One Step Ahead

Walking Wounded

      As they fell, Briar's training kicked in, and she shouted to Ashley over the noise of the explosion. "We have to roll! I need you to help me!"

      She wasn't sure whether he heard her over the chaos surrounding them, or if he had simply come up with the same idea, but he gripped her tightly as she used their momentum to begin rolling their bodies away from the falling debris, with Ashley continuing the motion when he had rolled far enough to gain purchase on the slick marble floor, removing one of his hands from Briar's waist and using it to push off with, as she pistoned her legs to increase their speed. Ignoring the pain caused by the debris that was pelting them, along with everyone else in the area, they continued to roll, one over the other, until they slammed into the base of the bar and could go no further.

      Ashley draped himself over Briar's back as her face was pressed against the bar, bringing his arms up to cover their heads, and they lay there for what felt like hours, but was most likely only a minute or two, until the vibrations died down. At that point, the cacophony of shattering glass and splintering wood were replaced by the sounds of frantic cries and whimpers of pain and shock, along with the sound of sirens, distant, but growing louder by the second.

      He cautiously rose to his feet, and reached out to Briar, to help her off of the floor, noticing, as she stood, a rapidly darkening bruise on her cheekbone, and blood trickling from her lower lip. He also felt a nagging pain near his collarbone, and as he reached up to investigate it, he was startled as Briar slapped his hand away. "Don't touch that, leave it alone!" she ordered, as he stared at her in utter confusion.

      "What the hell are you talking about? Leave what alone?" he inquired.

      "Ash, you have probably at least a four-inch piece of glass stuck in your neck, and no way to tell how deep in it is. A guy I work with had something like that on set once, and made the mistake of pulling it out. He nicked an artery and almost bled to death, so just don't bother it until the EMT's show up."

      He simply gaped at her, unable to form words, until she motioned for him to turn around. He did so, and when he stopped, she said, "Well, it looks like they're gonna be picking some splinters out of your back, and you've got another piece of glass in the back of your left shoulder. Does anything feel broken?"

      As emergency vehicles began to appear in front of the building, he carefully moved his limbs, exhaling a sigh of relief as everything seemed to be in working order. "No, I think I'm good there," he informed her.

She began a slow turn in front of him, saying, "Well, I'm pretty sure I've got a couple of busted ribs, but do you see anything else?" He looked her over as police and paramedics began swarming into the building, and informed her that nothing was obvious other than the injuries to her face.

      "I'm sorry about your ribs, I guess I was a little too rough when we hit the floor," he apologized, earning himself a faint smile and a squeeze of the hand.

      "You don't have anything to apologize for, Ash," she informed him, inclining her head in the direction they'd come from. "A broken rib or two sure as hell beats the alternative."

      As one of the paramedics approached them, he glanced over and immediately went cold when he saw that a large section of wall had collapsed on their table, and that a bent and twisted section of the steel that had framed the windows had pierced completely through her seat. "Holy fuck!" he whispered.

      "Yeah, I know," she responded, and squeezed his hand again.

      The EMT finally made his way past the rubble, and stood in front of them, inquiring, "Are you two able to walk? The fire department wants everyone who can be moved out of the building, apparently there's a question about its stability."