Incest/Taboo Lady in Red

Steve had promised Tyler Smith that he'd ride with him when he went to Stephanie's home to pick her up. He was going to give her a ride to school for the first time. Tyler was surprisingly shy around Gwen's cousin and he wanted Steve to carry the conversation during the ride. Steve found himself going up the walk with Tyler to ring her parents' doorbell.

"This is getting a little ridiculous," complained Steve as he stood behind Tyler waiting for the door to be answered. "You've met Diane a few times. You know she won't yell at you or anything. You don't need me to hold your hand."

"Hello, boys." greeted Diane. "Stephanie will be right down. She was putting the finishing touches on her hair when you rang the bell. Paula told me that your dances were big successes at the Inauguration, Steve. She said the girls really tried to outdo each other and were all great. We watched you guys on our 55 inch screen and it sure looked good from here."

Steve pulled Diane into his arms and danced around the kitchen to a song playing on the radio. "Diane, you've been super. You're making us all look good and we don't thank you nearly enough. Maybe Gwen and I could take you and your husband out to dinner some night, as a small token of our appreciation?"

"That would be wonderful. I'm trying to be the one woman in the whole family that doesn't get all goofy when you're around, but I'll risk it for a nice dinner. Mom asks about you every time I speak to her. Paula and her girls all think you're tops and Stephanie can't stop talking about you. That only leaves me, and if you don't stop dancing me around the kitchen, I'll be as far gone as they are," laughed Diane. "Here's Stephanie now."

"Hi, Tyler," greeted Stephanie as she hugged Steve as soon as her mother released him. "When are you going to dance in public with me, Steve? I watched you on TV with my cousins and you were all amazing. Do you think I'll ever be as pretty as Lisa and Gwen?"

"Tyler seems to think so," laughed Steve. "He keeps coming back, even when you ignore him. That tells me that the poor guy has it pretty bad. He's giving you a ride to school today, so you'll just have to sit in the front seat and be nice to him. Some kids might even think that you like him."

"He should be glad to give me rides after I let him step on my toes all the time," insisted Stephanie. "Maybe I'll let him take me to a dance once he gets a little better. I should get rewarded for my suffering. A few rides to school isn't too high a price to pay for the senior football star that caught 'The Pass' a few weeks ago."

"Let's get going," urged Steve. "I just remembered that we're having a meeting this morning and we should be there by now. Don't worry, Diane. Tyler won't speed and I'll make sure that Steph gets there safely."

As they pulled into the school parking lot, Tyler made a suggestion. "We might be able to get Ralph to let us in the west door of the gym and that would save us walking all the way around the library, and about three minutes. Stephanie can go right up the stairs on that side of the building and make her meeting almost on time."

As the trio approached the gym door on the west side, they saw a large man wearing coveralls standing near a white van. "It looks like they're going to finish the gym floor again," observed Tyler. "They usually wait until after the basketball season is over. I wonder if Ralph's around."

As they approached the man, Stephanie noticed that the he was talking on his cell phone. She was near enough to realize he wasn't speaking in English, but she wasn't able to recognize the language. The man glared at them as they headed for the gym door, which was slightly ajar with a piece of wood blocking it from closing completely. The man said something into his cell phone and then slid it into his coverall pocket. Then he moved to intercept the three students as they walked toward the door.

Stephanie was stunned when Steve suddenly drove his fist into the man's face! As the man began to sag, Steve moved behind him and caught him under the arms. He ran a hand over the man's chest and stomach, seemingly searching for something. Nodding to himself, Steve placed one hand on the man's chin and the other on his head. Then he gave a very violent twist. Stephanie heard bones break!

"Shit!" yelled Tyler as Steve lowered the man to the pavement. "You just killed that guy! Have you gone crazy?"

Steve tugged the zipper on the man's coveralls down to his stomach to expose wires and numerous bundles taped together. Stuffed in the man's waistband were two handguns.

"Steph, run like you've never run before and pull the fire alarm by the library. Then get as far away from the school as you can. This guy's a suicide bomber and there're four more inside the gym! Get going!" demanded Steve as he pulled the handguns from the man's waist and checked the magazines to be sure they were loaded.

He quickly patted the body down and found a deadly looking knife in a sheath on the man's hip. He pulled the knife, looked at the wires and immediately severed a green one. Steve slid the knife between his belt and his pants. He gripped a gun in each hand and turned to Tyler.

"When I give you the signal, pull that door open without exposing yourself to anyone inside. Once I go in, call 911 and get back a long ways."

Suddenly there was a long burst of gunfire from inside the gym. Screams echoed across the parking lot. Steve nodded to Tyler to pull open the door.

Gwen had arrived in the gym with Charlotte and Billy. They took seats on the front bleachers and chatted as others began to file in. Jared White came in and sat next to Gwen. The senior class had five home rooms, so the five homeroom teachers attended the meeting. Ms. Walker checked her watch and asked everyone to quiet down so that she could begin.

Just as Ms. Walker started to address the group, four men in coveralls entered the gym from the west door, which was technically an emergency exit. They quickly spread out as they approached the students. They had been walking with a hand held behind their bodies. The first man nodded and all four swung guns from behind them and pointed them at the group.

"What's the meaning of this?" demanded Ms. Walker nervously.

"I want everyone to go over by that wall," demanded the apparent leader with a very heavy accent. "Stand by that wall, now!"

"When a guy tells you to get into the trunk of the car; never get into the trunk," stated Jared firmly. "We'll just stay where we are and you can go to hell!"

When Jared spoke, the gang's leader turned his gaze toward him. Gwen saw the dark man's eyes light up when he noticed her sitting next to Jared.

"It's the 'whore in red', isn't it?" laughed the man. "Where's hero now? With a different whore?"

Just as the leader spoke, the student sitting at the end of the group jumped up and ran for the door. The gunman closest to him turned and shot him twice in the back. Pandemonium followed as students began to flee across the bleachers and toward the exits.

The leader pointed his weapon at Gwen. As he squeezed the trigger, Jared yanked her arm and she was pulled toward him. The bullet slammed into the bleacher behind where she had been sitting. Before the gunman could fire again, Jared pulled Gwen to his chest and he turned his back on the shooter.

Gwen could actually feel the impact of bullets as they tore into Jared's body. His grip on her arms tightened momentarily and then slowly began to relax. Gwen's head was crushed against Jared's chest with her face turned to the right. She saw Billy step in front of Charlotte. Then red spots suddenly appeared on his shirt and he began to crumble.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. The fire alarm sounded and mixed with the screams of the victims. Just as fast as it began, the shooting stopped. Kids were lying in the bleachers, trying to conceal themselves from the shooters. Others were sprawled across the benches and some were on the floor. Jared slowly released his grip on Gwen and dropped to the floor. From the corner of her eye, Gwen saw Billy slump across the bleachers.

Gwen looked up at her attacker. He smiled wickedly as he raised his gun. At that moment, the west door to the gym swung open violently and Steve Hammer strode in with a gun in each hand. In unison, the gunmen swung their weapons at him and opened fire.

Steve had indicated to Tyler that he wanted him to open the door. Tyler ripped it open and held it. As Steve entered the gym, he quickly located the terrorists. Steve's hours of training and practice made the next half minute almost second nature to him. He brought both guns into play. He double tapped the first shooter in the forehead immediately and focused on the second. As he pulled the trigger, Steve felt something slam into his leg. As he began to fall, he jerked again as his right shoulder felt like it had been hit with a hammer.

Unable to lift his right arm, Steve raised the gun in his left hand, and from a kneeling position, returned fire at the remaining two terrorists. Something slammed into his chest as he snapped off four rapid rounds. Suddenly, the gym fell quiet, except for the cries and moans from the wounded and frightened.

Steve, intent on reaching the gunmen, began to practically crawl toward them. "Steve!" cried Gwen as she rushed to his side. "Lie down! You're bleeding a lot."

"Gwen, take the knife behind my belt. These bastards have bombs on them and they'll be remotely activated any second! Cut the green wires, but don't touch any others. Do it now or we'll all blow up!"

Gwen immediately realized that Steve wouldn't be wrong on something this serious. She reached down and pulled the knife from Steve's belt and raced to the first body. She overcame her feelings of disgust for the dead man. His eyes were open, but two holes in his forehead leaked blood. She pulled the zipper down on his coveralls and quickly found the green wire and severed it. Then she sped to the next body and repeated her actions. It took her less than a minute to cut all four green wires and return to Steve.

Most of the students had fled the building, but about a dozen remained. They were trying to help the injured. Gwen saw Charlotte gently move Billy off the bleachers and place him on the floor. Blood covered his front. Jared was still lying where he had dropped as blood spread across the back of his shirt.

Kneeling by Steve, Gwen pulled out her phone and pressed a programmed number. It was answered on the second ring.

"Hey, Gwen! Shouldn't you be in class now?" asked Laura as she answered her cell.

"Laura! There's been a mass shooting at the school. We need ambulances and any help you can give us. I count at least 14 people shot and bleeding here in the gym. There's probably a few more wounded that managed to leave the building. Can you help us give first aid to the victims?"

"A shooting at the school?" echoed Laura loud enough so others at the hospital could hear her clearly. "Multiple injuries? Let me give you some phone numbers. Repeat them to the others so they can call and talk to someone that can help them care for the wounded."

"Just a minute! Guys!" yelled Gwen. "I have a doctor on the phone. She'll give me number you can call to have someone tell you how to care for the injured. Charlotte, you have the first number. I'll say it once and then point at the next person for the next number. Okay, Laura, be quick!"

In less than a minute, Laura had passed ten phone numbers on to Gwen and soon the kids were on line with someone, doctor or nurse, trained in emergency medicine.

"I've got Steve here. He's been shot several times, but it looks like blood is just pouring from a wound in his upper leg, near his crotch. I'm pulling his pants down and I see blood spurting. It must be an artery," reasoned Gwen.

"Here's what I want you to do," responded Laura calmly. "You need to take a cloth, like a piece of Steve's shirt and fold it up and press it tightly to the wound. You've got to slow the bleeding. If you can, find something to tie around his leg over the bandage to keep it tightly in place."

Gwen had placed the phone on speaker as she worked over Steve. She used the knife to cut the front of his shirt off and folded that piece into a bandage. Then she snaked his belt around his upper leg and drew it tight, securing the makeshift bandage in place. Gwen felt some relief as the bleeding seemed to slow appreciably. Then she cut another bandage from his shirt and placed it over his bleeding shoulder. Looking around, she failed to see anything to use to secure the bandage, so she pulled her blouse off and ran a sleeve around Steve's armpit and over the bandage. Then she ran the rest of the garment around Steve's chest under his other arm and tied the second sleeve to the first sleeve. It effectively held the makeshift bandage in place.

As she worked on his wounds, she questioned Steve about his sudden appearance with two handguns and a knife. At this point, nothing surprised her as Steve briefly explained his actions of the previous few minutes.

"Gwen, I'm hearing from the ambulance crews that the police won't allow them on the school property, let alone enter the building. They're worried about the shooters killing more people. Is it safe in there now?" asked Laura. "There's also a lot of concern about explosives."

"Yes, it's safe! Steve shot the cowardly bastards! I checked every one of them and they're deader than hell. I disarmed the bombs following Steve's instructions. We have people bleeding to death in here! We need help NOW! Send them to the gym!"

Gwen could hear Laura yelling orders to someone in the background. "The shooters are all dead! Steve Hammer took them all out. They've disarmed the explosives. There're kids dying in there and the emergency personnel need to be allowed on site right goddamn now!"

As she listened to Laura on her phone, Gwen looked over to see the status of Jared. Two kids were holding bandages to his back and talking to him. Gwen felt relief when she saw one of Jared's hands move. She knew he had to still be alive, at least for the moment.

Nancy Burns was seething as she carried her EMT kit into the gym. The police had locked the entire school down after learning that the terrorists had bombs on their bodies. It would take hours for any bomb squad to reach Sparta and there were victims inside that needed immediate assistance. She had been in a confrontation with the local police chief when Dr. Laura Masters paged him on the police band.

"Chief, I'm in direct contact with the kids in that school. Steve Hammer shot the terrorists. They're all dead. I've been informed that he instructed another student on how to disconnect the triggering devices on the explosives. Time is a luxury these kids don't have. Grow a set of balls and let the ambulance people do what they've been trained to do. Explain the risks to the crews if you like, but let them in now, or this'll all be on your head. I'll do everything in my power to see you destroyed if you withhold aid to those students for another second!"

Reluctantly, the chief gestured for Nancy to go on the school property with a police escort. Nancy walked past the dead terrorist by the gym door, noting the unnatural angle of his neck. She saw the small bundles connected to wires on his chest and she felt a chill run down her spine. Yet, she did not falter as she hurried inside the gym to find blood and death at every turn. The police officers that were with her spread out and moved toward the terrorists' bodies.

"What do we have, Gwen?" asked Nancy as she placed her kit on the floor. "Who do you think needs help the worst? We have to triage the scene."

"Those two kids over there are hurt really badly. Ms. Walker is conscious but in a lot of pain and needs to be taken soon. The ones over on the bleachers are injured, but look like they're not hurt too badly. I'm afraid that the three over there are dead," sobbed Gwen. "Jared, Billy, and Steve are hurt pretty badly too. Are more ambulances coming?"

"We've called in every possible unit within fifty miles. Meantime, the crews we have will shuttle the injured to the hospital as fast as possible," replied Nancy as she began taking vital signs on a badly injured victim.

It was only a minute before a crew pushed a gurney into the gym. Nancy Burns directed them to the first badly injured student. The girl was quickly boarded, loaded on the gurney, and taken to the waiting ambulance.

As Gwen watched Steve's shallow breathing, she promised herself that if he lived, she'd never let him out of her sight. Once again, she was forced to consider Steve being claimed by death while selflessly helping others. She stroked his temple as she mentally cursed the ambulances for taking so long.

Steve was the eighth victim to be transported. It was a full half hour after the shootings had occurred. He had lapsed in and out of consciousness during that time. Gwen made certain that his wounds were bleeding as little as possible and comforted him as much as she could while they waited.

When Steve was rolled out to a waiting ambulance, Gwen walked beside him. She rode in the ambulance to the hospital and held his hand as he was delivered to the emergency room. Even in the chaos of the ER, everyone watched as the beautiful young woman clad only in a red skirt and bra, and covered in blood, strode regally through the ward.

Paula had been enjoying a morning coffee with her sister, Diane, when the phone rang and Diane answered it. Paula felt the hairs stand up on her neck as she listened to her sister's conversation.

"Slow down! Who did Steve kill? Are you sure you saw that happen? Did you pull the fire alarm? Are you far away from the building now? Stay there and I'll be down to pick you up!" promised Diane as she dropped the phone back in its cradle.

"There's pure Hell to pay at the school! Stephanie said she was with Steve and Tyler when Steve suddenly punched a guy and then deliberately broke his neck! He told her to run and pull the fire alarm; that there were men with bombs and guns in the gym. She heard shooting as she ran to pull the alarm," recounted Diane. "She's frightened to death and she's worried about the other kids. I'm picking her up at the pharmacy down the street from the school. Come with me and we'll try to find Kate and Gwen. It sounds like Steve is in the thick of this mess!"

Well before they reached the school, Kate rang her mother's cell. "Mom! There's been shootings at the school. It was down in the gym where the seniors were meeting. There were a lot of shots fired! I talked to some of the seniors and they said they think Gwen is okay, but Steve was shot. Some kids think he's dead! He killed a bunch of terrorists, but they shot some teachers and kids! We're being kept way down by the bus garages. There's police and fire engines all over the place."

"Stay there. Diane and I are on our way. Gwen and Steve will be okay. You know how tough he is. A few bullets won't stop him, and he'd never let anyone hurt Gwen," stated Paula with more conviction than she felt.

"Kate said that kids are telling her that Steve killed some terrorists, but they shot him and he might be dead! She thinks Gwen is okay, but if Steve's dead, she'll never be okay!" cried Paula.

Since she was uninjured, Gwen was asked to leave the ER. She knew that it was not the time for an observer and there was little she could do in the ER to help the injured. She also knew that it would be a very long morning if she sat around and waited for the results of surgeries on her friends. She marched to the admissions desk and asked who she could speak with about donating blood. She was informed that the Wellness Center at the mall was collecting blood, as they always did on the second Wednesday of the month.

Gwen hurried back down the hall and into the waiting room. It was filling up with worried parents and families. At her entrance, the crowd suddenly went silent. Gwen saw Amber Stahl standing near the soda machine and rushed over to speak with her.

"Can you get me on TV really quick?" asked Gwen. "I'll trade you information for a chance to ask for blood donations, but I need it done now."

"I have the van set up to transmit already. If I let them know I have a story, they'll patch me right into the network. This story is still just breaking across the country. Everyone wants to know what happened. You tell us what you know and I'll keep you on as long as you want. The station is dying to break some factual information on this event. Let me make the call."

"Two minutes and we're on, Gwen!" reported Amber after calling her station. "I'll count down the last ten seconds with my fingers. When I hit one, you start talking. This'll be live and it's going network!"

Gwen gathered her thoughts as Amber set up her camera and placed a device in her ear. The crowd was watching and listening to the two women as they prepared for the broadcast. Then Amber began counting down from ten. As she reached one, Gwen began to speak.

"Sparta came under attack today. Five terrorists, steeped in hatred and driven by ignorance attempted to destroy our school, and kill our students and staff. But what these cowards did not count on was the courage and determination of us Spartans.

"I stand before you now, covered in blood. This is the blood of heroes," stated Gwen emphatically as she pointed to her herself. "I proudly wear the blood of Spartan heroes. This blood was shed in defense of life, shed by Spartans shielding, protecting, and fighting for others. Jared White personally pulled me out of harm's way and held me with his back to the shooters, taking bullets intended for me. The shooter called me 'The Whore in Red' as he pointed his gun at me. Jared pulled me in front of him and intentionally took the bullets meant for me. That's truly the stuff of heroes!

"I saw Billy Marsh do much the same thing for my friend Charlotte. He purposely stepped in front of her, protecting her from these lunatics. He and Jared are in this hospital right now, fighting for their very lives. There were many more acts of incredible courage and sacrifice as these cowards, armed with guns and covered in explosives, attacked innocent, unarmed students and teachers.

"I had a discussion with my boyfriend a while back. I told him I was going to be a doctor and he told me he intended to follow family tradition and join the Navy. Then he revealed that he was going to be a US Navy SEAL, like his father before him. I argued that doctors saved lives while SEALs took lives. He told me that the Navy has saved more lives than doctors.

"It's to my shame that I ever disagreed with him. This morning, he demonstrated exactly what he was trying to explain to me. He overheard a terrorist on a cell phone and instantly made his decision. He killed the man with his bare hands, disarmed the bomb the man had strapped to his body, and then picked up the two handguns the man was carrying.

"These pathetic terrorists probably spent a few weeks at some terrorist training camp learning to shoot and make bombs. My boyfriend learned self defense and hand-to-hand combat from his father, a Commander in the Navy SEALs. He became expert with a handgun, with both his left and right hand! When he came through that doorway this morning armed with those guns taken from the dead terrorist, it was never a fair fight. Those cowards had no chance. He killed every damn one of them in a blazing gun battle! I saw the bullet holes in the dead suicide bombers when I cut the wires to the bombs they had concealed on their bodies. To a man, they had two bullet holes in their forehead! A bullet to the body may well have detonated the explosives. Steve realized that and somehow shot all four armed terrorists in the head, saving hundreds of lives and preventing the destruction of our school. Suffering from two bullet wounds and lying in his own blood, he then explained to me that the bombs were wired to be detonated both manually, and remotely, and how to disarm them.

"Now I'm finally seeing what he tried to tell me that day. We need good doctors, and we have some very good ones working desperately to save the lives of our heroes as I speak. But we will always need men and women with courage and skill; trained in combat and prepared to protect us from harm. Steve Hammer is such a man. If he doesn't survive this attack, I may not either.

"Spartan blood lies in pools on the gym floor. This is a small hospital, short on the needed supplies for an emergency of this magnitude. They're accepting blood donations at the Wellness Center at the Sparta Mall right now. I'm appealing to the Spartan Nation to join me in donating blood to help save our wounded heroes. Sparta is no longer just a town, or a school district. From this day forward we, all of us, are the Spartan Nation. As soon as this interview is over, I'm heading for that Wellness Center. I'm calling on the Spartan Nation to do the same! I will not remove this blood that's been shed by Spartan heroes from my person until we collect at least 100 units.

"These heroes lost Spartan blood, and there is no finer blood on the planet. I'm calling on all of you to donate Spartan blood for your Spartan heroes, and to do it now!"

"Gwen! Let me explain why you're not wearing a blouse," stated Charlotte as she stepped in front of the camera, wearing only a bra and jeans and covered in blood. "Many of us used our shirts, belts, even pants to bandage and treat our wounded brothers and sisters. That's why you may see many of us only partially clothed and covered in blood, and we couldn't care less about how we look! I'm going with Gwen to donate blood, Spartan blood, for our courageous heroes. As Gwen just told you, we are the Spartan Nation!"

When they finished speaking, Gwen and Charlotte hugged briefly and then looked around. "How will we get to the Sparta Mall from here?" asked Charlotte.

"Ladies, if you'll allow me. I'm Jared's aunt and I'm headed over to give blood right now and I'd be proud to give you both a ride. How badly was Jared wounded?"

Paula and Diane managed to finally sign Kate out and get her into the car. As Paula was signing for Kate, Diane explained that her daughter had sought refuge in the local pharmacy and should not be counted as missing. By the time they reached the drug store, it was packed with stunned people. Entering the building, they were struck by the silence. No one was speaking.

Then Kate pointed to the wall behind the registers. A TV was turned on and Gwen was speaking about the attack on the school. Everyone was watching and listening intently as Gwen described the events of the morning. She was wearing only a red bra and skirt. She had blood smeared on her face, arms, hands, and chest, yet she looked beautiful as she spoke clearly, but with emotion about what she had witnessed. When she called for blood donations and ended the interview, more than a few people headed for the door with tears in their eyes.

"Come on. We're going to the mall," declared Diane when Stephanie ran to her. "I'm going to donate blood for the first time in my life. Tell us what you saw while we ride over there, Stephanie."

It took Gwen and Charlotte a matter of five minutes to reach the parking lot of the mall. They had to park a distance away because of the crush of traffic. As Charlotte and Gwen walked through the mall toward the Wellness Center, the crowd began to step aside for them. They were ushered inside immediately.

"Whatever you said on TV must have been taken to heart by everyone," stated the lady that sat them down and offered them forms to fill out. "We're swamped and people are still lining up. They're all talking about the shootings and your TV interview. People really want to help in a time like this and you gave them a way to do it. I called the Red Cross and they're sending more help over here as quickly as they can. You'll get your 100 units and then some!"

By the times the girls were finished donating blood and had recovered well enough to leave, the crowd outside the center had increased dramatically. People suddenly stopped talking and watched as Gwen and Charlotte walked exited the center. Gwen took the time to thank everyone for donating. Soon she and Charlotte were walking along the line of people waiting to donate, shaking hands and expressing their gratitude to everyone. Over and over she was told by complete strangers that they were praying for the victims to recover.

Gwen eventually came to her mother and Aunt Diane in the line. She hugged both of them. "Gwen, you need some rest and clean clothes! You can't help anyone if you become ill. Look at you. Let me take you home to clean up and change, and maybe rest for awhile."

"Mom, I can't clean up, or go home. I promised I'd stay this way until we collect 100 units of blood. So did Charlotte. We won't go back on that promise. What those guys did for us was beyond anything I can describe. They risked their lives to save ours! They took bullets intended for us. How do we repay that? We can only try. We're sticking this out. When we're done here, we're going back to the hospital."

"They've set up some donation centers in the mall for people to give to the hospital fund. You should visit them and comfort even more people. Remember that you've got to stay healthy for Steve and the others."

At the mention of Steve's name, Gwen began sobbing against her mother's shoulder. "Mom, if Steve dies, I don't know what I'll do! I don't think I'll want to live!"

"Then keep doing what you've been doing. Be strong. These people need someone to show them what to think right now, and how to feel. They're in shock. You need to lead by example. Be positive and confident. Laura and the other doctors will do everything possible for Steve, and all the injured. You've become the face of courage and hope in this awful situation. Show the world why people turn to you in times of need."

"You're right, as usual, Mom. Come on, Charlotte, let's get moving," replied Gwen as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

The rest of the morning was pretty much a blur as people, mostly strangers, approached Gwen and thanked her for letting people know what had happened at the school and for starting the blood drive. It gave people a way to show support for the victims.

The Macy's department store manager found Gwen thanking more blood donors outside the Wellness Center. "I understand that you two aren't cleaning up or changing until a hundred units have been collected. I also understand that they are very close to your goal and will soon surpass it. Macy's wants to help you girls any way it can. We have a clean changing room with a shower. We'd be honored if you'd pick out whatever clothes you want to wear when you're prepared to clean up."

"I don't have my pocketbook with me," responded Gwen. "And I don't feel like shopping right now anyway."

"No, you misunderstood. Just take what you need to wear. We won't charge you for anything. It's just our way of trying to help you girls in a very difficult time. It would be our honor to have you select whatever you need from our store."

Before one that afternoon, Gwen and Charlotte were clean, and dressed in new underwear, jeans, and sweaters.

Amber Stahl called Gwen and asked for an interview to update the viewers and to answer a few unanswered questions about the attack on the school. They did an interview by the Wellness Center. Once again, they were on live TV. They answered questions about the success of the blood drive and offered sincere thanks to everyone that donated blood or had given money to the hospital fund.

Charlotte offered her observations on the attack and the courage shown by her fellow students and teachers. She described how Gwen had called Laura and then passed out phone numbers so students could seek help from professionals in rendering first aid. She described how she felt when Billy stepped in front of her before she could be struck by the hail of bullets fired by the terrorists. Then she described in very glowing terms how relieved, yet terrified, she was when Steve Hammer strode into the gym with two handguns and the obvious ability to use them well.

The girls caught a ride back to the hospital as soon as they finished the interview. Being away from their injured friends was weighing on them heavily.

Shortly after Gwen and Charlotte returned to the hospital, Gwen and Laura met in the hallway. "Steve's going to be okay, barring infection or complications. Billy's out of surgery and his vital signs are good. Again, if there's no infection, he should pull through. He had a bullet in a lung and another just over his heart. It was touch and go for awhile. Jared's in pretty bad shape. He's strong as an ox, but he was shot twice in the lower back. One bullet hit a kidney and the other wound up in his stomach. He's suffered a lot of internal bleeding. We're doing everything we can. If he survives the night, there's a good chance we can save him."

"My God!" gasped Gwen. "Jared took those bullets to protect me. Billy saved Charlotte and Steve saved us all. Look at how much pain and suffering they're enduring for us. Can we visit with any of them?"

"None of them have regained consciousness since their surgery. That's normal considering the scope of their operations and the anesthesia administered. You two have done a wonderful job getting blood donated. We've used a lot already and we're not done yet. I'd tell you to go home and go to bed, but I know how determined girls in love can be. I have something I want to show you later, Gwen. You'll be amazed."

Gwen rejoined Charlotte and repeated what Laura had told her. Charlotte responded, "In ten years, we'll be working in the new wing of the hospital. Let's hope we never have to deal with a day like this. We'll be going home to Billy and Steve and probably thinking about having kids by then."

"Ten years is a long time. Will Billy and Steve wait around ten years for us? Will they even like us by then? How can you be confident about anything that far in the future?"

"I'm not going to make Billy wait ten years. I was thinking today that if he's feeling well enough, and I sure hope he is, his waiting will be over on prom night," confided Charlotte. "I can't tell you how bad I felt when I thought he might die before we ever made love."

"I know what you mean! I was thinking the same thing about Steve. When I saw him hit by those bullets, my heart stopped. If he died I would have never forgiven myself for not having made love to him. Maybe Steve and Billy will both get lucky on prom night."

The two friends walked into the waiting room to find several men in dark suits checking the ID of the people waiting for news of loved ones. Just as they were approached by a big guy in a suit, Gwen heard a murmur from the crowd. Looking toward the entrance, Gwen recognized Governor O'Malley. Ignoring the security guy, Gwen headed for the Governor.

"Gwen! How're you doing? I came as soon as I could," stated Governor O'Malley as he embraced Gwen. "We'll do everything we can to help the injured. You can be sure of that. You've done a wonderful job during this horrible situation. I watched your plea for blood donors this morning and had tears in my eyes. I want you to meet someone."

The Governor released his hold on Gwen and stepped back to indicate a tall man standing next to him. Without thinking, Gwen moved in and hugged the man tightly.

"Mr. President! Thanks for coming to Sparta. We appreciate all the support the government has given us today. It'll mean so much to all the kids and teachers that you care enough to come here to be with us. It's been a really bad day!" admitted Gwen as she gently sobbed into the chest of the president.​