Chapter 4
Sky became aware of someone near her. A familiar voice was whispering to her. She slowly opened her eyes and saw those green eyes staring back at her. Leon was afraid and it showed on his face. She couldn't grasp what had just happened and wanted to wake from the nightmare. He held her tight in his arms. She felt tired and began to close her eyes. "No you don't. Girl stay here with me. Sky you need to stay awake, the ambulance is on the way." The pain was unbearable; she tried to focus on his voice and his eyes. Blood filled her mouth and streamed from the corner. Darkness surrounded her and her sight became hazy. Leon shook her bringing her back to consciousness.
Two police officers entered the hall. The older officer screamed at Leon to put his hands up. "If I move my hand she'll bleed to death, idiot. Where the fuck are the paramedics? Get'em up here now."
The younger officer stepped forward, "Can you tell me what happened?"
"She's dying. Help her." Leon pleaded.
The officer shined his light on her, "Do you know who shot her?"
"No. Look you can ask this shit later. Get on the radio and get the paramedics up here."
The officer grabbed his radio, "Dispatch this is Officer Michaels, send in the medic squad. The scene is secured."
Leon pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "Don't you go and die on me. I need you. Baby do you hear me?" Sky made no response. "God, don't take her. I love her."
The medics rushed up the stairs and started working on Sky. They took her from Leon and placed her on a stretcher. In a flash they had her down the stairs and into a waiting ambulance. The sirens blared as the vehicle sped away. Officer Michaels asked Leon to move down to the living room with him. Leon watched as coroner place Mrs. Thomas' body in a black bag. The world was moving in slow motion. Officers were taking pictures all around him and people were running in different directions. Leon sat down on the couch and stared at the blood on his hands. Officer Michaels placed his hand on Leon's shoulder, "I know this is hard, but we need to know as much information as possible."
Leon looked at him with tears in his eyes, "Can ya give me a few minutes. My girlfriend was just shot." Officer Michaels nodded and walked into the kitchen to speak with his supervisor. He came back moments later. He asked again what had happened. "I heard gun shots coming from the house. They were all lying in the hall."
"Son, did you see anyone run from the house?"
"No. Sky and her mom didn't have to be afraid of strangers; there was enough danger at home. You know he fuckin' did it. Why you even bother asking me? He shot'em."
Officer Michaels looked away, "To believe that a fellow officer could do something so wrong, it's difficult."
"You didn't know him. They lived everyday in fear."
"Why didn't they report it?"
"Mrs. Thomas did report it. Damn cops told her that it was a family matter. Now she's dead and Sky may die too."
Leon's mother was standing on the porch trying to get in to the house. She watched as they removed two bodies from the house. "I need to get inside. My son's in there." An officer led her into the living room. She found Leon sitting on the couch covered in blood. "Leon, are you hurt?"
He walked over to her, his eyes filling with tears, "I'm not hurt. We need to get to the hospital." She nodded and they left together.
~At the hospital~
Leon watched the monitor as the line peaked and fell, watching each heartbeat. He sat in a chair beside Sky's bed. His mother had already gone home leaving him to his vigil. He held Sky's hand in his, wanting so much for her eyes to open. Leon brushed a few stray hairs away from her face and softly touched her skin. Thoughts of "what if" ran through his head. What if they had left this morning? What if they hadn't come back from the beach? The door creaked open causing him to jump. A nurse entered the room, "Sorry I didn't mean to disturb you. I just need to give her some medication." The nurse shot a couple of syringes into Sky's IV line. "Is there anything I can get you before I go?"
"No. Thanks though. Is she's gonna ever open her eyes again?"
The nurse sighed, "Your friend lost a large amount of blood and there was significant damage to her right lung. She has held on this far, that's a good sign. No one knows for sure in cases like your friend's. I need to finish my rounds, but if you need anything tonight just let me know ok."
"I will. Thanks." The nurse left the room and Leon turned his focus back to Sky. Her once tan skin had turned ghostly white. For hours he sat by her side talking to her. Hoping for her eyes to open.
Hours past with no change in her condition and Leon began to lose hope of her survival. He leaned his head against the rail of her bed and closed his eyes. An alarm from the heart monitor stirred him from his sleep. Leon jumped out of his chair and pushed the nurse call button, "Please send the nurse, she's awake." He looked down into her eyes. "Welcome back baby."
The nurse came into the room and began to examine Sky, "She's breathing good. That's great for her recovery. Sky, I am going to sit you up. It may cause you some discomfort, but will improve your breathing." As the nurse raised the head of the bed, Sky winced in pain. "I told you it would be uncomfortable. I will need you to take a few deep breaths if you can." Sky inhaled and exhaled when told. "Good, very good."
Sky looked up at the nurse, "Can you tell me the condition of Maria Thomas, my mom?" The nurse went about her examination without answering the question. Sky's heart sank. "Please tell me."
"You should concentrate on yourself for right now." The nurse reminded her.
Sky turned to look at Leon who had his head in his hands, "Where's my mom? Leon don't even think about lying to me. Where is she?"
Leon looked at the nurse for approval to tell Sky. The nurse nodded. "Sky, I'm sorry. She didn't make it."
"Why did this have to happen to her? She never hurt anyone. I wish I had died instead of her."
Sky became aware of someone near her. A familiar voice was whispering to her. She slowly opened her eyes and saw those green eyes staring back at her. Leon was afraid and it showed on his face. She couldn't grasp what had just happened and wanted to wake from the nightmare. He held her tight in his arms. She felt tired and began to close her eyes. "No you don't. Girl stay here with me. Sky you need to stay awake, the ambulance is on the way." The pain was unbearable; she tried to focus on his voice and his eyes. Blood filled her mouth and streamed from the corner. Darkness surrounded her and her sight became hazy. Leon shook her bringing her back to consciousness.
Two police officers entered the hall. The older officer screamed at Leon to put his hands up. "If I move my hand she'll bleed to death, idiot. Where the fuck are the paramedics? Get'em up here now."
The younger officer stepped forward, "Can you tell me what happened?"
"She's dying. Help her." Leon pleaded.
The officer shined his light on her, "Do you know who shot her?"
"No. Look you can ask this shit later. Get on the radio and get the paramedics up here."
The officer grabbed his radio, "Dispatch this is Officer Michaels, send in the medic squad. The scene is secured."
Leon pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "Don't you go and die on me. I need you. Baby do you hear me?" Sky made no response. "God, don't take her. I love her."
The medics rushed up the stairs and started working on Sky. They took her from Leon and placed her on a stretcher. In a flash they had her down the stairs and into a waiting ambulance. The sirens blared as the vehicle sped away. Officer Michaels asked Leon to move down to the living room with him. Leon watched as coroner place Mrs. Thomas' body in a black bag. The world was moving in slow motion. Officers were taking pictures all around him and people were running in different directions. Leon sat down on the couch and stared at the blood on his hands. Officer Michaels placed his hand on Leon's shoulder, "I know this is hard, but we need to know as much information as possible."
Leon looked at him with tears in his eyes, "Can ya give me a few minutes. My girlfriend was just shot." Officer Michaels nodded and walked into the kitchen to speak with his supervisor. He came back moments later. He asked again what had happened. "I heard gun shots coming from the house. They were all lying in the hall."
"Son, did you see anyone run from the house?"
"No. Sky and her mom didn't have to be afraid of strangers; there was enough danger at home. You know he fuckin' did it. Why you even bother asking me? He shot'em."
Officer Michaels looked away, "To believe that a fellow officer could do something so wrong, it's difficult."
"You didn't know him. They lived everyday in fear."
"Why didn't they report it?"
"Mrs. Thomas did report it. Damn cops told her that it was a family matter. Now she's dead and Sky may die too."
Leon's mother was standing on the porch trying to get in to the house. She watched as they removed two bodies from the house. "I need to get inside. My son's in there." An officer led her into the living room. She found Leon sitting on the couch covered in blood. "Leon, are you hurt?"
He walked over to her, his eyes filling with tears, "I'm not hurt. We need to get to the hospital." She nodded and they left together.
~At the hospital~
Leon watched the monitor as the line peaked and fell, watching each heartbeat. He sat in a chair beside Sky's bed. His mother had already gone home leaving him to his vigil. He held Sky's hand in his, wanting so much for her eyes to open. Leon brushed a few stray hairs away from her face and softly touched her skin. Thoughts of "what if" ran through his head. What if they had left this morning? What if they hadn't come back from the beach? The door creaked open causing him to jump. A nurse entered the room, "Sorry I didn't mean to disturb you. I just need to give her some medication." The nurse shot a couple of syringes into Sky's IV line. "Is there anything I can get you before I go?"
"No. Thanks though. Is she's gonna ever open her eyes again?"
The nurse sighed, "Your friend lost a large amount of blood and there was significant damage to her right lung. She has held on this far, that's a good sign. No one knows for sure in cases like your friend's. I need to finish my rounds, but if you need anything tonight just let me know ok."
"I will. Thanks." The nurse left the room and Leon turned his focus back to Sky. Her once tan skin had turned ghostly white. For hours he sat by her side talking to her. Hoping for her eyes to open.
Hours past with no change in her condition and Leon began to lose hope of her survival. He leaned his head against the rail of her bed and closed his eyes. An alarm from the heart monitor stirred him from his sleep. Leon jumped out of his chair and pushed the nurse call button, "Please send the nurse, she's awake." He looked down into her eyes. "Welcome back baby."
The nurse came into the room and began to examine Sky, "She's breathing good. That's great for her recovery. Sky, I am going to sit you up. It may cause you some discomfort, but will improve your breathing." As the nurse raised the head of the bed, Sky winced in pain. "I told you it would be uncomfortable. I will need you to take a few deep breaths if you can." Sky inhaled and exhaled when told. "Good, very good."
Sky looked up at the nurse, "Can you tell me the condition of Maria Thomas, my mom?" The nurse went about her examination without answering the question. Sky's heart sank. "Please tell me."
"You should concentrate on yourself for right now." The nurse reminded her.
Sky turned to look at Leon who had his head in his hands, "Where's my mom? Leon don't even think about lying to me. Where is she?"
Leon looked at the nurse for approval to tell Sky. The nurse nodded. "Sky, I'm sorry. She didn't make it."
"Why did this have to happen to her? She never hurt anyone. I wish I had died instead of her."