Haley stepped toward her. “You’d better move away from that wall,” she said with a frown, noting the tangled wiring and dangling construction materials hanging around where Candi stood. Electrocution might not be a danger, but this structure was far from safe. Haley wouldn’t breathe easily until everyone was safely out. “Maybe you should come wait over here with me and—”
A wind-driven gust of cold rain hit her directly across the face, cutting off her words. Something creaked loudly in the wind; something else banged.
“Haley, watch—”
She never heard the rest of Ron’s warning. One moment she was standing there looking at Candi; the next she was lying on the floor buried beneath what had been the front roof of the diner.
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Something covered her face, and something else lay heavily on her chest, making it hard to breathe. There was pain, sharp and angry, but she wasn’t sure of its source. It seemed to be coming from several places. She couldn’t move, but she didn’t know if that was because of the weight on top of her or something else.
She closed her eyes. Maybe she’d just go to sleep for a while. Maybe the pain would be gone when she woke. Ron would take care of her. Ron…
“Haley. Damn it, Haley, open your eyes!”
Ron sounded annoyed with her. She opened her eyes reluctantly, wincing when the beam of a flashlight pierced her pupils.
“Move the light, it’s right in her eyes. Haley, honey, open your eyes again. Look at me.”
Someone had moved the stuff out of her face and off her chest so that it was easier to breath, but now something seemed to be clogging her brain. She was having trouble thinking clearly. “Ron?”
Her voice sounded slurred, drowsy. Who was screaming now?
Oh, yes. Sirens.
“No, Haley, don’t drift off again. Stay with me, okay?”
Pain clawed at the lower half of her body. She tried to squirm away from it, but hands held her still. Someone else was kneeling over her. Candi? What was the owner’s name? Mike. She focused on those trivialities to keep from dwelling on the pain. The mounting fear.
She lifted her head, looked downward to where the flashlight beam was focused now. Then wished she’d kept her eyes closed.
Her head fell backward against the hard, wet floor.
“Shouldn’t you take that out of her leg?” Candi asked fearfully from somewhere behind Haley’s head.
“No!” Ron spoke somewhat more quietly the second time. “No. Don’t touch her. The ambulance is almost here.”
He held Haley’s hand in his. She thought he was gripping tightly, though she could hardly feel his fingers around hers.
“Look at me, Haley. Look at my face.”
She blinked hazily up at him. “Just need…to sleep.”
“No. I don’t want you to go to sleep. I want you to talk to me until the paramedics get here, okay? I don’t want you to go to sleep, Haley.”
She sighed, feeling the energy draining slowly out of her. “Just going to…”
“Haley, damn it, stay awake! You’ve never given up on anything in your life, and you’re not starting now, do you hear me?” He was almost in her face now, speaking furiously.
Should he really be shouting at her when she was hurt? she thought with an aggrieved scowl.
“I’m not giving up on you, either, Haley. I am never giving up on you, do you hear me? You’re stuck with me, got that?”
“Stop yelling at me, Ron.” It was so hard to form the words, but she tried to speak with dignity.
“You want me to stop yelling? Stay with me, then.”
“When I…wake up, I’m going to…punch your arm so hard.”