So tired they could barely think straight, they forced themselves forward, just one more ridge, one more rise... until they collapsed against a beautiful white feline being talking to two individuals wearing bright colors and passed out. -- BKF
One more step. Just get there. Not far now. Lift one foot. Place it in front. Follow the path. Lift the other one. Place it in front. Look up. See the camp.
Goal in sight.
Tents and vehicles spread out in a previously blasted moor like mushrooms. Not as distant as they had been... how long ago? Couldn't remember. It had been hours. It had been a couple of minutes. It had been an eternity.
Lift foot. Place in front. Lift other foot. Place in front. Again and again. Almost there. Just a little further. Just one more step. Just one more...
Something white, moving in the field of view. Lift foot. Place in front. Getting closer. Them... or me?
A flowing black and red dress. It had to mean something. White fur? Cat?
They catch me as I fall. Gift me something wet and refreshing at my lips. It makes my mouth feel less like leather. I want more, but it drips in slowly.
"There now," cooed the cat. "Medtechs are on the way. You're going to be all right."
"Th' shelter," I croak. "They're locked in... Tried t' dig out. Tunn'l collapsed... Pls. Children... in there."
The light faded from my view. I heard someone say "Children are trapped!"
The next thing I knew was a consistent beep, a comfortable bed, and a not-so-comfortable assortment of sensations. Arm. Face. 'Downstairs'. My clothing felt... wrong.
I managed to get my eyes open after four tries. Dim light. Close quarters. A screen full of coloured brightened up for me.
"Please remain calm," soothed a neutral voice. "You are in an intensive care medical drawer. Your life signs are being monitored. Medical staff will be present shortly to see to your care. You are presently. Number. Five. In the care queue.
"Th' kids," I mumbled.
"Accessing. Files." A small clock with a single hand appeared on the screen. The hand ticked around in a circle.
I knew a throbber when I saw one. Circles of dots, circles of lines, one dot making a comet-like streak in a circle. If it goes in a circle, it's a throbber telling you to 'please wait'.
Footage. Emergency response teams rushing along my path. Tracking me back to the place where I made it out of the ground. Diggers and other such equipment making a huge hole in the ground. People opening the shelter like a tin can. Pulling kid after kid out into the sunshine.
The cat lady was there, too. Letting the kids pet her as she gave them something to drink. Mediks in their red uniforms wrapping kids in foil survival blankets. People jumping down into the pit to search the whole complex for anyone who might be trapped.
There were names. Names I knew well. Dotti. Hannover. Lynn. Punky. Tanner. Hunter. Little Merrow.
Twenty names. Twenty kids. Alive. Saved.
I'd done my duty.
I could relax.
A flush of cold into my arm. The buzz of stimulants in my head.
"Post-trauma relief related collapse detected. Advice. Stay alive for them."
I could feel my heartbeat, strong against my ribs. The stims kept me conscious. I could watch the live feed of the kids getting to the safety of the Alliance.
Why did they want to save me? I was always just the janitor.
Nevertheless, it was good to watch the kids going through their rescue. I could believe in kindness again.
[Photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash]
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