S.S.A Herrmann (Criminal Minds / One Chicago Fanfic)

Chapter 14

Chicago Medical Center, Chicago Illinois 

Nikki awoke to a familiar high pitched ringing noise in her ears as she forced her eyes open allowing her disoriented vision to clear. As the ringing continued to screech in her ears her vision focused noticing she was in the collapsed corridor and both sides of her were completely blocked off. The only light was from sparks and flames that illuminated the opposite side of the hallways. 

Nikki groaned pushing herself off the groan groaning as pain surged through her body. "Hello? Is anybody there? HELLO? CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?" Nikki called quietly at first and started yelling hoping to hear someone call back but she didn't hear anyone. The brunette started looking around for a possible way out but there were no obvious signs and who knew how many floors collapsed on this one meaning if she shifted the wrong boulder the building could shift and crush her instantly. 

Think Nikki Think she thought realizing she had her phone on her. She pulled the device out of her waistband and opened the device calling Hotch. The line rang a few times before it beeped out not having enough service to make the call. Nikki sighed and texted Spencer. 

I'm okay no service, hallway collapsed. can't get out, tell CFD there's a fire down here and a lot of live wires - Nikki 

She pressed send on the message hoping it would go through as she held the device up in the air hoping to get a better signal. Nikki sighed in relief as she noticed the message changed color and said sent. Now she just had to wait for them to dig her ass out of her. 

The BAU stood by watching as dozens of firefighters cleared massive debris from the building. Waiting for any update on Nikki the entire team was trying to call her but they were getting sent straight to voicemail. "Any word from Nikki?" Hotch asked the agents who shook their heads no staring at the building. 

Spencer stood there in disbelief, complete shock Nikki was here talking to them moments ago, and now to think she was laying under at least 1000 tons of concrete. His phone buzzed notifying him he had a message thankful to see it was from Nikki. "NIKKI MESSAGED ME," He informed the team. "What's it say?" Garcia asked, "Is she okay?" Morgan added. "It says she's okay, the hallway she was in collapsed and to tell the fire department there's a fire and a lot of live wires down there," Spencer replied as Hotch instantly walked over to the fire chief and informed him of the update. "Squad 3, Truck 81 we have 1 confirmed trapped female in the main floor hallway, be advised there is an active fire and live wires down there," Chief Boden said through his radio. 

"Chief you wouldn't happen to know Christopher Herrmann?" Rossi asked the chief. "I do, he's one of my men why?" Boden replied. "The female agent we have down there chief, is Nikki Herrmann," Hotch told him causing the chief's eyes to widen looking towards the collapse and the agents could tell he knew Nikki personally. "Truck, Squad, be advised the female trapped victim is Nikki Herrmann," Chief said into the radio. "I'm sorry chief can you confirm you said Nikki Herrmann?" the voice was Nikki's father's. "That's affirmative, Christopher" Boden said as squad and truck started hauling their way over to above where the hallway collapse was and started moving bolder by bolder yelling out for the eldest Herrman child. 

Nikki sat in the dark hallway waiting something she hated doing especially when she physically couldn't do anything. "HELLO, CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? SWEET CAROLINE? Bom Bom Bom," Nikki said the last part joking as she let out a light laugh as she heard something shift a bit causing some debris to fall from above. 

The brunette took a shaky breath hoping this wasn't how she'd spend her last moments trapped or crushed by a collapsed building. Nikki thought about all the chances she had to just fess up to Spencer in that moment. Realizing the worst thing that would have happened was he said he wasn't interested. Now he may not ever know especially if the ceiling shifted it'll all collapse on her. If I get out of her I gotta tell him, just get it out there, it couldn't be worse than this. About to possibly die and thinking about the possibilities, going on a date with Spencer, curling up and watching the sound of music or the princess bride she wouldn't admit but she loved the classics she had a soft spot for them. 

 "Nikki call out," a faint voice echoed causing her to pause hoping she wasn't just hearing things. "Nikki Call Out!" the voice echoed again. "OVER HERE! I'M OVER HERE!" Nikki yelled back. "Guys right here!" she heard someone yell as a blighting light came into the dark space blinding her. 

"WE GOT HER!" a familiar voice yelled, "Nikki are you okay? are you hurt?" Lieutenant Casey asked appearing in the collapsed hallway in firefighter gear. "I'm okay, just get me out of here," she told him as a ladder was lowered into the space and she climbed out along with Casey who helped her out of the collapse zone and towards Gabby and Brett. "Nikki! Thank god your okay! Are you hurt?" her dad asked pulling her into a hug before he started looking her over. "Dad I'm good," Nikki insisted. "You still need to get checked over by the medics," her dad said as he and Gabby walked her over to the ambo. 

Nikki sat on the back of the ambulance letting Gabby and Brett assess her making sure she wasn't injured in the collapse. Her mind was thinking about Spencer still, "Nikki did you hear what I said?" Gabby asked her pulling her attention from her thoughts. "I said I don't see any external injuries but I wanna still take you into the ED to get cleared by a doctor for any internal injuries," Gabby replied. 

"NIKKI! Your okay!" Garcia's voice sounded causing Nikki to look up noticing her team running over to the back of the ambo. The brunette stood up, "Yea, hardly a scratch," Nikki replied as Spencer pulled her into a hug. "What's the verdict?" Hotch asked Gabby, "Physically she's fine but I want her to go get cleared for possible internal injuries and or a concussion from the collapse," Gabby replied as he pulled the stretcher out of the back of the ambo. 

"The only way I'm getting on that is if I'm literally dying, I have 2 feet and I can walk 20 feet over there," Nikki said pointing to the Emergency Department 20 feet away. "It's protocol," Gabby replied as Nikki started walking over to the ED entrance anyways. "Wanna slow down there, you were just in a building collapse," Spencer said jogging to catch up to her as she walked through the sliding doors of the ED. 

"I just wanna get cleared, what the hell even happened? How's the building collapsed it sounded like a..." Nikki paused realizing the answer was obvious. "A bomb?" Nikki said more than asked as Spencer went quiet. "It's looking like it," he replied, "Nikki?" Maggie the head charge nurse in the ED asked noticing her and Spencer walk in. "Hey, Maggie," Nikki replied with a small smile. "What happened to you? Were you in the collapse?" Maggie asked. 

"Yeah, she wouldn't let us wheel her in. No physical injuries during the collapse but We wanted her to get cleared for any internal injuries and a concussion," Gabby informed Maggie who nodded kinda shocked to see Nikki on her feet. "Dr. Halstead, April, Treatment 3," Maggie said as a tall ginger walked over taking a tablet from Maggie. "Right this way Nicole- ugh please call me Nikki the only time I'm called Nicole is by my parents when I'm in shit," Nikki said cutting him off. "Alright Nikki, take a seat. When the collapse happened did you lose consciousness?" Dr. Halstead asked her as Nikki nodded. 

"Any dizziness? headaches? or high pitched ringing in your ears?" he asked her. "I was dizzy when I woke up and the ringing in the ears was pretty intense but it subsided, and no headaches," Nikki replied earning a nod from the ginger haired doctor. "I still wanna get a head CT and go from there," he told the nurse April who nodded. "I'll go set it up with neurology," she replied before she left the room. "They should take you up for the scans soon, let me know if you need anything,