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Marie stretched up to grip the cr
owbar, and Alex felt Zack jostling at his back.
‘Zack, get out of the way, will you?’
Zack jumped back, giving them some room. Alex jerked the door closed, bracing his foot against the door, and holding on to the handle.
‘A bit further...’
When he pushed the door open again he could see that the hinge had given a little. Marie slid the crowbar further into the gap and he pulled again. This time it gave, and he grabbed the other side of the door before it fell forward.
‘Zack, mind out.’
Marie stepped back, taking Zack with her as Alex tipped the door forward, turning it slightly so that it would fit through the frame and then backing with it into the lobby.
Before he could stop her Marie had slipped past him and into the basement, climbing over the sacks of concrete mix that had slipped from a pile further inside the room and blocked the door. Dust hung heavy in the air, and there was a mess of spilt paint cans, brushes and other supplies, which had come from the heavy timber shelves that had once lined the wall. The shelves must have collapsed, because there was splintered wood everywhere.
‘Charlie!’
She picked her way across the debris to where Alex could see Charlie’s red T-shirt and fell to her knees.
‘He’s hurt, Alex. We’re going to need an ambulance.’
Zack was ready to pile into the room and help, but Alex pulled him back. ‘Go upstairs, Zack. Call an ambulance and tell them there’s been an accident and to hurry. When you’ve done that, I want you to fetch the medical kit from the urgent care room in the clinic and bring it down to us.’
‘But... Marie...’ Zack’s eyes were full of frantic tears for his sister.
‘Do you want me to stand here arguing with you, or shall I go and help her?’
Zack nodded, pulling himself together suddenly. ‘Look after them, Alex.’ He threw the order over his shoulder as he ran up the stairs.
He would. Both Marie and Charlie.
* * *
Marie was vaguely aware that Alex was making his way across the piles of debris towards her. She’d heard Charlie crying out when she’d first reached the door that led into the basement, but now he was still and unresponsive, the lower half of his body pinned down under a pile of rubble.
‘Airway?’ Alex was there beside her.
‘He’s breathing and his airways are clear. I don’t see any major bleeding...’ She leaned forward, finding Charlie’s wrist. ‘And his pulse is surprisingly steady.’
‘Okay, stay with him, and I’ll move some of this wood away from his legs.’
Marie nodded. She’d known that she couldn’t get the door open by herself and had hoped that Zack would find Alex quickly. Together they would be able to help Charlie, and now they’d fallen automatically back into the habit of depending on each other to get the job done.
‘Glad you’re here.’
‘Yeah. Glad you’re here.’
Alex set to work, clearing the mess of paint cans and smaller pieces of wood from around Charlie’s legs. Charlie was alive. All they had to do now was keep him that way.
Marie bent over him, smoothing his hair from his brow and tapping his cheek with her finger. ‘Charlie! Charlie, can you hear me?’
Charlie moaned, moving his arms as if to push whatever was holding him down away. Marie caught his hand, holding it tightly in hers.
‘Charlie. It’s Marie. Look at me.’
As Charlie opened his eyes he let out a long, keening cry of distress.
