A prompt a week - 50. Mud and Blood - Prompt 662

“Why do you always do this?” Paris muttered as he looked at the muddy footprints and paw prints across his kitchen floor.

“Do what, Papa?” came Mollie’s little voice from behind.

Paris blushed, forgetting his daughter was behind him. “Nothing, baby. Daddy just forgot to take his boots off.”

“Again?” Molly walked past her papa and set her school bag on the counter. “I’ll get the mop and the bucket.”

Paris shook his head as he watched his seven year old act more like a grown up than a child. Her dark hair bounced as she rushed toward the mudroom. He knew she would clean up, so he went looking for Ruby and Andy.

He found the boots sitting by the edge of the kitchen. “At least he didn’t drag the mud all through the house.”

Then he spotted the muddy paw prints and his temper began to boil. He began to hurry following the trail towards the bathroom when he noticed drops of red along with mud. Paris stopped and touched one of the drops. Blood?

“Andy! Andy, where are you?” Paris called as he began to run toward their private bathroom.

It was then he heard the shower and heard Ruby whine loudly.

He nearly slammed into the bathroom door in his rush to get in. Ruby, their Doberman, sat by the shower whining. Paris hurried over to find Andy laying on shower floor. There were scrapes on his face and the blue shirt he wore was torn and bloodied. The water was ice cold. Quickly, Paris turned off the water, grabbed a towel, and pulled his husband onto his lap.

“Ooooh,” came the gasp of pain from Andy.

“Andy, what happened?”

Andy lay unmoving.

Carefully, Paris began removing Andy’s shirt. As he exposed his husband’s shoulder he found a bullet wound.

“Papa, I cleaned the floor up. Is Daddy okay?”

Paris looked up to see Molly standing there. Her brown eyes were filling with tears as she spotted the blood. “Papa?”

Ruby rushed to Molly’s side. Molly hugged Ruby as the dog licked her face.

“Molly! Honey? I need you to grab my cell phone or Dad’s and bring it to me here. Okay?”

Molly nodded and rushed from the room, Ruby at her heels.

“Oh baby, what happened?” Paris whispered as he gently stroked his husband’s face and waited for his daughter. “I promise, I’ll make who ever hurt our family pay. You just stay with us. Molly and I need you.”