Chapter 4: Keep on swimming
He was once again in the water. It was dragging him in what felt like 4 or maybe 5 different directions at once. He was struggling, fighting to get his head above, to stop the water from dragging him, to be brave like his father was, like his Buck was. His head was still under water, but he was running out of air, trying desperately not to breathe before he could get his head over the surface of the water, but it was getting really difficult not to. He hadn't been prepared for the truck to make a move, for the water. He hadn't had time to take in a breath when he fell, using the last air he had to call for Buck. He was starting to panic, and he wasn't sure whether or not he was crying, afterall he was under water. He felt his head breach the surface and without thinking he took in a big breath, already falling under again but luckily not taking in any water while doing so.
It felt like forever before he started slowing down, the current not as strong anymore. He used the last energy he had to get himself above the water. He couldn't see anything, everything was just bright and blurry. He kept swimming, desperately hoping to find safety. His head bobbed under the water again, just as he was taking in another deep breath, this time water taking in water along with the air. He started coughing violently gasping for air and starting to panic again. He managed to get himself up to the surface once more, while still coughing fiercely, he kept on swimming until he felt the hard surface of something. He didn't know what it was, he didn't care, he grabbed it and pulled himself up to lay on top of it.
For a while he just laid on his back coughing up water and sucking in the air. When it became a little easier to breath he started getting more aware of what was happening, remembering the tsunami and the truck, getting separated from Buck. Chris sat up slowly, still gasping for air and this time he was sure that he was crying. When he moved he felt the rocking of the wooden object he was on, not nearly as steady and safe as the firetruck his Buck had gotten for them. He started crying even harder and yelling for his Buck, but he didn't get an answer. He sat completely still, afraid of moving and falling back into the water again. His chest was burning after almost drowning, and the panic he was feeling didn't help his already difficult breathing. Chris slowly moved his hand up the dry the tears away, careful of his every moving. Then he remembered something from the surfing lessons his dad had gotten him, about distributing his weight evenly to keep the surfboard even, and he figured it might work with this object too, so carefully he laid back down and turned around to lay flat on his stomach so he could pattle with his arms, steering the driftwood of something that he was laying on. He didn't have his glasses on anymore; 'Must have fallen off in the water' he thought to himself, but didn't have time to worry about it.
His arms were aching from paddling and he was exhausted from drowning and fighting and struggling to breath probably. His whole body was feeling heavy and his eyes kept shutting closed, but Chris knew that he had to keep awake. He had to be brave and strong, he had to keep on swimming; 'Like Dory' 'Chris smiled to himself when he thought about the conversation he and Buck had had not to long ago when he was still sitting safely at the firetruck, and he had to hold back the tears that was threatening to escape as he thought about it. He didn't have time to cry, complaining about it wouldn't work. He knew that; He had to find Buck, and with that he let his arms fall back into the water and kept on swimming.
A/N: Thank you for the reviews, always nice to read when someone likes my story, it gives me motivation to continue on with the story. I'm a little busy with school at the moment and therefore apologise if it may take a little. But there will be more to this story as I am already working on the next chapter