Tuesday, May 4th, 50XX
Maxis and Elliot shuffle out a series of game cards all while placing out the game board, dice and character pieces.
"Hey, boys. The snacks are almost ready." Miss Coleman smiles, looking up from the strawberries and other food she is cutting up plus the already prepare dipping chocolate.
No banana's though as Henry is allergic to banana's.
"It looks great, Miss Coleman. I can't wait to savor it in my mouth." Maxis beams.
"Oh, Maxis. You can call me by my first name, Scarlett. No need need to be so formal, and after all, you're dating my son." She responds.
"Oh, uh, right. Thank you, Scarlett." Maxis responds, now nervous and blushing. When she's done, she brings the food over, placing it down and the board/card game is all set up.
"Well, looks like everything is in order. Does someone wanna grab Kiera?" Scarlett asks.
"Uh, I will." Kiera responds. "Cool." Maxis says as Elliot turns to walk up the hallway to the guest bedroom when an alarm blares out.
"The fuck is that?!" Ellioy says and horror seemingly washes over Maxis and Scarlett's face. Scarlett sprints to the alarm main base for Ellie's foot tracker, picking it up in her hands.
It's flashing and beeping. "I can't turn it off. The only people who can reset it are the Police."
"Shit, Kiera?! Kiera!" Maxis calls, sprinting to the room. Scarlett places it down and grasps Elliot's hand, leading him to their bedroom.
Maxis kicks the door in despite it being unlocked. Military instincts are nothing something you can just easily shake.
He goes in, Elliot and Scarlett following right behind. The room is dark and empty. No Kiera, the only life in the room is the open balcony windows, the curtains flapping in the wind.
Maxis runs onto the balcony, looking around. Then he turns to look back at Elliot and Scarlett.
"She's gone, I think she must have jumped to one of the other balcony's or got down to the fire escape somehow."
"No shit, she's gone." Scarlett says. "But we need to find her, and fast! She'll go to jail or a secured hospital otherwise."
Elliot is standing in front of the bed, shaking with a piece of paper in his hands. In-front of him on the bed is Kiera's ankle tracker, appearing slightly damaged. She must have got it off somehow.
"Elliot?" Maxis says. "Son, what's that?" Scarlett asks.
He turns around to look at them, a cheer rolling down his cheek.
"Elliot, what does it say?" Maxis asks. "Give it here, show me."
But he doesn't let him have it.
"Elliot, what does it say?" His Mum pushes slightly.
"I-It's a s-su-sui-"
"It's a suicide note." His Mum says, finishing his sentence. Elliot gulps and nods. "Shit." Maxis says.
"Okay, we need to call the Ambulance and Police. The quicker we report this, hopefully the sooner she's found before something happens.
Before she hurts herself severely or takes her own life." Scarlett says, rushing out of the room to call for help.
Maxis runs after her while Elliot stays standing there, seemingly in shock.
Slowly he reaches for the phone in his pocket, hand shaking and dials a number. It rings for a bit, then someone picks up the line, yawning.
"Lopez, whaddya want? Who is this? It's late, I was... sleeping."
"V-Vince?"
"Wait, is this Elliot?"
"Y-yeah."
"Elliot, what's wrong? You sound like you've been crying."
"Kiera, slipped off her tracker. S-she's gone."
"Oh..."
"She's gone, Vincent and she left a suicide note."
"Woah, woah, hold up! Hold up! I'll call the General! We'll find her before she comes to any harm, okay?
Has someone called 911 already?"
"Y-yeah."
"I'll call you back in 5 minutes, hang in there. Just gotta make a phone call.
We're goanna find her before it's too late, alright?! I promise- I promise you!" Vincent says, hanging up.
---
Maxis drives along his station wagon along the city streets, Elliot in the passenger seat when his phone rings.
Elliot quickly answers.
"Hey, Elliot, so I spoke to the General. He is organizing a team to assist and has demanded access to every camera in the city that maybe Kiera has passed by somewhere and local Police are checking all major hot suicide spots-
Ah, Levi, can you please take and hold the phone?
I'm a dumb ass for holding it and driving."
"U-uh, sure."
"Cheers, thanks, buddy ol' pal."
"Wait, Levi is with you?" Elliot asks.
Then a beep starts on Elliot's phone. "Wait, I'm getting another call."
He answers it, adding it to the existing line. "Mum?"
"Have you found her yet or heard from the Police? I'm driving around in my Subaru and I'm not seeing her, nor have I heard anything."
"No, nothing yet either. Nor Vincent."
'Hi, Miss Coleman." Vincent says.
"Hello Vincent."
"H-hi." Levi stammers. "Uh, hi?" She says confused. "Who is that?"
"My now boyfriend." Levi says.
"Why do I feel like everyone I'm surrounded by is gay too?" She jokes. "You are too?" Vincent fires back and she is silent.
"Mum...?" Elliot says. "Uh, we should chat later... At home, my secretary.
We're not you know, but..." She trails off.
"Looks like you're about to have two Mum's." Maxis teases him.
"Okay, I have to go everyone. Maxis is getting distracted from driving. Text me if you hear or see anything." Elliot says, ending the call.
Then Maxis gets a call across the radio. "All units, in a 2-3 mile radius be advised. There has a been sighting for a female matching the description of missing person in trouble, Kiera Bailey on Main Bridge that all boats pass under.
A passerby in their car called in that someone is standing near the safety railing." Dispatch says.
"On it." Maxis responds, "Ow."
"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Elliot asks. "Oh, yeah, fine. It's just... the streetlights, they can be a tad strong as you know." Maxis lies, then Elliot's phone rings again. It's General Peterson. "Peterson?" Elliot says.
"I know this is a really bad time, with Kiera missing and all."
"She left a suicide note."
"Yes, but I am really sorry to burst your bubble, but I've just gotten a report from the secure facility that Kaylee V was sent too.
Apparently she has absconded from there. They're investigating how."
"Doesn't sound so secure then." Maxis snaps. "God forbid if Kiera runs into that woman."
"Actually, I'd be more worried for V's sake..." Elliot trails off
Then dispatch comes back over the radio. "All units in a 10 mile radius, be advised. We have another welfare report, a patient named Kaylee Vaughn, Female, in her late 30's has absconded from the psychiatric facility she was staying at.
We have no real other information available on her. Medium height, slim frame, long blonde hair in a ponytail, blue eyes, white and was last seen wearing blue safety scrubs with matching slippers and she has black framed glasses.
Please be on the lookout."
"This just gets worse and worse my night." Maxis says annoyed. "I just wanted to play a fucking game and relax. My head aches."
"Your headaches?"
"Okay, I lied to you today, both of you. I'm sorry, I actually was following up with my outpatient doctor-"
"Just to let you both know, I made some calls. I found a clinic that has agreed to take Kiera in for intake when we find her.
"You mean if." Elliot hisses.
"Elliot!" Maxis responds.
"General, you seriously have found her a bed on psych ward and will send her there?"
"If that is the safest and best place for her, Elliot. While we love the same girl, we can't be her everything, Elliot and quit second guessing my Dad.
When we find her, and she gets some help, hopefully we begin to see the real Kiera again."
"If we find her."
"Stop thinking like that! We're going to find her- Fuck, they're together. Elliot, look. What we're the odds they'd pick the same damn bridge." He says, slowing down the car and pulling over to the side of Main Bridge they're on, turning on the hazard lights so the car can be seen and quickly hops out, Elliot following.
"Boys? Son! Son!" General Peterson says, them having left the phone still active behind in the car.
Both boys shiver in the cold wind as there is a river right below them and both women are beyond the safety barrier of the bridge, looking over slightly at the wet darkness below while a bright blue starry sky overlooks them all.
"Hey, you both. It's cold out. You want to climb back over the safety barrier and come talk to us?" Maxis offers, gesturing, one hand still hiding in the crook of his armpit.
They both turn their heads to look at them, her short bright brown hair blowing, and the other one's long blonde ponytail also blowing wildly due to wind as they're up high.
---
Kiera makes it to the middle of the bridge and stands, looking at the deep blue water below. She rests her hands on the railing. There is a safety barrier, but it's not going to be too hard to climb over.
She takes a deep breath in and out.
To think it's come to this, she wanted things to be different. But they aren't, there's no fixing this.
Her whole life has just been one big mess from the moment she was born and ending it all means not having to deal with any of it anymore, not suffering.
The final chapter of her life can happen, and the story can be over once and for all. Not have to think or feel anymore, can just drift into a state of non-existance.
She prepares to climb over the barrier when she hears a set of feet running.
She panics and swings one leg over the barrier and is ready to jump down into what lies below, afraid it's someone coming to stop her when she sees who it is.
They stop, bend over, hands on their knees and coughing despretly. "How far did you run?" Kiera taunts.
She looks up at Kiera. "W-wha? W-why are you out h-here?" She manages, clearly sounding out of breath.
So, what brings you out here?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Kiera. Look around you, this is a bridge. You think I'm stupid? Cause I'm not."
Kiera relents and softens. "I was going to jump."
"That was my plan too, fuck the facility I came from."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah, I can just be done with this shit the universe calls my life. And move onto the next one, maybe the next one will be better. It will be a fresh slate."
"Are you religious, Kaylee?"
"Are you, Kiera?"
"N-no..."
"I guess I am."
"Pretty weird for someone like you."
"I've lived longer than you, I've had ample time to debate the topic."
"I see..."
"So." Kaylee says.
"So, what?" Kiera snaps.
"Can I?" Kiera says, gesturing to the barrier Kiera is partially climbing over.
"It's your funeral."
And she walks up to it, hands on the railing as she looks down for a second at the water below, the city lights reflecting on it and them.
Then she takes a deep breath and is over the barrier in less than a second, Kiera finishing climbing over too.
But as Kaylee is bigger and taller than she is, it takes Kiera more time to complete making it over the barrier.
When they're both over, they hug the barrier, they're backs to it to though and gulp.
"Long way down." Kiera says.
"Having second thoughts? Go ahead and climb back up." Kaylee snaps darkly.
"No, I'm scared, but I'm not going back up."
"Why are you really out here, Kiera?"
"Why are you? And don't just give me the excuse you hate the facility. Did someone anger you, upset you, hurt you? Another patient, nurse, doctor, social worker?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
Kiera shrugs. "Guess not on second thought, I can imagine why. State funded hospitals can be awful places sometimes."
"And I don't know you're life, not the entirety of it."
"You know how I was never adopted, had no family or support and had to make my own life, right?"
"I'm sorry that happened to you, you deserved the same things the universe gave Kade. I should have freaking told someone he had a sister, but instead I just put him in a baby box and walked away and they didn't track me down obviously and I didn't act on the 30 days I had to change my mind.
"But it didn't give it to me."
"Universe really plays cruel jokes sometimes."
"Really?"
"I think so, but I can't make you're mind up for you on what you believe, Kiera."
"Uh, so. What we're the odds we'd end up on the same bridge at the same time tonight?"
"I don't know the statistics, but I do know we are both here now. Some might call it fate. It feels more like irony tho right now rather than fate."
"How did you escape?"
"I yoinked a staff members passcode and keys when they weren't looking."
"How do you feel about... your condition."
"I don't have a definitive diagnosis yet, it's more a thought cluster at the moment. I'm not waiting around to hear them label me, it scares me.
And would I be here now if I was okay with the prospect of them treating my condition? No one can *fix* me.
That's exactly what they want to do. I have tried everything! Self-help books, meditation apps, stress balls and whatever they stock in that industry, Melatonin to sleep better at night, other drugs, ECT combined with exercising, balanced diet, cutting down or cutting out coffee and sugar.
Having you and Kade, nothing made me feel happy or gave me a sense of purpose. The only thing that remotely even helped was having a job to focus on and at work at. But they took that away from me."
"I'm sorry, I and we ruined your life."
"It's fine, none of you ruined it. My life was ruined before you and Kade we're ever born. And where I am now is because of many things I did along the way which includes hurting you and Kade.
And it's only a matter of time when they truly complete their investigation, they found out how much worse I am and my sentence becomes a for life one.
I actually killed my parents, Kiera. No one knows, I killed them and took off. They we're very private people The authorities think they had a heart attack and stuff, and didn't really look for me. I was proably a suspect, but it never came back to haunt me. It was a long time ago in a small town with not much law enforcement and deaths that we're not suspicious looking we're not thoroughly investigated.Call it time constraints and resources, I don't know.
Their cases gets re-opened now, they will find out I poisoned them. They we're abusive.
"We're they religious?"
"Yes, but my ideals are nowhere on the same line as theirs though. They don't believe in second chances while I do.
I'm sorry if this is hurting you, I'm really a fucked up person. Maybe you wanted me tell you that you had grandparents who would dote on you."
"So, are you going to jump?"
"Yeah, just not sure when though."
"Same."
"How cold do you think the water below is?"
"70-60F which is also known as 21-15C. So very cold, plus the distance to fall, we'll die within seconds from the cold, but hitting the water will also be like hitting concrete."
"You're smart."
"I'm a doctor, baby." She laughs a little, tears pooling in the corner of her eyes.
Then we hear a car pull up. "Bet it's your boyfriends looking for you." Kaylee says immediately.
Ellie sighs. "Sure will be."
"Hey, you both. It's cold out." Maxis says. They both turn our heads to look at them.
"You want to climb back over the safety barrier and come talk to us?"
"Not particularly, no." Kaylee says. "Kiera?" Maxis says. She shakes her head, 'no' too.
"Why not? We can talk and see what we can do to help."
"Maximilian Peterson, shut up." Kaylee hisses. "Look where I am. My medical license has been revoked, I have no job anymore at an urgent care center, my assets and money has been seized or frozen by the government, one of my two children are dead, my relationship with my parents was awful and I have no friends or hobbies.
I'm not married to anyone and there is nothing that stupid facility can do to cure me let alone help. Do you not understand why I am on this bridge?
Maxis is shocked. Elliot speaks up. "I'm sorry about all that other stuff, truly I am, but you might be wrong about the facility.
Not once have you had the chance to have 24/7 support, care and treatment in a safe environment to work on anything. It's a break from you're life which proably made trying any form of treatment difficult.
But this is you're chance now to try, and it's been handed to you on a silver platter and they're legally obligated to tell help you, no one can deny you the help you have craved this time and maybe even the attention."
Kaylee opens her mouth to speak, but closes it. "So, what do you say? Is it worth it? You literally have nothing else to be doing. Don't have to go to work, nothing.
Any needs you have will be taken care off. Meals prepared and bought to you, your washing done for you, and more." Maxis add's on.
She looks up at Maxis and Elliot that are leaning against the safety barrier. "And Kiera. We know you're sad, angry, and there is proably a million other emotions alongside thoughts running through your head that we don't know about.
I'm sorry you're life up until now hasn't been the greatest. Not the life a little you would have dreamed about when you we're younger. You would have dreamed about instead, having a family, going to school, curricular activities, prom, university, a job, falling in love.
Anything that would have been on little you's list. But some of that came true and whatever hasn't, you can work on making happen.
And me and Charlie can help you with whatever you haven't accomplished, Kiera.
What do you say? There's still time to do anything and everything you've ever wanted." Elliot says.
Kaylee and Kiera look eachother.
"Maybe we can get to know eachother. I'm not saying you will be my Mum and I'll call you that, but maybe things wouldn't have to be tense between us?" Kiera whispers.
"I'd like that, I just wanted deep down to actually know you we're okay and happy. You're brother too. If giving you both up was the right decision as I didn't have the money, the resources or the skill to raise you both into outstanding members of society."
"If you had kept me though I guess, I would never have met Elliot and Maxis and if you didn't, you wouldn't have the chance now to get the help that wasn't available to you before.
It sucks it took this long and far to get to where you didn't know you needed to be, but it is all here now, available to you."
"So, Kaylee and Kiera, can you please come back over the safety railing?" Elliot gestures. "You're good at this." Maxis whispers into his ear.
"Uh... Not the first time I have done this before actually..." He whispers back.
"You want to talk about it later?" Maxis responds.
"Yeah, later. Let's just get them back to safety first." Elliot says, offering hands to help one climb back over. Maxis does the same.
"Elliot." Kiera says, shaking and a few tears falling. "It's okay, you're going to be okay. We just need to get you're feet back on solid ground." He says.
"I'm cold." She says, her fingers shaking as she fries to grasp onto the barrier and pull herself back up. Her fingers are turning raw and red.
Kaylee's as well. "Shit, Elliot. Their fingers are becoming afflicted. They've been out here longer than us who we're in a warm ass car less than a minute ago.
"So, what are you saying?" Elliot responds to Maxis.
"I think... we need to go down there and get them."
"Are you out of you're mind?! No, God. We wait for backup!
"Well, do you have a greater plan? Cause I don't have one! We leave them down there, they'll freeze more and may get dizzy and pass out and fall and then die. Time is of the urgency here, there is no time to wait for our backup to arrive who are equipped with harnesses, etc."
"F-fine." Elliot stammers, climbing over the barrier and Maxis follows.
"Okay, Kaylee and Kiera, I know the platform you both are on is thin, but please try and make just enough room for us.
And I know you can't climb up, but do grip onto what you can for the moment just to hold yourself in place.
When both boys make it down there, Kaylee grips onto Maxis and Kiera onto Elliot.
Kiera clings to his chest and waist. "It's okay, I got you. I'm going to get you back to the car and home, okay?" He says, propping her up further, her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck like a monkey. He slides his arms underneath hers and gets ready to grip back onto the rail and pull himself with Kiera up.
"Maxis, are you good?" Elliot calls back, a few CM up the railing, almost back to safety.
'Uh, not really. She's double my weight and height, Elliot. And I have a blind spot in my left eye.
I shouldn't have actually driven the car, what I did was illegal... Miracle I got us here in one piece.
"Fuck laws, haven't stopped me yet, even when they jailed me at fourteen." Elliot jokes and a small giggle escapes Kiera's mouth.
"Maximillian, go back up. Just leave me here, I'll... wait for you're backup, I guess." Kaylee pleads with him.
"I- Uh, okay. Just try to hang into whatever is at your arm level rather than up. Just hang in there, I know it's cold-" Maxis says, beginning to pull himself back up when he let's go and holds a hand to his left eye, letting out a grunt of pain.
"Ah!"
"Uh- Elliot!" Kaylee screams. "What's happening? Kiera, I need you to look for me." He begs her. Ellie opens one eye, scared.
"His in pain, his clutching his left eye." She says, her voice wavering.
"God, it hurts so bad. I see tons of splotches in my vision now." Maxis says, then he feels his body shake a bit and his feet twitch.
"Woah, woah, woah, hey, hey!" Kaylee says trying to steady him. "Elliot, it's my medical opinion he is about to have a seizure, probably stress induced or something else!"
Just as Elliot pulls him and Kiera back over the barrier, falling onto the road hard, landing on Kiera's back.
'Shit, I'm sorry, Kiera." He says, pushing himself to sit up while she lays there on her back, shivering from the cold.
"What did you say? I didn't hear!" Henry calls back, unsure who said what when they hear a female scream for a split second and the sound of two bodies splashing into water.
"No! Maxis! Mum!" Kiera screams, sitting up and about to sprint back over to the barrier when Elliot tackles her to the ground, wrapping his arms around hers and her body, sits up and leans back with her, his feet crossing in-front of hers.
The same move, Vincent did to him a once and he leans back as she screams and cries, unable to break fee.
"Kiera, I'm so sorry."
"Maxis! Mum!"
Then a car skids to a halt right behind them, two people jumping out. "What is this?" A slightly younger voice says. "V-Vince?"
"Just stay there, Levi. I'll hand it." Vincent running up to assist Elliot. He pulls his coat off and grasps Kiera's arms. "Elliot, let her go. I got her." He says, pulling her to look at him.
Elliot let's go, but Kiera screams at Vincent and clings to Elliot, wrapping her arms back around his neck causing Elliot to end up partially on his side. He wraps his arms around her as she shivers, burying her face into his chest.
Elliot and Vincent look at eachother. "Okay, just keep hugging her then, she feels safe with you. He says, tossing Elliot his coat who wraps it around Kiera to keep her warm and he faces her away from the bridge, rolling them over to lie down.
Vincent runs back to his car, grabbing the walkie talkie inside it as Levi saunters over the railing and briefly looks over, seeing nothing below but water.
"Did someone fall?"
"You don't see Maxis or a older woman in her 30-40's with a blonde plait standing on a platform below?" Elliot calls out.
"No, I don't. Sorry."
"Shit." Elliot says, hugging his girlfriend closer. "I'm sorry, Kiera. I'm sorry." He whispers over and over again, stroking her hair as several police cars, the General's car, Elliot's mum's car and two ambulances and one firetruck pull up.
Everyone files out. "What we got?" General Peterson asks and Elliot looks up to him. "I got Kiera."
"Oh, thank god." Scarlett says, rushing over to him and Kiera. "Kiera, how do you feel?" She asks. "C-cold." She says, eyes blinking heavily.
"Okay, you're suffering hypothermia. We need to get you medical care, okay?" She says, standing up and Elliot sits to stand up, holding Kiera in his arms as they both walk over to one of the ambulances that have already opened their doors, pulling out a bed.
He places her down on it, and they quickly wrap her in foil to warm her up, placing Vincent's coat to sit on top, then they tighten the transport straps.
And push the bed back inside. "Elliot!" Kiera says panicked. "It's okay, my son's going to go with you, okay? I'll follow in my car. You need to go to the emergency room, Kiera." She says, climbing out as Elliot takes a seat beside Kiera so she can see him.
"What about Maxis car?" Elliot calls out. "Someone will drive his car back, don't worry, Elliot!" Vincent responds, giving him a wave as Scarlett's mum climbs back into her car.
General Peterson is nowhere to be seen now and Vincent and Levi close the doors on the back of the ambulance, Vincent giving a bang on the door to let the paramedics knows it's clear and they're good to know.
They ambulance starts up, driving into the night, sirens blaring as Kiera closes her eyes, but she's still breathing.
Elliot rubs a hand over forehead, then kisses it with his lips. As he looks up, he sees someone standing in the road, getting further away as they drive, the Military, Police, everyone else oblivious to her.
It's her, but she's wearing a blue dress, white lab coat and tall boots with her signature pink love heart sunglasses on her head, blonde hair loose and down.
She's dry and is wearing a grey fedora too. Then she has something in her hands, what looks like a clock, it looking like she turns a dial, there is a flash of green and she vanishes into nothingness.
Elliot is shocked, scared and confused as he watches the spot where the woman identical to Dr Kaylee V was less than a moment ago.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3a5ndXONR
