#colevent

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I would like to welcome you all to the fundraiser and thank you for coming out to join us tonight!” Pause. She wanted to let the guest take everything in for a moment before she pressed on. “I would like to invite you to mingle before the formal event starts. This would also be a good time to take a look at the fringe awards that we have posted for the evening. You are able to place votes for the fringe awards by donating. With the donation, you are able to submit your votes, and at the end of the evening we will tally the votes, announce the winners of each award, and reveal the total sum from all of the donations. We will also be honoring some of the unspoken heroes that contributes to their services in the great time of need during and after the Belgravia attack. Thank you all again for coming, and I look forward to an exciting night with you all.”

Granted, the four beers he’d had thus far certainly helped him feel less alone and anxious in the big crowd, but it certainly wasn’t the same as having a friend there. He still wasn’t even sure why he agreed to go, but maybe it was because his hiatus was lasting longer than usual and he needed to throw himself into an uncomfortable situation to get the creative juices and motivation flowing. 

They were near one of the tents, having just grabbed a snack to hold them over until Rachael had figured out what they had planned on doing for dinner and if they would be staying for the evening festivities. Watermelon dribbled down Sarah’s face, as she bit into a juicy slice. “Mom, I love watermelon!” she shouted, wiping her mouth with her arm. Rachael laughed , putting Lochlan into the Baby Bjorn she had packed for the day. “I know sweetheart.”

It was then that Rachael noticed the restlessness in the crowd, and the hairs on her neck stood on end. “Sarah, Honey. I am going to need you to listen to me very closely okay?” Rachael quickly instructed Sarah to hold her hand, and not let go. They then rose from the bench they were sitting on, and Rachael ushered her kids as far away from the swarming mob that seemed to be heading in the same direction that they were headed. 

As the people swarmed around Rachael and Sarah, there were shouts and screams as people started to be swept up and underneath the mob. Rachael grabbed Sarah, pulling her onto her back, piggy back style, in an effort to keep contact with Sarah, and not have to worry about her falling behind. 

With one child strapped to the front of her, and one clinging to the back of her Rachael struggled to keep moving in the direction that seemed to indicate freedom from they chaos that had enveloped the festivities. When she had the chance, Rachael ducked into a small alley and set Sarah down. “Hold on, Sweetheart. Momma just needs to take of her heels, don’t move okay?” Rachael had taken a step or two to balance herself by leaning against a wall so that she could reach down and remove her shoes. 

When she arrived, she had felt better about her wardrobe choices, but she was still unclear on what the event was exactly. The room was somewhat crowded, so as took the opportunity, when she had bumped into someone, to ask. “So, I am not entirely sure what a spin room is. Could you perhaps enlighten me?”

It felt as if Rachael had been holding her break all evening while she waited for someone to come and update her on Sarah’s condition, so when she saw the scrubbed figure approach her, Rachael felt her breath catch in her throat. She hadn’t seen Sarah since they had gotten to the hospital, and it felt as if time had been moving at a glacial pace since that moment. The medics had taken Sarah away, in a desperate attempt to revive the child from her hypoxic stupor. They had ushered the girl away into emergency surgery, and that was the last Rachael has seen of her child. 

Rachael shifted in her seat and stood as the medical professional reached her. At this point, her mind had wandered to the worst outcome, and she could feel the hot tears starting to well up in her eyes. The surgeon gently touched Rachael’s  arm, in an attempt to comfort her, but Rachael shrugged it off, desperate for news. She could feel the dark thoughts tugging at her mind, struggling to make their way to the forefront of her mind. The surgeon’s voice snapped Rachael back to reality. 

“Ms. Montgomery, Sarah is in stable condition.” Rachael let out a shaky exhale, and let the tears slide down her cheeks. The felt as if some of the weight had been lifted off of her chest so that she could breathe again. “She has suffered a hemopneumothorax with multiple rib fractures. We had to surgically fixate the fractured ribs so that they are able to  support the chest a facilitate healing. We also placed a chest tube to drain the blood out of her pleural cavity,” the surgeon explained. Yet all Rachael focused on was his first statement. Sarah was alive. 

“Sarah will need to remain in the hospital for some time so that we can monitor the drainage process and healing of her ribs.” But still, all Rachael had heard was that her first born child was alive. 

Rachael Montgomery attends the Belgravia Street Party.