June 2nd 3:20 pm
"Noah?" Catherine called in a weak voice, causing him to stop what he
was doing pulling rubble out of the way and hurry to her side once more. She
forced herself to smile slightly at him when he bent over her, so young and
sweet, she really had missed that boy.
"You feeling okay?" he asked gently as he knelt beside her, reaching out
and taking her hand in his. "Pile isn't that bad. I'm going to have us out
of here real soon so we can get you patched up and back home where we
belong." He hoped that he would have them out of there soon anyway. Surely
someone had to be mounting a search and rescue operation by now. Of course,
seeing as most of the people who would be running a search and rescue were
either located in or near the courthouse, they might have to wait a bit for
them to be located first. He just hoped that someone came looking for them
soon. Catherine needed a hospital now.
"Little cold," Catherine murmured quietly as she squeezed his hand.
"You know I really am glad to see you again, Noah."
"I'm glad to see you too and I promise I'm going to take care of you."
Noah said as he gently patted her before pulling himself to his feet again
and going to get more of the papers, crumpling them and packing them around
Catherine. "That feel better?"
She slowly nodded as he moved back to the rubble and started to tug.
Something seemed wrong somehow but her mind was too fuzzy at the moment to
put her finger on whatever was bothering her.
"So, how have things been at the office? Sam got himself into any other
messes like the chicken suit? You did get a chance to see that, right?"
"He's been so hard since we lost you, Noah," Catherine whispered, her
eyes misting slightly as she thought of the changes in the marshal, the man
she still loved with all her heart. "He won't.... If he has to go through
loosing someone else.... Please..... I can't do that to him. Don't take me
back with you. It would kill him."
"Hey, I'm going to get you out of here, okay? Mess isn't too bad.
Believe me, I've seen way worse," Noah said as he turned to face her for a
minute, puzzled at her last statement. Don't take me back with you? What
did that mean? Had she hurt her head worse than he thought perhaps? He had
to get them out of there. If anything happened to her.... "Do you know what
time it is? Don't need a watch at school. You can pretty much guess the
time from the students coming to trample anyone in their paths."
"Three twenty-something?" Catherine murmured as she struggled for a
moment before moving her arm to where she could see the face of her watch.
"Thought it was around then," he said with a shake of his head. "I was
getting the feeling of impending doom that signals the dismissal bell. Sam's
probably already halfway here, don't you think? Wonder if he had to
commandeer a plane the way he did that car?"
Catherine didn't say anything, her mind focused on Sam and the fact that
he was on his way. Silently she closed her eyes and began to pray. She
wasn't really sure she deserved it but she begged for her life to be spared
somehow, not for herself but for Sam. She would not put him through a replay
of what happened with Noah.
"Cath? Not going to sleep on me, are you?" Noah called worridly
bringing her back to the current situation once more. "So, why don't you
tell me some more about the stuff I've missed? I already figure I owe
everyone three years of back birthday and Christmas presents. Any other
gifts I'll be needing to get; baby, wedding? You and Sam ever get back
together?"
"No, Noah, no... other presents," Catherine told him weakly. "And no,
Sam and I aren't back together. Sam... isn't seeing anyone, Won't let
anyone close, not even me...." That had hurt for Sam to shut her out so
completely after all they had been through together. She paused for a long
moment, and Noah stopped his work to watch her, concerned. "Noah, please
don't take me with you. He's already lost you. If he loses me, too... He
may do something... despirate..." She would do anything, anything in her
power to spare Sam more suffering.
Noah's eyebrows shot upward as he finally realized what Catherine
thought. "Oh, Cath," he said softly moving back to her side. He didn't
know why in the world she was thinking what she was but he hoped it didn't
mean the head injury was worse. "Cath, I'm not dead, and I haven't come for
you. I... don't know exactly why I'm here, but I'm going take care of you
until Sam gets here. I'm not gonna let you die, Cath. I'm not." The last
was said with emphasis, a look of determination in his eyes.
Catherine stared into those eyes, recognizing the look. It was the same
look Sam Gerard used when he was fixated on a goal. No wonder Sam loved him
som she thought; Noah's a younger version of Sam but without the hardness,
the haunted air that had hovered over Sam for the last three years.. A
motherly feeling washed over her, and she looked at the young man with pride.
I wish I had taken more time to get to know him better. I wish he had
lived, she thought. I wish....
She let her eyes roam over his features, his build as she mused. Sam and
I could have had a son like him, she thought wistfully. Maybe even treated
Noah like our son... if Noah had lived... and Sam and I had... Then her gaze
fell on his arm. Her eyes widened.
""Noah...." she whispered, shock and wonder in her voice. "You're...
bleeding...."
"Noah?" Catherine called in a weak voice, causing him to stop what he
was doing pulling rubble out of the way and hurry to her side once more. She
forced herself to smile slightly at him when he bent over her, so young and
sweet, she really had missed that boy.
"You feeling okay?" he asked gently as he knelt beside her, reaching out
and taking her hand in his. "Pile isn't that bad. I'm going to have us out
of here real soon so we can get you patched up and back home where we
belong." He hoped that he would have them out of there soon anyway. Surely
someone had to be mounting a search and rescue operation by now. Of course,
seeing as most of the people who would be running a search and rescue were
either located in or near the courthouse, they might have to wait a bit for
them to be located first. He just hoped that someone came looking for them
soon. Catherine needed a hospital now.
"Little cold," Catherine murmured quietly as she squeezed his hand.
"You know I really am glad to see you again, Noah."
"I'm glad to see you too and I promise I'm going to take care of you."
Noah said as he gently patted her before pulling himself to his feet again
and going to get more of the papers, crumpling them and packing them around
Catherine. "That feel better?"
She slowly nodded as he moved back to the rubble and started to tug.
Something seemed wrong somehow but her mind was too fuzzy at the moment to
put her finger on whatever was bothering her.
"So, how have things been at the office? Sam got himself into any other
messes like the chicken suit? You did get a chance to see that, right?"
"He's been so hard since we lost you, Noah," Catherine whispered, her
eyes misting slightly as she thought of the changes in the marshal, the man
she still loved with all her heart. "He won't.... If he has to go through
loosing someone else.... Please..... I can't do that to him. Don't take me
back with you. It would kill him."
"Hey, I'm going to get you out of here, okay? Mess isn't too bad.
Believe me, I've seen way worse," Noah said as he turned to face her for a
minute, puzzled at her last statement. Don't take me back with you? What
did that mean? Had she hurt her head worse than he thought perhaps? He had
to get them out of there. If anything happened to her.... "Do you know what
time it is? Don't need a watch at school. You can pretty much guess the
time from the students coming to trample anyone in their paths."
"Three twenty-something?" Catherine murmured as she struggled for a
moment before moving her arm to where she could see the face of her watch.
"Thought it was around then," he said with a shake of his head. "I was
getting the feeling of impending doom that signals the dismissal bell. Sam's
probably already halfway here, don't you think? Wonder if he had to
commandeer a plane the way he did that car?"
Catherine didn't say anything, her mind focused on Sam and the fact that
he was on his way. Silently she closed her eyes and began to pray. She
wasn't really sure she deserved it but she begged for her life to be spared
somehow, not for herself but for Sam. She would not put him through a replay
of what happened with Noah.
"Cath? Not going to sleep on me, are you?" Noah called worridly
bringing her back to the current situation once more. "So, why don't you
tell me some more about the stuff I've missed? I already figure I owe
everyone three years of back birthday and Christmas presents. Any other
gifts I'll be needing to get; baby, wedding? You and Sam ever get back
together?"
"No, Noah, no... other presents," Catherine told him weakly. "And no,
Sam and I aren't back together. Sam... isn't seeing anyone, Won't let
anyone close, not even me...." That had hurt for Sam to shut her out so
completely after all they had been through together. She paused for a long
moment, and Noah stopped his work to watch her, concerned. "Noah, please
don't take me with you. He's already lost you. If he loses me, too... He
may do something... despirate..." She would do anything, anything in her
power to spare Sam more suffering.
Noah's eyebrows shot upward as he finally realized what Catherine
thought. "Oh, Cath," he said softly moving back to her side. He didn't
know why in the world she was thinking what she was but he hoped it didn't
mean the head injury was worse. "Cath, I'm not dead, and I haven't come for
you. I... don't know exactly why I'm here, but I'm going take care of you
until Sam gets here. I'm not gonna let you die, Cath. I'm not." The last
was said with emphasis, a look of determination in his eyes.
Catherine stared into those eyes, recognizing the look. It was the same
look Sam Gerard used when he was fixated on a goal. No wonder Sam loved him
som she thought; Noah's a younger version of Sam but without the hardness,
the haunted air that had hovered over Sam for the last three years.. A
motherly feeling washed over her, and she looked at the young man with pride.
I wish I had taken more time to get to know him better. I wish he had
lived, she thought. I wish....
She let her eyes roam over his features, his build as she mused. Sam and
I could have had a son like him, she thought wistfully. Maybe even treated
Noah like our son... if Noah had lived... and Sam and I had... Then her gaze
fell on his arm. Her eyes widened.
""Noah...." she whispered, shock and wonder in her voice. "You're...
bleeding...."