by S. E Foster
My heart speeds up at her words, I automatically pull Charlie from the swings, my body running on autopilot.
“Yes, I am. Is everything ok?” I say with baited breath.
“No, Mrs Petrov, there has been an incident at school and Daria is in a serious condition. Can you make your way across as quickly as possible please?”
Her words floor me, an accident at school. Oh, what if she has fell over and broken a bone.
“Of course, I’m on my way.” I say as I hang up the phone.
“Hey little man we have to cut the park short, I’m sorry sweetheart, but Daria is at the hospital and we have to go and make sure she is ok?” I say to him.
“Ok, mummy. We go make sure Daria ok then we can come back to the park?” The look on his face right now is one of worry and hope.
“We sure can.” I say trying to lighten the tone of my voice so that he doesn’t worry too much. I carry Charlie back to the car, much to his protest of being a big boy and able to walk. I get him strapped in and start the car, making my way to the hospital.
I don’t pay attention to anything around me just the black tarmac of the road, making sure to drive within the speed limit, well most of the time that is. I can’t help but worry about her. She has become such an important part of the family, ever since the day she came to us, I have grown to love her and I care about what happens to her.
I have Charlie in my arms and I rush towards the desk trying to find anyone that can help point me in the right direction of where Daria is, I don’t care that I have abandoned the car.
“Excuse me can you tell me where I can find Daria Gorev please.?” I ask the middle-aged lady who is sat behind the desk.
“Can I ask who you are please?” she asks me politely.
“Of course, I received a call not too long ago. I’m Mrs Petrov, I’m Daria’s guardian.” I say.
“OH, of course. She is in resuscitation at the moment Mrs Petrov but you can go and wait in the room next door with Mr Petrov.”
I look a little confused at her words and just nod, I make my way down the hall in the direction that she pointed. Had they called Malc first? Had he arrived first? The questions were running through my mind at ten to a dozen, I think it’s the worry over Daria that is making my head confused, doesn’t take much to get lost in my head. After everything that has happened I lose the plot quiet quickly, it takes me a little longer to process rational thought.
The scene that greats me when I walk into the waiting room is not what I was expecting, Malc is sat there with his head buried in his hands, but as I scanned the room I noticed that Vlad is sat opposite him.
“What happened?” I demand to no particular person. I just want to know what the hell is going on. Neither of them even acknowledge that I have spoken.
“What happened to Daria?” I scream a little louder.
Malc looks up first and sees Charlie in my arms and stands to take him from me.
“Hello little man.” He says as he lifts him into his arms.
“You might want to sit down babe.” Malc says to me. I take a cautious seat, wondering what is going on.
“Daria was shot today at school, she is in theatre now.” I burst into tears. Why would anyone want to shoot a little girl?
“How? Tell me what happened.” I plead with them both.
“The police aren’t sure who or why yet Camilla.” Vlad says to me it’s the first word he has said to me since I arrived.
I sit there for a minute, thinking.
“How did you get here so quick Vlad?”
Something about him being here doesn’t add up. It takes hours to get here. That means he was here before the shooting. I stand-up and slowly walk across the room to him. I start hitting out at him. My arms hitting his back, his head with pure anger
“What did you do Vlad, what did you do to cause this, are you really that fucked up that you would get your own little girl shot in what-ever delusional plot you had in your head this time?”
I feel Malc’s arms wrap around me pulling me backwards, I look out of the corner of my eye and see Daria’s teacher looking over in shock at my outburst, while she is holding Charlie. Malc must have given him to her while I was lashing out. I look back at Vlad his eyes scan towards Miss Haynes and the look he gives her is pure hatred. What would be the reason for that? I push back at Malc.
“I’m ok, you can let me go now, I won’t hit him again.” I feel the pressure of his arms ease.
I spin on my heals, turning to face the man I love, I look into his eyes and I know from that look that he knows more about this than he is letting on.
“When we leave this hospital me and you are having words Malcolm Petrov, do I make myself clear. I want no bullshit, if you lie to me it won’t be good for you.” I turn to Vlad “Have you informed Damien? Because right now I think he needs to be here to clean up whatever mess you have fucking caused Vlad.”
He pulls his eyes from Miss Haynes, and looks at me, the guilt I see now tells me more than enough right now.
“He is on his way.” That’s all he says to me.
As we all sit in silence waiting on news from the Doctors about Daria. Nurses pop in and out offering us tea and coffee while we wait. She got me some milk and a blanket for Charlie, who is now laying across two chairs, fast asleep, oblivious to the hurt and worry that surrounds us right now. I try to drift off in the chair but every time I do, thoughts of what might have caused this plague me. I can’t think about it right now, that little girl needs me to be strong for her right now. So that’s what I’m going to be,as much as this is killing me to keep my mouth shut, I will till I know if Daria makes it or not?
Chapter Eight
Malc
Time drifts so slowly in that waiting room, it feels like the walls are closing in. I know I’m going to have to come clean when we get home. The thought of losing Cami again kills me, but I know she won’t stay after she hears the truth and I wouldn’t expect her to. But right now, sat here looking at the four white sterile walls in this clinical place, hearing beeps and alarms going off every couple of minutes. Hoping that the news will be good. It’s for Daria, I keep thinking of her little body slumped on the floor of that classroom. People screaming and the nothing for a few minutes until I heard the tell tail sound of sirens coming. I will never forget today.
The door opens and we all look with baited breath, the surgeon walks in the mask pulled down around his neck. Vlad stands up and goes to shake the Dr hand in greeting. The Dr takes his hand and gives him a warm handshake. The look on his face isn’t one I would ever want to see again.
Cami cries again as does Miss Haynes and the Dr hasn’t even spoken yet, but the atmosphere in the room says more than words could right now. It’s not good.
“The bullet just missed Daria’s spinal cord.”
We all let out a slight relieved breath.
“We couldn’t save her spleen and the hematoma on her spine was applying pressure and it was too much for her little body to cope with. We have managed to stop the bleeding and have removed her spleen and placed her in an induced coma, so that her body can recover, the next 48 hours are critical. Only time will tell, we aren’t sure how bad her nerves in her spine are damaged, but we are optimistic that she has a 50/50 chance of pulling through.”
Vlad thanks the Dr for everything and asks if he can see her, the doctor says that a nurse will be in soon to get him when she is moved to the ward, as she is still in recovery.
Cami picks up Charlie cradling him in her arms and sobbing into his neck. I wrap my arms around her and she cries into my shoulder.
“Come on let’s get you two home and then we can come back first thing.” I whisper into the top of her head, she just nods and makes to stand, she’s drained and upset, I wrap my arm around her waist to help keep her upright so that I can get her to the car and drive her home.
We say goodbye to everyone in the room and make our way back to the car. We drive along the road and alr
eady get a feeling that this is far from over, as I pull up to the house I see Damien’s car outside.
I pull up behind him, get Charlie out of the back and open the door for Cami, I offer her my hand, but she doesn’t take it. Stubborn woman.
“Now I will find out what’s going on?” she said as she got out of the car and walked past Damien to front door.
We all walk into the house I put Charlie upstairs in his bed and come back down to see Faith and Cami sat on the couch looking at Damien, expectantly.
“Just tell them Damien. They both need to hear this.” I say
“Hear what? What’s going on Damien.” Cami demands she is one of the few people that he will let get away with talking to him like that.
“I don’t know who shot Daria? Or why? But I promise I won’t rest until I find out who or why?” He says to both of the girls who are clutching each other’s hands on the couch.
“Then tell me what you do know?” Faith chirps up, you can see that she is fuming with him.
“I sent Malc hear to keep an eye on Mrs Haynes because I knew that Vlad had found out who she was. She is an innocent she has had nothing to do with her father Johnny Haynes since he killed her mother when she was little.”
Both girls gasp, but as I watch I see Cami start to connect the dots.
“I told Malc to come here and protect her and if needs be then he had to take Vlad out.” Cami pins me with a look.
“Kitchen now.” Is all she says to me her voice seems to calm but I know there is a shit storm brewing.
So, I follow her as she walks to the kitchen, as I leave I hear Faith slap Damien across the face, as much as I know I’m in shit, Damien isn’t getting off easy either. Faith is about to rip him a new one.
“Camilla please just hear me out?” I plead with her as soon as the kitchen door closes.
“How could you lie to me Malc? After everything that we have been through how could you betray me like this. Do you not think I would have understood?” she says truly hurt.
“I wasn’t allowed to tell you because if word got back to Vlad, then it could have put her in more danger. We had information on where she was months before he had it. All he had was her name. I’m so sorry Camilla I really truly am, it tore me up keeping it from you, making you think that I was out of this life for good…”
She cuts me off with the pounding fits against my chest, her knuckles turning white with how tight she had them clenched.
“You made me think this was our time. That this was our happy every after. That we could finally move on and be normal and happy. Do you know what thoughts went through my head today when I heard, I thought if another child dies that is in my care, I wouldn’t be able to pick myself up this time. You caused this, you and that fucking twat you call a brother.”
I feel the tightness in my chest build, to see her look at me so broken knowing that I caused this just about breaks me.
“What would you have done if you knew that a girl was going to be killed for no reason other than hatred and revenge. I had to do it Camilla, I had to save her.”
But just before I continue she cuts me off.
“But at what cost? The life of a little girl that you have both dragged into this by moving her. Giving her a sense of hope that she can move on, that is was okay for her to be happy. Tell me how it happened today?”
I tell her everything, from the call to go and get him, to looking all over the place, then finding him on the roof with his rifle all set up aiming at Miss Haynes. Then I tell her that before I could stop him he knocked me out cold and when I came to it was over. I tell her that Vlad didn’t shoot Daria, that there was another shooter, I tell her everything. She listens and I wait for her to process everything and tell me her verdict, because right now everything rides on Cami and her compassion with a victim.
“I understand why you did what you did Malc, you had orders to follow. I don’t think I will ever be able to get over the fact that you lied to me. This wasn’t some little lie about the time you came to bed or the fact that you were two hours later in the pub. This is a betrayal of out trust and a test of our love. I love you Malcolm, but I’m not sure right now if I can forgive you.”
She says the words I’ve been dreading hearing, she walks out to Damien and Faith leaving me standing in the kitchen, thinking I’ve lost everything again. I don’t hide the tears that fill my eyes, I just let them fall. I walk back into the living room and don’t see anyone around, so I head up to the bedroom. Cami is lay on the bed, softly crying into the pillow. It breaks my heart all over again to know that I’m the reason for them tears.
“Do you want me to sleep on the couch?” I ask her.
She shakes her head “can you just hold me please?” she says softly.
I don’t bother getting undressed, I climb into bed and pull her into me, just listening to my girl cry herself to sleep.
When I wake, Cami isn’t at the side of me. I get out of bed and head downstairs. They are all sat at the dining room table having breakfast. Mum and dad have arrived. Shit just what I need.
“Hi mum, dad.” I say as I walk over and give her a kiss on the cheek.
My dad gives me a nod and my mum pulls me close and gives me a hug.
“Lilly and Anton have come to take Charlie for a couple of days, until we know what’s happening with Daria.”
I nod, I walk over and pour myself a coffee and sit down at the table. I try to catch Cami’s eye, anything to get her to look at me. I need to know if we are going to get through this or not. I don’t think I could carry on if I lost the other half of me, the part that completes me and makes me whole, she is the reason I want to get up in the morning.
“Any word from Vlad?” I try a different approach to get her to talk to me.
“Yes, she is still critical but made it through the first night.”
That’s all she said to me. The whole time she kept her focus on Charlie. I don’t say anything else. I just get ready to drive into the hospital as soon as she is ready.
We get in the car, I turn the engine to make a move but I can’t.
“Tell me what I have to do, tell me what I can to do to save us. You’re the love of my life Camilla and I can’t lose you.”
For a while she doesn’t respond and I feel a despair creep over me. I set of and make the 15-minute drive to the hospital. I glance over to her for a second and see her glance back at me.
“You don’t deserve it Malc, you really hurt me, but you are right you did do it with the best intentions. Don’t think that everything is ok because it’s not. I’m not giving up on us, because I love you. I don’t trust you right now, you’ll have to earn that again”
I didn’t expect that, I was expecting her to tell me to sling my hook, but I will take anything that she feels she can give me. I will do everything I can to earn all of her again. I will never let her down again. We arrive at the hospital and go to the room to see Vlad asleep at the side of Daria’s bed holding her hand, but what I find odd is that Zara is sat on the other side.
Is worry and pain and the love you have for someone else really enough to get you to forget about revenge, or is this just a pit stop until he knows more
Only time will tell…
Epilogue
Vlad
Two weeks have past and I haven’t left the hospital. I haven’t thought about revenge or hatred. The only thought that occupies me right now, is hoping that my little girl opens her pretty eyes soon. She was brought out of the coma yesterday, but has yet to wake up. The doctors are positive that she will wake up soon and then they will be able to assess the damage to her spine. I need to focus or her, she needs to know that I’m here for her, that no matter what I’m never going to leave her again.
I don’t know who did it or why. I know that Damien and Malc are looking into it. They will find out who and deal with it, because no matter what has happened, they are family, no matter what you do, you can’t break that sort of bond it stands the te
st of time.
“Daddy?” my head whips around so quick, I’m not sure I heard it. Was it in my head or did my little girl just say Daddy. Her little eyes are fluttering open and closed. Her voice is very horse and quiet, it is but a whisper.
I smile at her, relief filling me up. I haven’t lost her. My cheek feels wet but I don’t care. She is looking at me know. A weak faint smile plays on her lips. I call for the nurses and wait for them to come in, so I can tell them she has woken up.
“Daddy?” the little voice calls again and this time I know for sure I heard it.
“It’s me little angel.”
I don’t care for what happens next, all I know is all the time I was looking for vengeance, I forgot that my salvation was with me all the time.