As the day progressed, Auggie felt worse and worse about his altercation with Annie. She had done nothing wrong, only voiced the feelings they both harbored lovingly for each other. He knew he would never forgive himself if he accidently hurt her, and after the initial moment of rash humiliation, Auggie saw her point of view. He did need her help, more than he liked to admit.
He sat brewing on how to fix his mistake in the break room instead of eating his cold leftovers that afternoon, finally picking up his phone and dialed the florist on J Street.
"Sunny Day florists, this is Jessie speaking. How may I help you?"
"Hello Jessie. This is Auggie Anderson. I would like to place a delivery order."
"Okay, what would you like?"
"A dozen red roses and a dozen yellow ones delivered to my address on file, please." Auggie knew this was an odd request, but it was an old joke between Annie and him. Auggie had once asked for two dozen red roses to bring home to her, but the florist, seeing he was blind and running out of red roses, had sold him a dozen red and a dozen yellow without his knowing. Annie thought it very funny, and charming, so that was the combination he had bought ever since.
"Of course, what would you like on the card?"
"Just put 'I'm sorry and I love you' but without a name. She'll understand."
"Sure thing, Mr. Anderson; they'll be delivered this afternoon."
"Great, thank you." Auggie just hung up the phone when a sudden loud noise filled the room, threw him from chair and put the room into disarray. After a moment of confusion, he struggled up and out of the remains of the break room, forcing himself into the throng of panic in the hall. August reached out and grabbed the shirt of the man closest to him.
"What happened?"
"You gotta get out of the building, man!" A deep voice unfamiliar to Auggie responded without answering his question.
"What happened?!" Auggie insisted, tightening his grip on the man's collar.
"A bomb exploded!"
"Where?"
"The DPD bullpen"
A thrill of fear shot through him, "No," he let go of the man began to run against the frantic crowd, "No, Annie!"
As he ran he heard several people yelling at him to turn around, that he needed to exit the building in the other direction, but he couldn't stop. The bomb was centered in Annie's division. The thought that he would never be able to make it right, never tell her that he loved her again haunted him as he ran to her office.
He ran until he reached the rubble formally known as the domestic protection division of the CIA, "Annie!" He screamed, dropping to his knees and crawling through the rubble, trying to find her.
He screamed her name until he heard a cry.
"Auggie!" and then another, quieter, "Auggie!"
He pushed himself up and ran to the sound, dropping to his knees again and searching through the rubble until he found her hand. He threw off the heavy object lying on top of her which felt like a support beam. Then he found her face, held it in both of his hands, and kissed her forehead, tasting the bitter combination of sweat, dust and blood on his lips.
"Annie, oh Annie!" he exclaimed, resting his forehead lightly against hers, "It's alright, I'm here now, everything's going to be okay."
"Auggie," She forced out between painfully shallow breaths, "I'm sorry, I-"
"Shh," he stopped her words, "Don't talk. You did nothing wrong. I'm sorry; I love you, and I always will." Auggie cradled Annie's pain-racked body in his arms, putting his hand over a large wound he felt in her abdomen in an attempt the stanch the bleeding.
"Can you move your fingers and toes?" Auggie whispered to her in as soothing a voice as he could muster.
"I don't know, Auggie," Annie moaned in fear and pain, "everything hurts so much I don't even think I can try."
"Okay, it's okay," Auggie soothed her, "just hold on darling."
They lapsed into silence for a few moments before Annie spoke again, "Auggie?" she whispered.
"Yes my love," he answered still trying to sooth her.
"Is it really cold or is it just me?" she asked in halting and slurred speech.
She's in shock; Auggie thought grimly, "Yeah baby," he said instead, "It's really cold. But it should warm up soon."
Auggie shifted Annie in his arms and tried, vainly, to warm her by rubbing his hands quickly up and down her arms. He held her and endured the silence, broken only by her shallow breath and the seemingly far-off screams of the survivors until Sirens were heard in the distance, growing steadily closer, "They're almost here Annie, just hold on."
When the paramedics arrived, after what seemed like a lifetime to Auggie and almost was for Annie, Auggie flagged them down, shouting.
"Help! Over here, she's still alive!"
Two paramedics approached and leaned over Annie, immediately beginning their work as Auggie released his hold on her.
One addressed Auggie, "Do you know her?"
"Yes," he answered without looking up, "She is my wife, Annie Anderson. I'm Auggie."
"Have you been injured?"
"I don't think so. I was across the building when the bomb went off." Auggie hesitated a moment before looking up and continuing, "Will she be alright?"
The paramedic answered him honestly, "I don't know, but we will do our best."
Without any more conversation the paramedics carefully braced her neck and moved her to a portable gurney and hooked Annie up to an IV. They then picked her up and carried her away. Auggie followed the sound of the men's footsteps with some difficulty because of the confusion and his mental state. Soon they arrived at what was surely one of many ambulances.
"May I ride with her?" Auggie asked, "I don't want to leave her side."
The paramedic who had spoken before answered him, "Yes, so long as you promise not to get in the way."
With that August climbed into the back of the truck and felt his way to his wife's side, kneeling down. He held her hand, gingerly in case it was injured, and tried to sooth her while the paramedics worked to stabilize her condition. But despite the men's best efforts Annie's breathing began to fade and she stopped responding to Auggie's voice. Soon afterwards her heart stopped beating entirely. Auggie forced himself to release Annie's hand when the talkative paramedic shouted, "Clear" and shocked her. Never before had Auggie considered his blindness so hindering as when Annie stopped breathing. He wanted desperately to be able to see what they were doing to revive her, to watch the heart monitor for any sign of life, to be able to assess her injuries, to be able to see Annie with his own eyes at least once before he had to bury her. But no, he was forced to sit in his prison of darkness as Annie was shocked once, twice, then a third time before her heart started again.
By then they arrived at the hospital. The paramedics jumped out of the back of the ambulance, pulling Annie out with them. Auggie stumbled out after them, trying to keep up. They were met by what sounded like several doctors at the door. Immediately the paramedics called out code describing Annie's condition. Auggie did not understand what they were saying, but the ominous words "Crash", "unstable", and "shock" hit him like physical blows. While running with the group, Auggie suddenly hit a wall. He extended his hands and found a door, electronically locked to keep everyone but the worst cases out. He stayed there for a moment, praying that Annie would be able to walk back out. A hand on his right shoulder startled him back to the present. He whipped around to the sound of a woman's voice.
"Sir, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine." August answered hurriedly.
"Are you sure sir? You're covered in blood."
At this Auggie's eyes turned stormy, "I have no doubt that I am. I have had quite the morning."
The nurse became suspicious of Auggie's unwavering stare down the hall. "Can you see sir?" she pulled out a pin light from her pocket.
Here Auggie laughed a short, hard laugh, "No, but I haven't been able to for years." Then he remembered his cane. Searching his pockets he added, "I seem to have left my cane in the rubble. It's no matter." He said shrugging it off, "I won't be going anywhere anyway."
"Why not?"
"Because my wife is in there," here Auggie turned back to the door, "and I won't leave her."
The nurse was quiet for a moment and when she spoke her voice was filled with quiet compassion, "Would you like me to take you to a seat? Your wife has been taken into surgery; it may be awhile before you can see her."
Auggie allowed himself to be lead to a hard plastic chair. When the nurse left he pulled out his cell phone and put the headphones attached to the jack into his ears. He dialed up a long-distance call to California.
"Hello" a familiar female voice answered.
"Danielle, this is Auggie."
"Auggie! How are things in DC?" She sounded happy, so naive and happy.
"Danielle, I... I have some bad news."
"Bad news?" Danielle echoed, concern rising in her voice.
"There was an accident at work today." Auggie began slowly, dreading his next words.
"Are you okay?" and then, after a pause, "Is Annie okay?"
"I'm alright, but Annie" Here Auggie's voice and composure broke and he couldn't continue.
"Oh God," Danielle responded, tears evident in her voice as well, "Is she dead Auggie?"
"She's in surgery," Auggie took a shaky breath, "But it doesn't look good."
"I'll be there as soon as I can be." Danielle answered quickly, "Don't do anything stupid before I am though." She warned him.
"I'll try not to," Auggie answered, "Take care, and I'll see you soon."
After Danielle said her goodbyes, Auggie hung up the phone and sat back to wait.
A/N: Hey Guys! Thanks for following, and I would Love to know what you think! Thanks!
