Corporate Babies - Leah

Chapter 17

I regained conscious when the emergency services arrive, I open my eyes and the first thing i see is the dark blue of Rauls eyes that have a look of concern in them, he cradling my head on his lap, crying and muttering my name “You’re not getting rid of me that easily" I whisper, he has tears running down his cheeks and looks relieved that i'm awake and looking at him “Thank god, you’re ok, what the hell were you thinking? I almost lost you before I even really had you” he pulls me against him for a massive hug, “Ow, ow , ow” I mutter as I feel the burning in my arm. “Com licença senhor” Raul gently lays me down on the ground and the guy in uniform who I am assuming is a paramedic starts looking me over “Um tiro de arma ferido no bíceps, é um completo e direto. precisamos levá-la ao hospital para absivação” says the guy then starts to put pressure on my sore arm “Ouch, What’s he saying?” Raul nods at the guy and then helps him to stand me up and start to walk me to the door “He said you have a through and through gunshot wound and a doctor needs to look at it” I nod but then it registers what that probably means “Wait we’re going to the hospital aren’t we?” he nods but I get distracted when I see Olivia and the babies coming out of the crowd “Olivia! Rory, Tatum!” I call out and stop our procession and wait for the three of them to join us “We’re ok Leah, we are going back to the Villa and staying there, I promise” I start crying, I don't know if it's the pain or just the relief that we're all safe “Don’t ever do that to us again” Olivia gives me a hard look but her voice breaks on the last word and now we are both crying. “I promise I won't” “Desculpe senhor, mas precisamos ir” the paramedic says and Raul nods “We have to go, Bela moca. Don’t worry, the guards have laid down their lives for the twins” I wipe away the tears and nod, Raul and the paramedic once again help me walk and we climb into the ambulance.

Because we came through in the ambulance we were the first to be seen when we arrived at the emergency room. The doctor confirmed the paramedics' analysis and after fifteen stitches both entrance and exit wounds, I was bandaged up and released, to my greatest relief. Thanks to the pain medication I was on, nothing really was worrying me, I felt like I was on cloud nine, that was until I was assisted into the house when in front of me was Celeste's parents sobbing on the couch with Rauls mom “What are they doing here?” demanded Raul still holding me close, I can feel him start to vibrate with the anger “Raul! Leah honey, are you ok?” Raul’s mom comes rushing over and gives me a hug, for the second time that day I was thankful for the painkillers, the first being that I was so high the appearance of the wicked witch's parents isn’t really affecting me and the second is because with all the touching it's not bothering me. “Mother, answer me, what are they doing here” Raul once again demanded “Raul, stop being rude! When they noticed that Celeste left they were on the first plane back and by the time they landed and arrived at the church the whole incident had happened and were informed that their daughter was dead” that brought my head up, I didn’t really know what happened after I was hit but I guess she open fire so they had a right to eliminated the threat. I had some compassion for them so I walked over to a distraught mother and an disappointed father “I’m sorry for your loss” the mother jumps into my arms and starts firing off rapid bunch of words in Portuguese, the father must notice my panicked face because he pulls his wife back and looks at me “Thank you for your kind words and on behalf of my wife and I, I would like to give you my sincerest apologies for the disgraceful way my daughter treated you and we would like to make it up to you and your family, please just let us know what we could do?” I look back at Raul and he nods so I look at Celeste’s parents and say what we were discussing in the car “On behalf of my family, we accept your apology and I was thinking while I was being seen to at the hospital, I would like you to donate fifty thousand Euros towards the mental health fund right here in Portugal, I feel if your daughter had some help she wouldn’t have felt that her actions were the last resort” I can see I’ve shocked them, but I hope that I wasn’t blaming anyone, just hoping that it may never happen again. A second or two went by before the mom and dad started nodding and talking in rapid Portuguese. A sudden dizzy wave overtook me and the second time that day Raul was by my side and I was in his arms in an instant and was being carried upstairs to our bed where I could lie down and rest.

I was placed on bed rest so for the next few weeks I had visitors and had the twins join me in the rooms. Two weeks later Father António walked into my room together with Raul, his mother, Olivia and finally Andrew “What’s this?” I enquire, Raul and Olivia stand me up and we stand in front of Father António, then it hits me, they have organized a very private ceremony so that we would be legally married. As we said our vowels and had our first kiss as man and wife, I realized this is a perfect way to show our love for each other.