Dark Fall

Chapter 20 - Collateral Damage

"Zoe, get help!" Terra yelled, jumping to her feet. "Bring everyone." Zoe nodded in response, then sprinted back to the hospital.

The orphanage backdoor scraped on bent hinges as Terra yanked it open to enter the damaged building. The screams of terrified children filled the dusty air, further tightening the knot in Terra's gut. Shifting into the aura to guide her in the low visibility, she located and led out four frightened children, carrying two bloodied in her arms. By then, Zoe and others from the hospital had arrived to take them away.

Outside, Terra located a gray-haired man she knew to be a town councilman, telling him, "The building is unstable. We are going to need to shore up the walls." He nodded, then motioned to three other men to assist.

Terra ducked back in to look for more survivors, hoping desperately that Benjamin would be among them. "Benjamin!" she yelled out, her voice cracking as the dry dust coated her throat.

Hearing a weak cry, Terra pushed against a door, but found it jammed against the fractured doorframe. Concentrating her power to a sharp edge and guiding it with extended fingers, she sliced off half the door, just enough to allow entry into the room. A sobbing young girl crouched on the floor with a gash on her head, and another child laid unresponsive under part of an overturned bookcase. Terra picked up the girl, cuddling the terrified child to her chest, and squeezed out the doorway to find Zoe coming towards them.

"Take her," Terra said, handing the little girl to Zoe. "There is another trapped inside."

Terra closed her eyes and widened the aura view. More survivors appeared, glowing faintly within the rubble.

"Benjamin!" she cried out again, spurring a hacking cough.

In the next room, Terra found a caretaker crawling through debris toward the door, one leg bent at an unnatural angle. Dust smeared across her desperate face.

Terra bent down before her. "We are going to get you out. Where is Benjamin's room?"

"Second floor. East end, last room on the right," she replied in a strained voice.

An icy dread overcame Terra, inducing a shudder. The second floor on that side of the building no longer existed. She stepped out and motioned to a medic. "Another in here. You will need a splint for a fractured tibia."

Terra continued down the hallway, guided by aura sense, but she found her way completely blocked by a collapsed wall, but sensed more survivors within the collapsed part of the building. Turning around, she rushed back out of the building, dodging debris and other rescuers. Several men entered carrying beams borrowed from a construction site braced the walls that still stood, while others brought in lighting. Outside, a growing crowd of townspeople formed loose networks to sift through the rubble.

The town officer Terra spoke with earlier stood on a low rock wall, marshaling rescuers and resources. She caught his attention. "There are at least ten more survivors inside," she said in a breathy voice. "I am a T3 Talent and I can see their aura under the rubble."

The man firmed his expression. "Show us where."

Terra directed the digging toward each of the survivors. Once rescued, Zoe took them away and assigned transport to the hospital. Ginny arrived at the scene. Having a moderate Talent ability, she worked together with Terra to more accurately locate survivors within the rubble.

It seemed the whole town dug as Terra and Ginny pointed out potential locations, working furiously yet carefully, removing rubble one piece at a time. But to Terra, the progress seemed frustratingly slow. More children and caretakers emerged from the rubble to the cheers of the rescuers, but still no sign of Benjamin. Terra choked back a sob as visions of the worst outcome flooded her mind.

Terra sensed one more survivor, but the aura was weak. This one laid buried deep under a fallen wall. Extending her arms, she telekinetically lifted a section of the wall, creating enough of a space for two men to crawl under on their bellies.

"Benjamin!" Terra's heart lifted from the abyss as the men pulled out the boy, but fell again as she realized the extent of his injuries.

Zoe and Terra gently carried him away and placed him on a stretcher. Terra waved off the stretcher-bearers and shifted into the aura to assess his internal injuries. He breathed with shallow, painful gasps as his pulse weakened.

She spoke to him softly while caressing his head. "Hey, Benjamin. I am here. Just hang on, okay?"

A weak smile came to his face, radiating innocent joy. But then his eyes drifted closed and his head settled slowly to one side.

"No, Benjamin!" Terra sobbed in a broken voice. "Stay with me... Please..."

Reaching in with her psi-surgical ability, Terra massaged a stilled heart as rivers of tears streamed down her cheeks, hoping desperately to revive him. But it was to no avail.

He was gone.

Terra lifted Benjamin's limp form to her chest and wept openly, hurling wails at the sky. As Zoe put her hand gently on Terra's arm, Terra whispered, "Give me a minute." Zoe backed away to tend to the other wounded, leaving Terra to her grief.

Will arrived out of breath to find Terra just as a pair of medics covered Benjamin's body with a sheet and carried him away. Terra sat on the ground, head bowed and trembling in grief. Will gently lifted her to her feet and pulled her into an embrace. "Terra, I am so sorry."

Anguish more than she could bear poured out. Terra pushed back and pounded her fists into Will's chest. "Damn you!" She turned her back to him, water spilling from her eyes. "Go away!" she shouted.

"Terra, I..."

Her voice cracked. "Just... just go away."

Terra sensed him moving away, one tentative step at a time. Then she heard Ginny's voice. "Will, let me talk to her. She is deeply hurt. It will take some time."

Ginny put her arm around Terra and walked with her over to a bench. "Terra, I know you are in great pain. We are all here for you."

As they sat, Terra's trembling sobs turned to stony silence. She whispered, "I pushed Will away."

"I think he will understand. He is here for you as well."

"I know."

"Terra, I hesitate to ask, but they need you at the hospital. There are so many injured, and more are coming. Would you be able to assist?"

Terra nodded her head, stood, and wiped the streaming tears from her face.

Once arriving at the hospital, Terra pushed her emotions aside and helped treat the injured to the best of her ability. Ignoring expressions of concern from others, she instead turned away and only spoke as duty required. She worked into the evening until Liz insisted she go get some rest.

Terra changed out of her soiled scrubs and walked solemnly into the dining hall. Exhausted and numb, she sat at a table well away from others and bowed her head. She glanced up with moist eyes as Will approached, watching as he placed two mugs of hot tea he carried on the table and then sat down across the table from her. Deep eyes reached out to her, projecting concern.

Terra dropped her eyes and took a sip. "Thank you, Will."

He remained silent, as if waiting for her to speak when ready.

"Will, I'm sorry."

He extended a hand across the table to take up one of hers. "I understand. Is there anything I can do for you now?"

"I just want to go back to my room."

They walked back slowly and silently to her apartment, his arm supporting her. Terra leaned in, taking warm comfort from his presence. They paused at her door and she raised wet eyes up to his. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

Will nodded, closing the door behind them. He led her to the couch and let her lay back against him. One arm held her while the other stroked her hair in slow soothing rhythm.

As Terra let her body relax, the grief came again in storm waves, crashing against her heart. Trembling, she curled up her body, nestling within Will's embrace. He became her safe harbor in the maelstrom, lest the waves wash her away. Soon, exhaustion claimed her.