There's No Turning Back

Cheyenne stood behind him, trying to shrink herself and hold onto Annie who had calmed down her hysterical crying. Just seeing them like that makes me want to break into a fit of hysterics myself.

"No, I came as soon as I can." I answered, furrowing my brows together, "But what about you? Too busy sulking over you old love life that you have to go and put your own children in danger?"

"Maybe," he shrugged, "But I assure you darling, your kids are not in danger." he showed off a crooked smile and I half-sighed in relief to myself, "if," he went on and I tightened my fist into a ball, "You come back to me."

"Why won't you give up?" I whispered, "Why risk two lives that you brought into this world, for someone that will never love you back?" I said, loudly enough for him to hear. "What happened with us, stays with us. There's no need to involve anyone else."

'Just come back to me, please,' I read his lips as he silently pleaded but I held my posture. I shook my head, signaling that I declined his plead - but I regretted ever doing so.

In a flash, he hooked his forearm around Cheyenne's neck and forcefully pulled her towards him. In a quick motion, she let out a shrill cry as he whips out a small firearm from, what I guess, was the back pocket of his pants. Annie gave out a cry and ran in front of him, tugging at his pants in attempt to let her older sister go.

Bud started to slowly inch his way towards me but I stepped back, staying silent and contemplating on what to do; I was trying to buy time until David actually came to conclusions to call the police. I noticed a slight movement on the railing above Bud and it caught my attention. My eyes bulged out of their sockets at the sight of David swinging a leg over.

Was he out of his mind or was he just utterly stupid, trying to play superhero?

I shook my head with my mouth slightly hanging open but within a split second, David was in mid-air and coming down upon Bud. The sudden impact caused Bud's knees to give out as he collapsed onto the asphalt. His arms released Cheyenne as he instinctively reached out to the cold, hard pavement to break his fall.

"Just go; go far away!" he shouted to me and forcefully grabbed onto Bud's arms, pushing his face down to the ground.

I hesitated on leaving him there but with another 'go!' command shooting my way, I nodded and took Annie into my arms. I took off, pulling Cheyenne along with me.

I paused, letting out a scream. The feeling of surprise and fear rushed to me as an ear-deafening noise disrupted the quiet nighttime air.

I spun around quickly, facing the building. My expression clearly showed panic as the police dashed towards them; some went on foot and others went by cars and motorcycles.

My heart rate sped up as an image of Bud bending over one of the police cars, bounded with handcuffs came into view. I looked around frantically in search of David, my eyes scanning all over the area. I rushed over to a far corner near the building where a bunch of the men and women scattered and hovered around.

I stretched my arms out in front of me in attempts to squeeze in through the crowd of officers but I was pushed back as a team of paramedics pushed through with a stretcher following behind them.

"David?" I yelled out in a panic, struggling to stand up on my toes to overlook the shoulders of the officers taller than me. I took a few steps back when I saw them begin to clear way. I watched them hopelessly from the side, staring at the blood that trailed behind them on the asphalt. I felt sick to my stomach as my eyes made their way up to the stretcher where another puddle of crimson red began to form on the blanket that covered him.

The young male doctor rubbed the nape of his neck with the palm of his hands, "It's very fortunate that the paramedics got him here in time. It turns out that the gun bullet had barely missed his heart, though it pierced through it quite a bit - nothing severe." he smiled a bit, as though the suspense would lighten up the atmosphere. We urged him to continue on with skeptic looks, knowing that there's more to come.

"There was a massive amount of blood loss - he almost didn't make it, to tell you the truth. He flat lined once..." he trailed off hesitantly, watching as my heart sank lower into the pit of my stomach. "We were able to revive him and he's fine now, but apparently, it seemed like he had fallen into a coma."

My head jerked up towards him as did everyone else's. I stared at him with wide eyes as Nicolette spoke up, "What do you mean he's 'fallen into a coma'? How long will it be before he wakes up?"

The doctor sighed and shrugged, "It could be a few days, weeks, a month.... no one knows for sure. But I suspect no more than a few days or weeks."

"Wait for me. Imma go get some coffee," I told Pierre, standing up from the chair I had previously sat in, in David's white hospital room. "Would you like some?"

"No thanks," he mumbled, tilting back and closing his eyes, pulling his beanie down over them. I chuckled softly and shook my head at him, quietly leaving the room. I walked down the hallway to where I knew the cafeteria was. I haven't had anything all morning so I decided that at least a cup of coffee and a fresh apple would do good enough.

Just as I stood in line for my cup of coffee - not yet even reaching my apple - I heard rushing down the hallway and someone calling my name.

"Lianne!" I saw Pierre run towards me, panic etched all over his face. He gripped his hands onto my shoulders in attempt to stop his running, doubling over and panting from all the rush.

"What happened?" I asked him, stepping out of line in alarm.

He struggled to regain oxygen into his lungs, "It's David." he panted out, finally able to stand up straight, "Something happened and the doctors had to rush in." he tugged at my arm and starting running with me trailing closely behind him.

"Lianne."

"Lianne!"

"Lianne, sweetie, wake up."

I felt my eyes jolt open as a pair of hands was placed on my shoulder, shaking my body furiously. My eyes clamped shut together once again when brightness flooded my vision all too quickly. A hushed voice spoke urgently, trying to bring me back to my senses.

"Lia, you have to wake up." the voice spoke again and the hands continued with their shaking, only this time, softer than before.

My balled fists flew up to my eyes and blocked them from the sunlight which caused my clenched eyes pain. A type of moisture came in contact with my fist; I frowned to myself. I hadn't realized the cold feeling on my eyelids until now; I hadn't realized that I had been crying in my state of unconsciousness.

It only made sense to me then, why the hushed voice sounded urgent, trying to wake me up.

My eyes opened slowly, taking in the images of the room I was in; I looked down to my side and stomach to study the arms that had woken me up from the nightmare that seemed so much like a reality. My eyes followed the pair of hands, up the forearms and towards the chest area, my eyes then setting on a worried face.

"D-David?" I asked groggily. I felt sobs slowly rise up within my chest and at the bottom of my throat.

"I'm here," he reassured me lightly, moving my messy bangs, which were now slightly damp due to the sweat that had collected at my hairline, aside. "You just had a nightmare; that's all." he smiled kindly down at me.

I took a closer look at him for a short while, before the sobs rised up and took over. I collapsed in newly formed tears, "Oh David." I sobbed as he quickly pulled me close to him and laying down, panicking. He pulled me to his chest and held me closely as I cried, stroking my hair. "It all seemed so real." I continued to cry through his soft whispers.

"Everything's alright now, though." he reassured me, but seeming rather bothered from my soft whimpers, "Would you like to talk about it?" he offered and I immediately nodded, desperate to find out that it was truly, only a nightmare. "I'm listening," he whispered, pressing his lips against my hair.

I shrugged, "It was all just so frightening and real; Bud kidnapped Cheyenne and Annie and held them hostage until I showed up. He held a gun to Chey's head, threatening but then I saw you up on the fire escape. I thought you were crazy -" I paused, taking in a breath from the lack of oxygen, before continuing, "You jumped onto him and told us to run away. We did and I saw the police come but then there was gunfire." I started to cry hysterically once again.

"I ran back for you but all I saw was blood everywhere and they were hoisting you into the ambulance. You fell into a coma, and I don't know how long it was but all of a sudden, Pierre ran up to me and said that something happened to you... and then all of a sudden, you're by my side and here I am, crying." I told him, trying not to burst into new sets of tears. "Tell me it's all a dream." I begged him.

I noticed that he grew stiff and tense underneath me; I tilted my head up towards him. Fear fogged around my memory as I gazed up at him in wonder. Why is he so tense?

"Lianne..." he started slowly, hesitating and I waited for him to continue, dreading to find out why he was acting weird out of nowhere.