Thank you SO MUCH for the flood of support and reassurance with your reviews and PMs. I actually cried reading them, you guys are so awesome.
I know in my head I should not let petty people get to me. But I suffer from depression and my mind does not always take the logical and rational path! :(
Still, I am persevering, and have managed to write another chapter. I am still writing 2-3 chapters ahead of posting. It's a good schedule that is working for me, letting me adapt to various cues and thoughts, and edit the chapters thoroughly. I will keep going as long as my muse keeps sparking.

This chapter is a little shorter but there is more to come! I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 19

I am almost shaky with relief and adrenaline letdown as Carlos hands me water and sandwiches. I eat mechanically, not really tasting the food, but glad of it to fill my tummy after the ordeal. Finally, I decide I need to visit the restroom. I'd love to get cleaned up but know I will have to make do with brushing my hair and washing my face. At least that will help a little. I hope.

I use the facilities and wash my hands and face. I dig in my bag for my brush, and I am pleasantly surprised to find a hair band, so I brush my unruly hair and tie it back into a ponytail. I consider briefly applying some mascara, but I think I've used up any courage I have today. I don't think mascara is going to help anymore. In the end, I decide I look as good as I am going to get under the circumstances and leave to walk back to Carlos. I might have another sandwich; I might even taste it this time.

Automatically, I glance over toward the action at the elevators as I walk, and my spidey-sense starts twinging as I watch Rodriguez pull out the first plank of wood bracing the inner doors. I can see Matthews arms are already trembling in exertion, in a similar way that Carlos' arms had. Matthews seems to have as much difficulty holding the doors open as Carlos, and my fleeting thought is that I hope he is as determined as Carlos. As Rodriguez pulls out the second plank of wood, my spidey-sense starts screaming, and I change direction without thinking to run towards the elevator. From the corner of my eye, I see Carlos stand and start running toward us as well.

We arrive at the elevator doors as Rodriguez lets out a horrifying scream of pain. Shockingly, his hands are trapped between the doors, and Carlos and Matthews immediately begin to pull the doors apart again. I try to help Rodriguez move quickly back away and he bends over, moaning in shock and distress. I ease him away to sit on the floor and feel a rush of nausea as I see his hands, red, twisted and rapidly swelling. I don't know what to do for him. I don't know how to help him.

In my mind's eye, I relive those doors slamming shut on my briefcase in the elevator, and I have to swallow the bile in my throat as I realise the extent of Carlos' concern for my hands while we were banging on the outer doors. It comes home to me all too clearly, and I have to close my eyes momentarily to shake the image of my own hands, twisted and mangled in the doors. Carlos kneels beside us and helps Rodriguez breathe through the shock and pain, while all I can do is rub his back and tell him he will be ok. But I'm really not sure I'm telling the truth.

Suddenly, the fire crew surround us, and I move back. Carlos joins me, and we wait, stiff with tension. The relief is overwhelming as the ambulance arrives. Someone who can help him! The paramedics take over, and it's clear we are superfluous, so Carlos leads me back to the sofa. I cannot help clinging against his side as we sit, I feel almost numb with the shocks, fears, and stresses of the day. It has become too much again, and I feel the tears begin running down my cheeks. I am helpless to stop them, or even brush them away. All I can do is cry in disbelief, exhaustion, and distress. I feel like all I want to do is cry myself to sleep right now. If I had applied more mascara, I would look like a raccoon by now.

I take a deep, shaky breath and try to sit up, but Carlos' arms hold me tight. This rollercoaster of a day has affected him too, I know, and I am happy to allow him to hold me and try and take whatever comfort he can from me. We sit in silence for several more minutes, before eventually his grip loosens, and I do sit up. I root around in my bag for my travel tissues to wipe my tear-stained face and blow my nose. I know I did not really know Rodriguez, but I felt like he was an important part of today, in all the positive ways. Was it only thirty minutes or so ago I was hugging him? I really hope he is going to be ok. But how can he be? His hands looked so damaged. I watch despondently as the paramedics wheel him out to the waiting ambulance.

Gradually, I become more aware of the world around me. I turn my head to watch as the fire crew is still working around the elevator. The captain is now on the two-way radio. I wonder if he is talking to Ryan. Wait, is Ryan ok too? I feel like I need to know. Ryan Aldridge is the other person who was an important part of the few positive things of this day, and I don't think I can leave without knowing he is safe and uninjured as well.

I turn to Carlos, "Can we ask about Ryan?" Carlos looks at me, quirking an eyebrow in question. "Please? I just… I just need to know he is ok and hasn't been hurt or injured during the elevator thing. I just… I need to know everyone else is ok." Carlos flashes me an understanding smile and helps me to stand. We move over closer to the captain but try not to get too close or in the way of any action. Some of the other fire officers flash us curious looks, but nobody challenges us. Matthews flashes us a strained smile as he moves past us into the stairwell. We don't say anything, as the captain is still clearly occupied with what he is doing.

Eventually, however, he notices us and comes over. "Can I help you folks with something?" he asks.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to interrupt you, but I just wanted to know if Ryan Aldridge is ok. I mean, he wasn't injured or anything with the brakes or anything, was he? And the other officers holding the brakes, are they ok too? I hope they have been able to get off the elevator…" I am stammering out my questions.

The captain gives me a curious look. He must see something he is looking for though, as he then gives us a kind smile, "Aldridge is still above the elevator. He and another officer are still harnessed in while they are working to secure the brake and lock down the elevator car. He hasn't been injured at all. None of the crew were injured during the manoeuvre with lowering the car or getting you out. Everyone above the car was rigged with safety harnesses, so couldn't fall regardless."

The information is reassuring. I am so relieved that no one else has been injured.

The captain eyes the two of us speculatively for a moment. I wonder what he is thinking. He apparently decides we have the right to know what is going on, however, as he continues, "We think we have the brake secured, at least for now. The other officer, Forbes, is there to monitor and assist Aldridge, He has been using some equipment to tie down the brake and make sure it can't release again. It has been a bit tricky, but we think we are just about ready to pull everyone out for today. Once everything is locked down, we will pull Aldridge and Forbes out and we can pull out our hydraulic wedges. That's basically the end of our involvement. We will be able to pack up and go. Aldridge will have to pull together his own crew to come back and work on the elevator to fix whatever the problem is."

Someone waves at the captain to get his attention, and he moves over to the officer to listen to whatever he is saying quietly. The captain nods and then turns back to us, "I'm nearly done with this stage. As soon as Aldridge and Forbes are out, I will come over to talk to you and get your statements, so you can go as well. Won't be too long, I promise."

Suddenly, my tired brain has a thought. "Wait! What about our jackets? They're still in the elevator."

The captain seems a bit bemused at that. "I'm sorry, but I'm insisting that Aldridge locks the elevator down until it can be safely accessed. I don't think we'll be able to retrieve your jackets this afternoon, but I'll make a note that they should be returned to you when we can get them."

I nod, a bit embarrassed at my outburst. "Sorry," I add, "I'm not really thinking clearly, and it just occurred to me. I appreciate you getting them returned later." He smiles at me in reassurance.

Carlos holds out his hand to the captain, who takes it for a firm shake. "Thanks," he says. "We're really glad nobody else has been injured." The captain nods at this somberly.

Carlos leads me back to the sofa to sit again. I eye the packets of sandwiches still on the coffee table, but I have lost any appetite for them. I wish absently that the term 'coffee table' was literal. I would so love a cup of coffee right now! As I look around, I realise most of the crowd of people have dispersed. I guess everyone figured the excitement was over and didn't want to hang around. They probably wouldn't be let back into the building today anyway. I'm kind of glad they have gone. I don't think I could handle questions after everything that had happened today. I sigh to myself as I realise, I am going to have to tell my family about this. My mother will be bad enough, but my grandma is going to be peppering me with incessant questions.

We have been sitting for a few minutes, while watching the men work. Finally, we see the captain nod decisively, then wait tensely for a few minutes. We hear a faint cheer come through the elevator shaft, obviously from the next level, and the captain turns to flash us a thumbs-up. I feel my breath rush out of me in a rush, as I realise this means that Ryan and Officer Forbes are out of the elevator shaft and safe.

The captain talks on the two-way for a few more minutes, and then the men move towards the elevator shaft to begin dismantling the hydraulic wedge. Before they even reach the doors, however, we hear a loud, metallic screech and several loud bangs and thuds.

We all watch in horrified disbelief as the elevator car drops again. This time it's not going to stop before it reaches the bottom. The huge, explosive noise as it does is almost deafening.

He, he, he! You thought the tension and drama was over? Nah, I'm mean like that! :)