Darkest Hour Before Dawn (THIRDS 9)

Hudson didn't hesitate. He ran over to Bill.

"Hudson," Seb's voice cracked, and Hudson looked up, his heart breaking.

"I love you, Seb." Hudson turned to Bill. "Okay, Bill. There's no way we can get the equipment needed to cut the steel rod out of the concrete fast enough, so we're going to have to pull your leg out. I'll then apply a tourniquet. I won't lie to you. This is going to hurt a hell of a lot. The EMTs are upstairs waiting for you, all right?"

Bill nodded, and Hudson knelt by his foot and took hold of Bill's leg behind his knee and at the ankle in a secure grip.

"Look away and try to occupy your thoughts with something else. Inhale deep through your nose, out through your mouth." Hudson noticed Bill's wedding ring. "Where did you go on your honeymoo

n, Bill?"

Bill did as Hudson asked, looking away and concentrating on his breathing.

"The Grand Canyon," Bill replied, shutting his eyes tight.

"Oh? I've heard it's magnificent. Tell me about it."

As Bill told Hudson about his honeymoon, Hudson slowly and carefully moved Bill's leg. Thankfully, the rod had pierced Bill's calf muscle, but there would still be a hell of a lot of blood. Hudson encouraged Bill to concentrate on his breathing and talk to him. Bill did his best, relaying a sweet story about his wife, who had been his high school sweetheart.

"You're doing bloody marvelous, Bill," Hudson said, smiling, his pulse racing, and his heart squeezing for the poor man. Bill was in an incredible amount of pain, and in the end, his scream echoed through the shaft. Sweat beaded Hudson's brow. "Just half an inch, Bill. There." The moment he placed Bill's leg on the floor, he tore through Bill's trouser leg all the way up to his thigh. After tearing off a strip, he bandaged the wound as best he could, then swiped the plastic pouch from his back pocket. He unwrapped the tourniquet, then fastened the thick strap around Bill's leg as high up the man's thigh as he could get it.

"I apologize for this, Bill." Hudson applied pressure to the wound, making Bill cry out. Moving swiftly, Hudson tightened the strap, turned the small steel rod, and locked it into place. He checked the time, grabbed one of Bill's pens from his front breast pocket--which miraculously hadn't fallen out--and wrote the time down on the white band so the EMTs would know when it had been applied.

"Hudson?" Seb called down.

"I'm going to try to move the concrete off him." Hudson widened his stance, minded his posture, and gripped the ragged edge of the slab, careful not to slice his hand open on any jagged pieces. "The moment you can move, you do that, Bill."

Bill nodded. He was looking paler with every passing minute.

Hudson gritted his teeth and pulled. Bill screamed, and Hudson quickly stopped.

"It's digging into my leg," Bill said, his voice shaky.

Shit. The lift screeched again, and Bill whimpered. He was panicking, and the look of sheer terror wasn't lost on Hudson. Seb's concerned voice echoed through the shaft.

"Hudson, if you can't--"

"I'm not leaving him," Hudson growled. He tried again, but it was no use. The only thing he was succeeding at was hurting Bill. He couldn't do this alone. Hudson looked up at Seb. "I can't get this off him on my own. It's too heavy, and all I'm doing is causing him injury."

Seb didn't waste any time. He hurriedly pulled the harness back up, strapped in, and was lowered down into the shaft. The second his boots hit the ground, he grabbed Hudson's shoulders. "Baby, there's no time for a second trip, and the harness won't hold three of us. We're going to free Bill, and then I'm going to strap you in, and you take him."

Hudson shook his head. "No, they need you upstairs. Who knows how many more people are trapped. Your team needs you."

"For fuck's sake, Hudson. I need you."

Hudson cupped Seb's jaw. "Preserve life, darling. That's our duty, remember?"

Seb opened his mouth to speak, but Bill moaned. With one last squeeze to Hudson's shoulder, they hurried over to Bill. Seb gave him a warm smile.

"We're going to get you out of here, Bill." Seb took position on one side of the large slab, and Hudson took position on the other. "The moment you can slide away from under this, you do that, okay? Can you do that?"

Bill nodded.

"On three," Seb said as he and Hudson readied themselves.

The moment Seb said three, Hudson lifted with all his strength. Between him and Seb, they managed to move the chunk of concrete wall enough for Bill to drag himself out from under it. As soon as he was free, they dropped it with a thud, its heft kicking up dirt and dust at their feet.

Hudson knelt beside Bill. "We're going to lift you up now."