Page 65 of Pooh

Pippa

Upon arriving at New Horizons, I walk to Anne’s car to help her get the children out of their car seats. I spot Tammy’s car in the lot at the same time that I hear the backdoor of the house closing. I suspected she would show up here to help. I reach Anne’s car just as she’s opening the back driver’s side door to reach the children. I notice a woman walking up the alley in a dark hoodie. Her hands are in the front pocket, calm demeanor, just strolling along. I dismiss her with little thought.

Anne gets Abby out of her child seat and turns to hand her to me when I notice her expression change dramatically. She thrusts Abby against my chest and I throw up my hands to grab her at the same time I hear a POP POP sound and see blood spray from Anne’s face. Anne drops instantly to the ground as I whirl around to face the attacker.

Time slows to a crawl as I hear Tammy screaming my name. I’m facing the attacker and I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around everything that’s happening. I’m dumbfounded when it becomes clear to me that the attacker is that woman and not a man as I would have expected. I make eye contact with her and see very little. Her face is a blank mask and her eyes are dead. She moves her eyes to the beautiful, terrified two-year-old little girl I’m holding and her arm, with the handgun, rises again.

I whirl back around, tripping slightly over Anne’s prone body, and shove Abby into the backseat of the car as close to her brother as I can. At the same time, I hear another POP and feel a burning sensation take over my back and side as I’m thrown forward. I ignore the pain and scramble to cover the children with my body. I hear another POP but it doesn’t really register in my mind much because my focus is on protecting these children from a madwoman.

I’m so focused on the children and their safety, I don’t realize that the shooting has stopped, or that there is a struggle happening behind me. The children are screaming in terror and my mind is scrambled from everything that just happened. After what seems like minutes, but was most likely only a few seconds, I hear Tammy screaming my name again. I feel her hands on me and then the pain sets back in and I can’t seem to push myself off of the kids. I can hear sirens and I realize that it’s blood I’m feeling trickling down my body.

Several hands help pull me out of the car and I’m shuffled to the side and laid on a stretcher. I look toward the car and see Anne’s body on the ground near the door and an EMT on the opposite side pulling the children out through that door. Cops are moving about and I hear bits and pieces of conversations and phrases like “on the run” and “armed and dangerous” and “through and through”. I’m rolled to my side and my eyes land on Tammy. Her face is stricken and horrified eyes are aimed my direction while she’s being restrained by a police officer.

“I’m okay, Mama. I’m okay,” I try shouting to her but it comes out as a whisper instead. It’s then that I notice she has blood on her hands, clothes and body. My heart stops in complete fear of losing the one person that’s always been my rock. I try to get off the stretcher and go to Tammy but I’m held down and the EMTs start rushing my stretcher to the ambulance. I try to keep Tammy in sight and then watch in relief when the cop helps her through the chaos around us and brings her to my side. She climbs into the ambulance beside me and we simply stare at one another as she grabs my hand with both of hers.

“The children?” I ask her. “You? Are you hurt?”

“Hush, baby. I’m fine. The kids are uninjured. Stay calm and quiet and let the EMTs do their job. You’ve been shot but we got this, girl. You and me. Just like always. Love you to hell and back, Pippa. We’re going to be fine.”

Tammy, as she’s done since becoming my foster mom, calms my racing mind. She’s still grasping my hand tightly when we arrive at the hospital. The same one I recently left with Anne and her children. Tammy’s face is the last one I see before I’m taken into surgery.

Pooh

There are so many cop cars and cops milling around New Horizons that we have to leave our bikes a block away and approach on foot. We get stopped, due to the area being an active crime scene, so I ask everyone I see if they know where Pippa and Tammy are. Nobody will answer my questions and I can’t see them, or Cash, anywhere. Finally, a female officer approaches our group.

“Is there someone here named Trigger or Pooh?” she asks, loudly.

After we answer in the affirmative, she gives us the news. The new intake, Anne Preston, is dead on the scene. Pippa was shot and Tammy tackled the assailant to the ground to save Pippa and the kids. The attacker dropped the gun in the scuffle, but fled and the cops are searching for her now. Cash arrived right after the ambulance pulled out with Pippa and Tammy and he left to follow them to the hospital after telling an officer to send us that direction when we showed.

“Pippa? How bad is it?” I ask the officer who introduced herself as Officer Kantola.

“I don’t know. She was awake and talking, so that’s a good sign. I’m so sorry this happened. I was the officer that asked Pippa to meet me today about getting Anne and her children into New Horizons. Here’s my card. If there is anything I can help with, please don’t hesitate to call me.”

As we’re jogging back to our bikes, I get a text message from Cash.

Cash: At the hospital. Pippa’s going into surgery. Dr’s are optimistic.

Me: Be there in 10. Tammy?

Cash: Scared but uninjured.

I share the news as we mount our bikes and take off for the hospital. Upon arriving, we rush to the surgical wing and find Cash, arms wrapped tightly around Tammy, standing near a window in the waiting room. He releases her when they see our group and she rushes directly to Trigger. He hugs her tight for a moment before leaning back and checking her over from head to toe.

“How’s Pippa? Tammy, how bad is it?” I interrupt their moment.

“The doctor said she should be fine, but they think the bullet may have damaged her liver. The bullet went in through her back and out her side at an angle. They won’t know how much damage until they get her opened up. She’s in surgery and we should know something soon. She’ll be okay, Pooh. She’s strong. She has to be okay.”

I drop my forehead to Tammy’s temple and use my hand to cup the other side of her head.

“She’ll be fine, Tammy. You raised a fighter,” I whisper to her. “You saved her and those kids. You fuckin’ rock, woman.”

Chubs: Lucy is taking Craig to her apartment. I’m sending Horse Nuts with them.

Me: Thx.

Chubs: Craig doesn’t know anything yet. He thinks they’re raiding the bakery. I’ll be at the hospital in 30. Need anything?

Me: Prayers

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