Title: The Longest Day
Chapter 6 – 3600 Seconds
11:01am – Tuesday September 11, 2001
"I'm fine…I'm …. AHHHHH!" Danny growled as two of the firefighters tried to get him upright about fifteen minutes after he had finally come to. "Okay…yeah so I'm…"
"Think your leg is broken and…where…oh damn…" one of the firefighters paused as he shone his small light on Danny's side.
"Yeah…I've been hit," Danny huffed as he looked at one of the firefighters with a determined gaze. "Just wrap my damn leg. That woman…sorry what's your name?"
"Sh-Shelly."
"She needs more help than me."
"We're all getting out of here intact," Stanley's voice was heard in the confined space. "Was it just me or did it feel like we were pushed downward."
"Yeah…it was downward."
"Felt like going down."
"So…do we climb up?"
"I…I can't move."
"My leg hurts."
Danny's mind listened to the chatter from those around him; mostly panicked statements from the civilians as the first responders quietly went about tending to the wounded with small bursts of light while they tried to figure out if they were all to go up or down.
"We can't pull this rebar out…you could bleed out," one of the firefighters named Dave told Danny as he helped to wrap his leg.
"Yeah…I know. Fiancé…a nurse," he groaned as he rested back against the wall. "Got any cutters? Cut this thing down a bit?"
"If I fiddle around with that thing…it'll hurt like hell."
"And if you pass out…"
"Right I become another burden," Danny sighed as his heart started to thud a bit harder in his chest. Am I bleeding internally? He wasn't sure if something else was punctured but he knew that others were wounded and he had to push past his own personal pain and try to help get everyone to safety. By a small stroke of luck the part he was in had somehow held and he wasn't about to just take that lightly.
"Okay...listen up!" Stanley's voice is heard as he took out his small flashlight and shone it downward on the group a few meters below him. "I know many of you are hurt and we're in a small space and will run out of breathable air faster than we might want. But we cannot just sit here and wait or hope for someone to find us in time. So Charlie and I are going to head to the top of this stairwell piece and see what we can do. Randy and Sarah are going to head downward to see what they can find. I want everyone to just stay put."
"I can't just…"
"Officer…"
"R…Danny…just call me Danny," he replied; not wanting anyone to treat him differently because he was related to the top cop in the city. "I'm ex...military look I can…" his voice faltered as his head started to swim with dizzying pangs.
"Danny, can you look at me?" An older woman asked as one of the firefighters shone his light in Danny's eyes to see how quickly his pupils will dilate.
"Danny, you're probably bleeding internally."
"I'm…fine," Danny tried to brush it off. "Just…find a way out. I'll….stay put. Less for you to worry about. Give you…my word."
"Okay. We're gonna save the lights so I want everyone to just remain where they are. Please just wait for us. We're all getting out of this together."
Please God…let us get out of here…Danny's mind prayed with silent pleading. With that the area around him goes dark and Stanley's plan goes into motion. He had been helped back down to a seated position across the steps but couldn't lean back with the piece of rebar in his side so the older woman, despite her own injury propped herself up against him and helped him sit upright.
Now he just had to work on staying conscious for he feared if he slipped into darkness, he might never find his way back out. His family. His job. His beloved fiancé. Linda…
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As much as she tried not to be distracted from her job, Linda couldn't help but pause a few minutes on the current patient she worked on when an NYPD officer was brought in for treatment.
"Okay…send this one to recovery bay 3," Linda told the orderly who nodded and then quickly maneuvered the patient out of the area so another one could be brought in.
"So many…they just keep coming."
Linda looked at the nurse beside her and couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Karen, if you need a break I've got this."
"You sure?"
"You've been here how long?"
"Seems like the longest day of my life," she huffed as she patted Linda on the shoulder and headed for the nurse relief area. Linda turned and watched the next patient come in and felt a fresh wave of fatigue starting to attack her. She had only been on for a few hours but it seemed like…like Karen had said, the longest day of her life.
A few seconds before the next patient is brought in, Linda pulled her phone and dialed Danny's number once more. "Please Danny…pick up," Linda chanted as she sent a quick text to Mary Reagan. 'Any word on Danny yet?'
The response was quick to come back to her. But it wasn't what she wanted to hear or see. 'Nothing yet. Frank's gone down to Ground Zero. Stay tuned. But have faith our dear Danny will be fine.'
She knew that Mary was probably putting on a brave face for the rest of her children; Erin now home and Joe and Jamie already with her but could hear through the typed words Danny's mother's fear. She was just as worried about her son as Linda was about her fiancé.
"Linda! Incoming!"
With that she shoved her phone back into her pocket and turned her attention to the next patient; unaware that two NYPD officers were just brought into her ER – but it wasn't who she needed to see.
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"Hurry up…" Frank chanted in a soft whisper as the watched the last stubborn pocket of fire being battled into oblivion by the emotionally taxed FDNY members.
"Jet fuel mixed in there boss," Gormely guessed as Frank looked at him with pursed lips. "I'm sure Danny is okay."
"I almost feel selfish…" Frank paused as he looked at a few more dusty stragglers head toward them, veer past as they are directed by nearby officers to a waiting medical transport. "So many died today. This…" he stopped as Gormley's brow furrowed heavily.
"No one's gonna fault you for wanting him to be found alive," Gormley gently reminded him as Frank's tense expression tried to soften.
"I need to get in there."
"Boss…" Gormley tried to protest as Frank pulled away and then headed toward the left side of the mangled rubble. He offered a small curse under his breath and quickly followed. "Can't let you defy orders alone."
"Sid…" Frank tried to protest.
"Let's just go."
"Chief Reagan. Sir you cannot go…"
"My son is missing Lieutenant," Frank told the concerned FDNY as he watched as two dusty NYPD officers approached; dragging another between them. "He could…be…" Frank's voice paused and stammered as the three of them watched the two visually distraught officers slowly shuffle past them with a third, unmoving officer between them. "Officer's…"
"He didn't make it sir…" one of them replied as the simply shuffled past and headed for one of the waiting medical transports.
Frank and Gormley traded defeated expressions before they turned back to the FDNY Lieutenant.
"I need to find my son. And I'm going in. Fire's out," Frank told the Lieutenant as he pushed past; his mind eager and anxious to find his son as soon as possible.
"Derek, we have NYPD incoming. Chief Reagan…he's looking for his son."
Frank heard the grim words but knew he had to push on; his son's life depended on it.
"Boss…you might not like what you find."
"I know Sid," Frank replied heavily. "But I have to find him. I have to know either way."
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'Hey hero…how many fingers?'
'Eleven. Told you I was fine. Can I go now?'
'You can hardly walk out of here.'
'I'm gonna walk out of here just fine…nurse…'
'Linda.'
'Linda. And then tomorrow I'm gonna walk back in and see if you wanna have dinner.'
'How do you know I'm available?'
'Are you?'
He could remember her laugh as she shook her head no but said she wasn't on shift and wasn't about to give out her number to a stranger. He knew then it was just a matter of time before he'd wear her down; he'd be right.
"Danny?"
"Yeah…yeah…still here…" he muttered with a small wheeze as he tried to shift to a better position but told himself he should just stay put so he'd be able to try to help himself get to safety without help as much as possible.
"What's your fiancé's name?"
"Linda…we uh…we're getting married."
"That's wonderful. My Harold and I will be celebrating fifty years in November."
Stay awake…listen to her words…STAY AWAKE Danny's brain tried to command as he tried to listen to the older woman chatter on about how she got engaged.
"Danny?"
No answer.
"Can someone help me?"
"What's wrong Ma'am?"
"He's not doing so good," the older woman named Ethel told one of the firefighters who knelt down and then checked Danny's pulse.
"I'm…still here," Danny whispered softly.
"We need to get you out of here."
"Otherrs…first," Danny slightly slurred as the firefighter's fingers quickly went to Danny's pulse once more.
"Randy!"
"Yeah!" The firefighter who knelt beside Danny called out. "No way out down there. The doorway is crushed literally," he informed them; only to be rewarded with a whispered chorus of 'oh no's, 'we're gonna die' and 'we need air'.
"No need to panic everyone. There is a way if we go up. It's cramped near the top but it seems stable. We are running out of air so we need to try. I want everyone who can stand on their own and walk without help to follow Charlie and Rico. The rest of my team…let's see whose left needing help and then move out accordingly. Let's get the hell outta here everyone."
Time to go….you are walking out of here on your own… his brain told him. However with part of his leg busted up and the piece of metal still in his side he knew he needed help.
But he wasn't the only one.
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"Danny!" Frank called out as he slowly meandered through pieces of twisted metal, hunks of concrete, bits of various debris and other items such as charred limbs that made his stomach twist into tight knots of anxiety.
"Boss…"
"I see…" Frank replied as he hurriedly picked his way over some jagged debris to where a group FDNY firefighters had found two NYPD officers…dead.
"What if it's…"
"I need to know!" Frank snapped before he paused a few seconds later. "Sid…I need to know Danny's fate no matter how…grim it might be."
"Right," Gormely muttered as one of the firefighters rushed up to them.
"Sir!"
"I need to know if that's my son. Please let us pass Lieutenant. I was told by your Chief the pockets of fire are out and searches are starting to look over the rubble. I need to see the bodies…found."
"Let him pass."
Frank pushed past the last firefighter and reached the small group that hovered over the two bodies. "I need to see…"
"Oh no," Gormley uttered as he looked at Frank in sorrow. "Both from the 1-5."
"Okay…take them to the ME's area," Frank directed as he cast his worried gaze over the enormous pile of rubble before him and felt his heart sink. At the same time his phone buzzed and he's quick to read his father's message.
'Have you found Danny yet?'
'Still looking.' He texted back and then put his phone away and looked at Gormley and then gestured for them to head to the left and keep looking.
"We'll find him."
Gormley could only offer a weak nod in return as in that moment he didn't hold out hope of finding Danny Reagan alive.
Come on Danny…where are you?
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"Okay…watch it now…just…"
"Andy!"
"Yeah I see it! Charlie use your Halligan to…"
"Okay I see it. Move…"
"Got it!"
"Okay! I see light."
"Okay everyone who can still walk out on their own…stay to the right! KEEP RIGHT!" Stanley shouted as he pushed through the final piece of debris and prepared to make the big push out onto the surface – at least…that's what they hoped.
"Danny? Hey…officer Reagan!"
"Ye…ah…wha…huh?" Danny snapped back to reality as he squinted when the small flashlight was shone in his eyes. "I'm…not blind."
"Just making sure. We gotta go now. So…just take a deep breath and Skippy here and I are gonna support you."
"'m…kay," Danny muttered as he took a deep breath and then prepared to stand up. Each firefighter took an arm and then helped him get to his feet. "AHHHHHHHHH!" Danny cried out as his side flexed at the same time as his leg; his eyes instantly flooding with fresh tears as he bit back another painful wave of pain. His head started to swim with dizzying pain as bile assaulted his esophagus from his stomach. But he didn't want to throw up so despite a small cry from his brain, he swallowed the bile back down and then coughed.
"Hey buddy just…we can't leave you here okay? We don't know how stable it is."
"I know...I…know…" Danny wheezed as he nodded and offered a silent curse but prepared to take a step upward.
"We got you. One step at a time okay? Just lean on Skippy and we'll support your weight. Because of your side we cannot carry you."
"No…one's…carrying…me," Danny managed with a small hiss as he looked upward and glanced at the small sliver of light. That's hope…that's freedom…come on…you can do it! Think of Linda…you love her and want to see her again.
"Okay? Ready? Let's go."
"Okay," Danny agreed as he prepared to exit their suffocating space. But as soon as he put weight on his good leg, he felt something else inside start to cry for medical attention. Hurry Danny…you're running out of time! HURRY!
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"Renzulli!" Linda exclaimed as she rushed up to the familiar face who slowly entered the ER with another unfamiliar one with her.
"Linda…" Renzulli huffed as he gratefully accepted the hug. "Broken arm. No biggie. This is Sam."
"Hello. Tony…tell me…did you see Danny? Is he okay?"
"He's…"
"He's gone," Sam stated blankly as Linda's jaw dropped and Renzulli elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't know for sure. He was…was right beside me and…I saw bodies falling from the sky."
"He's in shock. Anyone here that can help him?"
"Yeah…Kim, take…Sam to see Dr. Williams. He's helping with the shock triage."
Linda watched him the young, distraught rookie being led away toward another area of the hospital and then turned her attention back to Danny's temporary partner for the day. "Tell me," she begged sadly.
"We don't know for sure. We got separated but he heard the call to get out. There's lots of rubble and it's a big area. He could still be there helping others."
"Oh no," Linda whispered as her eyes flooded. "He…he can't be gone."
"I'm…so sorry."
XXXXXXXX
"Frank!" Sid called out as he tried to keep up.
But Frank never looked back, he just pressed on and headed toward the edge of the debris field, of what had been the North Tower – the opposite direction of where his son would soon emerge.
"He's here Sid! He's here and I have to find him."
"Wait!" Sid stated loudly as he grabbed Frank's shirt and turned him around. "He's gone! We've looked an hour where he might be! There are no survivors! Danny is dead!"
"No!" Frank shouted as turned back and glared at Sid. "My son…is alive and I'm going to find him!"
With that Frank turned around and resumed his original course; the few first responders, firefighters and police who had paused resumed their duties while Sid just shook his head and continued after Frank. But in that moment neither of them knew that Danny was about to emerge a few minutes later – but on the other side of Ground Zero.
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"Alright and….Charlie give it all you got! Larry, Matt, Ian…NOW!"
The four firefighters bust through the last bit of concrete that stood between them and freedom and emerged into the filtered sunlight; the sky marred with black and grey.
"We're out!"
"Oh…thank you God…"
A tired chorus of relief is heard down into the darkened stairwell as all the survivors squint into the light that looks upward; their steps slow and deliberate.
"Danny….we're home free! We're going to live!" Ethel stated as she turned back and looked at Danny with a small smile of relief as she was helped up the stairs by one of the female firefighters. But her smile instantly turned dark when Danny's head lolled to the front and didn't lift back up on his own. "Danny! Danny, wake up!"
"We're losing him…we gotta move NOW!"
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At approximately 12:01 on Tuesday September 11, 2001 fourteen people, including 12 firefighters who were in a section of a stairwell in the North Tower that held together during the collapse, climb the stairs to the top of the Ground Zero rubble field.
A/N: for those that didn't know there are 3600 seconds in one hour. So the parts in bold are from the real events on Sept 11th but I tweaked a bit to keep it a bit fictitious and hope that's okay. Again I guessed at the names of some of those who emerged so if anyone knew anyone who emerged personally the name choice is strictly coincidence and not meant to offend anyone personally. But would love your thoughts on Linda's emotional state and how her reunion with Danny will go and will Frank find his son? Please do review before you go and thanks so much!