just_muse_me | 26.3.3. Life or death
26.3.3. Life or death
[Follows THIS and THIS]
Aiden really had no reason to think anything of it when Pat called and asked him to drop around to see Tara. In fact, he had been amused by it. Obviously it had been some marital explosion that had left Lachlan in a deep pile of shit, and now Tara wasn't talking to him. Still, he could understand why Lachlan might want to try and be a bit covert in making sure Tara was okay, especially if it had been a hell of a fight. Aiden figured the fact Pat had called him in itself was an indicator of that, and it was strange because he couldn't remember Tara and Lachlan having a fight where they stopped talking. It was just unusual. He didn't mind helping out, though. They only lived a couple of streets over, and if it hadn't been pissing down rain, he would have walked.
It seems when it rains, though, it really fucking pours. It was teaming when he got out of the car and bounded up to Tara and Lachlan's front door. Despite the heavy rain, though, it was impossible to miss the infant crying inside that Aiden could only describe as pained screaming. Panic shot up inside him, and not just because RJ was practically a nephew to him, but because Tara would never let her son get to that point of distress unless something was really wrong. Aiden banged on the door loudly, shouting out Tara's name, but there was no answer. He checked to see if the door was open, but he didn't really expect it to be. The rain was still pelting down, but he was oblivious to it now as he ran to the living room window to try and see inside. There was a light on, but it wasn't the living room one. It more looked like it was coming from the kitchen, but with the concealing blinds, he couldn't see much of what was inside. He could hear Riley louder, though. He had to be in the living room and Aiden could only deduce that Tara wasn't.
He tried calling out for Tara again, if she didn't hear her baby screaming, how would she hear Aiden calling? There wasn't really any time to stop and contemplate the situation. Aiden knew Tara was a diabetic. She might be in there, but passed out or anything. Riley was also diabetic, and if he was screaming to that extent, it could mean anything. Without thinking twice,Aiden picked up a cement ornament from the garden and smashed the front window, knowing that on the other side, Lachlan's piano was in front of the window, so the baby wouldn't be there. The glass shattered and he pulled the sleeve of his jacket over his hand to brush the larger shards away. Climbing in without cutting himself would probably be a mean feat, but so be it. It was awkward, and he had to be careful so he didn't seriously injure himself, but he managed to get inside. RJ was there in the baby buggy face down, gasping for breath through the attempt to keep crying. The screams were becoming hoarse and he'd turned himself over onto his stomach, but didn't seem to be able to get back onto his back. His little clothes were drenched in perspiration and Aiden was worried about picking him up at first in case he was sick or hurt. Had someone taken Tara?
Aiden was still flooded with sheer panic as he stooped over the baby buggy and carefully eased Riley onto his back. He had vomited and in the new position, started to choke on it, so Aiden turned him back onto his side and quickly managed to clear Riley's mouth out with his finger. The odour told him that the baby boy's nappy was dirty and probably very wet. The sight of the infant in such distress had Aiden tearing up, but he knew he had to keep his composure . With a shaky hand, he took out his cell phone and called 911. "I-I need an ambulance. A baby boy, ten months old. H-He's diabetic and something's wrong!" He waited for the prompting, giving the address and Riley's full name. He could help until the woman asked if Aiden was the baby's father. "No! I'm not! He's not here and I-I don't know where his mother is either! She should be here, she would never just leave him like this! Oh god, please! You have to get an ambulance here quickly! He was crying but he's stopped now and he's closed his eyes!RJ!" he cried, struggling not to give the baby a small shake to try and wake him up.
The woman on the phone tried to coax him not to panic and assured himt he ambulance was on it's way. 'Check for a pulse, sir' A pulse? "Where? Where do I check a baby's pulse?!" he practically screeched down the phone. "You don't understand! He can't die! He's their only chance!"
"Straighten his arm out. The best place to locate it is on the inside of the arm, just above the the elbow, opposite side of the arm to the thumb. Just keep feeling around until you find it, sir," the operator told him calmly. "Is the baby awake, sir?"
Aiden swallowed, terrified tears escaping and dripping down his cheeks, but he hardly realised. "I-I don't think so! I think he's passed out. I can't tell if he's breathing, his nose is all block and he was choking on his vomit, but I... I... there's a pulse!" he cried through a rush of relieved breath. "He's breathing through his mouth... just... shallow, like he's panting! And he feels really hot." He stroked the baby's damp hair, trying desperately to soothe him. "Come on,RJ. It's gonna be okay, sweetheart..."
The next few minutes seemed like a blur. It felt like forever for the ambulance to arrive, but then it was a flurry of activity and Aiden only barely realised one of the paramedics was Emma, Evie's sister. It was only when she told him to try and find Tara as they carefully got Riley onto the gurney to work on him that Aiden tried to drag himself back through the panic. Tara. He started to run from room, calling out her name and checking if she was in there. She wasn't downstairs or upstairs, and he couldn't find anything like blood in any of the rooms. It was only when he was pounding back down the stairs he caught site of the back door open at the end of the hall. Unlocked and wide open. Aiden felt sick, immediately jumping to horrific conclusions like Tara being kidnapped and murdered. He didn't know if what he found out in the backyard was really any better than any of those scenarios.
Tara was face-down in the wet grass under the clothes line, unmoving. She was soaked to the bone and the rain was pouring down on her prone form. Aiden really thought she was dead as he approached her. She looked dead. When he dropped to his knees beside her, turning her over with her head in his lap, her face was covered in mud and it was streaked through her long drenched hair. She was white, cold... and limp. He shouted out loudly in the direction of the house that he'd found her, hoping the paramedics could hear him. The heaviness of the rain started to wash the mud away, but it was impossible for Aiden to tell if she was breathing.
It was impossible for him to tell if she was alive.
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 1,281
[Follows THIS and THIS]
Aiden really had no reason to think anything of it when Pat called and asked him to drop around to see Tara. In fact, he had been amused by it. Obviously it had been some marital explosion that had left Lachlan in a deep pile of shit, and now Tara wasn't talking to him. Still, he could understand why Lachlan might want to try and be a bit covert in making sure Tara was okay, especially if it had been a hell of a fight. Aiden figured the fact Pat had called him in itself was an indicator of that, and it was strange because he couldn't remember Tara and Lachlan having a fight where they stopped talking. It was just unusual. He didn't mind helping out, though. They only lived a couple of streets over, and if it hadn't been pissing down rain, he would have walked.
It seems when it rains, though, it really fucking pours. It was teaming when he got out of the car and bounded up to Tara and Lachlan's front door. Despite the heavy rain, though, it was impossible to miss the infant crying inside that Aiden could only describe as pained screaming. Panic shot up inside him, and not just because RJ was practically a nephew to him, but because Tara would never let her son get to that point of distress unless something was really wrong. Aiden banged on the door loudly, shouting out Tara's name, but there was no answer. He checked to see if the door was open, but he didn't really expect it to be. The rain was still pelting down, but he was oblivious to it now as he ran to the living room window to try and see inside. There was a light on, but it wasn't the living room one. It more looked like it was coming from the kitchen, but with the concealing blinds, he couldn't see much of what was inside. He could hear Riley louder, though. He had to be in the living room and Aiden could only deduce that Tara wasn't.
He tried calling out for Tara again, if she didn't hear her baby screaming, how would she hear Aiden calling? There wasn't really any time to stop and contemplate the situation. Aiden knew Tara was a diabetic. She might be in there, but passed out or anything. Riley was also diabetic, and if he was screaming to that extent, it could mean anything. Without thinking twice,Aiden picked up a cement ornament from the garden and smashed the front window, knowing that on the other side, Lachlan's piano was in front of the window, so the baby wouldn't be there. The glass shattered and he pulled the sleeve of his jacket over his hand to brush the larger shards away. Climbing in without cutting himself would probably be a mean feat, but so be it. It was awkward, and he had to be careful so he didn't seriously injure himself, but he managed to get inside. RJ was there in the baby buggy face down, gasping for breath through the attempt to keep crying. The screams were becoming hoarse and he'd turned himself over onto his stomach, but didn't seem to be able to get back onto his back. His little clothes were drenched in perspiration and Aiden was worried about picking him up at first in case he was sick or hurt. Had someone taken Tara?
Aiden was still flooded with sheer panic as he stooped over the baby buggy and carefully eased Riley onto his back. He had vomited and in the new position, started to choke on it, so Aiden turned him back onto his side and quickly managed to clear Riley's mouth out with his finger. The odour told him that the baby boy's nappy was dirty and probably very wet. The sight of the infant in such distress had Aiden tearing up, but he knew he had to keep his composure . With a shaky hand, he took out his cell phone and called 911. "I-I need an ambulance. A baby boy, ten months old. H-He's diabetic and something's wrong!" He waited for the prompting, giving the address and Riley's full name. He could help until the woman asked if Aiden was the baby's father. "No! I'm not! He's not here and I-I don't know where his mother is either! She should be here, she would never just leave him like this! Oh god, please! You have to get an ambulance here quickly! He was crying but he's stopped now and he's closed his eyes!RJ!" he cried, struggling not to give the baby a small shake to try and wake him up.
The woman on the phone tried to coax him not to panic and assured himt he ambulance was on it's way. 'Check for a pulse, sir' A pulse? "Where? Where do I check a baby's pulse?!" he practically screeched down the phone. "You don't understand! He can't die! He's their only chance!"
"Straighten his arm out. The best place to locate it is on the inside of the arm, just above the the elbow, opposite side of the arm to the thumb. Just keep feeling around until you find it, sir," the operator told him calmly. "Is the baby awake, sir?"
Aiden swallowed, terrified tears escaping and dripping down his cheeks, but he hardly realised. "I-I don't think so! I think he's passed out. I can't tell if he's breathing, his nose is all block and he was choking on his vomit, but I... I... there's a pulse!" he cried through a rush of relieved breath. "He's breathing through his mouth... just... shallow, like he's panting! And he feels really hot." He stroked the baby's damp hair, trying desperately to soothe him. "Come on,RJ. It's gonna be okay, sweetheart..."
The next few minutes seemed like a blur. It felt like forever for the ambulance to arrive, but then it was a flurry of activity and Aiden only barely realised one of the paramedics was Emma, Evie's sister. It was only when she told him to try and find Tara as they carefully got Riley onto the gurney to work on him that Aiden tried to drag himself back through the panic. Tara. He started to run from room, calling out her name and checking if she was in there. She wasn't downstairs or upstairs, and he couldn't find anything like blood in any of the rooms. It was only when he was pounding back down the stairs he caught site of the back door open at the end of the hall. Unlocked and wide open. Aiden felt sick, immediately jumping to horrific conclusions like Tara being kidnapped and murdered. He didn't know if what he found out in the backyard was really any better than any of those scenarios.
Tara was face-down in the wet grass under the clothes line, unmoving. She was soaked to the bone and the rain was pouring down on her prone form. Aiden really thought she was dead as he approached her. She looked dead. When he dropped to his knees beside her, turning her over with her head in his lap, her face was covered in mud and it was streaked through her long drenched hair. She was white, cold... and limp. He shouted out loudly in the direction of the house that he'd found her, hoping the paramedics could hear him. The heaviness of the rain started to wash the mud away, but it was impossible for Aiden to tell if she was breathing.
It was impossible for him to tell if she was alive.
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 1,281