Until the Very End

Chapter 41

The police were dragging Raymore out of the house, and told Don and Meryl that they needed to go down to the station to make a statement. Meryl looked up at Don and noticed he was sweating profusely, and though she didn't want to let him out of her sight, she stepped back to check him over and she thought she was going to throw up. "OH MY GOD, DON! You've been stabbed!"

"Meryl, I'm cold, I don't feel so good." All of a sudden Don felt woozy and started to faint as his eyes were slowly closing. Meryl caught him and carefully laid him down on the sofa in the kitchen. "Stay...safe..."

Meryl tried to close her eyes, while she was kneeling next to the couch where her husband was struggling with consciousness, trying to keep the tears at bay. This couldn't be happening. Not again. Meryl ran her fingers through his hair, as she kissed his forehead. "We are safe because you save all of us over and over." Meryl could hear the babies crying, but she knew they were safe, and she needed to stay with her husband at the moment. She then looked at the police officers who were still in the house. "Ambulance?"

"Should be here at any moment, ma'am." One officer said looking at Meryl. "It was behind us when we got the call. Since Mr. Raymore is an escaped convict, we called EMS on out way, fearing it would be needed."

Meryl nodded as she held Don's head in her hands. "Did you hear that, baby? They are on their way. Just stay with me, sweetheart."

"Always...with you." Don said tiredly. "Babies...need you."

"They need us." Meryl saw the small smile on his face when she said that. "I will go to them just as soon as I know you are in good hands."

Don shook his head. "Go...them...they're scared. I'm fine."

"Um, okay..." Meryl said as she started to stand up when the paramedics came through the door and she breathed a sigh of relief. "There was a struggle with a knife and my husband was stabbed by an intruder and escaped convict who has been wanting to kill us for years. He is having trouble staying awake and said he is cold."

One of the paramedics nodded as Meryl stepped out of the way and checked him over. "I think he is just in shock. We do need to get him to the hospital."

"M..." Don said looking up at Meryl, trying to reach out for her hand. "Babies?"

Meryl nodded as she bent down to kiss his lips. "I'm going to fo get them. I want to ride in the ambulance with my husband and our babies."

"Babies?" The paramedic asked as Meryl nodded. "I'm sorry, but we can't safely secure infant seats in the ambulance."

Don looked at the paramedic. "She has severe concussion...can't drive."

"I'll drive you, Mrs. Gummer." A police officer said. "My police car is an SUV and there is plenty of space."

Don breathed a sigh of relief. "See you...then. Be safe, love you. Careful."

"I love you so damn much, we will be right there." Meryl said placing kiss after kiss on his lips as she grabbed the stroller from the mudroom off the kitchen and went into their bedroom where the babies were. She cried at the sight of her babies. So damn relieved that they were okay, she hoped Don was okay and that this ordeal was well and truly over. She didn't care that she wasn't supposed to pick both babies up at once. She needed them. She needed to hold them, to smell them, to feel that they were okay; just as she knew they needed to feel and smell her. She was moving back and forth as she held them in her arms. "Mama is here, and I know your daddy can't wait to see you. He saved us again, my angels. You are safe, I promise you, you always will be. That's it, my loves. You're safe." Meryl sighed as the babies were calming down and she put them in the stroller, then she threw on some clothes other than her sweats and went back over to the stroller. "Let's go see your daddy."