Wendy pressed her forehead against Ian, her eyes closed as she took deep breaths, trying her hardest to calm herself down. Somehow the last few weeks all came crashing down around her. The vision, the accident, the aftermath, the shock.
Erin, Jason, and Carrie. The funerals, the news of the pregnancy, the reality of it all...and finally these photos. She thought of Ashley and Ashlyn, Frankie, and now Lewis. She thought of how the hot spray of blood felt drenching her face, or the look of complete loss in Kevin's eyes when she told her how he had been planning on proposing to Carrie, having no idea she was just weeks away from breaking his heart. How suddenly she had zero control, and couldn't seem to save anyone. Finally she had thought it over, thought of this baby and decided that whatever did happen, she would save Ian, and start a life with him. It wasn't what she planned, or expected, but she knew at this exact moment this was what she wanted. Finally after what seemed like a lifetime, a gentle knocking came through the glass of the window that looked out at the garden department. Ian and Wendy broke out of whatever trance they were in and both looked out, seeing Kevin looking uncomfortable, as if he shouldn't be watching. He was staring at the ground, and knocked on the glass again with his knuckles, clearing his throat, looking embarrassed. Sighing, Wendy slipped her hand into Ian's, and started towards the door.
"Come on, there's something we gotta tell you."
Later...
Kevin and Wendy had just finished telling Ian about the photographs, as well as the accidents, and just recently Lewis' death down state. Ian was putting items away for the night, driving his forklift and kept shooting his usual know it all sarcasm instead of taking what they were saying seriously. Wendy instantly was getting annoyed. She knew it was a lot to take in, but how couldn't he see? Instead he looked at the photos shrugging as he continued driving the forklift up and down the narrow aisles. There were two photos of him taken, and both Wendy and Kevin couldn't seem to figure out where the clue was. Ian continued to claim that he had been working all day and nothing had happened to him, nothing. That death wasn't a force ready to collect ten fold, that it was just the end of living function and that was it. He kept shrugging everything off as just mere accidents, that was it. At one point Wendy noticed the parking-lot sign, and the little banner of signs above Ian in both photos she had snapped of him that night. In a complete panic she showed Kevin before he shouted...
"Ian watch those boxes!"
Ian jumped, turning the tiny wheel of the forklift, causing it to bang into a shelf and sending a bag of birdseed to come crashing down. Looking own at them as if they were crazy, he looked at them, his face pale.
"What the fuck man?! You said those boxes were falling!"
"I told you to watch those boxes!"
"Really? Because they aren't doing anything?"
Wendy shot Ian a look, wanting to shake some sense into him.
"We're not going to apologize for trying to save you. You haven't seen or experienced the things that we have."
Ian rolled his eyes.
"Yeah sure..."
Less than five minutes later Ian explained he needed to cut some plywood orders before heading out. That he wanted Wendy to go home with him and that they could leave her car here over night and he would drop Kevin off. That he had enough of hearing about all this death crap, and that Wendy needed to stop worrying. If he was next, he was perfectly fine, nothing was going to happen to him. Before going to the saw, he smirked, making Wendy lift her chin and look at him.
"Stop worrying, we're going to go back to my place, take a nice cold shower, and go to your house tomorrow and tell you're parents...all this worrying isn't good for the two of you."
He looked down at her flat stomach, before the most adorable smile curled up on his face. Unable to help it, Wendy caught herself smiling up at him before he winked at her and turned towards the car. Instantly Wendy felt her heart hammering in her chest as she closely watched him, wanting to shout at him to leave that stupid thing alone and just leave. Ian finally stopped cutting, and stood back, giving a theory that what if whoever was last in time just killed themselves to stop the order? Wendy knew he wasn't trying to be mean on purpose, that this was just his way of annoying Kevin as he stared at him, asking if there were any takers? Just then Wendy looked at the photo and instantly saw the wooden steaks above him high up on the shelf. Instantly her blood ran cold as she stared up at them. Instantly she felt frozen as she pointed up.
"THERE! THERE!"
Just then a horrible creaking filled the air before Wendy ran as fast as she could to knock Ian out of the way before thirty or so of those sharp wooden steaks went flying down on top of him. With all her might she shoved him, before everything seemed to start come crashing down around them. Kevin grabbed Ian as huge sheets of wood started flying down around them. Wendy found herself surrounded as everything including the wooden shelfs were buckling and crashing down around her. Screaming, she thought she heard Ian yell her name before she lost her balance and fell hard against the shelfs. Within seconds a horrible burning cramp filled her. Wendy then remembered. In her vision Ian didn't die next. She remembered seeing bleeding between her legs as the same exact crippling cramp filled her. Now it all made sense, in her vision she had miscarried the baby, the same baby she didn't even know she was pregnant with. Now it had come true, she was losing it. The pain she felt was worse than any period cramp she had ever experienced. Instead as laid there, half on the ground, half on the shelf, surrounded by broken pieces of wood, and sawdust. She opened her eyes, before crying out, that's when she saw the thick syrup blood pooling underneath her legs. She knew it clearer than any vision she had, she was losing the baby, the same baby just less than a half an hour ago she had agreed she wanted. She cried out before she opened her eyes and saw Kevin scrambling to get up underneath fallen pieces of wood to call 911. Ian meanwhile, less than ten or so feet away laid there on his stomach staring at her, and all the blood collecting underneath her. Instantly his face became flushed as he cried out...
"NO!"
Wendy tried to breath as another cramp hit her, she was losing Ian's baby right here and there was nothing any of them could do to stop it. Ian became still, and she saw as he began to cry watching her. They locked eyes before Wendy snapped her eyes shut, her hands on pure impulse going down between her legs, becoming slick with blood. Moments later she felt Ian scoop her up, his voice high pitch and hysterical as he carried her, muttering that she was going to be okay. She faintly heard Kevin say something about having called 911 before everything faded away and she passed out.
Later...
Wendy finally woke up. Her mother was sitting in a chair beside her hospital bed. She knew it was morning, by the thin summer morning light filtering in through the blinds. She was at McKinley General. She was laying in a hospital bed, hooked up to different wires, and an IV bag. She felt dull cramps, but knew she must have been given something for the pain. She looked around, her eyelids feeling heavy. Instantly her mother saw she was awake and scooted her chair closer, reaching out and grasping her hand.
"Wendy? Baby?"
Wendy's throat felt dry as she looked around, feeling so cloudy headed. Wendy's mother looked worried sick, bags underneath her eyes.
"Honey, it's okay...you're in the hospital. The doctor says you're going to be okay."
Wendy looked around, her eyes searching for Ian. Right away panic started to hammer in her chest. If in the vision she lost the baby, didn't that mean Ian was next? She had to warn him. She tried sitting up slightly, but a horrible dull thudding pain filled her as she laid back down. Instantly her mother brushed back her bangs, making her finally see how sweaty and clammy her own skin felt. Her mother explained that there was an accident, and that...she had a miscarriage. Instantly her mother looked as if she was crying, she lowered her voice and asked her why didn't she say anything? Was she afraid? They would have figured something out. Wendy just laid back in shock as her mother told her that the doctor explained she could have other children some day, and that this was just God's will. Instantly she swallowed hard, and weakly stared up at her mother, knowing very well that had this hadn't of happened her mother would have been wild at her hearing she was pregnant. That as much as she claimed she would have understood, that deep down inside she knew her mother was happy she had lost it. Instantly she glared and asked in a small dry voice...
"Where's Ian?"
"Oh honey, I told him to go home last night, he wouldn't leave your side but you needed your rest..."
She knew the truth, that really her parents had more than likely kicked him out. Knowing there wasn't much time, and that she needed to warn him, she laid back before looking around. The baby was dead. She knew she couldn't change that now. Instead, she needed to find Ian and warn him.
"Mom...I really just wanna sleep. You can go home, really...I'm so tired."
"Honey it's okay..."
"No really, I wanna be alone, You can come back later. Just please let me sleep."
Her mother stared at her for a second before nodding. Patting her arm, she agreed before standing up and taking her purse. Leaning down, she kissed her forehead before telling her she would be back in a couple of hours, once she got her strength back they could talk. Wendy nodded, laying back and watching before she watched her leave. Waiting, she took a second before slowly swinging her legs out. Grabbing her IV pole she was careful before standing up, instantly feeling light headed. Trying to steady herself, she slowly shuffled over to the metal closet and opened it. Her jeans were gone, most likely ruined and soaked through with blood. Her bag, shirt, jacket, and the photos were in there. Grabbing her bag, she scooted back to bed, before nearly collapsing back. She couldn't believe how weak she felt. Opening her bag, she fumbled before finding her phone. Dialing Ian's number, she waited, feeling on edge before it rang, and rang, and rang. Frowning, she knew that his cell must have been dead. She needed to reach him. Dialing Kevin's, she waited before he picked up.
"Wendy?"
Wendy instantly felt relief as she pulled out the photos, and laid them out before her.
"Kevin, where's Ian?"
"I...don't know. We both went to the hospital last night and they wouldn't let either of us see you. You're parents and him got into a big fight and they kicked him out. He was really upset. Are you okay?"
Wendy fought through the dull cramps she was feeling inside of her, knowing that at this exact moment she was still losing Ian's baby. Trying to not completely break down, she bit down on her lip, knowing she had to shove that part of her mind away for the time being.
"We have to figure out who's else was on that coaster. We were wrong, in my vision I was bleeding...I didn't know I was pregnant but I lost the baby..."
She paused for a second shutting her eyes.
"I'm not sure if Ian was next for those two kids sitting in front of me..."
She stared at the ruined photo of the ride worker waving his hand, blocking the view. She could only see part of one of the person's hands, that was it. She tried her hardest to focus, staring down at the glossy photos.
"It's either Ian or them next...I know after that is you and finally me. You gotta find Ian and warn him."
"I'm on my way to work the tricentennial at McKinley park, I'm doing it for security for my hours at the academy, I can swing by Ian's on the way if he's there."
"Great I'll meet you..."
"Wendy, you need to stay put..."
"Where's my car?"
"What?"
"My car, did my parents take it?"
"No it's still at Build It, you had the keys in your bag."
"Good, Build It is right down the street, I have a change of clothes in the trunk, I can drive down there and meet you..."
"Wendy, you should stay put you've...been through a lot..."
"I'm not losing anyone else..."
That's when Wendy's words trailed off. Instantly she saw something she hadn't noticed before. Bringing the photo up closer to her face her eyes widened. How could she be so stupid? How hadn't she seen this before? There dangling on the person's arm was the charm bracelet. Julie's charm bracelet.
"Do you remember Julie being on the ride?"
"What your sister? She would have said something by now..."
"I'm going to try and call my house but I remember her saying something about going to see the fireworks tonight. Swing by Ian's and then go straight there, I'll meet you..."
"Wendy..."
"Kevin, there's no time..."
"No, what I was going to say was, I think it's time we look at those photos of us..."
Wendy sighed, sorting through the rest of them before bringing out the two that had been taken. The only one of her was with Ian in the parking-lot that evening. Frowning, she hunched over it and shook her head in frustration.
"Great, the only photo of me is Ian in me in front of a black background...McKinley..."
"Yeah Ian's with you..."
"Now, I'm wearing the grad night shirt...seems like some kind of clue."
"Is there any other photos of you?"
"Only one more, me and Jason in front of another black background, Jason moved remember you can't make him out and I'm wearing the same shirt..."
"What about mine..."
Wendy sighed sorting them through photos before finding the only one of Kevin. Instantly she brought it up and sighed.
"It's when I flashed the camera in your face, it's all bright and over exposed like..."
"Like if a firecracker went off in my face?"
Wendy hung up, dialing her house. Instead it rang, and rang, and rang. She knew her dad must have been out, and her mom was still driving home. That meant Julie was all ready gone. Sighing, she tried to call Ian again, only to have it ring again endless times. Reaching into her bag, she found her car keys and knew she needed to slip out without anyone seeing. That's when she heard somebody coming. Scooting herself, she shoved it on the other side of her bed, before fixing herself and pretending to lay down. Moments later, the door opened and a friendly nurse came in to check her IV.
"How are you doing honey?"
Wendy tried to lay back acting calm.
"I'm okay..."
"We have you scheduled for a DNC tomorrow. You just rest honey, you need it."
Wendy thanked her before she left. The moment she knew she was gone, she waited before snatching her keys and getting up. Unhooking herself and ripping out the little tubes, feeling burning in her arms, she quickly hurried out, grateful that nobody was at the nurses station. Finding the first stairwell, she ran down it, fighting that horrible pain she was experiencing. Within minutes she was in the parking-lot, only in her hospital gown. Running, she stuck to the alleyways and stayed back, running as fast as she bare feet would allow her.
Finally she saw the Build It parking-lot and her car. She knew people would start looking for her, and if anybody saw her now, exposed like this they would call the police. Hurrying to her car, she opened her trunk, digging out an extra pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Once she was dressed, she got behind the wheel, and backed up, heading straight to McKinley park, praying she wasn't too late.
