by Sarah Markel
Like watching a movie in slow motion, Alex watched as Zane shoved Kelly to the ground at the same moment. Steve and his officers opened fire on the woman as Alex ducked down, their bullets hitting their target. Once the shooting had stopped, Alex's head whipped up when she heard Kelly scream. Fueled by panic, Alex hurried to her son, who was lying on his back with blood pouring from his chest. “Steve! Get an ambulance!” The woman screamed, “Zane got hit! Oh God, son. Please stay with me. Stay here son.” She pleaded, tears dripping from her chin. “Are Dej and Kelly alright?” The boy asked weakly. Nodding, Alex took her son's hand. “Alex, give me your shirt, quick!” Kelly said, setting Dej on the ground by Zane's head. As Alex took off her shirt and handed it over, Dej looked down at her brother and cried as she kissed his forehead, “You're the best big brother ever, Zane. I love you, Bubba, please don't go away.” Kelly felt her heart break as she heard the little girl’s plea to her brother. Taking a deep breath, she used Alex's shirt to apply pressure to Zane's chest. Wincing in pain, the boy placed his hand over Kelly's and looked into her face. “I. I didn’t want her to hurt you.” Smiling at the boy through her tears, Kelly leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. Moments later, the ambulance arrived, along with more police officers. When an officer attempted to get Alex's statement while Zane was loaded into an Ambulance, Alex shrugged her off and grabbed Kelly and Dej. “We'll meet them at the ER.” She told Kelly. Nodding, Kelly took the girl to the SUV while Alex informed the officer that she would give her statement after she saw to her son. Filled with fear, dread, and sadness, the trio drove off to the hospital.
Chapter 41
"Our son was brought in by ambulance. Eleven year old with a GSW to the chest.” Kelly said to the nurse at the desk in the ER waiting room when they arrived. Looking from Kelly to the shirtless Alex, the nurse raised her eyebrow. Waving the woman off, Alex informed her "My shirt was used to stop the bleeding. Just tell us where our son is! Please!” She finished pleadingly. Checking her computer, the woman seemed to take forever. Finally finding what she was looking for, the nurse said "Please have a seat, I will get someone out here to talk to you.” Kelly took Alex by the hand, with Dej on her hip, and went to the chairs to set the child down. “Honey, I know you're scared, we all are, but you need try to be strong for Dej. Baby, look at her. She is practically catatonic.” She said to Alex, pointing at the little girl who hadn't said a word since she told her brother that she loved him. Dej had not made a single sound since Zane was placed in the ambulance. Now, the small girl just stared into space, and nothing Kelly had done to try and get her attention had worked. She knew Dej was experiencing shock, and also knew that it could be a long time before she snapped out of it. Looking at her daughter, Alex fought hard to blink back the tears that were flooding her eyes. Sitting next to Dej in the chair, Alex pulled the girl into her lap. “Baby, Mommy's so sorry. Bubba will be okay.” She said, attempting to sound soothing.
Alex sat there with her daughter, rocking the child back and forth, as Kelly paced the waiting area. “How is he?” Angie demanded tearfully as she entered the waiting area. “We don't know yet. The nurse went to find someone for us.” Kelly replied, hugging her friend. Just then, a short, heavy-set man came through the triage doors. “Tim! Oh thank goodness, how is Zane?” Angie asked, rushing to the man. “Ladies, please come with me. Zane is in surgery right now, but the surgical staff has some questions for you.” The man said, motioning for them to follow him. Silently, the group was lead through the Emergency Department to a set of double doors marked Surgery. Sliding his name badge through the access plate, the man hurried through and directed the women to a seating area. “Have a seat, ladies, I'll be right back.” He said, hurrying off through a set of doors to the left of those they had entered through. Looking to Alex, Kelly asked, “Who is Tim?” Cradling her daughter to her chest, Alex replied, “He's Steve and Callie's dad.” Noticing that her sister had become quiet and distant, Angie took Dej from her and sat with the child in her lap. Kelly, seeing this also, sat next to Alex and pulled the woman into her arms. “I'm alright for now.” Alex said before Kelly could say anything.
“Alex, this is Peter Adams. He's the head of the ER surgical team.” Tim said a moment later when he and the tall, handsome man joined the women in the waiting area. Extending his hand, Dr. Adams asked if he could speak to Alex in private. “You can say what you need to right here. This is my sister, Angie, and my girlfriend, Doctor Kelly Taylor.” Alex said, introducing each woman in turn. With a nod of his head, the man sat next to Kelly and Alex and explained, “Alex, I'll try to be as simple as possible with this.” He started. Before he could continue, Alex held up her hand. “Just say it however you need to, Kelly can translate it for me.” She said, taking Kelly's hand and squeezing it. Taking a deep breath, Dr. Adams continued, “As you know, Zane was shot in the chest. The bullet went through his sternum, just below the left lower portion of the manubrium, and passed through his left lung. There doesn’t appear to be an exit wound, so the team is looking for the bullet. I will warn you, Ms. Walker, depending on where that bullet is, your son, if he survives, may be a paraplegic for the rest of his life. Right now, we're giving him about a thirty percent chance of surviving this. Those odds could go up, depending on exactly how much damage the bullet did, but right now, that's where we stand. His surgeon is the best we have here at this hospital, and he will do everything in his power to push those odds up. As soon as we know anything more, I will come out and let you know.” The man finished.
When the doctor went back through the doors, Alex turned to Kelly, “Alright, show me what he was talking about.” She said. Wiping away a tear, Kelly touched Alex's chest, just below the hollow of her throat. “The manubrium is the top part of the sternum.” She started, her voice threatening to give way to the sadness in her heart. “The bullet went into his chest down here,” Kelly continued, her fingers shaking as she moved them. “And went through his lung. That means his lung is collapsed, and they need to repair the holes in order for the lung to work again.” Nodding slowly, Alex battled her own tears "What does that have to do with paralysis?” She asked. Looking down at her hands, Kelly sighed, “Since there is no exit wound, the bullet is somewhere still inside Zane's body. If it is lodged in his spine, it may have caused enough damage to...” She trailed off as her tears sprang forth. Unable to hold back her own tears, Alex held her lover and the two cried, letting their heartache and sorrow flow.
Chapter 42
"Ms. Walker, your son is out of surgery.” Dr. Adams said as he came into the waiting area, several hours later. Angie had called Billy around dinner time and had him come to get Dej. When she saw him, the little girl flew into his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Happy that the child was no longer unresponsive, Alex had not objected to the man taking her to his house. Angie had gone home a short time later, promising to come back as soon as they had any news. Shortly after Angie had left, a detective had arrived and collected statements about the shooting from both women. Alex and Kelly had spent the time since alternately staring out the window as the sun made its descent and pacing the length of the waiting room. Once the sun had gone down, the women held each other, praying that the doctor would come out soon. Neither had wanted to spend the night away from either of the children.
Taking the seat next to Alex, Dr. Adams continued, “We found the bullet, it was lodged in his third left rib, about three inches from his spine. His vital signs are stable and the surgeon was able to repair all of the damage. He has some bruising on his right lung, as well as his heart, which is going to be extremely painful. I'm going to have a nurse take you up to his room once he is all set up, but I must warn you. Zane was given Phenobarbital to induce a coma because of the tremendous amount of pain he will be in. He will be on a respirator for a while because of the damage to his lung. In a day or two, we will start bringing him out of the coma, and once he is able to breathe on his own again, the tube for the respirator will be removed as well. He
will be in the hospital for a while, a few weeks at least, so we can monitor his progress.” After he finished, Dr. Adams left the two women in search of a nurse. Tearfully, Kelly turned to Alex, “He's going to be okay. Baby I am so sorry for all of this.” She said, worry evident on her face. Looking confused, Alex asked, “Sorry for what? You didn't do this. Babe, you have nothing to be sorry for.” Pulling Kelly close and hugging her tight, Alex assured her, “Kelly, I don't hold you responsible for any part of what happened today. Lilly was a nutcase, and her obsession with you was not your fault. I love you, and the fact that you have been referring to the kids as ours for weeks now, only makes me love you even more.” Smiling through her tears, Kelly placed a soft kiss on Alex's lips. “I love you too, Alex. And I love both Zane and Dej like they were my own.” She replied.
The two women sat, staring into each other's eyes for several minutes before a nurse came out to get them. Clinging tight to each other's hands, Alex and Kelly were lead up to the Intensive Care Unit to see their son. Tears sprang forth as they saw Zane, looking so small and helpless, in the bed. Electrodes in varying colors and cords of different sizes, attached the boy to several machines, monitoring his heart rate, respirations, and blood pressure. The ventilator to the left of the bed hummed and gasped along with each breath it forced into the boy's body. Alex silently thanked God that Zane's chest was covered, and the damage done by a mad woman was not visible at the moment. The women stood on either side of the bed, each holding one of Zane's hands, praying silently that the boy would have no lasting damage for nearly an hour before the charge nurse told them they couldn't stay. After repeated pleas to make an exception, Alex and Kelly finally accepted that they had to leave for the night. Each woman took a turn kissing the boy's forehead and promising to return the next day, before heading out of the hospital.
On the drive home, Kelly called Billy to check on Dej. After being informed that she was sleeping soundly, and much protest on Kelly's part, they agreed to let her spend the night where she was. “I don’t want to go home, babe. It's too far from the hospital.” Alex said after Kelly had hung up. Nodding, Kelly agreed. Picking up her phone, Alex called her sister. “Hey, Ange. Sorry to call so late, but can Kelly and I come stay at your place tonight?” She asked when Angie answered. “Oh, Sissy, of course you can!” Angie replied through the speaker phone. Thanking her sister, Alex hung up and took Kelly’s hand. “Baby, thank you. Thank you for protecting Dej today.” She said, looking at Kelly with tears in her eyes. Taking on a serious expression, Kelly replied “Alex, you have nothing to thank me for. As far as I am concerned, I was doing what any good parent would do. I was protecting my child from harm. I’m just sorry that I wasn’t able to protect Zane the same way.” She finished, tears of shame trickling down her face. Seeing the tears, Alex pulled the SUV over and took Kelly by the shoulders. Looking at the woman with determination in her eyes, she said “Kelly, stop it. Stop blaming yourself! You did not shoot Zane, and you did not get him shot. This entire event was Lilly’s fault, not yours! To be perfectly honest, Zane got himself shot in order to protect his family. I am God damned proud of that little boy right now, and you should be too. By pushing you out of the way, he saved his sister’s life. There is no way her little body would have been able to take that kind of trauma. Look at the damage that was done to Zane, and think about it. If that bullet had hit Dej, it would have shattered her spine, and most likely would have torn through her lungs or heart.” She finished, tears forming in her eyes as she realized the truth of her words. Pulling Kelly into a hug, the two women sat there on the side of the road and cried.
Once they were able to compose themselves, the two women were finally able to make it to Angie’s house. “What did they say?” Angie demanded, opening the door and hurrying to meet the pair as they got out of the car. “Angie, let them get inside first!” Steve chided from the door. Apologizing, Angie led the women into the house. Once the four adults had exchanged hugs, they all went into the kitchen where Steve set about making Alex and Kelly something to eat. “Okay, you’re inside. Now tell us what they said.” Angie demanded impatiently. “Babe, why don’t you explain? You can do it better than I can.” Alex said, patting Kelly on the knee. Nodding, she relayed the information. “So as long as he heals normally and there aren’t any complications, he should be able to go home in a few weeks.” She finished as Steve set a plate of spaghetti and garlic bread in front of her. Thanking him, the two women dove into their supper, finishing it quickly. “Alright, visiting hours start at nine, so we should all get to bed. I plan on being there first thing in the morning.” Angie said once the women had finished their meal. Realizing then just how tired they were, both women agreed. “Steve, do you think you could set up the air mattress for us? We both need to shower and change before bed.” Alex asked as the group left the kitchen. Agreeing, Steve went upstairs to get the mattress. Thirty minutes later, the four said their goodnights and went to bed. “Goodnight baby. I love you so much.” Alex said, pulling Kelly against her chest. “I love you more honey. Goodnight my love.” Kelly replied softly. Despite the harrowing events of the day, both women were asleep within minutes.
Chapter 43
“Mom, for real, I’m full.” Zane said with determination, pushing Alex’s hand away. The woman had been trying, unsuccessfully, for the past five minutes to get the boy to finish his sandwich. It had been three weeks since the shooting, and Zane had been off the ventilator for almost five days. That morning, Alex, Kelly, Steve, and Angie had all cheered happily as the boy’s feeding tube was removed and he was given permission to eat normally again. The group had stood in the room with baited breath, just nine days after the shooting, as the doctor slowly brought Zane out of his coma. Concern had flooded each of them when it took several minutes longer than expected for him to open his eyes. When he did, Alex and Kelly had both rushed to his side and hugged him, careful not to touch his chest. Every day, the boy received gifts of flowers, balloons, cards, and stuffed animals from friends, family, and officers with the police department. His hospital room quickly rivaled the gift shop downstairs with its inventory.
On Fridays, Alex and Kelly would take the week’s accumulation home and set it up in Zane’s bedroom, taking care to water the flowers so they wouldn’t wilt. Now able to move around with less pain, Zane had returned to his old self. “Son, I just want to make sure you get enough to eat.” Alex said, attempting again to get the boy to take another bite. Smiling at Zane, Kelly placed her hand on Alex’s arm “Honey, don’t force him. It’s been weeks since he’s had solid foods and his stomach isn’t as big as it used to be. Give him some more time and he will be back to eating us out of house and home again before you know it.” She said with a wink to Zane. Alex grumbled under her breath and tossed the sandwich in the wastebasket. Giving his mother a smug smile, Zane stuck his tongue out. Laughing, the two women stood. “We’ll be back in just a bit, son. Dej is demanding to see her big brother.” Kelly said, patting the boy on the knee as she and Alex left the room.
In the elevator, the two women rode down to the parking garage in silence. Once in the car, Kelly turned to Alex and said, “Do you think we should throw him a coming home party?” amused by the seemingly random topic, Alex shook her head. “No, I think a party would overwhelm him.” She replied. Shrugging, Kelly pulled out her phone and began typing away furiously. “Hey, hey, hey, slow down babe. Sheesh, what did the phone do to deserve a pounding like that?” Alex asked, laying her hand over the phone to protect it from Kelly’s determined fingers. Blushing, Kelly replied “Nothing, I was just cancelling something.” Looking at Kelly with suspicion, Alex asked, “Cancelling what?” Looking at her lover with an evil smirk, Kelly answered, “Oh nothing, just the caterer, the decorator, and the band.” Howling with laughter at the appalled look on Alex’s face, Kelly apologized. “I’m sorry, honey. That look was priceless.” Alex glared at the woman, playfully slapping her thigh. “That’s just not right.” She mumbled under
her breath. “Relax, I was just texting Angie to have her get Dej ready.” Kelly said, laying her hand on Alex’s thigh. “You really think that’s a good place to put that?” Alex asked, wiggling her eyebrows at Kelly. In the weeks since the birthday party, neither woman had been overly interested in sex. The last few days, however, Alex’s desire to make love to Kelly had been rearing its head. With a shameless smile, Kelly slid her hand across Alex’s thigh, resting it on the crotch of her jeans. Gasping, Alex swerved in traffic causing the other drivers to lay on their horns. Chuckling to herself, Kelly pulled her hand away and faced forward, pretending that nothing had happened. “Oh that was not fair, woman.” Alex said menacingly. Giving her lover an innocent look, Kelly tapped the dashboard clock. Glaring at the woman, Alex continued on to Angie’s house as she muttered about the unfairness of Kelly’s actions.
When they arrived, Kelly leaned over and kissed Alex lightly on the cheek before attempting to get out of the car. Before she could open the door, however, Alex grabbed her and pulled her back, crushing their lips together in a passionate kiss. “We’re going to finish this later, baby.” She said after breaking the kiss. Staring into Alex’s eyes, Kelly nodded in agreement. “Do I get to go see Zane?” Dej squealed excitedly when the pair entered the house. While Alex went into the kitchen to talk to Angie, Kelly nodded, lifting the child into her arms. “Yes ma’am, you can go up and see your brother.” She replied, kissing the little girl on the forehead. “Steve and Angie are going to follow us with their kids and the presents, babe.” Alex said, coming back into the living room. Smiling, Kelly nodded and tucked Dej onto her hip. “He’s going to be so surprised. He’s been asking to see his cousins since they took the breathing tube out.” She said.