The Boy In The Hoodie Randy

CHAPTER 19 ~ Blood

Andy breathed in the stale sterile air of the hospital. It smelled strongly of antiseptic and blood. Or maybe that was just him. He was covered, his clothes soaked, his skin painted red with dry crusted blood. His mother's blood. The same blood that ran through his veins.

He let out an elongated breath as his eyes shot around the room, several different emotions swirled around. Anger, sadness, urgency, nervousness, doubt. Andy was sure that he fell into each and every one of those categories. He slowly made his way to an empty seat, ignoring the feel of eyes upon him.

The doctors had told him to wait because his mum had to be wheeled in for immediate surgery to remove the bullet. He had paced outside the room for a good fifteen minutes before being told off by a nurse to go to the emergency room because he was making other people nervous.

He looked totally ragged, his hair was stuck up, his mum's dried blood acting as a gel. His skin was caked in the dark red color, like he had showered in it. Then he remembered Luna. he had ridden in the ambulance and completely forgot about his daughter, now he felt completely awful. Tears welled in his eyes and he took about his phone with shaky hands. He didn't give it much thought, as his hands dialed a certain number, muscle memory.

"Hello?" the curious deep voice on the other end sent a small calm wave through him.

"Mikey?" his voice was brittle.

"Andy? What is it, what's wrong?" Mikey's voice was now urgent having registered the raw emotions in the others.

"I-I'm at the h-hospital. I need Luna, s-she's at my house alone. I need you to get to her before Gabe does! Please, Mikey!" Andy trembled with terror, his eyes and chest ached from all the crying he'd done today.

"Andy, breathe. I'm on my way to your house. I'll call you back when I have he-"

"No! Don't hang up!" Andy said quickly, earning a few glares and curious looks. With all those people watching him he felt uneasy. He got up and hurried to an empty room.

"Okay, I won't hang up Andy. Will you explain to me what happened?" Mikey asked. Andy whimpered thinking back on it, his breath quickening. Oh god, what if she dies! What if she loses so much blood that she dies!

"Andy? Andy listen to me, I need you to breathe, you're going to be alright. I've just pulled up to your house and I'm getting out of my car. Take deep breaths" Mikey said in a calming manner. Andy couldn't slow his breathing, not when he could hear Mikey's footsteps and the front door to his house creaking open.

"Mikey! Mikey that's her. That's her crying" Andy all of a sudden felt so hot, tears cold against his face. He had left his daughter all alone, crying like that for what had to have been at least an hour and a half to two hours.

"I know, I see her," Mikey said over Luna's wails. Her cries quickly die down and he just hears her occasional sniffles and hiccups.

"I've got her," Mikey said softly, to keep the baby calm and Andy.  

"There's a car seat in my car, the keys should be in the table at the front door. also, I may need a change of clothes if you can manage" 

"It's alright, I got one that I use for my niece," Mikey said. Andy could hear the car door opening, the shuffle of buckles clicking the car door again. As soon as the car door slammed shut, Luna started to cry again.

"Mikey, Mikey put me back there so I can calm her down. Please!" Andy pleaded. He heard shuffling and then Luna's cries grew louder.

"Baby? Luna? Daddy's here baby" Andy said, fiddling nervously with the hem of his shirt.