A/N: I've written this over the past week or so, and the idea first came to me when I heard about what was going on in Brisbane, and other places across the globe; Colombia, the Dominican Republic... These natural disasters shouldn't be taken lightly. My material doesn't intend to invest in the pain of others, only to provoke a response from my readers and give them cause to think. Plus it may contain a little something called Liley. If you're all lucky :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana, or the lyrics which feature at the beginning of each chapter, sung by Cheryl Cole. Not the best single ever but the words will do.
x
Flood
But you can't hold onto water,
It fills you up, but never stays.
It's only good to wash away, today…
It was the muffled thrumming on the corrugated roof of the warehouse that first accelerated the ticking of her heart. The building's metal walls were protective, yet the vast space between the floor and the high ceiling only helped to raise the noise stirring the adrenaline in her blood. However, it was with steady hands that she moved the zipper of her fluorescent jacket upwards, to beneath her chin and shielding her throat.
She was surrounded by fast-moving bodies, mostly men, who were each pulling on their own high-visibility clothing and double checking their equipment. One other woman stood nearby, talking through their plans with the commander of the flight station, but she did not tune her ears in to listen to their conversation. Instead she adjusted the straps of the helmet she had now lifted from where it had been resting on the floor at her feet. She tugged the bands until the fastening was nestled in its familiar place, marked by the groove worn into the coarse material. When she was satisfied that all was well, she pulled the helmet on and clicked the buckle beneath her chin; now she was ready.
"Truscott." It was the woman who had been talking with the station's leader, and she happened to be the pilot of the helicopter Lilly would be boarding that night. "It's time to fly." The woman offered her a smile, which sparked brightly against her tanned skin and Lilly felt her own lips curve upwards in response.
"Let's go then."
The woman laughed and shook Lilly's hand, holding her tightly in her grip, "Are you sure you're ready?"
Lilly swallowed, but she did not blink and continued to meet her gaze, "I am. You don't need to worry about me."
The pilot watched Lilly closely for a few seconds longer, scrutinising her expression as if searching for weakness in each miniature shift her facial muscles might make. Then she released Lilly's hand, "I know you're ready; I trained you through these procedures myself."
She laughed again whilst she turned aside and briskly led their way through the building. Lilly had to roll her eyes at the woman's humour at such a time, yet she quickly reassumed her serious façade. Tonight required concentration and quick-thinking.
As they marched past the stationary aeroplanes lodging in the hanger the rest of their team fell in behind them. Another young woman about Lilly's height clapped her on the shoulder, her helmet tucked underneath her arm whilst her hair fell in brown waves about her shoulders. "How's it going, Truscott?"
"Hello Joannie. I'm fine thank you."
"First night mission, huh?"
"Yeah." Lilly muttered through slightly gritted teeth; she didn't know what it was but there was always a minor degree of competition between herself and Joannie Palumbo, who had been flying with her for the past few months and had been ever present through her training.
"You'll be fine. Hey, you're on my team and we always win." Joannie laughed, yet when Lilly met her eyes she saw the glint of resolve within them, and her heart jolted at the feel of solidarity she always got when it came to jobs like this.
"Where's the medic?"
Lilly glanced behind as she followed the pilot in a quick scan of the area for their onboard medical assistant. She appeared from a group of others, holding a kitbag and wearing a nervous expression. "I'm here." She said quietly and she moved to walk beside Lilly.
"Hey Sarah."
Sarah smiled shyly and nodded a greeting at Joannie whose sharp eyes were sweeping over her critically, getting a measure of the other girl's ability before they started their tasks that evening. No matter how many times they had flown together, Sarah never failed to quail beneath Joannie's scrutiny, yet she always managed to set her jaw and she worked confidently within their team; apparently with a point to prove. That's why Joannie did it – she had told Lilly herself in passing.
The doors of the hanger were already open, as they had been all night, to admit the passing of the various groups involved in this rescue. Rain was lashing the sides of the building and as they crossed the threshold, Lilly felt the sting of it against her bare cheeks and pummelling the protective layers of her jacket.
"It's going to be a rough night!" Pilot Sanchez called to them above the rain and Lilly could only bow her head, watching her booted feet splash through the slopping puddles whilst they moved to their helicopter.
Joannie slid the side door open and the three younger rescuers climbed into the back, finding their positions and waiting for Sanchez to start the engines which set the chopper blades moving. Lilly tilted her head back and closed her eyes momentarily as she listened to the vehicle come to life. The body of the machine was vibrating slightly but she found the sensation comforting and it helped settle her mind before rescue missions. She thought about the helicopter itself – painted a bright yellow for visibility's sake, yet the colour was also a signifier of coming hope and Lilly always looked to it with a sense of trust. She had flown in this particular chopper on no less than fifty excursions and each time brought with it a fresh life experience, along with different dangers, but never before at night. Lilly was new to this job and that never phased her. She considered herself an equal to every other rescuer out there, and they in turn regarded her highly as a member of the overall team.
"This isn't the time for snoozing, Lilly." Joannie joked and Lilly opened her eyes quickly to catch the gleam of Joannie's teeth through the darkness of the hold.
"Trust me, I'm not sleeping."
"You'll want to after this night is over." Joannie replied dryly and Sarah cleared her throat from somewhere nearby as she adjusted her safety belt.
They were all tuned into the helicopter's radio system through a headset built into their helmets and soon Sanchez's voice was reaching them to check their positions for starting. Confirmation was given and Lilly prepared herself for the slight lurch as the helicopter left the safety of the ground and launched them into the night sky.
Visibility was poor through the small windows of the craft and Lilly turned aside to content herself to going over their plans with the other women. They were the only all-female team from their station, yet that fact did little to stop them on their missions since they were just as capable as the men in airborne rescue. As they talked, the miles of land beneath them were swallowed up in minutes and after half an hour they were soon passing over the flooded land of which they could see nothing, due to the blackness of the night.
"We'll be flying over the town in approximately five minutes, so keep your eyes peeled." Sanchez instructed them through the radio and Lilly swivelled in her seat to fix her eyes on the window, and make her watch.
Further observations were made between them and their commanding station was also on top of keeping a flow of updated information. Lilly's team were on a surveillance duty, to check for people stranded in a town that was nearly ruined by heavy rains and a swollen river which had burst in the early hours of the morning. Previous sweeps had been made during the day, but the worse areas had already been evacuated. This night patrol was to keep an eye out for the unfortunates who had not escaped, or those who the water had reached when they had assumed that they were safe. As long as it kept raining, the danger would get worse.
The helicopter's search lights flickered as they flew over the suburbs of the small town they had been assigned, and Lilly had to admit she was shocked at the gurgling mess that passed below them. Cars were stranded on the streets where they had stopped, or where they had been abandoned by their owners. Murky water swirled about everything that was left standing in a strong current that massed around the buildings, sucking at the foundations of this society which had fallen apart in the space of a few hours.
All was quiet in the aircraft, apart from the background stream of information from their control centre, and all the attention of Lilly's team was concentrated on the spaces below them. When they flew further into the town, the water levels grew higher up the sides of the buildings and Lilly chewed her bottom lip, amazed that no one could have predicted this.
"You see those bus stops down there?" Sanchez's voice was back on their internal radio once more, "I saw images on the news earlier and people were actually standing on the railings, clinging to the shelter to stop themselves from being swept away in the water."
"There was a man holding onto a tree in the middle of a footpath," Joannie was speaking now, "and he was so lucky he survived. He was rescued by Lawson and his team in a dingy this afternoon."
Lilly shook her head, her insides stirring with the fear these people must have felt about being taken, swallowed, by this cold mass of unstoppable water. People had died, and so many were missing, yet situations like these were in her job description and she had to concentrate. Lilly blinked and turned her eyes to the black windows of deserted houses. They were flying lower here, to see if they could find any life within the sodden buildings, the footings of which were being gnawed at by the relentless flood. Everywhere was empty though, or so it would seem.
"What was that?" Sarah's soft voice broke through Lilly's thoughts as it passed in a slightly crackled form over their radio.
"What do you see?" Joannie asked, peering in the direction of Sarah's window.
"Something over there." Sarah rested her finger against the glass, her nose almost touching it whilst she squinted through her glasses. "Yes, I see something. Maria," Sarah's tone became more urgent when she called their pilot, "I think someone's trying to signal us from their house. Turn the helicopter starboard…"
Maria acted instantly on Sarah's command, inching the chopper slowly about to the right until they all caught a glimpse of what the woman's quick eyes had seen. "It's definitely a signal." Joannie confirmed and she clicked off her belt as she rose from her chair. "Sanchez, someone's gotta get down there."
"I'll do it." Lilly announced calmly and she joined Joannie in getting to her feet.
Joannie met her eyes for a swift second and held her in her gaze, quickly sizing her up, but soon she nodded briskly and moved to the winch. "You've got this one."
Sarah was up also, flitting by the window and glancing down at the scene. She was on board for medical attendance and did not get involved with the physical side of the rescue. Lilly held her arms out for the harness that Joannie was bringing over to her, attached to the end of a long cable which would lower her from the helicopter.
"How're you feeling?" Joannie asked Lilly quietly, aware that everyone could hear their conversation anyway as the noise of the engines were too loud for normal voices and speech was therefore always transmitted through radio. Still, Joannie's tone was thoughtful and Lilly appreciated it because she was nervous.
"I'm okay. I just want to get down there."
Joannie nodded whilst her fingers moved deftly over the fastenings of the harness, securing Lilly with practiced ease, and then double checking her work. "Well, you're good to go." Joannie announced as she took a step away and stood by the controls for the door. "Sarah, sit back down and fasten yourself in." Joannie instructed before securing herself in place with a safety lead of her own. "Truscott?"
Lilly nodded and gave Joannie the thumbs up. Maria Sanchez was guiding the helicopter until it was almost directly above the house, a small building in a street of identical homes. It was only two stories tall but a long way down and the wind from the chopper was already thrashing the tops of nearby trees. The door on the side of the craft slid open and Lilly could feel the bluster of the air movement against her face. It had not stopped raining but thankfully the water wasn't entering their vehicle.
Joannie moved to Lilly's side and began to help her step over the edge of the cabin. That was one of the most frightening parts of any mission, and Lilly gritted her teeth as she let herself out into the thin air, carefully guiding herself down until she was dangling by a single safety line. "I'm fine." Lilly said over the radio, "Lower me down."
Joannie returned to control the winch and soon Lilly was descending towards the swell of the brown tide, which continued to churn through the empty street, swirling around trees and cars. The depths of the flood water were full of debris that would knock people under if the current failed to do that for itself, whilst the rain was relentless and soon it was seeping down Lilly's neck and into her warm clothing. Lilly shivered slightly, but her eyes were focused on the place she was aiming for. Then she saw the movement again – it was a white pillowcase being flashed out of the window by some poor desperate person, or people. The rain was hindering the efforts by wetting the material and making it heavier, less obvious, yet that didn't matter because the team had seen and Lilly was on her way.
She had only yards to go, then feet, and then, with a swing on her rope and a stretch of her legs, Lilly met the windowsill and someone standing inside gave a small scream. Lilly carefully reached out until she was holding onto the frame and pulled herself inside. The room she had landed in was black since the power supply had been cut out hours ago, yet the light on top of her helmet gave her some visibility as it passed over objects in the room until it landed on the person who had signalled them.
"Hi." Lilly said, "I'm here to get you out."
The woman had put her hands up in front of her face to shield her eyes which had been adjusted to the dark. After a moment, she brought her trembling hands down and squinted against the yellow burn to gaze upon Lilly. A pair of deep, blue eyes opened slowly and blinked a few times before she could draw in a shaky breath, "Thank God you've come. I thought I would be lost…" The woman smiled and then laughed weakly, her hands flying to her mouth nervously to control her loose emotions.
Lilly was lost herself when the woman gave in to laughter and she had to catch her breath. She had never rescued anyone like this before. Old women, screaming babies, yes, pregnant mothers and wriggling children… She thought she had seen it all and dealt with most things including a man in a wheelchair. Yet this was completely surreal and Lilly almost forgot all of her training.
"You're not lost anymore. I've found you." Lilly replied and offered her a smile.
The other woman stepped nearer, "Will you take me out of here?"
Lilly nodded and quickly scanned the room, "How long have you been trapped in here for?"
"All afternoon and all night." The woman answered at once. "I accidentally left my cellphone in my car and then the power was cut off. I worked late last night and chose the wrong day to nap, but I thought this district would be okay. It's on higher grounds, away from the river, and the weather station said it would be off limits to the flood…"
"It's alright." Lilly soothed, sensing the panic beginning to rise once more in the other woman as realisation of what had happened set in. "What do you do for a living?" She asked, changing the subject swiftly.
Then the woman smiled shyly as she met Lilly's eyes, "I sing."
"So you work a lot of random shifts, like me." Lilly nodded. "Stressful?"
Then the woman laughed, "You can hardly make a comparison between our careers. But, I do love my job."
"So do I." Lilly replied sincerely, "Now come on, less talking and I can do it properly. Grab something warm and waterproof to wear and I'll hoist you out of here."
The woman nodded and strode to her closet on the other side of the room. She was wearing a comfortable-looking tracksuit and light sweater, but she would need more to face the gale beyond the window. Lilly left the woman to find some suitable layers whilst she temporarily unclipped the karabiner from her harness and let the slackened rope rest upon the bedroom floor. Curious about the depth of the water and the possible damage done to the houses on this street, Lilly wandered to the hallway beyond the bedroom. She found a balcony which opened over the reception room and when Lilly looked down she had to gasp at the slow moving pool of dark water, gradually rising and lapping at each individual stair.
"It's bad isn't it?" The other woman had come to Lilly's side to stand near her whilst they surveyed the scene below, "This is my home." Her voice quailed and Lilly sensed it was time to go.
"It'll be okay, you're safe now." Lilly said and offered the woman a reassuring smile, which the brunette did not return. Her eyes remained deep and sorrowful; as full of emotion as the flood water was full of danger.
"What's your name?" She asked then, her eyes taking Lilly's up in her own once more and her rescuer smiled before offering her hand to be shaken.
"I'm Lilly. Lilly Truscott."
"Lilly…" The woman repeated her name slowly, "Hi Lilly. I'm Miley."
"Miley." Lilly exhaled softly, and then remembered herself. "Come on, we need to go."
Still holding onto Miley's hand, Lilly turned her about and tugged her back through the bedroom to the window. She released the other woman for a moment to lean out and wave in a signal that they were ready to return to the helicopter. Joannie flashed a light in acknowledgement and Lilly reattached herself to the long cable. She then loosened the spare harness which was always latched to her own and readied the link that would hold the other woman to her.
"I need you to put this on." Lilly directed, now assuming a more formal tone as her training finally set in. However, it was a struggle to maintain the professional façade when the fragrance of her victim's perfume was tickling her nose. She helped Miley pull the straps over her shoulders and, when the other woman's hands were shaking too much, she clasped the fastenings together tightly at her chest, waist and hips.
"Sorry, I'm useless." Miley murmured and Lilly shook her head, biting her lip a little as she concentrated on ensuring that Miley was secure.
"There, we're just about good to go." Lilly said and had to move away whilst she gathered together the metal clasps and leads which would tie them closely together. She was trembling and she could feel the twitch of her pulse in her throat. It was shameful, after her long period of training, to be losing face just because the other woman was attractive and was watching her with such intense, blue eyes.
"Right, I need you to take a step or two nearer so I can properly attach us together." Lilly instructed, clearing her throat when Miley instantly moved forward, apparently seeking the protection that their closeness would provide her. Lilly inhaled deeply and was relieved to see that her hands had stopped shaking and she was able to bind the other woman against her. "Shuffle with me to the window." Lilly said and indicated what she meant by resting her hands on Miley's shoulders until they were leaning against the inner windowsill. "Now, this might be a bit uncomfortable at first." Lilly warned and then she reached up to adjust the microphone of her helmet's radio, "We're ready." Lilly stated and Joannie acknowledged her signal.
The cable became taught and Lilly wrapped her arm around Miley, no longer caring for professionalism because the young woman was shaking so much. "Easy there, we'll be out in a few seconds." Lilly breathed closely to Miley's ear and with her spare arm she braced herself against the wall when the cable tugged. "Step up onto the windowsill with me," Lilly advised, "the tension in the line will help us. And mind your head against the frame."
Miley nodded tersely and Lilly's strong arm helped her to climb up. "Is this a bad time to mention that I'm terrified of heights?" Miley asked weakly and Lilly shook her head.
"Just close your eyes." Lilly glanced towards the helicopter and then she waved her indication that they were ready. "Hold on."
Their line tightened and they were lifted from the window, swinging out into space and Miley pressed her face into Lilly's shoulder where she released a sob of fear. "It's okay." Lilly soothed and she did not relent in her grip on the other woman. When her eyes turned skywards they were only stung with rain, so Lilly concentrated instead on the scene around them and upon the tight brown curls atop Miley's head, which were quickly becoming slick with rainwater.
"What's happening?" Miley asked against Lilly's jacket and Lilly turned her mouth close to Miley's ear.
"The helicopter's gaining altitude and we're slowly being hoisted up towards the cabin. Give it a minute and we'll be inside.
"How does it look?" Miley asked then, her voice struggling against the wind and her face lifting away from Lilly's shoulder so that the other woman could hear her better. Her eyes were still squeezed shut.
"It's like a town's been planted in a lake." Lilly replied honestly and Miley's eyes opened, blinking quickly against the rain.
She turned so that she could look down at the scene and Lilly heard her gasp. "I've never seen anything like it." Miley said and her eyes were blazing with fear.
Lilly met her gaze with as much strength, aware of an electric current which flowed between both pairs of ice blue irises. In the space of those few moments of solidarity they shared a connection far stronger than the bonds which laced their bodies together. They were one couple of many who had been drawn out of flooding waters on the end of a life line, yet had forged a relationship of trust which, transient though it was, was very special. Lilly knew she would remember this particular rescue for as long as she lived.
Neither woman spoke as they were hoisted gradually nearer the helicopter and when they approached the brink Lilly advised Miley to brace herself. Joannie's capable hands helped them aboard, however, and Sarah was quick to find a place at Miley's side, to question her for symptoms of shock or physical injury. Lilly remained watchful as Sarah helped Miley to a seat and ensured that she was strapped in properly before handing her a blanket and offering to sit beside her.
Miley's burning eyes found Lilly's quickly though and Lilly read in the movement of Miley's lips her declination of Sarah's suggestion. She found her own feet carrying her towards Miley and Sarah easily stepped aside, presenting Lilly a kind smile before she returned to her original place. Lilly sat down instead and helped Miley with a headset.
"How are you doing?" Lilly asked, longing to reach out and take the other woman's hand, but restraining herself in front of her colleagues.
Miley was shivering, "I'm okay." She replied, but her eyes remained wide and scared so Lilly shook her head.
"I think the shock is beginning to set in." Lilly said calmly and began to adjust the blanket around Miley. "Here, you need to keep warm." Miley nodded slowly, her eyes clinging onto Lilly as if she was the only other person there and Lilly found her heart rate quicken. She had never met another woman, or rescued someone, who held an aura of such intensity before. It all streamed from her deep eyes and in the curl of her lips.
Lilly glanced away, and noticed Joannie watching her from a position near a window. The smirk slid from Joannie's expression almost as soon as Lilly's eyes had fallen upon her, and a blush instantly bloomed across Lilly's cheeks. She wouldn't get away with this as straightforwardly as she had hoped.
The chopper made a few more sweeps over the town, but the radio indicated that no others had called for help, and that a street party was sweeping over the tides in the form of speedboats, lent by the coastguard. Sarah would occasionally come to Miley's side and eventually she announced the need to get Miley to a hospital for shock treatment and to give her a bed for the night, because the woman was growing tired.
They landed at the air-base a little less than an hour later and it was in Miley's slow footsteps and tense frame that Lilly knew the woman was stretched to her limits. Lilly wrapped a protective arm around Miley's waist as they stepped out of the helicopter together and Lilly walked Miley to an ambulance that had been called to the site. The medics were quick to welcome Miley on board and the brunette turned to meet Lilly's eyes again.
Lilly stepped forward, her voice catching in her throat because she knew that professionally she had to remain distant, but some chances only came once in a lifetime. "I'll come and visit you when my shift ends." She promised.
Miley smiled, very weakly as she slouched on the bench in the back of the ambulance, "My name's Miley Stewart." She said softly, "Just so you know. So you know who to ask for."
Lilly smiled, "Thank you."
Then Miley shook her head, her tired eyes gleaming through the darkness of the night, "No, thank you."
The driver closed the door carefully and offered Lilly a friendly smile, which she gladly returned and stood to watch the vehicle pull away. She only had a moment to reflect, however, because her shift was half-way through and she had hours of work and possible rescue to accomplish before she would even have the chance to track down her beautiful victim.
