Disaster Usually Follows

Chapter 11

Pic of Mr. Knight^^^ played by Mark Harmon

Blake's POV:

I knew something was wrong as soon as I pulled up in front of Maddie's house. There were five cars parked in her driveway. One of them her beat up civic and another a police car.

A small crowd had gathered around, most likely her neighbors.

My stomach dropped. There was no way she could have been dead. There would have been an ambulance.

I had turned off the ignition and ran up the drive, noticing that the door was already open. I looked around and noticed a group of adults arguing in the corner.

Then I saw her. She was sitting alone in the middle of the hall, one eye shut and purple, her jaw much the same, and red marks on her neck.

A policeman yelled at me but Maddie said something. The adults glanced at me once more and then continued to speak.

Hesitantly, I went to Maddie. As I got closer, I got a better look at her neck. They weren't just red marks. They were hand prints. Anger bloomed in my chest. Who did this?

"What happened?" I demanded.

She hadn't even finished and I was already pissed. What type of a father would abuse their own kid?

I heard my name from the top of the stairs and looked to see Johnny there.

He ran down and hugged me, nearly squeezing the breath out of me for such a small boy.

I comforted him as best I could but noticed something was wrong with Maddie.

She was swaying as if she could barely stay upright. I moved to her side.

"Maddie, are you okay?" I asked her.

She looked at me slowly.

"I don't feel the best." she said.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

She kept looking at me but didn't respond.

Worried, I looked over at the adults.

"Someone help!" I called, panicked.

The lady officer reacted first and rushed to Maddie's side.

"Honey, can you hear me?" the lady asked.

Maddie looked in the lady's direction but remained silent.

Then her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted.

"Maddie. Maddie?" the lady called, patting her cheeks and lifting her eyelids up. She checked her pulse with a concentrated look on her face.

"James, call an ambulance." the lady called over to the man remaining calm.

He quickly stepped out of the house, his two-way radio already in hand.

I was now supporting her whole body with my one hand and it wasn't working so well.

She started slipping off to the side and before I knew it, she had slumped into my chest. Awkwardly, I supported her, making sure she wouldn't fall.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked, panicked. Her heart was still beating so why would they need an ambulance?

Johnny grabbed back on to me from behind, tears streaming down his face.

"Is Maddie going to be alright?" Mr. and Mrs. Knight fretted, standing together behind the lady.

"She passed out, most likely from lack of air in the lungs. And from what Ms. Young described, it seems she took a rather hard hit to the head. It will be hard to tell until the paramedics show up."

Her voice remained professional throughout as if this occurred to her every day.

"Is this really necessary?" her dad spoke up. He had remained by the door, eyes glued to his phone.

"I'm sure she's fine. Just needs to rest," he grumbled, sparing a single glance in our direction.

Mrs. Knight whirled around on him, her face turning red with anger.

"Shut up! You have no to place to tell what Maddie needs. You're the one that did this to her you-"

Mrs. Knight couldn't finish because just then two paramedics rushed in the door, their medical kits in hand.

They were two men, an older and younger one.

James trailed behind them, making sure no one else came in.

They immediately saw Maddie and rushed over.

The Knight's, Kirsten and lady cop all moved out of the way, taking Johnny with them.

I was still trapped underneath her, though, and could do nothing but stay still as the paramedics knelt by me and examined Maddie.

"What happened?" the older paramedic asked.

"Father assaulted daughter. Daughter received injuries to both head and neck." the lady cop parroted, reading from the notebook in her hand.

Woah.

Tension visibly built in the room as we waited in silence for the paramedics to make sure they caught all of her injuries.

"She will be okay"

As one, we all breathed a sigh of relief.

Except her father. He remained by the door, fiddling with his phone. My jaw clenched in anger.

"Can someone get her a pillow please?" the young paramedic said.

Mrs. Knight was gone and back quickly, carrying a small beige cushion.

After setting the pillow down, the paramedic carefully shifted her over, making sure her head wouldn't move.

"Ben, get me the smelling salts please."

The young paramedic, Ben, reached into the bag and retrieved a small jar.

He slowly held it under her nose.

"Be careful, we don't want her to-"

ACHOO!

"Sneeze."