Amy POV
I turn the door nub slowly until I hear the sound indicating that the doors are now open. But I was in no hurry to pull the doors open. With my hand still on the door nub, I once more look up to the wall above the doors. It made a crack sound, the moment I heard the unlocking sound coming from the doors.
"Okay" I breathe out to calm my nerves before I act on it.
"Don't do anything stupid, Amy. Think about Callie" I mumble to myself before I pull the doors open. I jump back once i open them, just to be sure.
The doors swing open and the wall above it – holds. But it is making cracking sound. Now or never I guess – I take off running out of the room, my hands over my head just to protect my head if anything happens.
I run to the hall and once I am some few steps away from the doors I stop. I look back to the room. I heard the wall cracking, but then a strong wind blew in and the doors swung back to the doorway, closing itself loudly with a bang. Then came another terrifying cracking sound.
I take another shaky breathe in and then look around me. I was in the middle of the hallway. Stairs were at both ends of the of the hallway, the elevator was on my right. I knew I couldn't use it that at this moment.
On my left, from where I stood, doors opened and three detectives walked out from their break room. They had turned to walk straight to emergency exit, so they didn't see me. They had their backs turned to me.
I turned to look the other direction, where the coffee room and the old archives were. The lawyer, Mr. Davis, his names was Tom, had stepped out to answer a phone call, right before the earthquake hit. I don't think Tom would have gone to the archive, but the coffee room was an option. I needed to check the room.
The hallway, both ways, was full of debris. The suspended ceiling that was put all the way of the hallways, had done some damage all the way thought the hallway. Some metal constructions from the ceiling had fallen down along with whatever debris that was up there. There were some rubble, some pipes, some wires hanging from ceiling, the walls were cracked at some point and there were places on the side walls where the rendering was off too. Saying simply – it was a mess.
As I was carefully stepping over all of the debris, I heard coughing. It was coming somewhere in front of me
"Tom!" I call out, standing as tall as I could, trying to look for him- for a sign of him, for his leg or arm, or something.
"Help!" he coughed some more "Amy…help!" he called out once more desperately.
"Hold on! I am coming!" I called back to him and went to the place I thought was the source where the voice came from.
After I had made some 5 meters in front, watching out from the electric wires that were sparkling, hanging down from the ceiling, I saw him. Well, part of him. I saw his arm and then came his head. He was laying on the ground, trapped under the debris. His right arm stretched out, his phone shattered just next to him.
I hurry up to him and then I finally see the damage done. Part of the suspended ceiling and part of rendering from the wall and some other debris had pinned him down, they were pressing all on his right leg.
"Hold on!" I said and started to remove the stuff that was on him.
"Ugh" he was groaning in pain "My leg…hurts" he was wincing in pain.
"I will get you out of here soon" I said as I tossed part of the suspended ceiling away
The doors from the archive room opened. Pushing the debris that was in front of it away. And the next second two fellow cops and co-workers squeezed their way out of the half open doors.
It was Olivia and Leo. I assessed them, they looked unharmed. Just like me, covered in dust. They were both walking and talking and looked okay. Leo was the first one who noticed me. Then Olivia as she squeezed her way out last.
"Hey! Olivia…Leo! I need help!" I called out for them. The two cops made their way carefully over to us.
"I need some help! He is pinned down!" I say as I had stopped moving the debris off of him.
"What about you Amy?" The female officer Olivia asked me as the two of them got to us. She was a tall woman, she had short brown hair and strong jaw line. Hazel eyes.
"I'm fine. Tom needs our help! We need to remove the debris" I say back to her nodding to Tom
Leo got straight to it. Leo was a big guy, around 1,90 at least, big muscles. He was well known around the precinct for his take-down tackle skills. He had short black hair and was clean shaved man.
The more stuff we got off, the relieved Tom looked. He was holding up on his elbows to look at us work to get him out of there.
The three of us worked together and removed the biggest part off his leg. Sadly it had made a big gash on his lower right leg when it had fallen down on it. It was bleeding badly and the gash looked deep.
"Oh man…" Olivia gasped when she saw the big gash on his leg.
I quickly undid my uniform shirt and took it off. Then I pressed my shirt to his gash on his leg. The bleeding seemed to speed up once we got the last part of his leg. Maybe the debris was keeping him from not bleeding out.
"That actually doesn't hurt that bad" Tom says pressing up on his elbows acting all thought. or at least trying. Tom's perfect hair that was combed to left side before, was now a mess and his expensive suit was ruined too, it was ripped and dusty.
"Mind if I take your belt, Tom?" Leo asks him. Tom nods back "Go ahead..."
Leo then lifted up Tom's jacket to get to his belt. He unbuckled his belt and then pulled Tom's belt out of his pants, then he kneeled down to my side and wrapped it around his leg, above the big gash to slow down the bleeding.
"TOM…TOM!" Then Olivia called out as he just fell back down. She lightly slapped his cheek to get him to wake up. His eyes were closed, his breathing slowed down. He probably fainted or just lost consciousness from seeing all of the blood. Or maybe passed out from losing too much blood. Or just shock. Who knows, maybe it is good that he passed out, he won't panic at least.
"Well, the lawyer is out" Olivia says now pressing her two fingers to his neck to just check his pulse.
Lawyers around here, the precinct, are easily spotted. They are all well dressed in expensive suites, perfect hair. They all also have a briefcases with them all of the time. Also most of them have expensive watches on their wrist, just like Tom has. Also they are the most confident people I have ever met. All of them.
Leo stood up and looked both ways of the hallway "I will clear the way a bit, then we will carry him out!" Leo says and starts to clear the way of the big debris, that Tom could be caught on if we carry him.
"He is bleeding too much, I will go grab the med box from the room." Olivia says and then makes her way back in the room where she came out from. I meanwhile could do just one thing, keep pressure on his big gash.
The time went slow, at least it felt like that. I was left alone with Tom for what seemed like 20 minutes, but actually was just closer to some 4-5 minutes probably.
The shirt under my hands was soaked in blood, which clearly was a really bad sign. If we didn't get him out of here to hospital soon, he could bleed out to death. And that is not what I want, I don't want him die in my hands. I don't want him to die at all.
"Don't do this to me Tom. You are not to give up on us. Okay?" I started to talk to him. It was helping me, more than it was helping Tom, because he was out "You will just have to pull thought this. Got it? I am not about to leave you here"
Olivia got back to us and kneeled down. She opened the med box and dig thought it. Looking for something that could help us in this situations
"Too late for gloves" Olivia says to me, and tossed them away as both of my hands were covered in his blood and the dust.
As she gets the gauze out she adds "Your pocket is flashing" she says as she opens the gauze up big enough so it would cover the gash
I wanted to take my right hand away from the shirt I was pressing to his gash, but I figured that would be a bad idea. The speed ,at which he was bleeding out, was not good at all. The phone call will have to just wait. I glanced down to my pocket and saw how the phones stopped flashing.
Olivia got ready the tape and gauze "On 3" I nod back
"1…2….3" We worked quickly to keep the pressure on. She wrapped the tape around the top and bottom of the double gauze we used.
"This will be all soaked up soon" I observe as the gauze that was slowly getting soaked in the color crimson red.
"We need to move!" I say and stand up "LEO! WE NEED TO MOVE…NOW!" I call out once more. Leo run back thought the small alley he made.
"I got this" he says and me and Olivia were ready to grab one of his legs and leave his torso for Leo. Leo in matter of seconds had him over his shoulder
"That's kind of hot" Olivia mumbles as she stood up and watching how Leo carried Tom away.
"You two coming or not!" Leo called back to us and then we just run after him down the hall to emergency exit. As we had gotten to the staircase, I pulled out my phone and saw that Lena had called me 4 times already.
I don't hesitate, I just press call as I am running down the stairs.
Lena POV
Amy hadn't picked up either. We tried calling her several times. Her phone rang, she just wasn't picking up. The fact that she hadn't picked it up, made Jude even more nervous than he already was. His fear of her sister being hurt has grown significantly over the last few minutes that have passed since then.
Right now, I was on the phone with Sharon, who had previously talked with all of the kids. She reassured all of them that mom was probably okay, helping someone in trouble.
But, now that I was on the phone with her, I know that she was scared too. Maybe even more than I and the kids were. She was just holding a strong front for the kids
Who wouldn't be scared? Her daughters family, had no idea where Stef was. I could only think about how much worse she is feeling.
"Well, what about her partner. Amy!?" Sharon said worried "Have you tried calling her? She is her partner, she should know!"
"I did call her!" I said but I was quickly interrupted by Sharon. I couldn't even finish my thought.
"AND!? What did she say! Are they together somewhere?"
"Her phone rang but she hasn't picked up yet!" I heard Sharon sight on the other end of the line. I was picturing her running her hand over her face right about now. Just trying to hold it in together
"It hasn't been that long. Around half an hour-" I tried to do my best to solace her over the phone, but I don't think I was doing such a great job
Mariana run in the kitchen calling out loudly, holding my phone in front of her, in her stretched out hand "MOM! Amy is calling back!" The other kids followed her in
"Hold on, Sharon. Amy is calling me back, maybe she knows something. I am giving you back to Mariana" I hand Mariana's phone back to Mariana and she hands me my phone back. When we make the switch, I mouth to her to – "keep Grandma on line" Mariana puts the phone to her ear
"Grandma it's me again…hold on" Mariana said to Sharon holding her phone back to her ear, but also listening and looking to me
"Amy?" I ask picking up my phone
"Is Stef home?" she asks but she sound like being in some emergency situation too. She was little out of breath, sounded like she was running
"N-No…no she is not. We don't know where she is. Her phone is either off or out of signal! Do you know where she could be?" I inform her and then finally ask what I have been wanting to know for quite some time
I think Amy mumbled something to some people she was with. In the background I heard that someone yelling out something and someone else was groaning and moaning out in pain.
"Stef took Callie to her physical therapy. They could be there! Together. Maybe…I don't know…I am not sure" her voice was tensed, she herself seemed in distress of some sort. The background noses made me feel uneasy about here surrounding and the situation she was in right now
"I will send you a number. It is Callie's physical therapist number. Call him…ask if they got to the appointment! Text me back once you know something." She hanged up before I could say anything back.
"Well!?" The kids all ask me. I hold my finger up to show them to just wait. Few seconds pass of me just staring at the phone
"MOM!" Brandon ask louder and more anxious, getting my attention
"WAIT!" I said loudly barely holding together "Just….wait" then I added calmer.
My phone buzzed finally. I opened the text message and pressed on the contact information. Cooper Ellis was the name under the phone number. I press dial not wasting any seconds
"Grandma asked what is happening" Mariana says holding her phone to her ear
I raised my phone up to my ear "Amy gave me Callie's physical therapist number"
The kids looked confused at me "Amy said mom took Callie to her appointment. They could be together!" I explained to them as the phone kept ringing. Mariana repeated everything to Sharon on the phone.
There was the sound I was waiting for. Someone picked up the phone.
But it was a woman's voice "Hello" I heard a lot of talking in the background
"Is this Cooper Ellis phone?" I ask hoping Amy sent the right number
"Yes, this is his phone. But he is not available right now" the woman informed me "I am Lisa, the receptionist on the Welfare Physical Therapy Center he works at. Can I help you in any way?"
"My name is Lena" I started "I am calling to ask about the whereabouts of two people"
"Okay..."she said keeping the calm tone, even thou I heard now someone screaming in the background
"I was given this number by a woman named Amy Scott. She is the mother of Callie Scott. A patient of Cooper Ellis. She was supposed to have an appointment with him, right about the time that the earthquake hit. I am looking for her and my wife, who took her to the appointment today"
"I'm sorry, but could you please describe her for me. I work with so many people, and my mind is really a mess right now" she said back. I know what she meant, people aren't always thinking straight at emergency situation. It could be that she barely got out of the building herself, she was probably stressed, and was freaking out a little and then she probably had to calm down some patients.
"Callie is-"
"No, ma'am. The mother's name. I work the front desk and I mostly work with the parents and friends. I recognize people by their parents. I know it sounds weird, but….I see them a lot more and they talk to me a lot more and I know which kid or person comes in with which parent or friend. I know that name, I know I have talked to this Amy Scott, but right now, my mind is a real mess and I can't really picture her…could you please…just describe her, so I could help" She spoke really fast, trying to not waste too much time
"Oh…um… 41, Caucasian, average built, around 1,70, fit, athletic, thick dark brown slightly curly hair that is usually taken in a bun. Green, gentle and warm eyes, long eyelashes, oval shaped face, very trusting looking, smooth skin, small scar on her left side of jaw line, two small birthmarks by her right ear, straight thin nose. She has a catching, infectious smile and laughter." I said and then thought of another trait of hers "a COP!"
The woman chuckles briefly "You should have started with the cop thing. Yes, I recognize her. But sadly I haven't seen either of them today. They were not here, when the earthquake hit"
"I know that Amy is not there! She is in…some other place dealing with….all this. My wife, Stef, took her to the appointment today. And my wife is not picking up. I know this is a lot to ask for, but my kids are all worried about her, could you at least tell me if her car is there. If we are at least looking at the right place for her? For both of them? Callie's mother is all worried too, but she is dealing with some emergency on her own and can't look for her right now"
"Well, what car does your wife drive. I am right outside the building, I can go have a look at the parking lot!" she said and I could already hear her walking
"She drives a black SUV, it is a GMC." I heard her heels hitting the pavement. And then she answers
"Well…There is one black SUV, GMV plate number…2BAI222?"
"Yes! Yes, that's her car!" i said all excited. There was quiet on the other side and then I heard her running. The wind in the phone. I heard her call someone and then whispering.
"Hello?" I asked thinking she just forget that I was on the phone. But then I heard whisper "Well what did you tell her?" and then came another whisper, this time I was the woman's voice ""Nothing, I came straight to you!"
I heard some more movement on the other side of the line and then a man picked up
"This is Cooper Ellis!" a man picked up the phone, his voice was very soothingly calm yet strong.
"What just happened?" I ask confused
"Ma'am, I was told that you were looking for Callie Scott and some other woman?"
"My wife, Stef. Yes! Do you know where they are!?"
"Well, I can say two things – one, Callie wasn't with me or the floor when it hit. Second, Callie is not outside too. But we have two elevators that are stuck. One is between floors and other has jammed right by the first floor. There is a chance that they are trapped in elevator."
"THEN UNSTUCK THE ELEVATORS!" I said back louder but I did not yell. I was now terrified that the elevator could fall or that they don't have enough air.
Stef POV
I was standing right at the elevator doors, looking at the small gap between the two doors. In movies, people would just easily pry the two doors open and get out. I don't think it is so simple in real life. But that doesn't mean I won't try to get them open and try to get out of here, before the rescue comes.
I dragged my finger over the space between the two doors. Without looking to Callie, I ask her the next question "Broken leg or broken hand?"
"Leg" she answers without thinking at all.
I look over my shoulder to the back wall of the elevator, where Callie was sitting against it. Her right knee bent up, her arm placed on the knee, supporting her hand with her knee. She was doing some sort of exercise for her hand. Her thumb was touching first her index, then her middle, then ring and then pinky finger and then she started it all over again. Just going around in circles. Her eyes were fixated on her right palm.
"What?" she asks me and I zone back to reality. She had noticed how I was watching her do the exercise.
"Nothing…sorry" I shake my head "Come help me with the doors" I say and hold my hand out to help her up to her feet. She places her left in my hand and I pull her up.
"What are we doing?" she asks as she stands next to me up to the doors.
"We will try to pry the doors open." I say taking a small step to the right side "You pull the doors to your side" I point to the left side of the doors "I will pull to this side"
Then I place my fingers in the small space between the two doors. I leave enough space between my hands so Callie could place her hands so our hands would be on turns. My right hand was placed the highest on the doors as Callie's right was placed the lowest on the doors.
"Okay, on 1. Ready?" I say setting my hands in the position. Callie nods back
"3" I say looking straight to her eyes, that had the spark in, that said – I want to get the hell out of here
"2" I count further and wiggle my fingers slightly to set them better in the tiny space between the doors
"WAIT!" Callie stops me calling out loudly. I stop counting and take my hands away from the small gap between the doors
"What? Is everything OK?" I ask worried
"Would you rather fall face first to water or pavement?" she asks and then smiles at me
"You stopped my excellent countdown to ask me -a would you rather -questions?" I ask her with unimpressed facial expression. Callie only nods back, hands still on the doors, grinning at me
"Water" I answer quickly and place my hands back, then start the count from 3 again
"3…2" I get to the place where I was interrupted
"1!" I say loudly and we both pull the doors open as hard as we can.
"Agghhh" Callie pulled her right hand away after just some 3 seconds. She shakes her right hand in the air with soft movement, wincing in pain. I stop pulling the doors my direction and take the step closer to Callie
"You okay?" I ask looking to her right hand. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. That was a lot of pressure to her hand, her hand that was still recovering from being broken.
"Yeah…" she breathes out thought clenched teeth, still shaking her hand in the air softly
"I don't think this was a good idea" she stopped shaking her hand in air, puts her right wrist in her left hand and softly with her thumb she rubbed her palm, massaging it
"You sure you okay?" I ask now worried that I was the reason she hurt her hand once more
"Mm-hmm" She nods her head. But I still don't like how much in pain she looks. This might have just injured her hand all again. And this time, it is my fault. Now I just felt bad.
Callie went back to the end wall and slid back down to the ground, still holding her hand in her left. I went to join her on the ground. We were both just still sitting on the ground, staring at our reflections on the elevator doors.
"Eat only hamburgers or salads for the rest of your life?" I ask her next.
"Salad" Callie replies back. Now I once more wait till she thinks of the next thing to ask.
"Can I ask you something?" she turns to me, so I turn to look back at her.
"Sure" I said and felt the first sweat dripping down my back. Callie quickly wipes her forehead with her hand and then moves her hair to the left side of her neck. It was getting more hotter in here and you could tell it just by looking at the two of us.
"Just…hypothetically speaking, if you found yourself in this same situation, let's say with 3 other people. And one would say -still hypothetically speaking-, that she or he needs to go to bathroom. What would you say to this person?" she asks me slowly and warily. She pretended that she wouldn't care how I would answer, that it would be no big deal.
I stare back at her not saying anything for some good minute, just thinking of what to say back to her. Whenever question is asked in that form, it is never ever just theoretically or hypothetically. And 99% of the time if someone says a 'friend' did something or needs something or whatever, the 'friend' is the same person that asks you that questions.
She then adds one more time, quietly looking to me with her big brown eyes "Hypothetically speaking"
"I would laugh and say that is one bad timing. That situation could turn from bad to worse in just seconds" I joke but Callie does not laugh back, she just stares at me. I clear my throat.
"Hypothetically speaking, for a guys, to pee in an empty bottle if they would have one" I say back more seriously
Callie screws her face up and adds "Eww. That's nasty" she shivers at the thought
"For girls, probably hold it in…" I offer her a small smile back and then add "But let's just hope that hypothetically, the person won't need to go to bathroom, because of how hot it would be in such small, contained space, and the person would just sweat it out. Also because the person probably wouldn't have anything to drink so…let's just go with, sweat it out instead. And hypothetically speaking, we could be rescued out before the person couldn't hold it in anymore"
Callie just nods back
"But that is all just hypothetically. Neither one of us needs to go to bathroom. Right?" I say to her and watch her closely for a reaction
She tried to play it cool. She was unsuccessful. I saw right thought her. Callie chuckles back awkwardly and blushes slightly "Right" she says very unconvincing.
"Right" I nod back, now knowing that one of us definitely needs to.
AN: Sorry if the way I describe Amy was lame. I played around with different idea's and somehow this was were I stopped. The idea came to me actually from one of my friends. She works at a reception in dentist office, and we were talking few day back and she dropped the idea on me when she said that she recognizes family first and only then the patients(i am talking about a situation when parents brings younger kids in), because like she sees the parent, she talks to him/her while the kid is having his/her tooth fixed. Anyhow, that's how i came up with the. Sorry if it sucks.
But anyhow, I think most of you will be happy to hear next chapter will be all Callie & Stef goodness. I am almost done writing it. If you maybe have any crazy/fun idea what they should go thought or talk about, feel free to write it down in the review or PM me. If it is not in my story already(i had like 100 of ideas what could happen), i can try and write it in.