Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Romance

Ella

The sound of gunshots rang in my ears as I sprinted back after Whitney, my eyes searching for her long pink skirt. Anger and frustration tore through me like fire - why would Whitney do that? This was insane! I was going to murder both Whitney and Brandon once I found them. Maybe chasing them was counterproductive? I shook away the thought as I desperately weaved my way through the stampede of terrified civilians. My eyes scanned for a pink gown or a head of dark hair.

My ears rang with the sound of gunshots and suddenly I found myself thinking of Gabe. Every time my eye shifted to a collapsed body I felt sick - what if that was Gabe?

I shoved that thought behind me as I ducked behind a boulder, catching my breath and hoping to stay hidden. My hand flew to my belly and I suddenly felt nauseas, what was I doing out here? I should be hiding somewhere far away from here and keeping my baby safe. That's what Gabe would have wanted. I glanced up from behind the boulder, again searching for some sign of the two when I saw the child.

Maybe four years old, the child was squatted beside his mother who was panting and making an effort to breathe. The child wailed and I felt a pang in my chest - I had to help them. I tore the skirt of my dress to make it more manageable as I sprinted the twenty yards to the woman in distress, barefoot.

I pulled the child to me as the gunfire continued around us. I made sure he stayed close to me as he continuously wailed for his mother. I glanced at the brunette lady who pleaded me with her eyes as she reached out with an arm to hold her son's hand. Blood was seeping from a bullet wound in her left side: her lung must've been punctured.

I glanced between the woman and her son - it was too dangerous for the child for me to treat her in the open field like this. "Ma'am, I need to get you both out of here." I tore a part of my dress off and wadded it into a pad before tearing off another piece and wrapping it around her torso and the pad before tightly tying it. "I need to get your son out of harm's way first, but I'll come to get you in a jiff," I informed the woman as she nodded, taking another labored breath.

The boy wailed again as I swept him into my arms, quickly scuttling away. I knew I had to get him to temporary safety behind a boulder or something. I decided on pulling him behind a boulder midway to the MTC. I set him down and wiped his tears, "Sweet pea, I need you to stay here, okay? I'm going to bring mommy back, but it'll be a little bit, okay? I need you to be a strong little man." He sniffled several times before nodding back at me. I smiled reassuringly as I took off to bring the wounded woman back to her son. 

It was a pleasant change of pace when I collided with Whitney, the force of impact sending me reeling back. She too had fallen back into Brandon who helped her up. Her eyes widened when she saw me, "Ella! Why are you out here?"

I grabbed her wrist and began to pull her back towards the fray, "Whit, I can't explain but I need you to go behind that boulder and get the little boy to the MTC. Brandon, I need you to help me get a woman with a punctured lung back to the MTC for treatment."

Brandon nodded solemnly, "We'll meet up in the west wing of the MTC, okay, Whit?"

She nodded as the three of us split.

~oOo~

Back at the MTC, panic and chaos had settled into every corner of the building. People scrambled around, screaming for help, begging the nurses and doctors to help their wounded friends and family. Despite the extensive staff at the MTC, we were completely understaffed and the tension was rising with each passing minute. Each operating room was occupied and the unlucky patients who needed operation were being treated by me and the other nurses. I was tired and stressed, the other nurses and I had arguably the most difficult job: give these people hope.

Whitney, Amy, and I hustled about, making empty promises of "you'll be okay, everything will work out." With each false promise, I began to feel more and more upset. My frustration was reaching it's limit when Keith ran out from the eastern side of the MTC screaming something about a fire. 

A new wave of panick followed this announcement as civilians began struggling to get out. However, this panic was only heightened when a series of gunshots began to echo through the overcrowded building. Horror tore through me as I realized it was Amy and Keith who held guns and began recklessly shooting. I immediately began trying to help others safely leave the building as the fire spread and gunshots continued. 

I suddenly remembered Amani and found myself headed for the quarantined section of the MTC. I unlocked each room, one by one and instructed the patients to leave the building. Finding Amani, I grabbed his hand and began to pull him into the hall as he babbled in Swahili. 

I was met with Dr. Kamau as I dragged a panicking Amani into the hall. I was about to tell him to leave the building, when I saw the gun in his hand. I pushed a screaming Amani behind me, "What do you want?"

"Come with me and nobody gets hurt," Dr. Kamau stated as he continued to point the gun at me.

I nodded as I reached behind me to tuck Amani further behind me. However, the movement agitated Dr. Kamau who fired his gun off at my wrist. A searing pain tore through my wrist as my bracelet fell to the ground. I clenched my wrist as blood began to seep through my fingers. 

"Amani, let's go with Dr. Kamau," I told him as I raised my hands in surrender. Dr. Kamau smirked as he grabbed me roughly by the shoulder and pushed me a Amani forward, forcing us to enter a room in the eastern wing where the fire was the largest. 

Inside the room was Amy and Keith along with a handful of hostages, including Ericka, who stared at my bloody wrist. I was forced onto my knees and pushed next to Ericka who glared at our captors.

I stared at the floor and prayed that Gabe would come soon.