Hi, everyone. Here's the latest chapter for you.
Disclaimer: I do not own "Bob's Burgers."
A Cry in the Park
Chapter 6
The men continued working late into the night. As it had been over the past few days, the crowd had dispersed when it got too late for them. Only the reporters remained, and the journalists occasionally muttered to each other as they watched the proceedings.
The air seemed sombre; the two dozen volunteers scattered about the area only spoke when necessary – to communicate with whoever was working in the tunnel. Other than that, they were silent.
The reporters were sat behind the barriers, some resting their heads in their hands, others stretching back on the cool grass to catch a quick nap.
The men surrounding the rescue shaft were also sitting, with little else to do but wait their turn. Many of them were drinking coffee, trying to stay awake. The cold February air helped a lot.
It was now almost 3:45am; Louise had been trapped for five days. By the well, Charlie was sleeping, while Tim lay on his back, the headphones over his ears. He hadn't heard her make a sound for more than eight hours, but Cabell had been watching the camera, and she had been seen to move, so it was decided to let her sleep.
They were getting very close; the breakthrough was due at any moment, which was what they were all waiting for. The men were prepared; they had new tools, ready for when they reached the well. They had awls, a screwdriver-type device, to be used for making holes in the solid rock. They also had star drill hand tools. The diggers were currently using pick axes and chisels, which were doing the job fine, but Richards and Davis wanted better tools.
Olsen and Ed were still awake, although Olsen was looking a little worse for wear. She was sat down, her back resting against a tree, her knees pulled up to her chest. She removed her jacket, and placed it over herself, resting her eyes for just a moment.
The eyes of almost everyone in the garden were fixed on the well; knowing that Louise was alive kept their spirits up, and as they were less than an inch away from her, they began to hope, hope that they would be able to save her.
~ X ~
One of the diggers was lying on his stomach in the tunnel, holding a small pick-axe, digging above his head. It became more difficult the longer the tunnel got; the men had to lie on their stomachs with their tools stretched out in front of them. As he adjusted the tool slightly, he heard a new, different sound. He quickly wriggled forward as easily as he could, and wiped the dust and small, crumbly bits of rock away. Taking off his mask, he blew some more dust away and saw something dull and red. Removing his glove, he gently tapped it, a huge grin spreading over his face when he realised that it was the brick lining of the well. They had reached her.
"Sir?" he quickly fumbled for his walkie-talkie, and heard the voice of the Fire Chief come through.
"What is it?"
"Sir, I've reached the well," Eric held the walkie-talkie away from his face; through it, and through the shaft, he could hear cheering.
"That's great; how big of a hole have you made?"
"I haven't made a hole yet, sir; I've just reached it."
"Okay, carry on digging the rest of the tunnel, and when we're done, we'll send someone down to start removing the bricks. Good job!"
"Yes, sir, thank you," Eric raised the pick-axe and continued to chip, digging the outline of the tunnel, working as quickly as he could.
When his shift was over, he wriggled out of the tunnel, and was promptly brought to the surface. The cheering that he had heard through the walkie-talkie was repeated when he came above ground. His fellow volunteers were beaming and crowded around him, clapping him on the back, and giving thumbs up. Olsen was now standing, and Ed had the camera focused on him. "Great job," said Richards, as the next man was getting rigged up.
"Thank you, sir," grinned Eric, feeling beyond relieved.
"I'll give the family a call, and go get them," said Carol, grabbing her jacket from the floor as she left the park.
The men and women collectively breathed a sigh of relief as Samuel went down into the tunnel to continue digging.
The sound of the phone ringing woke Bob and Linda, who were annoyed to find out that they had fallen asleep. Linda grabbed the phone, and saw that it was an unknown number. She looked over at Bob, hesitating. She was afraid to answer it.
Eventually, she flipped it open, and held it to her ear.
"Hello?" she said, her voice tight, and gripping Bob's hand.
"Hello, Mrs. Belcher?" came Carol's voice.
"Yes?"
"They've reached the well," Carol said through her headset, as she drove to the Belcher residence.
"Are – are you serious?" said Linda, her eyes widening. "Bobby, they've reached the well!" Bob gasped, and his free hand flew to his mouth.
"They have?" he asked, hardly daring to believe it.
"They've reached her, they've reached her! Kids, kids, wake up!" Linda leapt up, and began dancing in a mixture of happiness and anxiousness. "They've really reached her?" she asked, realising she was still holding the phone.
"Yes, ma'am; they reached it less than five minutes ago. I'm just on my way to your home now."
"We'll be ready!" Linda cried, as Gene and Tina ran into the room. "They've reached the well!" Linda ran at her kids, grinning at the their reactions; Tina jumped up and down, cheering, and Gene whooped and punched the air. Bob was still sat on the sofa, muttering "thank God," over and over again.
"Okay, kids, get ready, we gotta go!" Linda clapped her hands, bouncing with excitement. It was finally happening; Louise was going to get out of the well. Her children nodded and raced back to their rooms to get dressed. Linda looked over at Bob, whose face looked like it was about to split in two, he was grinning so widely. It was sinking in properly for him now.
"They've reached her!" he cried, his eyes welling up, as he clutched Linda's hands. "They've really reached her!"
"Thank God!" Linda hugged him tightly, before grabbing their jackets, as a knock sounded at the door.
Gene and Tina re-entered the living room, fully dressed, albeit a bit unkempt, while Bob answered the door to Carol, and Linda began shepherding the children downstairs, and out the front door.
Although it was barely 4am, the Belcher siblings were wide awake, and were practically squirming with anticipation.
"Finally!" Gene cried, rubbing his eyes, but looking elated. "So, when we get there, they'll be getting ready to bring her up?"
"Not quite," said Carol. "Right now, the hole is about the size of a quarter. They're just going to finish making the hole bigger, and then someone will go down to remove the bricks, and then we'll get her out."
"So, how long will it take? An hour?" asked Gene.
"We estimate no more than a couple of hours," Carol said, noting the family's apprehensive looks. "I know you've been told that from the very beginning, but we're there now. We've almost got her."
When they arrived at the park, they immediately went over to the well, and the four of them crouched down beside it.
"Is she awake?" asked Bob, and Tim shook his head.
"She's been sleeping since about eight o'clock," he said, stretching.
"Okay; I'm gonna tell her that we've reached her. She'll be happy to hear it," said Linda. Tim only passed her the headphones and microphone, and she called down to Louise, holding her breath when she didn't answer her.
"Louise!" she called, trying to remain calm. "Please, I know you're tired, but you've got to keep talking. You don't even have to talk; just make a noise when I call you. Louise? Sweetie?" What she heard was so faint and croaky that it barely qualified as an answer, but it was Louise, and that was good enough for Linda. "Louise, baby, it's good news; they've reached the well. They're there. You'll be out in just a few hours, isn't that great? All they've gotta do is remove the bricks, and then you'll be out. We're all here, waiting for you, and we'll all be here when they bring you up. We love you, baby."
Linda went and stood next to Bob, and they both kept their eyes on the tunnel. Although they knew it would be at least three hours, they were beaming. They knew that before the day was out, they would see their daughter again.
As the night went on, Gene and Tina fell asleep in their chairs. They didn't plan on it; but they hadn't got much sleep over the past week, and knowing that their sister was going to be rescued very soon relaxed and relieved them so much that they just nodded off.
Bob had looked over his shoulder when he saw his sleeping children, and he removed his jacket, placing it over Tina to keep her warm. Following his lead, Linda did the same to Gene, before they both sat down next to the well.
"I can't believe they're done," said Bob quietly, looking down into the well.
"I know," a small smile came over Linda's face as she leaned into Bob. "Oh, I can't wait to see her."
"Me, too. When they bring her up, we'll be as close as we can. The first thing I'm gonna do is give her a great big hug."
"Aw, that's sweet. I'm gonna hug her as well."
"She'll be glad to see us," said Bob. "We'll, uh, we'll have to think of who's going to ride with her in the back." Linda straightened up and looked at him.
"Oh, right; there won't be enough room for both of us," she remembered. "Do we have to decide right now?"
"Well, it might be easier to figure it out before they bring her up."
"Yeah, that makes sense. So, we both wanna be there with her, but there's only room for one of us. How do we decide?"
"Rock, paper, scissors?" Bob suggested, but Linda looked thoughtful.
"Maybe... maybe none of us should ride in the back," she said slowly.
"What?"
"Well, we both wanna do it, but we can't, and we can't make that decision. So, how about both of us ride up front?"
"Are you serious?"
"I can't imagine not being in the back with her, and you can't either, right?" Bob only nodded. "We aren't gonna be able to decide; even if we randomly choose, we both wanna be with Louise. I just think it's fair this way."
"You've got a point, Lin," he said quietly. He realised that she was right; if she was in the back with Louise, he would be upset, because that's where he wanted to be. And if he was in the back with her, Linda would be upset. "I guess both of us in the front would be best. And it's not like we won't be able to see her; there's a window."
"Yeah," was all Linda said, once again leaning into her husband.
Just like their children, they eventually fell asleep, as well, curled up together at the well head.
The front cover of the local newspaper that morning had a large picture of an ecstatic looking rescue team, their tired, grinning faces lined with dust and dirt. 'Rescuers reach the well' the headline read, and the clip of the volunteers celebrating after the breakthrough had been featured on the news that morning.
The Bay Gazette,
February 27th, 2019
For the past week, Wharf Park has been surrounded by police tape, fire engines and police cars. The personnel surrounding the area have not left for five days; policemen have barely slept, firemen are working around the clock; they are racing against time to save a child's life.
When paramedic Patrick Baker arrived at Wharf Park last Friday, he was confused; the radio dispatcher said that a young girl had fallen into a well, and the medic could see no well in the park. Instead, there was a brick-lined hole, fourteen inches in diameter.
"I just couldn't believe it," said Patrick, when he discovered that nine-year-old Louise Belcher was stuck in the well. "I've never seen anything like this before." Patrick, along with fellow paramedic, Simon Landon, were the first to reach the park after receiving the call. "I was thinking of a wishing well," Patrick admitted, his dust-covered face showing the strain of the past week. When Patrick realised Louise was trapped in the well and buried in rubble, he knew he had his work cut out for him.
Ever since that day, rescuers have been digging non stop to free Louise; over 200 volunteers have spent more than 100 hours drilling a tunnel to reach her. At 3:49am this morning, workers reached the well, and are in the process of widening the hole.
Louise is trapped 80 feet below ground; she was pushed in by a teenage boy, Logan Bush, who had been bullying her. The fifteen-year-old approached Louise on Friday evening with the intention of performing a wrestling move on her, as "revenge" for her throwing a rotten cantaloupe, which landed on him. However, Logan shoved the child, causing her to stumble backwards and fall into the uncovered well. It is not yet known whether the Belchers plan to press charges against him.
However, Logan and his mother claim that Louise hired a biker gang to cut off Logan's ears after he stole her hat, which the Belcher family deny. They do have connections to a biker gang, who are regulars in the family restaurant, Bob's Burgers. The biker gang also deny Logan's accusation.
The little girl, described by police as "bossy," and "frustrated," has been passing the time by sleeping on and off over the past two days, and ordering the rescue workers around.
"At first, she wouldn't sleep much," said officer Tim Williams, who has also been reading stories to Louise to keep her occupied,"because she was too busy telling us to get her out. I think the drilling kept her awake, too, but then I guess she just got too tired, because she's been sleeping more lately."
Fire Chief James Richards said Louise's age was a helpful factor in the rescue efforts.
"Most kids who fall into wells are toddlers," he said, "but Louise is nine, which means that she's able to communicate with us, and she understands that we're getting her out, whereas a toddler might not." The doctor on site mentioned that Louise's age also meant that she will not quickly forget her ordeal.
"This will probably affect her for a long time," revealed Dr. Cabell. "But, luckily, she has a very supportive family, who will help her get through this." He mentioned the child may need some form of therapy to help her process everything. "I can't think of even any adults who wouldn't need to talk to someone after going through something like this. I don't want to speculate on how she will handle things, but the support will be there for her."
Oxygen and warm air are being constantly pumped into the well to keep Louise warm and alert, and doctors have been lowering sugar water down to her. They have not given her any food for fear it could worsen any internal injuries she may have.
"It's a miracle she's still alive," revealed Deputy Police Chief Jack Davis. "She's had no food for five days."
When questioned about Louise's health, Davis grew forlorn. "She's getting weaker," he admitted. "She's not talking anymore; she doesn't have the energy. The doctor says she's breathing rapidly, and she didn't touch any of the water yesterday. We're hoping to have her out very soon."
A few hours later, Linda woke, unaware that she'd even fallen asleep. Slightly confused by the lightening sky, she turned to the two policemen next to her. "What time is it?"
"Seven o'clock, ma'am," Charlie told her after checking his watch. Quickly counting, Linda realised that Louise had been in the well for 109 hours. She felt sick.
"How far have they got?" she asked.
"The hole is about this big," Tim held up his hands about ten inches apart, and Linda's heart leapt.
"So, just a few more hours?" she said hopefully.
"We hope so, ma'am." Although Linda felt irritated that they could not give her a more accurate answer, she was too drained to argue, and so settled for looking about the park, stretching silently.
Apart from the sky, the first thing she noticed was that there were a lot more reporters there. A lot. Most of them had made the journey from several other states after learning of how a young girl was fighting for her life, and they were close to reaching her; this was the sort of drama that could make ratings skyrocket.
The reporters were squashed in between the usual crowd of curious onlookers; as it was still early morning, the crowd was small. They were squashed behind the barriers, jostling, leaning, trying to see something. The constant chattering from the media and the onlookers mingled with the non-stop digging sounds from down below. Police and firemen conferred together, some of them would occasionally order the crowd to move back; the paramedics loitered by the ambulance, chatting; volunteers snapped and argued with each other; metal clanked against metal as tools were repaired and placed aside; footsteps scraped over the dry, dusty ground; the air compressors sounded like electrical saws; the canvas tubes rustled loudly as the wind shifted them, and throughout all of this, people were calling out, to Linda, to the police, anybody who would talk to them.
It all seemed very loud, even to Linda, and she found herself unable to tune the noise out as she had done previously.
Linda suddenly felt trapped; she stood and pushed her way over to the news truck. There were lots of reporters gathered in front of it, talking together, taking pictures of the TV screen and taking notes. They took no notice of her until she tried to pass them, and then they began to swarm around the exhausted mother.
"Mrs. Belcher!" Once again, cameras flashed and microphones were thrust into her face, and Linda was surrounded.
"Over, here, Mrs. Belcher!"
"Can you give us a statement?"
"Mrs. Belcher, do you think your daughter is going to be rescued any time soon?"
"Mrs. Belcher, how do you feel, knowing how close they are?"
"Please, let me through!" she gasped, trying to push them aside, to no avail.
"Mrs. Belcher, is there anything you'd like to say?"
"How do you feel about the way the rescue effort is going?"
"Let me through!" Linda repeated, but they did not listen and continued to crowd around her. For all of her efforts, Linda could not push past the media wall, and police had to step in.
"Move back!" an unknown officer snapped, stepping in front of Linda. "Back, back! Give her some room!" By himself, he was not making much progress, and so another officer, whom Linda also didn't know, stepped in as well. The two men managed to usher the media back, though they still clamoured nearby, as Linda was able to get close to the truck, and she looked up at the screen. There was Louise, her daughter. She needed to see her, and this was the closest she could get. Louise wasn't moving, but Linda knew she was still alive. She reached out and gently touched the screen, stroking the image, oblivious to the cameras flashing. Tears were building up in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She wouldn't allow herself to cry anymore; she was going to be strong for Louise. It was the least she could do for her.
Regular Sized Rudy sat at the kitchen table, eating his cereal, not looking forward to another day at school. The television was off as his mother didn't allow it on at mealtimes; she said that he needed to learn to eat without being glued to a screen.
Nonetheless, Rudy pulled out his phone, intending to check the news. When the screen lit up, he saw that he had a few text messages. At first, he was a little bit excited, as nobody really texted him, apart from his dad, and he was worried because, again, nobody texted him.
"Hey theyre sayin that theyve reached louise" came the text from Zeke, and Rudy's jaw dropped. Abandoning his cereal, he turned on the television, and put the news on. Olsen Benner was standing near the rescue tunnel, speaking into the camera.
At 3:50am this morning, rescue workers finally reached the well that little Louise Belcher is trapped in. Currently, they are working on making the hole big enough for a paramedic to reach through and grab her. Officials have said that they have not yet broken through to the well, and that when the hole is big enough, an underground safety specialist will go down and remove the bricks. Then, after that, the paramedics can be sent down.
"Louise's family are all here; they arrived not long after the breakthrough, and they will, of course, be the first ones to be told when Louise is actually out, and they are going to travel to the hospital with her.
"Louise has now been trapped 80 feet underground for 110 hours; authorities say that she is still alive, but that she is weak. They are positive that they will rescue her in the next 2 – 3 hours."
Rudy switched the set off, and grabbed his backpack, heading for the door.
"Where are you going?" came his mother's voice, and Rudy turned to see her in the doorway of the kitchen. "You haven't finished your breakfast."
"Mom, they've reached Louise!" he grinned. "It won't be long before they get her out; I'm going down to Wharf Park to watch."
"No, you're not," she said, and Rudy looked confused. "It's a school day; you can't miss school."
"Mom, Louise is my best friend, and she's about to be rescued; I want to go and watch."
"Rudy, honey, I've told you before; Louise isn't a good friend for you; she's too reckless, and she makes you do things that you're not strong enough for. You know you tire easily." Rudy remained silent; it wasn't the first time he'd heard this. "Listen, honey," her voice softened. "I know you're worried about your friend, and I understand. But they're not gonna get her out for a few more hours. In fact, I'd bet five dollars that she's still in there by the time school lets out, and you can go watch then, like you always do."
"Okay, Mom," said Rudy.
"Okay, now you get ready for school; you don't want to be late. Do you want me to drive you there?"
"No, that's okay; I'll catch the bus," said the boy, and his mother gave him a quick hug before he left the house.
Rudy did indeed catch the bus; however, it wasn't the school bus. He took the one that went the opposite way, and headed to Wharf Park. He didn't care what his mother said; he was going to watch Louise come up. She wasn't just his best friend, she was pretty much his only friend. He liked the fact that she didn't treat him any different due to his asthma. She didn't coddle him, as most children (and adults) tended to do. She pushed him to his limits, and he loved the thrill, the adrenaline rush.
When he arrived at the park, he squeezed his way through the crowd to the front of the barriers. To his surprise, most of the fourth grade class was there, along with Jimmy Jr, Zeke, Darryl, Wayne, even Tammy, Jocelyn, and Becky Krespe, amongst others he did not know. Millie was standing at the very front of the barriers, directly in front of the well, her hands clasped tightly over her chest, looking anxious and hopeful.
"Hey, guys," he said, standing next to Zeke and the Pesto twins. "How far have they gotten?"
"They're making the hole big enough for someone to get into," said Jimmy Jr. "They said it'll be a few hours."
"So, what time do you think it'll be?" he asked.
"I reckon a little after midday; one o'clock, maybe," said Zeke, and Jimmy Jr nodded.
"I hope it's sooner than that," said Rudy. "I can't wait until they get her." He looked over at Tammy and Jocelyn, the girls glued to their phones. "Didn't think you guys would be here," he said to her.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm real concerned," said Tammy absent-mindedly, texting away.
"Oh, my God, Tammy," Jocelyn whispered loudly, "it was a great idea to come here so we don't have to go to school!"
"Shut it, Jocelyn,!" Tammy hissed, and her friend giggled nervously.
Rudy looked away and focused his attention back on the well. He didn't have time for them; he only cared about Louise in that moment.
Teddy had arrived shortly after 7am, after Bob had called him, and he was standing next to the Belchers, as was Mort. Bob had called his father, who had said that he was on his way.
"This is amazing," said Linda, her eyes sparkling. "We're gonna see her very soon." She placed her arms around Gene and Tina, beaming, as Carol approached them.
"They're almost done widening the hole," she told them, smiling as the group clapped and grinned. "They estimate that it'll be another hour, and then they can start removing the bricks."
"And then she'll be out!" cried Gene, throwing his hands up in the air.
"And then she'll be out," Carol reiterated, smiling down at him.
"This is just – I can't believe it's finally happening," said Bob. "Finally, they're going to get her."
"I know. Oh, finally, we're going to see her," Linda smiled, putting her arms around her children, as they gazed at the well.
"Bob! Bob!" Looking to his left, Bob saw his father pushing through the crowd. Big Bob hugged his son and daughter-in-law, before turning to his grandchildren.
"Hey, Pop-pop," said Tina, leaning in for a hug.
"Hey, kids," he grinned at them. "You excited to see your sister?"
"Yeah, we are!" cried Gene, more loud than he had intended, which was pretty loud.
"Thanks for coming down," said Bob, as his father straightened up and nodded.
"So, how long until she comes up?"
"They're still making the hole big enough, so maybe two hours?" said Bob, and his dad nodded.
"You know," he said after a while, "she's amazing to have made it through all this."
"Yeah," Linda agreed. "She really is."
Martin was lying on his stomach in the tunnel, chipping away at the rock. He had been doing this for over half an hour, now, and he was very close to finishing. The hole had been made to be the same size as the tunnel, and Martin was removing the rock in the centre. Once he saw brick, he would move the chisel over slightly, and continue the process.
When he had finished, he looked at his handiwork; there, right in the middle of the dark grey rock, was a wall of brick straight down the centre; the well that held Louise. All they had to do was take the bricks out; the only thing separating Louise from freedom.
"Sir?"he picked up his walkie-talkie, lowering his mask. "It's all done. All we gotta do is take those bricks out."
"Right," came the voice of Richards, "get out of there, and we can send Douglas down. Good job!"
"Thank you, sir. Coming out right now."Martin placed the walkie-talkie back into his belt, and slithered out of the tunnel.
Above ground, Richards approached the Belcher family.
"Well, we're done widening the hole," he told them, looking at their excited faces. "When he comes up, we'll send the mine specialist straight down to start removing the bricks." He looked over at Bob as the man sniffled and wiped away a tear. "We don't know how long it'll take to remove the bricks," he admitted. "Douglas has told us that he needs to do it carefully, so it may take up to an hour."
"As long as they get her out," said Bob, wiping another tear away.
"We're very close," Richards told him. "With luck, she'll be out before noon." Bob checked Teddy's watch as Richards walked away; it was 10:20am, and he looked up, watching as Douglas was rigged up.
"I can't believe it," he said quietly, his heart thumping with happiness. "They're gonna get her out." A smile resting across his face, Bob, his family, Teddy, and Mort watched as Douglas was lowered into the tunnel, down the 85 feet to the very bottom. When he was there, he unclipped himself from the cable, and peered into the cross-tunnel. Switching on his mining light, he climbed in.
Douglas wriggled through the tiny tunnel on his stomach, breathing heavily. When he had reached the well, he forced himself onto his knees, a difficult task as his head was now touching the roof of the tunnel. Picking up the hand drill, he held it up to a brick at the bottom of the well. He refused to hold it any higher; another cave-in would be disastrous. He was nervous about using the drill, because of the vibrations it was going to cause, but it was the quickest way, and so he tentatively began drilling a small series of holes in the mortar. Soon enough, the drilling was done, and he took a small hammer and chisel from the floor of the tunnel, and he was able to start chipping away.
After a few more moments, the mortar was almost completely gone, and he put the hammer down, and grabbed the brick. It was loose, and he wiggled it out, before removing some more. When had removed a fair few, he leaned forward, looking through the gap and into the well. He saw Louise instantly; she was slightly to his right, almost opposite him. Her head was resting on her right shoulder, and he couldn't see her face.
"Louise?" he called, before reaching for his walkie talkie. "Chief?" he said, "I've broke through; I can see her."
"Great," came Richards' voice. "Is she alive?" he asked quietly, and he held his breath waiting for the answer.
"I'm not sure," said Douglas, looking at Louise's still form. "Louise? Louise?" She wasn't moving, and Douglas quickly removed another brick. "Louise?! Louise!" he shouted louder and louder, but there was still no response from the little girl. There wasn't enough space for him to reach inside the well, but Douglas took a deep breath, and blew as hard as he could into the gap, before screaming Louise's name. He slammed the drill on the tunnel floor in frustration, when he saw her shift, and he looked closely through the gap. "Louise? Louise, answer me," he called, and he sighed in relief when her head slowly lifted up from her shoulder. "She's still alive," he breathed into the walkie talkie.
"Okay, good," he could hear the relief in Richards' voice. "Carry on moving those bricks, and then we can send the paramedics down."
"Yes, sir," Douglas continued his work, talking to Louise all the while. "Louise, sweetie, can you see me?" Upon hearing the voice, Louise sluggishly looked around, her eyes barely open. She couldn't see anyone and her head flopped down onto her chest. "Louise, I'm going to remove these bricks, and then we're gonna come and get you out," he told the girl. Louise did not answer him. "Louise? Louise, can you hear me?" Douglas called and Louise acknowledged him with a tired sounding moan. "Louise, did you understand what I just told you?" Another moan. "Okay, don't worry; we're gonna get you out."
Soon he had removed enough bricks for a grown man to fit his head and shoulders into, but Douglas carried on taking more out, just to be on the safe side.
When he was finished, he reached into the well and gently stroked Louise's head, before pulling himself back into the rescue shaft. With one last assurance to Louise that she was going to get out of the well, Douglas signalled that he was ready to come up.
When he arrived at the surface, he was surrounded; by Richards and Davis, by Cabell, by the paramedics, by the drillers, all of them questioning him, looking excited.
"Is it finished?" came Richards' voice, booming above the rest, "can we send the medics down?"
"It's all done," Douglas confirmed, and the men surrounding him all grinned at one another.
"Is it big enough for us to reach into?" asked Patrick.
"I was able to reach in and touch her," Douglas said, reassuring the two paramedics that there was more than enough space.
"How's she doin'?" asked Davis, stepping closer to the specialist and lowering his voice.
"Really weak," he admitted after a while. "She barely responded to me. I touched her head and she's ice cold."
"Right," Davis nodded, breathing in heavily. "Well, she's still alive, so let's keep it that way, and get those men rigged up."
"Yes, sir."
Once again, Richards approached the Belchers', looking relieved.
"Douglas has taken the bricks out; he can see Louise, and she's still alive," he said, smiling at them. Bob's legs buckled, and he fell to the ground. His hands were shaking and he covered his face, as his family, Teddy, and Mort crouched down beside him. Linda placed a hand on his shoulder; she was shaking, as well.
Teddy, along with Big Bob, helped him to his feet. "So, the paramedics are just going to go down to make the attempt, and we ask that you make your way over to the ambulance, and your children can wait in the car."
"But I wanna be there when they bring her up," said Linda.
"Yeah, us too," said Tina.
"I know you do, and I understand you want to see her, but we can't afford to waste any time; we want to get her to the hospital as quick as we can." For a while, Linda just stared at him.
"... Fine," she muttered eventually, as Carol came over to them.
"Right, kids, I'll take you over to the car, while your parents get in the ambulance," she said. Linda and Bob nodded, and Gene and Tina allowed themselves to be escorted to the police car that was parked in front of the ambulance. The children clambered into the back seat, while Carol sat behind the wheel.
"So, how long will it be?" asked Gene, clicking his seatbelt into place.
"Hopefully, not too long," said the officer. "The paramedics are getting ready right now."
"Pop, do you wanna wait in the car with Gene and Tina?" asked Bob, as Teddy and Mort moved away, slightly closer to the well.
"It's okay; I don't wanna impose. I'll watch them bring her up, and then I'll visit her later. The reunion is your thing."
"What? No, Pop, you wouldn't be imposing," said Bob, who wasn't really sure what he was hearing.
"Look, I promise I'll come by later in the day when everything's calmed down, alright?"
"Pop -" but Big Bob had joined Teddy and Mort, and Bob turned to his wife. "That was weird. Why doesn't he want to come see Louise?"
"Oh, Bobby; he probably hates hospitals just like you do," said Linda, looking up at him. "It'll be hard for him to see his youngest grandchild in hospital." It would be hard enough for them, but nothing would stop them from finally seeing their daughter. "It's alright, Bobby."
"Yeah, you're probably right," muttered Bob, as they walked over to the ambulance, but Linda refused to get inside.
"I'll wait here until they bring her up, and then I'll get in," she was saying.
"Ma'am, we really can't have that," Richards began, but he was cut off.
"No, I need to see her, I need to see my baby."
"Ma'am, I understand that," he began calmly, "but we really can't afford any delays. We don't know what condition she's in, and we'll need to get her in the ambulance right away." Linda opened her mouth, and then closed it.
"...Okay," she whispered, climbing into the ambulance, with Bob assisting her, before getting in himself.
Simon and Patrick were standing next to the rescue shaft, preparing. Patrick was being rigged up for the descent, and Simon was checking over the equipment that they needed to bring; the spinal board, the buckets, the bandages (just in case). Richards and Davis were standing next to them, and they were surrounded by the diggers.
Just before Patrick was to be lowered into the tunnel, Cabell approached him.
"Louise has been trapped for five days. This kid has already beaten the odds, but she cannot survive down there for much longer. This is our only chance," said Davis to the crew. He looked over at the doctor, who stepped forward.
"Don't be afraid of hurting her," he began, "She's running out of time; break her arms and legs if you have to. Just as long as her head, neck and back are okay, the rest can be fixed. Just get her out."
Patrick nodded, his face set, and was lowered into the tunnel.
Olsen Benner turned away from the anxious, fidgety, but excited volunteers, and faced the camera. She waited until Ed had cued her in, before beginning her special live broadcast.
"This is Olsen Benner, reporting to you live from Wharf Park, bringing you an exciting update in the Louise Belcher rescue. Just now, less than five minutes ago, rescuers have broke through to the well where she is trapped, and have made visual contact with her. The underground safety specialist, Douglas, Farrell, has even said that is able to reach through and touch her. The paramedics are currently being rigged up for the rescue attempt, which is believed will take less than an hour, and Louise's family have been taken to wait in the ambulance.
"Douglas has said that Louise is still alive, although she is weak. He mentioned that she hardly responded to him when he spoke to her."
While Olsen continued to report, the crowd behind the barriers were growing restless, especially the children, who were trying to figure out what was going on. They weren't lucky enough to be given updates; that privilege was for reporters and rescue workers, only. And family, of course.
"It's gonna be real soon," said Millie, her hands still clasped over her chest. "I can feel it. It's going to happen very soon."
"I hope you're right," muttered Regular sized Rudy, as the Pesto twins alternated peering over and under the barriers next to him. He saw a man wearing a uniform be lowered down into the tunnel, which caught his attention. Usually, the people going into the tunnel were wearing normal clothes, and he couldn't help but wonder if Millie was right, if they were going down underground with the intention of getting Louise out. "Mister!" he called as loud as he could without wheezing, getting the attention of Richards. "Over here!" he waved as the Fire chief approached the small group of children.
"Hey, kids," he grinned, "it's nice of you to come here and support your friend."
"How long is it gonna be?" asked Rudy, and the children all began to focus on them. "I just saw a paramedic go down, am I right?"
"You're right," said Richards. "They've finished taking all the bricks out, and now it's the paramedics turn to do their job."
"They've gone down to get her out?" asked Zeke, and Richards nodded.
"You got it," he said, jumping slightly as a high-pitched shriek rang through the park.
"They're going to get her out! They're going to get her out!" Millie sang, jumping on the spot and clapping her hands. Richards smiled at her.
"I'm gonna have to ask you kids to keep behind the barriers, though," he warned, "we can't have you all running around out there."
"Will they let us visit her in hospital?" asked Millie desperately.
"I'm sure they will," said Richards, unsure if she meant the doctors', or Louise's parents. He gave them another reassuring smile before heading back to the rescue tunnel.
"Wow, I can't believe it," said Rudy quietly. It was happening.
"I know," said Zeke, slinging his arm onto Jimmy Jr, to hide the fact that he was tearing up. "I can't believe they're finally gonna get her out."
Many members of the crowd, along with the reporters, had heard Richards' talking to the children, and the excitement and tension began to grow. The reporters quickly went live to their respective channels, and began filling viewers in on what they had missed. Other journalists began spreading out around the area, getting into position, holding up cameras and camcorders, trying to decide which angle would capture the ascension best.
The chattering became louder, the ducking and craning to see became more noticeable and fervent. Soon, onlookers were once again pulling out their phones, holding them up high, and staring at the rescue tunnel, which was surrounded by a extremely large group of dusty, burly, anxious-but-happy looking men. It seemed that every single digger in the park was attempting to crowd around the rescue shaft, trying to see if they could get the first glimpse of Louise.
Patrick wriggled through the tunnel on his stomach until he had reached the well. Like Douglas before him, he pushed himself onto his knees. The medic was able to force his head and shoulders into the well, and saw Louise with her head on her shoulder, very nearly headbutting her due to the tiny space. He forced an arm into the well and gently shook her shoulder.
"Louise?" he said, as she opened her eyes, and looked up at him, not moving her head. "My name's Patrick, and I'm a paramedic. I'm going to help you; I'm gonna get you out." She only blinked at him slowly as he began removing the rubble that she was trapped under. A noise from behind him told him that Simon had been lowered down, and was waiting for them in the tunnel.
"Patrick, can you reach her?" he asked, looking in at the medic.
"Yeah, I can reach her," he said, continuing to work.
"Is she still alive?"
"Yeah," said Patrick, before turning his attention back to Louise. "Don't worry; we're gonna get you out," Patrick assured her. Louise stared at him, her mouth falling open slightly. Patrick decided to forgo any questions he had and concentrated on his task of freeing the girl.
"What did she say?" came Simon's voice at the end of the tunnel.
"She didn't say anything."
It was slow; he would pick up as many bits of broken bricks as he could handle, and then transfer them to the bucket at his feet, before going back for more. When the bucket was full, Patrick pulled himself out of the well, and slid it down the tunnel to Simon, who in turn took it, and slid another empty bucket back to Patrick. While Simon was gesturing for the full bucket to be brought up and emptied (because they needed the space), Patrick continued freeing Louise, talking to her quietly. "You're doing great, honey," he told her. "You'll be outta here very soon, and this'll all be over. You've been so brave. Being stuck down here for this long? That's amazing; I bet your parents agree. You'll have to think of a reward for being so brave." He always talked to his patients, as a way of calming them down, and although Louise was silent, he still spoke to her.
The little girl sat there silently, staring at him through glazed, tired eyes, her head resting on her shoulder because she was too weak to hold it up for too long.
Bob and Linda were sat silently in the front seat of the ambulance, holding hands tightly. Every so often, Linda would glance out of the back window, through the open doors, waiting for the moment that her daughter would emerge. Bob was staring straight ahead, his fist pressed against his mouth, chewing on his knuckles.
The driver of the ambulance had his hands on the steering wheel, the engine running softly, ready to get going the moment Louise was placed in the ambulance. Every so often, he would glance over at the couple.
Gene and Tina were squashed up together in the back of a police car that would escort the ambulance. The siblings were silent; Gene kept turning around to look out of the back window, not that he could see anything, and tapping a random, nervous tune on his knees; Tina was bouncing her knee unconsciously, hyperventilating quietly. They had been ushered into the car to wait an hour ago, and they were still waiting. They knew that this was Louise's last chance; they had practically run out of time.
Carol was sat behind the wheel, occasionally smiling reassuringly at the children in the rear view mirror.
Teddy, Mort, and Big Bob were standing close together, near the tree surrounded by oxygen tanks. None of them spoke a word. Big Bob had his hand pressed against his mouth, just like his son; Teddy was staring at the rescue tunnel, biting his lip anxiously. Mort was gripping his elbows tightly. Not daring to speak, the three of them kept their eyes focused on the tunnel.
The One Eyed Snakes had arrived not long ago, and were standing near Teddy, Mort, and Big Bob. The gang were silent, as well, their eyes fixed upon the rescue tunnel. Even Sidecar was quiet and still.
The bystanders were jostling about behind the barriers, standing on tiptoe, muttering to one another, each trying to get a good look at the rescue shaft. The kids were pressed together at the front, waiting nervously. Millie was bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation, breathing heavily. Andy and Ollie were kneeling on the floor, as if they would get a better look. Jimmy Jr and Zeke were standing side by side, and every so often, they would mumble something to each other. Even Tammy and Jocelyn had stopped chattering about boys, and were carefully filming on their phone, pausing every so often to take a selfie.
Regular sized Rudy had his hands on the barriers, leaning over as far as he could. His chest was feeling tight again, and so he pumped his inhaler. He didn't know how much longer he could take this, and he kept his eyes on the cable that was in the tunnel. He knew that when it started moving, that meant that they were bringing Louise up. He pumped his inhaler again, and checked his watch. It was quarter after noon; it had to be any moment now.
The rescue workers were gathered around the tunnel, waiting silently. The hospital gurney had been removed from the ambulance and was resting near the tunnel, waiting for Louise to be placed upon it.
The only thing that could be heard was the steady purr of oxygen that was being fed down the shaft and the well, and the voices of the reporters as they spoke into their respective cameras.
Tim and Charlie were still lying by the well, listening to Louise. Davis and Richards were also standing by the tunnel, their unshaven faces and unkempt clothing showing the strains and efforts of the last five days.
Davis glanced around at all of the personnel surrounding the hole. The reporters kept sneaking closer and closer, trying to get into the best position to capture the moment when Louise came up.
"All right!" he spoke up, causing everyone within earshot to look over at him. "When she comes up, we don't want any delays; I wanna get her in the ambulance as quickly as we can, so," he glanced at the reporters, "if everyone could just step back and give us some room." He gestured for them to move, and a few of the journalists reluctantly shuffled back a few paces.
The rescue workers, however, fanned out, making sure that the path to the ambulance was clear. About twelve of the men remained by the tunnel, along with Dr. Cabell, occasionally looking down where, if they squinted, they could make out the tiny, ant-like form of Simon standing at the bottom. They were practically holding their breath in anticipation for the moment when Simon would signal for the cable to be raised.
They could not understand what was taking so long.
Patrick couldn't help but smile a bit when he freed Louise's arms; she stared up at him with exhausted, pleading eyes, silently begging him to help her. He leaned forward to move some more brick, and then he gently hooked one arm under her legs, and carefully brought her out of the well. She was free.
Patrick held the little girl, hurriedly assessing her condition in the dim light. Louise's grey face was caked in dust and dirt, and bruises, and was tear-streaked. Her bare arms were swollen and almost completely black, decorated with scrapes, and with only a little bit of their usual colour remaining on her upper arms. Her elbows were scraped raw, her pigtails were on end, and her precious bunny ears were dirty, as well. Her dress was damp and filthy. Her swollen legs were completely black also, and her left foot hung oddly.
Louise let out a deep breath, and her cold body suddenly went limp, her head flopping back over Patrick's arm, and her eyes closing. "Louise? Louise?!" The girl did not answer, or even move, causing Patrick's heartbeat to quicken with fear. The paramedic tried to remain calm as he struggled to raise his arm and pressed his fingers against Louise's neck, urgently feeling about, as she laid in his arm, silent, cold and unmoving. A few agonisingly slow seconds passed before he could feel a pulse and he sighed in relief.
"What? What is it?!" came Simon's worried voice at the foot of the tunnel.
"Nothing!" he called as Louise's eyes opened again. "She just flopped down on me; she's okay. Send in the back board," and the board was inserted into the tunnel.
For a split second, Patrick had thought Louise had died and it was quite possibly the worst he had ever felt in his life; he would have spent the rest of his life feeling so guilty that he wasn't able to save the girl. He'd managed to relax slightly when Louise opened her eyes again; it was all probably too much for her to handle, Patrick thought, but his heart was still racing; he had been terrified thinking that Louise had died. He had been a paramedic for 8 years, and he had never lost a patient before, and he wanted to keep it that way.
Patrick carefully placed her onto the board; he knew immediately from the way her left foot dangled that it was broken, so he took great care in pushing her out into the shaft. "Watch that left foot; it's broken," he warned Simon, as the medic pulled Louise out. Simon was able to hold Louise, keeping her in a more or less horizontal position until Patrick was able to squirm back out of the tunnel.
Together, the two paramedics began to strap the child to the spinal board, a tricky feat in the cramped space. Patrick placed a plastic neck brace with a foam lining around the girl's neck, as a precaution, and Louise stared blankly ahead, looking barely conscious, as Patrick strapped her forehead to the board As they were working in such cramped conditions, they found it extremely difficult to use a full body board. Louise's arms were placed by her side and tied down above her elbows, rendering her immobile, and she remained silent as the two men continued to work. They had nothing to splint her leg with, but they didn't want to waste any time with that; they just needed to get her in the ambulance.
"Louise, I'm going to strap your legs to the board, okay? It will hurt a little bit," Patrick told her before carefully grabbing the girl's left leg. Louise, clearly exhausted, only blinked tiredly as Patrick strapped her feet down.
Simon unhooked another cable attached to his belt and connected it to the top of the spinal board, as an extra safety precaution, and tugged on the cable that would take them above ground, to freedom, after muttering, "sir, we got her," into his radio.
During the ascent, Louise still remained silent, and looked blankly ahead as they rose toward the bright sky which was gradually growing larger. If she had looked up, she would have seen faces peering over the edge. Weak though she was, she was very vaguely aware of what was happening; she knew that she had been freed from her prison and she remembered her family, along with some other voices she didn't recognise, calling down to her, comforting her, telling her that they were going to get her out of the well. But that was all she knew. Louise was finding it difficult to concentrate; in addition to feeling weak, she also felt rather dizzy, lethargic and extremely tired. There was nothing that sounded more appealing to her at that moment than sleep, apart from eating or drinking something.
Simon was holding Louise with both arms as he could not hold the girl with only one hand, in a best upright position as he could manage.
She could hear Simon talking to her, telling her that she was going to go straight to the hospital, and that her family were going to be there, but nothing he was saying seemed to make sense. Louise felt too exhausted to talk, so she simply stared ahead, her brow furrowed, her bleary eyes barely open.
When they finally reached the surface, the cameras started flashing and Louise and Simon were instantly surrounded; doctors, volunteers, rescue workers, reporters; everybody wanted to see how she looked.
As soon as they had reached the surface, the silence that had been hanging over the crowd like a storm cloud was broken by the sound of someone clapping. A few seconds later, someone else joined in, followed by more people. Then the cheering began; the waiting, the anxiety, the feelings of helplessness and not knowing, all culminated into a display of pure jubilation, and soon people were whooping with joy and clapping co-workers on their backs.
Louise was too weak to look around at all of the people that were crowding around her, smiling widely and still cheering; she could barely keep her eyes open. She could hear, though; she could hear clapping, cheering, whistling, lots of different voices all mingling together until they sounded alike. She did not know what was happening; the idea of concentrating long enough to figure out the source of this noise was incomprehensible. The cameras were still flashing and she closed her eyes; after five days underground, Louise had almost forgotten how bright the light could be.
At the sound of cheering, Bob and Linda had simultaneously turned around and looked through the open back doors of the ambulance; there was a cheering crowd, repeated flashes from the cameras, and there in the middle, a a dirty, bruised figure; Louise was out.
"Oh, my God, they got her!" Linda shrieked, grabbing Bob's hand tightly.
"They got her? She's out?! She's out!" Bob shouted jubilantly, tears of joy streaming down his face as he encased his sobbing wife in a hug, both of them laughing and crying with happiness.
Gene and Tina had turned around at the sound of cheering, but it was Gene who saw their baby sister first. He had rolled down the window and stuck his head out, managing to catch a glimpse of Louise.
"They got her! She's there, I can see her!" Gene leapt onto his knees as Tina leapt onto him, hugging him tightly. All the agony and tension of the waiting, never knowing, was released and Tina started crying in relief, burying her face in her hands.
Teddy, Mort, and Big Bob were cheering loudly, the three of them hugging tightly. Big Bob looked over at his granddaughter, wiping a tear.
The kids' were celebrating as well; as was the rest of the crowd. Andy and Ollie were holding hands and jumping up and down; Zeke had leapt onto Jimmy Jr's back and was whooping with delight. Regular sized Rudy was sobbing, tears of delight streaming down his face as he punched the air. Millie kept leaping into the air, trying to spot Louise, screeching with happiness, her face bright red and wet with happy tears. Even Tammy and Jocelyn had stopped taking selfies, and were staring at the sight before them, though they were careful to keep filming.
Cabell peered closely into Louise's face as she was laid on her back once more, quickly inspecting her. He tried to close in around Louise, to give her some space from the reporters, who were not about to let this moment go. The photographers got as close as they could get, aiming their cameras straight as Louise's face as the more over zealous ones barged through the police and volunteers, their cameras and camcorders held high, doing their best to capture every moment.
Simon placed Louise on the nearby bed and quickly covered her with a thick blanket, but as they turned to make their way to the ambulance, they found the path blocked by journalists. All they could see were the bright flashes of the camera, and all they could hear was voices of concerned reporters over the cheering.
Luckily, the media were quickly moved aside, and Simon, closely followed by Cabell, began to take Louise over to the ambulance.
The cheering, the applause, the reporters following them with cameras and camcorders did not let up, and Louise closed her eyes, unable to comprehend what was happening.
At the doors to the ambulance, Louise was placed inside the vehicle, Dr. Cabell and Simon climbing in behind her. As the doors slammed shut and the vehicle set off, the siren blaring, they immediately began tending to her. One of them looked up and saw Linda and Bob peering through the window and he gave them a reassuring smile.
To say the parents were overjoyed would be an understatement; they could not find words to express just how happy and relieved they were that their daughter had been rescued. They could see her; strapped to a spinal board, unmoving, and covered in dirt, but she was alive.
The drive to the hospital seemed to Linda to take a lifetime; she kept looking in the back window to check on Louise as the ambulance tore through the streets.
When they arrived at the hospital a very short time later, Bob and Linda jumped out of the vehicle and made their way around to the back of the ambulance where the doctors were pulling Louise's bed out.
As it was placed on the the ground, Linda and Bob were joined by Gene and Tina, and they followed the doctors as they wheeled the bed inside.
Louise was wheeled through the lobby, past the front desk where two nurses were stationed, and down a long hallway.
The doctors talked urgently amongst themselves as they pushed the bed hurriedly through the hall; the family was unable to hear them over the hustle and bustle that accompanied any hospital.
Linda managed to match the doctor's pace and she overtook them slightly and ended up walking beside Louise. She was still strapped to the spinal board, her bruised face still covered in dirt, an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. She was staring at the ceiling above her through her half-open eyes with a confused, fatigued look on her face, and Linda reached out and managed to grab her arm through the blanket. Unable to move her head, Louise glanced over and saw her mother, and although her facial expression did not change, a glint of recognition glimmered in her tired eyes.
Just then, Linda was brushed aside as Louise was taken into the emergency room.
"Wait, I want to go in there!" she demanded, walking toward the door, but a doctor stepped in front of it, blocking her from entering.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Belcher, but you and your family will have to wait; Louise needs a complete medical examination."
"But I should be in there with her; I'm her mother!"
"Mrs. Belcher, your daughter has been through a traumatic ordeal and it's vital that we keep her calm. You and your family are going to have to wait."
"What do you mean, keep her calm? Why do you need to keep her calm? What are you going to be doing to her?"
"Please, Mrs. Belcher, we want to help your daughter."
"... Well, how long until we can see her?" she asked.
"It's hard to say, ma'am; we need to assess her injuries. We'll let you know when you can see her. I'll have someone escort you to a private room, so you won't be bothered," and with that, the doctor turned and made his way into the room. Linda remained right outside the door, trying to look in, until another doctor led her and her family down another hallway, this one much shorter, and into a private waiting room. It was a very comfortable room; with squashy armchairs and sofas, a coffee table bearing up-to-date magazines, an illuminated fish tank mounted on a pedestal against one wall, another small table with a vase of flowers, and a television mounted in one of the top corners of the room. The clock on the wall read 12:29.
"You can wait in here," the doctor smiled at them. "The reporters won't bother you this way." She smiled again before closing the door, leaving them in silence.
Linda paced for a few moments before turning and sitting down with the rest of her family. She suddenly felt very drained.
"How did she look?" asked Gene.
"Okay," she said honestly. "Dirty, and a few scrapes, but she looked fine to me."
"Let's hope she is," said Bob, placing his arm around his wife's shoulders. He looked tired as well, as did the rest of them.
For a while, the four of them just sat there in silence; there wasn't really much to say. Louise was out of the well, and soon they would be able to see her. That was all that mattered.
The television was on, and the broadcaster was reviewing the daily news stories. Tina glanced up at it and saw the picture of Louise that had, unbeknownst to them, been gracing newspapers, social media, and television screens for the past week.
"Hey, look," she grabbed the nearby remote and turned up the volume. A young woman was talking into the camera, seated behind her desk in a news studio.
"Recapping our top story; a nine-year-old girl's five day ordeal is finally over. Louise Belcher, who was pushed into an abandoned well Friday evening, was finally rescued at around twenty-five minutes past twelve to the sounds of cheers of the rescue workers who worked tirelessly to free her. We are hoping that some of the workers are going to talk to us soon, and our reporter Olsen Benner is live at the scene. Olsen?"
The image then cut to Wharf Park, which looked no different than it had done all week, were it not for the fact that the volunteers were still grinning widely. Olsen Benner was standing a few feet away from the chaos that still surrounded the rescue shaft.
"Thank you, Valerie. Yes, they, uh, they brought Louise up about five minutes ago now, and, uh, there's still a lot of smiles on people's faces. I don't know how much you saw, Valerie, from your point of view, but we could see her; she was awake, strapped to a spinal board. But, uh, everyone was cheering and clapping; it was just amazing to see." Olsen glanced over to where the rescue workers were. "They said they would talk to us after she was out, so it's just a matter of time. Valerie, the ride to the hospital is only twenty minutes away; I'm sure Louise and her family are there now; we have reporters over there, hoping to get an update on her condition soon.
"For those of you who are just tuning in, Louise Belcher, the nine-year-old girl who was stuck eighty feet below ground in a narrow well, has been rescued. She was brought up about five minutes ago, and was taken straight to the hospital. She'd been trapped in the well for five days buried in rubble and with only minimal water, so the fact that she survived is nothing short of amazing. I do think that after all this time, she's probably feeling quite dehydrated, but we'll have to wait until the hospital gives us an update.
"While we're waiting to talk to some of the rescuers, let's take a look at the tape, at the actual rescue," the image changed once again, this time to a crowd of workers surrounding the rescue hole. The Belcher family watched silently. "You can see the relief on their faces as Louise comes up." Linda gasped as the cable came up and she saw Louise emerge from the hole in the arms of a paramedic, watching as the camera tried to move around all of the people surrounding her so that she could be seen, finally settling on a spot a few feet behind Simon and zooming in so that Louise could clearly be seen. It seemed completely different watching it on television. Cheering could be heard emitting from the screen, but Louise remained silent, her brow, barely visible under the straps, furrowed slightly. She could be seen blinking and staring blankly ahead through tired eyes, unaware of all the grinning people surrounding her.
"You can see she's strapped to a spinal board; her eyes are open. Looks like a few bruises on her face, there, but as you can see, she is alive. Uh," Olsen chuckled in spite of herself, "she doesn't seem to care much for the camera flashing. The reason she is strapped to the board is to, uh, not worsen any hidden injuries she might have; they probably want to keep her as still as possible until they can properly assess her, but, as you can see, Valerie, they're taking her over to the ambulance, and, uh, the kid just looks exhausted," Olsen was making her way closer to the rescue shaft and noticed that the workers appeared ready to talk, so she stepped forward.
"Ah, Valerie, it appears they're ready to talk to us. Uh, we have police chief Jack Davis here. Sir, could you tell us anything about how they got her out?" Olsen placed her microphone into Davis's face.
"I've just been talking to one of the paramedics who brought her out," said Davis. "They got her out with no scratches, and they had to remove the rubble on her to get her out."
"Who brought her out?"
"EMT Patrick Baker pulled her out of the well, and Simon Landon brought her up."
"Did Louise say anything when they brought her up?"
"No, she didn't say a word."
"Tell us, if you can, how you felt, and how everyone else felt, when they brought her up."
"Well, I can't speak for everyone, but I've been here since day one; I've listened to her cry, and her family talking to her, and when they brought her up, I got teary eyed, I'll admit it. I'm just so relieved it's over."
"I think everybody here feels the same way. Were her parents in the ambulance with her?"
"Yes, they rode there in the ambulance with her, and their other children were in a police car, and they went to the hospital, as well."
"Can you guess as to what her condition might be? Does she have any broken bones? I heard something about one of her legs..."
"I heard something about a broken foot; I'm not sure if it's true. But, I, uh, I do think she's suffering from some dehydration. We're gonna have to wait for the hospital update."
"Okay, thank you," as Davis walked away, Olsen turned back to the camera. "Well, Police Chief Jack Davis has just given us a quick update; he can't tell us too much, but now we know that Louise is probably already at the hospital, possibly with a broken foot; her family is there, we have reporters there, and there will be a conference there at some point. We'll try to get you the latest information."
Thank you, Olsen," Valerie was grinning now as well. "That's twice I've seen that clip of Louise now; it just gets me. An amazing girl. What a wonderful ending to this dramatic story. Keep tuning in regularly for more updates. Thank you for joining me, I'm Valerie Hope."
As the other news stories began to play, Tina turned the volume back down.
"Wow..." muttered Gene.
"Does Louise have a broken foot?" asked Tina.
"We don't know yet," Bob told her. "The doctors have to check her over."
"How long until we can see her?"
"I don't know," repeated Bob.
The Belcher family waited, waited and then waited some more. Linda had tried to enter the emergency room multiple times, but she was always escorted back to the waiting room by a nearby doctor.
"She keeps doin' that, and they're gonna lock us in," Gene leaned over and whispered to Tina, who actually managed to smile.
"I'm sure she's fine," said Linda, returning to her seat once more. "I mean, why wouldn't she be? They should be finished with her by now, shouldn't they?"
"Well, it's hard to say," said Bob. "Don't they think she has a broken foot?" He looked back up at the television, where the muted news was still playing. Every so often, the report would come back to Louise, and Tina would turn up the volume; they were currently watching a replay of an earlier report that had broadcast live for twenty minutes until Louise had been brought up from the well.
"... down the well," the voice of amateur reporter Olsen Benner narrated over shots of the rescue workers crowded around the shaft. "Hopefully, this ordeal will be coming to an end very soon. As we know, the paramedics have gone down the tunnel in hopes of bringing the little girl up. Everybody is just hoping that this is going to be over soon, and, uh, the rescue workers are literally holding their breath in anticipation. As we know, Louise has been down there for five days now, so this is the time, everyone's hoping that she's going to be okay.
"Just to recap, Louise Belcher is the nine-year-old girl who was pushed into an abandoned well on Friday evening, uh, she fell to the bottom and has remained eighty feet underground and ever since then, rescue workers have been continuously drilling in an effort to reach her. She was pushed in by a teenage boy, and when she landed at the bottom, there was a cave-in, leaving Louise buried up to her chest in rubble, which complicated rescue proceedings.
Police dropped a microphone down there so they would be able to hear her, and since she was too far down to reach, they decided to dig. Now, uh, they thought that this process would only take a couple of hours, but solid rock, known as basalt, slowed the operation. I showed up not long after the first officers on the scene did, and we were all told 'the next few hours,' over and over again, and of course, those next few hours have turned into almost a week. And, of course, her family have been keeping a vigil by the well; especially the father, who at times let his grief overcome him. Now, from what I hear, Louise's siblings are sat in the police car, which will escort the ambulance to the hospital, which is a good sign; we're hoping that it means that Louise will be out sooner rather than later.
"Now, uh, as far as I'm aware, some of the police officers have removed the headphones from the speaker next to the well. The headphones, in case you didn't know, were used to listen to Louise, because once the drilling started, it was almost impossible to hear her. But now the drilling has stopped, and they have turned up the volume on the speaker so that if we listen closely, we might be able to hear her." Olsen's voice paused for a few moments, but nothing could be heard except for the rumbling of the generators, and the murmurs of the volunteers.
"We can't hear anything right now; there's no sounds coming from the well. It really does make you wonder exactly what is going on down there. I, uh, know that the doctor here told the paramedics to get Louise out, no matter what, even at the expense of a few broken bones; of course, the doctor did say that as long as Louise's neck, back and head are okay, then everything else can be dealt with. We hope it doesn't have to come to that, we, uh, hope that they can get Louise out pretty easy, but, uh, it may not be that simple.
The really amazing thing is Louise has had no food and little water since she fell in the well; now for someone to survive five days with little water is remarkable. I know the two paramedics in the tunnel will not be giving her anything, as she may need surgery when she gets out. She will be taken straight to the hospital; if she needs surgery, it's better for her stomach to be empty. We, uh, we don't know what kind of injuries she has; we know she told the officers that her foot and back hurt, but, uh, she wasn't able to say anything more."
Olsen had been instructed by her bosses to keep talking until Louise actually came up, and so that was what she did. "On Friday night, they started digging a parallel rescue shaft with a backhoe, but they stopped because the vibrations from the machine might have caused another cave-in. First, a school friend offered to be lowered down the well, but he was unable to be upside down for so long, so rescuers began to dig. And they brought in what's called a rotary drilling rig, and they used that to start digging the tunnel. Workers were unprepared for the steely rock, and as a result, it took them more than twenty-four hours to dig the tunnel. Shortly after this, they issued a nationwide broadcast, asking for experienced drillers to come and help.
"Valerie, the outpouring of help and support was remarkable; what we needed, we got. That first night, when they were worried about the temperature of the well, a local company sends over tanks of warm air, free of charge; it seemed everyone and his brother had some different idea on how to get Louise out, and they all came down to this small community in hopes of helping in some small way. Of course, most of these people have kids, and I guess this is every parent's worst nightmare.
"Oh," Olsen's voice perked up. "They appear to be crowding around the rescue shaft; this could be it. They're holding onto the cable, and they're looking down into the hole. One of the workers is signalling to raise the cable, and they're starting to pull it up. Right, there's definitely a lot of movement going on around the tunnel, a lot of excitement; I think this is it; let's listen." and thus the clip of Louise being brought up was shown again.
Tina was sat next to her parents on one of the two sofas in the room, unconsciously bouncing her knee again, her eyes glued on the screen in the corner. Bob and Linda were holding hands tightly. Linda was staring at the wall straight ahead, alternating between looking up at the clock and the television every so often. Bob was tapping his feet on the floor, chewing on the knuckles of his free hand.
Gene, too, grew bored with the waiting and had moved to the floor in front of the coffee table. He stacked the magazines in front of him up into a slipshod castle, before knocking them over. Gathering them up, he repeated the process until it became robotic. He felt as if he needed to do something; his hands were itching to move about.
"What is taking so long?!" he snapped suddenly, throwing the magazines to the floor. "We've been waiting for hours!"
"We just have to be patient, son," said Bob. "I know you're anxious to see Louise; we all are, but all we can do is wait."
"But we've waiting for hours!" he repeated frustratedly.
"I know," said Bob patiently and he looked over at his wife for support. He saw that she looked anxious as well and was biting her thumbnail. "Honey?"
"Gene's right," she began. "They should be done with her by now!"
"They'll come and get us when they're done," said Bob. "It won't be too much longer."
Not long after, the door opened and a smiley nurse entered. The clock now read 16:45.
"You can come and see her now," she said kindly. The family were on their feet before she had even opened her mouth, and they followed her out of the room and down the hallway, past the emergency room where Louise had been taken, and down another hallway into the intensive care unit.
Bob, feeling rather sick now, slowed down when he saw where they were going; if Louise was in such bad shape to warrant being in the intensive care unit, then he wasn't sure he would be able to handle what he would see. He had never been too good in hospitals, and he felt even worse when it concerned his own family.
"Hey," came a quiet voice; Bob looked up and saw Linda. "Come on," was all she said, stepping aside and waiting. After a moment's hesitation, Bob followed his wife down the hallway, where they all had to wash their hands before entering the double doors to the unit.
Moments later, they stopped outside a private room.
"Louise's condition is quite -" began the nurse, but Linda cut her off.
"We'll discuss that later; I want to see my daughter," she sidestepped the nurse, opened the door and entered the room.
The room would look like a typical hospital room were it not filled with state-of-the-art equipment; most of the monitors and machines were surrounding the bed, lying in which was Louise, sleeping soundly.
"Louise!" Linda gasped, rushing over to her child and hugging her tightly. She had been cleaned up and now the only marks visible on her grey face were some bruises. Patches of dressing were taped over both her elbows. She already looked very different to the rescue videos they had seen of her.
Bob could see the outline of what appeared to be a cast under the blanket, confirming that Louise did indeed have a broken foot. Her blackened arms were elevated, and there were IVs in both of them. There was a catheter inserted into the right side of her neck, covered by a small patch of dressing and connected to two more tubes, which were hooked up to a machine next to her bed, which was covered in wires, pumps and attached to a heart monitor, which was beeping steadily, were stuck on her chest.
She didn't look as bad as Bob was expecting, which made it much easier to deal with. Perhaps the most shocking thing to see was that Louise was not wearing her bunny ears. Her hair was brushed and washed and no longer in pigtails, and it curled up naturally just like Linda's.
Linda stepped back slightly as the rest of the family crowded around Louise. Bob felt like crying again; it was finally over. Louise was out of the well, she was alive, and they were all together again.
"I'm so glad she's okay!" Linda said, unable to stop a tear from falling down her cheek as she tenderly kissed her on the forehead. Bob was holding Louise's cold, blackened hand tightly, the palm scraped raw. He was doing his best to avoid looking at the tubes, while Gene was staring at them in fascination. There were so many, at least four in each arm.
"What are these tubes for?" he asked no-one in particular.
"They're to help your sister regain her health," said one of the two nurses who were bustling about the room, along with Dr. Cabell. Gene stared at them.
"Isn't that your job?" he asked, and the nurse looked taken aback for a moment.
"Well, yes, but the tubes will help," she smiled before carrying on with her duties.
"But what are they for? What are they doing?"
"Well, these ones are giving her liquids, this one is giving her a little bit of pain relief, and these ones are antibiotics."
Linda was sat on Louise's right side. She stroked the side of her daughter's face, not wanting to let her go.
"Tell us - is she going to be okay?" Bob asked, turning to the nurse, Robin.
"As of now, her condition is serious but stable," she began professionally. "She has a broken ankle, and a fractured coccyx; she also has hypothermia, several grade three pressure wounds on her back; the wounds became infected, and she has contracted septicaemia. When she arrived, her kidneys were shutting down, so she's been put on dialysis. If the dialysis treatments are unsuccessful, Louise will possibly have to have a kidney transplant. She is also severely dehydrated and she's a bit malnourished, so we are feeding her intravenously; her muscles have been breaking down, due to non-use, so we are giving her treatment for that. She's a bit anaemic, and we're treating her for that. She also has scrapes and bruises here and there, but nothing severe and she won't need any stitches. We also weighed her, and comparing her latest doctor's visit, she's dropped from 58 pounds down to 51."
Bob stared at the nurse, not able to believe what he was hearing. Suddenly, Louise seemed to look in worse shape than she had all night.
"Is she going to be okay?" asked Linda.
"She should make a full recovery; however we may need to amputate some parts of her arms and legs because they could become gangrenous. We -" Robin was cut off by Linda.
"Gangrenous? What do you mean?" She lifted Louise's blanket and looked down at her bare legs. Her left foot was in a splint. Her feet and ankles were swollen due to water retention, and her elevated legs were completely black. She was too shocked to say anything; Gene and Tina were staring at the limbs, open-mouthed, causing Bob to rush over and take a look. Bob felt sickened when he saw the sight of the damaged limbs. It was bad enough seeing her arms like that.
"Oh, my God," Bob muttered, unable to tear his eyes away.
"How did this happen?" asked Linda, regaining her voice, and placing the blanket back.
"Due to being under the rubble, the blood flow to her limbs was restricted," said Robin. "We -"
"Just amputate," said Bob, who looked very white.
"We might not need to," Robin told him. "We have already placed Louise in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to help with the blood flow; if the treatments are successful, we will not need to amputate. Tomorrow, Louise will be taken to surgery to remove dead tissue from her arms and legs."
"Wait, septicaemia? Did you say septicaemia? Isn't that really dangerous?" asked Bob desperately. Robin opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Gene.
"What's septicaemia?"
"It's technically known as blood poisoning, and it's what happens when wounds become infected; she's being given antibiotics, and intravenous fluids, and it won't be life-threatening," she assured them.
"How did she get that?" asked Linda.
"It's the wounds on her back; her dress has several large tears in it, and we believe that the wounds became exposed to the bacteria in the well."
"You said she's dehydrated? Well, has she had anything to drink?" asked Tina worriedly, trying to shift the conversation.
"She has had some oral rehydrating solutions; we didn't want to make her ill by giving her large amounts of fluids, and we are rehydrating her with the IV solutions."
"Wait, I don't understand how she can be dehydrated. You gave her water," said Bob.
"She still lost fluids."
"How?"
"Through tears, urination, things like that. Her body trying to fight off hypothermia might have been a factor, as well."
"Wait, you said she had hypothermia, right?" Linda, trying to take everything in, turned to Cabell, who nodded. "But how? I thought you were giving her warm air!"
"We were," said Cabell. "Louise became unable to sustain her body temperature over time."
"Why is her face grey?" asked Bob, only noticing the odd colour for the first time, and Cabell hesitated slightly.
"Because she was in there for so long," he began quietly, so the kids' wouldn't hear him, "her body began to shut down unnecessary blood vessels in order to keep her heart pumping. The vessels to her face, arms and legs were shut down, causing us to give her a blood transfusion, and she'll more than likely need another one."
"... When can she come home? Can we take her home tomorrow?" asked Linda, trying to put that last statement out of her mind. This was all becoming too much for her; she just wanted to take Louise home where she could care for her.
"I'm afraid not, Mrs. Belcher. Louise will need to remain here for several weeks; she will need several operations, and hyperbaric treatments, and she needs to regain her strength."
"She's got a long recovery ahead of her," Cabell told them. "Aside from the physical stuff, Louise is going to have to be seen by a psychologist."
"What? Why?" asked Bob.
"Her age, what she went through, the amount of time she was in there, plus her injuries – it's bound to cause some emotional trauma. So, when she's a little bit better, someone will evaluate her, just to make sure she's dealing with everything okay."
"Oh, okay. Where are her ears?" asked Bob, finding it weird seeing Louise without them.
"Ears – oh, her hat?" Robin confirmed, and Bob nodded. "All of her clothing is currently being washed, and it will be returned to her. They will try and mend her dress."
"Okay, could you wash the ears really quickly? Louise won't be seen without them." It didn't seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but if Louise woke up without her ears on, after everything that had happened, it would probably push her over the edge.
"I don't see a problem with that," said Robin.
"It sounds weird, but it's important; the hat is very special to her," said Bob, and Robin nodded. She had seen Louise's bare head, and understood why she wanted it covered. Bob hadn't seen her without her ears since she was four years old, when the accident happened.
Just then, the other nurse, Lucy, approached Robin and muttered into her ear. "Ah, yes," said Robin. "The press are waiting for an update on Louise's condition; would you like to speak to them, or would you rather stay here?"
"We'll stay here," said Linda, not wanting to leave her daughter's side.
"Okay, then," Robin nodded. "There will be a few other doctors who have worked on Louise tonight with me; I'm going to tell the media what I've told you, is that okay?"
"Yeah, that's fine," said Bob, and Robin and Cabell left the room. Lucy bustled about here and there, occasionally checking Louise's vital signs, and the Belchers' began to relax slightly.
"How long do you think this dehydration will last?" asked Tina. They spoke in hushed voices for Louise was still asleep.
"Hopefully, it shouldn't be too long," Bob said, taking Louise's hand again. "She's still being treated."
"Will Louise have to have her arms and legs cut off?" asked Gene.
"She might not," said Bob, "they said they might not need to."
"And even if she does, it's a small price to pay for her being alive," Linda had not moved from Louise's side; given the chance, she would gladly spend the night there.
Meanwhile, Robin and the doctors who had examined Louise, including Dr. Cabell, Dr. Rhode, a surgeon, and Dr. Thompson, a paediatrician, were gathered in the conference room of the hospital. The other doctors, including the anaesthetist, and his assistant, the radiographer, the scribe, the emergency department physician, the trauma team leader, and the orthopaedic surgeon, had resumed their duties and were tending to other patients.
They were standing behind a small podium and microphones had been placed on the table in small stands and reporters were crowding in the room, armed with cameras and camcorders. One by one, the doctors introduced themselves, and then the barrage of questions began, and the first question was about Louise's condition.
"Louise is in serious condition, but she is stable," Robin began.
"What sort of injuries does she have?" asked a rather scrawny-looking reporter, who had wormed his way to the front, pen and paper in his hand.
"Louise has a broken left ankle," Cabell began, "and a fractured coccyx. She has several grade three pressure sores on her back, and could develop circulatory problems in her arms and legs. The pressure wounds have become infected and Louise has septicaemia. She is suffering from exhaustion, and moderate hypothermia. She is also severely dehydrated and has been put on emergency dialysis as her kidneys were shutting down."
"Circulatory problem – is there a chance of amputation?" called an unknown voice from the back.
"There is a chance; however, we won't know for several days, and we hope to avoid it, if possible," said Cabell.
"Have her family seen her yet?" one of the reporters who had been at the park, called out.
"Yes," revealed Robin.
"How is Louise doing now?"
"She's doing fine; right now, she's sleeping," Robin told him.
"What was the examination procedure?"
"We gave her the same examination procedure as everyone else; we checked her airways, and her breathing, and then we started a rehydrating IV; we took blood, and she had extensive X-rays and CT scans," revealed Dr. Thompson. "She was also placed in a hyperbaric oxygen chambers to help improve the blood flow to her arms and legs."
"How was she during the examination?"
"Lethargic and unresponsive, but conscious. She fell asleep during the examination," answered Thompson.
"How was she able to survive for that long?"
"We don't know yet; we will talk to Louise when she is a little less drowsy; hopefully she'll be able to tell us," said Dr. Rhode.
"How long is she going to remain hospitalised?"
"We can't say for certain," Robin told the press.
"What next?" came the final question of the evening.
"Right now, it's a matter of rehydrating her, restoring the function of her kidneys and observing the patches of skin that suffered from lack of blood circulation."
That concluded the press conference, and the doctors made their way back to the critical care unit and Robin and Dr. Cabell returned to Louise's room. Robin really thought that they had handled the conference rather well; it was a new experience for them and she thought that it had gone very smoothly. The girl was still sleeping, and her family remained by her side.
As it was the intensive care unit, the visiting hours were open 24/7. It meant that the Belchers' could stay with Louise; Bob doubted that Linda would leave even if she were ordered to. He wouldn't, either.
Tina was dozing in her chair and Gene was practically sleeping on his feet. It was 5:15 in the afternoon, but they were all exhausted. Only Bob and Linda looked remotely awake.
"We should get the kids to bed," muttered Bob, leaning forward and Linda nodded. They both stood; Bob placed his hand on Tina's shoulder and gestured for Gene to follow them. They made their way back to the private waiting room; Linda sat Gene on the sofa, and Tina took the other one. "We'll sleep here for a while," he told Gene and the barely awake Tina. Looking around, he noticed that Linda had left, so he covered Gene and Tina with blankets that a nurse had kindly left for them, and then left the kids' and returned to Louise's room. Linda was again sat at Louise's beside, this time on her left, so that she could hold Louise's cold hand. "Lin, don't you wanna get some sleep?" he asked quietly, sitting down beside her.
"I don't wanna leave her," she said, gripping her daughter's hand tightly."I'm just so glad she's safe."
"Me, too," said Bob, placing his arm around Linda's shoulders. For a while, they both stared at their sleeping daughter. Then Bob spoke. "Linda... her kidneys were shutting down," he said as if he was just understanding what the words meant. "Lin, she was -"
"Don't say it," she cut him off. "Don't. Louise is out of the well, she's alive and she's going to be fine." But Bob couldn't stop thinking about it.
"Excuse me," he said to the nurse who had come over to check Louise's vital signs. "But you mentioned that her kidneys were shutting down, right?"
"That's right," Robin nodded sympathetically. "She should be fine, though," she added.
"Tell me," Bob implored, ignoring the look he could feel Linda giving him through the back of his head. "Would she have lasted much longer down there?" The nurse hesitated.
"She wouldn't have, sir," she said and the colour drained from Bob's face. "We can ascertain that she would not have survived another day in the well."
When she had moved away, Bob and Linda looked at each other in shock, before looking down at Louise. Only then did they realise how close they had come to losing her, and Bob started crying.
"Bobby, it's okay," Linda whispered, pulling her sobbing husband into a hug. "Look, Louise is fine, they got her out, didn't they?"
"Just in time, Lin!" he whispered frantically. "Just in time! They could have very easily not got her out today, and then what would have happened?"
"You mustn't think like that. Louise is here with us now, and she's going to be okay."
"She's got to be," said Bob, and Linda nodded, when in truth she was thinking the same as Bob; that Louise could have died down in the well. If she hadn't have been pulled out when she was, then her body would have been brought up the following day.
Linda tried to not think such things; there was no need now that Louise had been freed. Okay, there was the risk of amputation, but she still thought that that was a small price to pay. Louise was getting treatment for her kidneys, her injuries, her dehydration, so there wasn't really much more that Linda could ask for; although if she was going to go down that route, she could ask to go back in time and prevent Louise from falling into the well in the first place.
Eventually, the Belcher parents fell asleep in their chairs at Louise's bedside. Gene and Tina remained dormant in the waiting room, and Louise remained comatose in her bed. It was the first proper sleep any of them had gotten in five days.
~ X ~
And she's out! Yay!
The next few chapters will document Louise's progress in hospital.