Breathless | COMPLETED

Chapter Twenty Seven

Everything became absorbed into the one task of getting to the other side as quickly as possible. As long as she kicked out, as long as she found each lightening hole, nothing else mattered.

She found herself in open waters before she even realised. It was a good sign. It meant that she was still in control. Even in the darkness and the cold water everything was kept at arm's length.

'I am fine therefore I am. I am fine therefore I am.'

Rutherford continued to hammer on the steel but she wasn't counting. She'd cheated death once, she could do it again. She twisted left then right then left again, each time faster as she gained more confidence.

Until she hit her head.

The pain was excruciating. She spilled oxygen. She dropped her torch. She couldn't see. It felt as if her head was about to explode.

She stopped perfectly still. It wasn't the first time this had happened to her. It wasn't the first time she had ever felt trapped or in pain during a dive. Once before her leg had become entwined in reeds. That was when she could only hold her breath for a few minutes. She could have died but she didn't panic and that was when she found she had an inner strength. An ability to see things in focus despite all the distractions of pain and emotion. It helped her then to free her leg, it would help her now.

She felt her heart rate climb which was understandable after the pain and shock of what had just happened but knowing this helped her to regain control and bring it down.

She brought a hand up and touched her forehead. She had a nasty cut across her scalp and it felt deep. Cold water penetrated the cut and added to her pain. Extending her hand further she found the outlines of a pipe right in the middle of the access hole she needed to go through. It stood a few inches from the hole itself and it didn't look as if there was much room to squeeze passed but to go back would use up what little oxygen she had left. She felt all around. It was possible. With her size and shape she might just be able to get passed.

She felt the first ache in her stomach. It was subtle. It was low down. But it was there all the same, the first signs of carbon dioxide build-up.

She reached down and lost more time trying to find her torch but she couldn't go on without it. She tried to calm her pulse. She reached inwards with every ounce of concentration she had left. She closed her eyes and imagined her inner self leaving her body. She shut down all emotions as she honed in on her abject self and it worked. She could see a shadow of her form move in front of her leading the way. She waited just long enough to watch it for a while and then she opened her eyes.

The record for holding your breath underwater was just under eight minutes. No one had ever come near to breaking it as far as she was aware.

Another thud only which one was it; the fifth or the sixth minute? She willed it to be only five. If she was wrong then what difference would it make, she would not be around to chastise herself and a lower figure meant more optimism.

Time was an amazing concept. It was all relative. You could sit around for a few minutes waiting for a bus and it would seem like hours and yet you could relax for hours in a garden sat on a bench under the shade of a big oak tree and it would only seem like a few minutes.

She moved tentatively forward and presented her body to the hole just as Rutherford banged again only she didn't care.

She relaxed every muscle and eased her upper body through the small lightening hole forcing her hips to rotate against the side of the pipe grazing them as she did so. She slowed down as her boiler suit caught forcing her to push harder. She was in danger of getting stuck. Her boiler suit must have snagged on something. A protrusion.  A piece of metal sticking out that she hadn't seen. She took hold of the pipe itself and pushed back with her arms using almost all her available strength and oxygen.

And then she was free.

Pain in her stomach was starting to rise at an alarming rate. She tried to move faster but it seemed only to make her vision more blurred. She wanted oxygen so bad she even contemplated opening her mouth to try and breathe.

She bent right and found another lightening hole. She forced herself through it dragging her body against the steel moving up the small space clawing at the metalwork with her fingernails as she tried to propel herself faster. The darkness was overwhelming her tiny torch beam becoming almost unrecognisable as she hit the sides of the tank section again and again. One more hole.

It had to be the last. She couldn't last any longer and then she was free. Oh my God she was in clear air, holding her head above the water as she took in huge gulps of damp cold air, her head feeling as though it was about to explode.

She retched. Her heart rate exploded. She could feel it beating so fast against her chest she thought it would break through her ribcage and out onto the other side but she was alive; oh but she was alive.

Half in and half out of the water she stayed where she was unable to even find the energy to lift herself up another inch. Her head fell against the steel deck as all her remaining resources were used to try and bring her breathing under control.

She closed her eyes. She felt the cold slowly seep up her body but she had nothing left to fight it.

Another thud and then another but she couldn't move. She had cheated death and yet she felt as if she was dying.

'Get up.'

Her own words.

'You can't stay here.'

She knew that. What was the point in telling her something she didn't already know?

'Move!'

But if felt good to just lie where she was. The cold water didn't seem so cold anymore. Her head wasn't hurting her half as much as it had done. If she could just stay here a few more minutes she was sure she would be okay.

She sighed.

She was tired. So tired. She needed a rest. That was the trouble working nights, she thought to herself. Never enough time to sleep. Always on the go. If she could just have a lie in every now and then, then everything would be alright.

Another thud. So loud. How could anyone ever hope to sleep with all that racket going on?

'Get up.'

Another voice, an angry voice. Everyone was being horrible. Can't they see that she wanted to sleep. Why can't people just be nice?

'Get up!'

It was her granddad.

'Granddad? What are you doing here?'

She tried to open her eyes but she couldn't.

'You need to get up lass. People are counting on you. They are trying to catch your attention. Listen to the sound of the drums.'

'In a minute grandpa. I just need to sleep.'

Another bang on the steel but it was too late. Her eyes had already closed. 

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Will she ever wake up? Will the cold sap all of her strength?

Your comments as always are most welcomed.