Penance - Uncovering the truth, Secrets and confessions, and Twisted pasts

Chapter 77

"Call an ambulance!" Gabriel's voice cut through the night like a knife. Cora nodded in a hurry, reaching for her phone and dialling 911 as quickly as her trembling hands could.

Grayson's head snapped up, his gaze on Alison to the grim scene on the floor.

Hudson lay there in a pool of blood, clutching his chest where he'd been shot. Alison worked to staunch his bleeding, her hands stained with his blood, confusion and fear flashing across her face.

"Dammit, Hudson, what were you thinking!" She fought back tears, her hands still applying pressure to the wound.

Hudson grimaced in pain as he shifted, curling into a ball as Alison cradled him in her arms. "I guess... I wasn't," he stuttered. "Jolene's going to kill me..."

Alison raised her eyes to meet Grayson's, and in that moment, she looked so broken. Her strength had carried her through so much, but now it seemed to crumble under the weight of the situation.

"Gray..." she cried, her voice barely audible, lips quivering.

Gabriel appeared next to Grayson, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The look they exchanged said it all - Hudson wasn't going to make it. It wasn't just the gunshot; his condition was already dire. His head was still wrapped in bandages from the car crash, and a cast held his injured foot in place.

"Go," Gabriel said, kneeling beside Mason to keep him in check.

Without a word, Grayson rushed to Hudson's side, dropping to his knees. There was so much blood, so so much...

Hudson's gasps for breath grew weaker, his face growing paler with each passing moment.He turned onto his side, locking his brown eyes onto Grayson's, their radiance flickering like a waning light bulb.

"You'll take care of her once I'm gone, won't you," Hudson rasped, as if it were his death wish.

"Please, Hudson," Alison pleaded, her voice trembling. "Please, don't..."

"I...I'm sorry," he whispered, the effort evident in his weakening breaths. "Will too," he managed to breathe out. "Mum and...Dad," he stammered, his face growing paler from blood loss. "We're so sorry..."

Alison's hands, once steady, now trembled as she tried to control the bleeding and keep him stable. "Hudson, please don't," she begged, her eyes welling up with tears.

Her trembling hands continue doing their best to stem the bleeding, still hoping she could save her brother. Yet, Grayson understood that it only added to Hudson's pain.

Grayson reached out and gently placed his hand over hers. Alison met his gaze, and he felt a deep ache in his chest. He wished he could take away her pain, but words couldn't do that. All he could do was squeeze her hand gently and stay by her side as they waited for the ambulance.

"Alison," Hudson whispered, his breaths growing shallower. "Remember that song you used to sing when we'd sneak out to the creek at night?"

Alison closed her eyes, a single tear sliding down her cheek, falling on Hudson's face, as she began to sob silently. Hudson looked at her, and a faint, sad smile touched his lips. He lifted a trembling hand and wiped away her tears mixed with blood, his touch gentle despite his agony. With a barely audible whisper, he made a heartfelt plea, begging, "Please..."

Alison began humming a tune, a melody Grayson didn't recognize. It sounded like nature itself. Her voice, soft and gentle, filled the room with both peace and sadness.

She kept holding Grayson's hand, her thumb moving rhythmically, a way for her to stay focused and strong for her brother.

Hudson's breathing grew slower and shallower, his chest rising and falling with each fading breath. Grayson watched silently, the room holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable.

As Alison hummed the final part of the song, Hudson's chest rose one last time, slower and slower, until it didn't rise again.