Last Steps

5. After Shock

I wake up with my leg wrapped in a bandage. I look at the chair beside me and see James sitting there. "James?" I say. He looks at me and smiles. "I know you left me but when I heard what happened, I just had to come" he grabs my hand. "I'm sorry. I never wanted to leave you. Katie said that she would tell my parents about Samuel if I kept seeing you" I smile. "I am going to kill her" James frowns. He leans forward and kisses me. I put my hands up and caress his face. He pulls away and smiles "I love you." "I love you too" I smile. Diana walks in with a pair of crutches. "You will be using these until you get strength back in your leg" she hands them over to James. "How long will that take?" I ask. "A couple of months" she smiles apologetically and leaves. I sit up and James helps me into the crutches. "Thanks" I leave the room with James on my heel. "Your parents are at your house. Their cleaning" he says. "Okay. Can you take me there?" I ask. I look at him and he nods. We go to his car and go home. When we pull up at my driveway, I see Casey pacing at the front door. When she sees us she runs towards me. "Jamie, are you okay?" she looks at my leg. "Yeah" I smile. "Lets go inside" James rests a hand gently on my back. We go inside and I am greeted by dad picking up the glass in the kitchen and mum scrubbing their room. We go to my room. Sitting on my bed is Katie. "Katie. Hi" I gasp. She stands up and hugs me. "I am so sorry" she says. "I didn't know that he would go that far. If I did I would've called the police" she pulls away and looks at me. "It's not your fault, Katie" I sit on the bed. I hear a buzzing noise. I look at Katie and she pulls her phone out. "Mum?" she says. "Yeah he's here. Okay" she hangs up and puts her phone back. "We have to go" she looks at James then leaves the room. "See ya" he kisses me briefly then leaves. Casey comes and sits down next to me. "How was it? Being attacked like that?" she asks. "Not much fun" I laugh. "Do you want to watch some funny cat videos?" I ask. She nods and I hop over to my desk and grab the laptop. Then I hop back and sit down with it. We watch cat videos for an hour. Then Casey leaves for she caught the bus over and has to catch it back. "Dinner!" mum yells. That's weird. It's only 5:16. I go to the dining room and see mum and dad sitting at the table. I place my crutches on the wall then hop to my seat. On my plate is a lamb shank with potatoes. "Why is dinner so early?" I ask. Mum just shrugs "Hook in." I take a bite. Its undercooked. I then play with it with my fork. "If your not hungry, just say so" dad snaps. "I'm not hungry" I stand up, grab my crutches and go to my room. I get into my long shirt and sit on the bed. I get my phone and watch 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones'. I bought the movie on my phone as well as DVD. When it's finished I put it on charge and go to sleep. I wake up at 3:15 to my phone ringing. Its James. I turn the lamp on and answer it. "Hey. Is everything okay?" I yawn. "Jamie...I.umm" he's crying. I sit up "James. What is it?" "Its mum" he sobs. "James Caleb Anderson!" I say sternly. He hates being called by his full name. "She's gone" he says. "I'm on my way" I hang up and get out of bed. I chuck a pair of leggings on with a loose grey singlet that says 'London' in black underneath a picture of Big Ben. I grab a pair of grey boots out of the cupboard and slip them on. I grab my phone and get my crutches. I race to the kitchen (as fast as I can go on crutches). I grab a pen and right a quick note on a piece of paper 'Gone to James' Something's wrong. Taken van. Jamie.' I grab the keys of the key hook and go outside. I chuck my crutches into the van, then get in myself and take off. I arrive at his double storey house to find that there's an ambulance out the front. I race inside and see James sitting on the stairs. I go to his side and put my arms around him. He sobs into my chest and that's when I realise that there is a body covered in a yellow blanket opposite the stairs. "She fell" he sobs. "Oh my god" I whisper into his shoulder. "I don't want adoptive parents! I can look after myself! Yes we will keep the house!" I look at the door and see Katie yelling at a police officer. My phone starts ringing. I pull away and answer it. "Hello?" I ask. "Jamie, what happened?" I hear my dad on the other end. "Jacqueline's dead" I say. "Oh god, is James okay? Katie?" he sounds worried. "Yeah, I'm with James. Katie's yelling at the cops. Everyone's great" I say and hang up. I cuddle James again. After a while they take away Jacqueline's body away. "Come on" I whisper and pull James off the stairs. I realise that I left my crutches in the van. "Lets go somewhere else" I take him to his room. His room has a double bed with black sheets. A desk against the wall. A dresser at the end of the bed. There is a tv on the wall opposite the bed. There is a photo on his bedside table of us together. Its the same photo that I have. We sit on the bed. "I was going to bed when I heard something. It sounded like someone was running. Then I heard Katie scream. That's when I ran out to the staircase and saw her at the bottom" James starts to cry again. "Its okay" I say although I know it's not. I can't imagine what it's like to lose both your parents at such a young age. "Don't go" he whispers. "I won't" I embrace him again. "Do you want to rest?" I ask. "Okay" he pulls away and lies down. I lie next to him. He falls asleep after a minute. I slowly follow, closing my eyes.

-

I wake up and roll over. I put my arm out and feel where James should be. I feel a flat space. I open my eyes. He's not there. I look at the window and and see him leaning against the wall as he looks out the window. "James?" I mumble. He looks at me and looks back out the window again. "Hello? Earth to James?" I get up and go over to him. "Hey" I say again and he just ignores me. "James Caleb Anderson!" I yell. He doesn't even flinch. "I'm going" I turn around and leave his bedroom. I'm halfway down the stairs when he comes out of his room. "Jamie, wait" he says from the top of the stairs. I stop and turn to look at him. "Oh so now your talking to me? What's so different between now and 5 seconds ago?" I say. "I'm sorry, it's the way I deal with loss. I just don't talk to anyone" he runs a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry James, but I don't care if that's how you deal with loss. I can't be with you if you don't even acknowledge my existence! I love you but... Call me when you've finished mourning" I look at him and continue to leave. I go out the front door and get into the van. I leave and head to my place. On the way I start to not feel well. My eyelids start to get heavy. All of a sudden I blackout.

-

I wake up with my head resting on and air bag. The bags covered in blood. I look outside and see a guy in orange pants and an orange top trying to open the door. I realise that my vision's blurred. "Hello? Miss? Can you hear me?" he yells. I look down and see that my leg is trapped under the air bag. I look in front of me an see a tree leaning on the van. "Help me! Get me out of here!" I scream and bang the airbag. "Miss, I need you to calm down. We're doing the best that we can" the guy says. I start to cry. "Call James" I sob. "Who?" "James" and I tell the guy his phone number. He takes a phone out I his pocket and dials the number. Another guy comes and continues to cut away at the door. "He's on his way" the guy sighs. I hear the roof creak. I look up and see that the tree is falling through the roof. "We don't have much time" the other guy says. I look out the review mirror and see James arrive. "Jamie!" he yells and runs to the front of the van. A minute later they get the door open. James comes and puts his arms around me and starts to pull me out when I scream. He pulls back instantly. "What's wrong?" he asks. "My leg, it's stuck" I say. The roof creaks against the tree falls a bit more. "We have to get you out now!" James yells. "Give me something sharp!" he yells at the other guys. One of them chucks him a knife. He pops the airbag. In a split second the roof caves in and James grabs me and pulls me out. We stand up and he puts his arms around me. I sob into his chest. "It's okay" he whispers. "Its okay."