The Family We Choose

Chapter 14

Emelia wished there was a way to see when all hell would break loose. Maybe a sign or warning that told her to slow down and be careful but she never saw it coming. Then again maybe it was just Emelia. Always playing it safe at the wrong moments. Trusting things would go her way before they actually happened.

Emelia might just be the problem.

One second she is walking along the street with her mother, the next her mom is pushing her forward, sending her crashing into the concrete. Her wrist screams in pain and the side of her face burns as her face slid across the concrete. It took her a moment to get her bearings straight, the sun was shining into her eyes and for some reason her ears were ringing. She sat up slowly, looking around to see her mom laying on the road a few feet away from her.

Her body was dangerously still.

"Mom!" she yelled out, tears threatening to fall as she crawled across the street. Emelia called out her name again, carefully turning her on to her back to see her face bleeding. She didn't even think to call 9-1-1 but someone else had done it for her.

"Hi baby." Shannon whispered, when the silhouette of her daughter filled her vision. She smiled softly. "You okay?"

She nodded her head, pushing all the hair out of her face.

"Mom, I don't, I don't know..." she muttered out, looking all over the place for someone to help her.

"Shh, it's okay." Tears brimmed in the corner of her mothers eyes. "The ambulance is going to be here soon and I need you to listen to everything they say. Promise me."

"I promise." She said without hesitation, nodding her head.

"I love you so much." Shannon's voice was stern, not wavering in her words.

"I love you too mom." Emelia's voice wasn't as strong, breaking slightly when the realisation set in.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head a single second later. It was only momentarily but it scared the hell out of her.

"Mom! Mom!" she knew better than to shake her awake and it made her feel helpless. There was absolutely nothing she could do but watch as her mom slipped in and out of consciousness.

"Mom, mom please don't leave me again."

Sirens and flashing light filled her senses, breaking her out of whatever trance she was in. A police officer, who she didn't recognize ushered her away, grabbing her shoulder gently and sitting her down on the curb. Too far away from her mom for her to be comfortable.

He tried to check her out, prepping her for the medics once they were done with her mom. She was numb to it all, hyper focused on looking past her as they worked to put a brace on her mom's neck.

She heard Chim before she saw him, then there was Hen and she knew that would mean Buck and Eddie weren't too far away. Her eyes searched for Eddie but only found a sea of people she didn't recognize. Part of her hoped that he didn't have to see this, the other wanted him so tell her everything was going to be okay.

"Chim." She called out and the officer let her push past him so that she could meet them.

"Please help her, please." she begged, Hen grabbed her wrist and lowered her to the ground beside her mom. Far enough so that she could still work but close enough that she felt safe.

"We're going to do..." Chim cut himself off to hold back Eddie, they had a hushed conversation. Surely about both of their conditions but she couldn't tear her focus away from her mom.

She was awake now, eyes wide and looking to Hen for reassurance. Eddie sat down beside her, holding her uninjured hand. Chim looked defeated and Eddie's posture sagged in the way it did when he was scared. But he remained scarily calm through it all.