Grabbing Freddie and Phoenix by the arm, Violet dragged them away from the collapsing buildings and the caving pieces of ground. Creating a triangle as they grasped each other's arms and lowered their bodies to the ground, Violet pushed Freddie's head down further to protect his face from drifting debris.
When the shaking stopped, Violet slowly rose from her squat, encouraging Freddie to remain low to the ground until her signal.
"Are you alright, Freddie?" she asked as Phoenix helped him rise to stand when the coast was clear.
With panicking shaking hands and his disoriented eyes wide with fright, Freddie tried his best to process Violet's question and find an answer.
"I'm... that—that was fucking—oh my god, that was fucking terrifying..."
"Thankfully that hasn't been nearly as strong as the last. The weakest one yet... I think it's just another aftershock," Phoenix concluded as her eyes scanned their surroundings.
"Where is Lucy?" Freddie asked as he linked his trembling hands together in an attempt to quell his anxiety.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
Lucy found herself deposited into the bottom of an embassy basement lying flat on her back from her fall. She opened her eyes and shielded her hands from the dirt crumbling from the rigid roof of rocky debris several feet above her. Sanguine sunlight peeked through the cracks of the concrete that threatened to collapse at any moment.
Familiar yet feeble yells echoed across the basement that drew Lucy to attention.
"Commander Goh, is that you? We've been working on creating an exit for you, but that may have been delayed by this aftershock... Is that you, can you hear me?"
His straggled voice followed with a faint reply in confirmation, almost inaudible to Lucy. She collected herself and rose to her feet, clambering through the rubble of the basement as she made her way to attend to him.
"Oh my god..."
Commander Goh lay on his back with his lower half crushed by a colossal slab of concrete. Wiping dust out of her eyes, Lucy swallowed her panic as she ran through an order of operations of what to do next.
"Hi, Commander... it's me, it's Lucy. Can you feel your legs or toes?"
"They're moving, aren't they?" Commander Goh croaked while his toes remained unfortunately unmoved.
Necrosis in his leg muscles has already begun... When the concrete on top of his lower body is lifted, there's a high probability of him having crushing syndrome...
I need to create an exit out of here without causing more collapse
"My three kids, Lucy... My son and my two daughters... Do you remember them?"
"Yes, sir. I remember."
"That's good. As they continue to get older, I would be very happy if they turned out anything like you. I understand that it may be very difficult to save me?"
Lowering her eyes, Lucy chose not to deny.
"I see, Lucy. I've spent many days on the front lines for over 30 years. I can sense what's going on. I know the look of an inevitable decision in your eyes."
Lucy blinked back any hesitation. "No matter what happens, Commander... I'm going to do the best I can."
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
"Lucy! Lucy! Lucy, can you hear me? Lucy!" Violet hollered in search for her across the site. Her voice reverberated underground, allowing Lucy to catch ear of her call.
"I'm here! Violet, I'm down here! The exit the rescue team was creating collapsed, I'm in the basement!"
Freddie, Phoenix, and Violet released dreadful sighs, relieved that Lucy was at least alive.
"Okay... Okay, Lucy, we need to get you out of there."
"Yes, we need to recreate the exit. A few of the other officials are down here, too. So is Commander Goh. He's trapped."
Lucy moved closer to the crack in the rocks so Violet could hear her better.
"Aww, Violet... I'm really sorry I blew up at you. I've been a little out of sorts because... I guess... I guess—"
"—because you miss Freddie?" Violet winked at Freddie who huddled close behind her, trying to peek through the cracks and get a glimpse of Lucy. Violet placed her finger over her lips to shush him before cracking a sly smile.
"Yeah..." Lucy called back.
"Who's Freddie?" Commander Goh's voice cracked in question.
"A guy Lucy likes way too much," Violet answered through the rocks.
"Lucy likes someone?"
"She sure does, Commander. She likes a rockstar who she's in way over her head with."
Phoenix shoved Freddie's shoulder playfully and he blushed in endearment as he listened to the conversation, bringing his hand to cover his mouth as he held back blithe giggles.
"We need to lift the concrete that fell in front of the entry point and blocked it," Lucy strategized.
Violet furrowed her eyebrows as she brainstormed. "Yes. But a pulley won't be able to withstand the weight..."
"We have no other option but to drill a hole," Phoenix suggested.
"This is reinforced concrete, Phoenix," Violet tapped lightly on the slaps blocking the exit. "Drilling through this will take at least three days. We need another plan. And no heavy machinery. It's dangerous for everyone inside because of the weak structure... It may create even more damage."
"How about we inflate airbags to lift the slabs?" Lucy chimed back in.
"It's too heavy. Airbags can only withstand ten tons."
"I see... But what if we use four airbags at the highest pressure point and lift at the same time?"
"But we only have one pump, Lucy. Filling all four of them simultaneously isn't possible."
"That sure is a problem, isn't it..."
Lucy and Violet put a pause on their solution swapping. Allowing a moment of silence, Lucy's mind continued to conceptualize. A steady dripping caught her attention, pacing and leading her thoughts while Freddie listened intently for their next move.
The hydrant water supplies are still working...
"What if you filled the rest with water? Fill the other three airbags simultaneously."
"That's true, Lucy... Very good. But a water-filled airbag won't be able to withstand the tension very long."
"As long as we secure enough space for a body to slide through, I will put up supporting beams from the inside to keep it open as long as possible."
"We will try it. Okay, the plan is decided, let's hurry." Violet and Phoenix took off, springing into execution.
Freddie reflected in awe how quickly, concisely, and efficiently Lucy and Violet created a plan together under incredible pressure in seemingly no time flat.
How well they work together...
This is absolutely amazing
This plan... Everything... it all sounds very crazy... I love it
Unsure of what would happen next, adrenaline charged through Freddie's bloodstream as he remained in an observant squat next to the entryway so the girls could work.
He watched Violet and Phoenix return with flat deflated black rectangles. They then slid them underneath the fallen slabs of concrete that blocked the entry point.
Phoenix connected water hoses to the air tunnels on three airbags while Violet pumped air into the fourth. Filling the bags with air and water simultaneously, the concrete slabs lifted.
Lucy grabbed four beams from the broken structure of the building, carefully lifting stray concrete out of the way and adding the supporting beam to expand the tunnel exit.
"Okay. Entry point secured, Violet. I'm going to lift the concrete slab from Commander Goh and send his body to you first. Prepare a stretcher and get him to the medical tent immediately. The other officials will follow through the exit next."
Painful screams incited as Lucy hoisted the slab away from Commander Goh's body. In one smooth motion, she lifted his body through his pain and discharged him through the entry into Violet's arms who gently filed him onto a stretcher.
Phoenix and Violet lifted opposite ends of the stretcher and carried Commander Goh's body to the medical tent for immediate attention, while the other officials filed out of the exit behind him.
"Okay. Now me..." Lucy encouraged herself into concentration as she began to tunnel through the exit.
Freddie's heart thundered in his chest as he heard her climb and crawl across the rocks out of the basement towards the open air.
Careful not to slip, Lucy minded her feet as she approached the surface. Sending her eyes forward on the final clamber, a hand with black painted fingernails extended just in front of her face to assist her up and out.
Absolutely bewildered, Lucy grabbed the hand in front of her and allowed her efforts to be assisted as she emerged from the rubbles of the basement.
"Hi, Lucy..."
"Hi... Freddie...?" She questioned in disbelief.
I want to hug him...
I want to kiss him...
I...
"I am covered in dirt," Lucy blurted from amidst her racing thoughts, warning Freddie of what he already knew. She took a step away from him in hopes not to make him dirty, too.
Yet Freddie took a step towards her, wanting so much to envelop her into his arms, yet careful not to overstep. "Oh, I don't care about that, dear. I'll get you all good and cleaned up, you know," his cheeky smile implied, as if no time had passed between them.
His eyes served her his warmth. "Are you surprised that I'm here?"
"Very..." Lucy stood awestruck in his presence, recalling when Freddie identified and caught her on the streets of London.
Lucy snapped herself out of speechless perplexity and back into her senses. "I'm just, yes I'm very surprised to see you here. You're a long way from home. It's so dangerous here right now, Freddie! Are you alright?" Resisting her urge to touch him, her eyes frisked his body for any ailments from the aftermath of the aftershocks.
"I'm alright darling, I'm alright... don't worry... Don't you worry your dear little heart. I'm more than alright, actually... because I know you're alright."
Lucy's cheeks heated as she zoned out of her surroundings and into the center of his universe.
Yet a woman's abrupt piercing screams at the medical tent nearby agitated the entire area. Speaking a different language other than English, she fought against a young and frustrated medic who tried to administer a syringe loaded with anesthetic to her lower leg.
"You mean to tell me that even though you are in this much pain and we need to do this, you are refusing anesthesia because you are afraid of shots?!" the medic continued to shout at her, regardless of their language barrier.
She continued to struggle against him, shoving his hands away in absolute terror until she knocked the syringe out of his grasp and onto the ground. The young medic proceeded to load a new sterile syringe with anesthesia and tried again.
Lucy squinted her eyes, watching and reading her before darting to the tent and interrupting their interaction.
"Wait!"
Although Lucy could not understand what the woman was saying, she listened to the concern in the tonality of her voice as she watched her body language.
"Pregnant?" Lucy asked the woman, making a round half circle across her stomach. The woman nodded furiously. Momentarily free from her struggle against the young medic, she dug around in her pockets to retrieve a picture of a sonogram and handed it to Lucy.
"Your baby..." Lucy smiled at her and pointed at the picture. "I understand." The woman nodded again and returned a weak smile as she began to calm down.
"Freddie... would you like to help me?"
"Oh, I'm, just... I'm—I'm... I think I'll be very helpful all the way over here, you know, just right over here, don't you think?"
"It's okay, it's okay... I think I could really use your help, Freddie... It's something only you can do," Lucy cooed as she created a task for him.
Biting his lip, Freddie took nervous steps towards Lucy and her warm smile underneath the medical tent.
"Baby..." Lucy showed Freddie the sonogram photo; The woman smiled meekly at Freddie to which he returned.
"I need to move her bone back into place, but it will hurt her very badly. She cannot have anesthesia because of her baby," Lucy continued to gesture with her hands helping the woman understand her explanation to Freddie, who anxiously covered his teeth with his lips as he comprehended.
"Can you sing for us?" Lucy asked warmly.
Freddie raised his eyebrows as he processed her request before nodding his head in agreement.
Lucy placed the woman's hand onto her shoulder. "You can squeeze... me," she gesticulated by clenching and opening her fist and pointing to herself.
Freddie drew in a deep breath before he began, willing himself to calm for the sake of the situation.
A baby I was when you took my hand...
The light of the night burned bright,
She placed her hands on the woman's lower leg, who then closed her eyes as she listened to Freddie's melodic voice.
The people all stared didn't understand,
But you knew my name on sight...
Freddie stood next to Lucy with his hand on her other shoulder, gratified to touch her skin as he continued to sing.
Ooh, whatever came of you and me,
America's new bride to be,
Don't worry babe, I'm safe and sound...
Down in the dungeon just peaches and me...
Counting down in her head, Lucy popped the woman's bone back into place. Her painful screams broke the air, yet subdued under the influence of Freddie's compelling voice as she settled through the pain.
Don't I love you so...
Yes, you made me live again...
Lucy pulled the sandwich she'd saved inside of her pack across her body.
"Eat this," she brought the sandwich to her mouth and acted out the motion of eating. "For you," Lucy pointed to the woman's heart. "And for baby," Lucy pointed to the woman's stomach with a smile.
Lucy met Freddie's eyes with appreciation and they stepped out of the tent together, allowing the other medics to continue with medical attention.
"How did you know?" Freddie asked Lucy as he walked beside her.
"It's important to listen... not only with ears," Lucy smiled. "Your voice is magical, Freddie... healing in fact. Why did you choose that song?"
"I knew it would be the right one... I just knew."
Freddie exchanged another glance with her before he paused their walk, which caused Lucy to pause as well. Turning to face her head on, the sun set beautifully along the horizon and reflected resplendently in Freddie's eyes as his heart rate increased.
"You've worked hard," The Chief of the National Guard addressed the rescue team, interrupting their thoughts with his dismissal. "Now the next team is here to take over the shift for this evening. Go on and rest for tonight."
Freddie returned his gaze to Lucy, opting to close even more distance. His hand found her neck and traveled up to her cheek and she closed her eyes and accepted his touch.
"Have you been eating less?" Freddie asked, furrowing his eyebrows in concern as he brushed his thumb across her hollowing cheek.
"My appetite hasn't been with me," she answered honestly.
"Mmmm..." Freddie nodded, bringing his other hand to her other cheek as well in an attempt to close touch barriers. "I just can't have that, I want you to be good and full. Let's go to dinner together... you and I?"
Yet Lucy's heartbeat sounded in her ears like an alarm and warned her of her emotions.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
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