Never Look Back (Chapter 13)
RECAP:
"I know Lucy warned you, Laurencita. Why don't you listen?" I heard Carlos say as he kicked my shoulder, causing me to fall down on the pavement, still holding my stomach. I put my hands up and I see blood.
"Ava, run." I screamed as I saw my daughter's face, with tears in her eyes. Run, Ava.
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LAUREN'S POV
I closed my eyes as I saw Ava run as fast as she could. She's a smart girl, and she'll know what to do. I heard footsteps, opening my eyes as I saw Carlos' cane getting closer to my face. I was in too much pain to move, but I struggled to put my arm up to cover my head. I felt the impact of the cane on my arm, and I swore the pain was unbearable, I think it's broken.
"Boss, we lost her." I heard a deep voice say beside Carlos who sighed deeply.
"You stupid assholes." Carlos said angrily to whoever he was talking to. I start to feel dizzy, I guess from blood loss and I feel my eyes starting close. I heard shuffled footsteps around me, and voices I can't seem to process. The footsteps were getting far, and I heard small footsteps running to me.
"Momma." The familiar voice said to me. I feel her grab something on my pocket, and sniffling. She was crying. I tried my best to open my eyes. Just a peek to see her face. "Help my Momma please." She cried to whoever she was talking too. "Please. I'm here I see blood on her tummy." She was sobbing now, but I still can't open my eyes. It's getting harder and harder to open them. "Park. Cente-centr-central park." She said as she held on to my hand, I feel her squeeze it tight, as I squeeze her hand too, with the little energy I had. "Faster please, Momma's almost sleeping." She cried as she put the phone on loud speaker. I tried to move my head, but a shooting pain on my neck stopped me from doing so. I shrieked in pain as I felt Ava hold on to my shoulder too. That was painful too, so I groaned in pain.
"Av- Ava." I softly said as I tried to open my eyes. I did, but it was getting really heavy, and I was growing really tired.
"Momma, don't leave me. You said you won't leave me. Momma. Please? I love you Momma don't leave Ava please?" She sobbed as she put her cheek on to mine, as she was whispering don't leave me softly to my ears. I feel her tears dripping down my neck, and some onto lips.
I swore I heard those exact same words 5 years ago.
FLASHBACK
"Lauren, I'm sorry. It was an accident, we were so drunk—"
"Lucy, you know how much Luis meant to me. Why?" I was sobbing now, I can't seem to fathom everything that I just heard from my bestfriend. She's pregnant.
"I know know. It was an accident, a really really stupid mistake we did."
"But you never told me after it happened. You just pretended it didn't, and hide it from me. I asked you how was the graduation party and you said nothing happened. Well something did and now you're fucking pregnant. Pregnant with my boyfriends baby." I screamed at her as she was sobbing on the floor, holding onto her chest.
"I'm really sor—"
"I don't ever want to see you ever again." I said as I walked out the door. Lucy was too quick to catch up on me and hugged me from behind.
"Laur please don't leave me. You're my only family. Please don't leave me. You said you would protect me and always be there for me. Lauren I need you." Lucy cried on my back as she was hugging me tight. I promised her those words, but I can't do that with what they did to me.
"I hate you." I said as I harshly peeled of my hands off of me and ran outside, never looking back at her.
END OF FLASHBACK
I heard more footsteps and screaming, and an ambulance. There were frantic voices, and there were sobbing noises. I felt the small hand not wanting to let go, as she cried helplessly.
"No. Please Momma." She screamed as she was still holding on my hand tightly.
"Av-Ava" I tried talking, but I could feel my throat drying up. I tried opening my eyes and I saw unfamiliar faces. I followed the sound of the sobs as I craned my neck. There was Ava, and Camila, both having the tears falling down her eyes. "Camz." I said as I tried to smile at her, but all I could see was darkness, and I felt numb.
CAMILA'S POV
My mother has been screaming at me for the past 10 minutes about how the bible said that Man and Woman are meant to be, and I was sinning because I was in a relationship with a woman when the house phone rang.
"I have to answer this, Mama, excuse me." I said as I ran to the phone in the living room, but meeting a perplexed Taylor who ran up to me and pulled me to the door. "Taylor what's wrong? Hey calm down for a bit." I said as I stopped her. She had tears in her eyes as she tugged on my arm again.
"Lauren. Accident. Central Park." She said as she pulled me again to the elevator. I didn't even bother getting my things inside the apartment, I ran with Taylor to the park. I was not really sure what was happening, because my mind was running so fast, I couldn't keep up my thoughts. And I heard a child sobbing.
"Ava." I said as I ran to Ava. She was holding a bloody girls hand, that looked like it was broken. The bone was sticking out of her arm, as I saw a long gash on her neck that was bleeding hard. Her white peacoat was covered with so much blood it looked like a tie-died peacoat. And I see her raven hair and pale skin. It was Lauren. "Lauren." I sobbed as I sat down beside her, didn't know what to do. I felt my body freeze as I saw her open her eyes and saw her emerald eyes looking up at us. "Lau—" Her eyes rolled as her head hung low.
"Ma'am, if you could just move aside with your daughter so we could fix your friend up." One paramedic said as he held on to my shoulders. Ava was still crying beside me, so I scooped her up and took her away from the scene.
"Mija. Mila's here okay? I got you." I whispered into her ears as I feel her heaving chest on my arms. There was no way she was stopping from crying her eyes out. She just saw her mother lose almost all the blood she had in her body.
"Momma. My momma. Don't go? Please?" She said as she was still crying on my chest. I was silently praying to God to make sure everything will be fine. I can't live without Lauren, and I'm pretty sure losing another mom would be heartbreaking for this little girl.
"She'll be okay, baby. Okay?" I kissed her head as she remained sobbing on my chest. I felt a blanket draped on my back, as another one covered Ava's body. The medics were bringing Lauren to the ambulance.
"Hey brave girl. Do you mind me checking up on you first?" The medic said as she rubbed Ava's back. Ava was shaking her head on my chest as I sighed.
"Baby, she just wants to check your boo boo, okay." I said as I released Ava from my chest.
"I don't have a booboo. Momma has alot of booboo. Can we go to Momma now?" She said as tears were still pouring down her eyes. Oh this poor child.
"Why don't we get your booboo checked, then we can go to Momma after, okay?" I said as I saw the ambulance drive away hastily out of the park. I saw Big Rob walking to us with a concerned face.
"Okay." Ava whispered as I carried her to the other ambulance. The medic, whose name tag reads Maia, let Ava sit on me as she was examined. She hasn't stopped crying yet, and I still can feel my eyes letting go of tears.
"What's your name, baby girl?" Maia said as she placed the stethoscope one Ava's chest.
"Ava." Ava answered softly as she breathed in and out, following the medics orders.
"Oh Ms. Ava. How old are you?" Maia said as she pulled up Ava's shirt, checking for wounds or bruising. She found one near Ava's hipbone.
"Fouw" Ava screamed as Maia put some peroxide on Ava's cut. "Ouch. Mami. Stop." She cried as she was pushing off Maia's hands away from her body.
"Ava, you need to be still so Ms. Maia can finish cleaning your booboo okay?" I said as I held on to her tight, while Maia was finishing up with Ava's cut.
"Does anything else hurt, Ava?" Maia asked as she checked on Ava's head for more cuts.
"No more. I want my Momma." She said as she shook her head, looking up at me with pleading eyes.
"I could give you a ride to the hospital. Come in." Maia said as she let us in the ambulance.
The ambulance ride was short, but it felt long to me. I walked around the hospital, not knowing what was happening with Lauren. I saw Taylor and Chris and Big Rob in the waiting room, as I carried the now sleeping Ava in my arms. I sat beside them, not a word leaving my mouth. Seconds felt like minutes, and hours felt like days. The doctor looked for us, as he asked if we were related to Lauren. I stood up immediately, carrying Ava with me as I ran to the doctor.
"How is she. Is she okay? What's happening?" I said as I felt Chris' hand on my shoulder.
"Well, she's in surgery, still, but they're closing her up now. She suffered 2 stab wounds on her left side, and on the center of her stomach. The tip of the blade hit some of her internal organs, but we stopped the bleeding in time. There are temporary metal rods on her right arm, and we will operate on it as soon as she stabilizes. There was also a long incision on the side of her neck that we had to stitch up. Her shoulders and her ribs are broken, and we just need her to stabilize for the next 48 hours before we operate on her again." The doctor explained to us.
"But is she okay?" I reiterated as he looked at me with sad eyes.
"After her General anesthesia wears out, we will have to check up on her if she wakes up, then we will have to see. But for now, she's breathing on her own just with a little help of a vent." The doctor sadly smiled at me.
"Thank you doctor. But can we see her?" I asked with a hoarse voice. Lauren's fine. She's gonna be alright.
"I don't see why not, but you can't touch her, 'cos the rods keep her bones stable. I'll have the nurse assist you to Ms. Jauregui's room" He said as he called on the nurse.
"Go ahead Mila." Taylor said as she put her hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. I looked up at her with a sad smile as I passed the sleeping Ava to her. I fixed Ava's blanket as I kissed her head followed the nurse to Lauren's room. I heard Ava call for me, as Taylor and Chris hushed her down. I felt arms squeezing me, as I saw Big Rob hug my shoulders. I can't explain how reassuring his hug was, but it made me feel better, and it made me feel safe. We reached a room inside the intensive care unit, as I was instructed to go inside the room silently.
"I'll be here outside if you need me, Mila." Big Rob said as he opened the door for me. I walked inside as I see Lauren looking fragile on the hospital bed, hooked up with so many machines. There were metal rods sticking out her arm that were wrapped in bandages. Despite seeing all those things, she still looked beautiful. Her prominent cheekbones, her hairline, her extra pale skin, and her beautiful lips. It's still Lauren even with those noisy machines and metal rods sticking out her body.
I moved in closer, trying my best not to cry, but I failed. I can't imagine the pain Lauren was in, and how much she's going through right now. She can't imagine Ava's pain, seeing her mother almost lifeless in front of her, hanging on for dear life.
"No touching." I whispered to myself as I sat on the chair beside her, just admiring her beauty. "Please be okay babe." I said softly as I heard someone come inside the room.
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AN : So I had to post this before I leave for another vacation! I'll try to have some up tomorrow, if I can, but no promises!
Comment please! I love seeing your thoughts about the story. Thank you for reading!
-Sarah <3