Edited

Published: Wednesday, December 6th 2017 6:17 pm

Collided- Chapter Ten

        It was a waiting game. The three of us stayed inside the house and glued our eyes to the screen. The news reporters flooded the area along with bystanders. They stood behind the barriers with a few police officers blocking those who tried to get through. It was so loud that I could hardly think. The police tried saying something to the crowds and even the reporters were hounding them for a word said on the scene. We couldn't hear anything besides the sirens and could only see those who were crying and holding on to the other.

        We could read. We could read the words going across the screen over and over. Seven dead and over twenty injured and headed to the hospital. And then there were the people trapped inside of the building with the armed shooter. They didn't say what he wanted even though we all wanted to know. I couldn't even begin to come up with an excuse for what would make someone snap like this. No one knew who he was or if he had help.

The video feed to the building they were all in was cut and the only people who actually knew anything were trapped inside. I felt so helpless as I sat here watching and waiting for something, anything. The police looked almost as lost as me. The news reporters kept moving the camera back and forth between the police and the reporters. The reporters continued to talk about the situation, saying the same thing over and over again. They made it seem like they were trying to get a specific word count in for however long it took.

The police officers had set up a surveillance tent and van outside of it all. They walked in and out, while another group studied something on a table. They weren't doing anything, or maybe they didn't know what to do. By now I had left Inayah's house and made it home where I was keeping an eye on the kids. They seemed to do their own thing whilst I sat cross-legged on the couch with a load of books in front of me. Even during the events of the hostage situation, the world continued to move like it always had, and I decided to keep moving with it.

"I'm hungry," Mina stood in front of me with her hands behind her back and a pout on her face. As if to prove her point, she pouted out her lip and widened her eyes.

"You know that doesn't work on me anymore," I smiled. "You're too old to be taken pity on."

"So that means I have to starve?" She questioned with a scoff.

I placed the book I had down and looked up at her. "No," I shook my head and stood up, walking towards the kitchen. "Luckily your mom made dinner before she left so we're all covered."

"I know," She rocked on the balls of her feet.

"You know?" I asked. I had already opened the refrigerator and was ready to look when she made the declaration.

She nodded. "Yep. And I also know that Zak and Mina ate it all while you were studying."

"All of it?" I turned away from her and towards the inside of the door to look at where the food was supposed to be. Not only was she counting on that food but I was as well. "How about we just order a pizza?"

"I haven't had pizza in a long time," She replied almost dreamily.

"Then it's your lucky day," I said, getting my phone from the couch and looking for the number. "Mushrooms or olives?"

Half an hour later we had our pizza and Mina had joined me back in front of the tv. It had barely pushed nine o'clock meaning my sister wouldn't be back until at least midnight. That didn't mean my work load lessened in the slightest. If anything it felt like the more work I got done the more I had to do. Mina had taken a stand and changed the channel, which I was happy about. No one knew how long the hostage situation would last, which would leave us mindlessly staring and waiting like everyone else.

"I never have that many books," Mina said with a full mouth across from me on the chair. She went to grab another piece of the pizza, a thin layer of crust in her other hand.

"College is made up of books and stress." I declared. The pile of books I had to go through and the amount of assignments I had to get done had lessesned, but I still had a ways to go. End of the year tests were steadily approaching and I had to be ready. Failing the tests was not an option of me; the semester would be a waste if I don't pass.

"You don't look like you're having fun."

"I don't think so either." I sighed.

I clicked on a few more computer keys to finish half of the paper I had already written and closed my laptop. My eyelids threatened to close on me and my energy was barely there. It's a wonder I have even made it this far with school as it is. It's no secret that studying and good grades were never my strong suit. High school was made up of barely passing grades and a lot of luck.

"That's your last slice." I said, giving my niece a pointed look. She looked nothing close to pleased at my revelation which she had to know was followed by me telling her to get ready for bed. I'm tired enough without Tehreenm seeing her daughter stuffed with greasy goodness when she gets back home tonight.

"Okay, but you have to save me some for school tomorrow."

"Doesn't the school serve you lunch?" I asked.

She paused mid bite to glare at me as if I had committed murder. "It tastes like chopped dog food." She cringed, her mind no doubt going back to the memory of consuming it. "It's disgusting."

        "Do I want to know how you would know how dog food tastes?" I could barely let the words leave my mouth without cringing, let alone thinking of any type of logical explanation for something like that to take place.

        "It's not important," She quickly waved off and stood up, but not before pointing towards the coffee table. "Your phone is ringing." She told me as she began to go upstairs.

        "Bath, teeth, shower!" I called after her before she could go out of my eyesight. "Hello?" I answered the call.

        "Oh good, you're up," Inayah's sighed into the call.

        "I'm always up," I shook my head with a smile and pushed my back against the sofa. "What's up?"

         "It's still going on." She stated. I didn't need her to elaborate for me to know what was happening. "It could go on all night long."

         "Hopefully the police don't let that happen."

         "Like all of the other terrorist attacks that have happened?" She scoffed. "I doubt that."

        As much as I didn't want to agree with that, I did. The amount of terror that has gone down in the last few years has caused nothing but pain and heartache. So many people have lost their lives and so many people have lost those whom they care about. The places which were one a safe haven have now become a war zone. People are terrified to leave their homes and dare to put a smile on their faces for fear of being another victim. No one wants their name written across the screen for others to weep for.

        "They are cowards." She continued to say. "Every last one of those people deserve a miserable death and not the quick ending they give to themselves."

        "Only Allah knows what fate has in store for us after we pass," I shrugged even though she couldn't see. "All we can do is try to move on with our lives despite the world being a war zone."

        "Oh no..." She said into the phone after a few seconds of silence. Not understanding why, I clicked on the tv. I could have sworn my heart stopped for a minute and the world stood still. The sight before me scared me more than I thought anything would. She was frightened and shaking as she stood in front of the camera. Her hair was rumpled and her eyes pleading for help. But she wasn't alone. She was with the gunman as they stood in front of the building the hostages were in. And he had a gun to her head.

***

Tehreem sat besides one of her coworkers, Joy, as they watched the news playout in front of them. It was a slow day at the hospital. So slow to the point that there were only a few people in the waiting rooms and very little trauma. The doctors, nurses, and a number of the hospital personnel kept their eyes on the tv, waiting to hear something. Anything.

        The only sight in view were the reporters trying to capture both themselves and the scene playing out for the world to see. Tehreem couldn't help but scold them hard for being as close as they were to the scene. So close in fact that they were basically a part of the first response team. Luckily for them they brought bulletproof vests in case something decided to happen near them. But with their luck and their not so subtle teeter tottering closer towards the scene, they weren't far from being in the scene themselves.

        "Those reporters are stupid." Joy shook her head from besides her as she watched the scene on the television playout before her. "I mean, look at them." She pointed towards the screen. "What idiot gets that close to another idiot with hostages?"

          "One who is dedicated to the story, I guess." Tehreem had shrugged, but even she couldn't figure out why they were being so reckless. It wasn't as if this sort of thing happened once in a liftime. The country would be lucky to go a few hours to maybe a day without a shooting.

           "Well that's just reckless and downright stupid." Joy clicked her tongue. "It's not like we can't tell what's happening. No need to have your brain splattered across the concrete."

           "Joy, stop knocking the news casters." Another nurse joined in, shaking his head with a laugh at Joy. He stood besides a doctor writing in a chart, but steadily became distracted by the television, like everyone had done. It brought a very noticeable silence to the once nosy and busy emergency room.

           Joy held her hands up in defense and turned around towards the other nurse. "Listen, Miguel, it's stupid okay. I wouldn't risk my life for no news station ever."

            "That's because you're you, Joy." He laughed. "And..."

           As their conversation began to pick up and become one of the only noises in the room, Tehreem slowly stood up from her seat to make rounds of the few patients in their rooms. The first few patients had been checked on and assessed before she had made it to the room farthest down the hallway–the lounge. It was a place mostly frequented by the nurses during their breaks and a few doctors that enjoyed their company. The majority of doctors spent their time with the incoming trauma patients or their locker rooms rather than the lounge.

        After a long days of work it would be the place to cool off, have a bite to eat, and even socialize with fellow colleagues. But because Tehreem was surprisingly one of the only ones who had children and a husband they would rather see more, she didn't spend as much time there. The light and television were on, giving away that someone was in there. Anne, the orthopedic doctor that had become a great mentor and friend to her was stretched out on the couch with a soda in her hands. Her full attention had been to the drink and television before Tehreem had pushed open the door and alerted her to her presence.

        "You're not with the others in the waiting room." Tehreem commented.

         Anne let out a sound of agreement and lifted up her soda in Tehreem's direction. "I needed a break." She sighed, exhaustion clear in the sound. Tehreem knew it all too well. "What's your excuse?"

         "I got hungry." Tehreem took the handful of steps until she was stood in front of the refrigerator in search of her lunch. It sat in the back where she usually kept it for times like these. Lunch breaks only occurre every so often with a job like hers, and waiting whenever you could proved to a be a big struggle. As horrible as the hostage situation proved to be, it did give her a way to rest which she was grateful for.

        After grabbing the container housing her food, she closed her eyes as she slowly straightened her back out. It took everything in her not to reach her hand behind her and somehow relieve the pressure and pain it caused her. But she wasn't alone and had become accustomed to hiding her pain from others. With her husband, Noor, gone she had to be both the mother and Father to her children. And to her that meant enduring more than she ever wanted to be capable of.

        The slow move to sit at the table and how Tehreem gritted her teeth in pain didn't escape Anne's gaze. She saw how badly she was hurting and where it hurt. Tehreem always tried to put on a brave front around her, but she had known her for serveral years and could see a change in her. She was in pain and she didn't want to talk about it, and Anne didn't want to push her and decided to let her talk when she was ready. But she knew if she didn't bring it up soon and it happened to be a serious medical problem, she would blame herself.

        So she turned her head away from her friend and back towards the television where the situation appeared to have escalated. A well manicured hand reached to tuck a strand of her  short hair behind her ear.

        "Oh my!" She breathed out in fear as the gunman raised his gun to a terrified woman's head as he spewed out what appeared to be noting good to the officer negotiating with him. Why don't they just shoot him? She asked herself, but she knew the answer. Both her husband and son were police officers and often talked about most of their cases to the point where she felt qualified for their line of work. But one part of their discussion had come back to her mind.

        You have to be careful with hostage situations, her son had said. Sharp shooters are trained and ready to take down the threat if someone is about to be harmed by say a gun to the head or so. But pulling the trigger and taking them down could result in the suspect taking down the hostage. You don't want that, so you have to have a strategy in place.

        Tehreem hadn't even taken a bite out of the sandwich before what was displayed on the screen. She couldn't eat because of how sick she felt with the situation.

         "They should shoot him." Tehreem seethed in anger as her eyes narrowed at the gunman. "Why won't they take the shot?"

        "Because even after they shoot him he could still take the woman down." Anne said sadly as she repeated what her son had explained to her. "It's going to be a long night."

***

Hey everyone, it's me! The worlds worst updater. I apologize for being so distant from writing on Wattpad and neglecting my stories. I usually don't apologize because I believe every writer should do what they want with their own stories, but I feel SO VERY BAD RIGHT NOW. Let's all pray that I can have another update done in under a month!!!
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