Don't Answer The Door - Ch. 26

1

Eva stared at Nina in confusion and in shock.2

"What's wrong?!" Eva shouted, feeling afraid.3

Nina, who was curled on the floor, pressed her index finger against her lips. With her other hand she pointed down at the floor. 4

"Get down!" Nina whispered loudly.5

Alex caught on to what was happening, and he pounced onto Eva, getting her down on the floor, behind the couch.6

"What's going on?!" Eva whispered, unaware of anything.7

There was another gun shot, and Nina's eyes stung with tears. Hot tears streamed down her face.8

"Daddy!" She screamed while sobbing.9

"Come on, grab the money and let's get out of here!" A loud, harsh voice shouted from the front. 10

"Oh my God.." Eva said, finally realizing what was happening outside of the back room.11

Nina began to bawl, but tried hard not to be loud, not to let the robbers hear her sobs.12

Eva slid herself closer to Alex.13

"Did Jon get shot?!" She whispered to Alex, searching for answers, although she already knew the answer.14

Alex ignored her and concentrated on the noises outside. He heard the door slam shut, and all went quiet.15

"C'mon!" Alex shouted, getting up off the floor and running out of the back room to the front.16

Nina and Eva saw him, and they too stood up. They were about to get out of the back room when they heard Alex gasp. 17

"What's -" Eva stopped talking when she saw it.18

The cash register was open, and empty. When Eva looked down, she gasped. She saw Jon out of his wheelchair, laying on the floor. The wheelchair was flipped over on him, over his legs. There was a puddle of blood on the floor near his body. The source of the blood was from his stomach. He was laying on the floor, struggling for each and every breath.19

When Nina saw her father lying on the floor in that position, she began sobbing and screaming. She automatically fell to her knees, besides her father's side. She put her hand over the wound and pressed down hard, trying to stop the bleeding, but doing no good. She placed his head on her lap, resting it off from the cold and dirty floor.20

Alex instantly jumped for the telephone and dialed 9-1-1.21

"He's been shot!" Alex screamed into the phone.22

He had to calm down, and then he began to explain the entire situation to the operator. He hung up the phone after telling her the street, and that it's the only gas station around for miles.23

"They're on their way." Alex said, looking at Nina, hoping those words would comfort her.24

"You gave them the wrong street, you dumb ass!" Nina shouted at Alex, hot tears streaming quickly down her face.25

Alex was a little taken back by her words, but felt that he deserved it. He apologized, but realized that the apology was pointless, worthless, for he had messed up.26

"Eva, grab the car keys, we're driving him to the hospital ourselves." Alex exclaimed.27

Alex walked over to Jon and picked the wheelchair up off of his legs, and threw it to the side in anger. He bent over Jon and wrapped his arms around his disabled legs and under his neck. He picked him up and walked around the counter, kicking the door open. He disappeared outside.28

"C'mon!" He shouted to Nina and Eva as he exited.29

Nina stood up, with the help of Eva. Eva didn't know where the keys were, so Nina grabbed them. They rushed quickly out the door, following Alex.30

Nina continued to cry as she sat in the back seat, while her father's shoulders, neck, and head were resting in her lap. He was struggling to breathe, and he began to spit out blood. Nina's salty warm tears fell on her dad's face.31

"Oh, Why would they shoot him!" She yelled, not really asking the question, but still demanding answers.32

"Well, maybe because -" Alex was saying, but got cut off by Nina.33

"I mean, We get robbed all the time. Why would they shoot him this time?! He's just a helpless man." Nina said, sobbing at her last sentence.34

"Dad, please hold on. You're going to be fine, I promise you. Please don't leave me." She said quietly to her father, and then began to sob. 35

Eva turned around in her seat and looked at Nina. A tear ran down her face. She turned around and tried to hide it, but Alex already saw the tear. He knew that it wasn't a tear of sympathy for Nina, but a tear of sympathy for herself.36

Alex placed his hand on Eva's knee, trying to let her know that he's here for her. 37

Eva brushed it off, and placed her forehead against the window, staring at the sun as it rose, taking away any trace of visible darkness, but leaving behind the darkness she felt in her heart, in her head and in her soul. Tears continued to run down, and she continued to brush them away.38

"Hunny, what's wrong?" Alex asked Eva, beginning to feel worried. 39

Eva did not answer him. She had forgiven him, but she was still hurt. He was the only one left in her life, and he had to remove himself. She felt alone. She stared at the sun while quietly envying Nina. She had her father her entire life, and although this was the worst situation to be in for her, she couldn't help but feel jealous. Eva was crying harder, as the thought kept coming into her head. Her entire life was a lie, a lie that could have been avoided. All of the hurt she received from Matt could have been avoided. 40

"Alex! Hurry up!" Nina screamed out of no where, at the top of her lungs.41

Alex drove the fastest the car would allow him to go. Eva came out of her thinking and turned around. She stared at Nina and Jon, and gasped at what she saw.42

"Holy shit! Alex, go faster!" Eva began screaming, beginning to feel sorrow for Nina. 43

Alex turned around quickly, just to see what was happening. His mouth gaped open as he saw blood all over the backseat, all over the carpet, all over Nina. He sat straight, and drove faster, hoping for no traffic, as the rising sun began to gleam in his eyes.44