You, Me and Our Family

“Open your eyes Molly. Please open your eyes” Cristiano begged as a police man kneeled on the ground where Molly laid. Ana held onto his arm as sirens sounded as police surrounded the car.

“Cris” Ana said trying and failing to move Cristiano away from the car but it was no use. No matter how hard she pulled him he wouldn’t budge. He’s entire focus was on Molly. On the woman who had given birth to his son. The same woman who laid battered, bruised and bleeding on the ground.

“Over here” someone shouted and two ambulance men rushed towards Molly. “This can’t be happening” Cristiano said. “I need help over here” a police man called to one of the ambulance crew as the driver of the car stumbled out of the car with his face covered in blood. “No no” Cristiano yelled knocking away Ana’s hand and moved to stop one of the men who had being helping Molly from getting near the driver. “Help her” Cristiano yelled. “Sir please move back” a police man said.

“No I won’t move back. Help her. Do something. He did this” Cristiano yelled pointing at Molly who he could barely see as the paramedic crunched over her. “Sir please” the police man said. “Cristiano this isn’t helping” Ana said as the driver of the car began to laugh. “You think this is funny?” Cristiano yelled pushing past two police officers and stood in front of the man. “You find this funny? She could die” Cristiano yelled grabbing the man by his shirt and pushing him up against the car before he was grabbed by two police men and pulled away.

“Get off me” Cristiano yelled fighting against their hold on him as they dragged him further away from the car. Further away from Molly. “Sir you need to calm down” one of the officers said. “Get off me. He hit her with a fucking car. He could have killed my son” Cristiano screamed. “Senor calm down please” the officer repeated. “He’s standing there laughing as she…..” Cristiano paused as he was suddenly hit with seriousness of the situation.

She had being cold. When he had pushed hair away from her face, his fingers had brushed against her cold skin. Blood had being on her face. On her neck. “Oh God” he muttered as his feet gave way and the two officers struggled to keep him standing straight. “Ronnie” Pepe yelled as he appeared in front of them with Sergio by his side. “We heard the sirens” Pepe said.

“Oh God what happened?” Sergio asked as he tried to see what was happening. “They were just walking” Cristiano whispered. “Who was just walking? What happened?” Sergio asked as Cristiano moved to run back towards Molly. “Oh no you don’t. Sir please calm down” one of the officers said. “Let me go” Cristiano yelled fighting their grip. “Ronnie easy” Pepe said. “This can’t be happening” Cristiano said.

“Ronnie” Pepe said. “Molly” Cristiano whispered. “Oh no” Sergio said his brain finally connecting everything Cristiano had being shouting about. “Stay with him” Pepe told Sergio. “But” Sergio started to argue. “Stay with him Ramos” Pepe yelled before he quickly ran towards the scene. He pulled out his mobile and dialled Ana’s number. He froze when he heard his ring tone. The ting tone she had given his number.

“Ana” Pepe yelled. “Ana. Ana. ANA” Pepe yelled running around all the police cars until he got to his girlfriend. “Pepe” she cried hugging him. “Oh thank God” he said as relief ran through his body. “The car just came from no where” Ana cried. “Sssh I’m here” he said holding her as she cried. “Cris” she said. “He’s over there” Pepe nodded to his right. “Sergio is trying to stop him from hitting a police officer. He wasn’t making sense” Pepe told her.

“Molly” she cried. “What about Molly?” Pepe asked lifting her head from his chest. “The car…..She ran after Rodrigo….the car” Ana stammered. “Ana where is she?” Pepe asked afraid of the answer is was going to get. “Her pulse was so weak Pepe” Ana cried. “Ana please tell me where Molly is?” Pepe asked. “They were…..oh Pepe it was horrible” Ana cried. “Ssh it will be ok. She will be ok” he said holding her. It was thing he let out a gasp as he saw Molly being lifted onto to trolley. She had a neck brace and face mask on but it was the looks on the two men who were helping that made him gasp. Pepe knew it was serious. He knew Molly was in serious trouble.

“They are moving her Ana” Pepe said and Ana lifted her head away from his chest and turned to see Molly being placed on the trolley. “We need to go with them…..Junior…Cris….Katia and Rodrigo is someone with them” Ana stammered. “Sssh Ana breathe” Pepe said turning them to begin walking after the paramedics as 1they headed towards the awaiting ambulance. “Molly” he heard someone call out and saw Cristiano heading towards them. “I couldn’t stop him” Sergio said. “This can’t be happening” Cristiano said.

“Cris” Nuno yelled as he came nearer with Dinis in his arms. “What if she…..” Cristiano said holding his hand to his mouth. “Cris you need to go. They paramedics are leaving” Pepe said. “He hit her and he laughed. She’s my….and…..She can’t die. She can’t” Cristiano said. “Cris snap out of it” Pepe said shaking his friend. “Now is not the time. You” he said jabbing Cristiano in the chest with his index finger.

“You need to be strong. Molly needs you to stay strong. What would she do if things were in reverse?” Pepe asked and Cristiano looked at the ambulance and to Nuno. “Rodrigo….someone needs to be with him and Katia” Cristiano said shrugging Pepe’s arms away before he turned to Nuno. “Stay with Junior and Dinis. Tell Jorge. And Maé oh god Maé” Cristiano thought. How was he going to explain all of this to her? “Cris” Pepe yelled. “I……..” Cristiano said staring at the ambulance. “We’ll follow you to the hospital” Ana said giving his arm an encouraging squeeze.

Cristiano looked at Ana. He needed to be strong. He needed. No he thought shaking his head. This isn’t about what he needs. This is about what Molly needs he thought as he ran towards the ambulance. He climbed into the ambulance and took a seat. “Please tell me she’s going to be alright” he begged looking up at the paramedic who was in the seat beside Cristiano. “She’s going to the best place for her” he replied.

“Can I…..can I touch her?” Cristiano asked reaching his hand out within inches from Molly’s own fingers. “Just be gentle” the man replied nodding. Cristiano leaned forward and stroked his fingers up and down Molly’s fingers. “We’ll be there soon Mols. The doctors….they are going to make you all better” he whispered as the paramedic placed a needle into her arm. “Just stay with me Mols please” he begged.

Before he knew it the ambulance had come to a sudden stop and the doors flew open. “Senor move” he heard and in a flash the trolley Molly laid was out of the ambulance and surrounded by people in scrubs. He somehow got his feet to move to follow everyone but was stopped by a nurse. “You need to stay here” he said. “What? No I need to be with her” he said. “Senor please. Someone will be out to talk to you soon” he said. “Just….just please make sure she gets better” Cristiano begged and then watched the nurse go behind a brown door. A door where god knows what was happening right now.

“Cris” he heard his name being called and he lifted his chin off his knees to find Ana, Pepe and Sergio rushing to where he sat. “How is she?” Ana asked. “They won’t tell me anything” he replied struggling to his feet. “But they must know something by now” Sergio said. “Well they don’t” Cristiano snapped. “Cris” Pepe said. “I just….” He said running his hand through his hair. “We know. We know mate” Pepe said. “Rodrigo” Cristiano said.

“They followed in another ambulance. Katia is with him. Nuno is with Junior” Ana said. “Oh Junior. How am I going to explain this? How…if she….oh God” he said slumping back to the ground. “Stop thinking the worst” Ana told him crunching down beside him. “And you’re not? You’re not thinking what I’m thinking right now? What we are all thinking?” Cristiano snapped.

“Cris” Ana said. “This is all my fault. She shouldn’t have being there. She shouldn’t have being walking out there. It’s my fault she’s in there” he said. “And if Molly was sitting here listening to you right now what would she say?” Ana asked. Cristiano let out a small laugh. “She’d tell me to shut the hell up and stop with the pity party of one” he said turning his head to look at Ana. “Sounds about right” Ana said sighing.

“I’ll go find a nurse or someone who can help us” Pepe said and Ana nodded as Pepe dragged Sergio with him. “Why are you sitting with me? How can you even be in the same room as me? This is all my fault. She is lying in there” he said pointing to the doors in front of him. “She’s fighting for her life in there. And it was me who put her there” Cristiano said pulling his knees up to his chest. “Ouch” Cristiano said when Ana swatted her hand at the back of head. “That’s from Molly for the pity party of one you are having” Ana told him.

“I wish she was the one hitting me” he said. “And she will do soon. Look Cris” she said letting out a sigh. “I could say a lot of things. I could call you every name under the sun. But I heard what you said before the paramedics came” she said and Cristiano looked at her. “Nothing I could say could hurt you anymore then how much you are hurting right now” she told him. “I can’t lose her” he said resting his head on Ana’s shoulder.