Brave Enough

Twenty - Seven

      "Billie open the door. I know you're in here. Open the goddamned door!" Colin shouts from behind the door. "Open the door!"

      James grabs Cleo from her bed and runs to her room. "Cleo. It's time to do what we practiced," James pulls a pull-out box with no lid out from under her bed. "Lie in this. Sissy is going to push you under you stay quiet until help comes. Do you understand?" Colin bangs on the door harder. The force starts making the door to crack a bit.

      "Open the door, Billie!" Colin continues to slam his fist angrily into the wooden door.

      "9-1-1 what's your emergency?"

      "Please put Maddie Buckley on the phone. This is James Malina. I work in the emergency call center," James says quietly into the phone.

        "Maddie take line three. You've been personally requested," John says. "It's James. She sounds freaked out."

     "James it's Maddie what's happening? Where are you?" Maddie listens for a response. "James are you safe?"

    "Maddie he's found me. He's here. Colin, he's banging on the door. I've got Cleo hidden under my bed in her secret spot. Tell Buckley I'm sorry. Tell him I love him. Please, Maddie. If I die just let him know please." James stops talking and a loud crash rings in the background. "Oh god no. Colin no!" She cries.

     "You bitch! I told you I'd find you. And I told you what would happen when I did!" Colin shouts angrily. He bangs on the locked door to James' bedroom. "I got the last door down I will get through this one."

     "Maddie I love you. I love all of you," the phone is put on the ground and James slides it under the bed. "I love you, Cleo. You will grow and be great and brave and kind. Don't you forget that." James cries and braces her self for the attack she knows is coming. Maddie listens as the door finally caves in.

      "Hang on James. They're coming. I promise. Help is coming. Just hang on sweetie," Maddie says trying everything in her power not to lose composure. "Athena where are you? Please tell me you're close. He's in her room now."

      "Two minutes out. Maddie, you better have a bus on its way. I saw pictures from the last time he hurt her. He's going to kill her if we don't have a bus. She'll need immediate attention," Athena says.

     "No! Colin no! Please. No!" Maddie can hear as Colin punches James. "No no don't do it. No." A zipper is undone. "Please don't Colin. No!" It's silent for a moment. "What are you doing? Co... lin?" James chokes out.

      "Taking what's mine," he growls. Maddie hears a slamming sound and then James crying. Metal dragging against the floor catches Maddie's attention.

      "Athena he has a knife. Athena are you close. Oh my god. Athena he's going to kill her," Maddie cries. Maddie can hear sirens in the background. "Please. She's the fourth floor. The third door on the right. Run!" Maddie switches mics. "James hang in there she's coming. Please fight," Maddie can't catch her breath.

       "LAPD Colin Timers put your hands in the air. Back away from James. Now!" Athena's voice hits in the deadly silent room. "Colin Timers you are under arrest for the assault and attempted murder of James Malina." Maddie still holds her breath as Athena reads him his rights. "Thomas take this man out of my sight. James sweetie you're safe now. It's going to be alright." Athena's radio makes some static. "Bobby you might want to hold back the kid. It's James and it's bad. She's barely breathing and there is blood everywhere."

     "I don't think he's going to listen. He's already lost it. He left the station in a run when he heard the location," Bobby says over the radio.

     "Cleo sweetie. Where are you?" There's no answer. "Bobby I can't leave James. I'm keeping pressure on her wounds."

     "Cleo! Cleo where are you? It's Buck! Sweet Pea I'm here just come out to me," Buck yells running through the apartment. A phone rings. "Maddie I can't find her. Do you know where she could be?" Buck asks.

      "Buck under James' bed there is a pull-out box. It's Cleo's safe place. James wanted somewhere to put her in case this happened. She never wanted Cleo to see or have any harm come to her. Just pull the box out. There's no lid on it so she can just pop out," Maddie tells him.

     "Buck get out of here. You don't need to see this," Athena says. Buck ignores her and kneels on the floor on the other side of the bed yanks the covers up and pulls at the box underneath. He takes a sigh of relief.

      "Buck. James is hurt. Help my sister!" Cleo cries. She lunges up hugging Buck. "Please help my sister Buck. Please," Cleo cries.

       "I promise she's going to come back to us, Cleo. I need you to go into your room don't come out until one of us comes for you okay?" He says and Cleo nods running to her room. "Baby. I need you to hang on. Be strong. Hold on for Cleo. She can't lose her big sister. You're too important."

     "Alright Eddie, Hen take care of James. Assess the situation get her ready for transport. Buck take care of Cleo. Chimney you and I are going to notify her father," Bobby gives orders out.

    "Can Cleo and I ride to the hospital with her?" Bobby stares at Buck in silence for a moment. "Please. Bobby, I lover her."

      "Fine but do not undermine Eddie and Hen. You're here to support Cleo and James as family no more. Do you understand?" Bobby looks at Buck seriously.

     "Yes, Captain. I promise," Buck runs from the room to collect Cleo. "Cleo, are you hurt?" She shakes her head no. "Come here. You're going to be okay," Buck says lifting up Cleo.

      "Let's go, Buck. We're loading the bus and going now," Hen calls out. "Have surgeons on standby. Five minutes eta. Eddie in the back for transport. Deep lacerations to the abdomen, face, arms, and neck. Pulse is weak no signs of breathing. Victim is a twenty-two-year-old woman b negative blood type. Excessive bleeding."

      "Buck is she okay? Buck?" Maddie calls from the phone in his hand.

       "Maddie she's dying. And I can't help her. Cleo sweetheart what are you doing?" Cleo unzips her book bag and pulls out a small gift bag. Her big brown eyes stare at Buckley as he stares at her confused. The tag on the bag reads Evan. Buckley takes it from her little hands. When he pulls out its contents his heart stops. "Hen! Eddie! You have to save her!" He shouts. Running in their direction climbing in the truck. Eddie takes the wadded up material from Buck.

"Oh shit. Hen. Gun it. She's pregnant," Hen slams on the gas pedal sending the ambulance flying sirens blaring. "Update patient is pregnant. Status of pregnancy unknown." Eddie continues working on her.

"Baby, hang on. Okay? Hang on," Buck says. Cleo snuggles into his chest. She falls asleep in his arms on the ride. As they exit the ambulance Buck is ushered to the waiting room. He holds onto Cleo as she sleeps his knee bouncing nervously.

      "Buck she's pregnant!" Maddie screams not realizing he'd already hung up.

*****

A nerve-wracking four hours later a nurse and a surgeon walk into the waiting room. "Evan Buckley. I've been working on your girlfriend. She is doing well and is currently in recovery. Within the next hour we should have her in a room," the surgeon says.

"The baby? Is our baby alright?" Buck asks. He carefully shifts Cleo in his arms so she doesn't wake up.

"Right now it looks like you have a healthy baby. Strong heartbeat and no signs of trauma. You won't be able to visit her until morning. Why don't you take your little one home and rest. We'll call once she's woken up," the nurse says. Buck just stares at her.

"Right. Okay," he turns and walks out. "Come on Cleo. Let's get you somewhere safe for the night.