Lost and Found – Chapter 3
(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)
The worst of the F5 tornado had swept over them as they huddled in the basement of what was once McKinley High School. The building was gone and all that was left was the tile and hardwood floor of the main building, the football field, and the quad.
The back side of the tornado had passed over them earlier in the afternoon on that SAT Saturday and the survivors were anxious to climb out of the wet hole that they were trapped in and try to find their families.
The many outer bands of the tornado continued to pass over them one after another. With each new wave the group retreated back into their pocket of safety. The F5 had spawned several other killer tornadoes that just wouldn't seem to stop. F1's, 2's and 3's were reported up and down the Ohio River Valley, but nothing like the F5 that had passed directly over them.
Every time that they thought the worst was over a new wave of high winds, heavy rain, thunder, lightening, and hail would send them back under the gym mats in the basement. This went on all afternoon and night fall was quickly approaching.
"Do you want me to go and look for help before it gets dark?" Rachel asked Principal Figgins "I think the worst is over."
"I said that I would go." Becky Jackson volunteered. "I have to look for Coach!"
"Becky, I appreciate your bravery, but this is going to involve more than sticking your head out the door. When I was out there everything was gone for half a mile in all directions."
"Neither one of you are going to go searching for help until morning. You could step on a live power line in the darkness," Principal Figgins told them. "Search crews have to be looking for us this very minute."
Sniffing the air, Finn grimaced, "What is that smell? It smells like rotten eggs."
"That would be the broken gas lines," Mr. Schue told his student with a heavy sigh.
"Where is it coming from?" Finn asked Principal Figgins. "Is it coming from this boiler that we're all hiding around?"
"No, when it is lit this boiler burns fuel oil and it's stored in underground tanks outside. The school board has wanted to switch the boiler over to gas for some time, but they haven't had the money. My guess is that the gas smell is coming from what used to be the cafeteria, but that's on the other side of the campus. We're directly under what used to be the gymnasium," Principal Figgins said looking up at the precarious ceiling above them.
Darkness was surrounding them. They could hear chain saws and sirens wail in the distance, but help didn't come.
"Maybe no one is looking for us," Quinn said acidly.
"Yes they are!" Puck said turning Quinn around to face him. There're thirty five of us down here, and every one of us has someone out there that knows that we were at McKinley today."
"Don't worry Blondie, or should I say Pinkie. Mommy and Daddy are probably out there searching for your perfect little ass right now," Lauren scoffed before she walked away complaining that she was hungry.
"Don't you talk about my father like that! You don't know anything about him!" Quinn screamed at Lauren as Puck pulled her back.
"What's happened with Quinn?" Shelby whispered to Rachel. "I don't remember her being that way."
"It's me and her dad," Finn whispered before Rachel could answer her mother. "Her dad kicked her out of the house when she told her parents that she was pregnant. Now her dad has left town with a new girlfriend, and Quinn's mother has divorced him. She hasn't seen her dad since. I broke up with her last spring to be with Rachel, and she didn't take it very well. I think she's putting up this new bad ass attitude to protect herself from being hurt again."
"Everyone listen up," Mr. Schue addressed the group. "It looks like we're going to be here for the night or until someone on the outside finds us. Between the broken gas lines and the downed power lines, it is too dangerous to send someone out there in the dark. The emergency back-up lights will probably run out of battery power before dawn so please find a place with your buddy and stay put until morning."
"Oh man, I'm so hungry," Lauren complained. "Does anyone even have a piece of gum?"
"Finn, its Armageddon out there and all she can do is think about something to eat," Rachel hissed.
"Rachel everyone is terrified including Lauren. We don't even know if we have families or homes waiting for us. I think Lauren has already started counting her loses for today, even though we haven't even gotten out of this hole yet," Finn whispered to Rachel.
"What do you mean?" Rachel asked Finn quietly.
"Puck," Finn answered as he motioned toward Puck trying to comfort Quinn.
"I think that you're right," Rachel said softly as she snuggled closer to Finn trying to get warm.
Everyone returned to the spot where they had rode out the tornado and tried to get comfortable on the wet mats. The earlier adrenaline was wearing off and everyone was tired, wet, cold, hungry, and very scared. Finn pulled Rachel closer to him as they sat down to wait.
Shelby joined them and sat down on the other side of Rachel.
"Rachel, I want you to know that I meant what I said to you earlier. I'm sorry that it took a tornado for me to say it to you, but I meant every word. I've always loved you, I'm so proud of you, and I'm sorry that it took me this long to tell you. I came back hoping you would give me another chance to make up for some of the past." Shelby said to her daughter.
"I know," Rachel said softly as she sat holding Finn's hand on her right and Shelby's hand on her left.
Near the exit door, Mr. Schue sat back down next to Emma.
"You know Will, I've been thinking. All of these years we've been practicing for possible tornados by having the kids crouch in the hallways. If we had stayed in the halls, we would all be dead right now," Emma said to Will.
"I've thought of that too, Will said softly to Emma. I don't know what has happened to Sue, but I hope that she's safe out there somewhere."
When dawn finally came Rachel was curled up with Finn's arm around her asleep. The air no longer smelled like rotten eggs but had an earthy smell to it. Bright sunlight was streaming in through cracks in the ceiling above them as the water coming in had slowed to a drip.
"Is anyone in there?" a firefighter yelled through the narrow door opening.
"Yes, yes, we're here," Mr. Schue yelled back to the firefighters as he ran to the door. "There are thirty five of us and we're all okay."
"We found them! Get some equipment over here and pull this dumpster out of the way so we can open the door. Tell all of those parents that we're holding back that their kids are okay," the fireman shouted to his crew.
"I'm sorry that we didn't get to you sooner, but we've been working all night to get here. The gas had to be cut off and then we had to wait for the air to clear. With all of the power lines down we were afraid of a fire or an explosion," the fireman told Mr. Schue.
"We're just glad that you are here now," Mr. Schue shook the fireman's hand through the narrow opening.
A search and rescue truck was hooked to the dumpster and it was quickly pulled back. The kids walked through the open door but soon broke into a run to find their families waiting for them.
Finn was almost dragging Rachel as they ran up the slight hill to what used to be the school parking lot. Carole and Burt were standing there waiting with Blaine's parents. Carole was still in her hospital scrubs which had visible blood stains on them. Burt wrapped one arm around Kurt and hugged him tightly. His other arm was in a sling.
"Oh thank God," Carole screamed as she ran to hug her only son. "We were so afraid that you had been swept away with the building."
"We've waited all night, but the police and the National Guard wouldn't let us come any closer until the gas lines were cut off and the air cleared," Burt cried as he held Kurt a little closer.
"Dad, what happened to your arm? Are you alright?" Kurt asked his father.
"Ah, it's just sprained. Carole insisted on the sling. Kurt, I've got to tell you, we've lost most of the tire store and the new house is gone, but our old house is still livable.
"Mom, are you okay," Finn asked as he took a good look his mother's blood stained scrubs.
"We've been covered up with injured people at what's left of the hospital. I'm tired, but you're all okay and that's all that matters. Our old Hudson house is gone too, but no one was interested in buying it anyway," Carole said as she kissed Finn's cheek again.
"Have you seen my dads?" Rachel asked frantically as she scanned the other parents being reunited with their children.
"No, Rachel, we haven't, but I'm sure that they're okay." Carole said as she hugged Rachel. "We have search and rescue teams here from everywhere and the National Guard arrived last night. I do know that your house was damaged but for the most part it's still standing. Maybe they are trapped there."
"My dads weren't home; they were on the road to Columbia." Rachel ran from one joyous group of reunited people to the next searching in vain for Hiram and Leroy.
Quinn spotted her mother and ran into her arms.
"Oh Quinn, are you alright?" Judy Fabray cried as she hugged her pink haired daughter. "All that's left of our house is the foundation, but at least we're both still alive. We're going to live with you sister and her husband until we can get back on our feet."
Dave Karofsky had picked Artie up and had carried him up to the parking lot to find Artie's parents.
"I'm sorry that we didn't save your son's wheelchair," Dave said to Mr. and Mrs. Abrams.
"You save Artie and that's all that matters. How can we ever thank you?"
"Don't thank me. Azimio was the one who carried him down the steps into the basement after Mike and Tina pushed him there as fast as they could run," Dave smiled.
At the edge of the crowd Jesse St. James stood holding Beth waiting for Shelby to appear.
"My baby, my baby," Shelby cried as she ran past everyone to take Beth from Jesse's arms.
"Judy, Puck, and Quinn turned to see Shelby hugging Beth and Jesse as tears streamed down her face.
"Shelby is the only mother that Beth has ever known, but I would still like to see her," Quinn whispered to Puck.
Quinn walked over to where Shelby was tightly hugging Beth.
"Would you let me meet her?" Quinn asked Shelby.
Shelby was stunned when she opened her eyes to see Quinn standing there.
After a worried pause Shelby said to Beth, "Beth Honey, I would like for you to meet_"
"Your student," Quinn said as she smiled at the toddler.
Becky's mother was trying to hug her daughter, but Becky was pulling away looking for Coach Sylvester. "Have you seen Coach? She was in the building with us, but left to look for me before we went to the basement," Becky asked her mother.
"No Baby, I haven't, but I'm sure she's okay," Mrs. Jackson tired to reassure her daughter.
Parents were reunited with their children except for Rachel.
"We'll find them," Finn whispered to her. "Somehow we will find them. Your dads know that you're with me, and that I'll take care of you."
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Until chapter 4, thank you for all of the reviews. Sincerely, Whistler Nights