“I heard a scream and was scared you went into labour or somethin’. I wasn’t goin’ to leave you all alone. Who was that man that did this? I didn’t see him come up behind me.”
I cried as I covered my stomach with my hands.
My baby.
“Aideen!”
I blinked my eyes open. “Kane?” I rasped.
“Mate, helped us break the frame.”
“That’s my girlfriend!” he shouted. “Move and we’ll break it.”
Kane.
“Hang on, Ado. We’ll get you out in a second.”
Nico.
I heard loud bangs then.
“Stomp on it, Dominic! Force it.”
Everything happened quickly then. A loud crunching noise sounded and people cheered.
“They can fit out! Quick, climb in and get them!” a woman’s voice hollered.
“No, get her out first!” Caleb coughed.
I felt a few pairs of hands grab me then I was lifted into the air. One second I was inside a boiling hot, smoke-filled classroom, the next I was outside surrounded by cold, clean air.
I greedily sucked it down into my lungs.
“Aideen?”
Gavin? Why was he even here?
“Oh, God!” Gavin’s voice cried. “Aideen!”
“She’ll be okay, man. We have her.”
“Look at her!” Gavin’s voice cried. “She’s not okay. I have to ring me da and brothers.”
I wanted to reach out to my brother, but the best I could do was open my eyes and look up. I saw Kane’s face first, and I instantly began crying.
“I’m so sorry,” I spluttered, “for what I said-”
“Stop it,” he cut me off. “You have nothing to apologise for.”
But I did. What I said was wrong, and I hurt him.
“It was him,” I coughed.
Kane tried to lift me, but I screamed when the pain returned to my leg.
“No!” I cried. “He broke it.”
Kane looked down at my leg and a look of pure anger filled him.
“I’m going to make him sorry for doing this, babydoll. I promise.”
I shook my head. “Don’t leave me.”
Kane took hold of my hand. “Never.”
I began to cough hard. Each cough felt like glass was cutting up my insides. I think I coughed up some blood—whatever it was it came up in little chunks.
“Oh, my God,” my brother whimpered. “She’s goin’ to be okay, isn’t she?”
I wanted to answer him, but my throat felt like it was burning.
“Yes!” Kane instantly replied to my brother and pulled me closer to him, wiping my mouth and chin with his hand. “She’s going to be perfectly fucking fine. Where is the ambulance?”
“On the way, bro,” Nico’s voice shouted.
I didn’t know where he was, and I didn’t care enough to ask.
“Caleb-” I began.
“Is fine,” Kane cut me off. “Dominic is with him.”
Oh God, that was good.
I wanted to ask if he was okay, but I couldn’t get the words out. My body started to droop as tiredness grabbed hold of me. My chest burned, my throat hurt terribly, my leg was pulsing with pain, and my eyes were starting to close.
I cried out when I felt my baby move.
I was relieved to feel her, but I was very aware that something was wrong with me. I felt wrong, I felt like... it was the end for me.
I was going to die.
“Save the baby!” I cried as the pain struck my chest. I squeezed Kane’s hand as tight as I could. “Promise me th-that you’ll choose her l-life over mine if it c-comes to it.”
My voice didn’t sound like my ow; it sounded like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.
“Aideen,” Kane spluttered and shook his head as he stared down at me. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
I didn’t believe that. I felt like I wasn’t going to wake up again once I feel asleep. My body didn’t feel right. Everything was heavy, tired, and ready to give up.
“Promise me!” I repeated, tears streaming down my face as I began to cough again.
“Please, don’t make me choose-”
“Promise!” I screamed through my coughs.
Kane wailed, “I promise!”
I tightened my hold on him. “I love you, so m-much. You’re perfect, inside and out...” I paused to cough once more, “you make me so h-happy.”
“Stop it!” Kane bellowed at me. “Stop talking like that. Just stop. Please.”
I slumped, as the weight on my chest grew heavier.
“Do not go to sleep!” Kane shouted and slapped my face with force, but I didn’t feel it. “Keep your eyes open.”
Sleep.
That sounded so good.
“Aideen!” I heard Gavin’s voice whimper. “Please!”
I wanted to comfort him and Kane, but I couldn’t move.
“Tired,” I rasped.
“Just rest a little, but don’t go to sleep,” Kane said, his voice cracking.
I opened my eyes and gazed into his for a long moment and just in case I didn’t wake up and see his face again, I said, “Bye.”
The force of my words hit him like a train, I saw it.
Goodbye.
“No,” he whispered, “it’s never goodbye. It’s I’ll see you later, remember?”
I slid my eyelids closed when they became too heavy to keep open.
“Don’t you think of leaving me, Aideen Collins. I need you. I love you, babydoll. Please, stay with me. You can do this, I’m right here with you. Me and you?”