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Chapter Four: The Aftermath


Everything was still as the clouds turned back to a dark gray. The tornado was gone, leaving a devistating trail of destruction in its wake. Howie blinked a few times, feeling something heavy on top of him and Ana. Stretching, he heard a clatter and saw it was a piece of plywood that had created almost a shield from other debris flying around the basement. He groaned, rubbing his head. "It's over. Thank God it's over--"

"Just get off me," Ana demanded, achingly pushing Howie away from her body. She stumbled away from him, scrambling up from the broken glass, wood, and various objects of Tierja's once-beautiful home. She shivered violently as she reached to uncover Kevin and Tierja, finding her best friend still sobbing underneath Kevin for protection. Sighing, Ana stooped, not really realizing she was covered in deep cuts and gashes from the glass. Instead, she gingerly raked her fingers against Tierja's tender forehead. "Tierj, you're fine. It's over."

"It's over? The tornado is gone?" Tierja whispered, looking up to see Ana with cuts on her arms and shoulders. "Oh my God! Ana, you're bleeding--"

"I'm fine. Are you and Kevin alright?"

"We're okay..." Kevin answered shakily, helping Tierja into a sitting position. Carefully, he folded the trembling woman in his arms, not realizing that he was shaking, too. The natural disaster had been way too close for comfort. He had never expected to be placed right in the middle of death so fast. But, he swallowed hard, reminding himself that they were okay. "Where's Howie?"

"Who cares," Ana dismissed the question, taking out her undamaged penlight. She gently guided the woman to look into the light so she could check her vitals. "Tierj, did you hit your head or lose consciousness as the tornado came through here? How do you feel?"

"I have a pounding headache and I'm nauseous, but that's it. And you should care about Howie," Tierja reprimanded, reaching to grasp Ana's wrist. She tugged the young woman down to eye level, making sure Ana understood. She swallowed hard to ignore the blood dripping from Ana's gashed cheek, just wanting Ana and Howie to be okay. "He saved your life Ana."

"I've got to get you out of here and get a radio back to the guys. I'm definitely on duty for Emergency Care..." Ana countered, loosening Tierja's sharp grip on her wrist. "Providing my truck isn't completely totaled..."

"It's going to be difficult getting to your truck," Kevin spoke up, looking towards where the door of the basement once was.

"What do you--"

"We're kind of trapped in here at the moment," he nodded towards the blocked entrance. Beams, sheetrock, and foundation covered their only way out. All the windows were filled with debris from outside and in.

"Well, I've got to get Tierj to a hospital and I've got to see how bad our city is hurting for Paramedics. I don't have a choice to be trapped," Ana gritted with frustration, never admitting to the fear of being buried alive. She boosted herself from the cluttered floor, bumping directly into Howie. She winced with pain at her aching muscles, briefly glancing upward. She mumbled, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but you need to get those cuts cleaned up," Howie handed her the battered first aid kit that had been laying on the floor three feet away from them. "Have Tierja help you. Kevin and I will get everything out of the doorway."

"I'm fine," she gritted, hating that she even resorted to talking to him.

"Ana, please just listen to him. You need to save your strength for when we get out of here," Tierja spoke up, breaking the potential argument.

"I..." Ana swallowed her bitter words, just taking the mangled first-aide kit from Howie's hands. Despite her injuries, her entire body flared with an intense anger, wondering why he wasn't more distraught with her attitude. If anything, she just wanted some type of reaction.

"No matter what you're thinking, coming to Minnesota really was the best decision of my life. If I hadn't come here, I never would have met you and my life wouldn't be as great as it is with you in it. Damnit, you misunderstood what I said to Kev--"

"Bullshit, I heard what you said. You made it perfectly clear that ruined it all, so you must have had it great in Florida and I'm only second best--"

"How could you possibly think that your second best when I just risked my own life to make sure you weren't torn apart by that damn tornado?!"

"I didn't ask for your help."

"I protected you because I love you!"

"How could you even begin to love something that's second best in--"

"Ana," Tierja called meekly from Kevin's arms, just wanting the bickering to halt. The distress in Ana's voice not only made Tierja's heart ache, but her head as well. She almost thought about strangling Kevin for ruining the perfect relationship, but then she reminded herself that Howie was just as much at fault for the destruction. But, now, Tierja's main goal was getting out of this godforsaken place and getting help.

"Thank you for protecting me, but just leave me alone," Ana demanded from Howie, pulling her tender arm away from his grasp, only to muffle a yelp of pain.

"Kevin, will you go and help Howie clear all that crap that was once part of my house while I clean Ana's cuts?" Tierja looked up at Kevin, hope sparkling in her weary eyes. "And maybe talk to him while you're at it?"

"What do you want me to talk to him about?" Kevin sighed, glancing back at the growing distance between Ana and Howie's hearts. He felt horrid for pushing Howie into the argument, knowing that had sparked the confusion in the young woman. He never would have asked Ana to question Howie's love, because she seemed important in his life. But, he couldn't help but comment when he noticed Howie's aloofness.

"Everything that happened in the past. I know you're sorry about what happened, and if you can try to make amends... maybe Howie and Ana will be okay again. Will you try? Please?"

"Maybe they'll be okay?"

"No, they won't. This isn't all your fault, but you had a big part in this and it needs to be fixed."

"I'll try."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me," Tierja reached up and ran her shaking fingers through Kevin's dusty locks.

"Is it alright if I stay at the hospital while you're there?" Kevin asked, thinking slightly ahead. If anything, his motorcycle had been completely trashed from the crash, not to mention probably crushed from the tornado. He had no where to go.

"Of course you can stay with me. I was going to ask if you wanted to since you don't really have any place to go without your motorcycle," Tierja replied, thankful for him asking.

"I'll look into getting it replaced once I know you're okay," Kevin answered, gently helping her sit on her own. He knew that the possibilty of him staying in Minnesota was probably lower than Howie's love life at the moment. He had caused a rift in the trio of friends, which meant he needed to move on. But, he brushed the thoughts away, quite aware that Ana was standing just near them, waiting for a distraction to get away from Howie.

"So you'll talk to him?" Tierja asked quietly as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She didn't want him to leave her life, but could also feel the guilt radiating from his emerald eyes and knew he was going to leave as soon as he could.

"Yeah, I will."

"Thank you, then."

"For what?"

"For making a lasting impression in my life."

~*~*~*~

"Tierj? C'mon, it's time to wake up," Ana gently shook Tierja's shoulder. She had finally let the woman sleep for about fifteen minutes while Howie and Kevin worked on getting the beams, rocks and furniture out of their exit.

"No... Tierj wants to sleep," Tierja whined, pullimg the blanket over her head. All she wanted to do was sleep. The throbbing pain and nausea went away when she swimmed in the dark clouds of the unconscious.

"If I let you sleep, then there's a damn good chance that you'll never wake up. So, if you don't want your name on a tombstone while you're in your twenties, I suggest you wake your ass up," Ana contradicted, reaching to pull the blanket away from Tierja's face. She hated having to soothe Tierja from a painless slumber, but it needed to be done. If she was losing Howie, she sure as Hell wasn't losing Tierja, too.

"Alright, I'm up. I'm up," Tierja groaned, opening her eyes. The pain flooded back harder than ever and she wished Ana could do something to make it go away. Tears prickled beneath her eyelids and she blinked them away. "Has anyone come by the house to check for survivors?"

"Not that I know of..." Ana trailed, leaning back against the couch again to rest her weary back. She knew it'd be a long haul once she was freed from the wreckage. Tornados were horrifying when it came to the destruction of human lives. She just prayed that she wasn't loading up a ton of body bags in the beast's wake. "Of course, we're in the basement underneath a pile of rubble, I doubt anyone could hear us at the moment. But, you'll be to the doctor's soon enough and I'll be working my ass off to save lives."

"Oh... yeah... I think I'm going to move closer to the Twin Cities. Less chance of tornados," Tierja sighed heavily, moving to sit up. She couldn't just lie there like a block of wood while they were all trapped.

"Don't you dare," Ana quickly warned, pushing her back down. "You've got a head injury, dumbass. That means resting and not provoking any more swelling. God, your naseous enough as it is."

"I hate laying down like this, I feel useless--"

"Well, at this moment, you are useless."

"Thanks," Tierja rolled her eyes, laying down on the thin carpeted floor. "Can I have more Tylenol? My headache is getting worse."

"Yeah," Ana consented, reaching for the battered first aid kit. She attempted to open the crushed container, but found that it wouldn't budge. Growing quickly irritated, she slammed it against the littered floor, causing it to pop open. She ignored Tierja's sharp wincing from the sound, retrieving the Tylenol. She handed the medication to Tierja and then grasped four-by-fours of guaze to pad away the bleeding from her arms, shoulders, and cheek.

"You haven't even taken care of your own injuries? Anastacia Grace," Tierja groaned in disappointment. Ana always cared for others before even thinking of herself, which could prove fatal in some cases in their past.

"What?" Ana grimaced, wincing when she touched the large gash within her cheek. She immediately withdrew the tainted guaze soaked with her own blood. She realized that someone at the hospital would be sewing stitches into her delicate flesh, making her shudder. She hated the idea of needles in her own flesh.

"You should have been taking care of yourself while I was sleep--"

"I'm fine, Tierj."

"Will you at least let me help you? Cleaning all those cuts by yourself--"

"I'm fine, Tierj. Just sit back and rest," Ana quickly interupted again, tossing the soaked guaze onto the floor. She reached for another, planning just a quick patch up to her cheek, hating that it wouldn't stop bleeding.

"Damnit, Ana--"

"I want you to rest, okay? Do you want me to go into detail about what happens when a head injury likes yours can kill? Because it will happen if you don't rest, and I'll be damned if I lose you."

"Anastacia--"

"Tierja! Enough, okay? Do what you need to do and let me do what I need to do. I'm trained in first aid and moreso than that. My few lacerations aren't a big deal. Your head injury is. So, please, lay back, because you've been the constant in my life. And, if I lose my constant along with my lover, I can't guarentee that I'll be in the state of mind to continue living. Got it?" Ana spoke freely, her voice low and forbidding as the stress rose within her aching body.

"Got it..." Tierja whispered, closing her eyes for a moment. "You're only going to lose Howie if you let yourself. You don't know what happened in Florida."

"And I could really care less about it," Ana retorted, biting down on her bottom lip as she dabbed the cuts with an alcohol pad.

"No, you need to know this--"

"And you need to rest."

"Ana, I can rest and talk to you about Howie."

"You know, I think you might be as winded as a freaking tornado," Ana growled with discontent, throwing aside yet another bloodied alcohol and reaching for another. She didn't want to talk about the issues concerning her love life. The issues that had been ruffled by the high vilocity of winds. She had made a mistake with Howie, pure and simple.

"When it comes to your stubborn ass, you bet I can be," Tierja argued, glaring at her best friend. "Now shut up and listen good."

"Tierj--"

"It was about five years ago. Howie and Kevin were still living in Florida with their three other friends. They had known each other for over ten years and were really close. But then one day Kevin heard a rumor that Howie had been sleeping with his then girlfriend Sharon. Kevin lost it and stormed over to Howie's place. They started screaming at each other, Howie claiming he didn't even touch Sharon let alone sleep with her. All of a sudden Kevin attacked him, breaking his jaw, giving him two black eyes and cracking his nose. It was really bad. All the friendships fell apart after the fight, which Kevin blames himself for. That's when Howie moved out here to Minnesota, where he met you. The best decision of his life, remember?"

"It wasn't the best decision of his life, remember? He's the one that said Kevin ruined it all. How could this be the best decision of his life when whatever was in Florida had been so perfect for Kevin to ruin? He wouldn't have come to Minnesota if Kevin hadn't fucked up in Flordia. I'm second best. I'm what he settled for since Florida had been such a waste. Best decision of his life, my ass," Ana mumbled with hate and disgust. She stopped working on her wounds, glancing up briefly to see the men actually managing to clear debris away for a chance to escape. And, for once, she actually started to wonder about Howie's faithfulness. Had he been sleeping with Sharon?

"Don't even start that shit, Ana. Did you ever think maybe you totally misconstrued what he meant? He lost his friends because of Kevin, and that's what he meant by ruining it all. He was single in Florida, in case you forgot," Tierja frowned, knowing she didn't have Ana's attention. She reached over and pinched Ana's thigh.

"OUCH! Damn, Tierj."

"Listen to me! He was single in Florida, but don't you even think about Howie sleeping with that slut Sharon. It turned out she was sleeping with one of Kevin's co-workers at the recording studio."

"If she was such a slut, it doesn't mean that she didn't get Howie into her bed, too," Ana contradicted, immediately rubbing her twinging thigh.

"But he didn't sleep with her! Kevin told me he didn't."

"Why do you care so much, Tierj?"

"Because I hate seeing my two best friends split away for no damn reason. You love each other and you're letting the past get inbetween! Why?" Tierja moved to sit up again, agitated with Ana's attitude.

"Because as much as you hate to admit it, the past sometimes does have a way of altering the future," Ana answered, moving to settle Tierja back into a laying position. "Now stop moving or I'm finding duct tape and sealing you to the floor."

"Do you love Howie?"

"Tierja--"

"Do you love Howie?"

"Stop it."

"No. Do you love Howie?"

"It doesn't matter."

"The Hell it doesn't. Do you love Howie?"

"I don't know--"

"You don't know? You've been with Howie for three years and you always told me how much you loved him. Now you don't know?"

"Yes--"

"How about you tell me the truth? Tell me what your heart feels instead of what your brain is thinking."

"The heart feels nothing. It's just a pump that pushes blood around to every other portion of your body--"

"Goddamnit, Missy! You know exactly what I mean and it's not the medical bullshit."

"So what if I love him? What does that matter when he won't even look at me the same with Kevin in the room? He's so damn hostile and won't even touch me... And it's only been a few hours... With the way Kevin connected to you... I just can't stand to get hurt again, alright? He obviously had something better in Florida. Something better that didn't include me or my love," Ana gulped, quickly looking away from Tierja's battered form. She sought for a way to escape the hard conversation, but she was boxed in by the rubble. She was stuck.

"That's not true!" Tierja reached up and made Ana look into her eyes. "Howie's trying to deal with Kevin here. Have you even thought of how hard it is for him? And instead of trying to help him, you're pulling away from him. He needs you to hold him and tell him it's going to be alright like you have before. He loves you, Ana. More than his own life and you know that from when the tornado hit."

"He just came into the washing room because you told him to--"

"He covered his body over yours when my house was hit. You could have been hurt a lot worse if he hadn't done that."

"He was blown onto my body, not by choice."

"He could have easily rolled off, but he didn't. Did he?"

"Because he was terrified of moving--"

"NO, it was because he didn't want you to die!"

"I wasn't going to die!"

"And you know that for sure? YOU KNOW THAT FOR SURE?"

"Stop it, Tierj. You're hurting me," Ana immediately whimpered, making Tierja aware that she was gripping Ana's tattered arms and digging her nails into the bleeding flesh.

"And you're hurting me the way you're acting towards the man you love who loves you a million times more," Tierja whispered, releasing her grap.

"I'm not acting like anything. I did my best earlier today, trying to hold him and talk to him. He just brushed me away. He didn't want me."

"And when you're trying to deal with things, you run to him? You don't push him away?"

"That's different--"

"How is that different?"

"Because it just is, alright?"

"It's not alright, Missy. Not at all. You can hide behind your fancy medical terminology, but I know the truth. You're terrified of needing him as much as he needs you. You're looking for any excuse to dump him and when you finally found one, as stupid as it is, you're shocked because it's tearing your heart apart. You break away after a hard day at work, sobbing because you found people dead in a car that you couldn't help. But, you're still carrying that weight around. All those people in your heart, Ana. It's not healthy. You need someone to hold you and comfort you."

"That's why I have you--"

"Sometimes I'm not enough, Ana."

~*~*~*~

"Howie, can I talk to you about something?" Kevin asked after an eternity of silence. The men had been working on the fallen debris for over an hour and were barely making a dent. Sweat poured down their necks and backs, soaking their shirts. Kevin had promised Tierja he would try to work this out with his estranged friend and he wouldn't break that promise. He had missed Howie and wanted thing to be right again.

"I always thought you were better talking with your fists," Howie replied dryly, pulling away a large piece of sheetrock away from the doorway.

"You know, you were a lot more timid in Florida. You'd think living in Minnesota would soften you even more," Kevin grunted with distaste, knowing he shouldn't be overly critical of Howie's attitude. After all, Kevin had accused him of the darkest treachery - adultry. It wasn't fair for Kevin to expect miracles after three years of hate brewing between them. If anything, Howie had more of a right to criticize him.

"Well, I have you to thank for my new attitude," Howie rolled his eyes, tossing a hunk of wood behind him. It barely missed Kevin's shin, causing the older man to jump with surprise. Howie smirked.

"And is this how you got Ana attracted to you? Attempting to murder her with blunt objects?" Kevin exclaimed, just narrowing his dark, thick brows with disgust. In Florida, Howie had been reserved, quiet, and never attempted to strike a physical or verbal argument. He was cautious, always thinking before making choices. But, now, he seemed impulsive, almost violent.

"Ana never blamed me for the things you did. She never would, either, because she knows I'm not that kind of person," Howie turned and glared at Kevin. "We knew each other for over ten fucking years. One damn rumor that involves me with Sharon and you automatically believe it."

"What do you want me to say, Howie?" Kevin asked blankly, removing another piece of heavy slate to find just a peak of sunlight. He knelt down slightly on the already broken stairs, preparing to further clean around the small opening. "I can't explain myself fully for what I was thinking. I noticed all the signs in Sharon. I knew she was doing someone... Then she makes one comment about how handsome you are... I was ready to blame anyone for her decite. I just needed something to go on."

"So you go against one of your best friends... that's nice, Kevin. Really nice," Howie moved to where Kevin was working and began pulling away various material. "I had looked up to you, you know."

"Howie--"

"Why didn't you try talking to Sharon first? Would that have been so hard? You were my brother, and I loved you like one. You hurt me in more ways--"

"I'm sorry, Howie. I truly am."

"I just want things to go back the way they were," Howie sighed heavily as the worked on the passage, sunlight coming through even more.

"You want to move back to Florida?"

"No, I mean... the connection we all had. Do you remember that? It was like we were all separated at birth or something," Howie tried to explain. "I've made a life here, and the guys have done the same wherever they are now. But I want it to be where one of us calls and we make a spontaneous ruinion or something."

"We can do that, D."

"Can we, Kev? Do you think we could start over?"

"Why not?"

"It's been so long--"

"But you were right, D. There is a connection we all have, and it will never be broken."

"I don't know how to contact any of them," Howie stated, crouching further into the hole to clear a somewhat larger opening that someone could crawl through. He took a deep breath, trying to gather his wits as the pain and fatigue of clearing heavy lumber started to attack his already stressed muscles and body. Though, despite the pain, he was somewhat thankful that he could speak to Kevin openly, even if he couldn't speak to Ana.

"I still talk to my Aunt Jackie... I could have her get Brian's number and we could call him," Kevin suggested, stooping down to Howie's level, muffling a groan of pain from his aching muscles. "It's worth a try, don't you think?"

"Okay..."

"I really am sorry, Howie... I missed you and the guys a lot. And I'm sorry for causing your trouble with Ana--"

"Don't."

"Don't what?" Kevin questioned with a short gasp of air, never expecting Howie to cut the conversation so sharply. He narrowed his emerald eyes with question, waiting for Howie's answer. "I'm honestly sorry about Ana..."

"What's happening between us is not your fault. I should have told her the past at the very beginning, but I didn't. I was too ashamed about it and I thought she would believe that rumor as well... if she leaves me now, it's no one's fault but mine."

"Where'd you meet her anyway?" Kevin continued with an open forum, deciding to leave Howie's fears out. He figured Howie would work through his pain of Ana's potential dismissal after considering why he cared about Ana so. If anything, Kevin had learned quickly the inner workings of his friends, even if they had been apart for several years. Howie loved to analyze.

"When I first moved to Minnesota, I didn't have any friends until I started my new job at a bar called Bentley's. Tierja was the head bartender and we hit it off right away. She's a great friend... anyway, one night Ana came in and Tierja introduced us. I've been infatuated with her ever since, and I love her more than anything," Howie replied softly, the passage getting a little bigger.

"So, now we can get some killer drinks mixed when we hang out with the boys," Kevin chuckled, pulling a heavy log away to cause several clumps of cement to fall. He winced as one connected with Howie's knee, but said nothing because Howie said nothing, just continuing to clear away the debris. He focused on the hole, wanting it big enough for him to fit through instead of making Ana venture out first. "So, what'd you think when she told you she was a Paramedic?"

"I knew she would be telling me nasty stories and that she would practice her first aid skills on me when she was bored," Howie replied, pushing away more chunks of cement. "Both of those things have happened more than once in the three years we've been together."

"So, it's pretty serious?" Kevin murmured, glancing down at his younger friend to see him tenderly rub the knee that had obviously been bruised. He waited for a moment, until a pile of rubble folded into his lap. Grimacing slightly from the chalky dust he inhaled with a sharp sneeze to release, he continued with his work.

"Yeah, I was actually thinking of proposing soon, but with the way things are now... I don't know," Howie sighed heavily, throwing pieces of lumber behind him. "I still want to marry her, but I don't know if she wants to marry me."

"Proposing?" Kevin laughed softly in surprise, quickly looking back to Howie with confirmation. He had always heard Howie speak of wanting a large family and a loving wife, but never had a woman to share the gift with. All the men in the group seemed to harrass him about his daydreams, but that's all Howie had wanted. The right woman for a beautiful family. Who would have guessed that he'd find the right woman in Minnesota... Who would have guessed that Kevin had found the right woman in Minnesota, in the middle of a tornado. "She doesn't seem like your type..."

"Haven't you ever heard of the saying 'Opposites attract'? That's how Ana and I are," Howie sent Kevin a short glare before going back to work. "And who is anyone to say what my type is but me?"

"D, I didn't mean it like that... No offense or anything... I just... I didn't know what attracted you to her in the first place. I missed out on three years of your relationship. I just wanted to know the good with the bad... I wanted to become your pal again... Somehow, I figured talking about Ana would pass the time..."

"I know... and I didn't mean to snap at you," Howie stopped his work again, glancing back to his old friend. "I'll admit one thing. I did miss all of us being friends, even after the whole Sharon situation. We had all been friends for so long... you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I know..."

"Do you think we could go back to what it once was, Kev?"

"I think we can give it a damn good try. If you can at least try to promise me one thing."

"Promise you what?"

"At least try to talk to Ana. I mean, I don't know her that well, but I know enough to see that she really cares about you. When I had you all up against the wall, she was doing her best to draw you back. There's obviously something there if you were thinking about proposing. Besides, three years and a terrifying tornado where you cover her with your own body to make sure she isn't impaled... That's quite a history to just let some old asshole come in and spoil it. Right?"

"Yeah, you're right. I'll talk to her, or should I say, I'll try. When it comes to Ana, it's a little difficult--"

"Just promise me you'll try."

"I'll try, Kev."

"Howie?" Kevin spoke after a few minutes of going back to work.

"Yeah?"

"Are we friends again?"

"I--"

"Guys, why are you screwing around with that? I can get through that hole, grab the radio from my truck, and get the other guys here for Tierj. Besides, I can probably work from the outside to clear a little more so it'll be safe..." Ana trailed, obviously keeping her presence as the worst timer. Her dark blue-green eyes concentrated on the somewhat narrow hole instead of the sweaty men. She couldn't take seeing Tierja in so much pain. They needed help and they needed it now.

"Ana, I don't want you getting--"

"I'll be fine and it's my choice if I'm the one to go. The longer we wait for that hole to get bigger, the worse Tierja's head injury is going to get. The worse her injury gets, the closer she is with death. There's not much of an option, Howie."

"Kevin, tell her!" Howie exploded with worry, quickly stumbling up from the pile of rubble. His knee buckled slightly, but he maintained his presence over the exit. There was no way that he was letting her go out there. They had no idea what anything was like. Not her. Anyone but her.

"Howie, she does have a point. If we wait any longer, we could lose Tierja and anyone else on the outside who needs help. She'll be fine--"

"How do we know that for sure? I don't want her to get hurt!"

"Isn't it a little late for that?" Ana murmured darkly, reaching into her dusty jeans to withdraw the leather band that had been holding her curls originally. Quickly, she tossed the long honey curls that Howie loved to run his fingers through into a messy ponytail. Silently, she gestured for the jean jacket Howie was wearing. She needed something over her already tattered arms to protect her from going through the short tunnel.

"Ana, please... be careful," Howie sighed heavily, shrugging off the jacket. He helped her put it on, timidly placing a hand on her unbattered cheek. "Before you go, I need you to know how sorry I am. What I was yelling at Kevin about had nothing to do with--"

"Howie, don't."

"But it's true! I love you more than anything and I don't want to lose you after we get out of this house."

"Maybe you'll loose me in transition," Ana stated lightly of the grave situation, knowing very well that the tunnel could cave while she was scooting through. She faced these decisions every day during the messiest times of work. Every time she crawled into a mangled car to retrieve a patient or cross an icy lake to rescue someone submerged beneath the ice. It was part of emergency care and an adrenaline rush that no one would ever understand but her peers. So, she tilted her chin high to get his hand off her cheek. Then, stooped down to the clearing, assessing the sides for just a moment. "And, you might want to get your knee looked at."

"Ana--"

"Someone check on Tierj while the other stays here by the entrance in case something happens," Ana ordered before venturing slowly through the tunnel.

"Which do you want to do?" Kevin murmured, noticing Howie fall into a deathly silent posture while crumbling debris could be heard from the tunnel. He squeezed his eyes closed for the longest moment, unable to even decide whether or not he willed himself to watch Ana's battle. Unfortunatenly, he had no idea what Howie was thinking at that present moment, which meant he couldn't reassure him of anything.

"Which do you want to do?" Kevin murmured, noticing Howie fall into a deathly silent posture while crumbling debris could be heard from the tunnel. He squeezed his eyes closed for the longest moment, unable to even decide whether or not he willed himself to watch Ana's battle. Unfortunatenly, he had no idea what Howie was thinking at that present moment, which meant he couldn't reassure him of anything.

"Go and stay with Tierja. I'll watch the tunnel," Howie mumbled, keeping his eyes locked where Ana had disappeared into.

"Howie, she's--"

"Tierja needs you more than she needs me. Go."

"I meant about A--"

"I don't want to talk about that anymore. Just go. If you're my friend, go and be with Tierja so I can sort through everything in my head."

"Okay..." Kevin consented as a sharp howl exited from the tunnel. He cringed as he heard a tight sling of curses errupting from what he assumed was Ana's usually innocent mouth. Only, neither man said anything as she openly bitched about a sharp pipe cutting into her upper thigh. It was her way of coping with the pain, arguing with the inanimate object as she perserveered. Knowing Howie didn't want to crumble in front of him over Ana's behalf, Kevin turned, sliding down the broken steps to check on Tierja as Ana had first instructed.



Anastacia, you kick ass! Thank you so much for the help! I appreciate it so much.