𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕖𝕕

Part 38: Questioning part 2

Lear chokes up hearing Kian say the last part. He can't imagine what it felt like to see that. Of course he had seen people who have been shot, he's a cop. The difference between the situation is that Lear has no emotional attachment to these people. He always felt sympathy for the criminals no matter what crime that they committed. It was different to Kian. He had a huge emotional attachment to Aaron. That's his best friend, his partner in crime, the only person that has stayed in his life since day one. Just to imagine he was dead was even enough to make Kian burst into tears. For the first time Lear doesn't have sympathy for a criminal. He normally tries to see the criminals side of the story. He tries to think about what's happing in the criminals lives to make them do that, but none of that happens with the three gang members that shot up that factory. He doesn't care. He's never been this close with a victim before. Knowing that this is all the damage those three caused, he's now wishing that they hadn't of died and he wishes they would have had to face the wrath of prison.

"Luke can you recall the events at the factory?" Lear asks. He hates asking these questions.

"When we all got into the car that day I knew something wasn't right. I already had an uneasy feeling because Mariah's due date was around that time so it was hard to leave her alone. I got into the car to help anyway. I don't regret it I just got into the car. Pulling up to the factory it looked like it was all about to crumble down. We got out and climbed what was remaining of the fence. Aaron helped us over. I remember hearing some commotion outside. It was a small argument, nothing major. I don't know what it was about but it didn't sound that bad. Andrew managed to come in with us. I remember that we started exploring the downstairs level. Everyone was mor intrigued by it them worried except for Aaron and Alex. Veronica stayed at the front. She was making sure that Andrew was ok and not wanting to run everywhere. Everyone had made a plan to switch out with Veronica every now in then. I was on my way to ask her when the bullets started. The first three or four rounds were slower. I was closer to the back than I was to the front. The bullets didn't make it that far. I stood there in shock. I saw Aaron run past me. The wooden board under him creaked as he fell. Then I saw the floor just get soaked with blood. Before I could duck down, the bullets got heavier. I rushed to make sure Aaron was ok. I forgot all about the bullets but there was no way to dodge them. I still tried to but midway through a jump I was hit in the leg. I sort of blacked out for a second and the next thing I remember was Kian hovering over my before I was lifted into the ambulance." Luke says. As he says this he chokes on his words. Something he's never done before. Holding back tears as he talks makes him sound different and makes him feel softer. Mariah rubs his leg as he talks and once he finishes.

The only person left is Roni. Alex, Mariah, Lauren, And Nessa's stories are short because of how interactive they were. They weren't as close to where everything happened this leaves Roni. She's been curled up in a ball the whole time. She hasn't said a word. You could almost think that she wasn't there. She wishes that she want there. She wishes she was back at home, cuddling with Aaron with Andrew laying across both of them and her dad coming home to meet Aaron for the first time. She would trade anything for that right now.

"Roni, do you mind telling me about that day?" Lear asks. His question knock her out of her daydream and startled her. At first she's silent, then she just goes and starts explaining.

"Before that day I tried to convince Aaron that it wasn't a good idea. I knew he wouldn't listen. It's Aaron. He's stubborn and determined and that's something that everyone knows. He tried to convince us not to come with him but we're stubborn too. Mariah was upset that she could come because she was pregnant. It was for the best though. We told Andrew to stay behind. He was also upset about it. He told us he was going to take a nap. He ended up sneaking in the trunk. We got into the car without noticing he was there. It's a miracle that he wasn't dying from a heat stroke even though it was night. We got out and he managed to convince Aaron and I to come in. I regret ever giving in. Aaron, Alex, and Kian went upstairs. It was really dangerous but they went. Everyone else kept exploring but I made the deal to stay at the front with Andrew to keep him safe. We were going to switch out so I could help but everything went down before I could switch with anyone. I was really worried about Alex, Kian,and Aaron. I pushed my worries aside and played with Andrew. One second he was talking to me, the next the sounds of bullets took over. My immediate reaction was to turn and block Andrew's body with mine. I was holding him at the time, so I turned my arm towards where the bullets were coming from. There was no way I could duck fast enough without getting hit. While I was bracing for the pain I opened my eyes. I saw Aaron running toward me. It was not really a jump. Aaron thought about what he was doing. It wasn't just an impulsive action. I know Aaron and I know that he calculated exactly where to run and how much force to push me with. When he ran he got hit. I tried to move from the doorway but I felt a sharp pain in my arm. Although he couldn't make it close enough to push me, he did block a bullet that could have killed me. He's taller then me, so a shot to his shoulder could've been a head shot for me. When I felt the pain in my arm I immediately fell to the ground. The first thing I did was scoot my self against the wall to support myself and I turned Andrew over. He was still alive and breathing. He even responded to some of my questions, but I could see the life draining out of him slowly. I......" She pauses. This whole time she managed to let out nothing more than a sniffle. Her throat starts to close and flashbacks flood her brain. She fights through it. She crosses her arms, gripping on them harder and harder. "I put as much pressure on the wound as I could. It didn't look like it was doing much but I still kept going. I pulled him closer to me. My pain disappeared when I looked at him. I started screaming call 911. I couldn't stand and my heart was beeping fast. Adrenaline was pumping. I didn't get a good look at Aaron until I looked up. I thought he was dead. It made the tears flow even more. I heard him breathing heavily. It convinced me that it was his last breathes. I remember fighting to ride in the ambulance with Andrew or Aaron at least. I didn't know that Luke was shot. If I did I would have fought to ride with him. I remember Nessa crying over me and her holding my hand. I was panicking in my head and she knew that. They seduced me at the hospital. They put me under drugs. I wasn't fully out until I was in surgery. All I saw was blood. They were pulling me into the operation room. The room beside me was the one they were pulling Aaron into. I turned to the side and I saw him. It was traumatic. I remembered seeing my dad like that and it wasn't a pretty sight. Him laying there reminded me of that. I got nauseous and I threw up. That's when they realized I wasn't fully under the drugs and they gave me more then I blacked out. I don't remember anything until I woke up." Roni takes a huge deep breath after she says that. She doesn't even realize how many tears are rolling down her face. She uncrosses her arms and sees nail marks. That's how hard she was fighting to get through that. Aaron would be proud.