A joint project! Written by Jessi T. (Au Revoir Amour), Belle (Canadian Belle), and edited by Casey (BugFan4Ever). This took a while, and a lot of truth or dare and arguing to get it just right, but we had fun with it. :) There might be another chapter later if you want one....... so please review, and tell us what you think!
The silence that surrounded him was like no other. It was quieter than space, than death, than everything he knew. It was calming and deafening, but more thorough and complete than anything he had ever known. It was like... he couldn't describe it, though the words were on the tip of his pink tongue. It was like magic, like calm, like peace, like hope, like love. Like ...perfection.
"Clear!" The shock reverberated through his entire body and he convulsed, the silence suddenly gone and replaced by panic. Utter panic dripped off everyone around him and he could feel it in his soul like dark poetry rearing its ugly head at the worst possible moment.
"I have a pulse!"
No, that was bad. He tried to slip back into the silence— it was perfect. He wanted that. He wanted the silence to come back, so he could feel its wonderfulness once more.
"It's gone again! Clear!" He convulsed again involuntarily, and the silence slipped from his grasp again. He wanted to scream for them to stop trying. He was dead, and he knew it. He was on the brink of life and death— just let me go!
The slow, steady beep of the heart monitor told him that they were succeeding in bringing him back. It hurt. The pain was returning. He wanted it gone. He wanted the silence. There hadn't been pain when everything was calm.
"Just stay with us, Nigel!" Bug's voice. His best friend. He wanted that, too, but he couldn't have both. And Lily. What about Lily? And Jordan. How would she live without him? Without his help, his computer genius, she wouldn't be able to go off in search of murderers and freaks of all sorts. They needed him.
He didn't even know why he was here. Or where 'here' was. A hospital, perhaps? No, it felt more like the morgue. What happened? An explosion of some kind? A bio-weapon of mass destruction again? Had he gone into cardiac arrest on his own? No, that wasn't it. He was healthy. ...of course! The elevator.
It all came back to him in a rush.
"Today is a good day," said Kate with a smile. He rarely saw her smile. It was nice. "Today we are back at work."
Nigel nodded. "Stupid D-MORT. They should have let us back earlier, but they insisted we all get a week off. Idiots. Who stopped a potentially deadly bomb from reaching its target of the Charlestown Bridge? Technically, us. And yet they insist they can handle it all by themselves..."
"Why aren't you a ray of sunshine?"
Chunk!
The elevator suddenly stopped between floors eight and nine. "What the bloody—"
Chunk!
The elevator slipped a few inches down the shaft, and for a moment, all that could be heard in the six-by-six box was the scrape of metal on metal. Kate tumbled into him and he grabbed for the wall with his good arm. He missed, and they both fell to the floor of the elevator, her landing on top of him.
"Ouch."
"Kate, could you do me a favour?" Kate, bewildered, stared at him blankly.
"What?"
"Could you move your knee?" She blushed and rolled off of him, getting on hands and knees. "Are you alright, love?"
"Yeah. You?"
"I'm fine." He got to his feet and offered her his hand. She took it and pulled herself up, but didn't let go afterward.
"What happened?"
"Dunno." He gently pulled his hand away from her and hit the door with his closed. "Hey! What's going on!?" he yelled, and Kate put her hands over her ears.
"Quit it!"
He stopped yelling and glared at her. "Do you want to get out of here before we run out of oxygen, or not?" Kate glared at him.
"You don't have to get all pissy. Just stop yelling. I have sensitive ears." Nigel rolled his eyes and banged his fist on the door again. Kate joined him in his efforts, but no one came. "Where is everyone?" Kate panted, sitting down and leaning her head against the wall.
"We're early, Kate. It's only six AM. No one's here yet," he groaned, sitting down next to her and cradling his broken arm. They sat in silence for a moment. "How much air to you reckon we've got?" Kate looked around her, biting her lip.
"Six feet by six feet by seven feet," she estimated. "That's two hundred fifty-two gallons..." She paused. "Is it gallons or litres?"
"I believe it's—"
Chunk!
Kate screamed as, for a moment, the floor below them seemed to give way. The elevator plummeted a floor or so, and Nigel found himself in a strange, almost floating-like state, with his feet literally inches off the floor. His stomach felt like it had been left up where they had been before, and his heart was beating in his throat.
When the elevator stopped Nigel and Kate hit the floor, hard. Kate gasped, putting a hand on her chest and looking nearly terrified. "Couldn't they wait a few months after the last disaster before they stick us in another one?" she complained, shakily getting to hear feet. "I mean, first there was a plane crash, and now I'm stuck in a dangerous broken elevator with you."
Nigel groaned and got to his own feet. "Yeah, well, it could be worse." She glared at him.
"How?!"
The light in the elevator flickered menacingly. Kate looked up at it with that 'don't mess with me' look in her eyes. "Don't. You. Dare," she said forcefully to the light, and Nigel chuckled.
"You really think it can hear you?"
She turned to him, looking pissed off. "No. I was talking to Him." She pointed upward and he nodded.
"Oh. I didn't realise you're—"
"Catholic?"
"Yeah. You don't seem the type."
"Yeah, well..." The light flickered again. "Seriously, don't even try it."
The light went out.
"You have got to be kidding me." Nigel's grin was invisible in the pitch blackness of the elevator.
"When the elevator slipped it must have caught the hydro wire," he explained, "They'll get us out as soon as possible." Kate rolled her eyes, but he didn't see it. "Long before anything else happens." He sat down. "Might as well sit and wait." Kate groaned, but sat down anyway.
"This really sucks."
"Love, this is nothing. You haven't been working here long enough." Bang! "What was that?"
"That was me banging my head against the wall." Nigel laughed.
"Cute."
"Don't ever use that adjective when describing me, or you'll find yourself buried in an unmarked shallow grave in Milwaukee." Nigel laughed. "Not joking," she said seriously and he fell quiet. "'Cute' does not and will never describe anything concerning me. Except maybe Binky."
"The kidney-eating dog? Right."
"No, really, he's adorable."
"Yeah, and my name is Britney Spears."
"Really!"
"Do you think they'll figure out we're in here soon?" asked Nigel, changing the subject. "'Cause I'm not sure how much oxygen we have left. The air is feeling a little thin." Kate sighed.
"I was just thinking that."
"They should put, like, air holes or something in these things."
"You know, they should, shouldn't they?"
Nigel stood, and walked with his arm extended until he found the door. "Hey! We're in here!" he yelled, and Kate covered her ears again. He began to bang on the door with his good hand. "Come on! Someone must have noticed that we're missing, or that the elevator's busted."
"Maybe they're fixing it," said Kate hopefully.
"Yeah, and maybe there are vampires living on Mars," he grumbled sarcastically, sliding down the wall and sitting down, "Maybe they'll discover a cure for the common cold while we're in here. Maybe Jordan will actually do her own computer tracking for once." He chuckled.
"And people call me negative."
"I'm not being negative."
"You are so."
"Am not!"
"Are so."
"Not!"
"So."
"N—!"
Chunk!
The elevator slipped another inch or so. "You know, that is really annoying." Nigel nodded, then remembered that they couldn't see each other.
"Very."
"These things should be built better."
"Uh huh."
"The people who designed this elevator were idiots."
"Yep."
"Are you even listening to me?!" Nigel smirked.
"Uh huh."
"Nigel."
"Yep."
"Nigel!"
"Uh huh."
"Do you hear that?" Nigel stopped his taunting of her and listened intently.
"Uh, no?" He heard her get up from the floor, and start feeling around the walls in search of something. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to figure out what the hell is making that noise."
"There is no noise!" Nigel heard her sigh, and plop down on the floor.
"This sucks."
"Yep. Truth or dare?"
"That is so random!"
"Just something to pass the time. Seriously: Truth or dare?"
"Well, seeing as we're in a dark elevator in which there is nothing but the two of us, and also seeing as I have a feeling that you are the king of horrible and embarrassing dares, I pick truth." Nigel grinned.
"Have you ever… had romantic feelings for anyone in this building, past or present, male or female?"
"Pass."
"You can't pass! That's cheating."
"Is not."
"Is so! ...Who was- or is- it?"
"I never said I did or do."
"You passed, which clearly indicates a positive answer that you obviously don't want to reveal to me." There was a moment of silence.
"Hm. Perceptive, are we?"
"You're still avoiding the question."
"You're still a jackass."
"Ooh, being mean, now, aren't we?"
"Me? Mean? Never."
"Tell me who it is!"
"I think… not."
"I think… yes."
"Nigel."
"Kate." There was a pause. "I can make you, you know. I know things."
"Hah."
"Wanna bet?"
"Sure. What do you think you know about me?"
"You have a Dandie Dinmont Terrier named Binky. You have been engaged to be married at least twice, and your father ruined your first wedding. You're taking Xanax, which is a prescription Benzodiazepine, meaning that you have anxiety issues, probably panic attacks. Your favourite colour is pink. You have at least one sister. You lived in New York for a time. You—"
"That's all you got?"
"Well.... yeah."
"I knew you were bluffing."
"I was not! I bet I am the only person who knows what you take Xanax for—"
"Oh, what did you do, Google it?"
"...Maybe."
"Hah. Nice." There was a pause again. "You got nothing."
"Tell me anyway."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because I have some new information that might be of interest to the gossips of the morgue."
"You mean, you?"
"Well, normally, yes, but Jordan—"
"Save it."
"But—!"
"What do you think you've got?"
"You're shaking." He could feel it, though she was almost a foot away from him.
"And?"
"You are scared of the dark, aren't you?" There was a long moment of silence, where neither spoke. Kate didn't reply. "Ha! I knew it. Now you've got to tell me! You don't want that to get out, do you? Your reputation would be in the toilet!" Silence. "Kate?"
"Okay, fine. Yes."
"I already knew that. What I asked, was who?"
"Are you for real?"
"Last time I checked." Kate groaned. "Why don't you want to tell me?"
"You're the biggest big-mouth in the morgue!"
"Is that the only reason?"
"Yes." Kate bit on the end of the word sharply. "You really don't hear that?"
"I don't hear anything, Kate, but you stalling. Now, tell me."
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"But you don't want me to tell Jordan about your little phobia—"
"I said, 'no'!"
"We could be stuck in here a while. You might as well tell me now, before I bug it out of you."
"No, Nigel! Just drop it!"
"Kate. Tell. It was just an innocent question."
"Innocent my ass."
"Ooh, testy, aren't we?"
"No."
"Not even if I...?"
"No."
"But what if I...!"
"No!"
"Wow, you really don't want me to know, do you?" He looked in her direction, squinting through the pitch blackness. "Who is it? Dr. Macy?"
"Nope."
"Ooh, Buggles?"
"Nope."
"Oh, so it's Jordan. Ah. I can see why that might be a little em—"
"Wrong again." She sighed.
"What, like, AV Brian? Or Emmy, maybe? Oh, Sydney! But he's on the night shift..."
"Nope, nope, and nope."
"But that's everyone..." Nigel sounded disappointed. Kate chuckled.
"You missed someone."
"Who?"
"Are you really that much of an idiot?"
Buzzzzzzzz!
"Tell me you don't hear that!"
"Okay, yeah, I heard that. Is that that noise you were talking about?"
"Yes! But it's gotten louder..."
"Maybe it's the rescue team?"
"Maybe it's a gigantic swarm of flesh-eating termites coming to disembowel us."
"Pleasant."
"It's possible." Nigel rolled his eyes.
"So what's this about me being an idiot? Who did I miss?"
Buzzzzzzz!
"What is that noise?!"
"I have no idea."
"I think it'll drive me insane if it doesn't stop."
"Oh, like it's that far a drive."
"Ha ha," she said sarcastically, "Nice comeback."
"I thought so."
"Of course you did."
"So, really, who did I miss? I don't think I said Lily..."
"I'm straight."
"I'm confused."
"Good."
Buzzzzzzzzzz!
"God, will that ever stop?!" said yelled, frustrated.
"I think it's the electric cable."
"Meaning?"
"That this entire box might be a live conductor?"
"Oh." She paused. "That sucks."
"Yeah."
"Will we be electrocuted?"
"I doubt it, since we haven't already, but someone trying to rescue us might."
"Uh-oh."
"And that's if they figure out that we're in here."
"And if we don't suffocate first."
"Exactly."
"Truth or dare?"
"Dare."
There was silence, then, "I can't think of anything."
Nigel laughed.
Chunk!
"Why does that not sound good?" asked Kate.
Chunk, chunk!
"Because it's probably not?"
Ca-chunk, chunk, chunk, chunk!
There was a whooshing noise, a Bang!, and then the elevator began to fall, fast. Kate screamed a high-pitched, girly scream that was torn from her lungs with absolute terror. Nigel kept expecting the elevator to stop, catch on something, anything. The continuous scrape of metal-on-metal, the screech of the emergency breaks that obviously weren't working, and Kate's scream all lead him to one conclusion: he was finally, finally, about to die. After everything he had been through, after every life-or-death situation, after every one of Jordan's plans, after the plane crash... he was finally going to kick the bucket because of a faulty elevator.
A thought struck him: He hadn't mentioned himself. When he had been asking Kate who she had romantic feelings for, he hadn't asked if it was him. Great, he was going to die an idiot. Another thought struck him, just before the ground did: He didn't want to die at all.
"Just stay with us," sobbed Bug, and he felt his friend squeeze his hand. Even that small touch hurt like all hell had been set loose. He tried to assess the damage; and found that he couldn't. He knew his hands were both broken, and his kneecaps probably didn't fare any better, as he landed on his hands and knees, trying to get to Kate.
His eyes were swollen, probably a broken nose at the least. Ribs were probably a thing of the past, too. How far had he fallen? They had been between the eighth and ninth floor when the elevator got stuck, then it fell about half a floor, and a few inches, maybe about a foot, after that. So, nine feet times seven floors, plus eight feet... seventy-one feet. They had fallen seventy-one feet, straight down, to the bottom. He was lucky to be alive, and he was doing math?!
"Just hang in there, man." That was Jordan. What was she doing at work so early? He tried to open his eyes, but found that it was too painful. A silent groan escaped his lips, but the tube down his throat prevented him for making sound. Wait, he could feel the tube, but it wasn't out of his mouth... they had given him a tracheotomy?! How bad shape was he in?!
There was a clang!, and he felt himself be hoisted onto a gurney. A silent moan of pain grew at the back of his throat, coming out as more of a growl around the tube. "Shh, Nigel, don't try to talk, Buddy," said Bug, and Nigel felt his friend squeeze his hand. That provoked another moan.
"Shut up, or you'll just hurt yourself more," continued Jordan, and he could have laughed, his he were in a different position than he was. A mirthless laughed escaped her, though; a cold, hardened laugh. "God, like you can hear me." She took his other hand in her hand, and was probably looking at Bug when she said, "I couldn't hear anyone when I was unconscious at the hospital. He just fell seven storeys! You really think he can hear you? For all it matters, you could say the most insensitive thing in the world." Another laugh escaped her, one that made him shiver. "I could tell him that he's a right old bastard, and that it's all his fault, and that Kate might not make it, and that he should have been here later, and that it was all his fault, and..." He heard her sob. It was a very sad sound. "I could lie to him, and he wouldn't hear me, so you can stop being so damn nice to him!"
Jordan was obviously having a breakdown of some kind, yelling at Bug while accompanying him to whichever hospital he was going to. He squeezed her hand, and her sobbing continued. "Nigel, if you can hear me..." she mumbled into his ear, so quiet he could barely hear her, "That didn't happen." He squeezed her hand again in reassurance, and the gesture made her smile. When he was in so much pain... he was still trying to comfort her. What a friend.
Bug's eyes were focused on his friend's face. He was wearing a guilty expression, one that rarely came out. "I don't care if he can hear me or not," said Bug in his usual tone, this time choked with emotion, "I just want him to hold on."
The doors of the ambulance slammed shut, and the sirens turned on. Nigel could feel the rumbled of the engine as it took him to where he could get help. Somewhere along the ride, while Jordan was murmuring words of comfort in his ear and Bug was speaking quickly in Indian, obviously in prayer, he slowly lost consciousness and slipped into a dark place. Not quite as peaceful as before, not quite as quiet... but it was good enough for now.