下∪匚Ｋ ㄚ口∪尺 Ｋ工ちち

5

𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝗈𝗌𝗉𝗂𝗍𝖺𝗅 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌.

It was almost noon at the moment. Tommy and VonTay sat with their father in waiting room of the hospital to get a checkup. He had been trapped in the rumble for a while and the paramedics thought it best if he got a scan just to be safe.

Phillip had disagreed, but as he went to walk away, he felt a pain in his back. He begrudgingly agree with the paramedics and went to the hospital. He refused the ambulance, knowing he didn't want to pay thousands of dollars for it. So instead Tommy drove them to the nearest hospital.

The house didn't have a garage or a driveway. They had parked the car on the curb of the street and left one of the back doors unlocked after Phillip accidentally lock himself out multiple times. It was a good neighborhood so they didn't have to worry too much about the car being broken in to. She was so thankful that she had left her purse underneath the passenger seat of the car that night. She made a habit of carrying all the important cards, keys, and her fathers wallet.

They had money and their insurance cards so they weren't completely helpless. When they arrived at the hospital, Tommy checked them in at the front desk and seat with her family in the waiting room. After the first two hours of waiting, Phillip was ready to leave saying he would come back another day. Tommy refuse and forced him to stay. She left a few times to go get them some fresh cloths to change into and food during the rest of their wait.

After several hours, they were called back by a nurse who put Tommy and VonTay in another waiting room while their father got his scans. The process went by fast and Phillip was prescribed pain medication and was given a referral to see a chiropractor for an adjustment. Their insurance covered everything and the family made their way back to their fallen house to see if anything was salvaged.

As Tommy pulled up on their street, she saw it was littered with news vans and reporters. She looked over at her father who seemed just as shocked. They were all broadcasting in front of what used to be their home. She pulled over and parks a few feet away from the traffic jam, telling VonTay to lock the doors and stay in the car.

"We'll be quick, I promise." She said before closing the drivers door waiting to her the sound of the door locking before she and her father walked towards all the commotion.

"We are standing in front of a newly built house that collapsed with a family inside only days after they moved in. Authorities have reason to believe that the cause of the home's collapse was the work of a small construction company with a history of scamming and fraudulent crimes. We don't have any information on the extent of the families injury's but we do know that they are all alive." Said the male reporter. He paused for a moment and then relaxed as the cameraman said cut.

Tommy didn't understand what that man was talking about. How could they have been scammed? Sure, the house was built a few weeks sooner than scheduled but she couldn't think of anyway that could have been a scam. She turned to ask her dad what the report could be talking about, but noticed he wasn't standing next to her anymore.

Phillip had walked closer to the report who was straightening out his suit.

"What are you talking about?" Phillip asked, the report looked the older man up and down. He looked to the crew to make sure that, if the man did anything rash, he had witnesses.

"Sir, you can watch the new report for further information." The reporter stated, but Phillip still pressed him for more.

"This is my home, I payed to have it built. I put years of my hard earned money and you say I was scammed? What are you talking about?" Phillip stressed. The cameraman signaled to the reporter that they would be going live again in less than a minute.