Neela groaned and tried to sit up, as she did so an excruciating pain stabbed through her stomach, she doubled over in agony.
"Neela?" a voice called out through the darkness that surrounded her and she recognised it as Ray, "Are you ok?!"
"Yeah," Neela managed to gasp, "I'm fine." She screwed her eyes up and gritted her teeth, willing whatever was causing her this pain to go away.
"Ok, I think the floor fell in and we're like in the basement or something. I can't see a thing, where are you?" Ray yelled.
"Er…I'm over here," Neela shouted back, wincing and clutching her side.
"That's helpful, Neela, really helpful," Ray replied sarcastically, "I'm free by the way; the collapse must have dislodged the slab. My leg still hurts like hell though. I don't think the other's broken, it's just superficial."
"That's good," Neela answered, her face contorted as she fought from crying out. Ray needed her help right now, she didn't need to worry him.
"Are you sure you're ok, Neela, you don't sound too good," the injured man's concerned voice said sharply.
"I'm fine, Ray!" Neela replied defiantly, "I'll come over to where you are." Carefully, feeling her way with her hands the young woman managed to struggle over to the direction of Ray's voice. She shuffled on her knees and found they were torn and ripped by shards of glass when she'd moved about a metre. She couldn't see a thing in the dingy light that they were shrouded in. Neela felt very enclosed and claustrophobic.
Suddenly she hit something soft and there was a grunt of pain. "Hey, watch it, Neela that was me."
"Oh, god, I'm so sorry, Ray!" Neela gasped and noticed his outline. She could just about make out his face that was good, hopefully he wouldn't see whatever wound she had in the blackness.
"Its ok," the young man smiled but it was hardly visible.
"Do you want me to check your leg again now it's free?" Neela asked, moving closer to the resident's side. Ray nodded; biting his lip as the resident surgeon gently manipulated his injured limb. "There's not much I can do, you're gonna need surgery."
"I know."
"I can try realigning the bone and putting a splint on it. There maybe some medical supplies around here," she suggested, looking around the rubble.
"I doubt it, you can try putting it back though," Ray replied.
"Ok, you sure you'll be alright without painkillers?"
"I'll just have to stick it," Ray shrugged. Neela nodded and began to gingerly move Ray's femur. He, in turn, screamed out in agony causing her to flinch.
Finally, she stopped and Ray's cries gave way to panting, she could see the perspiration dripping down his face and she could feel his heart thumping violently beneath his skin. She felt awful, not just for causing her best friend so much pain, but because of the dizzying agony in her side. Neela felt like she could collapse at any moment, but she couldn't, for Ray's sake.
"I'm gonna see if I can find anything to make a splint from," she told him and began crawling over the debris. When she thought she had got far enough away she slumped against a piece of stone and lifted the hem of her surgical scrubs.
Neela's eyes widened as she saw the shard of metal protruding from her stomach. She could tell it was embedded very deep and she was not going to get it out easily. Blood was dripping from the wound freely and her t-shirt was soaked already with the crimson liquid. She was surprised Ray hadn't noticed it when she was beside him. She pressed on the tender skin around the shrapnel and let in a sharp breath. She tugged on the metal but it didn't budge and just increased the agony. It was going to have to stay there, she decided, until they got out. Ray was the priority now.
"Are we going to die?" Frankie asked, her young face etched with fear.
"Now, we're going to be fine," Hope assured her, "God will help us."
"God? I don't believe in god. I haven't been to church since I was small," the girl looked worried, as if this could mean whether she lived or died.
"Neither do I," Sam piped up, shooting a glance at Hope, "You don't have to believe in a faith to be ok. We're all going to survive this."
"You sure? Cos I wanna see my mom again," Frankie looked tearful.
"I'm sure she's waiting just outside, waiting to see you're alright," Hope said, putting a comforting hand on her arm.
"You think?"
"Yeah, she'll be so worried, and when you get out of here she'll probably hug you till you burst," Sam smiled eliciting a small grin from the girl.
"But, how do you think anyone will find us if we're stuck in an elevator?"
"They just will, I'm sure," the nurse said adamantly, clutching at her broken arm, ignoring the pain.
Abby was getting more and more agitated as survivors of the explosion spilled into the ambulance bay. Some were walking wounded; others had to be carried by several unharmed people because they were critical. Yet, there was still no sign of the tall Croatian among them; in fact, Abby had seen none of her friends come out of the wreckage. Pratt, Ray, Neela, well she had come out but she'd gone back in and hadn't been seen since, Sam, Frank, Hope…where were they all? Were they alive?
Suddenly she spotted two figures she recognised and ran over to the two nurses.
"Haleh! Chuny! You're alright!" she smiled, relieved.
"Yes, we are," Haleh smiled back. Abby did a quick once over of both of them but found nothing out of place except a few cuts and bruises. They were fine.
"Did you…um…see Luka in there?" she asked hopefully, "And Joe?"
"Oh, honey, if we'd known they were in there we would've looked! But no, we didn't see them," Haleh put a reassuring arm around the resident, "I'm sure they're fine."
Alex drew his knees up to his chest and felt tears trickle down his cheeks. He wanted out. Why was no one looking for him? Maybe no one knew he was there. He looked around him. Frank was beside him, still out cold and he couldn't see much else. The boy decided to see if he could find a way out. Hauling himself onto all fours, Alex crawled towards a chink of light he could see. It was barely anything but it may mean a way out. As he got closer he heard voices, hurried and urgent.
"I think it's this way out," one voice declared.
"It may be but I have to find, Sam and Alex," Alex immediately recognised this voice.
"BEN!" he yelled, coughing as he inhaled a lot of dust.
"Alex?" Ben replied, spinning round looking for the source of the noise.
"Ben, help me," Alex shouted.
"Where are you?"
"I'm under the admit desk!" Alex pulled some of the rubble beside him and stuck his hand through. Ben spotted it and dived to his knees, scraping the bricks away with his hands.
Soon the debris fell away and Alex sprang from his confinement into Ben's arms almost knocking him flying. The young boy clutched him tightly, his fingers gripping the material of his top as if never wanting to let go.
"Whoa, Alex, are you ok?" Ben wasn't sure whether to hug the child back as he never seemed to like him that much but he decided he should. Alex seemed traumatised.
"I'm fine," Alex sobbed.
"Is your mom in there?" Ben asked.
"No, but Frank is, he's unconscious," Alex said. The nurse's eyes widened.
"Is he badly hurt?" Ben wiggled into the hole he'd created and felt his way into the darkness.
"I don't think so, just knocked out."
A couple of minutes later the man appeared, dragging the form of Frank behind him which was quite an effort. The other man that had been with him helped Ben to pull Frank from the hole and the two of them held him between over their shoulders. Alex walked beside them, salty tears still rolling freely down his face. He wasn't going to die, he could see the entrance, he was going to get out. But what about his mom?
Ooh, what's gonna happen to Neela? Well obviously I know as I'm writing the story but I can keep you guessing. Please review if you want your favorites to survive!