Ch. 2 Six Chairs for Seven People
"Hey." the voice snapped Courtney out of a trance she hadn't known she was in. It belonged to Carly.
"Hey Carly." she wiped away the few tears that she had allowed to escape.
"I saw Jason leave are you ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine." she didn't look at her because she knew that she didn't believer her. "I just....you know...he tried to trade numbers with me. I wouldn't let him."
"Sweetie...well what number did you get?" Carly wanted to know the chances of all her loved ones getting out alright.
Courtney silently handed over the paper she'd been wringing in her hands. At the same time Carly handed hers for Courtney to see. Courtney let out a sigh of relief when she saw her sister-in-law would be getting out soon.
"That's not so bad, 14. You'll be out of here in no time." She was glad that the people she cared about were going to be ok.
"Yeah I know."
Carly gave a smile and it quickly disappeared when she looked at the paper she had been handed. The number on the paper was worn out but that didn't make it any less of a sucker punch. She gave it a second glance to make sure it was true. 31. Her best friend would be on the last trip off. Courtney gave a small smile, before Carly pulled her into a hug.
Slowly but surely, the room became emptier and emptier. Soon after her embrace with Carly, she had learned that Sonny would be on the same ride as her. She and Sonny now stood next to each other. Carly had hated leaving them but they had both reassured her that they would be just fine.
The seconds went by like years. He looked around the room and took in the scene around him. The only ones that were left were anxiously waiting for the helicopter to come back. Tracy stood sat by herself. Monica and Nikolas were taking care of Emily. And Sonny stood with a protective arm on his little sister.
She was putting on a tough exterior but he could tell that she was a wreck underneath. He knew because he was the dealing with it the exact same way.
"It'll all be alright. I promise." he whispered to her. Though he didn't know if he even believed that. She looked at him and had a reassuring smile for him. Outside the Hotel
Jason and Carly stood holding onto each other, never taking their eyes off the inferno that trapped their loved ones. Carly's face showed a mixture of smoke stains and tear streaks. After what had felt like an eternity she saw the helicopter go up to the roof.
'Thank God. Soon we can all go home and this can all be over,' she thought to herself. Though she had a feeling that this night was far from over. As long as her family was all together and safe, she didn't care.
On the Roof
The helicopter had finally come and everyone was heading out to it now. Tracy and Monica were seated in the helicopter, and Nikolas was helping Emily walk to the helicopter, and Sonny and Courtney were close behind.
They were so close. Then the nightmare could finally end and everyone could just go home. Courtney was exhausted, every part of her was begging for sleep. Emily was being helped into the helicopter when a voice came from behind, shocking everyone.
"Wait!" Sonny, Courtney and Nikolas all turned to see who had been screaming. Each shocked to see Detective Andy Capelli running towards the helicopter. "Stop! I'm an officer. I have a right to be on this ride."
Of course they were shocked. It had been such a big scene earlier that Capelli had personally escorted Faith down through the building. Apparently Brian Beck had pointed her out as his shooter and she was taken to custody.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Sonny shouted angrily over the noise of their surroundings. Letting his fury show in his voice. Everyone knew why, there were six seats on the helicopter and with Capelli's appearance there was now seven people.
He never acknowledged any of them. He just breezed past the three of them without so much as a glance and seated himself in the helicopter. The three remaining people on the roof knew what was going to have to be done. Someone had to find a way out on their own. Someone wasn't getting on the helicopter.
"Let's go." the pilot brought Courtney down to reality. She saw the longing look go between Nikolas and Emily. They were aching for each other as she was for Jason. Sonny was no doubt thinking about Carly and the boys.
She made her choice before she had a chance to have second thoughts. She needed to make this choice for all of them. Without speaking she grabbed Sonny and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Tell everyone I love them." as soon as she had said it, she let go of Sonny and ran as fast as she could to the stairs.
Never looking back. Even though she heard him call, she never looked back. She couldn't. If Courtney had looked back she might not have been able to do it. She would see his eyes and want to comfort her older brother and she couldn't. He needed to safely get to his family. This was what had to be done.
"Hey." the voice snapped Courtney out of a trance she hadn't known she was in. It belonged to Carly.
"Hey Carly." she wiped away the few tears that she had allowed to escape.
"I saw Jason leave are you ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine." she didn't look at her because she knew that she didn't believer her. "I just....you know...he tried to trade numbers with me. I wouldn't let him."
"Sweetie...well what number did you get?" Carly wanted to know the chances of all her loved ones getting out alright.
Courtney silently handed over the paper she'd been wringing in her hands. At the same time Carly handed hers for Courtney to see. Courtney let out a sigh of relief when she saw her sister-in-law would be getting out soon.
"That's not so bad, 14. You'll be out of here in no time." She was glad that the people she cared about were going to be ok.
"Yeah I know."
Carly gave a smile and it quickly disappeared when she looked at the paper she had been handed. The number on the paper was worn out but that didn't make it any less of a sucker punch. She gave it a second glance to make sure it was true. 31. Her best friend would be on the last trip off. Courtney gave a small smile, before Carly pulled her into a hug.
Slowly but surely, the room became emptier and emptier. Soon after her embrace with Carly, she had learned that Sonny would be on the same ride as her. She and Sonny now stood next to each other. Carly had hated leaving them but they had both reassured her that they would be just fine.
The seconds went by like years. He looked around the room and took in the scene around him. The only ones that were left were anxiously waiting for the helicopter to come back. Tracy stood sat by herself. Monica and Nikolas were taking care of Emily. And Sonny stood with a protective arm on his little sister.
She was putting on a tough exterior but he could tell that she was a wreck underneath. He knew because he was the dealing with it the exact same way.
"It'll all be alright. I promise." he whispered to her. Though he didn't know if he even believed that. She looked at him and had a reassuring smile for him. Outside the Hotel
Jason and Carly stood holding onto each other, never taking their eyes off the inferno that trapped their loved ones. Carly's face showed a mixture of smoke stains and tear streaks. After what had felt like an eternity she saw the helicopter go up to the roof.
'Thank God. Soon we can all go home and this can all be over,' she thought to herself. Though she had a feeling that this night was far from over. As long as her family was all together and safe, she didn't care.
On the Roof
The helicopter had finally come and everyone was heading out to it now. Tracy and Monica were seated in the helicopter, and Nikolas was helping Emily walk to the helicopter, and Sonny and Courtney were close behind.
They were so close. Then the nightmare could finally end and everyone could just go home. Courtney was exhausted, every part of her was begging for sleep. Emily was being helped into the helicopter when a voice came from behind, shocking everyone.
"Wait!" Sonny, Courtney and Nikolas all turned to see who had been screaming. Each shocked to see Detective Andy Capelli running towards the helicopter. "Stop! I'm an officer. I have a right to be on this ride."
Of course they were shocked. It had been such a big scene earlier that Capelli had personally escorted Faith down through the building. Apparently Brian Beck had pointed her out as his shooter and she was taken to custody.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Sonny shouted angrily over the noise of their surroundings. Letting his fury show in his voice. Everyone knew why, there were six seats on the helicopter and with Capelli's appearance there was now seven people.
He never acknowledged any of them. He just breezed past the three of them without so much as a glance and seated himself in the helicopter. The three remaining people on the roof knew what was going to have to be done. Someone had to find a way out on their own. Someone wasn't getting on the helicopter.
"Let's go." the pilot brought Courtney down to reality. She saw the longing look go between Nikolas and Emily. They were aching for each other as she was for Jason. Sonny was no doubt thinking about Carly and the boys.
She made her choice before she had a chance to have second thoughts. She needed to make this choice for all of them. Without speaking she grabbed Sonny and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Tell everyone I love them." as soon as she had said it, she let go of Sonny and ran as fast as she could to the stairs.
Never looking back. Even though she heard him call, she never looked back. She couldn't. If Courtney had looked back she might not have been able to do it. She would see his eyes and want to comfort her older brother and she couldn't. He needed to safely get to his family. This was what had to be done.