Resilience | Sweet Pea.

2 - Pure-heart the Powerful.

I sit on my bed, reading a book, blissfully turning pages in silence. It's early, but Fred and Archie had made plans to meet at Pops, and Fred rustling around the house had woken me. He'd offered for me to tag along but not even a greasy burger could tempt me into the cold today. I almost jump as my phone rings next to me and Archie's name crosses my screen. I roll my eyes, here we go, he's going to try and convince me to meet them. I slam my book onto my bed and pick up my phone.

"Archie I'm not coming to-"

"Nov, you gotta come to the hospital right now." Archie says quickly, his voice horse and shaky.

"What? Why? Are you okay?" I ask, leaping off my bed, scrambling for my belongings, like my jacket, keys and wallet. A million things run through my mind, every worse-case scenario plays in my head at once.

"Dad was shot. You have to come now." Archie says, his voice shakes. My heart skips a beat and my body feels numb with adrenaline as I run down the stairs. Fred was shot?

"He was what?!" I say

"He lost so much blood Nova..."

"Arch, are you hurt?" I ask.

"N-No, I'm fine. Just get here fast."

I'm on my way, Arch." I say, locking the front door and rushing to my motorbike.

I hang up the phone and get onto my bike, taking my helmet off the handle and shoving it on. I switch the ignition and take off. 

It'd taken a lot of convincing for Fred to let me get a motorbike rather than a car. He made me promise after the test drive if he let me get it, that I'd always wear a helmet and always go the speed limit. Usually I did both those things, but my foot almost can't help but press down on the accelerator as I speed through traffic.

*

When I park up outside the hospital, I see Fred's truck parked halfway off the curb. Did Fred drive himself to the fucking hospital? Or worse, did Archie? I hurry through the doors, up to the reception.

"Hi, I'm Fred Andrew's daughter? My brother called me and said he's here." I say quickly, she points behind me. I turn to see my brother, head in his hands, well hand. Archie's other hand is still in a cast from him punching the shit out of a river of ice to save Cheryl Blossom.

"Archie!" I say, he looks up and immediately stands to hug me, I'm taken aback to see him covered in blood. I race over and pull him into a hug, kissing his cheek in passing.

"Are you okay? What happened?" I ask.

"I- I don't know it all happened so fast, I went to the bathroom and when I came out there was a man with a gun-"

"A man? What did he look like?" I ask, Archie shakes his head as we sit down.

"He had a black hood on." Archie tells me.

"What happened to Fred, Arch?" I ask.

"I came out of the bathroom and he was pointing a gun at Pop, then aimed at dad, and shot him." Archie says quickly.

"Oh my god..." I gasp.

"Then he..." Archie trails off.

"He what, Arch?" I ask.

"He- He bolted." Archie says, something about the look in his eyes tells me he's missing a part of the story, but I know there's a time and place for everything and now is NOT the time to be grilling him.

"Shit." I say.

"I tried to help him, Nov. Pop called an ambulance, but it was taking too long. So, I drove him here-"