Metal

Abruptly she slams her foot on the brakes as the car swerves instantly into the unyielding herd of oncoming traffic. The sound of screeching tires pervades the abnormally staunch atmosphere, masking the frenzied screams escaping from the shattered glass and mutilated metal. Her mind instantly numb as the sound of ambulances infuses with the night air. Frozen with terror, she stares at the blood on her pale, cold hands, rocking apprehensively, back and forth. Back and forth. Terrified, but determined to turn around, her body wrenches in agony as her terrorized eyes affix towards an empty car seat. She howls in anguish, as her horror filled eyes strain in disbelief at her baby lying limp on the car floor. Suddenly, she is dragged through the car window by a police officer. Tears stream uncontrollably down her porcelain face. "MY BABY," she screams in hysterics. She is weak now, her legs have lost most of their feeling. She flails her arms in pain and manages to break free of the paramedic's hold. "Please calm down, miss." Her sobbing is incoherent. Indifferent to the crowd of traffic engulfing the mass of ambulances, red pylons and mangled metal, she pushes her way towards a doctor checking her baby's pulse. "I'm sorry, miss," he says gently, "he's gone." She howls once more, before dropping to her knees. She lunges towards her baby, picks him up, and begins to hold his lifeless body gently in her tense arms. Her lips are trembling uncontrollably now. "We're going home," she says, and she kisses his head a thousand times. She's smiling now, but her smile is drowned with tears. "It'll be alright. Mommy's here, sweetheart. Mommy's here." And she rocks him, back and forth. Back and forth. "Ma'am," says the doctor, "Ma'am..please.." Her lips tremble even more, and she begins to sing. The lullaby is sweet and soft, a contrast to the harsh shrill of the deafening sirens. "Ma'am.. ma'am," the doctor says. But she continues to sing. Louder and louder.

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