Scars - TM topic response # 176
Apr. 29th, 2007 04:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reaper2point0Jagged, raised and twisting across the back of one hand and up the arm, it stood out in mute testimony to the day he would never forget.
He heard the distant rumble all the way in the family quarters. Running through the twisting passages to the dig site at top speed, he passed his twin sister, Sam, who was just coming out of the galley, a wide-eyed, panicked look on her face. He didn't stop to speak, just shouted out 'Get help to the dig' as he ran past. Barreling at top speed into the dig workroom, he was met by a choking cloud of dust and dirt, still hanging in the air.
"Mom, Dad?" He yelled, coughing and choking on the debris cloud.
"Johnny?" His father's voice answered mutedly through the pile of rubble that covered what had been the entrance to the Olduvai Dig.
"Dad, are you guys okay?" He called out, grabbing a re-breather mask from the workstation just inside the door and making his way through the wreck that had been the cleaning station. When he reached the base of the rubble now covering the opening, he spotted a small hole at the top and climbed up the shifting pile. Reaching his hand through, he cut the back of it on the sharp broken stone above it. Barely feeling the pain through his worry for his parents, he shoved his arm in as far as he could, the sharp stone dragging up the entire length to just above the elbow. Finally, he felt his father's hand grasp his.
"Mom is fine, but Dr. Sheffield's legs are trapped. We need some O2 tanks in here, John, the ones with the full facemasks. Do you think you can open up this hole enough to pass them through from your side, son?" His father coughed and cleared his throat, his voice calm and confident as always despite the fact that he was trapped behind gods alone knew how many tons of rubble.
“I’ll try Dad.” John began moving loose stones from around the hole as quickly as he could, keeping an eye on the overall stability. When he could put his face to the hole, he peered in and saw Mom kneeling beside Dr. Sheffield, further back at the base of another pile of rubble that had fallen about eight feet further down the passage. Paul Sheffield’s legs disappeared under the rocks and John could just hear his weak groans of pain. “I’m gonna get the tanks, Dad.”
John scrambled down the pile and sprinted to the equipment locker on the other side of the room. Grabbing three tanks under one arm and mask hose setups with his other hand he made his way back up the pile. As he began passing the tanks through to his father, the two dig assistants came running in with Sam hot on their heels. “Help’s here, Dad. Sam, Roger, Jesus and I will start digging you guys out.” He called through the hole.
“No John, this whole thing is unstable, you’ll need to call down to UAC and have them send help. You just gather all the air tanks you have and have your sister get us some water and a med kit from the infirmary for Paul.” He looked over at Sam and the guys, who all nodded and left to gather what they need from around the station.
John stayed perched on the rubble. “Dad, it’ll take at least a day for UAC to get what they need up here. Me and the guys can bring in the compressors and support beams. We can pass the beams through and you and Mom can set them up, we’ll run the air hoses through the hole and get the beams up, then dig you out before UAC has a chance to get off their asses with the first team.”
“Johnny, none of us know enough about underground rescue to attempt that. We’ll just sit tight and wait for UAC. We have more than enough air, you and Sam can keep us in food and water. We’ll be fine, son.” The tone of his father’s voice brooked no further argument.
“Yes sir.” John agreed grudgingly. “I’m going to the comm room and make the call to Earth. I’ll be right back.” As he made his way down the pile, he felt the ground rumble under his feet. “Dad!” He screamed, scrambling back up. His father’s arm came through the opening, just as he heard a scream from his mother. Grabbing his dad’s hand, he furiously pulled at the stones trying to claw his way through to his parents. He caught a glimpse of the ceiling of the cavern falling and then his father’s hand went limp in his grasp.
The two dig assistants and Sam came running as he sat holding onto his father. He looked at his twin, his eyes filling with tears. “Daddy?” He called out softly, stroking the now limp hand clutched in his. Sam climbed up beside him and reached out to touch their father’s arm, her tears slowly making clean stark tracks in the dust and dirt covering her face.
When the UAC team arrived six hours later, Sam and John still sat in the same spot, holding onto the now cool hand of their father, huddled in each other’s arms.
Muse: John Grimm
Fandom: Doom The Movie
Word Count: 893
He heard the distant rumble all the way in the family quarters. Running through the twisting passages to the dig site at top speed, he passed his twin sister, Sam, who was just coming out of the galley, a wide-eyed, panicked look on her face. He didn't stop to speak, just shouted out 'Get help to the dig' as he ran past. Barreling at top speed into the dig workroom, he was met by a choking cloud of dust and dirt, still hanging in the air.
"Mom, Dad?" He yelled, coughing and choking on the debris cloud.
"Johnny?" His father's voice answered mutedly through the pile of rubble that covered what had been the entrance to the Olduvai Dig.
"Dad, are you guys okay?" He called out, grabbing a re-breather mask from the workstation just inside the door and making his way through the wreck that had been the cleaning station. When he reached the base of the rubble now covering the opening, he spotted a small hole at the top and climbed up the shifting pile. Reaching his hand through, he cut the back of it on the sharp broken stone above it. Barely feeling the pain through his worry for his parents, he shoved his arm in as far as he could, the sharp stone dragging up the entire length to just above the elbow. Finally, he felt his father's hand grasp his.
"Mom is fine, but Dr. Sheffield's legs are trapped. We need some O2 tanks in here, John, the ones with the full facemasks. Do you think you can open up this hole enough to pass them through from your side, son?" His father coughed and cleared his throat, his voice calm and confident as always despite the fact that he was trapped behind gods alone knew how many tons of rubble.
“I’ll try Dad.” John began moving loose stones from around the hole as quickly as he could, keeping an eye on the overall stability. When he could put his face to the hole, he peered in and saw Mom kneeling beside Dr. Sheffield, further back at the base of another pile of rubble that had fallen about eight feet further down the passage. Paul Sheffield’s legs disappeared under the rocks and John could just hear his weak groans of pain. “I’m gonna get the tanks, Dad.”
John scrambled down the pile and sprinted to the equipment locker on the other side of the room. Grabbing three tanks under one arm and mask hose setups with his other hand he made his way back up the pile. As he began passing the tanks through to his father, the two dig assistants came running in with Sam hot on their heels. “Help’s here, Dad. Sam, Roger, Jesus and I will start digging you guys out.” He called through the hole.
“No John, this whole thing is unstable, you’ll need to call down to UAC and have them send help. You just gather all the air tanks you have and have your sister get us some water and a med kit from the infirmary for Paul.” He looked over at Sam and the guys, who all nodded and left to gather what they need from around the station.
John stayed perched on the rubble. “Dad, it’ll take at least a day for UAC to get what they need up here. Me and the guys can bring in the compressors and support beams. We can pass the beams through and you and Mom can set them up, we’ll run the air hoses through the hole and get the beams up, then dig you out before UAC has a chance to get off their asses with the first team.”
“Johnny, none of us know enough about underground rescue to attempt that. We’ll just sit tight and wait for UAC. We have more than enough air, you and Sam can keep us in food and water. We’ll be fine, son.” The tone of his father’s voice brooked no further argument.
“Yes sir.” John agreed grudgingly. “I’m going to the comm room and make the call to Earth. I’ll be right back.” As he made his way down the pile, he felt the ground rumble under his feet. “Dad!” He screamed, scrambling back up. His father’s arm came through the opening, just as he heard a scream from his mother. Grabbing his dad’s hand, he furiously pulled at the stones trying to claw his way through to his parents. He caught a glimpse of the ceiling of the cavern falling and then his father’s hand went limp in his grasp.
The two dig assistants and Sam came running as he sat holding onto his father. He looked at his twin, his eyes filling with tears. “Daddy?” He called out softly, stroking the now limp hand clutched in his. Sam climbed up beside him and reached out to touch their father’s arm, her tears slowly making clean stark tracks in the dust and dirt covering her face.
When the UAC team arrived six hours later, Sam and John still sat in the same spot, holding onto the now cool hand of their father, huddled in each other’s arms.
Muse: John Grimm
Fandom: Doom The Movie
Word Count: 893
