Family Stories - the Sequel

chapter 19

Thursday, 15th September

Owen: 58; Amelia: 52; Luca: 23; Leo: 16; Lily: 16

Ryan: 27; Katie: 26; Riley: 10; Ian&Connor: 8

Liam: 24; Robin: 24; Victoria: 6; Audrey Blake: 4; Madelyn: 9 months

Finn: 24; Dennis: 24; Mason-Anthony: 2

Ruby: 24; Ethan: 25

Mira: 20; Harriet: 21; Eva-Maeve: 3

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"See you on Saturday then for your test shift, Lily.", Miranda told the girl, who had come to her parents' boss together with her father to finally ask for a job. She was allowed to work at the reception. "Have a nice rest of your day."

"Thank you, Chief Bailey. You too!", the sixteen-year-old politely replied and started walking down the hall with her father, who was going to drive her home since he had worked the early shift today.

Suddenly, the redhead's pager went off, signaling that there was a Code Orange, meaning at least one staff member was in danger. People started yelling something about a shooter, causing the trauma surgeon to grab his daughter's arm and pull her into the next best room. It was a supply closet.

"Dad, what's happening?", Lily questioned, overwhelmed. "Is there really a shooter running around the hospital?", she wanted to know. "What about Finn and mom and all our aunts and uncles?"

"Honey, I don't know for sure. But I will go and check on the situation in a minute.", Owen replied as calmly as he could. "I am aware of the fact that we haven't been on the best terms lately.", he continued, referring to Paul and that the teenager was still dating him, along a lot of other differences they still had to sort out. "But I need you to listen to me right now and stay in here until I am back, alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. Please be careful though! And come back as soon as you can!", the young brunette begged, receiving a kiss to her forehead before she watched her father leave the room. The last time she had seen a real gun was when she was five.

Scared, Lily walked over to the door, to take a look out of the small window attached to it. When she saw the killer, she gasped and quickly pressed her body against the wall next to the door, hoping badly that the man wouldn't come in here. She was shaking with fear.

After what felt like an eternity, the sixteen-year-old dared to peek through the window again, relieved when she didn't see him anymore. Since her dad wasn't back yet, she figured she was supposed to search for him and slowly and quietly left the supply closet.

Turning left to go into the direction her father had taken, she realized her mistake when the shooter turned around to her and started walking towards her, telling Lily not to move a muscle. And she obeyed, frozen like ice.

Owen was on his way back to his daughter, there was only one more corner and a hallway separating them. He had called Amelia, who had barricaded herself in her office, together with Finn, Alex, Maggie, and Nathan.

The neurosurgeon had told her husband to immediately go back to their daughter and screamed at him for leaving her alone in that room when a killer was running around their workplace.

"Please let me go.", his child's whiny voice brought him back to reality and caused him to stop behind the corner, hiding from the hallway in which Lily was standing across from the shooter, holding her hands up.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you right now.", the man ordered, sounding both, angry and in despair. "I know you probably don't work here as a doctor, but maybe your parents do and maybe they killed my mother."

"My name is Lily. I am sixteen years old. I am from here, born in Seattle, I haven't seen much of the world. I am still going to school. I need to drink a lot of water because I only have one kidney. I also suffer from an allergy that doesn't allow me to have gluten. My dogs' names are-", Lily started telling him personal details like her aunt April had once taught her. The hysterical crying honestly wasn't helping much, but she hoped that it would work.

"Go.", the killer said. "RUN!", he repeated, watching the girl take off and disappear behind the corner, where Owen was catching the teenager in his arms, his own cheeks wet from his tears.

"Come on, let's go.", the redhead told his daughter, holding her hand and pulling her out of the building, where Amelia was waiting for them, since every room slowly got evacuated.

"Oh my God, you are okay!", the neurosurgeon sobbed, embracing her youngest kid tightly. "I am sorry for yelling at you.", she apologized to her husband, opening her arms for him to join the hug, as did Finn.

"You were right. Lily encountered the guy.", Owen admitted, hating himself for having left their daughter. "But she got herself out of the situation and I think we should cut her some slack. She's obviously able to make smart decisions for herself."

"Does that mean I can be with Paul?", the teenager quietly mumbled, still really shaken up and super alert, but not in the mood to let this opportunity slip. She stayed in her family's arms and looked up to see her parents lock eyes.

"It is not right for a minor to date a twenty-year-old. But we are willing to meet Paul. You can invite him for dinner at ours sometime soon. Let's talk about that when we're home.", her mother finally gave in, kissing her head.

"Thank you.", Lily's face lit up. Small wins were what she was aiming for. "Is everyone else okay?", she wondered, worried about the people she loved. Her father nodded. "Then why was the shooter here?"

"Your aunt Megan treated the man's mother a few days ago. She had been in an accident, leading to her dying on Meg's operating table. It's good that you didn't tell him your last name, otherwise he might have shot you.", Owen explained.

"But isn't that the job?", the young brunette asked, confused. "You try to save people, but sometimes they are too far gone to be saved?", she added another question. Her mind wasn't going to shut up anytime soon.

"It is. Still, you have to recognize how many people don't come into the hospital, wanting to kill the staff. It rarely happens anywhere. But at times, it can be hard for the relatives to let go and to understand what actually caused the patient's death.", Finn meddled softly.

"That's enough information for now.", their father decided with a smile. "Let's get Eva and Mason from Book Club and go home. The two of you are gonna be there for dinner, right?", he addressed the other two family members.

Since Dennis had his dance practice today from 6 to 8 and his boyfriend was working till 6, their son would spend the evening with his grandparents. Eva's moms were also working longer on Thursdays, so Owen and Amelia usually took her to the hobby and picked her up after.

"Yeah, see you later.", his wife responded and gave him a kiss before she hugged her daughter again. "Rest a little, Honey.", she advised, kissing the girl's temple, and rubbing her back.