Because of their communication, the extraction crew knows that they will be back first. Maverick and Marcellus part ways with their group when they reach the junction the two teams initially split. They hurry down the hallway, flashing their lights at the walls even though Maverick knows their group has gone nowhere but the right pathway.
The right way, actually, if you will.
Marcellus gets winded quicker than Maverick does. He feels bad that Maverick waits. His heart is thundering. They left the walkie in Galilee's hands. It's running blind. Maverick is only used to blindness related to colours. He takes in a deep breath as well. Marcellus gives him a thumbs up and they push on.
The others get back to the building. They take the elevator just up to Moonie's lounge on the first floor, the one with the limiter that they broke to escape earlier. They are able to open the glass window wide. Galilee rubs Tempest's back as she leans out the window. No, she doesn't think it's gas, but on the off chance it is, Tempest forces herself to heave in every breath.
With them settled, Jerry heads up to his room to grab his spare first aid kit. Maverick should still have his on him, in case when they get to the others they need it.
Darlington looks at the two women. He's a history major. It's not mustard gas, but there is a reason gas warfare was so effective in the trenches, a reason it is banned by the Geneva Convention. The other group had five people. Ro, Elodie, Callie, Moonie, and Benedict. None of them are known for their strength. That path was supposed to be the safe one.
When Galilee meets his eyes, she gives him a knowing nod. Darlington darts back down to the basement and down the stairs.
~~~
Benedict has his scarf wrapped around his face so tightly that he's struggling to breathe. It's easier this way, since Ro is stumbling so much their movement is slowed. Her lips mutter the alphabet backwards, in Spanish, and then back down the right way and back up the wrong way. He knows the confusion is settling in, so he doesn't criticize her for trying to hold on even if it is going to drive him insane alongside her.
Elodie has a splitting headache, and Callie and Moonie are both dragging her along, even once Callie throws up too. Elodie can barely keep her eyes open. She feels okay, just sleepy. She's dehydrated too, probably, from puking a few times. She isn't quite aware enough to notice that Callie's grip on her is slipping. Moonie is all too aware though. It hasn't hit her yet, not the way it's hitting the others.
Lights flash down the tunnel. The others threw as much as they could into bags so they wouldn't have to carry anything except each other. Moonie's got the walkie, and Ro's got the flashlight. She shines it at the boys headed their way.
Maverick gets there first. Ro gestures for him to move back and he does. He picks Elodie up and carries her like a fireman in a drama show Twyla would like. Elodie's eyes are shut, her breaths raspy.
Callie is coughing so hard. Marcellus gets up to them just to watch Maverick turn with Elodie on his shoulders. Staring at her for a second too long, Marcellus shakes away the feeling. He grabs Callie, who has sweat on her brow. Moonie lets Callie go to help Benedict. Marcellus can handle Callie, but Benedict and Ro need more than just each other.
Every step is harder than the next. None of them speak. Moonie wonders if it would be easier to grab the tide and pull it closer to shore with her bare hands.
Darlington gets there just as the group is reaching the junction. The farther they get from where Ro suspects a leak, the better she is feeling. At the very least, her head may feel so heavy on her neck, but she doesn't feel compelled to slur her way through the alphabet.
"Who needs help?" Darlington asks, scanning over the crowd.
Marcellus calls out to Darlington. They are far back from the group, at least a hundred feet away from the junction. Maverick's head spins. He hadn't realized they were so far back.
Callie whispered to Marcellus, making sure he wouldn't tell anyone and slow the others down. Her body aches. She keeps sitting down no matter how much Marcellus pleads with her to stand. Callie is tall too, and Marcellus wouldn't get all that far if he tried to carry her.
Darlington steps forward, just as Benedict starts coughing and coughing. He tries to rip his scarf away from his mouth, but his fingers are shaking. Benedict plucks at his throat like a guitar string, but the sound escaping his mouth is an ugly croak. He can feel his chest rattling. Benedict falls to his knees.
"Shit," Darlington says.
"We've got him," Moonie tells Darlington, unwrapping Benedict's face.
He starts hyperventilating.
"Get him to stop. He's probably taking in more gas," Maverick calls to them, pushing further down the tunnel.
He has to stop though when Elodie turns green. He holds her hair as she loses the lining of her stomach. The bile burns. Nothing left to puke, it seems.
"Fuck," Darlington says. He sprints down the hall.
Marcellus is standing next to Callie, who has her head in between her knees. In fires, you're supposed to crawl so you don't breathe in smoke. She can't even crawl. Her vertigo is so bad that if she moves she's going to be sick.
"I've got an emergency inhaler in my first aid kit," Maverick calls out. "Just get out as fast as you can! It'll help open your airways when we are up top."
Darlington and Marcellus scoop Callie off the ground. Together, they try to move quickly, practically dragging her toward the others.
"Calm under pressure," Callie muses to herself. "Insufferable as always."
"You'll thank him later," Marcellus says, looking at Darlington.
He knows he is thanking him now. Darlington has always been what Marcellus knows people expect him to be. Darlington is the best at his job, and Marcellus is the only one on probation. No one would say Darlington isn't charming, but Marcellus can't even get his parents to like him. In this moment, none of that feels even the smallest bit important. Darlington is here, dragging Callie out of this pit, and everything else doesn't matter.
"I'm thanking him now," Callie answers.
Moonie, Ro and Benedict force themselves up into the basement. They walk over to the end of the hall and call the elevator. Maverick comes shortly after him, Elodie over his shoulder. She hasn't puked on him even though they are jostling around, and that at least is nice.
They hold the elevator, even when it stops beeping. Elodie, on the floor, seems to be able to breathe. Her vision is blurry, but she knows she is in Maverick's arms, and there are fewer people she would hand her life to more willingly.
Callie, Marcellus, and Darlington aren't back.
Everyone waits.
The elevator beeps, screaming at them. That's the kind of noise it makes when you're bothering it too much. It might get stuck if they keep it up. Really, they shouldn't be putting ten people in an elevator. They aren't. It is only eight, but eight is pushing it.
Darlington, Marcellus, and Callie stumble out of the storage closet. Maverick feels like he might pass out. It isn't the gas, but he was holding his breath for so long that he felt faint. The group all climbs into the elevator and heads into the lounge.
There, they find Tempest, only just pulling back.
Jerry looks up from where he is finishing wrapping Galilee's hand, "shit."
"Yeah," Maverick says.
He helps Elodie over to the window, where her face hangs out, breathing in the cold air. She's so fucking cold, but she is alive. She beat that damn fucking tunnel.
Everyone ends up by the windows. Ro sits on the back of the couch, tilting her head out just. It's already better. Benedict feels the same, only hovering over Callie for twenty seconds before pulling back. With their hands intertwined, Callie and Elodie rest their cheeks on the metal windowsill. They smile at each other.
"Maybe this is what we get for poisoning Darlington," Elodie whispers. "Karma and all that."
"Maybe," Callie agrees.
While they sit, Tempest hovers. She's got them.
Maverick passes around the inhaler, disinfecting it between each person. If it's carbon monoxide, they'll be fine without emergency services, at least for the day. It isn't snowing anymore. Actually, it's a bit warmer. They hope their phones will be online tomorrow.
Moonie won't take the inhaler from him. She's fine, unlike the others. He insists, practically forcing it on her. She sits on the couch, legs draped over him as he pushes and pushes. She rolls her eyes at him.
They are all trained in first aid, but Jerry wasn't down below. He takes it upon himself to pester Darlington and Marcellus. They weren't down there that long, and they insist they are fine, but Jerry continues to ask the standard questions he rehearsed over and over.
While the others check in on each other, Galilee walks into the hall with both of the walkies. She calls in to Burns Hall.
"Yeah, we heard the commotion," Damon calls through the line. "We aren't anywhere near the FC, but just to be safe, we went looking. The Facilities Unit was doing construction in Burns Hall over the summer, and we've found a couple of proper respirators. We're sending our own crew down to look for Hadley in the next hour. We will keep you posted."
"We don't know what kind of gas it was," Galilee explains.
The walkie clicks back, "they've got cartridges and an instruction manual that will help us find out. If one starts to change colour, we'll know."
"Keep us posted," Galilee says. She clicks back off the walkie. The other one is dead. All their communication seems to have drained the battery.
They have one walkie though. Even radio silence is better than the kind of silence she hears in this hall.
~~~~~
It's so fun! They live! Nothing bad will ever happen again for sure haha definitely. This ones a bit shorter, but I promise there are some big big boys coming up. I'll be slamming out some more soon so you won't have to wait long!