Us Against The World // Chris Martin

Chapter 28: Darkness

I sat for a moment, just staring at her.

I killed her. I killed my own mother.

I heard a quiet whimper from behind me, and ran over to Chris, kneeling beside him and running my hand through his curls.

"Dad.." I sobbed.

His breaths seemed to be labored, and his face had lost most of the color it typically had. His shirt was soaked in his own blood, which was still dripping from the wound.

"My pocket.." he said, wincing.

I nodded, reaching into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out his phone.

"Call the band." he said.

"I'm calling an ambulance first.." I Said, pressing the emergency call button and bringing the phone to my ear.

Chris nodded, coughing a little.

When someone answered, I quickly told them where we were, and what was happening.

Surprisingly, once they sent an ambulance, they hung up. Usually on TV, they would stay on the line.

I quickly sent Jonny a text message, telling them what happened, and to meet us at the hospital.

I slipped Chris's phone into my pocket, looking at him.

"Dad, can you stand?" I asked him, shaking his arm gently.

He tried to sit up, and I wrapped my arm around him, helping to pull him up.

"I'm going to help you, Okay?" I Asked, looking into his eyes.

He nodded, and I began to stand, trying to help him stand as well.

I pulled him up, and he laid his head on my shoulder, wincing.

He hardly had the strength to hold himself up anymore. He was almost completely held up by me at this point.

I started walking over to the door, trying to help Chris over, so we could get him outside and the ambulance could take him sooner.

I made it over, and opened the door.

"We're almost there, Okay?" I Asked, looking up at him.

He nodded again, his eyes still squinting in pain. He was so unnaturally pale, it scared me.

I just wanted him to be okay.

I finally made it outside, and I helped him lay in grass, in a spot that was nice and green, and not brown and dead like most of the yard.

He just laid there, his breathing unsteady and shallow, as his wound continued to bleed.

I didn't know what to do.

I just hoped that they would get here fast enough.

"Aaliyah...can you sing to me?" He asked quietly, looking up at me.

I swallowed, nodding. "O-okay.."

I really wasn't sure why he wanted me to, but it would help calm him, I of course wanted to help.

"Oh, morning come bursting the clouds, amen. Lift off this blindfold, let me see again. Bring back the water, let your ships roll in. In my heart she left a hole.." I sang, my voice breaking as I did. "The tightrope That I'm walking just sways and ties, the devil as he's talking with those angel's eyes. And I just wanna be there when the lightning strikes, and the saints go marching in."

Chris looked up at me, singing quietly. "Saying slow it down. Through chaos as it swirls, it's us against the world."

Chris began coughing, wincing as he did.

"Dad.." I Said, taking his hand, as my eyes filled with worry.

Blood started to drip down his chin, and I gasped.

I lifted my head up, looking around frantically. "I-I'm sure they'll be here soon." I said. "You'll be okay, yeah?"

I looked back down at him, and he was taking a gasping breath in. He seemed as through he could hardly hold his head up anymore.

"Dad...you'll be okay.." I Said quietly, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I...love you, Aaliyah.." he coughed, taking a deep breath afterwords. "I love you.."

"I love you, dad.." I sobbed, bringing his hand up and hugging it close to me. "Please don't leave me.."

He took a shaky breath, and as he exhaled, his head fell to the side.

"Dad!" I cried, trying to lift his head back up, patting his cheek lightly. "Dad, wake up!"

I heard the sirens off in the distance, and began crying harder, tears streaming down my face and dripping all over Chris.

"Please!" I sobbed. "Daddy.."

I felt someone try to pull me away from him, but jerked away.

"We have to preform CPR.." I heard, and looked up.

I hadn't noticed, but the ambulance was here, sirens still going, as paramedics circled around Chris.

"Please, you have to move, hon.." one of the paramedics said to me, trying to pull me away again.

I stood, going over to the side, as they all began to hook Chris up to different wires and tubes.

A couple of paramedics started CPR on him, and I continued crying, probably harder than before.

Seeing Chris like that broke my heart.

"We've got a pulse!" One of the paramedics exclaimed, and I took a deep breath.

He was alive.