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“Ellie. It’s Joe.” My throat begins to close as the room starts spinning.“Marco is at the hospital. He was shot while responding to a burglary in progress —”
His voice trails to the floor with my phone as I stand speechless and darkness shadows my eyes. Time stands still as my mind plays out the worst-case scenario.
I can’t lose him.I need him. The kids need him. I can’t do this life without him.
Thud.
“Ellie!! Ellie!!’
I hear the faint calling of my name somewhere in the room, but I can’t will my body to bend down to pick up my phone off the floor. The room keeps whirling around me as my heart races out of control and my whole body heats up.
“ELLIE!!” I hear repeatedly but it sounds like I’m underwater.
Suddenly, my consciousness snaps back as I register the yelling from below. Bending down, I pick up the phone as nausea rolls through my stomach, its contents threatening to escape.
“Joe,” I whisper.
“Ellie! Are you okay?” His voice is calm now.
“Yeah. Where’s Marco?” I say in a panic.
“Ellie, he’s alive. His vest stopped the bullets. I rode in the ambulance with him. He was knocked out but breathing on his own.”
Bullets?
“Where is he? I need to go to him right now.”
“I don’t think you should be driving. I called Jess and she’s on her way to get you.”
“No! Just tell me where he is,” I yell as I grab my keys back from the counter and spin to go back to the garage door.
I hear a loud knock at the front door and turn to the noise.
“Ellie, listen to me. Let Jess bring you to the hospital. I don’t think you should be driving right now.”
Snapping out of flight and into fight, I say, “I’m fine. I just need my husband.” I open the front door to Jess and shove my phone in her face. “Tell your husbandI’m fine.”
She takes the phone from me and says in an even voice, “Hun, I got her. We’ll be right there.” She hangs up the phone and hands it back to me. “Let’s go.”
I nod and begin to follow her out the door but then remember. “No, wait. We can’t. We need to get the kids from school soon.” I wrack my brain for a plan that will keep my kids safe while I go to Marco. “Can you get my kids and bring them home with you? We can swap cars and you can add Timmy’s booster in between the boys. You’re an approved pickup person on their list.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” She grabs me by the shoulders forcefully and says, “Are you sure you can drive?”
“Yes. I just need Marco. Where is he?”
“Joe said he’s at Seaside Memorial. Let’s go get the car seat. Here.” She hands me her keys and I hand her mine forcefully. Then we walk out the door together.
After she removes Timmy’s car seat from her car, she stops me before I can climb into the driver’s seat. “Ellie, look at me.” I snap my eyes up to her. “I know this is scary — this is every single law enforcement partner’s worst nightmare — but remember, Joe said he’s breathing. That’s a good thing.”
“I know. I just need to get to him right now.” Tears threaten to fall but there’s no time. I embrace her in a quick hug. “Thank you for getting the kids. I’ll keep you updated, and I’ll call my mom if you need her to get the kids.”
“You’re good, focus on Marco. I’ll grab Timmy an overnight bag and we’ll just plan to stay at your house tonight, alright?” I nod. “I won’t tell the kids anything about the shooting either. I’m sure they’ll be excited about us staying over so they’ll be distracted. I got them.”
“Thank you so much, Jess.” I hug her again and then climb into the car.
“It’s what best friends are for,” she says as she closes the door behind me with a sad smile.
I pull up to the Seaside Memorial parking lot having no recollection of how I got here. I run into the Emergency Room entrance and up to the reception desk panting.
