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Chapter Thirty Five - I Got Her

I hated to leave her. Besides burying Lauren, it was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do. I backtracked quickly, the vision of her lying there in shock burned into my mind. As soon as I thought I could, I began to yell out.

"JOSHUA! JOSHUA!"

It took me going several more feet backwards calling his name before I heard a reply.

"DID YOU FIND HER?"

"YES!"

There was a pause.

"Is she alive?"

I swallowed hard. "BARELY. GO GET HELP. RUN!"

I kept backing out and my ears detected a mad scramble. By the time I pulled myself all the way out, he was well on his way towards the rescue crew, waving his arms in the air.

The tunnel wasn't big enough for more than one person. I had no idea how they were going to get her out. The equipment they had wasn't state of the art. It seemed as if everyone was waiting to see what would happen next. Even as I thought it, the ground began to shake slightly and I realized that we were in the midst of an aftershock. I pressed my hands together and did something I hadn't done for a long time:

I began to pray.

"Dear Lord, please don't take her from me. Please watch over her and give her the strength she needs to make it through this ordeal. Let me protect her on Earth for many, many years and love her. Give both of us a second chance. Amen."

The aftershock subsided right around the time I finished my 'Amen.' At the same time, two men were running in my direction. I prepared myself for a personal inquiry, but they didn't seem to care where I had come from.

"Where is she?" the older of the two men asked.

"We dug out a tunnel. It's the only way you can go. She's at the end. The industrial stove fell on her leg. She's trapped beneath it. There's not a lot of room to move in there."

The men looked at each other. The younger of the two caught my gaze and tugged the other one away, out of earshot. They conversed back and forth, gesturing occasionally. My gut tightened.

They were wasting time.

Finally, they broke and came back over to me. The younger of the two glanced at the tunnel. He was holding a large bag.

"I can't make any guarantees," he said calmly. "But I'm going in to see what I can do."

"Thank you," I said breathlessly. A slight tickle on my elbow made me look down. Joshua had pressed himself up close to me. Instinctively, I put my arm around him.

While the younger man went in, the older man ran back down the stretch. The minutes ticked by, but soon there was a stretcher on stand-by and medical supplies at the ready. I watched as a large van came and picked up the few people that had been in the Red Cross tent.

"Where are they going?" I asked aloud. I found a strange comfort in hearing the sound of my own voice. The older guy followed my gaze.

"We have a more centralized location away from the shores where we're taking people."

"What about people that need a hospital?"

"We've got a chopper that's taking injured into Honolulu."

That got my full attention. "Where is it?"

The guy glanced up at the sky. "It's on its way back. I'm not sure when it'll be here."

I didn't like the answer. My grip tightened on Joshua's shoulder.

"Did she say anything?" he asked.

I glanced down at him. I knew I could have lied to make him feel better, but it just didn't seem right.

"Now. She was in shock from it all."

"But she was alive?"

"Yes," I said.

Twenty minutes later, the younger guy still hadn't emerged and the last dreds of hope were draining from my body. Joshua and I were both swaying, yet we refused to sit down as the older worker kept beseeching us to do.

I was almost to the point of crawling back into the tunnel myself, when I heard a male voice shout out. The older rescue worker flew to the entrance to the tunnel, Joshua and I not far behind.

"You got her?"

"I got her. I need a stretcher and the chopper if it's here."

"Not yet."

"Fuck. I don't think we have much time."

Joshua let out an open-mouthed sob at the same second my blood ran cold. It seemed to play out in slow- motion: her head appeared first, followed by upper torso. Another man crowded around as her lower half was pulled out.

"Jesus Christ. I'll see where the chopper is," the older guy said. Without looking at me, he turned and headed off towards the tent. I leaned over, Joshua still drowning in his own sobs, and took a look at her.

"Oh my God," I whispered. My knees gave out on me and I sank to the ground, no longer able to stay strong.

Rosie's right leg was gone below the knee.

"There was no way I could have moved the stove," the younger guy was explaining. There was the sound of medical tape being ripped from a large roll. "I had the small hacksaw and it was the only thing I could think of. She's passed out, but her breathing's getting more shallow. We need a mask and the chopper. It's a miracle she's even alive. Everything seemed to fall right around her. Is that it?"

I wasn't sure what he was asking when he asked 'Is that it?,' but when I heard the loud 'whap-whap-whap' of the chopper blades, I realized he must have heard it long before I had.

"WHERE'S HER LEG?!"

My neck snapped up. Joshua was still standing; he had inched closer to Rosie as his tears began to dry up again. He was staring at her in horror. Somehow, I managed to push myself back to my feet. I grabbed him.

"It's okay," I said numbly. "It's okay."

Joshua tugged away from me. He ripped at his hair, backing away, his eyes darting from Rosie, to the building, to me. "Nothing's ever going to be okay!"

I shook my head and walked towards him. "Calm down. It's going to be fine. She's alive. She's going to get help. She's out. They needed to get her out."

The boy was beginning to hyperventilate. I saw them lift Rosie onto a stretcher. The older worker motioned at me and nodded towards the chopper. I understood what he meant. I grabbed Joshua's arm.

"We're going with her to the hospital."

"I'm not going!" he screeched.

"You're going!" I yelled back.

"I'm not going to leave you alone! Rosie needs you and you need me and I need your ass in the chopper!"

Yes, it was harsh, but my words were effective. He literally sucked in his lower lip, biting down on it hard even as he propelled himself towards the door. He hoisted himself up and looked back at me. I lowered down, staying clear of the chopper blades and scrambled in behind him. The door slammed shut and a second later we were airborne. Two medics were already hooking up IVs. Rosie had never looked paler. I wormed my way to her side and took her hand. It was a ridiculous observation, but I couldn't help but stare at the flip-flop that clung to her left foot.

"Hang in there beautiful," I whispered.

"We have so much more living to do. Together."