Bonnie Murdock (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
is_the_motion) wrote2016-08-30 09:38 pm
is_the_motion) wrote2016-08-30 09:38 pm
(no subject)
Going back to work proved not as difficult as Bonnie had envisaged. Turns out leaving a baby in day care at eight weeks old is a ton easier than doing it at seven months, because at eight weeks a baby doesn't get separation anxiety.
Less easy for Bonnie, who was expressing breast milk in the back of her work shop at lunch time, but she's glad that Billie doesn't seem bothered at least.
In fact, things seem to be really starting to settle. Stuart is delighted to find himself on the Honor Roll for all of last year's work. Ted has decided not to drop out of school just yet, and seems to have even made a friend. Terry is joining a regular class - albeit a grade below her age, but getting out of the remedial class alone is a good start. Even Lucy has been well enough to do a few weeks of substitute art teaching.
It's a couple of weeks into the new semester when Bonnie is coming home with Billie that she nearly walks straight into her front door. Which is odd; why is it locked? The boys and Turtle should be home by now, and usually they just leave it open for everyone else. Lucy should be out picking up Terry, and she would normally leave it open.
She sets the pram to one side and fumbles for her keys in her overalls. She can hear them jingling somewhere, they must be on her, ah, here they are.
As she puts her key to the lock, she hears Ted shouting.
"GET AWAY FROM THIS HOUSE!"
She drops her keys in surprise. As she bends to pick them up, she hears two loud bangs, then the glass in the door explodes above her, something hits her in the left arm like a punch, followed by a searing pain. She straightens up to yell at whichever teenager is in trouble through the empty pane and then freezes.
Ted is standing in the hallway, holding a gun, ducked behind the stairs, facing the kitchen. He doesn't look around at her, but he yells again.
"TAKE WHATEVER IS IMPORTANT TO YOU AND GET AWAY FROM THIS HOUSE! THE COPS ARE COMING!"
Bonnie ducks down beside the wall next to the pram. Her arm is bleeding profusely, and she can see glass sticking out. Her mind is racing. That last line particularly sounded like a double-meaning instruction, which means that there's someone else dangerous in the house and that Ted wants her to take Billie and run.
She gets up, and her vision darkens. Shit. She ducks down again. This is going to take a plan. There's a call box down the road, perhaps that would be of use.
Suddenly, Ted is next to her, swearing under his breath. He pulls his shirt off and hastily ties his sleeve around her arm. He then grabs the cover from her motorcycle, throws it over her, Billie and the pram, and then sticks his head under it.
"Don't make a noise or move. There was a man with a gun but I think he's gone out the back."
Bonnie lies still, her heart pounding, as he goes again. She can't leave Billie. She can't protect Ted. She doesn't know who else is in the house. She feels like she's going to throw up, but takes some slow breaths. Not making a sound. She puts pressure on her arm and hopes Billie stays asleep.
After what seems like forever but can only be a few minutes, there's only silence around. She can't just lie here, her arm is bleeding even with the tourniquet.
She lifts the cover an inch. Nobody in sight. She reaches up with her good arm, careful not to touch the cover, and scoops Billie out between the gap from the hood of the pram to the cover. Billie pulls a face at the unconventional way of being picked up, but thankfully doesn't cry. Bonnie holds the baby close, hoping that what she's about to attempt works, and lifts the cover again.
She can see the bar.
She holds Billie carefully, and crawls under the cover to safety.
Less easy for Bonnie, who was expressing breast milk in the back of her work shop at lunch time, but she's glad that Billie doesn't seem bothered at least.
In fact, things seem to be really starting to settle. Stuart is delighted to find himself on the Honor Roll for all of last year's work. Ted has decided not to drop out of school just yet, and seems to have even made a friend. Terry is joining a regular class - albeit a grade below her age, but getting out of the remedial class alone is a good start. Even Lucy has been well enough to do a few weeks of substitute art teaching.
It's a couple of weeks into the new semester when Bonnie is coming home with Billie that she nearly walks straight into her front door. Which is odd; why is it locked? The boys and Turtle should be home by now, and usually they just leave it open for everyone else. Lucy should be out picking up Terry, and she would normally leave it open.
She sets the pram to one side and fumbles for her keys in her overalls. She can hear them jingling somewhere, they must be on her, ah, here they are.
As she puts her key to the lock, she hears Ted shouting.
"GET AWAY FROM THIS HOUSE!"
She drops her keys in surprise. As she bends to pick them up, she hears two loud bangs, then the glass in the door explodes above her, something hits her in the left arm like a punch, followed by a searing pain. She straightens up to yell at whichever teenager is in trouble through the empty pane and then freezes.
Ted is standing in the hallway, holding a gun, ducked behind the stairs, facing the kitchen. He doesn't look around at her, but he yells again.
"TAKE WHATEVER IS IMPORTANT TO YOU AND GET AWAY FROM THIS HOUSE! THE COPS ARE COMING!"
Bonnie ducks down beside the wall next to the pram. Her arm is bleeding profusely, and she can see glass sticking out. Her mind is racing. That last line particularly sounded like a double-meaning instruction, which means that there's someone else dangerous in the house and that Ted wants her to take Billie and run.
She gets up, and her vision darkens. Shit. She ducks down again. This is going to take a plan. There's a call box down the road, perhaps that would be of use.
Suddenly, Ted is next to her, swearing under his breath. He pulls his shirt off and hastily ties his sleeve around her arm. He then grabs the cover from her motorcycle, throws it over her, Billie and the pram, and then sticks his head under it.
"Don't make a noise or move. There was a man with a gun but I think he's gone out the back."
Bonnie lies still, her heart pounding, as he goes again. She can't leave Billie. She can't protect Ted. She doesn't know who else is in the house. She feels like she's going to throw up, but takes some slow breaths. Not making a sound. She puts pressure on her arm and hopes Billie stays asleep.
After what seems like forever but can only be a few minutes, there's only silence around. She can't just lie here, her arm is bleeding even with the tourniquet.
She lifts the cover an inch. Nobody in sight. She reaches up with her good arm, careful not to touch the cover, and scoops Billie out between the gap from the hood of the pram to the cover. Billie pulls a face at the unconventional way of being picked up, but thankfully doesn't cry. Bonnie holds the baby close, hoping that what she's about to attempt works, and lifts the cover again.
She can see the bar.
She holds Billie carefully, and crawls under the cover to safety.