Pride and Promises ✔

Chapter 34

"Dad! You didn't tell them we're coming, did you?"

The couple came out of their thoughts when they heard the girl. Nick looked at her from his rear view mirror to find her already looking at him through narrowed eyes. He put on his best shocked expression and briefly turned to her.

"Um... I wasn't supposed to tell him?"

He tried hard to suppress his chuckle when a loud shriek cam from the backseat. "Daddddd! How could you? It was supposed to be a surprise! I can't believe you told uncle Danny! You guys are worse than a group of gossiping women! I told you to keep it a secret, dad! Ughh! You've ruined all my plans! I wanted Mickey to faint at the sight of me but now, he's probably already readying his stupid pranks!"

He shook his head at his daughter with a smile and smirked at his wife, who gave her a look that said 'See?'. She was his daughter, alright. Only his daughter could be as arrogant as him to think that the boy would faint at the sight of her. Or perhaps, he would, he thought. Because last he remembered, the boy had come to them, demanding them to not take his Minnie away and he'd been making marriage plans with her.

Another shriek cut off his thoughts and he was about to assure her that he hadn't, in fact, told them about their return when he realised that this shriek was different from the previous one.

This time, her shriek was filled with terror.

He never got a chance to tell his daughter that he hadn't ruined her surprise.

They never reached their home to surprise anyone.

He barely had a time to register a pickup truck moving fast towards them from the wrong way when he realised that the brakes were no longer working. Without wasting any time, he quickly instructed his wife to move to the backseat with their daughters and turned back, shielding their bodies just in time to feel a strong force push them back.

In a matter of seconds, there were explosions everywhere. The glasses shattered and stabbed him in countless places and the car was again pushed with a huge force, causing him to slam his head against the window as he still tried to protect his family. He could hear the female voices crying but could no longer distinguish which of them belonged to his wife and which to his daughters. Suddenly, his pain became unbearable. Then came peace, at last. His pain finally subsided and the noises started fading away. Slowly, he began to fade away from the world, leaving his body behind in his car. ''Please let them be okay'' was his last thought before his heart pumped for the last time.

***

Beep.

Beep.

Beep-beep-beep-beep.

Beep.

"Oh, thank heavens! Dr. Smith! Dr. Miller! She's gaining consciousness!"

Rushed footsteps started coming closer until they stopped near me. Voices started calling out, voices which were too incomprehensible to me, but somehow felt like important voices. So with great difficulty, I tried to concentrate and finally heard what they were speaking.