Laura allowed herself to check her watch again. She had heard nothing for over 2 hours, no voice through the microphone and no further noises from rescue equipment. Her senses were overloaded with the sight, smell, and feel of dirt. There was no escaping the cold, choking hold it had on her and for the second time in her life, darkness was falling all around her. The only bright spot was that James was still peaceful. That's all she wanted now for both of them, peace. She willed alertness into her brain and steeled herself to be ready to do whatever was necessary to achieve a gambit for James.
Darkness was also starting to fall above ground as the day wore on.
Robbie hadn't felt this grim since the day he lost Val.
Jean Innocent saw her driver approaching and opened the car window.
"Commander Bernard asked me to report ma'am that they'll soon be pumping oxygen down to Dr. Hobson and DS Hathaway, and they are making plans to lay in an escape tunnel. They have fixed the microphone and will soon be able to communicate with Dr. Hobson again."
"That's good news, thank-you."
Robbie allowed himself a bit of hope and without realizing it said, "Thank God."
"And the Reverend Kennedy has arrived ma'am."
"See that he is comfortable for the duration."
"Yes ma'am, we are looking after him."
Jean turned to Robbie. "You will be with Laura when they get them out. Reverend Kennedy and I will see to James."
Robbie nodded unable to speak as he tried to prepare himself for Laura's injuries, physical and emotional.
They sat in silence each lost in thoughts filled with worry and hope. Robbie allowed himself to check his watch.
The rescue team set up spotlights and the area around the bunker was now bright again.
Jean heard the special tone on her phone indicating an emergency from the blood bank. She pulled it out and read the message.
"Robbie, I have to go. My assistance is needed."
Robbie stared at her incredulously.
"I can't help Laura and James right now but I can provide blood that may save the life of a car accident victim."
A vision of Val after her accident consumed Robbie. "Yes, of course ma'am. I'm sure Laura and James would understand."
Chief Superintendent Innocent left Detective Inspector Anderson in charge of the police presence at the scene while she hurried to the hospital to donate blood.
Robbie stayed as close to the rescue effort as he could without impeding any of the crew working on the escape route for Laura and James.
Anderson took a call from dispatch then spoke to Robbie.
"Lewis, could you let the Reverend Kennedy know that he will need to support Hathaway on his own. Inspector McKendrick will not be available.
Under the ground Laura could hear the noises of the rescue team. She checked her watch and put her head down on her son's chest to listen to his beating heart. It felt calm, steady, and rhythmic in stark contrast to the hysteria that was fighting to overtake her. Even though the promised oxygen arrived just in time, she still found it difficult to breathe.
She heard a female coming from the microphone.
"Laura, you and James need to move close to the west wall, about an arm's length away. Bernard is working his way towards you putting in a support pipe as he goes." Commander Bernard was a small muscular man who would easily fit through the makeshift tunnel. He elected to go himself because of the great risk and unlike others on the team had done this before.
Laura was too disoriented to know which direction was west. Thankfully the voice returned. "The noises you hear are coming from the west." A special drill was boring an opening in the dirt while Bernard followed behind laying in the pipe he would crawl through.
As James lay quietly Laura carefully dragged him towards the wall that she hoped would soon open up to an escape route.
They waited. And waited, unaware that the microphone had stopped working again. Laura closed her eyes trying to visualize wide open spaces, a flowing river, and an endless sky. Her thoughts never strayed far from their current predicament. She clung to James for warmth and comfort.
James started to stir. The sedative was wearing off. Abruptly he shook himself awake. His mind was only aware of his last sensation.
"Spiders" he screamed.
Laura quickly responded, her voice cracked from lack of water, too much dirt and emotion, "I got them all James. There are no more spiders" She hugged him close and stroked his hair. "Shush, we need to stay quiet."
"Something is touching me! What is it?"
She spoke softly and calmly with just a hint of authority, "It's Laura. It's Laura. I'm touching you. You're fine. You're fine. No spiders, just Laura."
James relaxed and closed his eyes again.
A gentle tapping could be heard on the west wall and a small hole appeared. Bernard's muffled voice made its way into the bunker.
"Laura, I'm just about there. Keep away from the hole until I'm through."
A few minutes later the hole widened and lamp lit head of Bernard poked through. James reopened his eyes, looked at the woman next to him and spoke to her.
"No, you're not just Laura."
Bernard got the rest of himself into the bunker expecting to speak with Laura. Instead James was awake to greet him while Laura had surrendered to exhaustion and passed out. He felt Laura's weak pulse.
James seemed in remarkably good shape and had quickly recovered from the sedation. The calming presence of Bernard prevented him from panicking in the dark bunker. Now he was concerned about Laura who seemed almost lifeless.
Bernard quickly revised his exit strategy. It would be easier to carry the smaller Laura out than James who now appeared to be able to move on his own. He gave James a headlamp.
"James, you go first through the tunnel. Air is blowing through so just keep moving forward. It will take you about 10 minutes to get to the end where there is an opening to a makeshift lift to pull you up. We need to hurry; three sides of this bunker are unstable. I'll follow after with Laura."
Most people would rush towards freedom. James remained next to Laura and demanded, "You take her out first or I'll take her myself."
Bernard was used to negotiating with people who were afraid to move. This was different. James wanted Laura out first in case there wasn't time for both of them to escape.
Not wanting to waste any time arguing Bernard reentered the tunnel pulling Laura with him, all the while talking to James to make sure he was following.
It was close to 30 minutes later when a crane raised Bernard up to the surface with Laura tethered to him.
A few minutes later the crane returned with a fully alert James.
The empty bunker collapsed.
Robbie was shocked by Laura's appearance. The spotlights set up at the scene cast eerie shadows over her. He had not been told that she was unconscious. She was loaded into an ambulance and he was allowed to sit next to her and hold her hand. Just as the doors were closing Robbie saw James appear above the ground surrounded by a strange glow of light.
James tried to forego the ambulance but there was no getting out of it. Reverend Kennedy quietly convinced him to go to the hospital by saying he would be closer to Laura there. James had so many questions about what took place over the last several hours. He knew one thing; someone had been looking out for him. His legs and back ached from crawling through the tunnel and mysteriously his shoulder felt as if it had been stabbed, otherwise he felt fine.
This ordeal was over. He vowed that something else would begin.
Laura and James suffered no permanent physical damage. James would discover just how much Laura was willing to risk in order to keep him safe. In the future they would work together to heal their emotional wounds from the past.
Fiona McKendrick would survive the life threatening injuries she sustained in the car accident and someday find out exactly who provided the blood that saved her life.
A/N: I might write a sequel after the new episodes air, about Laura and James as they develop their relationship. Of course Robbie would be part of their adventures, whether he wants to or not.
I owe a big thank-you to the (still wants to be anonymous) Lewis fan for the plot suggestion that James was Laura's son. The red herrings, cliffhangers, and confusing subplot (britsitcomfan and Givemebritcopsnow are very attentive readers :D) were my inventions and hopefully did not weaken that brilliant idea.
Thanks for taking a risk on this story and reading along. I've really enjoyed all your comments and messages. Happy Trails!