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Gaby also appears, and she helps me to a sitting position. “Leia,” I say immediately, gasping for breath.
Missie unclips her harness and lifts her out. Leia’s still wailing, but Missie ignores it, checks her over, then gives me a relieved look. “She’s fine.”
I take her and hold her to me tightly, then burst into tears.
“You’re okay.” Gaby lowers onto the step beside me and rubs my back. “God, what a terrible shock.”
Alex bends down beside us, his face full of concern. “Where’s all the blood from?”
“Her elbow and knee,” Gaby says. “She’s grazed them quite badly.”
“Have you called 111?” Missie asks him.
“Rachel did before she called us,” Alex replies, naming their receptionist, who must have seen the whole scene from her desk. “I can hear the sirens already. She asked for the police and an ambulance.”
“Here’s a first-aid kit.” Tyson passes one to Alex, who opens it and takes out a pad of gauze. He hands it to Gaby, who presses it to my knee.
I only half-process what they’re saying. All I can think is that I came so close to losing Leia. I’m holding her too tightly, but she’s quietened, and she snuffles as she curls up against me. I rest my cheek on the top of her head, my tears soaking her hair.
“Aroha.” It’s James. He drops to his haunches before me, and I look up into his eyes. They’re blazing with fury, but they soften now as he looks at me. “Are you all right?”
“She’s okay,” Gaby says. “A few cuts and grazes. Nothing too bad, I think.”
“Jesus.” He cups my face, brushing my cheeks with his thumbs. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Where is he?”
“Henry has him,” Alex says, and I glance over my shoulder to see that Blue is on the ground, and Henry’s kneeling on his chest, one hand on his throat. Blue isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
James’s face is white. “I can’t believe what he did.”
“He wanted to take Leia,” I say with a sniff. “He tried to pull her seat out of my hands.”
“You could have been badly hurt,” he snaps. “What were you thinking?”
I stare up at him. What was I supposed to do? Let Leia go?
The sirens are growing louder, and he straightens as two police cars and an ambulance pull up at the base of the steps. “Alex,” he says.
“I’m on it.” Alex runs down the steps to talk to them.
Gaby is in the process of trying to stop the bleeding on my knee and elbow. Two police officers walk up the steps, along with two paramedics. They all stop in front of us, and James goes to speak to the police officers.
The paramedics put down their bags and one of them bends and smiles at me. “Aroha,” she says, “my name’s Janie. Can we have a look at the baby?”
“Her name’s Leia,” I mumble.
“What a wonderful name, a real princess,” she says. “Can I take her?”
I hesitate, fear turning me to rock.
Her expression softens. “It’s all right. I’m just going to check her over. She was in her seat the whole time?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sure she’s fine. I won’t take her away, I’ll do it here, okay?” She sits beside me.
Reluctantly, I hand Leia over to her. I watch her while the other paramedic cleans my knee and elbow and patches them up. Janie chats to Leia as she examines her limbs, torso, and back, looks into her eyes, and runs a gentle hand over her scalp.
