The metal vent groaned beneath Owen and he shifted forward trying to disperse his weight more evenly. He needed to move faster but Derek's warning played in the back of his mind and he continued the slow shuffle, willing himself not to rush... despite the fact Amelia was trapped in a room filling up with water. He tried to focus but the intrusive thought was impossible to ignore. Her brother was right, it was his fault she'd ended up in there and he'd be dammed if she was going to drown on his watch.

He shone his phone down the tunnel and breathed a sigh of relief when it skated over the top of a vent opening at the other end. It was difficult to get a sense of where he was in the narrow maze of turns but he knew he had to be close and he continued straight hoping like hell it was the exit he needed. As he approached the muffled sound of running water confirmed it was the right room and he stopped, sliding his thumbs under the plaster in order to wedge it open.

The metal beneath him strained loudly in response and he froze, closing his eyes and preying it would hold.

If the ceiling gave out and she was underneath him...

The sound died down and he breathed out slowly, making sure it was stable before lifting the plastering the rest of the way. It disconnected with ease and he slid the square cover forward, shining his phone into the darkness.

"Amelia!"

He had to yell above the rush of water and panic churned in his stomach when she didn't respond. It was just empty silence and he squinted, holding his torch down to get a better look. He could see the two metal shelves partially submerged and the top of an old oak desk but there was no sign of her in the murky water.

"Damnit-" he swore loudly as he turned in the tight space and angled his legs through the opening. The drop to the wooden surface was about twice his height and he jumped, landing solidly on the center of the desk. It remained sturdy under his weight and he crouched down, ignoring the spray of water that speared his back as he submerged his hands.

He felt her shoulder first and quickly followed the line along to her chest where he found the edge of the unit pinning her down. He didn't have time to worry about the damage removing it might cause, his first priority was to get her out of the water and when it didn't budge he clenched his jaw using all his strength to drive it back.

A metal crunch sounded as the second unit in front of the door buckled but it allowed him to lift the weight and he dragged her out of the water, hauling her up onto the desk with shaking hands. He tried to get a hold of his nerves as he knelt beside her and pulled his phone out, shielding it from the water to get some more light. The lit-up screen revealed a blue tint to her lips and he hovered his hand against her mouth forcing himself to remain calm when he didn't feel movement against his palm.

She wasn't breathing and he pressed down on her chest starting compressions. He was not going to lose her and he began counting, urging her to follow through with the motion by herself, "come on Amelia, don't do this!"

She didn't respond and he pinched her nose, covering her mouth to try and force the air back into her lungs. Fear lodged in the pit of his stomach twisting tightly but he kept repeating the action until she finally coughed, roughly expelling the water. "It's okay, just take it slow-" he rolled her onto her side feeling a momentary surge of relief as he held her hair out of the way.

Once the fit subsided and he was sure she was breathing properly he gently rolled her onto her back, running his hands over her body to check for injuries. Even with the phone it was so dark he could hardly see a damn thing and when her fingers closed around his wrist he froze worried he was making things worse. "Amelia... talk to me, where does it hurt?"

She wanted to say everywhere and struggled to fight the numbness clouding her brain. Her head was pounding and she'd started shivering but feeling was slowly returning to her body and although she was sore, bruised and exhausted... nothing felt like it was sticking sharply out of place.

"Amelia?" He pressed her again, concern lacing his tone. He knew she was probably going into shock but he needed her to stay focused. He needed to reassure them both that she was okay until he could see the evidence for himself.

She coughed again and slid her fingers along his arm, wincing as she pulled herself into a sitting position. Despite the move being painful the fact she could do it told her that nothing in her chest was punctured or broken and she breathed out slowly in response, "I'm fine... I think I'm okay."

He didn't necessarily trust the information. He knew how stubborn she could be but she was alive and he cupped her face, giving in to the need to touch her. "You're sure?" She nodded and he slowly brushed his thumb over her skin checking her temperature. She was still freezing but she leaned into his hand and he couldn't stop himself from inching forward, catching her lips in an effort to coax the warmth back into her body.

A grinding shudder filled the room, pulling them a part and a second later the water shut off causing an eerie silence to fall over the room. The cold spray that had been showering them retracted to a small trickle and he touched her arm reassuringly, "they must have shut off the mains."

She nodded, shivering as his body moved away from her. As a doctor she knew it was normal, that she was just responding to her core temperature lifting but pins and needles drove painfully up her arms and legs making her feel lightheaded. Owen paused and she caught the concern in his gaze, trying to misdirect it with a small smile, "dizzy... I just need to get out of here."

The reassurance didn't alleviate his worry but he agreed that they needed to get her checked over and he gave her fingers a quick squeeze. "Let me see what I can do."

He edged off the desk, splashing in the water as he tried to navigate the chaos of the destroyed room. When the unit by the door had buckled it had shifted free of the first one and independently they weren't hard to lift, just awkward. It took some adjusting but he managed to jerk them aside, clearing a path for him to wade through to the door. When he reached it he pulled on the handle, driving all his weight back and holding on tightly as the wall of water flushed from the room.

Light flooded into the cramped space as he made the opening wider and he'd never been so happy to see the white hospital walls staring back at him.

With the water gone it only took him seconds to climb back over to the desk and he used the extra lighting to get a better look at Amelia before he moved her. She was still incredibly pale but she was still with him and he absently brushed his fingers over the small cut on her forehead. She winced, encircling his wrist with shaking fingers. She wanted out and he nodded in understanding, slipping his arm around her waist.

"Easy," he guided her down, trying not to jostle her as he took the majority of her weight. He didn't know if she was just being stubborn but he wouldn't be convinced about her injuries until they took some x-rays and he didn't dare let go as he helped her move out of the enclosed space.

When they were safely over the threshold she instinctively tuned into his arms, screwing her eyes shut as the shock and adrenaline from the past hour washed over her. He reacted instinctively, circling his arms around her protectively but he kept the hold loose wary about hurting her. "It's okay," he soothed, reassuring them both that she was safe, "I've got you, you're okay."

She nodded in response and he felt his own shoulders hunch from exhaustion. He'd almost lost her and the very last thing he wanted to do was let her go but he could hear the sound of footsteps echoing around the corner and he knew Derek was going to be all over her, wanting to make sure she was all right.

Which was a good thing.

He needed to deal with the fallout of the flooding and make sure that the storm hadn't caused any more damage to the hospital. Two things he couldn't do unless he knew someone was taking care of her.

The comfort did make him feel slightly better but it didn't make leaving her any easier.