Chapter 136 - Running Away (One Shot)

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I was in my room at midnight starting to shove things into a bag. I had clothes, an extra pair of shoes, my phone and charger, and some necessary toiletries. I was running away. I overheard Lin talking to Vanessa earlier about how stressed he was. How he didn't know how to deal with everything. I was right all along. They don't want me here. I'm not helping anyone. I need to get away.

I sat on my bed, backpack on, and took one last look around my room. Did I need anything else? I looked at my bedside table, I saw a framed picture of me, Lin, Vanessa and Sebastian, I grabbed it and shoved it in the bag. As much as I wanted them to forget me, I couldn't bring myself to forget them.

I walked across the hall to Lin and Vanessa's room. I opened the door really quietly, praying they wouldn't hear me, I just, I mean, they were my parents, I needed to see them again, one last time. I looked around their room, I saw a framed picture of me on Lins bedside table an almost lost it. It was taken in the courthouse on my adoption day, I was holding the certificate and grinning ear to ear. Vanessa turned over in her sleep and I immediately closed the door and left the room.

I crept into Sebs room, and as soon as I opened the door, I saw him wake up.

"Hermana." He said, sitting up.

"Hey Sebster." I whispered.

"Agua." He whined, and I went over to him and picked him up.

"Shh buddy, I'll get you agua." I said, walking out of the room, with him on my hip. I grabbed his cup and filled it with water. As I was getting the water from the fridge, I saw my math test on the door pinned up with a magnet.

"Niñita?" I heard Lin come into the kitchen, "was Seb crying?" He asked, pushing his hair back.

"Yeah." I lied.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I didn't hear him." He yawned, "I'm going back to sleep, can you get him back to bed?" He asked.

"Yeah, of course Lin." I smiled, bouncing Seb a bit on my hip.

"You're the best. Night sweetheart." He tousled my hair.

"I love you dad." I said, hugging him.

"I love you too Abi." He was a little confused but returned the hug. "I'll see you in the morning." With that he went back to bed, and I put Sebastian back to bed as well.

As I was leaving the apartment, I grabbed a napkin, and a sharpie, and scribbled out nothing but, 'I love you, thanks for everything. Siempre, Abigail.'

I grabbed my winter coat, despite the fact that it was May, and slipped out of the apartment, trying to be as silent as possible. I made my way out of the building, and looked out at the streets of NYC, I slipped my coat on, and went down 5 or 6 blocks before realizing that I was dead tired, I slipped into an alleyway I noticed a couple other people there, but was too tired to think anything. I slipped my coat off and laid down on the cold gross ground. I pulled my coat back over myself as a blanket, and used my bag as a pillow, then drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

It had been three days since I had run away. I was extremely dehydrated, I only got water once when a lady handed her half empty bottle to me, and that was on the first day. I was getting extremely weak, I could barely walk. I was curled up, sitting against a wall when someone noticed me.

"Hey kiddo," I looked up, a man in his late 30's was standing in front of me. "You okay? You lost?" He crouched down in front of me.

"No, I'm not lost." My voice was pretty weak, and somewhat raspy.

"Honey, are you sick?" He asked.

"I need water."

"Well, I'll tell you what, you walk down to 84th street. There's a guy, black sweatshirt, hand him this backpack, he'll give you one in exchange, bring that one back to me, and I'll give you two bottles of water."

"That's only like, ten blocks." I said, taking the bag.

"Do you want the water or not?" I rolled my eyes, and started walking down to 84th. I made it down and found the man, who, to be honest, scared me. I gave him the bag, which he opened and checked, he nodded his head a bit, then handed me the other backpack. I went back to 74th street and found the first man again.

"Done." I tossed the bag to him.

"Nice, and as promised." He handed me the two bottles of water. "Also, if you do me another favor, I can get you some food as well." He offered, his eyes roaming my body.

"I don't need food." I said, wrapping my arms around my stomach.

"Alright, thanks anyway kid."

I walked a few blocks down, every day going further and further away from the Rodgers on 46th Street. I made it down to 82nd, and turned into an alley. I guess this is where I'm sleeping tonight.

I sat against the wall, my jacket pulled over my legs, when I heard voices.

"Get up." A guys gruff voice yelled, I immediately stood up, and as I did, I saw he had a gun pointed at me. My hands flew up in surrender. "Give us your money." He said.

"Please don't shoot." I started crying. I felt a second guy pat me down, obviously looking for money. "Please." I whimpered, oh gosh I'm obnoxious.

"No money." He said to the man with the gun.

"What's in the bag?" He asked.

"Nothing." I said.

"Okay, so you wouldn't mind if we took it." He said, motioning to the other guy to grab it.

"No please don't take it." I quickly said.

"And why not?" The guy with the gun walked closer to me.

"It has a picture of my mom and dad." I whimpered. I saw the second guy rummage through my bag.

"Jay, she's telling the truth, just some shirts, a pair of shoes, two water bottles, one half empty, a toothbrush, and a picture of her family."

"Awe. Little orphan Annie." He said, "this is for not having cash." He cocked his gun and pulled the trigger. Pain shot through my hip instantly.

A blood-curdling scream escaped my pink lips as I tumbled harshly to the ground.

"Please help." I coughed out to the very man that shot me. "Please. Just, please stop the bleeding, call my dad, he'll pay you, I swear I won't tell him you shot me I can't die."

"That's not gonna happen, at most I'd get a hundred from your dad. A run-away like you, he probably forgot about you.

"My dad. He," I coughed up blood, "he's rich. Please. Kidnap me, take me for ransom, I won't die in an alleyway." I was begging now.

"I think you will die in an alleyway." He said, grinning and crouching over me with a knife.

"Please." I was bawling at this point, "please don't." He yanked my shirt up, to right below my bra, exposing the bloody mess that was my torso. "Please I'm begging you, don't do this. Call my dad, his numbers in my phone, Lin-Manuel M..." He pressed the cold metal into the hole created by the bullet. I let out a second scream this one worse than the last. He carved out the bullet, and pocketed it.

"Bye bye little Orphan Annie." He smiled condescendingly. I could barely make out the two of them running away. I reached over to my bag and grabbed the 2 shirts I brought, I balled the first one up, and held it over the bullet hole. I fumbled for my phone, and finally got it.

Lin, I screwed up.

I'm sorry

I'm on 82nd street.

I think I'm dying

I love you.

Goodbye

I set my phone down, and grabbed the picture clutching it to my chest, and then I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

Lins POV:

I was sitting at the table with Vanessa, she was writing an ad for the paper, a missing person ad, when my phone lit up.

Mija:
Lin, I screwed up.

"Vanessa!" I yelled, "she texted me, finally!" I started to reply, ecstatic, she probably wanted us to pick her up.

Mija:
I'm sorry.

Mija:
I'm on 82nd street.

"Vanessa she's on 82nd, let's go." I shot up out of my chair, when I saw her next text.

Mija:
I think I'm dying.

Mija:
I love you

Mija:
Goodbye

"Vanessa. Vanessa we have to go. She's dying. Oh gosh, V, my baby, what happened to her?" I was running out of the apartment, and could hear Vanessa behind me.

I drove down to 82nd, and started frantically looking for her. I finally found her. I saw her passed out, leaned up against a wall, blood pooling out of a wound in her hip. She had a shirt pressed there, trying to slow the bleeding. She was clutching something to her chest. I didn't know what.

I pulled my phone out and called 911, I told him someone was hurt on the corner of 82nd and Broadway.

"Lin, she's alive. Barely." Vanessa said, her fingers on Abi's throat getting her pulse.

"What's she holding?" I asked rhetorically, pulling it out of her tight grasp. I looked at it, and saw it was a framed picture of the four of us. She brought that, she really does love us.

•••

I was holding Abi in my lap, pressing a second balled up shirt on the bullet hole, it was right above her left hip bone. I kept my fingers on her pulse. It was slow, it was weak, my little girl was dying.

Her hair fell in its natural curled waves, they only formed when she showered and refused to dry her hair. She was in jeans, and an old white t-shirt ripped and now soaked in blood. Her winter coat was lying off to the side. Her cheeks were hollow, and she looked sick.

The police finally showed up, along with an ambulance. As soon as I saw the ambulance I stood up, her in my arms, and ran her over.

"This is the kid?" A paramedic asked, taking her from my arms.

"Yeah, she was shot. In the hip."

"She your daughter?" He asked, strapping her on the gurney.

"Yes." I looked at her, she was bleeding badly, they were starting to stall it, before she was even in the ambulance.

"I'm sorry sir." He said, pushing the gurney into the vehicle.

"Thank you." I said, and Vanessa walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me. "I'll drive to the hospital V." I said, walking the two of us to my car.

•••

It had been 6 days since Abi was shot. She was in a coma, she died twice during surgery, which took almost 9 hours itself. It was a Friday morning, and I was sitting by her bed reading Jane Eyre. Not my first choice, it was her favorite, not quite sure why. Vanessa's favorite was Moby Dick, you learn a lot about people based on their favorite books, so, let's learn about my daughter today.

I was reading Abi's copy of the book, I found it on her bed, back at home. She makes notations in her books and I was living, my child was hilarious. She gets it from me.

Charlotte Brontë was adamantly pushing the fact that Jane was not attractive, when I saw Abi's foot twitch from under the blanket.

"Mija?" I set the book down. "Mija, can you hear me, sweetie? Hon, are you waking up?" Her foot twitched again. "Abi, Abi, do that again, if you can hear me please, do that again." Her whole foot moved to the right. "NURSE!" I yelled, standing up.

"Yes?" A woman in her late 20's appeared in the room.

"She moved. Her foot moved. Three times."

"Okay, well..." She started but I cut her off.

"No, watch. Mija, can you do it again?" I quickly looked at her foot, which in turn, kicked up a bit.

"Alright, this means she's going to wake up. Congratulations." She smiled, and I pulled my chair closer to her bed, and took her hand. The nurse left, and I pulled my phone out.

"Vanessa?" I asked, picking up the phone.

"Yeah, what is it?" She asked.

"She moved, her foot moved, 4 times, she kicked it. Vanessa she's gonna wake up."

"Oh gosh, hallelujah, I'm coming, I'm coming right now. Do you want me to call your parents?" She asked.

"No, it's fine, I'll call them, just, get here as soon as possible."

"Okay, I'll see you in about 5 minutes." I hung up, and re-dialed my dads phone number.

"Lin?" He answered the phone.

"Papa, uh, can you come to the hospital?" I asked.

"Why? Is everything okay? Is Abi okay? Please say she's okay."

"Dad, she's fine, I'm sorry, I should've opened with this, she's waking up!"

"From the coma, oh, I'll be right over."

"Te amo." I said hanging up the phone. I set my phone off to the side, and focused on my daughter who seemed like she was coming back to life. I held her cold hand waiting for Vanessa and my parents to get here.

"Honey, how's she doing?" Vanessa didn't bother to say hello as she came into the room we had all grown familiar with.

"Good, watch this," I said, as Vanessa sat in the chair next to mine. "Mija, can you do it for your mom?" I asked my comatose daughter. "Watch her foot" I whispered and sure enough, under the blanket her foot kicked to the side.

"Sebster, look at sissies foot." Vanessa held our kid on her lap. I absentmindedly squeezed Abi's cold hand, that I was holding, and my heart dropped into my stomach when I felt her squeeze mine back.

"V, she squeezed my hand back. My baby's alright."

"Mijo, is she up yet?" My mom walked in.

"No, but we're close, she squeezed my hand."

"That's such good news." She said giving me a hug.

"I've missed her." My dad said, "I've missed you Nieta." He leaned over her bed and kissed her forehead. "She's a sweetheart."

"Hermana!" Seb reached his arms out towards Abi. "I want Sissy."

"You want your sister buddy?" I asked, picking him up, "I want your sister back too." I smiled and lifted him into her bed. "Lay down bud." He laid down between her torso and right arm.

"Do you want anyone else here for her to wake up? Isn't she really close with Carleigh and Jasmine?"

"Family only." I sighed, "they haven't seen her in over a week."

"That's tough."

"Mija!" I jumped a little, I saw her wrap her arm around Seb in her bed. "Sweetie, are you awake, you can wake up now." She softly groaned, and moved her head. "Niñita?" At this point, I was out of my chair, kneeling by her bed, holding her hand.

"Dad?" She whimpered, and my heart leaped, "Dad, am I in the hospital?" She asked, her voice soft and weak.

"Yeah, yeah, you're in the hospital." I said, smiling at her. Seeing her blue eyes again, seeing her smile again.

"Mom!" She sat up in bed quickly, and reached over to hug Vanessa, "ow." She winced.

"Sweetie what is it?" Vanessa asked.

"There's a tube. Why, who, there's a tube in my stomach." She was confused, and was looking at the feeding tube they installed after surgery.

"Kiddo, it's a feeding tube." I gently pushed her back down on the bed, so she didn't rip her stitches on the bullet hole.

"Why? Was that really necessary?" She asked.

"Hun, you were in a coma. For 6 days. Yes it was necessary." I tucked her thick brown hair behind her ear.

"6 days?" She repeated, not really believing it.

"Yeah Mija." I said.

"Its because you have an owie." Seb said, pointing towards her hip.

"That's right, Sissy does have an owie." My mom picked Seb up from her bed. "We all missed you Nieta." She said.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, hugging herself.

"No, it's not your fault sweetheart." My dad knelt by her bed, "you were mugged, it's New York. He shouldn't've had a gun."

"No, I'm sorry I ran away. I was stupid."

"Well Mija, we can settle that right now. Do you love us?" I asked, looking at my daughter.

"Yes. I love you so much, you've done everything for me, you've saved my life, how could I not love you?" Hearing those words was amazing. And very important to me.

"Okay, well, I want you to know, we love you too, I mean, we adopted you for heavens sake, we didn't just do that for kicks." I smiled at her. "Anyways, do you like living with us?" I continued my question.

"Yeah."

"Well, Kiddo, we like living with you. We do, you're a great girl, and you're funny, and smart." I sat on the edge of her bed. "You're gonna come home in a few hours Hun." I side hugged her, and held her. "Just a couple of tests and you can come home.

•••

Abi's POV

"Okay, I realize I should of gone home and grabbed you a change of clothes." Vanessa said, looking at the clothes in my bag. "I mean, your jeans are okay, but, you have one ripped and bloody shirt, and two bloody shirts." I was pretty embarrassed, I probably shouldn't've used those shirts to stop the bleeding. "Okay, I think this one has the least blood on it." She handed me a gray t-shirt.

"Uh, Mom, I'm sorry, uh, could you help?" I asked, embarrassed, "it's just, the hole is on my hip, and it's really hard to move my leg in general."

"Of course sweetheart." She said and helped me slip my jeans on under the hospital gown. She pulled the hospital gown over my head and helped me change into the gray shirt, without disrupting the dressing on my bullet hole. "Before you go out, I have an idea." She quickly left the room and came back in with the sweatshirt Lin was wearing. She pulled it over my head, it was oversized and really warm.

"Thanks." I smiled at her.

"Anytime Mija." She said.

"Ready to go Niñita?" Lin said, coming into the room.

"Yeah." I smiled.

"I've got her bag, and the flowers." Vanessa said, holding up a bouquet, that was in my room, and the bag I took when I ran away. I started to stand up from my bed, and I winced the second I put any weight on my left side.

"Oh gosh sweetie, do you want crutches?" Lin asked.

"No, I'll be fine." I said, not putting any weight on the leg.

"Hold up Kiddo." He walked around behind me, and put his arm around me, standing on my left side. "Okay, use me as a crutch." He said, and I tried walking with him helping me.

"I can do that." I smiled, and the 3 of us walked out of the room.

"ABI!" I was taken aback by Anthony Ramos running up to me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Hey Ant." I said, hugging him back with my right arm.

"Oh gosh we missed you babe. Don't scare me like that again."

"I'm sorry." I sort of whimpered.

"No, it's okay, just, I missed my Kiddo. I missed having you around, I was terrified you weren't gonna make it. We all were." He stepped back a little and I saw that the room was full of Hamilton cast.

After being reunited with the cast, after me week long absence, I was sitting in the backseat of Lin and Vanessa's car, and they were taking me home. Finally.

I walked back into our apartment my shoes still by the door, my sweater on the coat hanger. They didn't touch or move any of my things. Although there was a new photo of me on the coffee table.

"What is this?" I asked, picking up a newspaper from the coffee table, there was a picture of me in the hospital. "I was in the newspaper?" I asked.

"Yes, sweetie, we can talk about this tomorrow, it's late." Lin took the newspaper from me and set it on the table. He helped me walk into my room, it was full of flowers, and several bags and mail.

"Why is all this here?" I asked.

"People care about you Mija." Lin said. "You were trending on Twitter. #FindAbiMiranda, you got almost as much mail as I did."

"Oh." I said, picking up a package.

Abi Miranda
C/o Lin-Manuel Miranda
C/o Richard Rodgers Theatre
226 West 46th Street
New York NY, 10036

"Okay peanut. Into bed." Lin said, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Dad I slept for 6 days, can I wait?"

"Peanut you were in a coma." He kissed my head. "Now, into bed." He said, and I crawled under my blankets. "Good child." He said, pulling my blankets up to my chin. "Sleep tight." He said, then turned my

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