CHAPTER TWO — A BIG LOSS.

Chapter 02.

A BIG LOSS.

Abby's POV.

I buried my face against Claude's throat, sobbing softly as the emergency rescue team began to evacuate the bodies from the building which collapsed due to the explosion.

The firefighters had arrived right on time to put out the fire, but the damage had been done. Maya had been brought out, but I could barely recognize her.

“Why?” I sobbed. “Why did it have to be today? Of all days this could have happened, why did it have to be today?”

“Don't go too hard on yourself, I'm right here.” Claude said, stroking my arm gently. “It is going to be fine. We'll go through this together.”

“It is not.” I said, with a broken voice. “My parents are yet to be found. So, it's not going to be fine until I see them.”

I lifted my face to him with tears in my eyes.

“Do you think,” I paused, and glanced at the ruins. “Do you think…”

I buried my face in my palms, and began to sob. The thought that something bad might have happened to them, made every nerve in my body shrink. In as much as I didn't want to believe that something bad might have happened to them, I couldn't help it.

The rescue team had recorded over twenty deaths from the forty bodies that were evacuated. Those twenty died on the spot. A few others died after being evacuated. But despite the amount of bodies that'd been evacuated, I was yet to see my parent's. Neither of them.

Even if I wouldn't be able to see both, at least I should be able to see one of them. At that point, it didn't matter if they were alive or dead, I just needed to see them.

“Let's not think about the worst here, alright?” he said, framing my face with his hands as he looked into my eyes. “Let's stay positive; I'm sure they'll be found soon.”

“It has been over half an hour, yet there's been nothing.” I said, my voice breaking. “How much longer do we have to wait. It doesn't seem like they'll find them. Can't you see?”

I turned back, and glanced at the workers.

“They are preparing to leave.” I added, blinking back tears. “We can't keep them here for much longer.”

They should have left a while ago, but I'd spoken to their boss to help find my parents some more. However, from the looks on their faces, it was rather obvious that they were getting exhausted. Besides, it was getting late.

Although, I would have loved to ask them to search some more, and if need be, pay them for the time they would use in searching. But then again, they are humans just like me.

A good number of them were fathers, mothers, brothers, uncles, and aunts to people, and I couldn't hold them back from returning to see their families.

“I will speak with their boss again to know if he'll be able to search for a few more minutes.” Claude said, looking past me. “Hopefully, he agrees to help search some more. I will be back before you know it.”

He kissed me on the forehead, and left to talk with their boss just as he'd said. While I stood there, I wiped my face with the back of my hands. If anything, I'd been crying for so long, and I'd begun to feel a little dizzy.

“Abby.” the soft voice came from behind.

As I turned around, my heart sank. It was Maya. She was on a gurney. Her face was covered with blood. I could barely imagine how deep the wound was.

For one, I thought that she'd been taken to the hospital because she was one of the few that were evacuated early. Nonetheless, I knew that I couldn't stay away from her.

“Hey,” I said, walking towards her, and wiping my face with the back of my hand. “How are you feeling right now?”

“I don't feel good.” she said, her voice breaking with tears. “It hurts so much, Abby. I don't want to die.”

“Hey, you are not going to die, alright?” I said, shaking my head while my eyes burned with tears. “You will be taken care of; I'll make sure of that.”

“You don't understand.” she said, a tear trickled down the side of her nose. “The pain is eating me up from the inside. I feel like I'm not going to make it to the hospital.”

“Listen to me, Maya.” I said, trying to suppress the tears rising in my throat.

I gripped her arm, trying to offer some comfort. “You don't have to speak like that. No one's dying, and certainly not today.”

“Look around, Abby.” she said, turning her head to the side. “Almost everyone is dead. I don't want to end up like them.”

“You aren't going to end up like them.” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “You are going to be fine.”

I looked back, hoping to find the driver. If she hadn't called me, then I wouldn't have known that she hadn't been taken to the hospital yet. She ought to have been taken to the hospital. I couldn't say why her journey to the hospital was being delayed.

After sweeping my eyes all over the place for a few minutes, I couldn't find him.

“Were you told why you haven't been taken to the hospital yet?” I asked, looking at her. “Besides, did he tell you where he was going to before leaving you all by yourself here?”

“He said that they needed to evacuate more people.” she said. “Only then would we be taken to the hospital.”

“That doesn't make any sense.” I said, panting softly, as I swept my eyes all over the place again. “He is only making matters worse by keeping you all here. Just give me a moment, I'll go fetch him so that he can take you to the hospital.”

As I turned to leave, she gripped my arm, holding me back.

“Maya,” I called, blinking back tears as I glanced at her hand. “What's wrong?”

“I have no idea how much I have left.” she said, smiling through the tears in her eyes. “There is every chance that you might find me dead when you return.”

“Maya,” I took her hand in mine.

“Please, just allow me.” she said, in a soft voice. “If it happens that I do not make it alive, then I need you to know that Claude isn't who you think he is.”

“I–I don't think I understand what you're saying right now.” I said, shaking my head. “What do you mean by he is not who I think he is?”

Just some minutes back, she was happy for me that I'd found a good man as a husband, and now she's saying something different. It just didn't make any sense. If she saw, or heard something, then why not tell me?

“You need to be careful around him.” she said, her voice breaking. “This is all I can tell you for now.”

“Is there something going on?” I asked, in a curious tone of voice. “Is there something that I don't know about?”

“Abby?” the voice came from behind.

I turned around, and found Claude standing at distance with a smile. I returned my attention to Maya.

“I will be back, alright?” I said.

I left her side, and went to meet with Claude.

“Any luck?” I asked, looking past him. “What did he say?”

“I am sorry.” he said, in a soft voice. “He has refused to spend any more minutes here. They'll be leaving soon.”

“Perhaps, I should go talk to him myself.” I said, trying to get past him.

He gripped my arm, and held me back.

“It is of no use going to talk to him.” he said, shaking his head. “I tried, and he wouldn't listen. However, he's promised to come back tomorrow. So, let's keep our hopes alive.”

Although, I felt bad that they'd to cut their search short because it was getting late. But then again, knowing that they would return the following day, gave me some sort of relief.

“Alright then.” I said.

I turned back with the intention of returning to Maya. But as I did, my heart sank. One of the workers from the rescue team had covered her up with a white fabric.

“Oh, no.” I said, covering my mouth with my hands as I broke down in tears.

“What's wrong?” Claude asked, putting a hand around my shoulder.

“Maya!” I yelled, my voice breaking as tears filled my eyes. “Don't do this to me, please.”

I tried to move, but he gripped my arm and held me back.

“There is nothing you can do.” he wrapped his arms around me from behind. “I am sorry, but she's gone.”