The water was cold as ice, penetrating the very core of her body. Its frozen temperature dung deep into her muscles, sucking every ounce of strength from her. Her chest felt like a dead weight as she tried to keep breathing. She could feel her blood trying to continue flowing through her frozen body. She could feel her distressed heart beating mercilessly against her ribs. Doing everything to keep her body alive. Her motions and reactions were slow and delayed. how she even managed to hold on for so long was a surprise to herself. Even in her cold clouded mind, she simply refused to die.
Anderson swallowed slowly. Her fingers trembled as they held onto the old pipe above her head. The tunnel beneath the city, an old subway tunnel, was flooding faster and faster. A few more feet, and the grate above her head would overflow with water. That was all the time she had left. Her lawgiver was somewhere beneath the rushing water, out of her reach. She could barely lift her numb arm where her comm lay, much less give control her situation. Anderson closed her eyes and lowered her head. Even if she wanted to keep going, she'd physically lost the strength to do so.
Her numbed mind began drifting in between consciousness and unconsciousness. She felt herself slipping away just enough to where her mind snapped her back to reality. The painful pattern continued for an endless amount of limited time. But Anderson was not going drowned. She was not.
"ANDERSON!"
The voice was sharp, loud, angry. Cutting over the roar of the rushing water around her. Her eyes snapped open as the voice ripped her from the unconscious spell of the water. She weakly lifted her head to look above her. Kneeling just beside the grate, bearing the grimmest of frowns she'd ever seen, was Judge Dredd. Warm relief flooded her frozen veins. Even if he couldn't free her, at least she wasn't going to die alone.
Her lips trembled as she opened her mouth to speak. Her breath came with difficulty from her constricting chest. "D-d-d-dr-r-r-r-re-e-e-ed-d-d."
"GET DOWN!" he ordered. He raised his Lawgiver and aimed at the grate.
Anderson took a ragged breath and released the pipe. She immediately fell beneath the cold surface of the water, caught within the undertow of the surge. Not a second later, she watched the grate exploded and fall around her into the water. She kicked her legs, only making a few inches, not enough to raise her from the undertow. Anderson kicked again, trying to draw herself up to the surface. Her heavy chest burned for air. She raised her hands above her head, breaking through the surface, reaching for anything to grab.
Dredd's tight grasp caught her by the wrist. He hauled her up out of the water. Anderson gasped for air as she broke the surface. She grabbed Dredd's arm with her other hand, hoping she had the strength for at least that much. Dredd secured his grip on her wrist and hauled her out of the tunnel. He laid her down on the ground beside the open grate. Anderson coughed harshly, immediately overcome with cold tremors. Dredd made little work of her vest and jacket, tossing the soaking uniform to the side. Anderson shivered, only in her standard issue tank and pants. Dredd shed his own vest and coat. He wrapped Anderson in his coat, using his own body heat to warm her. That was how the medics found them. One shivering Judge, saved in the arms of their partner.
meehhh. not my favorite chapter. not my best work either. just liked the idea of Anderson drowning. if you guys have any ideas or requests I do take them. please send them to me.