June 2nd 3:00 pm
"Catherine?" the young man called as he shoved away yet another bit of
the seemingly endless pile of debris blocking the stairway. He had been
working for he didn't know how long and he was beginning to think that this mess was
definately worse than the science fair disaster. With a soft sigh, he moved
to Catherine's side again, kneeling next to her and reaching out, gently
touching her cheek to rouse her again. "Cath, come on. Open your eyes."
"Sam?" she whispered as her eyelids fluttered, her hand twitching in
search of something. "Sam, where are you?"
"He's on his way, Cath. He's on his way. You just keep talking to me,
alright?"
"Noah?" her eyes finally flicked open and she stared up at him, once
more seeming as if she couldn't remember seeing him before. Something just
didn't seem right about the situation. Why was Noah here?
"It's okay, Cath." he said as he gently patted her, feeling her pulse
again as he held her hand. Still way too fast and thready. Definately not
good. "We're going to be out of here soon. Think you can keep talking to me
until I can get the rest of that stuff out of the way?"
"Do you know how much Sam misses you, Noah? When we lost you..... I
thought we were going to loose Sam too, Noah. He.... It was so bad, he pulled
away from all of us. He almost killed a man because he thought he killed you.
He loved you so much. You were the only son he had."
Noah stared at his superior, shocked. Son? Almost killed....He sent up
a frantic prayer. Oh, God, no... Sam... "He.... Cath, he didn't do anything
to...." He struggled for a moment, the face of a black man running dancing
before him but just out of reach. What if Sam was in prison? "Sheridan? Or
whatever his last name really was? Sam didn't do anything to him, did he?
Because it was that guy, one who looked kind of weaselly...."
"He got your killer, Noah. And that night he cried in my arms. Only
time I've seen Sam cry, did you know that? I don't think he's ever really gotten
over loosing you. He's been different ever since, more isolated, harder."
Sam.... cried... over me? "Sam. Now there's something we can talk
about," he said. He definately had questions about Sam but at the same time he
wanted to keep the conversation away from how much people had missed him. He
had the strangest feeling every time that he thought of that. "Does he still
like those donuts, the chocolate ones with the sprinkles?"
Catherine nodded weakly, smiling slightly as pleasant memories came back
to her, taking her away momentarily from the situation.
"You know, one of the dads at school does catering." He remarked.
"Always makes the best chocolate donuts for the staff at the end of the year.
Supposed to be some motivation for surviving another year intact, I think. Looks
like Sam's going to be just in time for the donuts." he said with a slight
grin as he started to stand.
Suddenly, the two heard a loud roaring and a moment later, the remains of
the building begin to shake violently. he fell to his knees and threw
himself over Catherine, frightened he might hurt her worse but at the same time
knowing he had to protect her somehow. More pieces of the building crashed around
them and one piece glanced off of the young man as he huddled over Catherine
leaving a cut that he didn't even feel on his arm. Damn, not again, he
thought.
"Tornado? 'Nother tornado?" she murmured after what felt like hours
before the shaking finally stopped.
He slowly nodded, gently examining Catherine to make sure that he hadn't
done any further damage before shakily pulling himself to his feet. They had
to get out of here quickly before things got even worse.
Suddenly she twitched slightly, her eyes widening with panic as she
reached out, trying to somehow pull herself to her feet. "Out of here, got to get
out of here before...."
"Cath, calm down!" he cried as he moved back to her side again, reaching
out and catching either shoulder to keep her from moving.
No! No!" She screamed, thrashing about in a desperate effort to get on
her feet and get away. "Got to get out of here!"
"No, Catherine! Don't move! It's gone. It's okay. It's over and I'm
not going to let anything happen to you." he stared into her large frightened
eyes for a moment before laying down next to her and snuggling against her as
best he could without moving her. She was breathing rapidly, almost
hyperventilating and he knew that couldn't be good. He reached out and gently stroked
her face. "Cath, I'm going to take care of you, I promise. Going to do just
what Sam would do until he can get here and find us." He felt her relax at
that, her breathing slowing gradually. The two laid there like that for several
minutes before he thought she was calm enough for him to get back to work
again.
"Okay, Cath. Time to get us out of here," he muttered as he rose slowly
and started to tug at the debris again. "So, tell me more about how things
are going at the office? 'Vannah still there? How about Bobby? Better not
let him know about those catered donuts. Wouldn't be anything left, would
there?"
"Catherine?" the young man called as he shoved away yet another bit of
the seemingly endless pile of debris blocking the stairway. He had been
working for he didn't know how long and he was beginning to think that this mess was
definately worse than the science fair disaster. With a soft sigh, he moved
to Catherine's side again, kneeling next to her and reaching out, gently
touching her cheek to rouse her again. "Cath, come on. Open your eyes."
"Sam?" she whispered as her eyelids fluttered, her hand twitching in
search of something. "Sam, where are you?"
"He's on his way, Cath. He's on his way. You just keep talking to me,
alright?"
"Noah?" her eyes finally flicked open and she stared up at him, once
more seeming as if she couldn't remember seeing him before. Something just
didn't seem right about the situation. Why was Noah here?
"It's okay, Cath." he said as he gently patted her, feeling her pulse
again as he held her hand. Still way too fast and thready. Definately not
good. "We're going to be out of here soon. Think you can keep talking to me
until I can get the rest of that stuff out of the way?"
"Do you know how much Sam misses you, Noah? When we lost you..... I
thought we were going to loose Sam too, Noah. He.... It was so bad, he pulled
away from all of us. He almost killed a man because he thought he killed you.
He loved you so much. You were the only son he had."
Noah stared at his superior, shocked. Son? Almost killed....He sent up
a frantic prayer. Oh, God, no... Sam... "He.... Cath, he didn't do anything
to...." He struggled for a moment, the face of a black man running dancing
before him but just out of reach. What if Sam was in prison? "Sheridan? Or
whatever his last name really was? Sam didn't do anything to him, did he?
Because it was that guy, one who looked kind of weaselly...."
"He got your killer, Noah. And that night he cried in my arms. Only
time I've seen Sam cry, did you know that? I don't think he's ever really gotten
over loosing you. He's been different ever since, more isolated, harder."
Sam.... cried... over me? "Sam. Now there's something we can talk
about," he said. He definately had questions about Sam but at the same time he
wanted to keep the conversation away from how much people had missed him. He
had the strangest feeling every time that he thought of that. "Does he still
like those donuts, the chocolate ones with the sprinkles?"
Catherine nodded weakly, smiling slightly as pleasant memories came back
to her, taking her away momentarily from the situation.
"You know, one of the dads at school does catering." He remarked.
"Always makes the best chocolate donuts for the staff at the end of the year.
Supposed to be some motivation for surviving another year intact, I think. Looks
like Sam's going to be just in time for the donuts." he said with a slight
grin as he started to stand.
Suddenly, the two heard a loud roaring and a moment later, the remains of
the building begin to shake violently. he fell to his knees and threw
himself over Catherine, frightened he might hurt her worse but at the same time
knowing he had to protect her somehow. More pieces of the building crashed around
them and one piece glanced off of the young man as he huddled over Catherine
leaving a cut that he didn't even feel on his arm. Damn, not again, he
thought.
"Tornado? 'Nother tornado?" she murmured after what felt like hours
before the shaking finally stopped.
He slowly nodded, gently examining Catherine to make sure that he hadn't
done any further damage before shakily pulling himself to his feet. They had
to get out of here quickly before things got even worse.
Suddenly she twitched slightly, her eyes widening with panic as she
reached out, trying to somehow pull herself to her feet. "Out of here, got to get
out of here before...."
"Cath, calm down!" he cried as he moved back to her side again, reaching
out and catching either shoulder to keep her from moving.
No! No!" She screamed, thrashing about in a desperate effort to get on
her feet and get away. "Got to get out of here!"
"No, Catherine! Don't move! It's gone. It's okay. It's over and I'm
not going to let anything happen to you." he stared into her large frightened
eyes for a moment before laying down next to her and snuggling against her as
best he could without moving her. She was breathing rapidly, almost
hyperventilating and he knew that couldn't be good. He reached out and gently stroked
her face. "Cath, I'm going to take care of you, I promise. Going to do just
what Sam would do until he can get here and find us." He felt her relax at
that, her breathing slowing gradually. The two laid there like that for several
minutes before he thought she was calm enough for him to get back to work
again.
"Okay, Cath. Time to get us out of here," he muttered as he rose slowly
and started to tug at the debris again. "So, tell me more about how things
are going at the office? 'Vannah still there? How about Bobby? Better not
let him know about those catered donuts. Wouldn't be anything left, would
there?"