Free Breath of Life by Sara Marion Page B

Mrs. Hanson said as she was climbing the steps to the front door.
    Paxton turned and led them into the house. She wanted to know what was going on. Paxton went into the living room and watched everyone else walk in. She and Ella sat down. The officers remained standing but Mrs. Hanson sat in the chair right by the sofa.  Paxton never looked away from Mrs. Hanson.
    “Officers I think I can handle it from here,”  Mrs. Hanson turned to the officers and was politely dismissing them.
    “Please let us know if you need any help. We’re on the case now,” Officer Anderson handed Mrs. Hanson his business card.
    Paxton’s eyes widened. Case?! What case?  She thought to herself. “What’s going on Mrs. Hanson?” Paxton couldn’t take the suspense anymore. She wanted to know what the hell was going on.
    “I’m sorry girls, but your parents were in an accident.” Paxton felt Ella grab her hand. She squeezed it tightly.
    “What happened to them?” Ella asked. Paxton heard the panic in her voice.
    “They were on their way home when they were car jacked.” Mrs. Hanson wiped away a tear. Ella gasped and Paxton just continued to stare. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 
    “They put up a fight and the assailants shot them. All of them were rushed to the hospital after several witnesses saw it occur. One of the dinner guests witnessed and told the officers that you girls should be at the house and that’s all they knew for emergency contacts.”
    “We need to get to the hospital,” Paxton finally said.
    She felt herself take a breath. She must have been holding it while listening and waiting for Mrs. Hanson to tell her what happened.
    “I’ll take Jackson home to Mr. Hanson and then I’ll take you both to the hospital.” Mrs. Hanson stood and walked out of the room.
    Paxton grabbed her mom’s address book as Mrs. Hanson went to collect Jackson. Ella was on the phone with her only uncle. It was the only relative that was still living. Ella was in tears as she was talking to her Uncle Ryan. Paxton made the call to her aunts and grandparents but none of them answered.
    Mrs. Hanson quickly drove to her own house a few blocks away. Ella and Paxton sat in the backseat together. Mrs. Hanson went inside with Jackson. Paxton stared out of the window. Now that Jackson was out of his booster seat, Paxton intertwined her pinky with Ella’s. It was comforting to know they both still had each other. They had no idea what shape their parents were in but they needed to get there quickly. Mrs. Hanson came back into the car and they quickly departed heading for Mercy Hospital. It was twenty minutes away from Mrs. Hanson’s house. Paxton wished that this trip did not take too long.
    Mrs. Hanson dropped them off in the Emergency Room entrance. She told them she would wait in the car. It made Paxton worry even more that she felt the need to keep the car running as if they came to the wrong hospital. The girls rushed inside and looked for the receptionist
    “Our parents were brought in from a shooting earlier tonight. Jenny and Jared Andrews and Susan and Greg Jameson,” Paxton informed the receptionist as they reached her.
    The receptionist typed away at her computer.
    “I’m sorry they have been life-flighted to Topeka, St. Francis. All four.”
    Ella gasped and started sobbing. Paxton didn’t know where her calmness was coming from. Maybe it was because she refused to believe what was going on. They went back to the car. Mrs. Hanson turned in worry.
    “They were transferred to St. Francis in Topeka. Could you please take us?” Panic crept into her voice.
    She knew that if they were life-flighted there, they were in bad shape. She refused to let tears fall until she got to the hospital and saw the doctors.  She quickly called her aunts and uncle to give them the update. Ella borrowed her cell phone to call her uncle. Ella still had tears streaming down her face.
    She grabbed Paxton’s pinky again. Paxton looked