figured," He mumbled. Wufei gave a nod and opened his eyes. Trowa could barely remember the state Jin was in for he pushed it deep in the far reaches of his mind, however it did little for his conscience. He stared down at his shirt, still covered in spots of blood from the young boy's mouth. Whatever Margaret had done to him it was enough to leave him traumatized for the rest of his life. And as for the ZERO system..... Trowa believed no one his age should pilot a machine with that system installed into it, despite the fact that Jin was near the age they all piloted Wing Zero. It was just too much for him to handle obviously. "What's on your mind?" Wufei asked stretching his arms.
Trowa turned to look at the inquiring Chinese preventer as if he had grown a second head; Wufei stared back for a moment before shrugging his shoulders settling back into the moderately comfortable chair. Trowa shifted his eyes toward Heero's doorway as Quatre and Dorothy came toward the two of them, Quatre's eyes brightened in relief when he noticed the silent clown. "Trowa, hey are you all right?" Removing himself from Dorothy's side he went over to greet his friend. Trowa smiled at the enthusiasm Quatre showed over his well-being, nodding in response. "I'm glad," Quatre sighed turning to Dorothy who stood where she was. "How's Heero?" Trowa asked, rubbing the back of his neck. Quatre explained to him that the Japanese teenager was in good health considering the procedure of removing the bullets from his shoulder and leg, he was ordered not to leave his bed until the wounds completely healed from the procedure.
The doctors had insisted that they put his leg back into place but Heero did it himself right in front of the doctors, then asked for something to keep it in place. Once more they protested and Heero rose from the bed, he grabbed the bandages and two pieces of unusable metal discarded on table, he then placed the metal on both sides of his leg and wrapped the bandages tight around it. He then dismissed the doctors from the room (quite rudely). Quatre also noted that their Japanese comrade wondered where Relena had gone off to. "... I told him that she might be with you," Quatre finished. "Heero didn't seem to mind at all, but wanted me to tell her that he was meaning to speak to her." Trowa nodded rising from his place beside Wufei. "You might want to go and see where she went, Quatre. I'll go talk to Heero," He stated firmly before walking past him. Quatre watched the Latin American head into the stoic young man's bedroom, sighing he shifted his mind to more important matters. He had to call his sisters and tell them he was going to be late getting home for Christmas.
Hilde sat at Duo's bedside her hands in her lap where Duo's jacket resided, she had been sitting beside him for as long as she could remember. Under the influence of drugs given to him by doctors Duo was oblivious to the procedure they performed to put his arm back into place and restitched his injured torso, Hilde asked them to check the rest of his body over and the Doctors did. They found nothing wrong with the American teen (aside from his injured wrist) except for the fact that his muscles were bruised to the extent that any further exertion upon them would end up resulting in permanent muscle tissue damage.
Hilde was ordered to keep him off his feet for a little over a week or two. Hilde agreed to their terms after they had left but knew it was going to be hard to keep the wandering spirit off his feet for over two weeks, that indeed. She sighed running a hand through her hair, all this time she had spent in captivity she had totally forgotten about their so-called vacation. Did they have a vacation? Did they enjoy it before now? Everything was such a blur to her.
Duo had received the invitation from Relena requesting their presence on a ski trip to spend the winter vacation until Christmas Eve, Hilde had contemplated on whether they should go. There was not that much of a demand for spare parts from a junkyard but Hilde thought it best to tie up all the loose ends before going off anywhere that would cost a lot of money. Duo on the other hand, had been more than ready to go out and get away from the neighborhood they lived in. Hilde finally agreed with him and Duo began to get things ready for their trip to the Sanc kingdom, and although she hadn't told the 17-year-old, Hilde was also overjoyed to leave the house for a while, she knew seeing his old friends would get Duo's mind off of whatever was bothering him.
Perhaps she would tell him when he was awake. Removing one of her hands from her lap she grasped the end of Duo's braid for she saw nothing else that wasn't injured on him, grasping his hand resting against his chest wasn't the best idea at the moment. Her fingers twiddled with the frizzed ends of his hair separated by the band mindlessly, she stared over at the watch on the wall across from her; 5:05am. Hilde blinked for a moment before rereading the time, she could not believe it was Christmas Eve already! And I haven't gotten Duo a gift. I thought I would have more time than this, Hilde thought solemnly scratching the back of her head. She could smell the odor from her once sweaty body, Hilde wished she could take a shower to look more presentable to Duo but she dared not to leave his side, even if it meant smelling badly.
Hilde sighed once more unable to think of anything that would occupy until Duo awakened from his drugged stupor. Duo hated drugs, he hated them with such a passion he refused to take any sort of medicine that would bring on numbness or sleep. Hilde would slip the medicine into his drink of food at times when he was sick and too hungry or thirsty to notice. It was only time she could get over on him with drugs. "Hilde...," The German teenager jumped, she looked to Duo who's coalbolt eyes were wide open, staring straight at her, surprisingly. "Duo, your awake? How do you feel?" Hilde asked excitedly. Duo blinked for a moment he pushed himself up with his only usable arm (they had put his broken one back into a sling), he grunted when expected to feel pain but instead got the feeling his entire body had fallen asleep.
His arm felt like lead, he shifted his eyes toward Hilde who remained looking concerned. "Numb. Really numb in my arms and side," Duo replied crossly. "Did they drug me?" Hilde looked hesitant for a moment, Duo gave her a long look before she finally nodded. "They said you wouldn't wake up until an hour. The drugs were for the pain," Hilde explained slowly, fluffing his pillow. Duo groaned squeezing his eyes shut, he allowed Hilde to push him back onto the pillow she propped up. He sighed in frustration. "Where's 'Jousan?" He whispered. Hilde told him that she was roaming about the hospital checking up on everyone that wasn't up on their feet, mainly Jin who was still the operation room. Duo shrugged before groaning at the numbness in his shoulder and wrist. Damn he hated drugs. "What about Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei?" Hilde explained that Heero was in the room across from his, Trowa was out in the hall as was Wufei and Quatre last she checked.
Duo rolled his eyes; it was natural for those three to be unscathed while Heero and himself were pummeled by bullets and explosions. Hilde arose from her seat stretching her limbs, Duo glanced up at her questionablly before watching her lean over him. "I'll be right back, I'm going to get something to eat," Hilde placed a kiss on the side of his mouth. Duo nodded tiredly settling back into his pillow, he felt so naked in hospital attire! As Hilde made her way out of the room she turned stealing at glance at the oblivious Duo for a moment before exiting the room. Duo had caught her looking at him but pretended not to notice, but now that she was gone Duo's mind drifted over to the well being of their rowdy thirteen year old friend Jin. He hoped the kid was doing all right.
Relena stood in the middle of the hall her hand closed over a piece of crumbled paper, a piece of paper Margaret had given her in the event that she might find JIn. Relena saw no reason to keep it now. The European girl raised her head up to look through the glass windows of the doors to the operating room, she watched the doctors hand each other strange objects and walk in & out of the room as if it were just another day on the job. Perhaps it was to them but to Relena someone she came to care for laid on that operating table. Yes, she did not know Jin that well, she knew he was as cutoff from the world like Heero was and probably didn't like her at all, but Relena could not sit back and not do anything for him. Not if she could help it.
It was in her nature to care about not just him but everyone she held close to her heart. Looking away from the doors for a moment Relena stared down at the piece of paper in her hand with uncertainty; even if he were to make it out okay, where would he go? Did he already have a home she never knew of? So many questions ran through Relena's head as to what would happen to Jin if she told the orphanage about him, perhaps she wouldn't tell them. Crumbling the paper in her hand Relena tossed it into a trash can. "I'll adopt him," Relena whispered to herself. "He needs a home to go to. So I'll provide him one." Relena turned her back to the operating room and headed back to where she hoped the others were, she had to talk to Heero anyway.
As she ventured down the hall moving farther and farther away from the ER, Relena was stopped in her tracks by a timid but loud cry, "Uh-- ma'am!" The honey-blonde turned to see a woman without any surgeons equipment on, her body sticking out half way out of the operating room. She had a shower cap on her head, noted Relena. "Miss Dorlain, the boy--- he's asking for you," The skinny nurse said. Relena's spirits lifted tremendously but she kept her diplomatic appearance up and nodded, she then made her away over to the door as several doctors came out engaged in deep conversation, their arms at their sides and their masks down. One of them stayed behind. Relena passed the nurse as she went through the doors eager to know if the boy was all right, she looked up at the doctor who nodded in her direction. He was a tall man in his early thirties, his face was showing signs of age, his lips were thin, his eyes were shaped like stretched out ovals, and his nose was short and rounded. Relena's eyes averted from the doctor to Jin's still body; his side was stitched together no longer an ugly open wound. "How is he?" Relena asked quietly.
The doctor looked at the boy on the table for a moment paying not attention to the fluctuation in his brow, it was natural for a patient to have unconscious fluctuation. "Well, he's had several injuries, all of them were infected; minor cuts and bruises to the entire body, a head injury, an obvious lower abdomen injury, an injury concerning a dislocated arm, an old gunshot wound that wasn't properly cared for (we didn't touch that since the skin had healed already), and two drug overdoses. One of them being the experimental drug Cetus, and a tranquilizer overdose. But what bothers me is the experimental drug," Relena gave the doctor a look. "We took some blood samples from the boy, to see if there was any possible sidaffects to look out for. It may be something severe but the chances of that is slim to none. What was his name?" The Doctor asked.
"Jin Toshino," She replied quietly moving over to where Jin was situated. The Doctor asked if there was any living relatives or guardians he could go to, Relena explained without too much detail that his parents were killed in a colony accident. The doctor, Mansfield Corbon, asked if she would like him to call an orphanage, Relena shook her head stating that he wouldn't like it. "... Miss Darlain, it doesn't matter how much the boy might not like it, he needs a place to stay until we get him situated with a family," Dr. Corbon explained earnestly. Relena examined the older man for a moment before lowering her head. No matter how much she wanted to take Jin in, she knew she would have no time for him once the holiday season was over; he would be ignored by her and shunned by all the paperwork on her desk. She was a government official after all, she had no time for taking care children, but where could he stay? Relena took Jin's pale hand into hers running her thumb across the back of his hand, she had to make a choice, in the background she heard Dr. Corbon sigh heavily.
"Look you don't have answer right away, I'll be back in two hours. I hope you've made your choice then," With that Corbon exited the room to get cleaned up. Relena watched him leave with a heavy heart and a troubled mind, if she didn't make a choice they would send him to an orphanage anyway. She sat in silence for a minute or so watching Jin's eyebrow twitch from time to time, he had two IV's hooked to his arms, one feeding blood through the left arm and the other feeding him a liquid to hydrate his body, he had a visible bruise on his cheek and other places that weren't covered by a sheet. Relena was starting to fall asleep when he spoke. "I already have a home," He grumbled. Relena was snapped out of her tired state, she felt herself exhale with relief. "Jin!.... What did you did mean 'you already have a home'?" She asked. Jin turned his head to the side meeting her worried face, it was obvious Heero and Duo hadn't told anyone about him residing at the St. Gabriel institute much to his relief.
"I'm living at the St. Gabriel institute in a dorm room. I'll be fine on my own," Jin explained, his tone was quiet, he did not want to strain his voice. Relena blinked at the young man unsure if she had heard correctly. "Surely you know they'll argue that you aren't old enough to live on your own. They'll try to put you in orphanage," Relena explained hastily. Jin groaned closing his eyes for a brief minute, he ached all over. "Then you'll have to make sure they don't. You are famous and all. They'll be sure to listen to Queen Relena," Relena was taken aback by the demeanor of his voice; it almost sounded spiteful, full of resentment. Jin blinked back tears as the gut wrenching pain in his stomach returned, he just remembered he had killed Mariemaia..... Margaret.... One of the two.... He hadn't meant to. He had no idea as to what he was doing.
"Is Mar-- Mariemaia okay? I didn't hurt her did I?" He whispered swallowing roughly. Relena's eyebrows arched in question, where had that come from? "Jin what do you mean? You shot, Margaret, not Marie--," Relena jumped back in fear when she felt his hand grasp her wrist, she now saw tears falling from his eyes freely, the heart monitor was growing louder with each passing minute. "B-but I saw it---- I-I I killed her didn't I? Don't lie to me! I killed Mariemaia didn't I?" Jin whimpered squeezing her wrist tighter. Relena winced trying to pry her wrist out of his vice like grasp, she grunted in pain when he didn't release her. "Jin! Mariemaia is alive, its Margaret you shot!" Relena blurted out. Jin's onyx blue eyes widened in horror, he released her wrist and retreated underneath the sheet curling himself up into a ball despite the pain from his body objecting to such a position, he hugged himself feeling a horrible draft come over him. Relena reached out to comfort him but Jin pulled away from her murmuring a small request for her to leave him be. The honey blonde did not want to leave Jin but she knew he wouldn't calm down otherwise, turning the 17-year-old exited the room and went to find the others.
Margaret coughed roughly as she shifted in her position in the snow where Lady Une had shoved her, the woman was too damn crude for her own good. Une towered over holding the rifle Wufei had dropped, in her hand cocked and ready to kill her at any moment, Margaret wondered when her heart would stop beating; she had been shot twice in the same place in her shoulder, once in the chest, and now in her torso. It was miracle she was holding on as long as she was now, but it mattered not to the woman, all she wanted to do was die. "Why is it that we're still here in this God forsaken place?" Margaret rasped roughly.
Une in turned and glared at the woman before averting her eyes skyward again, obviously she was thinking hard on something. It was either that, Margaret thought, or she's just waiting for me to bleed to death. The 44-year-old woman watched Une avert her eyes from the white scenery back to her, her shoulder-blade length hair blew the rough frozen wind of the mountains. Margaret knew she wasn't only one being affected by the cold. "I have a proposal for you Cypher," Une spoke above the howling wind. Margaret arched an eyebrow at the younger woman in question. "A proposal you say?" Cypher echoed with a laugh. "All right Une, I'll play your game. What's this proposal of yours?" Lady Une glowered at the arrogant woman below her, for someone who was several years her elder she was defiantly lacking wisdom and a sound mind. This was no game she was playing at.
"My proposal to you is; either give me the rest of the information on any other rebels outside of Japan or..." Une aimed at Margaret's head. "Die and be forgotten." Margaret blinked rubbing the snow out of her eyes, her hair was covered in the little frosted flakes. If anything she liked the first part of the proposal, she wasn't, however, sure if she liked the last part. To be forgotten. At the same time it those exact words, to be forgotten, was an open invitation to death by the hand of another and freedom, but on the other hand it saddened her to some extent. Would Jin remember her as she was before this madness happened? If so, why should she care; she did try to kill him several times.
"If that is the only choice I have then so be it," Margaret mumbled. Une gave her an inquiring look. "There are others stationed in Europe, Canada, Germany/Brussels, and the USA. They aren't associated with us, but my employer was considering on getting them to join our cause. There I told you, now I wish to be forgotten," Margaret was abrupt in her request. Une eyed the woman for the longest time wondering if it was just the cold getting to the red haired woman in front of her, but the seriousness of the woman's brown eyes said otherwise. Slowly the German woman focused her sights not on the woman's head but her left breast, she felt another pair of hands grasp the same places her hands were. Une could feel the warmth of silk gloves around her hands as she slowly pulled the trigger, Margaret smiled at the last moment as the bullet ripped through her.