housekeeper

30. Emergency room.

(Dave)

I finally have Vanessa in my arms. After all this time, I finally found her.

The bang of a weapon jolts me back to reality. Vanessa stumbles out of my embrace, her eyes wide with shock. She looks at her hand, and I follow her gaze, seeing the unmistakable red of blood. My heart stops. Vanessa has been shot!

I look anxiously into her eyes, but they roll back until only the whites are visible. She slumps down, and I barely catch her in time. I sink to my knees, cradling her in my arms. "Vanessa, Vanessa, stay with me. Keep your eyes open," I beg, my voice breaking with desperation.

For a moment, she responds, her eyes fluttering open, but they close again almost immediately. I can see the struggle in her face as she tries to keep them open. Tony rushes over, dropping to one knee beside us. He gently turns her to examine the wound on her back, his face grim.

"Hang in there, Vanessa," I whisper, my tears falling onto her pale face. "We're going to get you out of this. Just stay with me."

"Dave, I don't think the wound is that deep. Join James. He'll take you to the hospital. No time to waste. Your top priority is to keep her alive. We'll take care of everything here." Tony's voice is firm but reassuring as he helps me stand with Vanessa in my arms. I followed James to my car, my heart pounding with fear and determination.

Vanessa's head rests on my legs, and I keep my fingers on her wrist, feeling her weak heartbeat. Vince is racing through the streets, but every second feels like an eternity. I silently urged him to go faster, my anxiety growing with each passing moment.

When we finally arrive at the emergency entrance of the hospital, James rushes inside to get help. After a minute, my nerves got the better of me, and I opened the car door. Carefully, I get out and grab Vanessa by her shoulders, dragging her out of the car. She moans in pain, and my heart aches for her.

"I apologize, but I had to do this," I whisper, my voice choked with emotion. I slide my arm under her arms and scoop her up by her legs, holding her in a bridal style. As I stand there with her in my arms, I can't help but wish that I could be holding her like this under different circumstances, in a moment of joy rather than desperation.

I walk to the side door and bump my shoulder against it, barely noticing the pain. There's a person waiting ahead of me, but I push past him, my urgency overriding any sense of decorum. Vince is there, shouting, but the nurse remains calm, her voice steady. "Sir, they have to wait. I..."

She's interrupted by my desperate shout, "Help her — now. She has a gunshot wound to her back." The nurse's eyes widen, and she immediately calls out, "Emergency, gunshot wound."

Within moments, two nurses rush out with a stretcher. I gently place Vanessa on it, my heart pounding. I follow them closely as they wheel her into the examination room. They lay her on her side, examining the wound. "Emergency surgery, call the doctor on duty," one of them says.

The other nurse takes a pair of scissors and cuts the back of her blouse to shreds, revealing the wound. They're working frantically, their hands moving with practised precision. I stand there, feeling helpless, tears streaming down my face, my hands tangled in my hair.

"Sir, make room. We have to go to the operating room. Sir?" the nurse asks, her voice breaking through my daze. I step back, allowing them to move Vanessa. As they start to wheel her away, I call out, "Wait!" They stop, irritation flickering across their faces.

I rush to Vanessa, giving her a soft kiss on her forehead and gently stroking her hair away from her face. "Make sure you get out of here alive. I can't live without you," I whisper, my voice trembling. Her eyes flutter open for a moment, a faint smile forming on her lips before she closes them again. They continue to the lift, and I watch as the doors close behind them.