My Pace

Chapter 44

                                   Holt's POV
"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Go lay down."

"No, no, no."

"Do it."

She stood up and walked over to the couch and laid down.

"Just relax. You're making yourself sick."

I heard Ariella groan. I looked at her and saw her eyes open.

"Ani, she's up."

Anabelle stood up too quick. She fell back onto the couch.

Ariella sat up a bit.

"Sweetie lay back down."

Ariella started hugging me.

"H-hi d-daddy."

"Hey princess."

"Is mommy okay?"

"Not right now. She will be in a bit."

Anabelle managed to stand up. She ran up to the bed.

"Okay. Hi. I'm here now."

Ariella hugged Anabelle.

"We were so worried."

"I heard you crying. I want you to sleep."

"Oh no. Not you too. I'm laying with you then."

Anabelle walked over to the other side of the bed and laid down.

"Feel better now?"

"Mhm."

Ariella laid back down. I started rubbing her forehead.

"You look tired daddy."

"I am. Me and mommy are. Mommy took her anxiety meds. She needed to relax. She thinks, you're gonna be mad."

She looked at Anabelle.

"Mommy? I love you."

"I love you too."

I smiled a bit. Ariella looked at me again.

"Do you remember anything sweetie?"

"Me and Molly and Megan were playing "Family". Megan was the mommy. Me and Molly were the sisters."

"Okay. What else?"

"We heard people screaming and then the man just ran into my classroom. My teacher wasn't paying attention."

"Where was your teacher?"

"She was outside smoking."

"I'm sorry...what?"

"Miss. Fletcher, was outside smoking. She said, she'd be quick."

"Your teacher, shouldn't have left you guys for that. Anyway. What else?"

"The man was screaming at us. He was asking where our teacher was. I think...he knows her."

"Did he say, why he was looking for Miss. Fletcher?"

"Something about money?"

Don't tell me, her teacher is a drug user that, owes someone money.

"Did your teacher see anything?"

"She pulled something out of her purse."

"What did it look like?"

"It looked weird."

She started trying to describe what she was talking about with her hands.

"And it had a...a thingy that-that you put your finger in a-and it was black. Oh! Oh! It's the thingys police officers have!"

"A gun? Are you talking about a gun?"

"That's, what's it's called?"

"Were you the only one hurt?"

"No. They were running around the room."

"So more people got hurt?"

She nodded.

"You're gonna have to talk to a lotta people."

"B-but I don't wanna talk to anyone."

"Sweetie, you have to."

She started to look like, she was in pain. She started crying.

"I don't feel good!"

"What's wrong?"

"My arm hurts!"

"I'll be right back. Let me go get someone."

I ran out of the room and found her nurse.

"She's awake and in pain."

"DADDY! DADDY!"

We ran back into the room. By now, she was screaming in pain. Anabelle was holding her.

This is killing me.

Ariella was given more pain meds.

"Holt get over here. You're better at calming her down."

I ran over to the other side of the bed. Anabelle got up.

"I thought, you wanted to lay with her."

"You didn't hear her calling you?"

"I did."

I laid down in the bed. I started holding Ariella.