Chapter 173

I bit my tongue, wanting to scream Scarle stood whether she was even breathing.

name despite likely not receiving a response. Blood stained her clothes, and I couldn’t tell from where I

Stella was there too, her face twisted in anguish as she sobbed uncontrollably. Timothy shouted for someone to call the

authorities, his voice filled with panic.

He then kneeled down beside Scarlett, assessing her injuries. I saw Scarlett’s delicate hand fly up and squeeze his arm as he

consoled her.

Once the paramedics arrive, they loaded Scarlett into the ambulance. They helped Stella, who was still hyperventilating, into the

truck and they shut the doors. The sirens blared on, offering me some hope, as that meant Scarlett was still a life to save.

As the ambulance sped away with Scarlett and Stella inside, sirens wailing, a heavy sense of guilt and dread weighed me down.

I watched the vehicle disappear into the distance, the urgency of the moment etched into my memory. The sudden turn of events

had left us all in shock.

I heard a knock at the door and saw Timothy heard Timothy’s voice, though it sounded muffled. I shuffled over and unlocked it,

and he came rushing in. His words and movements felt eerily fast-paced, and I could barely comprehend was going on.

Timothy's hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality. I hadn’t realized he had stopped right beside me. “Evie, we need to

get to the hospital,” he said, his voice filled with urgency.

I looked over and saw that he had already helped Olive pack all her things. She seemed ready to go and seemingly put together,

more of the adult in

Emergency calls only

the situation than I felt I was. Suddenly spurred into action, I made my way over to her.

*022% 113:30

“Olive, sweetheart, we need to go to the hospital,” I said gently, kneeling down beside her. “Your Mommy’s hurt, and we need to

be there for her.” Olive looked up at me with wide, frightened eyes, and I could see the tears welling up. “Is Mommy going to be

okay?”

I hugged her tightly, fighting back my own tears. “We don’t know, sweetheart, but we’re going to be there for her, no matter what.”

The drive to the hospital had been fraught with tension, anxiety gnawing at me like a relentless beast. Olive sat in the back seat,

her small hands gripping her favorite Galactic Hero action figure, her eyes filled with fear and confusion. She hadn’t even seen

the incident, but the uncertainty was chilling enough.

As we arrived at the hospital just in time, paramedics rushed Scarlett through the doors on a stretcher, her face pale and her face

scrunched up in pain. “Scarlett, can you hear me?” I cried desperately, following the fast moving stretcher.

Scarlett’s eyes fluttered open, and she managed a weak smile as she saw me there. “Evie,” she whispered, her voice barely

audible. “I didn’t see it coming.”

I squeezed her hand gently, tears streaming down my face. “You're going to be okay, Scarlett. Just hold on.”

“Evie,” Scarlett whispered, and she managed to get a solid grip on my hand. “Take care of Olive, please.”

I nodded, tears stinging my eyes as I watched Scarlett disappear behind those emergency room doors. The weight of the

responsibility pressed heavily

Emergency calls only

on my shoulders. I turned to Olive, who was crying softly in the midst of the sterile hospital environment.

“Olive.” I said, trying to keep my own voice steady, “Mommy's going to be okay. She’s in good hands, and the doctors will take

care of her.”

Olive wiped away her tears, her small face contorted with worry. “Is Mommy going to die?”

22% 13:30

I knelt down beside her and hugged her tightly, doing my best to reassure her. “No, sweetheart, Mommy’s going to be all right.

She's strong, and she'll

come back to us.”

But in my heart, I couldn’t help but wonder why Scarlett had been shot in the first place. The thought gnawed at me like an

insidious worm, filling me with anger and frustration. Scarlet had been through so much already, and she didn’t deserve to face

another ordeal.

I glanced at my arm, still encased in a cast from the injury I had sustained earlier. The anger welled up within me as I thought

about Bruce, the man responsible for my broken arm. Had he also been responsible for the shooting? The possibility infuriated

me, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a connection between the two events.

The hospital waiting room felt like a vacuum of time and emotion. I had been here before, waiting for news about Timothy’s

condition after the fight with Bruce. Each time, it felt like a relentless cycle of worry and uncertainty.

Fortunately, I wasn’t alone this time. Timothy beside me, his eyes filled with concern. He gave me a reassuring look before his

gaze drifted to Olive, who hadn’t gone back to playing with her toys.

“Olive, he said, smoothing the stray hair away from her face. “Those figures are so cool! Where'd you get them.”

Emergency calls only

Olive regarded him with a sorrowful look. “Mommy.”

Timothy smiled, poking her knee. “Wow! You’re mom must spoil you. I used to get socks for presents.”

His attempt at a joke brought a small smile to her face, but it quickly faded. He turned his gaze to me. “Evic,” Timothy said, his

voice tinged with anxiety, “How are you feeling?”

I nodded slowly. T’m fine. I just... need to know if she’s okay”

*D22% # 13:30

Timothy let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion. This whole situation is just a nightmare, and I can’t believe

Stella just left like

that.”

I frowned, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “Stella left? But Scarlett needs her right now.”

Timothy nodded, his face a mask of frustration. “I know, but she said she couldn’t handle it and just walked out. I don’t

understand her sometimes.

I was taken aback by the revelation. Regardless of how she felt about her sister, that was still her family. How could she abandon

Scarlett when she needed her the most?

My anger flared, but I pushed it down for Olive’s sake.

“We can’t worry about Stella right now,” I said, my voice firm. “We need to focus on Scarlett’s recovery,”

Chapter 173

Timothy nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with determination. “You're right, Evie. I just hope Stella isn’t doing anything crazy.

022% #13:30

“Right,” I said, letting in a shaky breath as I clutched something warm and firm in my fists. He looked down at the same time I

had and realized that I was holding his arm. Instead of moving away, he adjusted my hand so that my fingers were interlaced

with his.

He gave me a wordless smile and I tightened my grip, feeling the tension in my body start to ease away.

AS we waited in the sterile waiting room, the minutes stretched into hours, each second feeling like an eternity. Olive sat beside

me, her small hand gripping mine tightly before she eventually fell asleep. She had been through so much in such a short span

of time, and I couldn’t help but wonder how this would affect her.

The thought of my personal conflict with Bruce weighed heavily on my mind. How many people would get hurt because of our

unresolved issues? The violence that had entered our lives had already taken a toll on Scarlett and her family, and I couldn’t

shake the feeling that it was all connected.

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