Chapter Seven: Start Battle:

The paramedics came and took my Cassie to the hospital. She had been bleeding very badly. She was heavily out cold by this point. They helped me to into the ambulance with her. The medics tried their best to contain my bleeding as well as Cassie’s. They worked on me as well. The bullet just grazed me in the ankle and hit the pavement as it turns out. I was lucky not to have any serious damage done to me. However, I didn’t think about that now. I braced myself for their questions.

“Tell us what happened, doctor,” they said. I didn’t need to give them too much for the time being. They wouldn’t believe me anyway.

“That young lady and I were taking a walk through the city,” I began. “I felt someone trying to shoot at us, so I grabbed her and pushed her to the ground. They got me in the ankle. I told the young lady to run and get help. So did, but as she ran, they shot her six times.”

“Okay, who is she to you?” one of the medics asked. I already had an answer to that one as well.

“Her name is Cassie Campbell and she’s the daughter of one more former patient’s and a close friend,” I said without blinking.

“Do you have any idea who would want you or her dead?” another asked me.

“No,” I lied. (Of course, I knew. Like hell they would ever believe me, however!)

“Does she have any next of kin?” the first paramedic asked. I already had an answer for that question.

“She lives here with her twin brother, Blake,” I answered.

“Do you have a number for this Blake?” the second one asked.

“I don’t, but she does,” I said. “Check to see if she has a cell phone on her.” The paramedics nodded. The one tending to Cassie’s bleeding went in her shorts pockets. He found her little pink and white cell phone in her right pocket. Amazingly, the phone was still in tactic.

“You want to make the call?” he asked me. I nodded.

“Sure,” I said. I took the phone out his hand and flipped it open. I went to the address book and scanned through until I found Blake’s cell number. I dialed it and held it to my ear. I waited as the phone rang.

“Come on, come on,” I mumbled. “Pick up! Pick up, damn it!”

“Hello?” Blake asked on the other line. I breathed out in relief.

“Hello Blake?” I asked. “It’s me, Doctor Stonem.”

“Doctor?” he asked. “Doctor, what’s going on? Where’s Cassie?”

“She’s been shot!” I yelled. There was a short pause.

“WHAT?!?” Blake screamed on the other line. “Is she okay? Where are you now?”

“Cassie and I are in the back of an ambulance heading to the hospital!” I yelled. “Your sister is out cold; she took six shots to her upper torso!”

“I’ll be right there!” her brother yelped. We both hung up together. I turned back to my Cassie. The bleeding had slowed some. She was still out cold however. I grimaced all over. Pretty soon, the police would get involved and start asking questions. I am not prepared to let my past be exposed to public. I have worked so hard to be left alone. Like hell I’m going to let that be ruined again. I would just have to dodge the tough questions to the police. But that left Blake. How can I break this whole mess down to him? Would he even believe me?

We all made it to the hospital. Cassie was still out cold. I held her hand the entire time.

“Come on, Cassie!” I pleaded. “Hang in there!” They rushed her into the OR. I couldn’t operate on her due to my emotions running high. I had to wait in the waiting room until they were finished. I sat in the chair looking at the clock. Now I know how a loved one feels while they are waiting on their injured. Time seemed to be dragging slowly.

“Doctor!” I heard someone yell an hour later. At first, I thought that it was all in head. But when I looked up, I saw Blake running towards me. I sat up eagerly. He raced over to me. The boy paused to catch his breath.

“I hurried over as fast as I could,” Blake said once he got his breath back. “How is she?” I shook my head at him.

“She’s been in surgery for an hour,” I said. “They are trying to get the six bullets out of her body and see how bad the damage is.”

“Why aren’t you in there trying to patch her up?” Blake asked me desperately. I lightly patted him on the shoulder.

“I am as emotionally high as you are,” I calmly told him. “If I was to cut into Cassie without any rational thought, I would possibly end up making the condition worse that it already is.” Blake swallowed a bit trembling.

“So what can we do?” he asked.

“Sit and wait while hope for the best,” I said dryly. The boy looked at me hopelessly. I didn’t even believe in my own words. Hope? How could I hope? How could I even begin to hope? Oh Cassie… Oh Lizzie…

Two hours later, one of my colleagues stepped out into the waiting room. Blake and I rushed towards him.

“How is she, Kenzou?” I asked frantically. Doctor Niwa breathed out easily.

“We got all of the bullets out of her,” he answered confidentially. “She was lucky that none of them hit any major organs in her body.” Blake and I relaxed in relief. My Cassie survived after all.

“When can we see her?” Blake asked.

“She resting right now,” Doctor Niwa answered. “Cassie’s out cold from all of the drugs we’ve given her to deal with the pain. Best to wait for a couple more hours.”

“How long?” I asked.

“Three hours, tops,” Kenzou answered after taking a minute to think.

“Thank you, sir,” Blake and I said together. We all bowed and my colleague left. Blake and I turned to each other. We could now relax. The danger was over. Who am I kidding? It’s not over, not over at all! Those fucking hypocrites will be back for more. I just know it. I have to protect Cassie and Blake from them until I can figure out what to do next. No, we weren’t out of danger! The uphill battle against the council had just begun, again.