Unlikely Partners Chapter 8 Getting Out
"Hank!" Boden yelled over to where Intelligence was still working on the case out of the way. The entire team looked up expectantly. They all moved to follow their boss to the fire Chief's spot next to the Station 51 fire engine.
"Cool your jets." He told his team, he understood their worry and impatience. "I'll let you know what he says." but he wanted to hear the news good or bad first so he could process it before telling the team.
"What's the news?" His team had been missing for hours, almost a day. Hopefully the news was positive. "Matt and Kelly found them" Wallace was relieved to say, and even happier for the news for his friend. He could see some of the tension relax off his face and shoulders.
"He doesn't seem devastated?" Hailey hoped as the Intelligence unit tried to assess their boss's body language.
A familiar voice broke them out of their waiting. "Hey guys, I am sorry. I just heard, any news?" Antonio Dawson came as the sunrise was just coming into the city.
"Waiting on the boss." Kevin stated, pointing to where Hank and Wallace were talking seriously.
"What's it look like?" Hank wanted, needed to know. "Matt says they are awake, probably dehydrated and hungry and tired. The van is half crushed by rock and steel and brick. Jay says he thinks his foot and ankle are broken. But Kim is in bad shape. We are going to put Brett down there to give some medical support." He reassured Hank.
Wallace continued, "We've got a construction company arriving now it looks like, Hermann is setting them up on the east side, Kelly said that was the closest way to get to the van. We are going to go slow, and we are getting them out." He promised. "You tell your guys that too." Hank nodded and with his hands in his pockets and dark circles under his eyes, went back to his team. He did notice an extra person and was glad Antonio was there to help support them.
Trudy and the others waited for him to speak. "Matt and Kelly found them, they are alive. It's going to be a slow extraction process, the van is half crushed so they have to be careful to not let the rest of it cave in."
"How are Kim and Jay ?" Adam asked the elephant in the room still looming. Being alive is different than being fine.
"They are dehydrated and exhausted. Jay thinks he has a broken foot and ankle." He paused, it felt like a long pause. "Kim has some injuries we don't know how serious yet, and Jay thinks she has a concussion, broken collar bone, and some broken ribs."
"Where can we help?" Antonio jumped in to offer assistance right away. Hank tried to keep his team to get some sleep while they could, but understood that they wanted to be proactive. "Hermann is in charge over there." he pointed to the veteran firefighter.
"At least trade off, would you?" he suggested. Trudy helped by assigning them, Antonio, Kevin, Hank, you guys head over now. Adam, Hailey, and I will catch a quick nap. We'll switch in 2 hours." She ordered.
"Matt?" Kim asked softly. "Hey, Burgess." he responded trying to keep them both awake. "Do you have your phone? Can I record something for Nicole and Zoe?"
After a restless nap, Hank was encouraged to see that there was some semblance of a path into the building. Walking up to Hermann he cajoled, 'I want in. I need to see my people." The firefighter had been anticipating this and wrangled him some safety gear and harness and allowed him to follow Casey in.
"Jesus." Hank mumbled under his breath. It was truly a miracle that the van hadn't been crushed, killing Jay and Kim instantly. But he would feel slightly better if he could see them for himself. He climbed carefully over the large debris the firefighters and construction crew were trying to dislodge to get to his people, and he was grateful.
"How did you find them?" Hank asked in disbelief. It was so dark and the van was covered by rocks. He made it to the window. He looked inside in shock and horror. It was so peaceful yet disturbing at the same time. The pair was sitting up against the back of the driver's seat and console, Kim's head resting on Jay's shoulder, and his arm wrapped around her protectively. Dirt and dust covered them from head to toe, they were so still, so unlike how they are in real life. "Kim! Jay!" he shouted, desperate to know they were okay.
"Why is Hank yelling at us?" Kim murmured softly. "I don't know."Jay answered tiredly.
"Wait… Hank is yelling at us?" Jay wondered and as he was used to in the Army woke up immediately and saw their boss outside. "Kim, wake up." He spoke a little louder to try to get her out of her sleep. "What?" she asked as she opened her hazel eyes.
"Sarge!" they both called out in disbelief. "You don't know how good it is to see you." He gave them a rare Voight grin. "Believe me, there are people outside who can't wait to see you."
"Give him the bag." whispered Kim, reminding Jay of their investigative efforts from earlier. "Here." Jay shoved a bag through the hole. "Kim and I found some evidence in the van that might help the investigation."
Hank shook his head in disbelief. He didn't question his team's commitment or resolve because of days like today.
"I expected nothing less from the two of you." He praised them. We are doing everything we can to get you out of there. Now I need you two to relax and let us work now ok? Your job is done. Take care of each other." He smiled at the fact that they were holding hands.
"Copy that Sarge." Kim and Jay responded in sync. Hank turned and hurried the bag of evidence to a policeman from the 21st district with strict orders to rush it down to the lab.
"How are they?" Sergeant Platt asked on behalf of the rest of the Intelligence unit, because they knew Voight was tired of hearing it from Ruzek, Upton, and Atwater. Tired, he laughed at the situation of the three of them hiding behind the tough desk sergeant. Over the years though Trudy had grown close to his team and had been a valuable asset.
"You know they're good. Gave me a bag of evidence from inside the van." Hank explained with a smile.
"Obviously, Perez's crew was careless. So much evidence left behind, they didn't think the van would survive." Adam concluded subdued.
"Or Kim and Jay." Atwater added quietly. His statement sobered the group. Perez was not a man to swing and miss.
"Okay, Jay, I think we made enough room for you to slide out." Matt Casey directed from outside the debris covered van. The plan was to slide the pair out and hand carry them out the east side of the building to where ambulances were waiting.
"No offense, captain." Jay answered. "But that's not happening."
Impatient, Hank Voight moved closer to the van. "What's going on? Do you need us to get you out?" Was there something they had missed that was blocking them in?
"Well Sarge, Kim and I are handcuffed together." Halstead answered his boss. "So I can't get out until she gets out.
"Ok until we can separate them we need to be able to check their vital signs." Matt Casey informed the group, seeing that the pair were in rough shape. Paramedic Sylvie Brett was making her way to the van with the necessary equipment ready to put in the hole to Jay and Kim.
"Jay, put this oxygen cannula in your nose, it will help your breathing. And put this pulse oximeter on your finger so we can track your oxygen levels. " She instructed him carefully. "Can you reach Kim and put the oxygen on her?"
"Yeah," he replied, taking the supplies from Sylvie.
"Kim," he whispered. "Everyone is here, they are going to get us out okay?" He talked quietly so no one knew Kim was struggling to stay awake. She was in pain and getting weaker. "I'm going to put this in your nose to help you get more oxygen, and this on your finger. Sylvie is outside tracking our vital signs."
Kim was shaking from cold, tiredness, and fear. "Is there a blanket or something I can give Kim she is cold." Jay communicated with Sylvie. Matt was right there with a fire blanket that had been sent down in a basket of supplies earlier. "Make sure you are both drinking some water Jay." Sylvie reminded him.
"If you can get me in there, I can give them some pain medicine." Sylvie suggested. Severide grabbed the saw and began making a hole in the passenger door that she could crawl through, and then they could use it to make a larger hole to get Jay and Kim out.
The only thing they could do was wait to be cut out of this death trap. As he placed the blanket around Kim, he felt her arm was cold with barely a pulse. The boulder trapping her shoulder and elbow was too heavy to risk just pulling Kim out.
"Hey Boss!" got Hank's attention and he was glad for something to do. " I need a small axe or something. Burgess's arm is stuck and we can't wait until they clear a path in. We need to clear a path out. " Voight understood immediately and kept it low key, getting the right tool from Severide.
"Alright Burgess, you and me we're getting out ok." Jay promised softly. "Close your eyes." he covered her face and head with a shirt handed to him from one of the firefighters. He started taking his frustrations out on the rock, sending shards flying everywhere with his furious pounding. Finally when her arm was able to be free, Jay could relax and he pulled Kim closer to him and held tightly to her, needing the comfort as much as giving it.
He held the axe in his left hand and contemplated trying to chop the handcuffs in half. But he was strangely hesitant, not only because it would be risky without using his dominant hand, but because if he was honest, maybe he didn't want to lose the connection to Burgess just yet. God this whole day was one giant Clusterf*ck with a heaping barrel of PTSD. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen or all the dust they inhaled. He let the axe fall loosely out of his left hand, choosing instead to focus on the woman in his arms and relieved at being found.