Rescue:

Nature's Fury:

Cola and the others waited for rescue as they knew it would be some time before any roads were cleared. Knowing that the 15th District in Toronto would be here as soon as the storms cleared, they sat back and waited for what seemed like forever before they started hearing voices outside. Cola was already starting to lose consciousness and Dan the paramedic was having a hard time keeping her awake.

The bandages on her wound had soaked through with blood and Dan was worried that she might have internal bleeding. Some of the adults and kids started making noise, yelling that they were down there. Those on the surface must have heard them because the next thing everyone heard was the sound of metal being pushed and pulled from the door.

15th Rescue Group:

Peck, McNally, Nash, Diaz, Epstein, Swarek, Williams, Shaw, Jerry, Jo and Luke had all made the trip to the tornado ravenged neighborhood. It looked like World War III had happened and none of them had been able to do anything about it. Peck had made a beeline for where Lynn's house had once stood and noticed the scorch marks on the ground. She went around and noticed that there was tanker tuck on top of the cellar door and yelled for everyone to start moving metal out of the way.

With the help of the 17th who had also been sent up, they were able to push and pull the debris from the tanker truck off the door. They heard someone move to the door and unhook something from it, probably the chain holding the door in place. Peck opened the door and came face to face with a lot of kids and there parents. She immediatley started looking for Lynn and Hannah.

Help Arrives:

Dan was bending down next to Cola and had put one of her arms around his neck. He had picked her up by the time Peck made her way to them and the others were being helped out of the cellar. The look on Peck's face wanted to know what had happened but knew she wasn't going to get answer at that time. She saw Hannah and bent down to hug the little girl. Hannah hugged back and asked her if she could help get the animals out. She nodded, and grabbed the bag that held the animals. Tiger and Mickey were in Hannah's backpack.

Peck walked up the stairs with the duffel bag in her hands and Hannah's hand holding onto the bag. She walked over to the squad car and put the bag on the back seat, opening it in the process. Hannah sat next to the bag and reached in and took one of the puppies out. The other rookies and officers watched as Dan walked out of the cellar with Lynn in his arms. He walked over to the ambulance and laid her down on the stretcher. He explained to the paramedics what had happened before they left and headed to St. Patrick's Hospital. The hospital near Lynn's house had been destroyed by the tornados and many people were still being taken out dead and alive from the rubble.

The 17th took over as the 27th showed up and the 15th headed back to St. Patrick's to see how Lynn was doing. Peck and Nash had ridden together so they took Hannah with them. The little girl was acting extremely brave for what had just happened. The animals were crawling all over her. They had come out of the bag once it had been opened and Hannah had climbed in next to them. This was already turning out to be one long day for the little girl, who seemed very attached to Gail.

St. Patrick's Hospital:

The members of the 15th that had gone out to Lynn's house and found her injured and being carried out of her own storm cellar arrived at the hospital with Lynn's daughter in tow, plus all the animals. Knowing the rules about no animals in a hospital, Swarek and Williams told Hannah that they would take the puppies and kittens to the station and that they would be taken care of. Hannah nodded and didn't tell them about Tiger and Mickey, who were still in her backpack. Peck also didn't say anything knowing that the turtle and mouse never left the little girls sight.

Peck picked Hannah up and she wrapped her arms around Gail's neck. Hannah had grown to like Gail since she started coming up to the house for dinner every Saturday. They were all shown to the Surgical Waiting Room and told that the surgeon would be out to talk to them when the surgery was over. Gail set Hannah on the ground and handed her her backpack. The other officers noticed how much Hannah seemed to feel safe around Gail. The other Rookies (including Chris) couldn't believe that she had never told them about Lynn not living in the city or how much Lynn's daughter adored her.

The waiting began as everyone sat down or stood around or got something to eat and drink. Hannah brought out Tiger and Mickey and set them on the ground. The mouse and turtle ran around the room and nobody seemed to notice until Hannah started to laugh. Tiger had gotten stuck under one of the chairs and Mickey was trying to climb onto his shell. Gail stood up and walked over to the animals. She picked Mickey up and then Tiger and walked back to where Hannah was laughing. Hannah pulled her legs into a circle and Gail put the animals in the circle then sat next to her.

Mickey was able to get onto Tigers back, but then curled into a little ball and fell asleep. Gail was keeping the little girl as entertained as possible without her worrying about her mother. That was until she started to speak once the animals decided it was a good time to sleep. Gail perked her ears up at the sound of Hannah's voice.

"What was that Hannah?"

"My mommy's going to be okay right? I mean Dan was able to help her enough right?"

"The doctors will let us know how bad it was but the fact that Dan was there is a good sign. She'll have to thank him when she wakes up. Do you know what happened Hannah?"

"Yea, the chain came off the door about an hour into the tornados touching ground and mommy went to grab the door so she could put the chain on it when the door flung open. Mommy was holding onto the door and the daddy's were trying to grab her. And that's when I saw the gas truck coming at us and that's when the daddy's made an anchor like chain and grabbed mommy. They got the door shut and the chain on the door right as the truck hit and everything exploded above the door. I ran to mommy thinking she was alright and started hugging her real tight and that's when she gasped. Something sharp had hit her while she was flying around and trying to hold onto the door and everything. Dan did everything to stop the bleeding. Even told mommy that if we didn't get rescued soon, he didn't know what was going to happen. Mommy lost consciousness about the time you all showed up."

"For someone as young as you, you really have a good idea about what goes on around you." Williams said.

"I have to have a good idea about what is going on. Mommy inherited the house from grampy and gramy because the city wasn't safe for us no more. Daddy was constantly trying to find us and mommy knew he didn't know where grampy and gramy lived so we moved up there."

"What are you talking about Hannah? Was your daddy not supposed to be around you guys?" Nash asked.

"No, daddy is supposed to be in jail. He ain't supposed to be out until I turn twenty-one. At least that is what mommy said. She said he did something really bad and that's why he was in jail."

"Do you know what your daddy did to deserve to go to jail?" McNally asked.

"He had a gun and mommy was pregnant. But not with me. I was supposed to have a baby sister or brother and I guess daddy didn't want another baby in the house and he took the gun at mommy. I lost my baby brother."

"Did your baby brother breathe when he was born?" Swarek asked.

"He lived for two days before he died. Mommy was in the hospital with him and I was sent to live with gramy and grampy. Daddy isn't supposed to be out of jail but he is and mommy doesn't know why. How's mommy doing now?"

"We have to wait for the doctor to tell us. Maybe we should put Tiger and Mickey back in your backpack before any nurses see them. How does that sound?"
"Sounds okay to me; nobody's going to hurt Mickey are they?"

"He's your pet right? I don't think anyone wants to hurt Mickey, but no animals are supposed to be in a hospital unless they are service animals."

"I know what those are. Gramy had a service dog. Actually, I think it was a deer. They always told me it was a dog but it was bigger than a dog and always looked like a deer to me. Gramy named her Bambi like the movie."

"Where's Bambi now?"

"Bambi was in the zoo down the road from our house. When gramy and grampy died, we put Bambi in the petting zoo so others could know what she used to do. A lot of people like hearing her story and we were allowed to see her when ever we want. One time she got out of her pen and walked all the way to the house. We woke up the next morning to see her sleeping on our porch. She growed up at the house so she knew her way home."

"That's cute."

"Do you think Bambi is alright? I mean do you think she survived the tornadoes like we did? Ooh, here comes the doctor."

Everyone looked up as soon as Hannah said that the doctor was coming. Everyone was still in uniform; I was the only one that hadn't been since I hadn't made it into work that morning. The doctor walked into the Waiting Room and noticed the only little girl among the cops. And he figured that the little girl must be the daughter of the woman he just got done saving. He nodded to the little girl and turned towards where Frank Best was standing. The rest of the 15th members that hadn't gone to the neighborhood had shown up after Swarek and Williams got back to the Barn with the puppies and kitties. Gail held Hannah while the doctor headed to where Frank was.

"Hi, my name is Doctor Jacobson. I was the surgeon who took care of your officer. I was told that she was injured during the tornadoes up north. Was anyone else brought in with her? Any family members? I should really tell them what has happened."

"It was only me. I'm her daughter Hannah. How is my mommy doing?"

"Your mommy is in recovery. But I need to speak to an adult and not a little girl."

"Then talk to Gail. She's like an aunty to me anyways. She's always at the house every Saturday she doesn't work. Talk to Gail and tell her if my mommy is going to make it. Please, I really want my mommy to make it." Hannah finished. Out of the mouth of a young child came words most kids wouldn't have known how to say. But the little girl had already gone through enough in the past few hours that it was surprising that she could even say please and thank you and actually mean it.

"I'm Gail Peck. Hannah can stay in the room but you can tell all of us how Lynn is. This is Frank Best; he's our Staff Srgt. at the 15th."

"Mrs. Jackson is in recovery. We had to put an intubation tube down her throat once she got here and her surgery did take longer than normal. She lost a lot of blood in the amount of time the piece of metal made contact with her body. We were able to remove the metal piece and sew her up. The metal piece pierced her liver and we were able to repair the damage, but Mrs. Jackson won't be able to leave the hospital for a few days. The more rest she gets the better. You can go see her once she is removed from recovery and to a private room. She should wake up from the anesthesia by tonight. Will she have a place to stay in the city?" Dr. Jacobson finished.

"She'll stay with me at my place. I've been staying with my parents for a while so it will be the safest place for her to stay and Hannah can stay there as well."

"Alright, that is good to know. I need to go update her chart. Do you have any contact information that I might be able to put on her paperwork?"

"Of course," Gail said reaching for her wallet, "here is my cell number. You can contact me there at any time."

"I'll go update the paperwork now and I'll send a nurse out to take you to Mrs. Jackson once she's out of recovery and in her own room. If you'll excuse me."

Dr. Jackson headed for the nurse's station to update the contact information of Lynn's paperwork and then told the nurse that after Mrs. Jackson was out of recovery and in her own room to take those waiting out in the waiting room to see her. He headed to the ER where more people were being brought in from the Tornado ravaged countryside.

Will Cola rebuild the house she inherited from her parents so that she and her daughter will be able to live in the country once again? And will the reason Cola's husband is out of jail come to light?

More to come in chapter three…