"Lona?" Elmer called as he sat in Lona's dream scanner. He looked
nervously up at the ceiling just in time to see it give a slight shudder
and for bits of plaster to come floating down. He shook his head slowly.
It had been like that all day and some of the hallways were now almost white underfoot. Somehow, he didn't think that was a very good sign.
"Lona, do we really need to do this scan now?"
"Your father's worried about you, Elmer." Lona said as she continued working on the computer. There was annoyance in her tone but it only served to hide her own concern. Elmer was basically healthy. Well,
as healthy as someone with the sort of dreams that he came up with could be. Why in the world was he suddenly having those seizures and what if they got worse? She wouldn't even let herself think about what could happen to Elmer if that occurred. Suddenly she noticed a blinking light on the machine.
"Just stay right where you are, Elmer," She called as she knelt down, starting to check the computer connections. "Something's loose."
"Lona?" Elmer called again after a moment, his eyes widening slightly as the hospital shuddered again, larger bits of plaster starting to rain down harder. "Lona, I think we need to...."
"Elmer, just stay there. I'm almost finished," Lona said, real annoyance in her tone this time as she finished adjusting the connections and started to stand. Before she could move, however, the building shuddered once more, harder than either of them had ever felt, harder than the tremor that had trapped Lona and Dr. Havens in the basement with Otto.
Lona grabbed for something solid but as she moved, her chair slid, smacking into her head and sending her to the ground, barely conscious as a loud roaring sound filled the basement as if the building was trying to rip itself in two.
"Lona?!" Elmer fell to his knees, unable to stand with the floor trembling uncontrollably but determined to get to her. Why hadn't he insisted they get out of her when they could? If anything happened to her.... "Lona!" He drug himself forward, crawling towards the door, glad he hadn't changed into the traditional gown this time. Just as he reached the doorway, however, the building gave another shudder, part of the ceiling caving in right in front of his eyes. He had just enough time to see Lona laying there before a large pipe came crashing down on her, the debris burying her.
"No! Lona!" Elmer screamed, tears starting to sting his eyes as he stared in shock at where she had vanished from sight. No, this couldn't be happening. "Lona!!"
He didn't know how long the earthquake continued after that. It felt like an eternity before it was over, the ground suddenly stable enough for him to pull himself to his feet and to rush forward. He could see one of Lona's hands sticking out from the rubble, the only part of her body visible.
"Lona?" He took her hand, fumbling for a moment as he searched for a pulse in her wrist before finding it, very weak but there. She let out a slight sigh as he grabbed the nearest piece of debris and started to pull.
"Lona, I'm going to have you out of there in just a few minutes, okay?
You're going to be just fine."
As he started to drag the debris off of her, he glanced towards the door. "Hey!!" He called. "Can anyone hear me?! We need help in here!"
It had been like that all day and some of the hallways were now almost white underfoot. Somehow, he didn't think that was a very good sign.
"Lona, do we really need to do this scan now?"
"Your father's worried about you, Elmer." Lona said as she continued working on the computer. There was annoyance in her tone but it only served to hide her own concern. Elmer was basically healthy. Well,
as healthy as someone with the sort of dreams that he came up with could be. Why in the world was he suddenly having those seizures and what if they got worse? She wouldn't even let herself think about what could happen to Elmer if that occurred. Suddenly she noticed a blinking light on the machine.
"Just stay right where you are, Elmer," She called as she knelt down, starting to check the computer connections. "Something's loose."
"Lona?" Elmer called again after a moment, his eyes widening slightly as the hospital shuddered again, larger bits of plaster starting to rain down harder. "Lona, I think we need to...."
"Elmer, just stay there. I'm almost finished," Lona said, real annoyance in her tone this time as she finished adjusting the connections and started to stand. Before she could move, however, the building shuddered once more, harder than either of them had ever felt, harder than the tremor that had trapped Lona and Dr. Havens in the basement with Otto.
Lona grabbed for something solid but as she moved, her chair slid, smacking into her head and sending her to the ground, barely conscious as a loud roaring sound filled the basement as if the building was trying to rip itself in two.
"Lona?!" Elmer fell to his knees, unable to stand with the floor trembling uncontrollably but determined to get to her. Why hadn't he insisted they get out of her when they could? If anything happened to her.... "Lona!" He drug himself forward, crawling towards the door, glad he hadn't changed into the traditional gown this time. Just as he reached the doorway, however, the building gave another shudder, part of the ceiling caving in right in front of his eyes. He had just enough time to see Lona laying there before a large pipe came crashing down on her, the debris burying her.
"No! Lona!" Elmer screamed, tears starting to sting his eyes as he stared in shock at where she had vanished from sight. No, this couldn't be happening. "Lona!!"
He didn't know how long the earthquake continued after that. It felt like an eternity before it was over, the ground suddenly stable enough for him to pull himself to his feet and to rush forward. He could see one of Lona's hands sticking out from the rubble, the only part of her body visible.
"Lona?" He took her hand, fumbling for a moment as he searched for a pulse in her wrist before finding it, very weak but there. She let out a slight sigh as he grabbed the nearest piece of debris and started to pull.
"Lona, I'm going to have you out of there in just a few minutes, okay?
You're going to be just fine."
As he started to drag the debris off of her, he glanced towards the door. "Hey!!" He called. "Can anyone hear me?! We need help in here!"