Whirlwind of trouble

5

We stop by the bank on our way home, I have a little gift for the love of my life and i wanted to send it him via mail. So I needed some stamps and some cash out.

So we queue up inside softy giggling and chatting away just as me and my father does.

There's this adorable young girl inside me, she must be 3, maybe 4 but her communication is outstanding. She's very advanced. She smiles up to me and I find my heart opening. I give her little wave.

"You're amazing with children Reg, I'm surprised you haven't made me a grandfather yet" he lightly slips out, and I cannot help but nibble on the bottom of my lip.

"I'm too young dad. I want to live a little first" I chuckle and smile back at the little girl.

But suddenly there is this fear look glossing in her eyes, her entire body stiffens as her jaw drops. Her hand let's go of her little bunny teddy as she screams from what she sees.

"GET ON THE FLOOR NOW!" A few voices yell from behind, I find myself looking to the door where this little girl had seen what was coming.

Five men dressed in black overalls with black masks and a gun come charging in. One stands by the door, two head to the tills and two threaten all the public.

The little girl and her parents run to the desk, hiding below, as her mother pulls out her phone to call 911 and I feel hope that she will succeed and the police will come along and save the day, just as they should. Until one of the men hear her and immediately shoots her. The father screams in panic as he stands and begins to charge at the robber, trying to be the hero we all need, but maybe he acted on hate for the man shooting his wife, but the bullet with his name on goes straight through his heart.

"Daddyyy!!" She yells as her father falls to the ground. I immediately rush over to the little girl and her mother, I passed medical school after university so I knew to apply pressure to her wound, however it pierced her lung and her lungs were beginning to shutdown as she lost her breath.

In the moment, I was acting on the spot. I was so incredibly scared, but I put on a brave face for this little girl and did all I could to save her mother. But I was too late...

I tried mouth to mouth, I tried CPR but there was too much blood around the heart. I couldn't save her without any medical equipment.

"Baby what's your name?" I cup her cheek.

"Elena. Is my mommy okay?" She cries hysterically. "Is my mommy sleeping?"

But what could I say? I can't tell this beautiful little girl that her mommy and daddy passed away before her eyes. Could I?

"My names Regina. Your mommy is an angel, and she loves you so so much. I don't know what's going to happen Elena but I promise you, you will okay, and we will get out of here okay." I coo, pulling her close to my chest and caressing her back as she sobs to me.

"NO TALKING BITCH" he angrily spits and I can just see how much my father flinches from the way this man is speaking to me.

Normally I'd break down in moments like this, I would be so scared I'd just run, or hide or surrender but I feel the need to be brave, not only for this little girl, but for the baby I am carrying.

"Im sorry, I'm sorry" I quietly whisper, pulling Elena closer to my chest and rocking her in some lame attempt to sooth her cries right in front of her deceased parents.

"Hello. Is anybody there? I need to know the location ma'am" I faintly hear through everyone's anxious sniffles of cries. I quickly scan the floor and find the phone in her mothers hand, so I take it and slowly place my finger to my lips, signalling to Elena to be quiet. "Hello, can anybody hear me?"

I look to my father and immediately he sees what I'm about to do, he shakes his head slowly with glossy eyes just knowing the danger I am putting myself into, but he puts his hands in the air and acts as a distraction because that's what kind of father he is. The kind to back me up every step of the way, right choice or wrong, he always has my back. Even in deadly situations like this. "Please don't hurt any of us, take the money and leave." He cries loudly giving me the chance to whisper down the phone.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GET ON YOUR KNEES" he commands pointing the gun at my father, and I so badly want to forget about the call and stand in front of my father. But he's doing this for me, for me to give everyone a chance of getting out here alive. "DID YOU HEAR ME OLD MAN. GET ON THE FUCKING FLOOR!"

"Hello... there's a bank robbery, two mortalities. Five men are keeping us all hostage in the banca d'italia. Come quick please"

"HEY. WHO WAS YOU ON THE PHONE TO?" He yells.

"Shit" I gasp, looking to my father as he stares for a second with glossy eyes and apologetic frown. He lips three little words 'I love you' as I glance back at the robber with the gun aiming right at my head.

This is it. The end of my life. I become a mother in one day and lose that title in the same day. I place a soft kiss to this little girls head and push her out the way and I watch his finger tightening on the trigger.

"Look away" I whisper, as she instantly screws her eyes shut turns her head.

I too close my eyes and accept the fete I had coming. It may have to be consequence I'm willing to take to allow everyone to leave here. Knowing I saved that little girl will be enough for me.

Suddenly I hear the gun shoot, but there's no wound to me, no pain, and no blood. So I immediately whip open my eyes to look at the little girl who is hysterically crying and gasping for air. She's hyperventilating so I quickly scan her body, running my hands over her limbs but she's not hurt. She points to the floor and immediately I follow her direction to see my father laying on the floor in pain in front of me.

"DAD!!" I yell, reaching forward. I tear off my cardigan and apply it to the wound as I take his hand. "Dad stay with me"

His eyes are already beginning to roll and his breathing is becoming short.

"Sweetheart. I love you, and I couldn't sit by and watch you save that little girl without me trying to save my little girl." He whispers in pain. "You're going to be a lovely mother some day, I couldn't watch you die when you have so much life, you should head home to your fiancé, make me a grandchild, even if I'm not around to be a grandfather, I can watch from above"

"Daddy no, I .... I ... you can't leave, you can't give up like this. Please daddy." I cry, my vision has completely gone, just like my care for doing as these robbers say. "Dad!" I yell, as his eyes are beginning to slowly shut. "Don't you dare leave me papa. I'm pregnant, your going to be a grandfather, so if that isn't enough to keep your god damn eyes open then I don't know what is" I hysterically cry, balling my fists upon his shirt and shaking him slightly.

It's as though I tried everything for this little girls parents but now that it's my own father, I'm stuff, my limbs aren't working, and my body is not responding with my mind.

"Daddy please!!"

His hand slowly moves to my stomach, and although I don't have a bump, I know he is having his peace with the baby inside me. I'm not far along, but this may be his only chance to do what any other grand father would.

"I'm proud of you" he smiles faintly through his cough. "I love you so much and you will be an incredible mother"

There's a knock at the door, but it's not like I remembered. Surely the police and the fbi would charge in with guns and rescue us... not stood knocking. This isn't how I remembered.

I burst awake in my bed, the sheets clinging to my skin, the sweat dripping from my entire body leaving my bed sheets soaking. My heart is hammering out of my chest as I gasp for air.

And then I hear it again. The knock at the door. I crawl out of bed on my jelly legs and cover myself with my robe, opening the door.

"Regina right?" A young voice echoes full of weighed sighs holding her down.

"Yes, and you are..." I slowly draw out, and then I see her. I see what she would of looked like almost six years ago. "Elena."