No One is Alone || Anderwranda
Almost as if on cue, the sudden barking of a nearby rescue dog has Leah whipping her head around and tugging at Blaineās hand to follow her into what was left of the faculty housing. The golden retriever was insistent - pawing at the rubble and barking at anyone who would listen.
Leah gets to the pile first, only a couple of seconds before firefighters and police, and without thinking she starts picking up large pieces of debris, the first time sheās actually been able to help.Ā āSomebodyās over here!ā she yells out desperately, her mind racing with possibilities of who it could be. Even if she didnāt know every single faculty member, she still cared about her peers. The people she lived in such proximity to. The ones she passed by in the halls each day.
Helping the responders remove roofing and broken glass, Leah manages to cut her hands in a few locations but doesnāt care because she sees it- someone enclosed where the dog had been indicating. Leahās heart drops when she makes out who it is -
āERICA?!ā She climbs on top of the rubble (probably not helping with the added weight) and starts carelessly tossing more and more aside.Ā āSheās been here for hours!Ā Someone please help her!! Blaine! Blaine- help me get her! I can- I can probably pull her out if we lift all this up- Oh god, Erica, please be okay.ā She shouts down at her, āWeāre coming to get you Erica!! Youāre going to be okay!ā She then says to Blaine, a little more than distressed,Ā āShe-she mustāve come to get Jaime, but Jaimeās already been taken to a hospital. Thatās why I couldnāt find her with the students! What was she thinking??ā
One moment heās with Leah, sitting on the ground, feeling like the only two people int he world. The next moment heās pulled onto his feet, and running, scrambling to keep pace with Leah, who is frantic. The change of pace gives Blaine mental whiplash.
He hears Leah scream Ericaās name, and panic seeps into his bloodstream. Blaine gets to her side, sees her bleeding, and tries to guide her a few steps back.Ā āLovebird, Lovebird - hey!ā Itās difficult to get her attention, even with his hands wrapping around her middle.Ā āWe have to let them do their work,ā he says, indicating the firefighters.Ā āThey know what theyāre doing. We- We donāt wanna mess it up.ā
āWe can clear a path for the EMTs,ā Blaine suggests, holding onto her tightly until she agrees and trying to sound collected and calm. āThey might need to roll in a stretcher. Okay? We can help. We can help her this way.ā












