Destiny Keeps Getting in the Way

(Still Third Person)

Nathan turned back his attention back to Melinda’s limp body. He felt like his world was falling apart in his arms.

“Melinda! Stay awake!” Nathan would shake her body to keep her awake because her eyelids threaten to close… forever.

Melinda couldn’t stay awake, her body felt so tired and her eyelids so heavy but Nathan’s voice would wake her up.

“I’m… sleepy, Nathan.” Melinda mumbled just above a whisper.

“No, don’t you dare go to sleep, Melinda.” Nathan tried to sound as brave as he could for Melinda. “I need to get you to a hospital.” He thought quickly.

He picked her up as best he could and he could feel her warm blood against his cold skin.

“I’m… tired, I want to close my eyes.” Melinda mumbled again.

“No! Do you hear me?! Stay awake…. I know sing a song, any song… our song.” Nathan whispered the last part.

Melinda’s lips curled into a weak smile.

“I think I’m drowning, asphyxiating, I want to break the spell… that you’ve created, you’re something…” Melinda needed to stop because she was drained from energy.

“Keep singing.” Nathan was at the passenger door of his car, somehow he was able to open the door without dropping Melinda. He placed gently on her side on the seat, and then he placed the seat all the way down so Melinda could lay on it.

“You’re something beautiful, a contradiction, I want to play the game, I want the friction…” Melinda tried to remember the rest of the lyrics but the pain on her back wouldn’t let her and she was slipping away.

Nathan was now driving a hundred miles per hour down the mountain making sure every turn is safe but at the same time he wanted to get her to safety alive.

“You will be the death of me,” Nathan joined in.

“Yeah, you will be the death of me, bury it I won’t let you bury it, I won’t let you smother it, I won’t let you murder it, and our time is running out, our time is running out, you can’t push it underground, you can help it scream it out.” Nathan and Melinda sang.

“Don’t leave me now, Melinda, not when we can finally be together.” Nathan said.

“Am I going to die?” Melinda’s voice was rough and hoarse.

“No, no, don’t you dare even think of dying on me.” Nathan was on the brink of tears and it was taking all of his strength to keep him from crying in front of Melinda.

“I’m not afraid of dying.” Melinda said.

Nathan saw a hospital sign; of course there would be a hospital near the mountains because in case of avalanches or someone getting shot in the back.

Nathan pulled up to the emergency room drive way. He swigged the door open with great force. He ran to the other side of the car and opened the door of Melinda, he carefully picked her up, once again he felt her blood on his hands and it made him so furious with himself.

"Help! I need Help!" Nathan yelled; the ER was half-empty and the nurse at the front desk was shocked when he saw Nathan with Melinda's body.

"I need a stretcher!" The nurse yelled and she went around the desk to help Nathan.

The stretcher arrived and Nathan placed her.

"What happened?" Asked one of the doctors that arrived.

"She was shot in the back two times, I think." Nathan brushed his hair with his hands nervously.

"The bullets are still inside, there's no exit wound." Said one of the nurses, she had ripped opened Melinda's dirty shirt leaving Melinda's chest bare.

"Get an OR open right now, we're going to have to take out the bullets ourselves." The doctor said. They started to take her towards the OR's with Nathan not far behind but a nurse stopped.

"You need to stay here and contact any family she has." The nurse had her hands on his shoulders, but Nathan was looking as the people took Melinda away.

"Is she going to be all right?" He sniffled.

"It's too soon to tell... she's lost a lot of blood and who knows what kind of damage the bullets have done. There's a chance that if a bullet hit her spinal column, she could be paralyzed." Nathan whipped his eyes to her in shock.

"What?!" He said.

"Please, call her family." The nurse insisted.

Nathan nods his head. He went back to the car and parked it. He found his cell phone and dialed Melinda's family number.

"Gomez residence." A maid answered.

"I need to speak to Mr. Gomez, immediately!" Nathan said quickly.

Soon, the phone was brought to Sebastian.

"Yes?" He answered.

"Sir, it's Nathan... I have some bad news... about Melinda--"

"What happened? You tell me right now!" Nathan could almost see Sebastian rising from his seat in his office.

"She... she was shot. She's in the hospital; she's in surgery to extract the bullets." Nathan had a rough time to complete his sentence.

"Where are you? I'm going there immediately!" There was commotion on the other side of the phone.

Nathan told him where he was and Sebastian was on his way.

***

"Where is she?!" Nathan recognized that voice; it belonged to Bella, Melinda's mother.

When Nathan made eye contact with Bella something hit him in the heart, the worried look of a mother, who may lose her daughter, was unbearable.

"She's still in surgery." Nathan said.

"What happened?" She demanded to Nathan.

Nathan looked over to Sebastian for permission to tell and he nodded.

"Melinda was kidnapped about two days ago--"

She gasps, "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"We didn't want to worry you." Nathan said.

"We? Whom else knew?!" She barked.

Nathan couldn't help but to glance over to Sebastian and Bella caught it.

"You knew?! You knew our daughter got kidnapped and you didn't tell me?!" She began to slap Sebastian's arm and then she started to punch him and then she broke down sobbing.

This was something new to Nathan, never had he seen a mother cry for her daughter.

"Who did it?!" Bella asked.

Nathan jumped. "Kevin Montello."

"I'm going to kill---"

"No need," they turn their eyes to him. "He’s already dead; he killed himself after he realized what he had done. The bullet was meant for me... Melinda saved me." Nathan said the last part really low.

"Melinda knew what she was doing, and there's no better way of dying than dying for the one you love." Sebastian clapped Nathan's back in comfort, but it wasn't helping him.

"I'll never forgive myself if she dies." Nathan whispered.

"Melinda said the same thing when you took the bullet for her." Sebastian said.

"I should call her friends." Sebastian said as he walked away. Nathan shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned on a random wall.

"What's taking them so long? Hope there wasn't any complications." Nathan thought.

"I was wondering why Evelyn kept asking about Melinda, I thought she was just avoiding them or something." Bella's voice woke Nathan from his thoughts.

"We were going to get back together." Nathan said.

Bella's eyes twinkled. "And when she gets better you will be."

"I'm not so sure anymore. Maybe... maybe I should stay away from Melinda... quit causing her harm." Nathan whispered.