Father First| An Alan Rickman Story

Shock

Author's note: the next few chapters are graphic and contain some violence.

     Alan plowed through his home desperately searching for Ashleigh. He moved room to room from the first floor to the second floor, but there was no sign of her. Suddenly, he heard a screech from downstairs, "ALAN!!" Emily. She has been searching outside. His heart stopped, she'd found Ashleigh.

     He sprinted down the hall and reached the top of the steps, he needed to get down as quickly as possible so without even thinking he did something he used to do as a child. He leaned over the stairs and stretched as far forward as he possibly could. He spread his arms out placing one hand on the wall and the other on the stair railing on the opposite side. In one swift move, he pressed hard against the railing and the wall with his hands, letting his arms holding his weight as he swung his legs forward, and successfully jumped from the top of the stairs to the bottom.

     He dashed through his kitchen and out the back door. It was pitch dark outside and snowing, but he could see Emily's silhouette coming up the back patio stairs, she was carrying Ashleigh in her arms. "She's freezing Al, get a blanket!" He swung around and ran to his bedroom, yanking the navy blue quilt off the top of his bed and moving quickly back into the front room. The sight of her laying limp, sobbing nearly to the point of hyperventilation, in Emily's arms took the air from his lungs. He had to grab hold of the door frame to steady himself.
    
     She was covered in bruises and bleeding all over, especially from the large gash on the side of her head. He helped Emily wrap her in the quilt. Then, he jerked the scarf off from around his neck and folded it in his hand placing it on the side of her head, attempting to slow the bleeding. She immediately jerked her head causing the blood to rush harder.

     "I know it hurts sweetheart, but I need to hold this here." He reached out to attempt it again, but she started to flail, trying to keep his hand away from her head. She kept mumbling, asking for him. Her body was in shock from the pain. She didn't even realize he was sitting beside her.

     He lifted her from Emily's arms and gently cradled her in his own. He quickly placed the scarf on the side of her head, applying as much pressure as he could.

     "I'm here darling, I've got you. You're safe now. Help is coming." He held her tight praying for help to arrive quickly. She was loosing her color and getting very still. The ambulance arrived just minutes later, but she was barely conscious by then.

     They quickly strapped her to a gurney and placed her in the ambulance, allowing Alan to sit beside her. One of the men started asking him questions.

     "Do you know what happened?"

     "No, I was out with a friend and Ashleigh called me asking for help. When we reached home, my friend found her at the bottom of the patio steps." He had been so focused on helping her that he hadn't even had a chance to think about what might have happened.

     "Do you have security cameras outside your home?" Alan nodded yes. "The police will probably come collect the footage to find out what happened.

      While they were talking to him, they started an IV with pain medication and then they used a syringe to rinse the wound on her head. He had to look away when they started injecting Lidocaine around the wound and began to stitch it up.

     "Was she home alone?" The doctor inquired.

     "She wasn't supposed to be. Her mother was supposed to arrive shortly after I left. She wasn't there when I came home. I don't know if she ever showed up." His mind was burning with questions and scenarios.

     He didn't have much time to think because they had arrived at the hospital. A new set of people came and took her from the ambulance, rolling the gurney into a hospital room. Alan walked behind them holding her hand reminding her she was safe. She has regained some consciousness and was trembling with fear. He was just pulling up a chair beside the bed when a police officer came in and grabbed his arm.

     "Mr. Rickman, I am going to have to ask you to leave the room," the man was stern, his graying mustache covered lip pursed.

     "Excuse me? I can't leave my child in this state!" He yanked his arm free.

     "When someone comes into the emergency room badly injured with whelps in the shape of handprints, we have to follow our protocol strictly."

     "Wait.. you think I..." he couldn't finish before being interrupted.

     "Sir, I'm not accusing you of anything, but this happened at your home which makes you suspect. We are reviewing the footage from your home security cameras as quickly as we can. You have to come with me."

     Alan swallowed hard and stood up. He knew if he didn't cooperate it would only make things worse. He leaned down to kiss Ashleigh's cheek and she threw her arms around his neck.

     "Daddy no! Don't leave!!" A doctor immediately grabbed her trying to pull her away. She grabbed hold of his shirt as tight as she could. He could feel her shaking uncontrollably with fear.

     "Stop! Can't you see she's scared?!" His voice boomed through the room. The doctor let go and stepped back.

     "Lay back down, Ash. They're going to take care of you. I'll be back soon, I promise!" He felt her let go and he was just about to tell her he loved her when she dropped down onto the bed and started convulsing. Before anyone could stop it, she had fallen into the floor knocking the freshly stitched cut in her head wide open.

     "What's happening?!" Alan shouted.

     One of the nurses began shouting in panic, "Doctor she's having a seizure!" Everyone in the room and two nurses from outside crowded around Ashleigh while the police officer dragged Alan out of the room.

     "I need to know if she's ok! Let me go!" He was swinging his arms desperately trying to break free, but another officer came running helping the other hold Alan back from the room.

     The door opened behind them and two doctors pulled the bed into the hallway, turned it around and ran with it, nurses running after them. "Where are you taking her?! Is she ok?!" No one answered. "Please!" His voice cracked as he plead with them to tell him anything at all.
     He was left standing there an officer on each side of him preventing him from chasing after them. He hit his knees as the tears fell down his face. This triggered compassion in one of the officers who was imagining what he would feel like if that were his daughter. He reached his hand down helping Alan up and led him to an office with another officer sitting at a desk waiting.

     "This is officer, Bailey. He's been looking over your security tapes. He'll take over from here. I'll see if I can find anything out about how your daughter is doing. I'll let you know."

     Alan wiped his face on his sleeve, his voice still cracking, "Thank you..."  He closed his eyes for a moment hoping, praying she'd be ok.