<\/p>\n
Hospital staff members bustled down the hall in an effort to prepare the hospital for the incoming hurricane.<\/p>\n
As all this commotion was going on around him, Jim Bass sat in a stiff-backed chair at his son\u2019s bedside, oblivious to all the chaos. Breaking his gaze on his son only to take a sip of lukewarm coffee, he again fell into the usual routine he had established of speaking to Lance and holding his hand reassuringly; even though he figured Lance didn\u2019t know what was going on, it gave Jim a small sense of closure.<\/p>\n
Anger mixed in with guilt, confusion, and sadness brewed within Jim. Anger at his wife for not being with her son when he needed her, thanks to her stupid foolish pride. Guilt because he wasn\u2019t there for Lance when he needed someone to talk to; maybe, just maybe, Jim could have been that link that broke Lance\u2019s determination to hurt himself. Confusion because after Lance saw what happened to his own sister Stacey, how could he turn around a few years later and do it to himself? And last, sadness because the brilliant, caring young man would be a totally different person; the young man that had such a bright future ahead of him was now reduced to an immobile figure lying in an intensive care unit with a bullet wound through his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Bass? Your wife is in the waiting room,\u201d neurology nurse Katie McGraw announced as she rushed by the room on her way to check on other patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to go talk some sense into your mother, son. Wish me luck.\u201d And then Jim exited the room, confident that when he returned, he would have the one person that Lance needed the most – his mother.<\/p>\n
The reception desk was a very boring place that afternoon, as it usually was. There were no phone calls coming in and no visitors coming and going because it was just too bad outside. Staff-members from other areas of the hospital had gone down to the ER to see how they could help; others stayed behind to take care of the patients they did have.<\/p>\n
Receptionist Mariah Johnson swaggered down the hallways looking for something to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, hello, Joey,\u201d she said, greeting fellow receptionist Joey Fatone as she sauntered up to the reception desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Mariah,\u201d he greeted dutifully.<\/p>\n
Mariah glanced at her watch. \u201cTime for a break. Wanna go get a soda with me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got some stuff I really need to be doing,\u201d replied Joey.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, it can wait. Come on, let\u2019s go to the lounge. You look like you need a break,\u201d Mariah insisted.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou go ahead. I\u2019ll be there in a few minutes,\u201d Joey said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay. Don\u2019t be too long,\u201d Mariah said, giving him a flirty smile and walked off toward the lounge, wagging her hips back and forth.<\/p>\n
Joey couldn\u2019t help but stare after her as she went down the hall. Finally, when she turned the corner, he shook his head, blinking, and went back to his task at hand.<\/p>\n
Chris Kirkpatrick stared out the sliding doors of the ER entrance, which were currently being boarded up by several maintenance men. The actual hurricane had not yet hit, but from the looks of it, it was getting close. The wind whipped the branches of the trees outside with violent force, and the heavy rain blew sideways. Thunder sounded, and lightning illuminated the sky, which was nearly pitch black, even though it was only afternoon.<\/p>\n
The lights flickered, and he shuddered. \u201cYou think the power\u2019s going to go out?\u201d he asked nurse Addie Burke.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure it will. But the hospital has back-up generators, so it\u2019s not a big deal,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if the generators break down?\u201d asked Chris. He was thinking of Lance Bass, upstairs in the NeuroICU on life support. Without electricity, Lance would surely die.<\/p>\n
Addie bit her lip. \u201cThen I guess we\u2019re screwed.\u201d Seeing Chris\u2019s eyes widen, she laughed and added, \u201cBut I\u2019m sure that won\u2019t happen. The maintenance people check all that stuff. It\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chris nodded. \u201cWell, I\u2019m taking my break now. I\u2019ll be up in the NeuroICU, if anyone needs me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right. Don\u2019t bother trying to take the elevators though. They\u2019ve been blocked off. The elevators shut down when the power goes out, and the generators don\u2019t power them. You wouldn\u2019t want to get caught in one during a power outage,\u201d Addie advised.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh. Thanks for telling me,\u201d said Chris and went to the stairwell instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell is going on out there?\u201d AJ complained. \u201cWhy hasn\u2019t anyone come looking for us yet? Is it that hard to figure out that one of the elevators isn\u2019t working and that seven staff members and a patient are missing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brian shrugged. \u201cWith everything else going on, maybe not. Perfect time for the elevator to break down, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, look on the bright side. At least we\u2019ve still got power. How would you like to be stuck in here in the dark?\u201d Ivory said.<\/p>\n
Just seconds later, the lights flickered, then went out.<\/p>\n
Isabel screamed.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood going, Ivory. You jinxed us,\u201d Brian said with a nervous chuckle.<\/p>\n
Ivory just groaned. \u201cWell who couldn\u2019t see that coming?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, there you are, Joey,\u201d Mariah said from the couch, as Joey entered the lounge. \u201cI was about ready to go looking for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joey gave her a weak smile and headed to the soda machine, opening his wallet. He removed a dollar bill and tried to shove it into the slot on the machine. It was expelled right back at him, though. Rolling his eyes, Joey tried to flatten it against the machine and push it in again, but the machine refused to take it. He opened his wallet again and flipped through the bills, looking for a crisper dollar. All he found was twenties and tens though. He tried the change section, but there were only a few dimes and nickels, not enough to make a dollar.<\/p>\n
\u201cMariah?\u201d he asked, turning to her. \u201cYou got a dollar I could borrow? A flat one?\u201d He held up his crinkled bill sheepishly.<\/p>\n
Mariah pursed her red lips. \u201cHm\u2026 let me see,\u201d she said. She made a huge show of bending over to reach her purse, which was sitting on the floor in front of her. Joey tried not to stare at her cleavage as she took her time fishing out her billfold from the purse.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere you go,\u201d Mariah said, smiling as she handed him a crisp dollar bill.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks,\u201d Joey replied, smiling back as he took the bill and put it into the vending machine. He bought a bottle of Coke and removed it from the bottom. As he twisted the cap to open it, Mariah took a sip of her bottle of Cherry Coke, licking her lips slowly when she finished, her eyes fixed on him.<\/p>\n
Joey couldn\u2019t help but stare back. He knew Mariah was just a flirt, and he knew he had a girlfriend, but Mariah was beautiful<\/em>. Any man would have a hard time not staring at her. She made any other woman, even his Melissa, look physically inferior standing next to her.<\/p>\n \u201cCome sit over here,\u201d Mariah said, gently patting a spot next to her on the couch. Wordlessly, Joey started to walk over to her. And that\u2019s when the lights went out.<\/p>\n Mariah jumped and let out a little scream of surprise. Joey, startled by both her scream and the sudden darkness, stumbled over something (probably Mariah\u2019s purse, but he was not sure) and fell forward. He outstretched his hands to break his fall, and rather than coming in contact with the hard floor or soft couch, he found himself touching something firm and round and covered with scrub material. Mariah let out a gasp of surprise, and before Joey could regain his balance, the lights came back on, as the generators kicked in, and Joey found himself leaning over Mariah, his hands on her chest.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my God!\u201d he gasped, quickly pulling his hands back. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry! That wasn\u2019t on purpose, I swear!\u201d Thoughts of sexual harassment suits were running threateningly through his mind.<\/p>\n To his surprise, Mariah just laughed. Before he knew what was happening, she reached out and grabbed his hands and placed them back on her breasts. Then she wrapped her arms around him, pulled him down close to her, and kissed him fervently on the lips.<\/p>\n Stunned, shocked, not really comprehending what was happening, Joey kissed back.<\/p>\n Chris was in the stairwell when the lights went out. Enveloped in sudden darkness, he tripped and fell hard on his knees.<\/p>\n \u201cAw, crap,\u201d he muttered, rubbing his knees. Slowly, the emergency lights in the stairwell came on, growing brighter and brighter until the stairwell was lit enough to see. Climbing painfully to his feet, Chris continued up the stairs to the third floor. As he opened the door to leave the stairwell, he found himself face to face with Jack Palmer.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, hi, Chris,\u201d said Jack. \u201cHave you seen my med student, Isabel Rivera? You know what she looks like, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Who in the ER didn\u2019t know what Isabel looked like? The girl was fine<\/em>. \u201cI haven\u2019t seen her though,\u201d said Chris.<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Jack frowned. \u201cShe supposedly went upstairs to cardiology to transport a patient, but that was hours ago. I just went up there to look for her, just in case, but she wasn\u2019t there. No one\u2019s seen her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe she left,\u201d said Chris. \u201cI mean, Brunson said we could evacuate if we wanted to.\u201d He shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe,\u201d Jack said, but he was shaking his head in doubt. \u201cI don\u2019t think she did though. Isabel\u2019s not like that. She\u2019s one of the most hard-working and dedicated students I\u2019ve met. She wouldn\u2019t bail like that. So you haven\u2019t seen her helping in the ER?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d said Chris, \u201cbut it\u2019s a madhouse down there, so maybe she is helping down there, and I just didn\u2019t notice her. Have you tried paging her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but she hasn\u2019t answered. So either she\u2019s not wearing her pager, or\u2026 well, I don\u2019t know what.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Well, I\u2019ll let you know if I see her,\u201d Chris said with a shrug.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d replied Jack, and the two went their separate ways. Chris took the now familiar route to the NeuroICU. He was relieved to see that while the lights were dimmer than usual, everything seemed to be running perfectly, despite the power outage.<\/p>\n When he reached Lance\u2019s bed, he found one of the neurology nurses, Katie McGraw, checking the equipment Lance was hooked up to.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Chris,\u201d she said, looking up and giving him a small smile.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s he doing?\u201d Chris asked.<\/p>\n Katie shrugged. \u201cNo change.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris nodded solemnly. \u201cAre Jim and Diane here?\u201d he asked, referring to Lance\u2019s parents.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Jim\u2019s been here all day, and his wife just got here a little while ago. He went to go see her; you just missed him. I think they\u2019re both in the waiting room,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n \u201cDiane\u2019s here?\u201d That was a new one. Lance\u2019s mother had been downright horrible, not coming to visit her son. Maybe she had finally had a change of heart.<\/p>\n Pulling up a chair beside Lance\u2019s bed, Chris said loudly, \u201cHey, Lance. It\u2019s me, Chris. Wish you would wake up and look outside. It\u2019s pretty freaky-looking out there. We haven\u2019t had a storm like this in years.\u201d Having grown accustomed to not receiving replies, Chris chattered on, trying to sound as normal as possible. He knew that even though Lance was in a coma, he might still be able to hear Chris\u2019s voice. Hearing was the last sense to go when a person died.<\/p>\n Lance isn\u2019t going to die<\/em>, Chris told himself fiercely. He glared at Lance\u2019s still form, trying to assure himself that his friend would be okay. The sight wasn\u2019t very reassuring though. Lance looked just like everyone else in the NeuroICU \u2013 a vegetable. He couldn\u2019t talk, he couldn\u2019t move, he couldn\u2019t even breathe on his own. Even though he had survived the surgery a week earlier, his chances of recovering were very slim. That is, unless the doctors could bring him out of his coma, which was their plan. Chris prayed it would work. If they couldn\u2019t bring Lance out of the coma, it was unlikely anything would.<\/p>\n The small, cramped, and now pitch-black elevator was brightened slightly when Brian whipped out his penlight and flicked it on. The light it gave off was very little, but it was enough to at least be able to see through the darkness.<\/p>\n \u201cGood thinking, Bri,\u201d said Kevin, flipping on his penlight as well. The others followed. The elevator was brightened slightly by the glow of the seven tiny lights.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like this,\u201d Isabel said with a shudder, looking around the small, shadowy enclosure. \u201cGod, get me out of here! I can\u2019t stand being in here for much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou think any of us can?\u201d Ivory snapped.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, don\u2019t talk to her like that,\u201d Nick spoke up angrily.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, tell her to grow up and quit whining then. None of us want to be here, all right?\u201d Ivory replied irritably.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not whining<\/em>,\u201d Isabel protested. \u201cJeez, all I said was that I didn\u2019t like this. Chill out!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou<\/em> chill out!\u201d Ivory fired back.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you two both chill out?\u201d AJ erupted. \u201cJesus Christ, the last thing we need is a catfight in here!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, shut up, AJ, nobody asked you,\u201d Ivory replied.<\/p>\n \u201cDude, take a freaking Midol, why don\u2019t you?\u201d AJ retorted, glaring at Ivory.<\/p>\n Brian chuckled slightly. Ivory was one of the sweetest people he knew, but she did have a horrible temper, and when something pissed her off, she didn\u2019t let go of it easily. It was somewhat funny to see her provoked like that.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you laughing at?\u201d Ivory cried, turning on her boyfriend. \u201cYou\u2019re supposed to be sticking up for me, you know!\u201d Brian continued to laugh. \u201cArgh!\u201d Ivory growled in frustration. \u201cGod, get me out of here!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I said!\u201d Isabel said, a hint of laughter in her voice.<\/p>\n \u201cThere, you agree. Now will you stop fighting?\u201d Howie asked pleadingly.<\/p>\n Ivory and Isabel squinted through the darkness at each other, and Isabel burst out laughing. After a moment, Ivory joined in.<\/p>\n A small, groggy, frightened-sounding voice stopped them. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n It was Hannah. She had awoken.<\/p>\n The laughter ceased, and Howie said, \u201cHannah? You doing okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d came her tiny reply. \u201cWhat\u2019s happening?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re still in the elevator, sweetie,\u201d said Howie. \u201cThe power went out, so it\u2019s kinda dark.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hate the dark,\u201d Hannah whispered. In the dim light created by the tiny penlights, they could see her looking around in apprehension.<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d Howie said. \u201cYou take my little flashlight here. Will that help?\u201d He offered her his penlight.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Hannah said, taking the light. She played with it for a while, clicking it on and off and flashing it around the room, and soon forgot about being afraid of the dark.<\/p>\n Jim entered the scarcely populated waiting room; his wife was very easy to spot, for, in truth, she was the only occupant of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cJim!\u201d Diane exclaimed as her husband entered the room. She felt sympathy for her husband surge through her; he looked like the walking dead. Skin pale, eyes pale, and revealing emotions Diane herself couldn\u2019t decipher. She knew what Lance had done affected Jim deeply, but this was ridiculous!<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad you are here to see Lance,\u201d Jim said. Diane raised a perfectly sculptured eyebrow and glared at her husband.<\/p>\n \u201cActually, Jim, I\u2019m not here to see Lance. I\u2019m here to pick you up so we can head on home or inland at least before this dreadful storm hits.\u201d<\/p>\n Shocked turned to rage within a fraction of a second. \u201cHow could you, Diane? That is our son in there, Diane! The whole time we have been here, you have visited him once! Once! Count it, Diane. He needs you, and you are too stubborn to act upon it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs if he knows I am there anyways, Jim. Face it, Jim, Lance is dead. He is only being kept alive by machines, and you people\u2019s refusal to let him go. Let him die in peace, Jim! Don\u2019t make him suffer anymore,\u201d Diane shot back, tears stinging her eyes momentarily before she blinked them away.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least we believe in him, Diane, which is more than I can say for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n Diane looked on in shock as her husband turned his back on her and walked out of the room heading back towards the room that was now in a sense Lance\u2019s prison cell. Pushing back her stubborn pride, Diane took the first step in her own healing process; she followed Jim to Lance\u2019s room.<\/p>\n By the light of a battery-powered lantern, five paramedics sat huddled together. A map sat in the center of the circle as the leader of the group talked in hushed tones to his partners.<\/p>\n \u201cYou guys have any questions?\u201d Harry Littrell asked Josh McCartney, Amelia Caston, Kylie McCartney, Kym Jennings, and Allison Brooks, the two teams of paramedics that were on duty that day. Receiving no response, Harry stood up and stretched. \u201cAlso, you guys, if you happen to see AJ or Howie, brief them on what we discussed, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere could they be?\u201d Allison asked as she popped the gum she was chewing.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no clue, Allison,\u201d Harry answered patiently. \u201cIf I did know, I would have gotten them both down here for our little meeting. They\u2019re probably on another floor helping with patients or something. I\u2019m sure they\u2019re fine. If there is nothing else we need to discuss, you guys are dismissed. Just make sure you stay close by.\u201d<\/p>\n Allison, Josh, and Amelia immediately set off for the packed waiting room, hoping to be of some assistance, for the storm was quickly approaching, and patients needed to be treated as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n Harry, Kym, and Kylie set off on a different route towards the already occupied rooms where patients were being held. Even though the generators had been supplying minimal electrical services to the hospital, patients on ventilators and other various machines still needed to be checked periodically.<\/p>\n Entering the NeuroICU, both paramedics were greeted by a frenzy of various staff members rushing from Point A to Point B and on to Point C of their destination. Amongst all the chaos, it wasn\u2019t too hard to find someone to help, the thunder and rain from the storm their background music.<\/p>\n The low existence of lights in Lance\u2019s ICU room made the area look eerie, in Diane\u2019s opinion. This had been the first time she had visited her son since she first arrived, and a feeling of guilt set heavily on her chest.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Lance, look who is here,\u201d Jim said, as if Lance was actually awake and well. \u201cIt\u2019s Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n Diane stayed as far away from the single bed as she could, fearing that if she saw what the bed held, all her defenses would come crumbling down.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, how is he doing? Any better since last time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not too much improvement, but he is alive; that is all that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n Diane nodded in agreement, wishing she could say the same for her daughter that died all those years ago. Stacey was everything Diane wanted in a daughter; smart, beautiful, wonderful personality and in one night it had all changed when Stacey had made the decision she no longer wanted to live and took her own life. At first, Diane blamed Lance. If he would have checked on his sister when she didn\u2019t come back this would have never happened right? Then after a while the guilt shifted to her and Jim where she assumed it properly belonged. Now those feelings of guilt and rage she had felt years ago towards Lance hit Diane with a crushing force when she received the phone call from Chris about what had happened to Lance. Lance had known what grief Stacey\u2019s suicide had caused the family, how dare he make them relive that part of their lives Diane wished she could put behind her.<\/p>\n A pair of arms engulfed Diane in a hug and Diane was brought out of her deep thoughts. The minutes slowly ticked by, and still, no help came. The elevator was getting hot and stuffy with the body heat of eight people, so it was a great surprise when Hannah whined, \u201cI\u2019m cold.\u201d<\/p>\n The seven adults exchanged glances. Nick rose to his feet and pressed his palm gently to Hannah\u2019s forehead. \u201cShe\u2019s burning up,\u201d he whispered down to Brian. \u201cShe feels hotter than before. Do any of you have a thermometer?\u201d<\/p>\n The other three doctors, two med students, and one EMT shook their heads. Nick grabbed his lab coat off the floor and removed his stethoscope from its pocket. He put it in his ears and slid the round end of it under Hannah\u2019s gown.<\/p>\n \u201cHer heart\u2019s racing. We really need to cool her body down,\u201d he said worriedly, looking around the elevator, as if he was going to find something there to help him.<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d AJ said, handing Howie his jacket, which was still damp from being outside. \u201cIt\u2019s not very cold anymore, but maybe it will help,\u201d he added, shrugging.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Aje,\u201d replied Howie. He took the jacket, folded one of the long sleeves over, and awkwardly pressed it against Hannah\u2019s hot, clammy forehead.<\/p>\n The jacket did little good. Hannah slowly grew delirious with fever and kept drifting off to a restless sleep and then waking up again. Nick could feel the heat rising from her body, and her face was flushed, but her teeth chattered, and her body shook with chills.<\/p>\n \u201cI want my mommy,\u201d she murmured dazedly, her eyes open, but unfocused.<\/p>\n \u201cI know, sweetheart,\u201d Nick said, squeezing her hot little hand. \u201cYou can see your mommy very soon, as soon as we get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n Hannah continued to mumble inexplicably for a while, until her eyes suddenly rolled back in her head, and her body went limp.<\/p>\n \u201cHannah?\u201d Nick asked sharply, leaning over her. \u201cHannah?\u201d The little girl did not respond. Nick again pressed the end of his stethoscope to her chest and listened.<\/p>\n \u201cNo breath or heart sounds. I\u2019m gonna start CPR,\u201d he announced grimly, cupping his hands over Hannah\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, Nick, you give her chest compressions. Isabel, you start artificial respiration. Ivory, take a couple pen lights and hold them up so they can see,\u201d Kevin directed, jumping into command. \u201cThe rest of you \u2013 we need to find a way out of here. Maybe we could pry these doors open\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith what?\u201d AJ asked doubtfully, looking around.<\/p>\n Kevin sighed. \u201cI don\u2019t know. If only we had a crowbar or something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShould we try yelling again?\u201d Brian suggested. \u201cIf someone knew we were in here, they could pry the doors open from the outside and at least get some supplies down here.\u201d<\/p>\n Kevin shrugged. \u201cI guess it\u2019s all we can do now.\u201d So they went back to banging on the doors and yelling at the top of their lungs, praying someone would hear them in time.<\/p>\n \u201cDear God, I can\u2019t believe you guys are actually going to do this!\u201d Siara Reily yelled from the abandoned hallway of the emergency room. Her voice echoed off the thick walls and the sound bounced down the hallway. \u201cCan\u2019t you wait until the storm is completely over? Going out in the eye of the storm is crazy!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSiara, we know what we are doing. At the rate that the storm is moving now, we would have about forty minutes to go a short distance and help the most critically injured and get some people to safety before phase two of the storm hits. Quit treating us like we are stupid,\u201d Harry reprimanded his girlfriend.<\/p>\n \u201cJust trust us. We wouldn\u2019t go out there if it was dangerous. We have a plan set up to where we only go within a few mile radius of the hospital so we can get back quickly, and a thirty minute time limit is set up so we will meet back here in plenty of time before the storm hits,\u201d Kylie explained, placing her hand on Siara\u2019s tense shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like this at all,\u201d she said. \u201cJust wait until the whole storm has passed, then you all will have more than thirty minutes to help somebody – you would have hours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou aren\u2019t going, and that is final, Harry! This idea is completely suicidal.\u201d \u201cFine,\u201d Siara said with a sigh of defeat. \u201cYou do have a point there. I just don\u2019t want any of you guys to get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, baby. We will be careful. Right, Kylie?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d she said with a chuckle.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I better get back to where everybody else is,\u201d Siara said as a loud rumble of thunder caused the boarded up windows to rattle. \u201cLooks like we are going to meet this storm pretty soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Sterling?\u201d<\/p>\n Alexandra Sterling, head of the Oncology department, smiled as she saw Addie Burke coming down the hall towards her. \u201cHi, Addie,\u201d she said. \u201cHow is everything going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, I guess, under the circumstances. The patients are all pretty scared, but the windows and everything have been boarded up, and things are under control. But I was wondering \u2013 have you seen Brian Littrell or Ivory Harnett? They\u2019re both ER doctors\u2026 Ivory said they were going to come up here to look out at the storm, I thought, but that was hours ago, and neither of them are anywhere to be found in the ER. Have you seen them up here? They\u2019re not answering their pages.\u201d<\/p>\n Alexandra pursed her lips. \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so,\u201d she replied slowly.<\/p>\n Addie nodded. \u201cWell, thanks anyway,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you do happen to run into either of them, tell him we need them back down in the ER.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, I will,\u201d replied Alexandra.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I guess I\u2019m headed back down to the ER then,\u201d Addie said.<\/p>\n \u201cOh okay. You\u2019ll have to take the stairs though. They\u2019ve shut down the elevators to conserve energy now that we\u2019re running on generators.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh great,\u201d Addie groaned. Oncology was on the eighth floor, ER the first. \u201cOh well, I need to burn some calories anyway. Gotta lose some weight if I want to look good on my wedding day.\u201d<\/p>\n Alexandra gasped, and her eyes immediately went to the glittering diamond on Addie\u2019s left hand. \u201cOh, Addie, congratulations, dear!\u201d she cried, hugging the younger woman.<\/p>\n Addie grinned, her eyes sparkling. \u201cThanks, Dr. Sterling,\u201d she said. She had looked up to Alexandra ever since she had worked in oncology with her.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s that Palmer from the ER, right? The one who always used to find excuses to come see you when you worked up here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Addie said with a laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cAww. Well, congratulations to the both of you,\u201d Alexandra said again. \u201cI\u2019ll let you get back to work now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Dr. Sterling,\u201d said Addie. \u201cI\u2019ll see you later.\u201d<\/p>\n She headed for the staircase, and Alexandra continued making her rounds.<\/p>\n There were only a few people left on the surgical floor, for most of the surgeons, including Kevin and Holli Brunson, had gone down to the ER to help out. Doctors Risha Veers and Amory Cannon were the only surgeons left on the floor, and they were making rounds, helping the nurses check on the patients they had on the floor.<\/p>\n Nurse Hayley Aldworth was just coming out of one of the rooms when the door to the stairwell down the hall burst open and a breathless Addie Burke appeared in the hallway.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Addie,\u201d Hayley said, coming over to here. \u201cJeez, did you take the stairs all the way down here from Oncology?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Addie panted. \u201cThe elevator\u2019s aren\u2019t working.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah. So, what brings you down here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just came to see if you\u2019d seen Brian or Ivory around. Did they maybe bring up a patient or something? We can\u2019t find either of them in the ER.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no, haven\u2019t seen either of them,\u201d Hayley replied, frowning.<\/p>\n Addie sighed. \u201cOkay. Just thought I\u2019d check.\u201d<\/p>\n She noticed a drinking fountain down the hall and headed for it, parched from her wild goose chase around the hospital. As she passed the elevators, she suddenly came to a stop. Frowning, she cocked her head to the side and listened. She could hear noises, muffled banging and shouting. It seemed to be coming from the ceiling. What are they doing up in Neurology?<\/em> she wondered, her eyes drifting upwards, towards the third floor. She listened further and realized that the sound seemed to be coming not from the ceiling, but from inside the wall that the elevators were on.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when it hit her.<\/p>\n There are people in the elevators<\/em>, she realized, her eyes widening. She immediately began to bang on the doors of the elevator closest to where the sound was coming from. She banged three times, then stopped to listen. The banging behind the doors had stopped, too. Then it came again, three distinct bangs, echoing hers.<\/p>\n \u201cHello?\u201d she shouted. \u201cCan you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHelp!\u201d came a chorus of voices.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a little girl in cardiac arrest in here!\u201d rang out a man\u2019s deep, raspy voice. \u201cWe need help!\u201d<\/p>\n Addie\u2019s heart was racing. \u201cLet me go find some help!\u201d she called. \u201cI\u2019ll be right back!\u201d Before they could answer, she took off down the hall. She stopped at the nurses station and called the number for maintenance.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Ello,\u201d came a man\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, this is Addie Burke, calling from surgery. There are people trapped in an elevator down here. Someone needs to come down here ASAP and get them out,\u201d Addie said very quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe elevators are shut down, Miss,\u201d the man on the phone replied in a slow drawl. \u201cAin\u2019t nobody s\u2019posed to be in \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know that, but there are, and one of them is in trouble. Please, you have to get somebody down here right now to help them!\u201d Addie insisted.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of our workers are boardin\u2019 up windows and all that. Ain\u2019t nobody around right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, there\u2019s got to be! Please, this is an emergency!\u201d Addie cried.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, Miss, I\u2019ll get somebody down there to help ya as soon as I can,\u201d the man said and hung up the phone before Addie could beg him to hurry. Infuriated, she slammed down the phone.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d a voice behind her asked. She turned around to find Hayley looking at her in astonishment.<\/p>\n \u201cHayley,\u201d Addie gasped. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to help me! There\u2019s people stuck in the elevator over there, and they said there\u2019s a little girl in cardiac arrest in there!\u201d<\/p>\n Hayley\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cWe need to call maintenance right away!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s who I just got off the phone with. Doesn\u2019t sound like they\u2019re going to get down here anytime soon. We\u2019re going to have to try to get them out ourselves,\u201d said Addie. \u201cCan you go find some other people to help us?\u201d<\/p>\n Hayley ran off, and Addie went back to the elevators. \u201cWe\u2019re going to try to get you out of there!\u201d she shouted towards the doors. \u201cJust hang on!\u201d<\/p>\n Hayley returned a few minutes later with Amory Cannon and Risha Veers in tow. The four women gathered around the elevator, looking at it uncertainly, not sure what to do.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to pry these doors open,\u201d said Addie. \u201cAnyone know where there would be crowbars?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s try one of the janitor\u2019s closets,\u201d suggested Hayley.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. You go check and try to find some,\u201d said Addie, sending Hayley running off toward the nearest janitor\u2019s closet.<\/p>\n \u201cAny chance the sternal saw would work to saw through the doors?\u201d Amory asked doubtfully.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think so,\u201d said Risha. \u201cThat\u2019s for cutting through bone, not through metal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust an idea,\u201d Amory replied with a shrug.<\/p>\n Hayley returned a few minutes later, carrying a large, rusty crowbar. \u201cI found one!\u201d she announced breathlessly. \u201cSomeone go to a different floor and try another janitor\u2019s closet. If there\u2019s one in this one, there\u2019s probably another one in a different closet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go,\u201d Risha offered. \u201cYou three start prying with that one.\u201d She disappeared into the stairwell, leaving the three women and one crowbar behind.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. Who wants to start with the crowbar?\u201d Addie asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI will,\u201d said Hayley, who was holding it. \u201cAll right, here goes.\u201d She jammed the end of it into the crack between the double doors and began to pry.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to pry the doors open!\u201d Amory called towards the elevator.<\/p>\n \u201cThank God!\u201d came the raspy male voice that Hayley had heard earlier. \u201cWe\u2019ve been in here for hours!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d Amory asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know. The elevator just came to a stop between the second and third floor. Nothing would work, and then the lights went out,\u201d came a different voice, another deep male voice. It sounded awfully familiar to Hayley and Amory.<\/p>\n \u201cKevin?\u201d Hayley cried, her voice strained with exertion. \u201cIs that you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHayley!\u201d came Kevin\u2019s reply. \u201cYeah, it\u2019s me. Me, Brian, Ivory, AJ, Howie, Nick, Isabel, and Howie\u2019s patient, Hannah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBrian and Ivory are in there?\u201d Addie asked in surprise. \u201cWell, no wonder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, guys, I think I\u2019m getting it!\u201d Hayley cried. Amory and Addie looked over to see that she had gotten the doors open a crack. \u201cOh God, help me!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe need something to stick in there to prop them open,\u201d Addie said, looking wildly around. \u201cI know!\u201d She took off down the hall, ducking into the nearest waiting room, and returning with a stack of magazines. While Hayley struggled to hold the doors open, she shoved a magazine into the tiny opening between the two doors.<\/p>\n Hayley let out a breath and loosened her grip on the crowbar. \u201cHere, one of you try,\u201d she said, handing Amory the crowbar. Amory stuck it into the crack \u2013 it went in very easily now that the doors were partway open \u2013 and began to pry. She managed to open the doors a few inches wider, and Addie stuffed more magazines in to hold them in place.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think you can get a flashlight up here?\u201d they heard a woman call from the elevator above. \u201cIt\u2019s really dark, and all we have is our penlights.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go find one,\u201d Hayley said. \u201cYou guys try to get the doors open wide enough to fit a flashlight through.\u201d<\/p>\n Amory and Addie worked on prying the doors open further and managed to push them far enough apart to get a flashlight through the crack. A tattooed arm reached down from the elevator above to grab the light.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d came his raspy voice, now recognizable as AJ McLean\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cI found one!\u201d a woman\u2019s voice shouted from behind the three women. They turned around to see Risha running up the hall with another crowbar.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right! Now we\u2019ll be able to get them all the way open,\u201d Hayley said.<\/p>\n Amory and Risha got on either side of the elevator and stuck their crowbars into the space between the doors. They both began to tug at the same time, and the doors slowly slid open.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I can reach in between them and push them open now,\u201d said Addie. She stuck both of her hands in between the doors and began to push on one of them. It slid slowly open. Hayley pushed back the other door, and finally they were open.<\/p>\n The women looked up into the elevator shaft. They could see the bottom of the elevator car above their heads, nearly at the top of the doorway. There was a small space in the front where they could see into the car. AJ McLean was lying on his stomach, looking down at them.<\/p>\n \u201cGood going, girls,\u201d he said, both surprised and relieved. \u201cThank you so much!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know how we\u2019re going to get you out of there,\u201d Addie said, knowing that it was not over yet. \u201cDo you need any supplies?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Get us a portable defibrillator, an intubation kit, a thermometer, and a bunch of ice packs,\u201d AJ fired off.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right. Addie, run down to the ER and find a portable defibrillator \u2013 we don\u2019t have portables up here. Risha, get an intubation kit. Amory, grab a thermometer. I\u2019ll go find the ice packs,\u201d Hayley directed, and the four women ran off in different directions.<\/p>\n \u201cHow you doing, Nick?\u201d Brian asked Nick, who was still giving Hannah chest compressions. \u201cAre you getting tired? Want me to take over?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Nick puffed. \u201cI\u2019m good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s a thermometer,\u201d came Amory\u2019s voice from the floor below. AJ reached down to take it from her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, Bri, take her temperature,\u201d he said, handing Brian the thermometer. He stuck it in her ear, waited a moment, and took it out when it beeped.<\/p>\n \u201c106,\u201d he gasped, his eyes widening.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn! Do we have the ice packs yet?\u201d AJ called down.<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d Hayley said, handing them up. Brian packed them around Hannah\u2019s body as best he could with Nick and Isabel hovering over her.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got the intubation kit,\u201d shouted Risha. It was passed up to AJ a moment later.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, Kev,\u201d he said, giving it to Kevin. \u201cYou can intubate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can step back now, Isabel,\u201d Kevin said to the med student, who had been breathing into Hannah\u2019s mouth and nose for over half an hour. \u201cI\u2019d let you try to intubate her, but time\u2019s running out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s okay,\u201d Isabel said, backing away and letting Kevin take over to insert the breathing tube down Hannah\u2019s throat.<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d they heard Addie pant a few minutes later. \u201cI\u2019ve got the defibrillator.\u201d With some difficulty, she managed to lift the machine up to AJ, who took it and immediately charged up the paddles to shock Hannah\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n \u201cBack off, Nick,\u201d he said, as Ivory pulled back Hannah\u2019s hospital gown and placed pads on her chest. Nick backed away, and AJ rubbed the paddles together. \u201cClear!\u201d Everyone stepped back, and AJ pressed the paddles to the pads on Hannah\u2019s chest. Her small body jolted with electricity.<\/p>\n Ivory pressed her stethoscope to Hannah\u2019s chest. \u201cNo rhythm,\u201d she said grimly. \u201cShock her again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cClear!\u201d<\/p>\n Ivory checked again. \u201cStill nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s been down for so long,\u201d Howie said, chewing on his bottom lip. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be hard to get her back now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a chance,\u201d Brian said stubbornly. \u201cWe\u2019ve been doing CPR, keeping her blood flowing. There\u2019s a chance. Defibrillate again, AJ.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cClear!\u201d<\/p>\n Ivory sighed. \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShould we call it?\u201d Nick asked, looking from Ivory to Brian.<\/p>\n Ivory sighed again and listened again to Hannah\u2019s chest. \u201cShe\u2019s been without cardiac activity for probably an hour now. I guess this is it. Nick, ask the women down there for the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, wait!\u201d Brian cried suddenly. \u201cOne more time. Just shock her one more time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBrian,\u201d Kevin started gently, but Brian interrupted him.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease,\u201d he went on stubbornly. \u201cI know it doesn\u2019t look good right now, but we could still get her back. I\u2019ve seen it happen before. It happened to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were down for like thirty seconds, Brian, not a whole hour,\u201d Kevin said quietly.<\/p>\n Brian glared at him. \u201cI don\u2019t care,\u201d he snapped. \u201cJust shock her once more.\u201d He wasn\u2019t sure what it was, but he was determined not to let Hannah die. Maybe it was because he had lived through the same kind of illness she had when he was little, or maybe it was because he had been stuck in the elevator with her for so long, but felt like they had to get her back. \u201cJust once more,\u201d he repeated softly.<\/p>\n Ivory and Kevin exchanged doubtful glances, and Isabel looked near tears, but AJ nodded and said vigorously, \u201cCharging paddles.\u201d<\/p>\n The elevator waited in suspense as the paddles charged.<\/p>\n \u201cClear!\u201d<\/p>\n Ivory dutifully placed the stethoscope to Hannah\u2019s chest, her expression grave. She shook his head slowly in defeat, and Isabel let out a little whimper. Ivory pressed her lips together and moved the stethoscope across Hannah\u2019s chest, checking one last time. And then, suddenly, her face changed. Her hazel eyes grew wide, and her mouth dropped open in surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d Kevin asked, staring at her. \u201cDon\u2019t even tell me she-\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s got a rhythm,\u201d Ivory interrupted him. \u201cI don\u2019t believe it. She\u2019s got a rhythm. You got her back, Aje.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe<\/em> got her back,\u201d AJ corrected, looking from Ivory to Kevin to Brian to Nick to Howie, and finally, to Isabel. \u201cGood save, guys.\u201d<\/p>\n Allison Brooks drove the designated route at a low rate of speed, expertly dodging tree limbs, trashcans, and other debris. Luckily I haven\u2019t had to dodge any bodies in the road<\/em>, Allison thought with a shudder. Suddenly, the crew approached a small trailer park that was sickeningly destroyed like a giant had stepped on it and squashed the area like a bug.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s check for survivors here,\u201d the youngest member of the squad, Amelia Caston, suggested. The two older members agreed, and Allison pulled over in a small area where much debris was not present.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s split up, and if we find anybody, we yell because communications are still down. Hopefully, most of these people evacuated when they had the chance. We don\u2019t have much time,\u201d Kym Jennings ordered as she looked nervously up at the sky, which was now a scary shade of blue. \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n Amelia Caston was slowly starting to reach the conclusion that all of the residents of the trailer park had already evacuated. Amelia had come up with nothing except for many damaged possessions and trailers, which were about to cave in if they hadn\u2019t already. As she was getting ready to head back towards the emergency vehicle, a strange sound reached her ears and she listened closely.<\/p>\n \u201cAllison, Kym! Over here!\u201d Amelia yelled. A child was trapped under the rubble.<\/p>\n Kylie and Harry were both relieved that their route was not heavily damaged by the hurricane, for most of the damage was caused by the high winds, hail, and driving rains, but they both had a bad feeling the hurricane would be coming this way for round two, even though this area wasn\u2019t too far from the coastal area.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that up there, Har?\u201d Kylie asked as she squinted her eyes to try and get a better look at the white object on the side of the road in front of them.<\/p>\n Harry was silent for a few seconds as he also tried to get a better look. \u201cI think it is a car, Ky. Let\u2019s check and see if it is abandoned.\u201d<\/p>\n Harry quickly approached the vehicle and put the ambulance in park, he and Kylie rushing over to the vehicle. They immediately noticed a hunched over figure in the driver\u2019s seat, and luckily, the passenger\u2019s side door was unlocked. Harry climbed inside as Kylie ran back to the ambulance to get a neck collar and backboard, just in case the victim was alive.<\/p>\n Without hesitation, Harry reached out and touched the person\u2019s shoulder, jumping back as she sat up. A pretty young woman with curly light brown hair and light eyes stared up at Harry. Harry took a visual examination of the woman\u2019s body to check for injuries. The only thing he found was minor scratches and bruises on the woman\u2019s face and arms.<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Harry Littrell, and I\u2019m with the Atlantic City Rescue Squad. Are you injured anywhere else?\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman gave a small laugh and then winced. \u201cI would be in tip top shape if my leg wasn\u2019t broken. I knew I couldn\u2019t go anywhere so I, uh, decided to take a nap until somebody saw my car here. I am exhausted,\u201d she said sheepishly.<\/p>\n Harry offered the young woman a small smile and yelled out the open door for Kylie to go ahead and put the backboard away and to find a brace and bandages to stabilize the leg until they could reach the hospital.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is your name, by the way?\u201d Harry asked the young woman as he reached around her to try to lodge the door open.<\/p>\n \u201cNatalie Brenner, but you can call me Nattie if you want to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAhh, here we go,\u201d Harry announced with a grunt as the door gave way to the weight and popped open. \u201cI\u2019m going to go around to your side and help you out, and then we will get in the ambulance and go en route to the hospital,\u201d Harry explained.<\/p>\n Nattie nodded and subconsciously braced herself for the pain she knew would come once her leg was moved. Harry quickly ran to the other side as Kylie came running out from the ambulance and over to the car.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Ky. Nattie, meet my partner Kylie McCartney; Kylie, meet Natalie Brenner,\u201d Harry introduced the two young women as he grasped Nattie under her arms and carefully lifted her up as Kylie gently supported her legs. The two paramedics quickly transported Nattie over to the open backdoor of the ambulance and sat her down. Harry and Kylie worked quickly together to wrap the knee and place the brace on it.<\/p>\n \u201cAll done,\u201d Harry announced with a smile. \u201cWe need to get going; it is almost time to be back at Memorial, Ky.\u201d<\/p>\n Kylie nodded and looked up at the sky, her green eyes growing wide with fright. \u201cUh, Harry, we need to get going now! I think the eye of the storm is passing a lot quicker than we thought.\u201d Climbing into the back of the ambulance with Nattie, Kylie quickly slammed the doors shut and took a seat beside Nattie on one of the benches.<\/p>\n In just seconds, the winds had picked up, and the sky was starting to turn dark much quicker than any of the paramedics had suspected. Harry drove as quickly as he safely could during the weather conditions.<\/p>\n \u201cGuys, we need to evacuate!\u201d<\/p>\n Kym and Allison approached Amelia, their breathing rate slightly increased.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s up, Amelia?\u201d Kym questioned.<\/p>\n \u201cShh, listen.\u201d<\/p>\n Kym opened her mouth to report that she heard nothing until a soft crying was heard.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my gosh,\u201d Allison whispered. \u201cIt sounds like it is coming from over there,\u201d she said pointing towards a pile of rubble that once was a trailer.<\/p>\n The three young paramedics raised towards the location, knowing that time was precious and nearly nonexistent. With their bare hands, they began to tear at the rubble, the crying getting even louder as each section was tossed away. Suddenly, the crying stopped, and the three women exchanged glances; they weren\u2019t going to give up on this child.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m there!\u201d the voice of Amelia announced and Allison and Josh rushed over. \u201cHelp me move this piece, and I think we can get them out.\u201d<\/p>\n The three EMTs grasped a hold of the large piece that was formerly a thin wall and pulled with all their might, finally moving it up enough to scoot it out of the way.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo victims – one appears to be a Caucasian female in her early twenties, no heart rhythm or breath sounds. Second appears to be a Caucasian female approximately six months of age. Breath sounds and heart rhythm present. Appears to be unconscious,\u201d Amelia spouted off as she checked both victims. She carefully picked up the baby and supported her neck and back as she and her colleagues raced towards the ambulance.<\/p>\n Amelia and Allison hopped into the back after gently placing the baby on a portable stretcher, as Kym hopped into the drover\u2019s seat and sped off towards the hospital.<\/p>\n Minutes later, they reached the hospital, just as the thirty minute time limit was about to end. The baby was quickly placed in the care of Siara Reily and her team. Looking through a crack in one of the boarded up windows, the three paramedics realized they had arrived just in time for the second part of the storm had arrived a lot sooner than expected. The only question was, where were Kylie and Harry?<\/p>\n \u201cOh gosh, I can\u2019t believe we made it!\u201d Nattie exclaimed as Kylie and Harry placed her down on the floor of an old abandoned building they were currently seeking shelter in.<\/p>\n The storm had approached quickly, and the trio had evacuated their emergency vehicle. Kylie and Harry had run towards the building as they carried Nattie because she herself couldn\u2019t run or walk, for that matter. The building had turned out to be the old abandoned city recreation center, which had been shut down years earlier when a new and improved center was constructed on the opposite side of town. Harry had recognized the building because he and his younger brother, Brian, would always come to the recreation center to play basketball during the summer, a fond memory for Harry. Jack Palmer walked down the hallway leading to the ER, looking over the list compiled by ER nurse Chris Kirkpatrick about the patients in the waiting rooms and their conditions. Nearing the ER, a familiar voice reached Jack\u2019s ears, and he broke into a jog, the panic and anger in the voice sparking Jack\u2019s curiosity. As Jack ran through the open double doors, he saw pediatrician Brian Littrell in the middle of a poorly constructed circle consisting of Siara Reilly, Holli Brunson, and paramedics Josh McCartney, Amelia Caston, Allison Brooks, and Kym Jennings.<\/p>\n \u201cYou had better hope he is okay! Whose crazy idea was it for them to go out in this weather, a hurricane of all things!?\u201d Brian yelled, his blue eyes blazing in anger.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was, for the most part, his idea,\u201d Allison spoke calmly, hoping to calm Brian down, for many occupants of the waiting room were turning their attention to the small group. \u201cI\u2019m sure he is all right, Brian. He and Kylie have good heads on their shoulders; they wouldn\u2019t do anything that would put them or anyone else in danger.\u201d<\/p>\n Except go out in the middle of a hurricane<\/em>, Jack thought, but despite his sarcasm, his heart had begun to beat a little faster with anxiety. He knew exactly who they were talking about \u2013 Brian\u2019s brother, Harry\u2026 and his own best friend\u2019s wife. He glanced over at Josh, who looked rather pale.<\/p>\n Brian snorted in disbelief. \u201cThen why haven\u2019t they contacted us? For all we know, they could be on the roadside dead or something.\u201d A distressed gasp from Siara was heard, bringing more realization to the situation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe communications are still down, Brian. Even if they wanted to contact us, they wouldn\u2019t be able to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, all right. Enough!\u201d Holli Brunson interrupted. \u201cLet\u2019s discuss this in an orderly manner.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going out to look for them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are not going alone, Dr. Littrell. Along with Harry and Kylie, they might have also been transporting patients, and you cannot and will not handle this alone. Dr. Reily, you may accompany Dr. Littrell because Harry is your boyfriend and I\u2019m sure you will want to be there,\u201d Holli said with a distasteful sneer.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going, too,\u201d Josh announced.<\/p>\n \u201cFine. So you three are heading out to fetch our irresponsible paramedics. That settles that. Good luck,\u201d Holli said flatly, and without allowing anyone else to speak, turned and exited the room.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, let\u2019s get going,\u201d Brian said.<\/p>\n The small group that had accumulated in the room watched silently as the three young doctors exited the room. They weren\u2019t out to save a random person; they were out to save two of their own.<\/p>\n Siara stared pensively out the window as Brian drove slowly down the ravaged streets of Atlantic City. All around them, there was destruction. There were trees and electrical lines down everywhere. Windows were shattered, road signs flattened, debris littering the flooded ground. But that didn\u2019t faze her; that didn\u2019t matter. Only one thing did, and that was finding Harry and the others.<\/p>\n She glanced up at Brian and Josh from the backseat. Brian was gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white, and Josh\u2019s hands were trembling. She could not forget that she was not the only one in that car with a loved one missing. Josh\u2019s wife Kylie was out there, and Brian was Harry\u2019s brother. Both of them were experiencing the same thing she was \u2013 the fear that something terrible had happened to the paramedics. Just the thought of it made an icy block form in Siara\u2019s stomach, so she tried not to think it. But that was near impossible.<\/p>\n \u201cLook!\u201d Josh gasped suddenly, making Siara jump. \u201cUp ahead, on the side of the road! Oh God\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Siara felt sick to her stomach as she saw what Josh did. Lying on its side, a telephone poll on top of it, was a familiar-looking ambulance.<\/p>\n When the raging winds had stopped blowing, and the rain had stopped pelting fiercely on the roof of the old building, Harry stood up. \u201cI\u2019m gonna head back to the rig, see how much damage there is,\u201d he said. \u201cYou stay here with Nattie. If the ambulance is drivable, I\u2019ll be back to pick you two up. If not, I\u2019m going to stay there. Someone\u2019s gotta come looking for us sooner or later, and there\u2019s no way they\u2019re going to find us in here.\u201d<\/p>\n Kylie nodded. \u201cAll right. Be careful,\u201d she said. \u201cIf it gets bad again, come right back in here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Mother,\u201d Harry said with a grin and left the two women, as he made his way outside. His mouth opened slightly as he surveyed the scene around him. Shaking his head in disbelief, he walked slowly to the place where they had left the ambulance, on the side of the road near the former recreation center.<\/p>\n At first, he did not see it. On second glance, he realized why. The once-white ambulance was no longer parked upright in the spot where they had left it. It was turned on its side, spattered with mud, and smashed in, a telephone pole leaning on top of it. Loose wires snaked from the poll, shooting sparks out.<\/p>\n Warily, Harry headed towards the road, keeping a safe distance away from the ambulance. That\u2019s when he noticed a blue Honda parked a ways back, behind the ambulance. He squinted at it. It looked awfully familiar\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cHarry?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHarry!\u201d<\/p>\n Suddenly, three people were running toward him from the opposite direction. He barely had time to recognize them before a pretty blonde hurtled herself into his arms. \u201cSiara!\u201d he gasped, hugging her tightly. \u201cWhat are you doing out here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe came to look for you,\u201d answered a male voice, and Harry looked up to see his younger brother Brian, the owner of the blue Honda, standing there as well.<\/p>\n \u201cThank God you\u2019re okay!\u201d Siara cried. \u201cThe ambulance\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Kylie?\u201d interrupted the third person, Kylie\u2019s husband Josh. \u201cIs she okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s fine,\u201d Harry assured him quickly. \u201cShe\u2019s over there, in that building.\u201d He pointed to the recreation center. \u201cThere\u2019s a girl in there with a broken leg.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, let\u2019s go then,\u201d Josh said, anxious to see Kylie for himself, to assure himself she was okay. He was very worried, not just about her, but about their unborn baby. Surely all this stress and panic couldn\u2019t be good on either of them.<\/p>\n Harry nodded, and the four of them walked swiftly towards the abandoned building.<\/p>\n \u201cWow\u2026 look at all that,\u201d Nick murmured. Hours later, when the storm was finally over, he and Isabel had ventured out of the hospital and were now slowly walking down the sidewalk, observing all the damage done. The front window of Sully\u2019s was shattered, the wooden sign that usually hung overhead gone. Trees and power lines were down everywhere, and there was standing water in the street.<\/p>\n \u201cHad you ever been in a hurricane before this?\u201d Isabel asked Nick.<\/p>\n \u201cOh sure, several of them. I grew up in Florida,\u201d he replied. \u201cHow about you? Was this your first?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m from Michigan. We don\u2019t get hurricanes up there. Tornadoes, yeah, but not hurricanes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome to the coast,\u201d he said with a laugh. \u201cSo\u2026 that was pretty tense in that elevator today, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n Isabel shivered. \u201cYeah. Sorry for freaking out like that, when we first got stuck. I get claustrophobic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Nick replied. \u201cIt\u2019s okay. I understand. And you stayed calm after that, even with Hannah and everything. I know a lot of people who would have been freaking out then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was freaking out inside,\u201d she admitted. \u201cI\u2019m so glad we got her back. She was so sweet. It would have been horrible to see her die.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked on in silence for a few minutes. The streets were unusually empty, except for the rescue workers, electrical crews, and construction workers out helping to clean up the damage. It was very eerie outside, with the dark, cloud-laden twilight sky looming down on them and the evacuated, damaged houses and buildings surrounding them.<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder what my apartment looks like,\u201d Isabel said suddenly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is your apartment? It\u2019s not on the other side of town, is it? By the coast?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s on this side of town, luckily.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt will probably be okay then. You might have some broken windows or something, but there shouldn\u2019t be too much damage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. What about you? Where do you live?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got a place on this side of town, too. It should be okay,\u201d Nick replied.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good. So\u2026 what time are you off?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMe? Seven. How about you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeven, too. You want to come over to my apartment when we get off and check out the damage? I can make us dinner if the place isn\u2019t too messed up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Nick said, smiling. \u201cI\u2019d love to.\u201d He gently reached out and took her hand, and they continued down the street.<\/p>\n Addie was very nervous driving home that night. Her beautiful little apartment, right next to the ocean\u2026 What would it look like? She had seen the damage to the buildings near the hospital, which was on the side of Atlantic City farthest from the coast. Her apartment complex was on the other side of town. As she drove in that direction, she could tell that the damage got worse and worse the closer she got to the coast.<\/p>\n When she reached the street her apartment was located on, she found that it was blocked off. Fire trucks and electrical and construction crews were all over the street. Addie rolled down her window and slowly pulled up to a parked fire truck, where several fire fighters stood.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me,\u201d she said politely, \u201cbut I live on this street. Are you not letting people pass?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, ma\u2019am, I\u2019m sorry, but there\u2019s a lot of damage. Nobody on this street will be able to go back to their homes tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cH-how bad is the damage?\u201d Addie asked.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s bad, ma\u2019am,\u201d one of the firefighters told her. \u201cSome of the buildings will be able to be restored, but others will probably have to be torn down and rebuilt. Lots of damage done. Worst hurricane I\u2019ve seen in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Addie craned her neck, looking for her apartment building down the street. She could just see the top of it, but it was impossible to tell how much damage had been done to it. At least it\u2019s still standing<\/em>, she told herself. She and Jack\u2019s apartment was on the second floor, so maybe there wouldn\u2019t be too much damage done.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have anywhere to stay, ma\u2019am?\u201d the firefighter asked. \u201cThey have shelters set up in local schools, and they\u2019re letting people stay the night there. Or you could check into a hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, that\u2019s okay. I can stay with one of my friends,\u201d Addie replied. \u201cThanks for your help.\u201d<\/p>\n Slowly, she backed out of the street and went back in the direction she had come. Many of the streets near her own were barricaded off, the houses damaged too much to be used. As she observed the destruction, her eyes filled with tears. Her vision growing blurry, she pulled to the side of the road and got out her cell phone. She punched in a number, hung up, and waited. A few minutes later, the phone in her hand rang.<\/p>\n \u201cAddie?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJack!\u201d Addie cried. \u201cJack, the apartment \u2013 I-I can\u2019t even get to it; there\u2019s too much damage. Almost all the streets in our neighborhood are blocked off.\u201d She wasn\u2019t sure why she was crying; the apartment was still standing at least, and she and Jack were both safe. That was the important thing. But all the pent-up emotions she had tried to block all day were finally coming out, and she sobbed over the phone.<\/p>\n \u201cShh\u2026 it\u2019s okay, honey,\u201d Jack soothed. \u201cIt\u2019s okay. You go to Kylie and Josh\u2019s place, okay? I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll let us stay the night at least, and we\u2019ll figure out something in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Addie said, her voice thick with tears. \u201cWhen are you getting off?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, baby. Probably not till late. We have a lot of patients coming in with injuries from the storm. But I\u2019ll get off as soon as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Addie said again. \u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI love you, too,\u201d Jack replied. He blew her a kiss over the phone, and they hung up. Sniffling and wiping her eyes, Addie put her phone away and slowly pulled back onto the road, heading straight for Kylie and Josh\u2019s apartment.<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, that smells good,\u201d Nick said, inhaling deeply as Isabel stirred the contents of the pot on the stove. The two had gotten back to Isabel\u2019s apartment over an hour earlier. There was not much damage, just a broken window and a tree down in the front yard.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Isabel replied, beaming. \u201cIt\u2019s my grandmother\u2019s recipe. Homemade spaghetti and meatballs. I haven\u2019t made it in a long time. I hope you like it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf it tastes as good as it smells, I know I\u2019ll love it,\u201d said Nick. \u201cWhere did you learn to cook?\u201d<\/p>\n Isabel shrugged. \u201cFrom my mom and grandma, I guess. They were both the kind of women that made their families nice dinners every night and all that. I want to be like that someday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I love a girl who can cook,\u201d said Nick, then hastily added, \u201cNot that I would expect a woman to do all the cooking and cleaning and everything. I\u2019m not, like, sexist or anything. I think that, uh, the man and woman should both share the household responsibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Isabel laughed as Nick blushed. \u201cGood save, Carter,\u201d she said teasingly. She set down her wooden spoon and came to sit down with him at her old, wooden kitchen table, which had been her mother\u2019s. It was a square table with two benches on opposite sides of it, rather than chairs. She sat down on the bench beside Nick, rather than across from him, and slid close to him. He gazed at her for a moment, then lightly put his arm around her. She relaxed against him, and he held her closer. Sitting so close to him, her head against his shoulder, a pot of spaghetti boiling on the stove, Isabel felt very content. She tipped her head up to look at Nick. He looked very sexy in the golden light of the kitchen, and his pouty lips were nearly irresistible. She wanted to kiss him. Looking down at her, at her beautiful chocolate eyes and red lips, he wanted the same. Slowly, he bent his head down, and she raised her chin, and their lips touched. The kiss was very soft and gentle, not passionate, but tender and romantic. Nick put his other arm around Isabel and felt her arms come up around his neck. They broke the kiss softly and slowly pulled back. Isabel rubbed her lips together and smiled coyly up at Nick. He smiled back, color again creeping up his cheeks.<\/p>\n \u201cI better stir the sauce,\u201d Isabel said softly, reluctantly rising from the bench.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Nick said dazedly, a dreamy expression on his face as he watched her walk to the stove. \u201cYou stir that sauce.\u201d<\/p>\n Isabel glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled, feeling even more content. The storm was over, and for her, it seemed a new relationship had just begun.<\/p>\n Episode 13: Hurricane (Part 2) Hospital staff members bustled down the hall in an effort to prepare the hospital for the incoming hurricane. As all this commotion was going on around him, Jim Bass sat in a stiff-backed chair at his son\u2019s bedside, oblivious to all the chaos. Breaking …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":66,"menu_order":13,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-222","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":229,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/222\/revisions\/229"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/66"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}+++<\/h4>\n
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\n\u201cIt will be ok, I promise Diane,\u201d she heard her husband say. It was then she realized tears were streaming down her cheeks. She had now reached the second step of the healing process and it couldn\u2019t have come at a better time.<\/p>\n+++<\/h4>\n
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\nSiara and Harry stayed stared silently at one another for a moment before he finally spoke up. He knew that Siara was only looking out for him and she didn\u2019t want anything to happen, but this was all a part of his job. \u201cI\u2019m going, Siara, and that is final. You have no right to tell me how to do my job.\u201d<\/p>\n+++<\/h4>\n
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\nOutside, the roaring of the wind, hail, and rain that was heard just under an hour ago raged, and the occupants of the building could tell within seconds they would be hit by the storm. Lying flat on the floor close to each other with their arms protecting their heads, they began to pray as the debris fell around them.<\/p>\n+++<\/h4>\n
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Episode 14<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"