Jesse was waiting at the baggage claim erea for his suitcase. He looked around and filled his lungs with that JFK airport smell he had missed. That was his 20th trip to France or the 21th. He had stopped counting after almost 7 years. All he knew was that he was back home once again. While waiting for his suitcase to arrive he pulled his phone from his jeans pocket. He checked the time and found Pauline on his contcat list. He scrolled up on their convertation. He stopped when he found the last photo she had send him. It was her with the boys in a selfie. He zoomed on each and everyone's faces. They looked so happy and he couldn't hide his smile that appeared on his lips. If they were happy, he was happy that was the only point after all, making his family happy. He almost didn't notise that his suitcase was rolling in front of him. He took in his hands and followed the exit sign.
While he was walking through the one of the exits of the airport he notised Starbucks was empty which barely ever happens. Smiling he thought it will be nice to get her an iced coffee. He was too smart to leave that opportunity go wasted and he walked in. Moments later he exited the airport with two Halloween drinks on his hands. He looked around hoping she was already outside waiting for him. He scanned every car that was parked outside but none of them was Pauline's. He left the drinks on an empty bench he found and he sat down. With his phone on his hands Jesse texted his wife that he was outside waiting for her with a heart emoji. Then he opened his backpack and pulled out a Notre Dame jockey hat and wore it.
Jesse was trying a take a picture to upload on his Instagram story when he was a very familiar car had just stopped in front of him. Puzzled like never before he stood up and got the drinks on his hands. The driver's door opened. Jesse walked closer only to see that the driver of his father's car was not Pauline. "Richie what are you doing here? Where's Pauline?" he asked a little suprised but not worried. Richie looked back at him while he left the door opened. He gave him a hug "Welcome back Jess!" he said calmly. When they broke the hug he took his suitcase and put it on the back of the car. Jesse was watching him close while he closed that door. He could sense that something was wrong. Richie picking him up from the airport instead of Pauline in his father's car. His father who was supposed to take PJ and Kevin for the weekend. The more he was thinking about it he was sure that something must have happend.
"Get inside." Richie said abruptly. Jesse did what he asked and once he sat on the passenger seat he turned to Richie said asked. "Could you please tell me what the fuck is going on here?" Richie looked at his side without making any eye contact. He suddenly felt his palms getting sweaty and his heart racing. How could he tell him that Pauline had been shot? What can you possibly tell a man, a husband and a father that? It was the only thing that was preparing while he was driving to the airport. Richie started the engine of the car and was looking straight people passing by. "Jess..." he started and shallowed hard. "There's something you must know."
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PJ was looking at the lights from the backseat. He had just eatten a happy meal from Mc Donald's and his belly was full. When they stopped at a traffic light he remembered. "Grandpa?" he said hesitantly. "Yes, buddy." Jon answered and looked at him from the mirror. "Don't be mad but i forgot home my books and need to do my homework." he said a little embaranced. "Oh come on PJ! I wanna play on unle Romeo's Play Station!" Kevin said first annoyed. "You're lucky we're close home PJ." Jon said and took a left turn instead of a right. A few traffic lights later and a couple of turns later they pulled on their driveway. Jon stopped the car adn turned back to PJ and asked "Where are your books PJ?" "They're all on my desk." PJ anwered quickly. "Be right back." Jon said and opened the door. "We won't go anywhere." Richie answered while he was looking back at the annoyed Kevin and the embarashed PJ.
Jon was searching for the right key while he was walking down the sidewalk when he saw that Pauline's car was parked outside. He didn't pay attention as he found the key he was looking for. With the correct key on his hand he stood outside of the main door only to find it was slightly open. He raised an eyebrow while thinking that this was weird. He opened it as he yelled "Pauline! It's Jon, PJ forgot his books!" He closed the door behind him and walked in the dark house. He was looking around trying to find his daughter in law but there was sign of her. He took a few steps and yelled again "Pauline are you here?" but the only thing he could hear was his voice echoing back at him.
Jon notised the door that was leading to the patio was wide open and cold waves of air were blowing in. He closed it and when he turned he notised that there several footprints on the wooden floor. He knelt down and looked closer. He run his finger on the floor and soon he realized that this thick liquid was blood. He suddenly felt that there was not enough air on the room and stood up. "Pauline!" he screamed this time as he stood up. Jon followed the bloody footsteps trying to understand where they're ending or starting. He knew he was getting closer as he could feel that someone was on the house but he was unarmed. He stopped slowly when he saw her laying on the floor and a lake of blood was around her.
He recognised in now time Pauline's curly hair even though he was facing her back. He run to her side and as he was getting closer he could her whispering "Jesse. PJ. Kevin." was all she was saying over and over again. "Pauline?" Jon said with shaking voice and knelt down next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She stopped as she was trying to focus on the face he was seeing. She smiled. "Jesse..." she said. Pauline shallowed as she rolled on her back and she now was facing Jesse or that what she thought. Jon's eyes opened wide while he was looking that she was all covered in blood. Her white sweater had turned red and was keep getting harder for him to breathe. "Take the kids somewhere safe." she tried to speak but the pain was too much for her to handle. She quickly covered the holes the bullets made on her body with her hand, she didn't want him to see them. "What happend? Who did this to you?" Jon finally spoke.
"It doesn't matter, take the kids somewhere safe. I will be fine." Pauline said and looked at him. She lifted her right hand and placed it on Jon's face. "Go, Jesse. Before it's too late." "Late for what?" Jon asked her back trying to understand what she ment. "Before she finds them." Pauline answered and closed her eyes. "No, no! Stay with me!" Jon screamed and sat on the floor right next to her and took her head in his two hands. Jon looked down on her belly and saw that blood was still running from the wounds and for the first time in his entire life he didn't know what to do. For a man who always had a plan for everything was pretty hard for him to think right now. He had to think right and fast but his emotions were keeping him miles away from this room.
"Come on open your eyes!" was the only thing he kept screaming at her but she was not there to respond. Jon was crying while he was holding her head. He had to do something before there was no turning back and leaving her to die was not an option. He gently stood up and run to the front door covered in blood but before he opened it Jon stopped. He couldn't go out there covered in blood, PJ and Kevin will notise. He searched for his phone and luckly it was on his right pocket. He found Richie's number and called him. "Rich! Take my car and leave. Don't tell the kids anything." he said with one breath. "Jon are you okay?" he asked back worried. Jon closed his eyes and braced himself. "Someone broke in the house and..." he started and covered his phone with his hand not wanting his best friend to hear him cry "And Pauline had been shot, i have to take her to the hospital." he said and hung up quickly.
Once he hung up he called 911 thankfully he didn't wait too long. After explaing what he knew he run back to where Pauline was. Her eyes were still closed but he could hear her breathing. He stood there beside her holding her hand and waiting for the ambulance to arrive. "Jesse..." she said breaking the dead silence that filled the room. "Yes." Jon answered quickly. "You'll get the dog for the boys for their birthday right?" that took her a while a finish the sentence. Jon had no idea of what she was talking about and for sure there was no point of asking her. "Sure babe, like we said." was the only he thought to say and saw her smile.
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Richie was driving on the highway above the speed limit for quite some time now. He was watching Jesse who was sitting next to him and looking outside of the window. He wanted to buy some time to come up with the right words to say to him. At first he thought he must tell him right away when he'll see him but there was too many people around and he knew for fact that he will make a scene and he didn't want that. He saw a rest area that was only a few miles away and turned right. Richie was rellieved that it was empty. He stopped the car. "What are we doing here?" Jesse asked and looked around. Richie looked at him and said "Let's go outside." Both men opened their doors and Richie walked to his side.
This was the time, he had to tell him. "Jesse..." he started and looked at him. "I really don't know how to say this." he added a few seconds later as he saw his eyes were all other him. "Just tell me." Jesse said while he had a strange feeling. Richie shallowed hard and looked back to him as he was getting ready to break his heart. "Someone broke into your house." Richie said with heavy heart knowing the words that he will say next but Jesse had no idea that in just a few seconds he'll loose the ground beneath his feet. "Pauline was shot. She's with Jon on their way to the hospital." he finally found the courage inside him to speak those words and hugged him tight. Jesse was just standing there trying to process what his words really ment and was wondering why he was hugging him so close.
Jesse was keep stranding there without hugging him back. "We need to hurry!" Richie said when he stopped hugging him. He walked back on the car and opened the driver's door but stopped when he saw that Jesse was still standing there. "Jess, come on." Richie added and looked at him. "She is fine!" he said. "You know pulling a prank like this is not funny. Let's go home i want to see my wife and kids." Jesse added and walked to the passenger seat but when he was about to sit Richie grabbed him. He looked deep into his eyes. "Jesse look at me! She's been shot 3 times and Kevin with PJ are at my house with Tori and Adam. We really have no fucking time to waste!" Richie said with raised voice hoping that will make him undestand that he's telling the hard truth.
"No! No!" he said back and pushed him away. "Pauline is perfectly fine! She send me this selfie hours ago!" Jesse answered back aggressively and searched for his phone to show him that picture. Richie with a gentle move he took his phone in his hands. Jesse was watching him close and looked around while his words were playing on playback in his mind. He took a few steps away from him and let a scream loud enough for everyone on the whole planet could hear him. It was this moment that he finally realised that Richie was only telling the truth. He got down on his knees and touched the ground with his cold palms. His tears found their way soon as he was still screaming at the top of his lungs until there was voiceless plea of just pain. Richie walked next to him and helped him get back on his feet.
He saw that look on his face that will probably haunt him for the rest of his days. It seems that whatever words he could speak have absolute no point. So, he did what he was known for be there to hold him while he was crying his heart out. They were standing there on a rest stop on a busy highway on a Friday night until some raindrops were falling from the sky hoping to wash away all the pain and heartache they could.
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Jon was sitting on a chair on some hospital's hallway and watching people passing him by. Nobody recongised him, how could they after all? He was wearing a black jockey hat and his hands were hiding his face and he was covered in blood. They had arrived about 1,5 hours ago and the doctors took Pauline to a room where he had no access. All these question were keep popping on his head. How? Who? Why? And still he had no idea what happend on that house. While his thought were making a mess in his mind he heard someone with very familiar voice shouting at a young nurse. He stood up quickly and followed that voice. After a few more steps he was watching his son yelling at a nurse.
"Jesse!" he shouted and Jesse turned his head. He saw his father, the strongest man he knew looking so broken covered in his wife's blood. He run to his side followed by Richie and hugged him so close. Once they broke the hug blood stains were on Jesse's wet coat too but he didn't care. "W-What happend?" he said and his eyes filled with tears. "I don't know..." Jon spoke the truth. Jesse looked around trying to find a doctor. "Does anybody here knows if my wife is okay?" Jesse screamed and he saw about 30 pairs of eyes looked back at him. The nurse he saw yelling earlier run to where he was.
"Sir, are you alright?" she asked. "No i am not! I need to see my wife! Does anybody here knows if my wife is okay?" he screamed again with shaken voice as he felt he couldn't take a breath. He was breathing in and out so fast which made him unable to see clearly everyone else's face. "Here, take a seat and i'll find your wife okay?" the nurse said as calmly as she could and helped Jesse sit on a chair that was near by. "What's her name?" she asked him once he sat down. Jesse tried to answer but he couldn't speak her name. "Pauline Timson." Richie answered fast and the nurse looked back at him. "Wait here, i'll be right back." she said and stormed away.
Moments later a man in his late 50's approached them. "Are you Mrs Timson's husband?" he asked and Jesse stood up rapidy. "Yes, that's me! How is she?" he asked back. The doctor looked at these three men in front of him. He took a deep breath, he always hated that part of his job. "Mrs Timson had been shot 3 times, one on her left leg and other two on the abdomen. Her left ovary and left kidney were damaged from the bullets and they had been removed. She's stable right now but..." the doctor paused. "But?" Jesse jumped in first. The doctor shallowed and put his hands in his pocket. "Mrs Timson was 15 weeks pregnant and she had miscarriage on her way here. I'm so sorry." the doctor dropped the bomb but Jesse could still hear it echoing in his ears. He saw the doctor's lips moved he had probably had said something he didn't even hear.
He suddenly felt that everything and everybody was moving too fast and he was just standing there unable to think, speak or move. He felt like he couldn't stand, he was poweless and he really was. His face went pale and lost his balance. He wanted to crawl back in time when everything was alright and he wasn't feeling that kind of pain. "Jesse!" Jon said and grabbed him by his arm right before he was about to hit the floor. He helped get back on his feet only to face this empty look on his face. Jesse was starring at the wall that was in front of him when he saw the cloudy sky lighted up by the strong lighting that followed. He saw Jon's car keys on the chair he sat down earlier. He took them in his hands and walked away.
"It's me. Tell me what you know. Okay, text me the adress, i'm on my way right now." Jesse said on the phone and hung up as he was walking down the stairs.
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