her.
BOOM!
An explosion rocks the car. Pieces of fire-leaden debris land on the hood of the car and the surrounding area. A couple of spidery cracks form in the windshield. I am stupefied. I quickly look through the backseat to Erin’s open door. Horrified at what I might see. I’m confused when I see the back of a leather jacket. Vito’s leather jacket. He is crushing my sister to the pavement.
Antonio yells, “Move!”
Vito scoops up my sister in his arms and jumps in the backseat holding her to his chest. I am turned around, frantic, checking her for injuries, running my hands up and down her legs. My breath is shaky and my lip quivers, my body wants to cry, but I force it back.
“You okay?!” I ask panicked. Vito slams the door, Antonio revs the engine, and we screech away. I stare at the devastation that was once the car we were riding around in. Bile fills my throat. Vito was almost in there! He would have died! I clamp my eyes shut, wishing the unpleasant thoughts away.
“What the fuck?!” Vito yells.
“Had to be a timed detonator,” Antonio says, weaving down the street. “Set to explode seconds after the door opens. He smashes his hand against the steering wheel. “They were waiting for us! That was way too fuckin’ close. You okay?” he asks Vito.
“Yeah! I saw Erin fall and was going over to help. Then it blew the fuck up!”
Erin is whimpering in Vito’s arms. I check her legs again, lifting her pants at the hem this time. Her ankle is swollen, and the skin on her leg is rubbed raw and bleeding.
“Buckle up, there’s nothing you can do until we stop,” Antonio says softly to me. I sit back in my seat, heart racing.
We are all quiet for a few minutes digesting the blast. I wipe a few stray tears from my cheeks. The hood of the car has black, charred marks all over it. Every once in a while a stray piece of wreckage flies up and over the top of the car. Antonio continues to speed away from Chicago.
“Ummm...guys?” Vito gets our attention. “Does anybody know the signs for shock?” His voice is odd. “I think Erin might have it.” I turn around again. My sister is convulsing. Her body is tipping and rocking, rough and jagged. Her eyes are half-closed and empty. Vito is desperately trying to hold her steady.
Vito’s words come out frightened, which I never have heard before.
“What do I do?!” he asks.
I am losing it too. I start to freak out.
I shout at her, “Erin! Look at me! Erin!” I get no response.
Antonio speaks calmly, “Vito cover her up. Megan, use my phone to find the nearest hospital.”
Vito works to shrug out of his coat and hold Erin at the same time. I didn’t smell it before, but I do now. Burnt leather. There are holes, burn holes, all over the back of Vito’s coat. He lays it across a shaking Erin.
I set the navigation on Antonio’s phone. “Two miles away,” I say, taking off my coat too. I lay it over Erin’s legs.
We spin into the parking lot by the emergency room. Antonio pulls right up to the door. He races around to help Vito with Erin.
“Run in, Megan,” he says. “Tell them were coming.”
I sprint through the automatic doors to the desk.
Through heaving breaths, I say, “My sister...she’s convulsing... Help!
Chapter 14
Moosh a moosh (moo-sh-a-moo-sh): feeling yucky
Megan:
The nurse quickly rounds the desk to the doorway. Vito is carrying a shaking Erin. A stretcher immediately appears and Vito lays her down on it. She is shaking so much I’m afraid she’ll fall off it. I’m about to say something, when a guy dressed all in white, pulls the sides up on the bed. He forces the bed to move and quickly rolls it through double doors into the main hospital.
The nurse turns to me. “Her name please,” she asks.
“Erin. Erin...”
Antonio cuts me off. “Smith. Her name is Erin Smith,” he finishes for me.
The nurse looks at him oddly, and hands me a clipboard. “Please fill out these forms.”
We
BOOM!
An explosion rocks the car. Pieces of fire-leaden debris land on the hood of the car and the surrounding area. A couple of spidery cracks form in the windshield. I am stupefied. I quickly look through the backseat to Erin’s open door. Horrified at what I might see. I’m confused when I see the back of a leather jacket. Vito’s leather jacket. He is crushing my sister to the pavement.
Antonio yells, “Move!”
Vito scoops up my sister in his arms and jumps in the backseat holding her to his chest. I am turned around, frantic, checking her for injuries, running my hands up and down her legs. My breath is shaky and my lip quivers, my body wants to cry, but I force it back.
“You okay?!” I ask panicked. Vito slams the door, Antonio revs the engine, and we screech away. I stare at the devastation that was once the car we were riding around in. Bile fills my throat. Vito was almost in there! He would have died! I clamp my eyes shut, wishing the unpleasant thoughts away.
“What the fuck?!” Vito yells.
“Had to be a timed detonator,” Antonio says, weaving down the street. “Set to explode seconds after the door opens. He smashes his hand against the steering wheel. “They were waiting for us! That was way too fuckin’ close. You okay?” he asks Vito.
“Yeah! I saw Erin fall and was going over to help. Then it blew the fuck up!”
Erin is whimpering in Vito’s arms. I check her legs again, lifting her pants at the hem this time. Her ankle is swollen, and the skin on her leg is rubbed raw and bleeding.
“Buckle up, there’s nothing you can do until we stop,” Antonio says softly to me. I sit back in my seat, heart racing.
We are all quiet for a few minutes digesting the blast. I wipe a few stray tears from my cheeks. The hood of the car has black, charred marks all over it. Every once in a while a stray piece of wreckage flies up and over the top of the car. Antonio continues to speed away from Chicago.
“Ummm...guys?” Vito gets our attention. “Does anybody know the signs for shock?” His voice is odd. “I think Erin might have it.” I turn around again. My sister is convulsing. Her body is tipping and rocking, rough and jagged. Her eyes are half-closed and empty. Vito is desperately trying to hold her steady.
Vito’s words come out frightened, which I never have heard before.
“What do I do?!” he asks.
I am losing it too. I start to freak out.
I shout at her, “Erin! Look at me! Erin!” I get no response.
Antonio speaks calmly, “Vito cover her up. Megan, use my phone to find the nearest hospital.”
Vito works to shrug out of his coat and hold Erin at the same time. I didn’t smell it before, but I do now. Burnt leather. There are holes, burn holes, all over the back of Vito’s coat. He lays it across a shaking Erin.
I set the navigation on Antonio’s phone. “Two miles away,” I say, taking off my coat too. I lay it over Erin’s legs.
We spin into the parking lot by the emergency room. Antonio pulls right up to the door. He races around to help Vito with Erin.
“Run in, Megan,” he says. “Tell them were coming.”
I sprint through the automatic doors to the desk.
Through heaving breaths, I say, “My sister...she’s convulsing... Help!
Chapter 14
Moosh a moosh (moo-sh-a-moo-sh): feeling yucky
Megan:
The nurse quickly rounds the desk to the doorway. Vito is carrying a shaking Erin. A stretcher immediately appears and Vito lays her down on it. She is shaking so much I’m afraid she’ll fall off it. I’m about to say something, when a guy dressed all in white, pulls the sides up on the bed. He forces the bed to move and quickly rolls it through double doors into the main hospital.
The nurse turns to me. “Her name please,” she asks.
“Erin. Erin...”
Antonio cuts me off. “Smith. Her name is Erin Smith,” he finishes for me.
The nurse looks at him oddly, and hands me a clipboard. “Please fill out these forms.”
We
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