The stairwell shook with the building. Debris handing from beams and half-opened walls, clattered onto the stairway. Danny sat next to Lindsay, shielding her from falling debris. Beams extending outward shook, threatening to completely collapse. Danny kept an eye on the beam holding Lindsay to the stairs, if the debris holding it up fell, Lindsay would be in trouble. The building finally stopped shaking, but it had kicked up the dust from the debris and cause new dust to enter the air.
Lindsay coughed harshly. She winced as pain shot through her body. "We're not getting out of here, are we?"
Danny looked down at her, "Hey, don't you start giving' up."
"What if I'm just accepting it?" Lindsay asked. She turned her head to look at him. "You know as well as I, the building's not structurally sound. It's only a matter of time before it collapses. You'll be out when that happens. But me? You can't get me out, so I'm as good as dead."
"Knock it off Lindsay." Danny said.
"No! This building will collapse in close to four hours, you know that!" Lindsay explained. "You don't have to be here Danny. You still have time to get out. Just go and save yourself."
"Not a chance Lindsay." Danny answered.
"Danny, there's no point in us both dying here!" Lindsay said.
"Hey, don't talk like that!" Danny took her hand and squeezed it gently, "Hey hey, now you listen to me. Mac, 'n Stella, 'n Flack, 'n Hawkes, they're not gonna just leave us here. They're gonna get us out. Just wait 'n see, Montana."
"Wow, haven't heard that in a while." Lindsay laughed but it turned into another harsh fit of coughing.
"What?" Danny asked.
Lindsay took a breath, "Montana."
Danny laughed slightly, "Sorry."
"S'okay. To tell you the truth, I kind of missed it." Lindsay smiled.
Danny smiled, "You're a strange girl, Montana."
"Tell me something…I don't know…Messer." Lindsay gasped. She winced in pain. Her breathing became labored, contracting.
"What's wrong?" Danny asked.
"I can't….breathe." Lindsay gasped. Her hands pushed against the beam.
Danny released her hand and moved down the stairs. The debris holding the beam had slipped during the tremor, completely pinning Lindsay's body between the stairs and the beam. Danny gripped the beam and lifted with the strength he had. He managed to lift the beam several inches from her chest, but he was losing his strength quickly. With his foot, Danny slipped a chunk of steel beneath the beam and the floor. He watched it for a few seconds before he was satisfied it would hold for longer.
"Better?" Danny asked.
Lindsay gasped, nodding. "Yeah. Thanks Danny."
"Just keep hangin' in there." Danny said.
Lindsay smiled. Danny returned the smile, trying to hide behind it. The truth was, he was just as scared as her, but he couldn't let Lindsay know that. If they both lost hope, they wouldn't survive. Someone had to keep pushing them along until they were found.
"I'm scared, Danny." Lindsay said.
Danny nodded. "I know, Linds. Me too, but we're gonna get outta here. You here me? We're gonna get outta here."
Lindsay nodded slowly. Her breathing had return to normal. Well, normal for these circumstances. Danny was still concerned. He'd listened to Hawkes medical history long enough to know Lindsay was most likely bleeding internally. Just thinking that made the mental clock Danny had running, run faster."
"Alright, I'm gonna go back down and search for the phone." Danny explained. He stood from the stairs. "If that beam slips, or the buidin' starts shaking, I'm comin' back up. Okay?"
Lindsay nodded. "Maybe the tremor cleared the phone?"
"I don't think we're that lucky, Montana." Danny laughed. He started down the stairs. The debris had shifted a lot of the ruble covering the stairs. The stairs that Danny had once cleared were recovered in debris. He sighed and started uncovering them again.
"Hey Danny?" Lindsay called.
"Yeah Linds?"
"What's the time?" she asked.
Danny pulled out his watch. "Almost one-thirty."
"Kay."
Somehow, Lindsay asking for the time didn't settle well with Danny. He tossed the debris more quickly. If he didn't find that phone soon, Lindsay would mentally lose it. Not to mention that her injuries weren't any better than they'd been when they'd first been trapped. She was running out of time, fast.
Danny flipped debris as fast as he could. He'd managed to wrap his cut hand with part of his sleeve, making it more manageable to move. He sighed deeply and moved to the next step. He pulled up small pieces of steel and tossed them down. Then he caught sight of it. Danny pushed more debris from the stairs, catching sight of the black plastic mobile. Danny picked it up quickly and checked it. The phone was covered in dust and scratched to death, but it still worked.
"BOOM!" Danny called.
"What is it?" Lindsay asked.
Danny started up the stairs. "I got it!"
"Are you serious?"
"You better believe it, Montana." Danny replied. He knelt down beside her. "There, you see Linds, we're gonna let the others know where we are, and we're gonna get outta here."
For the first time in hours, Lindsay smiled. It wasn't the brave facade Danny had seen the past few times, it was a real smile. It was full of hope and life. Life Danny was planning to make sure she kept.
"A'right, now who do we call?" Danny asked.
"Stella." Lindsay answered with no hesitation.
Danny's brow shot up. "That was fast."
"Process of elimination. Mac would be one of the search and rescue to scale the building. Hawkes never showed up to the scene, so he'll join Mac. Stella would remain outside, keeping tabs of the outer works while they search. And Flack's still working to get out." Lindsay explained.
Danny laughed lightly, but heartily. Lindsay never ceased to amaze him with her details. He bent down and kissed her forehead. "You're a genius, Montana."
Lindsay said nothing, but smiled again.
Danny scrolled through his contacts for Stella's number. He pressed the green call button and waited for the call to process. Danny took Lindsay's hand, giving her a comforting squeeze while he waited.
"Bonaseara?"
"Buon pomeriggio Stella!" Danny said smiling.
"DANNY!!!" Stella screamed.
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AT LAST HOPE!!
yeah, that ain't gonna last. not with me as the writer.
i own nothing
