Italicized words: thoughts and/or to make emphasis.
SIX
As rescue efforts continued on into the evening, media giants from all over including the local station in Coral Isles gave reports to their respective viewers any progress and updates on the scene as they became available.
"Good evening. This is Angela Mongoose with CINews. Behind me, is the Moonlight Hotel that around 2:30 this afternoon was rocked to its core by a massive explosion that sent patrons and staff of the hotel scrambling for their lives from falling debris and other objects falling on top of them. The cause of the explosion was overly expanded gas lines that burst leaking out gas that made contact with fires from the pilots of boilers in the basement of the hotel. Unfortunately, some patrons lost their lives in the explosion and from attempts to jump from various floors to the ground below falling on unsuspecting people, either severely injuring them or killing them. Rescue efforts by trained rescue personnel and brave civilian rescuers are underway for survivors and recovery efforts for those who perished. As this story continues, we will keep you the viewers posted with any new developments on this tragedy. Until then, this is Angela Mongoose with CINews.
Back inside of the café, Rouge and the other patrons of the shop looked up at the TV with horror and sadness at the tragedy told by the various news reporters.
"Shadow please be ok, I need you to be alright…I love you so much…" Rouge said while holding her head in her hands. Another patron, a young Mobian lynx named Kelly, approached Rouge to offer words of comfort to her. Rouge takes notice to the girl and regards her with a sad smirk and a sigh. "Do you know anyone inside of that hotel?"
"No. Do you?" asked Kelly.
Rouge answered with a cracked voice, "Yes, my husband. He went to help with rescuing people and it's been a while now and I've heard nothing on him. I'm scared…"
"I'm sure he's ok; just don't give up on him, alright? I'm here for you." Kelly concluded with a reassuring pat on Rouge's left shoulder.
Of course, deep inside Rouge thought it was easier said than done. Rouge's mind plagued her with the 'what ifs' and she could no longer contain the flood of tears ready to burst out of her already puffy and bloodshot eyes and..."SHAAADOOOOW!" Rouge dropped down in front of Kelly crying hysterically which prompted Kelly to immediately offer comfort to her with Mrs. Baxter following in comforting the she-bat.
With little trouble from pieces of wall and light fixtures littering the floor, the group made their way to and up the stairs to the second floor. "We're close now, folks. One floor and we're outta here." Lou said with confidence. The other patrons sighed contently with hope for a swift and safe exit. The group moved along the darkened hallway and one of the patrons heard something that sounded like loose floor boards. The others paid no mind to the noise and reached the end of the hall. Starting from the end of the hall and working towards the stairs leading to the third floor, it was decided that each patron check a room for more survivors. Every room checked on the floor came up empty, except one. Bree, the young girl who got separated from her parents at the start of the catastrophe was found by Lou. "Hey kid, over here, you're safe now…" Bree ran and hugged Lou in thanks for saving her. Lou gave Bree a 'once-over' to check for injuries. Finding nothing of concern on the child, he asked, "Where are your mom and dad? You got separated from them?"
Yes mister, they fell down a hole and they told me to hide in one of the rooms until help came for me."
"Well, we're getting on our way to the top of this place so hopefully, you get to see your folks again, ok? Lou proclaimed.
"Ok. Thank you, sir." Lou gave her a wink and ushered her out of the room.
While everyone was waiting outside of the room commenting about their dire situation, moments later Bree and Lou walked out. "Got us a live one, let's move on folks." instructed Lou. As the group started to head back towards the other end of the hallway, Unit A of the rescue team spotted the group and walked over to them. "Is everyone ok?" one of the rescue personnel asked.
"Yeah, but we got one banged up really bad; he needs help and fast!" Lou told the tech as he pointed to the young man with the twisted leg.
"Ok, my teammate will take him from here. Everyone else follow the rest of us. We have a way to the roof where another team is waiting for us. But first, we need to plan how we're going to get everyone to climb over all this rubble to get to the third level."
The group and Unit A paused to hatch a plan to help all get over the rubble (which looked mountainous) that included making a Mobian-made grappling system with the strongest of the rescue techs and civilians within the group positioning themselves on the rubble while being connected by joining hands and using themselves to allow the weakest to climb the organic system to reach the upper level.
While everyone and everything around Rouge seemed to be moving at supersonic speed, the moment for Rouge in her personal space seem to be at a standstill giving her freedom to think to herself as she reminisced about her and Shadow's happiest day in their young lives.
Flashback: Wedding Day
As Shadow turned to look his beautiful bride into her loving eyes, he became filled with emotion as he began to give his promise to the one who will journey with him throughout life and together write their life story with each passing memory made.
"I Shadow, take you Rouge, to be my wife. To share the good times and hard times side by side. I humbly give you my hand and my heart as I pledge my faith and love to you. Just as this ring I give you today is a circle without end, my love for you is eternal. Just as it is made of incorruptible substance, my commitment to you will never fail. With this ring, I thee wed."
End Flashback.
Kelly calmly shook Rouge out of her daydream. Rouge looked up at Kelly and began an emotional plea. "I would give anything to hold him now, hear his voice…stare into his eyes and…"
"Oh Rouge…" Kelly whispered sorrowfully.
"I love him so much…If he doesn't make it out of there on his own…I can't…I don't want to live without him! We were meant to be! Why did this have to happen to us! Things are too perfect in our lives! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME? I'VE DONE NO WRONG BY NO ONE. I'M A GOOD PERSON, I REALLY AM!" Kelly made another attempt at comforting Rouge, but she dismissed the gesture and Kelly respectfully backed away to give Rouge needed space.
Rouge was distraught to the point she felt weak and ill in her stomach. She laid her head on the table while holding her stomach and continued sobbing wishing this living nightmare would soon end.