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Chapter Three: Mother Nature Strikes


"Shit, shit, shit! Ana, grab all the candles and flashlights you can. Howie, gather some blankets and the radio. Bring everything downstairs!" Tierja ordered, still standing with the door open. The sky was a dark green, swirling in dangerous circles. She saw a hook shape and knew that the worst was yet to come. A tornado could touch down at any moment and they needed to be prepared.

"What the Hell is going on?" Kevin looked up at Howie in utter confusion.

"Think about it, estupido! Green skies, gusts of wind, siren wailing... A TORNADO IS COMING!" Howie snapped, running downstairs with his arms full of blankets and pillows.

"Tier, close the door! We have to get down into the basement!" Ana yelled towards Tierja, juggling all the items in her hands. "Come on--"

"Holy fuck, it's about to touch down! I can see it from across the fields!" Tierja exclaimed, glued to the spot as she watched the black cloud swirl down towards the ground, ending in a point. Everything in the tornados path was sucked into its vortex, the noise as loud as tweny trains speeding along the same track.

"TIERJA! GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!" Kevin tried to bellow over the noise, but his efforts were fruitless as she continued to watch. He turned to Ana, who was scared stiff. "GO DOWNSTAIRS, I'LL GET HER!"

"BE CAREFUL!" Ana nodded, forcing her legs to run downstairs. Kevin rushed towards Tierja, who continued to watch the tornado makes its destruction, the path coming closer to her house.

"TIERJA! TIERJA!" he finally was able to grasp her upper arm, spinning her so they were looking eye to eye. Debris was flying all around the yard, some of it piling inside the house. "WE HAVE TO GET TO SHELTER!"

"KEVIN, IT'S COMING! IT'S COM--" Tierja was halted as a wooden 'For Sale' sign from the neighbors down the road slammed into the back of her head. Kevin's eyes grew wide with terror as he heard a sickening crack from the impact, blood pouring down her neck and back. She pitched forward into his arms, a dead weight.

"Shit! Tierja! Tierja, can you hear me?!" Kevin shouted, trying to rouse the young woman. She gave no response. He hefted her into his arms, slamming the door shut before scrambling towards the basement. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he tried to concentrate on her light breathing against his thin shirt. He closed the basement door and locked it before rushing down the stairs, following the trail from the flaslights and candles. Ana immediately looked up and sighed with relief, only seeing Tierja resting her head on Kevin's chest within the dim lighting.

"Thank God you're both--"

"Ana! Ana, something's wrong with Tierja! She's hurt! I was trying to get her to close the door and something hit her head!"

~*~*~*~

"What do you mean something's wrong with her? What in the Hell happened?!" Ana exclaimed, rushing towards Tierja after Kevin laid her on the couch. Blood covered his shirt and part of his upper arm.

"I was trying to get her away from the door when this 'For Sale' sign flew into the doorway and hit her in the back of the head. I heard a crack and she fell into my arms. She told me earlier that you were a paramedic. You can help her, right? You can wake her up!"

"Damnit," Ana groaned, her entire body tensing with disbelief as she stared down at Tierja's unresponsive form. She had handled dozens of car accidents and various traumas, being exposed to more death and destruction than most walking the streets of Minnesota. Only, her friend was the one in distress. Usually, the medical field always told their members to act like a family member instead of a medical technician when it came to family illnesses and accidents. But, Ana didn't have that choice as the walls of Tierja's house started to quake with the approaching tornado. Quickly, her mind settled into that of a medical practitioner as she stripped her body of the baggy t-shirt, tossing it toward the basement floor. She then grasped Tierja's dead weight, easing her down onto the hard surface for adequate first aid. She withdrew her hands to find them seeped with blood, causing her to cringe as she demanded someone grab the first aid kit. "Damnit, Tierj, didn't we always say that I was going to die a bloody mess?"

"How bad is it?" Howie asked, coming back with the first aid kit and a towel he found in the same closet.

"It's not good, that's for sure," Ana replied dryly, wiping her hands free of blood. She grasped the kit and opened it up, pulling out gauze, tape and alcohol pads. "Bee, get a garbage bag so I can throw all the bloody stuff away."

"What are you doing?" Kevin questioned shakily, just collapsing on the couch in front of Ana's pseudo-trama room. He could feel Tierja's blood seeping through his thin set of clothes, making him visably tremble with disgust. The warmth of her blood made his stomach curl, but he couldn't turn away from the fiery young woman working on the floor below him.

"I'm not letting her die on me," Ana stated softly, more engrossed in her mental thought processes than Kevin's words. Adrenaline dumped down into her raging veins, alerting her senses to even the tiniest shift in the room. She concentrated on Tierja, leaning over her first to listen for breathing. She held her ear just above Tierja's mouth, assuring herself of the warmth breath entering and exiting Tierja's mouth. Sighing with relief, Ana gently lifted the back of Tierja's head, quickly working to secure thick amounts of guaze and dressing over the bleeding wound. "Airway... Breathing... Circulation..."

"Do you need anything else?" Howie asked quietly, setting a trash can next to Ana's side. He looked up at the blood soaking Kevin's shirt and swallowed hard. Ana always told him stories when she came home from work, but seeing was a lot different than hearing, and he wasn't a fan of blood.

"No," Ana stated flatly, securing the roll of guaze around the back of Tierja's head to stop the bleeding. She bunched her sweatshirt behind Tierja's head, laying the older woman back down. Then, Ana fumbled in her pocket to retrieve her penlight, something she never left home without. With quick percision, she flashed the light into Tierja's eyes as the lights started to flicker. It was hard not to notice the odd dialation between both eyes, causing her to frown. She tossed the penlight down, craning over Tierja to check behind her ears. Sure enough, brusing was starting to occur just behind Tierja's pierced ears. It was a tell-tale sign of a skull fracture. Retracting, Ana started to call for Tierja to respond, but nothing happened. Growing frustrated, Ana rubbed her fist over the middle of Tierja's chest to start a sternal rub, which caused many patients to flinch with pain. It was the only way to rouse them sometimes. "Tierja! Let's go!"

"Ow... don't... stop, that hurts! Just stop doing that!" Tierja burst, her eyes popping open and closed as the light invaded. She groaned loudly, placing a hand to her forehead in hope to alleviate the pain. "Oh God, my head... what happened?"

"Don't move," Ana barked softly, reaching to grasp Tierja's hands. She took an internal sigh of relief, but maintained an extremely calm exterior. She leaned over Tierja, just somewhat thankful that she was moving her extremities. "What's your name?"

"Tierja Holly Blackwell. Ana, why are you--"

"When's your birthday?"

"November 15th."

"Who's the president?"

"George W. Bush."

"Who am I?"

"Anastacia Grace Lord. Your boyfriend is Howard Dwaine Dorough and the other man there is Kevin Richardson. Any other questions, Missy?"

"Yeah, what the Hell were you thinking standing outside when a tornado is touching down? I shouldn't have even saved your ass!" Ana seethed with sheer disgust, finally allowing her emotions to fall past her cold and calmed exterior. Her blue-green eyes shimmered with unshed tears, immediately wiping her face with her forearm, since her hands were still covered in Tierja's blood. The wound was deep, but could easily be sutured. Now she'd just have to watch, knowing the woman already had a concussion and skull fracture. Not that the medical team could do much for a skull fracture. But, if the brain swelled too much, there was risk for permanent damage. She was almost like a ticking time-bomb.

"I don't know why. Alright? I just couldn't stop looking at it, and that was stupid," Tierja reached up and wiped away the tears that had escaped Ana's eyes. "I'm really sorry, Missy. You've saved my ass one too many times, and I know that much."

"Just lay there and don't move, alright?" Ana answered stiffly, pushing Tierja's hands away from her face. She was furious with Tierja's stupid actions. Being on the trauma field every day of her life was startling, especially when she had to imagine throwing her best friend into a body bag. She shivered with disgust, unable to keep that thought out of her mind. "And remember how much I hate you at this moment."

"You never were one to be sentimental at moments like these," Tierja laced her fingers across her slim stomach. "Ana... how bad is it? And you better be honest with me, I can always tell when you're lying."

"You have an open wound along your occipital bone of your skull. I don't think you have any spinal injuries, because you're moving and you can feel everything, but I can't be sure without a CT Scan or MRI... But, you've got bruising behind your ears, which means skull fracture. And, I know for sure you have a concussion. I just have to watch for brain swelling," Ana rattled off.

"So, in English I have a skull fracture and concussion. That would explain the tremendous pain in my head," Tierja closed her eyes for a moment, willing some of the stabbing pain away before looking up at Ana again. "Is there anything down here I could take? Tylenol? Acetamenophin?"

"Real smart, Acetamenophin with an open wound. You'll bleeding right out on me," Ana muttered, reaching to grasp the bottle of Tylenol. "Take two of these every four hours and don't you dare fall asleep. Once whatever happens out there happens, I'll get my shit and radio for ambulance transport."

"I don't know medicine," Tierja held out her hand for the two pills and swallowed them dry. She listened to the raging tornado outside and shuddered. The weather was always the one thing that made her think about moving somewhere else. "Are Howie and Kevin okay? They made it down here?"

"Yeah, they're down here," Ana answered, glancing up to see Kevin and Howie anxiously waiting. Only, she really didn't have the patience to sit and speak with them, nor act like everything was fine. She was furious with Tierja's actions and needed to calm her adrenaline-ridden system. She always seemed to separate herself after serious traumatic events. She had to analyze the situation within her mind and evaluate her needs as a medical provider. Ignoring emotions only caused an eruption of post traumatic stress disorder, especially among those in Emergency Medicine. She had to calm herself and scrub her hands. "So, talk to them, but don't go to sleep."

"Where are you going?"

"I've got blood all over my hands," Ana held them up for Tierja to see, swallowing her emotions until she was able to get some sort of sanctuary. "I'll be right back, and like I said, don't go to sleep. That's very important to remember, y'hear me?"

"I hear you," Tierja sighed as Ana stood up and walked into the small bathroom, closing the door tightly.

"Where's she going?" Kevin murmured, kneeling down to Tierja's form. He thought nothing of reaching to clasp his hands tightly around hers. He had thought that Tierja was dead.

"She detaches her emotions when it comes to medicine so... basically, so she doesn't go crazy," Tierja brought his fingers to her lips for a soft kiss. "She's in the bathroom washing her hands and just dealing with me being hurt. She'll be fine..."

"Are you okay?" Howie questioned, kneeling down to her other side. Tierja had been his closest friend when he moved to Minnesota. And she had introduced him to Ana. He was forever grateful for her, considering her his best friend. So, to see her injured was painful for him, especially when Ana severed ties with the group.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just can't believe how stupid I was by watching that damn tornado. I've seen Twister enough, you would think I didn't have to. I am so sorry for scaring all of you," Tierja placed her hand on Howie's knee. "I guess Karma decided to bite me in the ass hard this time."

"Damn, Tier," Howie sighed heavily, rubbing her hand.

"I know, I know, I know... everything's going to be fine, though. I have the three of you to make sure I don't fall asleep, the storm is almost over soon and after this I promise to never watch a tornado touch down again."

"It's not going to hit the house, is it?" Kevin whispered like a small child, listening to the howling wind and crashing objects outside the house.

"A tornado is very unpredictable," Tierja turned her gaze towards Kevin, feeling bad for the man. He had never gone through a storm like this, while Ana, Howie and herself were practically used to it. "But this house has never been struck in the hundred years it's been in my family."

"Oh..."

"Wow, this has to be a first. Mr. Big Shot Kevin is actually afraid. I think I've seen everything," Howie snorted in disgust. He had bit back on his words the entire night and couldn't do it anymore.

"Why don't you go check on Ana?" Tierja announced, shaking Howie's hand for a moment. She could feel the tension rising within the room as the tornado neared and it wasn't just the tension from her head injury.

"He knows it's the--"

"Damnit, Howie, please? Don't do this right now. Go check on Ana, I'm getting worried about her. Please, Howie."

"She's fine--"

"How do you know?" Kevin questioned flatly. "You've pulled away from her since you got here."

"Yeah, well, seeing a man who kicked your ass for no damn reason is cause for--"

"DAMNIT, HOWIE! Check on Ana right now!" Tierja yelled, immediately closing her eyes as the pain drilled deep into her head.

Kevin allowed the silence to filter through the system, before speaking lowly, "Seeing me isn't any cause for turning from your girlfriend, unless you really don't want to be with her in the first place--"

"You don't know jack shit about my life here! You don't know how I feel about Ana! Even if I told you everything, you wouldn't give a shit because you only care about yourself and how it all affects you! Why else would you have even thought of accusing me and Sharon having an affair?! I WAS YOUR BEST FRIEND! WHY WOULD I HURT YOU LIKE THAT IF WE WERE FRIENDS?!"

"Howie, please," Tierja groaned, her head spinning from the rising level of voices. She felt sick to her stomach, unable to handle the rising pressure.

"You lost me and the guys because of you're so full of yourself and you think it's all about you! It's not and it never was! You ruined it all! YOU RUINED IT ALL!" Howie continued, not hearing Tierja's plea.

"So, that's why you left Florida?" Ana questioned solidly, finally appearing from the bathroom. She had heard the arguments through the bathroom door and knew she couldn't maintain any kind of peace. When she left the bathroom, she caught the entire conversation, unable to move from 'you ruined it all.' Howie never talked about why he left Florida, only that it was unpleasant. He said coming here was the best decision in his life, but how so, if Kevin had ruined everything in Florida? How could this be the best decision if it was a mistake to begin with?

"Ana, wait. You heard me wrong--"

"No, I heard you quite right. You had always told me that moving to Minnesota was the best decision of your life. How can that be if Kevin ruined everything? Wouldn't that mean you had it Florida?"

"Ana--"

"Don't talk to me, alright?" Ana stated, shaking her head in disbelief. Her voice never raised higher with distress, just her darkening blue-green eyes emmulated her disgust and disatisfaction. She always asked Tierja if Howie loved her and the point seemed quite clear. She was the ruined section of Howie's life. The second resort to Howie's existance. If things hadn't crashed, then Howie wouldn't have wanted her. She was second best to whatever he had in Florida. Sometimes, Ana knew things were too good to be true. Too bad that Howie was one of them.

"Ana--"

"If you keep talking to me, I'm going to throw you outside with the tornado and hope it brings you all the way back to Florida. Don't talk to me if you know what's good for you," Ana threatened, glaring at Howie with hatred.

"I don't want to sound pitiful during this lovely argument, but c-can someone get me a bucket? I think I'm going to be sick," Tierja moaned, her stomach flip-flopping and churning.

"Hold on," Ana gritted, reaching to snatch the nearby trash basket. She set it down to Tierja's side quick enough so Tierja's stomach contents could explode into the pink plastic. The men cringed with disgust, but Ana just rubbed Tierja's back in compliance. "I hate to break your heart, Tierj. But after this shit is done, I'm going to be on duty. So, once I get a hospital transport for you, I'm gone, alright?"

"Okay," Tierja managed to speak before heaving a few more times, pushing the basket away. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, taking a deep breath. "God, I hate puking."

"At least it's not projectile," Ana quipped, unable to shrug the feeling of Howie's eyes locking onto her form. She tensed dramatically, moving to brush back Tierja's locks. "But, you'll be okay, Tierj."

"I just wish I could sleep. My head hurts so bad," Tierja whispered, blinking back a few tears as she tried to concentrate on Ana's fingers through her hair and Kevin's fingers laced through her own.

"I know you want to, but not yet, okay? Stay awake for another half hour and then you can take a small nap," Ana encouraged, pressing a kiss to Tierja's forehead.

"I should have told you to go into directing horror movies instead of being a Paramedic," Tierja tried to joke, causing Ana to roll her blue-green eyes with annoyance. It was easy to see that the tensions of the nearing storm and Howie's words had coiled around Ana like a crushing compactor of despair. She tried to act as if nothing were wrong, but Tierja knew better, even with a head injury.

"Then I would have to move from Minnesota to go to a big city to get my name in lights, leaving your ass here to fight the tornados. Of course, your fighting has to do with standing at the door with your jaw hanging open..." Ana trailed, rubbing her fingers along her temples to dull the sounds of the howling winds. She knew the storm was approaching faster than before, hearing various objects crashing against the side of the house. Ana almost hoped that the tornado would swallow her whole.

"I didn't mean to get hurt, alright? I can only say I'm sorry for being the idiot I am so many times before it's meaningless," Tierja sighed heavily, closing her eyes to fight back the tears threatening to escape. She didn't want to have her skull cracked. She didn't want to have Kevin and Howie fighting. She didn't want Ana and Howie to be fighting. She especially didn't want to be in her basement while a tornado outside was causing damage to her house.

"I know you didn't mean to get hurt, but you also know that I'm never going to let you live this down."

"That much I know despite my stupidity."

"I figured," Ana mused, trying her best to make light of the dangerous situation. She inched backward from Tierja's still form, pressing her back against the couch. Despite the heavy layered darkness within the basement, Ana maintained keen eyesight upon Tierja. She had no desire to glance around the room to catch sight of Howie. Frankly, she wished he would disappear.

"Ana? Could you get me a blanket? I'm f-freezing," Tierja shuddered after a few minutes of tense silence. A cool wind had crept into the basement, easily going through her thin tanktops and boxers.

"Yeah," Ana answered quickly, boosting herself from the cool floor. She immediately reached out for the wall, following it toward the washroom where Tierja kept a thick pile of blankets for any visitors that might spend the night.

"Howie, will you go and make sure she doesn't fall or anything? It's so dark," Tierja glanced over at him, wincing slightly as her head pounded from the small movement.

"She doesn't want--"

"Please?"

"Tier, it's not a good idea."

"It wasn't a good idea to not tell her the real reason you left Florida, either. But I think her safety is a little more important."

Howie thought to comment to her statement, but his thoughts were wiped by the sharp crack exploding against the nearby wall. He jumped in shock at the loudness, deciding that it really wasn't safe for Ana to be by herself, especially when she was near the edge of the house that the tornado was tumbling toward. His heart hammered dramatically within the depth of his soul, pushing him toward the washing room. He didn't want to admit his own foolishness, but overreacting with Kevin had been his first downfall. To say that Kevin had ruined everything with Ana nearby was so foolish. He truly did love the woman and thought that moving to Minnesota was his best decision. But, Ana had heard the exact opposite. Biting down on his bottom lip, he stepped into the washing room. He could only hope that she would listen and not push him into the eye of the tornado.

Only, Ana's mind was far from his position within the room. She carefully moved toward the blankets, which sat right underneath a large window. She dared not to peek outside, but willed her arm to reach for at least one blanket. Then, a large branch slammed heavily into the window, shattering it instantly. Fragments of sharp glass rained down upon Ana, causing her to stumble backward with the blanket and fall. She felt several fresh cuts start to seep with blood along her arms and the stinging pain of a gash along her cheek. "Damnit," she cursed, unphased as she scrambled to her feet while the wind howled into the room.

"Ana, grab the blankets and get out of there! The tornado is right next to the house!" Howie burst through her distracted thoughts. She turned and looked at him, shocked that he would even think of talking to her. "Come on!"

"I told you not to ta--"

"ANA! HOWIE! GET OUT OF THERE, THE TORNADO IS COMING AT THE HOUSE!" Kevin's bellow interrupted her protest.

"Damnit, Ana! C'mon!" Howie seethed, reaching to yank Ana into his arms. He thought nothing about the blankets, only Ana's well being. He quickly hoisted her into his arms, running back to the center of the basement as a terrible crackling could be heard from behind. Without warning, a huge gust of wind blew Howie forward, tumbling him and Ana into the center of the room. He landed hard on Ana's body, just cowering slightly as a forceful vaccum entered the home while the tornado bowled directly into the structure, ripping away huge chunks of foundation and threatening to suck the occupants into its circle of Hell.

"Not my house! Damnit, its ruining my house! All my things are getting--" Tierja screamed as a folding chair flew over her head, exploding through the washroom door.

"That's why you have insurance!" Kevin hollered through the storm, actually covering Tierja's form with his body. He reached for a blanket that was mere inches from their bodies, wrapping it tightly around them for some sort of protection. He could feel a hot sweat breaking through the pores of his clammy skin as his heart nearly lept to his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut, just praying for a miracle.

"Don't let go, Howie! Hold on!" Ana cried out in panic, gripping to Howie with all her strength as tbings flew around the couples and crashed into various places.

"I've got you!" Howie shouted back, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Make it stop! God, just make it stop!" Tierja wailed, burying her face in Kevin's shoulder as his body protected her from the storm.



Thank you again for the help, Anastacia. I appreciate it so much!