Baby Steps

Well, What Now? (Part one)

I watch from across the parking lot as the paramedics surround Grace, examining every part of her. I could see her squirming with her mum trying to hold her still. She's terrified. Standing just a few feet away from them is the other little girl, Bella I assume. She too looks afraid and I could tell from where I'm sitting that she's crying. Nobody is paying any attention to her though, only Grace. 

"Excuse me sir, I'm Dr. Harley. I'm just going to do a quick examination to make sure everything is alright", he says and I nod. He tells me to lay back onto the small bed thats in the back of the ambulance and I do as I'm told.

"Are you feeling any pain", he asks, applying pressure to different spots on my stomach. I shake my head no and just stare up at the ceiling of the vehicle where a very bright light is shining. 

"Any nautiousness or dizziness?" he asks as he checks my elbows and knees. I must admit I do feel sick to my stomach. But only because of what I just witnessed. Grace being beaten nearly to death, having a gun held up to my head and watching two men die on the spot. I decide to just shake my head no because there is nothing they can do to make me feel better.

"Alright well everything looks good to me. Just let me know if you begin to experience any symptoms", he says while writing something down on a clipboard and giving me a small smile. I nod and her turns to leave.

"Wait!" I shout a little too loudly. He quickly turns around, returning his full attention back towards me. "How's Grace. Is everything going to be alright with her?" I quickly ask.

"Right now they're just giving her an examination. So far, everything seems okay, minus the bruising on her back and bottom but we're going taking her to the hospital just to be sure", he says.

"What about her mum and sister? Are they alright?" I ask. 

"It seems they're just a little bit in shock. We'll check them into the hospital as well though, just to run a few tests and what not", he says. I nod and thank him before he turns to walk away once more. I continue to sit and stare at Grace who is now being put into the ambulence. Her mom stays by her side, looking as if she's holding her hand and the paramedics all crowd inside as well. They slam the doors before turning on the lights and siren and taking off down the road, away from the warehouse. Then, something catches my eye. Bella is still standing there all alone crying. They didn't put her in the ambulence with her mum or sister, they just left her. I stand up and begin walking towards her. As I get closer she begins to cower back.

"Hey sweetheart, you're alright. I'm not going to hurt you", I say, kneeling down and extending my hands towards her. She eyes it. looking quite uneasy about me being there but after a moment she relaxes a bit and looks up at me. 

"Do you want to come with me to the hospital to see Mummy and Grace?" I ask, keeping my hand out towards her. She looks around as if she's scared someone is watching her or something and then slowly places her small hand in mine. I stand up all the way and look down smiling. Then, we begin walking towards the other ambulence, her grip in my hand growing tighter as we do so. 

"Is she alright?" asks Dr. Harley as we approach the vehicle. 

"I think so, we just need to get her to the hospital to be with her mum and Grace. I think they were in a bit of a rush and forgot to get her into the same ambulence as them", I say as one of the paramedics lifts her inside. I climb in as well, taking a seat beside her. The doctors begin to examine her as we speed down the road towards the hospital.

At the hospital

"Oh baby, there you are!" Laura cries out as she takes Bella in her arms. "I'm so sorry baby, we didn't mean to leave you!" she says while holding her head against her chest. She mouths thank you to me before turning and taking her into the hospital room. I take a seat in one of the chairs just outside and try and listen in on what's going on. My thoughts are interrupted by four very familiar voices.

"Harry!" I look up and see Louis, Liam, Niall and Zayn speed walking towards me. 

"Harry are you alrights?"

"What happened?!"

"We came as fast as we could!" 

"Why didn't you tell us you were about to die!?" 

All the questions come flying at me a full speed and I just close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"I'm fine everyone. It's a really long story-"

"We got time", says Liam, sitting down in the chair next to mine. The rest of them sit down as well and I take a deep breath before tellin them what happened. 

They all stare at the ground, shock written all over their faces. It's silent for a moment before Louis finally speaks up.

"Well, what now?"