Chapter 2

TOM'S POV

Ryland found me in my office shortly after Diana departed to pick up Maia. I could tell by the look on his face that it wasn't good news.

"Tom, another bombing just occurred, its at Stop and Shop," he said. "Call Diana and tell her to meet you there?"

"Okay," I said as I gathered up the paperwork and headed out the door. I pulled out my cell phone and called Diana. I got no answer. I hung up and decided that I would call again in few minutes. I got in my car and drove down the road calling Diana's cell phone again a few minutes later.

As her answering machine picked up I decided to leave a message, knowing that she would check her phone later. "Diana, it's Tom. Ryland just gave me word that there's been another bombing. He told me it was at the Stop and Shop. When you get this message, meet me there."

I hung up the phone and preceded the Stop and Shop. I turned on the car radio as the new Howie Day song resonated through one of my favorite radio stations.

Even the best fall down sometimes

Even the wrong words seem to rhyme

Out of the doubt that fills my mind

I somehow find, you and I collide

I found myself singing to lyrics as I thought of Diana. She had such strength to her but she was so approachable and easy to talk to. Yet, she always seemed so alone, like she didn't really know how to make a relationship work.

I pulled into the Stop and Shop parking lot and saw that the police and paramedics had already arrived on the scene. I parked the car on the road and walked over to where the general wreck had occurred but a noise stopped me.

I heard someone moan. I looked over and saw Diana was lying on the pavement, the back of her jacket burned off by the flames. The paramedics gently lifted her and placed her on her side on the gurney. The burns were clearly second degree, her back was red and moist with fluid coming out of them. She appeared to be writhing in pain as the paramedics fastened the straps around her petite frame and my heart fell.

"Oh my god," I muttered. I was about to run to the gurney but another voice stopped me.

"I'm okay," Maia said as a paramedic tended to the scrapes that she had suffered. I ran over to the little girl knowing that Diana would want someone to make sure that she was safe. I approached the paramedic and knelt down beside Maia. "Tom," the little girl announced.

"Hey, Maia," I said. "How are you doing?"

"She has a few scrapes here and there, nothing that a little Neosporin won't fix," the paramedic reported.

"So she doesn't need to go to the hospital?" I asked.

"No, she doesn't," the paramedic said.

"That's good," I said turning back to Maia. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"We left the store with all out groceries," Maia began in her soft voice. "Diana tried to start the car but it wouldn't start. She went to check the engine and I followed her, and then she told me to run. So I ran, and she followed me. A few seconds later, the car blew up. Is Diana okay?"

"They're taking her to the hospital."

"She's burned badly isn't she?"

"She is Maia," I said. "I'm going to go check on her; do you want to stay here?"

"No," Maia answered. "Can I come with you?"

"Come on," Tom said taking the little girl by the hand as he walked over to where Diana was being loaded into the ambulance. "Excuse me, sir. I'm her partner. How is she?"

"The burns don't look good; we have to get her to the hospital for debriment," the EMT said.

"Is okay if I follow you in my car?"

"Sure," the EMT said. "We're taking her to Virginia Mason Hospital on 9th Avenue."

"Okay, I'll follow you," I said as I looked towards the gurney.

Diana was lying on her side like a doll that could bend at its knees. Her right arm was stretched out so that it was straight and her left arm was resting on her abdomen. Her back, neck, and the back of her arms were badly burnt and the second degree burns seems as if all of the fluids in her body were spilling out of her.

"She's going into shock." One of the paramedics replied as he checked Diana's pulse. "She's lost too much fluid."

"Okay, we've got to move," the paramedic said as they loaded her into the ambulance. As the doors closed to the ambulance I turned my attention back to Maia.

"Is Diana going to be okay?" the little girl asked.

"Yeah," I said. "She'll be okay."

Maia held up her arms and I bent down to hug the little girl. As she buried my face in my neck I let a tear fall as I thought of the possibilities that could happen with Diana and the little girl she would leave behind if, god forbid, she died.

"Come on," I said breaking the embrace. "Lets go to the hospital."

Author's Note: Okay as you can tell now this story is going to go from three main points of view: Diana's, Tom's, and Ryland's. Thank you to everyone who reviewed as especially to JeminaWeasly.