earpiece, "Hang on, I'm going to reboot." She watched as all the screens went blank, and then held her breath as one by one, color, images and graphs came back up. The heart monitor remained flat-lined, but at last the mock woman was there – deep within the walls of the building.
*
Seely tried to concentrate on saving her own life, but her thoughts were of her family, "My babies…please help my babies." Her eyes filled with more tears and she just let them flow. The vibration caused by the tsunami increased again and she thought she could hear roaring water crash against the lower floors of the building. Alone and afraid, she waited until all was once more quiet, and then cautiously tried to turn her upper torso.
Her bruised and cut body cried out in pain, yet nothing hurt as much as the cramp in her chest. She stopped moving and waited for it to let up. A minute passed, and then another. When it subsided some, she tried again, turning on her back, and then putting her hands on the floor. Straining, she inched herself up until her back was against the foyer wall and her necklace fell back in place. Seely clutched her left bicep and held on tight. Above, a small piece of paper seesawed through the air and landed in her lap, but she didn’t notice. Seely slowly lifted her shocked and hurting eyes toward heaven, "I am old, let me die." Then faintly, she heard movement in the hallway.
As abruptly as she had left, Jenna tromped across the fallen door and poked her head back into the foyer. A new set of tears stained her cheeks, a ghastly bruise covered the left half of her forehead and she was furious. "The elevators are broken!"
Seely opened her arms and allowed her dear friend into her embrace. But as she began stroking Jenna's hair, the crushing pain intensified. Gasping for air, the sound of her own voice seemed weak and somehow foreign, "Jenna,...help me. Heart…attack."
The younger woman quickly let go and sat up," What? What can I do?"
"Find…my purse."
In a whirl of urgent movement, Jenna shoved rubbish aside and tossed tiles away. Finally, she spotted the thin purse strap. She grabbed it and pulled until the purse came free. She knelt down, unzipped it and dumped the contents on the floor. Finding the small bottle at last, she unscrewed the lid and poured six small tablets into her hand. "How many?"
"One."
Jenna poured five back in the bottle, and then held out her hand. She watched Seely get hold of the pill and slip it under her tongue. Then she screwed the lid back on, put the bottle back in the purse and waited. In a little while, the older woman's color started to return and her breathing eased. Still Jenna quietly waited until Seely opened her eyes. "The elevator doors won't open."
Seely forced a comforting smile, and then struggled to spit out her words, "Jenna, you must not…get in the elevators. It's better to take the stairs."
"Okay. We'll go down the stairs then."
"...too soon. Let's rest, okay?"
"But Seely, we're going to fall. Besides, my Mom and sisters are down there. I have to get home."
Seely paused to breathe several more times before she spoke, "I know, my family…is down there too." To her relief, the pain in her chest was beginning to ease.
Jenna stared into Seely's haunting eyes for a long moment, and then she slumped against the opposite wall, "Don't die Seely? If you die, I'll be all alone."
"I don't think I'm gonna die. Not yet."
*
At KMPR, Collin was still braced in the doorway. He watched Max get up, scoot rubbish off the top landing and test the railing. It held. Next, Max eased his weight down on the first stair step. It too held. Meticulously, he tested another, and then another until he stood on the landing outside Collin's apartment.
He glanced up at Collin, and then turned the knob and pushed the door open. Cautiously, he eased inside. All the windows were gone. Cast iron I-beams stood in each corner of the living room, minus most of their concrete
*
Seely tried to concentrate on saving her own life, but her thoughts were of her family, "My babies…please help my babies." Her eyes filled with more tears and she just let them flow. The vibration caused by the tsunami increased again and she thought she could hear roaring water crash against the lower floors of the building. Alone and afraid, she waited until all was once more quiet, and then cautiously tried to turn her upper torso.
Her bruised and cut body cried out in pain, yet nothing hurt as much as the cramp in her chest. She stopped moving and waited for it to let up. A minute passed, and then another. When it subsided some, she tried again, turning on her back, and then putting her hands on the floor. Straining, she inched herself up until her back was against the foyer wall and her necklace fell back in place. Seely clutched her left bicep and held on tight. Above, a small piece of paper seesawed through the air and landed in her lap, but she didn’t notice. Seely slowly lifted her shocked and hurting eyes toward heaven, "I am old, let me die." Then faintly, she heard movement in the hallway.
As abruptly as she had left, Jenna tromped across the fallen door and poked her head back into the foyer. A new set of tears stained her cheeks, a ghastly bruise covered the left half of her forehead and she was furious. "The elevators are broken!"
Seely opened her arms and allowed her dear friend into her embrace. But as she began stroking Jenna's hair, the crushing pain intensified. Gasping for air, the sound of her own voice seemed weak and somehow foreign, "Jenna,...help me. Heart…attack."
The younger woman quickly let go and sat up," What? What can I do?"
"Find…my purse."
In a whirl of urgent movement, Jenna shoved rubbish aside and tossed tiles away. Finally, she spotted the thin purse strap. She grabbed it and pulled until the purse came free. She knelt down, unzipped it and dumped the contents on the floor. Finding the small bottle at last, she unscrewed the lid and poured six small tablets into her hand. "How many?"
"One."
Jenna poured five back in the bottle, and then held out her hand. She watched Seely get hold of the pill and slip it under her tongue. Then she screwed the lid back on, put the bottle back in the purse and waited. In a little while, the older woman's color started to return and her breathing eased. Still Jenna quietly waited until Seely opened her eyes. "The elevator doors won't open."
Seely forced a comforting smile, and then struggled to spit out her words, "Jenna, you must not…get in the elevators. It's better to take the stairs."
"Okay. We'll go down the stairs then."
"...too soon. Let's rest, okay?"
"But Seely, we're going to fall. Besides, my Mom and sisters are down there. I have to get home."
Seely paused to breathe several more times before she spoke, "I know, my family…is down there too." To her relief, the pain in her chest was beginning to ease.
Jenna stared into Seely's haunting eyes for a long moment, and then she slumped against the opposite wall, "Don't die Seely? If you die, I'll be all alone."
"I don't think I'm gonna die. Not yet."
*
At KMPR, Collin was still braced in the doorway. He watched Max get up, scoot rubbish off the top landing and test the railing. It held. Next, Max eased his weight down on the first stair step. It too held. Meticulously, he tested another, and then another until he stood on the landing outside Collin's apartment.
He glanced up at Collin, and then turned the knob and pushed the door open. Cautiously, he eased inside. All the windows were gone. Cast iron I-beams stood in each corner of the living room, minus most of their concrete
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