It Started in a Cabin Ch. 02

"...It...it happened so fast! If Chris hadn't pushed Scarlett away she would've been the one who got shot!" Jason exclaimed.

Lisa held Jason as he cried into her shoulder, she was desperate to find out what was happening with her son but she knew that Jason needed her right at that moment. "Shh sweetie, it's okay. I-I'm sure Chris will be fine. He's a strong boy, and from the sounds of it a hero. You did everything you could honey. Thank you for being there for him sweetie." she said soothingly as the young man in her arms slowly calmed down.

When Jason had calmed down sufficiently he led Lisa to Scarlett's room, where the young woman immediately began to wail again when she saw her step-mother enter the room. "Oh Mom! I'm sorry, this is all my fault! God I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"Shh baby, it's not your fault!"Lisa murmured into Scarlett's hair as she pulled the girl into her lap and held her tight as she sobbed in great shuddering gasps. Lisa couldn't help herself and began to cry as well, for her step-daughter who for some reason had a wracking guilt about what happened, and for herself because of her fear of the unknown for her son's situation.

That was the scene Steve stepped into minutes later, a blood splattered Scarlett sitting in Lisa's lap as the two of them cried, and Dani sniffling into her boyfriend's chest in the corner. Seeing that Scarlett was being well cared for for the moment he hurried back to the duty nurse and asked for an update on Chris's condition. She advised him that his step-son was currently in surgery and that the doctor would be out to talk to them as soon as they were finished and Chris was in recovery. He returned to the examination room and knelt beside his wife and daughter, gently stroking their heads and speaking softly to them, telling them what the nurse had told him and that they'd find out soon how Chris was. When Scarlett registered that her dad was there she leaped into his arms and her tears soaked into his shirt as she clung to him tightly, shaking with her sorrow over what had happened. Lisa joined her in his arms moments later and the three of them held each other and cried quietly while they waited for news of Chris.

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Jason had finally gotten Dani quieted down and the two of them went to the coffee station to grab drinks for all of them. The coffee was hours old and tasted burnt but it was better than nothing so they headed back to the waiting room outside surgery where their friends' family waited quietly. It had been two hours since Chris had gone in to the OR and they'd still heard nothing. Jason had offered to take his girlfriend home hours ago, but she refused, insisting she needed to be there for her friend, so they had called their folks and told them what had happened. They passed the hot beverages out to the others then they all sat and listened to the sounds of the hospital during its night shift.

After what felt like another hour but was probably more like ten minutes a doctor finally entered the room. Steve stood up immediately, followed quickly by Lisa and Jason. Dani had been comforting her doped out friend on the sofa and stayed with her as she looked blankly between her parents and the doctor.

"How'd it go doc?" Steve asked apprehensively.

"He's going to be okay," the doctor replied to a huge sigh from the others in the room. "The bullet entered just under his right clavicle and lodged against his scapula. Collarbone and shoulder blade respectively."

"Oh thank God!" Lisa groaned as she sagged against her husband, his arm holding her tight to his side as he felt his own knees weaken.

"Your son's very lucky, a bit lower and the bullet would've entered his lung. By the looks of it it was a small calibre bullet and it didn't do as much damage as we'd initially thought. We decided to leave the bullet where it is as trying to remove it would probably cause more damage than leaving it would. He'll be lighting up airport security for the rest of his life, but he's alive and will heal, which is the main thing."

"Can we see him?" Lisa asked softly.

"We're just moving him to recovery, and he'll be out for a while longer yet, but we'll send someone to get you in a little bit okay?" The doctor said with a gentle smile.

"Okay, thanks doctor." Steve said as he shook the man's hand gratefully. He turned to Jason and pulled him into a tight hug after the doctor left, making the younger man's ribs creak with the strength of the hug, then pulled back and gave him a serious look.

"Thanks son, we really appreciate everything you and Dani have done for us all. Why don't you two go home and get some rest. We'll let you know when Chris is able to have visitors okay?"

"Sure Mr. McCormick. I didn't do anything Chris wouldn't have done for me, and I'm sure Scarlett would've done the same for Dani." Jason replied seriously, then he looked over at his girlfriend and nodded to her. "Come on, let's go home and we'll swing by later baby."

"If you need anything call us okay?" Dani added as she hugged Scarlett and Lisa before giving Steve a hug as well.

Lisa held the young woman tight and sniffled a bit, thinking about what wonderful friends her kids had, "Of course sweetie, thank you so much for helping with Chris and Scarlett."

The younger couple left hand in hand, walking slowly down the hall toward the exit and home. A short time later, probably no more than an hour, an orderly came to take Steve, Lisa and Scarlett to a room on another floor where Chris was lying quietly in a bed, his shoulder wrapped in gauze and and IV drip, heart monitor and oxygen hoses hung from his arm, chest and nose. Lisa turned into her husband's chest and began to cry again and Scarlett walked back out of the room and slumped into a chair. Steve led Lisa out and sat her in another chair. The whirs and beeps ran a counterpoint to the quiet sobs of the two women sitting outside the room until they both calmed down enough so that they could re-enter the room and watch the young man resting peacefully unaware of what was occurring around him. They stood, and occasionally sat quietly waiting for Chris to awaken from his slumber. Each lost in their own thoughts about the night's events and what the future held for all of them.

Scarlett finally broke the silence in the room, turning to her parents and saying in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper, "Lisa...Mom, Dad. Can I have a few minutes? Please?"

Her parents looked into her eyes and saw the deep sorrow in them, nodding and slowly leaving the room to sit in the chairs outside while Scarlett slumped into a chair beside the bed. She took Chris's hand in hers and held it to her lips, kissing it gently as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes again. Scarlett sat like that for a long time, just looking at him, realizing that she had been standing on his right side and if Chris hadn't shoved her aside the bullet would have hit her in the head, possibly killing her. She laid her head on the bed and kissed his fingertips as she cried.

"I'm sorry Chris, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me boy-scout. I didn't want any of this to happen, I was trying to protect you and you got hurt instead. I'm so, so sorry. Please don't leave me!" She whispered softly as her tears fell and stained the bedding with their moisture.

*** This ends this part of the story. Don't worry I have more ideas as to where this tale will go and am hard at work on it already! Thanks again for being so patient and supportive! Please don't forget to vote and comment!