Misha didn't see much of his mother's corpse in his past life. Back then, Masha had quickly run over to take him in her arms, firmly holding his head against her chest. Despite his struggles and screams, she refused to let go, placating him in a trembling but gentle voice.
Still, the little Misha had seen had been enough to give him nightmares for the rest of his life.
And now, his sister couldn't hide the gruesome sight for him as she herself lay on the ground, her legs crushed.
Although their mother had shoved her away, as a teenager, she was a lot heavier than little Misha, and Gulnas wasn't strong enough to completely push her out of the way. Thus, Masha fell, and the pick-up ran over her legs, shattering the bones and tearing the flesh.
But the black pick-up didn't stop even after hitting two persons and continued on its way, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. In the snow-white scenery of December, the deep-red color particularly stood out, giving off the feeling that angels had shed tears of blood.
The first one to react was Gabriel, just like in their past life. He took out his cell phone and called 911 while running toward the girls. And as if awakened by the young man's sudden movement, Misha also stepped forward, hurriedly following behind him.
Meanwhile, Alexey stayed frozen in place, his face as pale as a ghost.
Misha first rushed to his mother, throwing himself on the ground by her side. Her breathing was labored and slow, each breath further from the last. Her body was a mess, yet she still managed to turn her head toward her daughter, seemingly staring at her through her blurred vision.
With reddened eyes, Misha bent over and gently kissed his mother on her forehead. His trembling lips lingered a moment before he found the strength to say, "Don't worry, mom. Masha will be fine. The paramedics are on their way, and Gabriel is by her side. He won't let her die, I swear."
A muffled sob escaped his mouth, and the boy added softly, "I love you…. I love you so much, mom."
A sad smile seemed to stretch Gulnas's lips as if to say she also loved him. Before long, his mother breathed her last, reassured by her son's words. The light in her eyes slowly dimmed, and her pupils dilated, darkening the crystal-clear blue of her irises.
Soon, tiny snowflakes started to fall as Misha ran his hand in her bloody hair.
Taking a deep breath, Misha stood up and glanced at his mother one last time before sprinting toward his sister, who had passed out due to the pain. While running, he rubbed his eyes to wipe off his tears. Now wasn't the time to cry. His sister still needed help, and he couldn't break down before she was out of danger.
Once he was by Masha's side, Misha looked at Gabriel, who regularly reported the situation to the assistant on the phone, and asked in a trembling but determined voice, "What can I do?"
"…" Gabriel stared at the boy for a short second, seeming to think about something. His lips hesitantly parted, but ultimately, he still gave him some instructions, "Help me lift her legs. She's bleeding too much."
Misha nodded and bent over, carefully lifting one of his sister's legs to slow the blood flow. A disturbing sound resounded, a cracking noise that made his stomach churn. Biting his lips, he swallowed back the lump burning his throat and concentrated on his job, trying to distract himself from the cold and nausea.
His small hands rapidly became sticky with blood as he put pressure on the wounds. He kept mumbling like a broken record, "Stop bleeding, please, I'm begging you, stop bleeding…."
.
.
When the paramedics finally arrived, Misha felt like an eternity had passed. At first, he didn't realize that they were two men by his side, that there was a hand on his shoulder and a gentle voice asking him to leave it to them now, saying that he had done a good job.
It took him a moment to stand up, and he only did so because Gabriel talked him into leaving his post. He then led the child a little further away to give more space to the paramedics.
Holding Gabriel's hand, the boy absently watched the two men put his sister on a stretcher. From the corner of his eyes, he also saw a paramedic examine his mother before shaking his head, indicating to his colleague that she didn't make it. Her wounds were too severe, just like in his past life.
He saw them cover her body with a white sheet and use another sheet to hide the pieces of guts that had spilled out of her stomach. However, he couldn't observe their work for long; Gabriel grabbed his jaw and turned his head toward him so that his mother's corpse would be out of sight.
"Look at me and only at me, ok?"
For once, the boy didn't protest and obeyed.
Shifting his eyes toward Gabriel, Misha noticed that a policeman had approached his father at some unknown time. The man wrapped Alexey in a blanket, trying to talk to him and get a reaction, but his father was in a state of shock. His face was haggard, looking as if he had lost his soul.
But who could blame him? He had just seen the love of his life die a horrible death, and his daughter wasn't in a much better state. Knowing this, the police officers were afraid he would break down and collapse.
Gradually, the surrounding noises seemed to become clearer, and Misha started to hear people crying. Some were screaming, while others were cursing the heavens. Eventually, he realized that his grandparents were also there and that a few other relatives had come out of the house after realizing that something was amiss.
His grandmother was on her knees, her sunken cheeks covered in tears, while his grandfather was beside her, holding his wife in his trembling arms. He was repeatedly kissing the top of her white head, trying to calm her.
Misha averted his eyes and instead looked at the ambulance.
With a firm voice, he asked the paramedics, who had just loaded Masha in the vehicle, "Can I come with you? I want to stay with my sister. Please."
Misha knew a family member had the right to accompany the patient in the ambulance—it had been the case when he had slightly injured himself once in his past life. He didn't know if it was possible when the injuries were more severe, but it didn't hurt to ask.
"Can I also come? She's my girlfriend," Gabriel added, and only then did Misha notice the tremble in his voice. "I don't think anyone is in the right mind to drive us to the hospital."
Gabriel glanced at the adults standing near the house, and the paramedics followed his gaze. One of them seemed to hesitate before saying, "There is only one place in the front. You can't sit at the back. I'm sorry."
"It's alright. I'll drive them to the hospital."
A voice resounded behind the child and the young man, making them glance over their shoulders. They met the gentle gaze of a female police officer, and Gabriel didn't wait for Misha's answer before politely thanking her for help. Right now, he didn't want to leave the boy alone, not even for a second.
Deep down, he knew it was better for them to stay together.
Without further ado, they quickly got into the police car. But before taking off, the woman gave them tissues to wipe off the blood from their hands. Because Misha was blankly staring at it without taking it, Gabriel accepted it in his stead. Then, he gently and carefully cleaned the child's cold hands. The little fingers were drenched in blood, making his heart ache.
From the beginning of the ride until the end, no one talked. But after arriving at the hospital, Gabriel and Misha couldn't stay still anymore, bolting toward the entrance like madmen. The police officer tried to calm them down as she led them to the waiting room near the emergency room, staying by their side once they reached it.
For many reasons, she couldn't leave them alone, and although Gabriel had given a detailed description of the run-away pick-up on the phone, there was a possibility she would need to ask him a few more questions. They had to find the culprit as soon as possible, and any information could be useful.
A dozen minutes later, reality finally came crashing in. The emotions Misha had suppressed started to overflow, and tears rolled down his cheeks.
When Gabriel saw the child burst out crying, he instinctively got closer, wanting to take him in his arms to comfort him. However, Misha reacted faster, and his small fists heavily landed on his chest, furiously pounding it.
"Why?!" he screamed, "Why did you forget the darn gift in the car…? Just why…."
Gabriel didn't avoid his fists, letting the child hit his body to his heart's content. He glanced at the police officer, letting her know that it was fine. She didn't have to intervene.
Then, to the child, he said, "I'm sorry."
Hearing Gabriel apologize made Misha shudder, and his cries became even louder while the speed at which he hit his chest became slower.
"Don't—" the boy tried to choke back a sob, without much success. "It's not your fault. So, don't, please, don't apologize…."
The words had barely left his mouth when Misha buried his head in Gabriel's stomach, wrapping his arms around his waist. He repeated in a weak voice, "It's not your fault."
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Author has something to say:
Author: Just a little reminder, this story is a happy end. And killing the author is not permitted by the law.
MC:.........
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Chapter revised on 2022-05-24
Edited by Clozed! ♥
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