Previously...
COME AS YOU ARE - PART 17
Previously...
Sophia’s eyes grew wide as she recognized a gun.
“Freddie!” yelled Sophia.
Carrera stuck the gun out at Freddie. Before Sykes could react Sophia stepped in-between them. Carrera fired one bullet at point blank range before Sykes tackled him and Sophia took the bullet meant for Freddie. She collapsed onto the floor and Freddie was immediately at her side, clutching her hand, “Sophie!! Oh my God!! Sophie!! Don’t die!! Don’t die for me!!” he cried.
Rae and Herb joined him. Herb grabbed some nearby towels and began applying direct pressure to Sophia’s bleeding wound.
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Sophia was rushed to Llanview General via an ambulance. Freddie stayed with her. Rae and Herb followed in a car behind them while John Sykes apprehended Eddie Carrera and brought him down to the police station.
As soon as Sophia was brought in, she was wheeled into surgery and Dr. Larry Wolek began to operate on her.
Freddie Pelligrino was an emotional mess. He paced outside of the operating room waiting for news about his sister. Without shame he let his tears flow freely from his eyes and even wiped his snot on his sleeve from time to time. He didn’t want his sister to die.
“Freddie!! How’s Sophia?!” asked Rae rushing into the ER. Herb, who was equally concerned rushed in behind her.
Freddie turned to face Rae, “She’s in there now. You know she just kept bleeding. There was so much blood…” he muttered.
Rae put her arms around Freddie and gave him a hug. At first Freddie didn’t return it, he was so shocked and then apprehensively he raised his hands and finally he passionately wrapped his arms around Rae.
Herb just stood and watched. Suddenly Simon Buchanan came rushing in, “How’s Sophia?” he cried.
“We don’t know yet,” said Herb, “Are you Sophia’s brother too?”
“I’m Sophia’s boyfriend,” he said.
Rae turned around, “All we can do is wait…”
The ER grew strangely quiet between the four of them as they waited for word about Sophia.
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All Sophia could see was white, blinding smoke. She rubbed her eyes trying to see anything else but couldn’t.
“Where the f*ck am I?” she said trying to see past the smoke. She looked down and saw doctors working on her body.
“Oh great. That’s right. I took a bullet fro my stupid ass brother. I wonder if I’m dead…?” she said out loud.
“Sophia?” came a voice.
Sophia spun around and came face to face with Alberto Pelligrino, the man who raised her, her father.
She looked as if she could spit nails.
“What do you want?” her voice sounded hard and icy.
Her father gave her that sarcastic grin she remembered all too well, “I’m here to take you to hell.”
“No,” said Sophia crossing her arms, “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
WHAM! A hard slap across her face caused blood to trickle down her nose.
“You’ll do as I say girl. Upstart little brat!” her father hissed.
Sophia brought her sleeve up to nose nose to catch the blood.
“Is that why you beat me? Because I wasn’t yours?” asked Sophia. It was a question that haunted her as much as her dead father.
“I beat Freddie too and that boy was my flesh and blood. You’ll never amount to nothing just like Freddie…” hissed her father. He was tall with a bit of a gut from drinking alcohol in excessive amounts. His arms were huge and his hair was graying, “Now take my hand Sophie. We’re going to hell.”
“No,” said Sophia drawing up all her strength and courage, “I don’t wanna’ go to hell. I don’t wanna’ be stuck with you for the rest of my life!”
“You don’t have a choice,” said her father raising his hand again.
“I do have a choice,” said Sophia defiantly, “And I choose life. I choose to make something outta’ my life. I’m not perfect and I’m not going to vow to change into some little wimpy Cinderella but you know what?! I don’t have to choose to go with you!!”
“Suit yourself brat!” he began to swing his hand again but Sophia raised her own and for the first time ever finally caught it.
“Stop it!! Stop haunting me old man,” she snarled.
“Well, well, well, little Sophia got spunk. I will always haunt you Sophia. Always.”
Sophia said nothing as she looked him straight in the eye. Her father began to fade away and Sophia felt an uncontrollable tug bringing her back to reality.
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Herb Callison walked down the familiar halls of Llanview General and paused in front of the chapel looking in. Rae Cummings was sitting in a pew, looking very upset. He opened the door and hoped to comfort his friend. He slid into the pew next to her and took her hand. He didn’t say anything as Rae wiped her eyes with her other hand.
“She’s got a lot of guts you know,” said Herb, “Reminds me of my own daughter…”
“Your own daughter…?” sniffed Rae confused. As far as she knew Herb didn’t have a daughter.
“Cassie, my daughter with Dorian. Well, I adopted Cassie but that doesn’t make her any less my daughter,” explained Herb.
“You and Dorian…?” said Rae, “You adopted…?”
“Yes. I’ve always wanted children,” confided Herb.
A flood of emotion filled Rae. Maybe if she had told Herb all those years ago he would have stayed.
“Herb,” she said nervously, “You do have a child. You are a father biologically…”
Herb looked shocked, “What are you talking about?”
“Herb, Sophia is your daughter,” confessed Rae.
Herb pulled away, shocked and confused.
TO BE CONTINUED...
