The noise from the machinery was instantaneous. It was loud and raw and Zero thought it would make his ears bleed for a second. He crawled back onto his stomach and he could see Jude wincing in pain. He wasn't quite sure what to do, but the paramedic had told him to keep Jude calm and to talk to him, so that's what he was going to do. "Okay, so have you finished with the plans for the house? What rooms have you decided?"
"Umm..." Jude began with closed eyes, methodically going through all of the plans. He was struggling to think straight from the loss of blood and the ear-splitting noise. "I've got plans for the kitchen, living room, bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, umm... maybe a loft conversion, not quite sure there yet, wine-cellar in the basement," Jude listed off all the possible ideas he had had about their new home. He opened one eye as he counted off the rooms, to see Zero's face, contrite with worry and fear. Jude knew just how to take his mind off of the situation. "And I was thinking the baby's room could go next to ours, and then when they grew, they could have the whole loft as their space..." Jude opened his eyes to see Zero's confused and bewildered face. "Thought that would get your attention."
"Why you..." Zero began but his heart wasn't in the threat. "Oh you are so paying for that when you are better."
A sly grin spread across Jude's face. "Can't wait..." He and Zero laughed.
Jude suddenly stopped. His eyes went wide with fear and understanding as he stared straight ahead. "Umm, Gideon?" He began.
Zero snapped his head up. Jude only used his real name as a sign of affection, but his voice was so full of panic that dread filled Zero's stomach. "What?" was all he could manage to puff out, his ability to speak, gone.
"We have a problem." Jude tilted his head to the front of the car. A pool of liquid had gathered from under the car, probably a leakage of oil or gas caused by the crash. The fire crew were still sawing away, evidenced by the shimmering shower of sparks dancing onto the ground and the pool of flammable liquid.
Zero's mind couldn't keep up with his thought process, but it didn't have to, for Jude spoke, "If one of those sparks manages to catch that liquid a light, then a fire will start very close to the engine, which could cause the car to go..." He paused for a second. "Boom." He finished.
Zero looked at Jude with eyes full of sorrow and loss. He couldn't lose Jude, he wouldn't function without him. He needed to get him out but cutting him out wasn't the way.
"Gideon..." Jude began but Zero was already out from under the car and rushing over to the fire Chief.
"Chief! Chief!" He raced over, despite his aching limbs. "You need to tell your men to stop!"
The Chief turned around but didn't call his men off. "What's the matter?"
"The saw you're using, is causing sparks to fly very close to the pool of oil or gas which has gathered under the engine of the car. If you don't stop sawing, then the liquid could catch aflame and then Jude is a goner." Zero hadn't meant to sound so desperate, but the truth was, he was terrified and maybe desperation was just what they needed right now.
Turns out, desperation was just a crappy side-effect. The Chief shook his head. "That's impossible. My crew and I have already checked the fuel tank and the oil, neither of which were damaged in the crash. Besides, we've already started now, if we were to stop, the car's whole integrity will be compromised and the supports we out in place won't hold it, and it'll crush Jude." There was a pause while the Chief took a breath. "I'm not telling my crew to stop. And that's the end of it."
Zero watched as the Chief turned his back and went back to his crew. "So much for that idea..." Zero huffed under his breath. As he looked around he could see the paramedics about a hundred yards away prepping their equipment. He contemplated running over to them and getting them to tell the Chief to stop, but all of that would take longer than Jude had.
Zero turned back to the car and saw the supports bending underneath the added pressure. If Jude was going to survive this, he needed to get out of that car now. And the only person who could get him out was Zero.
Having a plan of action – Save Jude – Zero crawled into the car as low as he could go. It was a simple plan: get in, grab Jude, get out – kind of like the ones you see in the movies with the gangsters and the poor damsel in distress. Only the gangsters were a totalled car; Jude was the damsel; and Zero wasn't a hero.
Once he could go no further, Zero shuffled and twisted onto his back. He huffed and groaned a few times at the uncomfortable position he was in, but reprimanded himself, knowing full well Jude was worse off.
Using his legs, he pushed himself further into the car. His head tapped against something and he twisted to look. It was Jude's good arm, hanging limply from Jude's limp body. Terror seized Zero's heart as he saw Jude just suspended there.
What was worse, it didn't look like he was breathing. "Jude?" Zero's voice came out like it had done when he'd called out for his sister when they were separated. "Jude." He said again firmer. "Jude!" He didn't get a response.