Author's note: I'm sorry this is taking so long now - I'm working pretty long hours and
moving house and there's really not been a great amount of time. Anyway, here's chapter
16, this time moving onto the family members. I don't any of the characters used or named in this chapter, except Kate.
Again, I apologise for any timing flaws, or inaccuracies in anything described in the next
two chapters, I do my best to get things right.
Chapter 16 "The Waiting Game"
Rachel Greene
What does Valentines Day mean to a modern teenager? To me, very little. I didn't celebrate it, I barely even noticed it. We're a very cynical generation, and I prided myself on being more jaded than most. Nobody involved knew when they woke up on the morning of Valentines Day 2002 that they'd have a day they'd never forget for all the wrong reasons. I certainly wish now I hadn't woken up that day.
Rachels' school, 14/2/02, 11:25am
The teacher caught my shoulder as I was leaving class and turned me to face her. I was
slightly annoyed to begin with, it was recess and I was going to talk to my friends for the
first time today. In addition, I needed a cigarette. It was safe to say I was reasonably on
edge. I thought I was in for another row, and wondered idly what I had done this
time.
"Rachel,"
There was something instinctively worrying in the concerned tone. This wasn't about late
homework or cutting class. This went deeper, and I felt my heart skip a beat, imagining all
the awful things she could possibly say to me.
"There's something you should know,"
She perched on the edge of the desk and I noticed she was trembling a little as she spoke.
I questioned her with my gaze, and noticed her eyes duck to avoid mine.
"There was an explosion, about an hour ago,"
She said, choking slightly. I looked at the floor intently, biting the inside of my cheek to
detract from the tears that were stinging my eyes ominously. This was worse than I could
have imagined. Never in my worst nightmares had I envisioned that was what she was
going to say to me.
"It was at County General,"
She hadn't actually had to say it, because something in me already knew. I blinked to clear
my vision, and tried to seem strong. I was trying to keep up appearances.
"This is about my dad isn't it?"
She nodded slowly. He and Elizabeth had both been working today. Ella had been up all
night, and both of them had been extremely cranky when they went to work this morning.
I hadn't seen them before they left, because they'd both started before I was up. I had a
nagging feeling I'd live to regret that.
"They haven't found him yet,"
I looked at my watch, barely registering that it was 11:30am. I felt my knees weaken
suddenly, and my hand reached for the edge of the desk in desperation. I needed to keep
myself upright, and face this head on.
"O.K,"
I murmured. I sensed the eye of a terrible storm heading straight for the centre of my life,
and with no possible shelter in sight. A hand rested lightly on my shoulder.
"There's a cab waiting to take you home,"
I nodded. I was guided down the crowded hallways. There was a respectful, hushed
silence and I felt the burning, curious stares. Above that, I felt the pity I knew would
become a fixture in my life, and I knew I couldn't bear it. There and then the weight
became too much. I felt fresh air touch my skin and looked up. I swallowed hard and took
a deep breath. This was like knowingly walking straight into a brick wall, but I knew there
was no other way through.
DuPont Drive, 14/2/02, 11:55am
Kate, the childminder, was waiting on the front steps when I drew up outside the house.
Her face was etched with concern. Ella played quietly next to her. I admired my baby
sisters innocence, but resented it at the same time.
"Rachel,"
She said quietly, a tone that suggested she was almost awed. I don't think she knew what else to say. I looked up at her, trying to seem confident, strong even. I brushed a stray hair and stray tear from my cheek.
"Can I do anything? Do you need anything?"
She asked frantically, following me inside. She fussed over me as she usually did Ella. I
stood in the hallway of our family home. My stomach was tied in knots, a cold fist of fear
and dread that this was the end of life as I knew it. I just stood there, frozen, and literally saw
my world come crashing to a halt.
"Have you heard anything? Is Elizabeth alright?"
Kate shook her head sadly.
"I've got the news on, but they aren't saying much about survivors. There's a helpline
though,"
"Did you ring it?"
I demanded impatiently. Of course she would have. She cared too much, worried too much sometimes. Kate unfolded a tiny scrap of paper
from her pocket.
"I tried, but it was engaged. Do you want to?"
She offered me the paper. I couldn't. I just couldn't. I looked at Ella suddenly, and then
back at Kate. She nodded, understanding.
"I'll do it,"
She whispered, shifting the infants weight onto her hip.
"Pretend you're me. I'll take Ella,"
My sister came to me calmly, as if she could sense something was wrong. She rested her
blonde head lightly on my shoulder. I began to pace the kitchen, stroking her back gently
for reassurance, for comfort I'd always have her even if we both lost everything else.
DuPont Drive, 14/2/02, 12:14pm
Kate turned to me the minute she put the phone down, such sadness but still a sliver of
hope in her eyes. I could barely look at her, and she spoke slowly.
"Elizabeth's alright. She's alive. They don't have any news on Mark,"
So Ella still had a mother at least, but we didn't yet know if either of us had a father. I
couldn't bring myself to imagine his death. I'd been such a selfish, horrible bitch to him
recently, and I needed to apologise. I had to get that chance. I had to tell him I loved him.
My heart sunk like a stone, heavy with grief and guilt, as I wondered if I'd ever get the
chance.
"What do you want to do?"
I shrugged. I guess we just have to wait. I just have to wait. Wait for my life to crash
around my ears. Wait and hold onto slim hope. I sank down against the wall in the
hallway, and rested my head on my knees. Ella toddled away from me back to Kate.
"We could go and see Elizabeth..."
Kate suggested unhelpfully. I shook my head, screwing my eyes shut and trying to block
out this horror, to forget this pain. I heard footsteps walk away and the living room door
closed. I was alone. I supposed, fearing the worst, that I might have to get used to that
feeling.
I was too numb to cry, too shocked to feel pain. It was a helpless feeling, but all I could
do was wait. I prayed as hard as I could that when the phone rang, it would be with good
news. And when it wasn't, I had to wake up to a completely new reality.
moving house and there's really not been a great amount of time. Anyway, here's chapter
16, this time moving onto the family members. I don't any of the characters used or named in this chapter, except Kate.
Again, I apologise for any timing flaws, or inaccuracies in anything described in the next
two chapters, I do my best to get things right.
Chapter 16 "The Waiting Game"
Rachel Greene
What does Valentines Day mean to a modern teenager? To me, very little. I didn't celebrate it, I barely even noticed it. We're a very cynical generation, and I prided myself on being more jaded than most. Nobody involved knew when they woke up on the morning of Valentines Day 2002 that they'd have a day they'd never forget for all the wrong reasons. I certainly wish now I hadn't woken up that day.
Rachels' school, 14/2/02, 11:25am
The teacher caught my shoulder as I was leaving class and turned me to face her. I was
slightly annoyed to begin with, it was recess and I was going to talk to my friends for the
first time today. In addition, I needed a cigarette. It was safe to say I was reasonably on
edge. I thought I was in for another row, and wondered idly what I had done this
time.
"Rachel,"
There was something instinctively worrying in the concerned tone. This wasn't about late
homework or cutting class. This went deeper, and I felt my heart skip a beat, imagining all
the awful things she could possibly say to me.
"There's something you should know,"
She perched on the edge of the desk and I noticed she was trembling a little as she spoke.
I questioned her with my gaze, and noticed her eyes duck to avoid mine.
"There was an explosion, about an hour ago,"
She said, choking slightly. I looked at the floor intently, biting the inside of my cheek to
detract from the tears that were stinging my eyes ominously. This was worse than I could
have imagined. Never in my worst nightmares had I envisioned that was what she was
going to say to me.
"It was at County General,"
She hadn't actually had to say it, because something in me already knew. I blinked to clear
my vision, and tried to seem strong. I was trying to keep up appearances.
"This is about my dad isn't it?"
She nodded slowly. He and Elizabeth had both been working today. Ella had been up all
night, and both of them had been extremely cranky when they went to work this morning.
I hadn't seen them before they left, because they'd both started before I was up. I had a
nagging feeling I'd live to regret that.
"They haven't found him yet,"
I looked at my watch, barely registering that it was 11:30am. I felt my knees weaken
suddenly, and my hand reached for the edge of the desk in desperation. I needed to keep
myself upright, and face this head on.
"O.K,"
I murmured. I sensed the eye of a terrible storm heading straight for the centre of my life,
and with no possible shelter in sight. A hand rested lightly on my shoulder.
"There's a cab waiting to take you home,"
I nodded. I was guided down the crowded hallways. There was a respectful, hushed
silence and I felt the burning, curious stares. Above that, I felt the pity I knew would
become a fixture in my life, and I knew I couldn't bear it. There and then the weight
became too much. I felt fresh air touch my skin and looked up. I swallowed hard and took
a deep breath. This was like knowingly walking straight into a brick wall, but I knew there
was no other way through.
DuPont Drive, 14/2/02, 11:55am
Kate, the childminder, was waiting on the front steps when I drew up outside the house.
Her face was etched with concern. Ella played quietly next to her. I admired my baby
sisters innocence, but resented it at the same time.
"Rachel,"
She said quietly, a tone that suggested she was almost awed. I don't think she knew what else to say. I looked up at her, trying to seem confident, strong even. I brushed a stray hair and stray tear from my cheek.
"Can I do anything? Do you need anything?"
She asked frantically, following me inside. She fussed over me as she usually did Ella. I
stood in the hallway of our family home. My stomach was tied in knots, a cold fist of fear
and dread that this was the end of life as I knew it. I just stood there, frozen, and literally saw
my world come crashing to a halt.
"Have you heard anything? Is Elizabeth alright?"
Kate shook her head sadly.
"I've got the news on, but they aren't saying much about survivors. There's a helpline
though,"
"Did you ring it?"
I demanded impatiently. Of course she would have. She cared too much, worried too much sometimes. Kate unfolded a tiny scrap of paper
from her pocket.
"I tried, but it was engaged. Do you want to?"
She offered me the paper. I couldn't. I just couldn't. I looked at Ella suddenly, and then
back at Kate. She nodded, understanding.
"I'll do it,"
She whispered, shifting the infants weight onto her hip.
"Pretend you're me. I'll take Ella,"
My sister came to me calmly, as if she could sense something was wrong. She rested her
blonde head lightly on my shoulder. I began to pace the kitchen, stroking her back gently
for reassurance, for comfort I'd always have her even if we both lost everything else.
DuPont Drive, 14/2/02, 12:14pm
Kate turned to me the minute she put the phone down, such sadness but still a sliver of
hope in her eyes. I could barely look at her, and she spoke slowly.
"Elizabeth's alright. She's alive. They don't have any news on Mark,"
So Ella still had a mother at least, but we didn't yet know if either of us had a father. I
couldn't bring myself to imagine his death. I'd been such a selfish, horrible bitch to him
recently, and I needed to apologise. I had to get that chance. I had to tell him I loved him.
My heart sunk like a stone, heavy with grief and guilt, as I wondered if I'd ever get the
chance.
"What do you want to do?"
I shrugged. I guess we just have to wait. I just have to wait. Wait for my life to crash
around my ears. Wait and hold onto slim hope. I sank down against the wall in the
hallway, and rested my head on my knees. Ella toddled away from me back to Kate.
"We could go and see Elizabeth..."
Kate suggested unhelpfully. I shook my head, screwing my eyes shut and trying to block
out this horror, to forget this pain. I heard footsteps walk away and the living room door
closed. I was alone. I supposed, fearing the worst, that I might have to get used to that
feeling.
I was too numb to cry, too shocked to feel pain. It was a helpless feeling, but all I could
do was wait. I prayed as hard as I could that when the phone rang, it would be with good
news. And when it wasn't, I had to wake up to a completely new reality.