It was a very hot day in 2009. The crew and I had been on the road for almost 20 years, and were within a decade of heading into our 50s. It was a very exciting time for us, as Bill and Melissa had resumed their relationship, and Melissa was pregnant with their third child (first son). It was also exciting for Jo, as DOROTHY had just been rebuilt, after 10 years of lab work alongside being on the road, so we had a new model to gather information from.

"What's the weather situation like?" Jo walked over to me.
"It's pretty good." I replied. "A little bit of chaos over in the east, but otherwise, it's just sun."

There was a bunch of clouds forming east of where we were, but they did not take on the form that would make us think that they were tornadic. However, just in case, I ensured that I would keep my eye on them, so that if they did become tornadic, I would alert the guys. Then, very quickly, the air died down. We were in the back garden of Aunt Meg's house, and Melissa was sitting in a rocking chair on the porch, with the girls inside. It was only then that I realised that something wasn't right.

"Get over here, Jo!" I called.
"Coming!" Jo ran over.
"We need to get inside." I started to worry. "I think our circumstances might have just changed on a whim."

It was then that I heard what sounded like a hissing sound. I looked up, and saw that the sky was green and that a tornado was starting to form right over us. It was the situation from hell, and with a baby being due at any moment, it was the worst thing that could happen, as it was right over us. We literally had seconds to get everything into the house (people included), as the tornado funnel was coming down quickly. The second that we closed the door, the funnel had reached down to the ground. Bill made his wife, unborn son, and daughters, his priority, whilst Beltzer called for the rest of us to head down to the storm shelter, as the tornado, which had landed in the piece of land behind us, was heading right for us, and we only had seconds between life and death. Unfortunately, we were not able to get to the shelter in time, as the tornado was too fast and slammed into the house before we could even get halfway to the shelter, so we had to find something to grab onto.

Then life as I knew it changed.

The tornado ripped through the entire house. It only took seconds, but everything was torn to pieces.

"GUYS!" I yelled afterwards.

There was no response.

"JO! BILL! BELTZER!" I yelled.

There was still no response. I was blanketed by wood and a tv, and was bleeding from a cut to the head, but that was the only injury I knew about, as my hands

"OVER HERE!" I heard a voice yell.
"AM ON MY WAY!" Another voice yelled.

I didn't dare turn my head, just in case I was mistaken about my condition. I then heard what appeared to be someone scrambling up the debris.

"ANYONE HERE?!" A voice called.
"ME!" I yelled.
"KEEP TALKING, SO THAT I CAN FIND YOU!" The voice then called.
"OKAY!" I yelled.

The person that scrambled up the debris then found me. It was a young woman, and she had a name badge on which said that her name was Nina Redford. Moments later, a man appeared. His name was Paul Carr.

"We're going to get you out." Nina looked at me. "Are you hurt?"
"It's pretty obvious." I winced. "But otherwise, I'm not so sure."
"You alone here or with others?" Nina wanted to know.
"With others, and I tried to call for them, but they wouldn't respond. One of them is pregnant. Please God, tell me they are not dead." I was worried.
"I'm going to help you, and Paul is going to get the others in." Nina grabbed the tv and threw it out of my way.
"Please to God." I winced.

I was in pain, so every piece of wood that Nina got off of me made me wince. She made sure that she was extra careful, making sure that I wasn't hurt by debris that could fall on top of me. Paul was busy trying to save the others, so it was up to Nina to rescue me.

"Almost there." Nina grabbed the last piece of wood. "Can you feel your hands?"
"Good, and yes." I winced. "Bloody hurt, though. How big was that tornado? Was it an EF5 or something?"
"It's being calculated." Nina replied.
"WE FOUND THEM!" Paul called.
"Are they alive?" I wanted to know.
"ARE THEY ALIVE OR DEAD?!" Nina called.
"ALIVE... BUT BARELY!" Paul called.

I was relieved, although it would end up being short-lived. Nina put her arms under me and picked me up. Using all of her strength, she carried me out of the wreckage, and somehow managed to do it whilst climbing down from the wreckage, as the house was completely wrecked. She carried me over to a waiting ambulance, and that was when I saw it, as I saw a medic cover Jo up with a white towel.

"Oh god!" I closed my eyes.
"What?" Nina could see my worried look.
"Jo's dead." I felt a tear fall down my cheek.
"Let me clean that cut up, sir." The medic then said.

I nodded, and let the medic clean and put a bandage on the cut that was on my head.

"Anywhere else hurting?" The medic then asked.
"My hand." I winced.
"I will put a bandage on, just in case it's broken." The medic then said.

As the medic did that, I looked over to where Jo had been confirmed dead. The others were being brought out, and a white towel was being draped over all of them. The lone one that was barely alive was Beltzer, and he looked at me as his eyes glazed over. I then looked up at the sky, and closed my eyes.

When I finally woke up, I was in hospital. My sight was blurry, but I could make out the outline of a woman standing above me. My sight gradually returned, and that was when I realised that it was Nina.

"You're finally awake." Nina smiled.
"Where am I?" I croaked.
"You're in the hospital." Nina replied.
"Did the baby survive?" I wanted to know. "Melissa's baby. Did he survive?"
"The medics performed an emergency c-section in the ambulance, to try and save the little boy, but sadly, he died before the ambulance got to the hospital." Nina sighed. "You were the only one to get out of that wreck alive. It was actually a wonder how you did. For the record, you were in a coma for a month."

It was then that I noticed that my hand was bandaged.

"Shit." I silently muttered.
"That's what I was going to say next." Nina looked at me.
"What?" I wanted to know.
"Your hand was badly injured." Nina replied. "Doctors had to pin it back together. It is still touch and go, as you run the risk of losing your hand. When you go into theatre tomorrow, will be when the fate of your hand is decided."

I was upset at the prospect of losing my hand, but it was up to the doctors and if they were able to save my hand. However, that wasn't what gripped me most, as what gripped me most was the fact that families had lost children, grandchildren, siblings, parents, and friends aswell.

"Do you remember anything about what happened to you?" Nina wanted to know.
"Aside from losing my best friends, goddaughters, and godson, not really." I shed a tear.
"You were in a tornado." Nina started.
"Really?" I couldn't remember.
"Yes." Nina replied. "You were actually picked up, but the tv saved you, as it fell on you. Your hand injury was a side-effect, but had it not been for the tv, you would have also been killed."

The tv was a blessing, as it had saved my life.

"What happened after that?" I wanted to know.
"My friend and I found the wreckage, and I called up. You then called back, and then I clambered up and found you under the wreck. I then got everything off of you, picked you up, and carried you to safety. Now, I'm not a very strong person, but to do that, was something that I could physically do in the heat of the moment. That was just the first tornado, though, as moments after everyone was cleared, another tornado ripped through the exact same area. You were actually looking at me when you were not wincing, though when you noticed your pals coming out, you looked over. Beltzer was actually looking at you when he died, and I know because he mouthed 'win the battle'."

That put tears in my eyes. It was then that I realised that he must have known that only one of us was going to live and that it would be me.

The next day, I was taken into the operating theatre. Surprisingly, due to something that one of the surgeons had done, my hand was almost completely healed, so they took all the pins out. When I came to, I was in a lot of pain, but I was relieved to know that I still had my hand. Best thing was, it didn't need a bandage.

"My hand is still on me." I smiled.
"It is indeed." Nina smiled.

Just then, the life-saver surgeon appeared. Her name was Dr Jane Takeda.

"Glad to see that you're awake." Dr Takeda looked at me.
"I'm glad to still have my hand." I was happy.
"When the pins were put in, I used this new bone glue that allowed your hand to heal at a faster rate. It was still going to be touch and go, but your hand is now fully recovered." Dr Takeda smiled. "Can you move it?"

I moved my hand without problems.

"Have you got feeling?" Dr Takeda then asked.

Nina pinched my hand, and I sure felt it.

"That's a very good thing." Dr Takeda smiled. "Should be only a month before you will be fully recovered, as you need cosmetic surgery to make that scar on your head look more pleasing, and because you've been in a coma for a month, you will need physio or a walking aid, and also a couple of scans to make sure that everything is alright."
"I can cope with that. Only thing is, I am now homeless, as my colleagues and godkids and I all lived in that house." I sadly replied. "Now I have no family and no home."
"I'll take you in." Nina offered.
"You sure about that?" I was surprised.
"Fuck yeah, as I have enough room." Nina smiled.
"Thanks." I was happy.

Just then, Paul appeared. I was so happy to see him, and was still able to remember his face and name even though I had been out for a month.

"Was going to pay a visit yesterday but work tied me up again." Paul looked at me. "Glad to see that you're awake."
"And just out of surgery." I smiled.
"I notice that." Paul replied. "Last time I saw you, you were still on the ventilator. Matter of fact, loveheart there could not resist when it came to taking photos, as you looked so peaceful."
"Can one of you tell me what actually happened when I was comatose?" I was eager to know. "Also, how did I end up in a coma?"
"You were sedated in the ambulance, because you were in pain." Nina started.
"What happened after that?" I was eager to know.
"We then arrived here, and they took you in for an x-ray." Nina then said. "They found that your hand was broken in multiple places, so you were taken into theatre, which would have been when the glue was put in aswell as the pins. It was what happened after that which put you in a coma, as before you would have been woken up, you were taken back into x-ray, and by sheer luck, only the CT was working, so you were given a CT scan, and you were found to have pneumonia in both lungs, which was very bad. Had it not been caught, you would have died."
"What the hell?!" I was surprised.
"You were put into a medically induced coma so that you could recover. 3 days later, you had surgery on your scar. You don't know how many times you came close to death, as you reacted to the drugs that you were given during the scar surgery. A couple of times, your heart stopped, which Dr Takeda was referring to when she said that you will need some scans, as you will need a heart ultrasound. Whatever happens, everything will be okay."
"Anything else happen whilst I was out, that I should know about?" I was eager to know.
"Not much to report, although there was that other tornado that happened." Paul replied. "And no, we are not storm chasers, in case you are wondering."
"Why do you think I would have asked that?" I was confused.
"Nina and I are both in the music business." Paul replied. "She is a talent scout and I'm a session guitarist."
"He has a nickname too." Nina looked at me.
"What is that?" I was eager to know.
"Bluesman." Paul replied. "It's a nickname that was given to me because of my love for blues music."

I smiled, as I loved music. I tried to reach for a CD player that was on the side.

"I'll get it." Nina offered. "You need to rest."

I didn't dare to resist, as Nina was right. She walked over to where the CD player was and picked it up. She then plugged the speakers in, and put on a CD. It was the first time I had listened to music since before the tornado, and it brought back memories. The first song that came on was a bluegrass song, and it was so beautiful that it made me cry. Nina could see this, and ruffled through my jet-white hair, as Paul took photos.

A week later, I had cosmetic surgery on the scar on my forehead, but along with it, there were some setbacks, as although I didn't need to be put into a coma or back onto the ventilator, I did need some help with breathing. Nina was able to convince the medical team to let her stay with me 24/7 and tend to my needs. Due to that, I had to stay in for longer than a month.

After 2 weeks of being on an oxygen mask, I was well enough to be transferred onto a normal ward, although Nina requested that I be moved to a room with 2 beds so that she could continue to stay with me.

"Just the heart scan to go, followed by either physio or a walking aid, and then you should be ready." Nina smiled.
"Anyone know when I can actually leave this place?" I quietly asked.
"Won't know until your heart ultrasound has been done." Nina replied. "How do you feel?"
"In pain and with a tight chest, but otherwise, I feel okay." I smiled. "And I just cannot wait to get out of here, because it's a pain not seeing the outside world."

Just then, the heart doctor appeared. His name was Dr Pete Fischer, and he came equipped.

"If all goes well, you will be able to go home." Dr Fischer walked over.
"Hopefully sooner rather than later." I was relieved.
"This will feel a little cold at first, but it will be alright afterwards." Dr Fischer got the gel out. "And sorry for not doing it sooner."
"At least x-ray picked up my infections." I joked.
"True." Dr Fischer smiled.

Dr Fischer then rolled up my shirt, and put the gel on my chest. It felt cold at first, but I didn't mind, as I knew that it was for the best. He then turned the machine on, and put the probe on my chest.

"Look at that." Dr Fischer smiled.
"Is everything okay?" I looked at the screen.
"Your heart has recovered." Dr Fischer smiled. "Which is good because it means that from tomorrow, you will be able to get up for the first time in however many weeks."
"Thank God for that." I was relieved.

It was then that I realised that it was drugs that they had given me for my pneumonia that had caused my heart to stop. I wasn't angry, as it all made sense. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing to complain about, although nothing would bring back what was already lost, as I grieved for Jo and Co. Just as Dr Fischer left, Paul arrived.

"Who was that that just left?" Paul wanted to know.
"That was the heart doctor." Nina smiled. "Robert's heart is perfectly okay."
"That's awesome news." Paul walked over. "Pretty soon, you'll be walking."
"Again." I smiled. "And then when we leave... well I don't know if I could go back to chasing after what happened, so that will be out of the question."
"That reminds me, as they managed to confirm the intensity of the monster that trapped you." Nina looked at me.
"What was it?" I wanted to know.
"The second one turned out to be an EF2, but the first... was EF5." Nina replied. "Unfortunately, due to how close it was to you when it formed, there was no way in hell that you would have had enough time to get to the shelter."
"So the deaths were inevitable?" I was surprised and shocked.
"Sadly." Nina sighed.

I shed a tear, as I had somehow known but to have it told to me, was a heartbreaker. I also decided that I would spend the rest of the day talking to Nina about tornadoes and the work that the crew and I had done over the years. She had no idea about it, but when I told her about DOROTHY, she smiled, and leaned in for a photo-worthy kiss. I was still on the oxygen mask, but that was okay. Was only for another hour, though, as a nurse came in and checked my breathing, and was happy to report that it was back to 100% and that I didn't need any help with oxygen. The next day, the nurse reappeared, alongside a physio nurse. I saw their badges, and saw that their names were Andy and Lita.

"Going to see how you are with walking." Andy looked at me. "Can you swing your legs over?"

I swung my legs over.

"Good." Andy smiled.
"Took a bit of effort, though." I noticed.
"That's normal." Lita replied. "Hold onto me and try and heave yourself up."

It took a bit of effort, but I was able to do it. I was shaky at first, but I wasn't that worried, as Nina was behind me, ensuring that I didn't fall. Andy held my IV pole, and slowly but surely, we started walking.

"Doing an awesome job." Lita grinned. "You feel like you can walk unaided?"
"No clue, but I'll give it a try." I replied.
"Let go of my arm, and try and walk a few steps. If you fall, we will catch you." Lita looked at me.

Slowly but surely, I let go of Lita's arm. I was shaky at first, but I was able to put one foot in front of the other, and walk. Whatever had been given to me drug-wise had obviously helped me retain my strength, because had whatever was given to me not been given to me, I'd have looked like a skeleton. It was then that I felt what appeared to be a hand on my shoulder. I stopped, and looked at my shoulder, but there was no hand there. It was then that I realised that it was Beltzer. I then heard what appeared to be a whisper, and the words whispered into my ear were "take care of her". I was confused at first, as I had no idea what that meant.

"You're doing a great job." Lita smiled.
"Thank God for that." I grinned.
"Will see about letting you go home within the week." Lita smiled.
"I will be happy to leave, and Nina here is going to take me in." I was happy.
"That's good news." Andy smiled.
"Only thing that's not good is that the tornado took everyone else that I knew." I sighed.
"I did hear about that, and I offer my condolences." Andy looked at me.
"Offer them to their families. Sadly, I have none living myself, and they were also my friends, and now the only person I have is Nina and we've known each other for just months, if that." I replied.
"That is true." Nina looked at me. "But I can help you, and I know by the look in your eyes that Beltzer paid a visit."
"You saw that?" I was surprised.
"I sensed it." Nina replied.

I managed an hour of walking before I began to feel tired. It was wonderful, and upon returning to my bed, I lay down, knowing that I was finally on my way to leaving. However, I noticed something, as every time Nina looked at me, there was a twinkle in her eye. It was as if she was falling in love with me. I then drifted off to sleep, allowing her to take photos and ruffle through my hair. My hand was still sore, but it wasn't as sore as I thought it would be, and all that I had on my head was a set of stitches. She then climbed onto the bed, carefully making sure that she didn't pull out my IV, and took some more photos, before drifting off to sleep herself.

The next day, Andy returned. He took my hand, and gently removed the IV, so as not to cause me any discomfort.

"You won't be needing this anymore." Andy smiled.
"W... w... what do you m... m... m... mean?" I stammered.
"You can go today." Andy replied. "I will give you a wheelchair that you can use if and when you need, and a pager, so that if you at any point feel unwell, I will be at hand to help."
"You sure about that?" I was speechless.
"Yes, and it's thanks to our innovative drugs that this is happening. Also, just out of curiosity, have you ever considered becoming a father?" Andy replied and asked.
"I have, but it never happened." I replied.
"Judging by the look that Nina is giving you, I think you should do so." Andy smiled. "And you smile whenever you look at her, which leads me to think that you may be in love with her."

I giggled, but it was true, as I was falling in love with her. Andy then left, and, an hour later, came back with a wheelchair and pager.

"Ready to taste freedom again?" Andy helped me stand up.
"God yes." I was relieved.

Paul then appeared.

"A little birdie told me that this was going to happen." Paul looked at me.
"I am not surprised." I pointed to Nina.
"She did." Paul smiled.
"I cannot wait." I giggled.
"Once you are out of this place, wherever you want to go, we can take you." Paul offered.
"That would be for the best, as I have something that I want to do, which has been on my mind since I woke up from that coma." I replied.
"What would that be?" Paul wanted to know.
"I want to pay my final respects." I looked at my feet and then at Paul.