Station 19: The Unbreakable Team

Quick Water - Chapter 1

Timeline: This storyline is set up as a "What if this happened instead?" During the two-hour crossover between Station 19 episode 2x02 'Under the Surface' and Grey's Anatomy   episode 15x04 'Momma Knows Best.' Starting off right as Andy and Jack heard Max screaming from the pipes. 

~Andy Herrera~

A scream of "Please help me!" Echoed up from the pipes, I moved forward to look down into the manhole as Gibson said "I've got a visual on Max!" I glanced back to where Bishop and Sullivan were and yelled "Captain!" I then turned back to look at Gibson worriedly before staring into the manhole, I grabbed my handheld and radioed "We have to get moving, he needs help now." Another scream for help echoed up through the pipes, and I thought "Max can't wait much longer."  Gripping my handheld I radioed a follow up, I said "I'm going in if you don't get over here in the next minute, he can't hang on forever, especially with the current." 

Jack was staring at the monitor and said "No harness, no mask, Andy you know exactly how dangerous that is, one slip and you and him could be washed further downcurrent." Bishop and Sullivan came running over seconds later. He grabbed my arm and lightly pulled me to stand up and face him. He said "Herrera I swear if you ever pull a move like that-." Maya cut him off as she said "Okay, I've got flow. Harness is secure. I'm going in." I watched as she jumped into the manhole, I moved to watch the monitor screen with Gibson, fear coursing through me as I worried for Maya and what could happen to her and Max.

~ Maya Bishop ~

I landed with a thud, the rushing water instantly caused me to lose my balance, I slipped on the curved bumpy metal of the pipe trying to find my footing as I was sucked under the water. I grabbed a side of the pipe and clung to it righting myself, as I broke the surface I stood up and said "Hold on Max. I'm going to get you out of here, okay? You just have to hold on as tight as you can until I get to you okay? Can you do that?" He shook his head "no" as he said "Can't, I'm slipping." I heard Andy call out "Captain we should send down another line for Max, the ring maybe, it could give him something thats not cold and smooth to grab onto and possibly buy Bishop more time to reach him safely, it's not a guarantee but-." I heard Sullivan order "Herrera go grab the ring. Gibson pass the monitor to me and go help her set up an anchor point." I heard the echo of their feet as the ran off and I said "You here that Max, we are going to get you something to grab onto, you just have to hang on as long as you can. I'm almost there, hold on okay." 

~Andy Herrera~

I rushed back to the engine grabbing the ring and a new line, I strung the foam ring on the line, tying it to the make a circle at the end of the line, creating a makeshift floatable loop that Max could grab. Gibson was already anchoring the other end of the line next to Maya's anchor point. I walked over with the ring and said "You almost done, we need to hurry?" He glanced up at me holding a frayed point on Maya's line between his hands he said "I thought you checked the line." I was speechless for a second as I said "Get this to Bishop. I'll anchor a new line to replace the fraying one, then I'll cut and tie the lines together. She shouldn't be using all the slack, but come back and help once you hand off the ring, we can't allow her be washed downcurrent. He nodded and then ran off to the manhole stopping halfway he dropped the ring and started sprinting back. I felt the rope line begin to tug forcefully as Maya was probably moving quickly down the sewer pipes. 

I grabbed my handled to radio the Captain an update. I said "The line has a fraying point and Bishop is running out of slack, she's moving too quickly too fast, if she doesn't slow down the line won't hold." Captain sullivan radioed a response he said "Bishop, if you've lost the boy grab something, slow down your line's not secure." There was no reply, thoughts raced through my head and I felt my eyes watering as I feared the worst for my best friend. Suddenly there was a sharp pull as the rope reached it limit, I tried to hold onto the end as it snapped. I didn't realize Gibson was now desperately holding onto the rope next to me. 

Captain Sullivan radioed something I didn't hear, I was too focused on the fact that Jack and I were all that was keeping Maya from being taken by the current. Others started running over to help us hold the line but, before they could even reach us the strength of the current became too much pulling Jack and I of balance. Our holds on the rope loosened as we were knocked to the ground, allowing the rope to slip right through our grasp. I got up quickly and chased the tail of the line to the manhole, desperate to grab onto the end, desperate to keep my best friend from being carried away by the current. I was about to jump into the manhole after the rope when someone tackled me to the ground. 

I shoved them off and watched the rope disappear from view. I grabbed my head frustrated before I slammed my fist into the ground in anger I said "Why would you do that I could of grabbed the line, I could hav-." I rolled over to see Sullivan brushing himself off. He said "You could have been swept away just like Maya, you likely would have without a harness to pull you back up. Now check yourself for injuries, and get into the truck, we're going to try to intercept them at the next access point." 

~Maya Bishop~

We can't lose him, who knows if we'll get the chance to intercept him again. He was lighter so the current carried him much quicker. My mask was starting to make it difficult to for me to see but I knew if I took it off then I would be exposed to the swallowing sewer water. As I washed around a corner I forced my head above the surface and saw Max several yards infront of me. I said "Max if you can try to grab something anything." Suddenly my radio went off I recognized  Andy's voice through the garble of my handheld, it sounded like she said "May- -some-ne- -line- -ray-. -You- -nd- -lease-." I barely understood what she was trying to tell me but I tried to radio back anyway. I said "I'm not sure if I'm on the edge of signal range or if the water fried my radio. If you can hear me, I'm following Max down the pipe, try to intercept us at the next storm drain entry point if I can't grab him before I run out of slack." 

I kept moving towards Max and smiled when he finally found a loose hold on the side of the pipe, he pushed himself against it trying to hold on. I allowed the current to push me to him, closing the distance between him and I slowly. When suddenly I slipped as a strong current crashed into me from behind. I did my best to find my footing and shield Max from the brunt of the current. My radio went off again, spitting out more garbled words that I barely registered as I was now only three or four yards away from Max. I continued to move carefully forward as the current was trying to wash us both away. 

When I was only two yards away I tripped on something under the surface and fell backward, the current moved me swiftly forward and I felt hands brush against my arm and chest. Seconds later Max wrapped around my right arm and was holding tightly to a strap of the harness crossing my chest, his legs wrapped around my waist. I struggled to grab onto the smooth side of the pipe or anything that would help me to pull us to a halt, failing miserably as the conditions of the pipe only seemed to worsen.