Siege

Nine

“He wanted to come Riley” she started up, “but he couldn’t you know, he couldn’t risk it” she explained.

I dropped the blanket away from my shoulders as I stood up, not meeting my mother’s eyes. Leon looked startled beside me, not knowing how to handle this situation. “Are Dannon’s parents here” I ask nonchalantly, ignoring my mum’s excuse for my dad.

She shook her head glumly, “I think they are at the hospital”

“You think, or you know?” I questioned, not caring that I was now acting as cold as the wind.

“I don’t know Riley, why do you ask?”

I shrugged my shoulders at her “I just want to know if Dannon is okay” 

My mum looked startled by my question, “I thought he was dead”

My body stiffened at her words. He wasn’t dead; I just know that he isn’t. He can’t be. “He got shot mum”

“I know Riley”

“Then let’s go and see if he’s okay” I pushed as I started walking towards one of the paramedics.

“Riley…” my mum started, trying to pull my back to her.

“If his parents aren’t going to see if he’s okay, then we are,” I stated as I jerked my arm out of her grasp.

She grumbled complaints under her breath as I walked up to the paramedic who was talking with Leon’s mum.  As I got closer, I could see the stress lines on Leon’s mother’s features. She looked distressed by what he was telling her, she occasionally would turned her head to look at Leon before shaking her head solemnly. “I can’t believe that this happened,” she mumbled to the paramedic as she rubbed her bare arms.

“It’s a tragedy ma’am, but he’ll be okay” he assured her as he handed her a clipboard with a pen dangling off it.

She thanked him, and shot me and my mother a weak smile before heading over Leon. The paramedic turned to us and gave us a warm smile, waiting for us to shoot questions at him. He looked exhausted and agitated, but he still managed to look friendly despite everything else.

“Hi, how may I help you?” he asked, still baring the wide smile on his lips.

I felt my mind bog up with emptiness as I stood in front of him. All the questions I wanted to ask escaped my mouth in the form of white noise. I don’t know what happened, one second I’m confident enough to ask a few simple questions and the next I’m blubbering like a newborn baby. The paramedic’s forehead creased as he watched me blubber on about Dannon and his condition.

My mother wrapped her arm around my shoulder, pulled me towards her, and sent the paramedic an apologetic look, “I’m sorry, it’s been a long night for her” she explained, “I’ll just take her home to get some rest” 

I shrugged her off and stepped towards the man. I moped up my tears and stared firmly into his eyes, trying to make myself seem bigger than the weeping eighteen year old he saw only seconds ago. “No” I told my mum, “I want to know the situation on Dannon and what hospital he is at” I said sternly, hoping that my sudden brass would gain answers.

“Riley -”

I cut my mother off with a wave of my hand, not wanting to listen to her protests. “No, we have to be there for him” I interjected, trying to get my point across.

The paramedic called over one of his colleagues as my mother started to bicker with me. His colleague interrupted my mother by clearing her throat. She smiled warmly at me before she started talking. “Look Riley, I know you must be worried about Dannon, but he is in good hands, don’t you worry” she started, “but before I can give any more information we need your mother to fill out this form” she handed my mother a clipboard with a replica of the form they gave to Leon and his mum.

My mother sighs deeply as she took it from her and started filling it out, “I don’t see why I have to do this” she grumbled, “My daughter is perfectly fine”

The lady shot me a sympathetic smile as she watched my mother grumble about how unfair everything is.

“What hospital is he in?” I asked her.

The lady turned away from my mum, “You should get some sleep darl”

I shook my head and repeated the question more harshly “What hospital is he in”

She sighed in defeat, “He’s at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital”

“That’s like a forty-five minute drive from here”

“I know darl, but he’s in a critical condition”     

I gulped audibly as I tried to hold back the tidal wave of tears. He can’t die too. He just can’t! That’s not fair! “Is he going to be okay?”

The lady shrugged her shoulders, “it’s hard to say”

I nodded her head at her before turning to face my mother, “we’re going to the Prince Alfred hospital” I directed as I started walking towards the schools gates.

“Riley -”

“NO MUM!” I screamed, “I’m going, with or without you”

My mother looked stunned, but I continued on screaming at her because after all these years of pent up rage, it felt good to finally let it out.

“Besides, it’s the least you can do for being such a crappy mother for these past few years”

She looked hurt and shocked at my words, she distorted her features into rage, but then her face softened as my words finally sunk in. She sighed and nodded her head, “I know I’ve been a bad mother Riley, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you”

“Well it doesn’t feel like it sometimes,” I confessed.

My mother straightened her back and smiled at me, “then I’ll have to show you it” then she started walking towards the school gates.

“What are you doing?” I asked as I ran to keep up with her.

“I’m taking you to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital”