Born To Fly - Part 28
Christine paced the dusty ground anxiously. Jittery and fretful. Tom spoke comforting words, though they appeared to have little impact. The supplied address from the police had located them into the heart of a rich forest, to a vacant building. Now they impatiently awaited for the accompanying police officer to grant them permission to enter and see the abducted brunette.
Both adults whirled sharply at the roar of a petrol engine accelerating towards them, masked in a haze of dry dirt. A motorbike skidded to a halt metres away. "Hector? What's he doing here?" The male furrowed his brow, perplexity lacing his queries.
"Lorraine?!"
"What the hell are you two doing here?" The headmistress demanded, a cutting edge to every single word as she stamped her authority, "You shouldn't be here. Neither of you."
"I still care about Nikki." Simultaneously they spoke the identical sentence, staring at each other with a sharp scoff and crossing their arms.
"And I still love her." Lorraine continued, her manner wavered slightly, hinted with great sympathy as she worried, "I always have, and I always will." A conclusion.
Hector then mumbled, "So do I,"
That only gained him viscous stares from both women, Tom displaying an expression of silent warning. "Whatever." Anger was bubbling inside the older female, fingers curled into clenched as she attempted to dismiss their passionate remarks, "Nik chose me. Me."
"Christine's right. You shouldn't be here. Yeah, we get that you care. But this is personal. Do you think Nikki is really gonna want to see both of you as well? She clearly declined your lustful passes, Hector. And you - Lorraine - you broke her heart and she moved on from what you had." The other deputy spoke again, sincere and stern.
The conversation was interrupted. Another cop had just received permission to enter, confirming that Nikki had been found, through a radio systems. At Christine's request, Tom accompanied the blonde and police officer into the building, following tensely to where the female was.
"Nik," Followed by a gasp, the word was smothered with a swirl of breath. She descended promptly to her knees at her lover's side, clamping her hand around hers cozily and squeezing in some form of comfort. The contrast was harsh; Nikki's hand was bitterly icy and pale compared to the other woman's warm and marginally clammy palm.
"It's going to be okay." She didn't know who she was trying to convince. Poorly trying to convince. Her breath choked at the back of her suddenly dry throat, fearful orbs expanding significantly at the sight of the scarlet liquid cascading in a stream from her side. The officer first on scene was attempting to stem the bleed.
The brunette's head was fuzzy, vision blurred and disorientated. Her energy was seriously low and she was acutely exhausted. Skin pale and white, her pulse was slow and breathing shallow. Yet she mustered what energy she had reserved and concentrated it to fixating on the voices swimming around the atmosphere and the vague figures she could outline.
"C-Christine," Nikki faltered, voice scratchy and parched. A heavy sensation was rapidly darkening her mind, focusing fading away. She strived to extend her arm, aiming to reach for her partner's silky cheek. But she grimaced. Her aches had evolved into agonising pains. The other hand remained firmly on her stomach.
"I..I'm s-sorry." Her words were slurring and drifted, an internal battle commencing to stop her eyes from snapping shut.
The headmistress was shushing, whispering words of soothing reassurance in desire to keep her wife calm, "It's okay, it's okay. I know. Try snd stay with me darling," Tender lips collided ever so gently with her ghostly forehead, pressing a lingering kiss.
Christine repeatedly raked her fingers through the female's tousled locks. She didn't care that they were greasy and matted with blood from an open wound that trickled on her head. It was an action that Nikki had always found relaxing and adored. But the woman had lost this battle, azure orbs fluttering shut as darkness triumphed.
"Oh god, no..." The blonde collapsed into Tom's awaiting arms, hand clamped over her mouth as she sobbed jagged cries. "Please, help her! She's pregnant," Help had just arrived in the form of paramedics who instantly set about stabilising and preparing the victim for her journey to hospital.
And for the very first time, as her darling wife was wheeled out on the trolley by paramedics, she perceived a tiny little baby bump. The petite swell to her stomach was perceptible as her thin shirt, saturated with thick crimson blood, fused to her skin.
"Come to the hospital with me." Christine was desperately pleading, studying the concerned expression stitched on Tom's face. She didn't want to be alone, "We need to pick Eve up on the way."