Not Sherlock Holmes

Chapter Fourteen

Veronica's POV

I open my eyes, and I'm not going to lie. I legitimately thought that I was dead before.

So consciousness is not something I was expecting, exactly.

To surprise me further, I have woken to find a stranger at my side, and I'm immediately jumping to the worst conclusion possible.

"Oh my gosh, Ian's dead." The woman, who wasn't aware that I had woken up, turns to me quickly.

"I'm sorry?" she says first, surprised. "Oh, no, no! No, none of your friends are dead. They're all resting right now." I'm relieved, but I'm still far from calm.

"How long have I been out?" The lady thinks for a moment.

"Probably about an hour."

"Where am I?" She smiles, amused.

"Hank and Daniels Law Firm. We're pretty much holed up here..." She trails off.

"The water?" She nods.

"Ahh, yes. It's rising, but slowly. Most everyone here agrees that it will probably stop before it hits this floor anyway. If not, we can always climb a little higher."

I'm glad to hear that for now, we're safe, but I still can't help but think: what happens after that?

I decide not to burden this poor woman with my doubts and fears though. I try to sit up.

"My name's Kelly by the way. Benedict came in to check on you, but he left shortly after to catch a nap, so I never got your name." She's pretty, and I smile at her because I can't help it. She's so warm and friendly that you can't help but open up to her.

"Veronica," I say, and she nods.

"That's lovely. I imagine you're feeling sick?" The way she jumps from subject to subject makes me laugh, and she looks at me questioningly. I just shake my head.

"Never mind. Umm, I feel a bit nauseous, but I'll be fine. I really want to go see my friend Ian..." Kelly nods her understanding.

"Of course. If you need it, I have a bottle of pain killers in my purse. I'll let you take a few." I smile appreciatively, and she helps me stand and leads me out to the main office area of this floor.

People are fast asleep in desk chairs and sprawled out on the floor. There are a few people who are posted at the windows and on the stairwell to keep an eye out for danger. Everyone else, though has succumbed to exhaustion.

I spot Martin slumped in an office chair, and I have to smile; his head is lolling to one side, and there's a bit of wetness dripping from his mouth.

"I think your friend volunteered to keep watch for a while. You'll find him along this wall, more than likely." I scan the wall and quickly spot his black, untamed hair. He sees me, too, and relief washes over his features, and he runs to me. I'm quickly in his arms, my face pressed into his chest.

"You're alright," he says, and I nod.

"I feel a little sick. But I'll be fine. How are you?" I pull away and look into his dirty face.

"I'm fine. Here, sit next to me where I'm posted." I look to Kelly and smile in way of thanks, and she inclines her head to me and leaves. I sit down next to Ian where he stands.

"What happened after I fell?" I start by asking.

"Martin practically dove through the crowd to get to you, and he carried you the rest of the way here." I try not to show my shock. Martin? Saved me?

"The wave hit shortly after," Ian continues. "The windows all shattered and water was pouring in. Ben still made us climb though." He laughs. "He's stronger than I thought. I had been worried about him before. It looked like he was going to break down, but he came through." I nudge him.

"You did, too," I say, trying to encourage. He just shakes his head.

"I didn't do anything. I feel like a total kid."

"You're only 18, you can't be expected to know..." He interrupts me, though.

"We probably could have saved more people. And we didn't. That was all of our faults. We were just so concerned with saving ourselves..." He groans and rests his head in his hands. I rest a hand on his shoulder.

"There was nothing you could do. If you had tried, we would all probably be dead." He nods.

"I know that. But I feel like all those people's lives... They're on us, you know? I know they're not, but I can't help but feel that way. That's why I volunteered to do this... I mean, I'm not doing much, but I'm contributing." I realize now how tired he looks.

"Why don't I take your spot for a bit while you get some rest?" I suggest.

"But I volunteered..." He looks conflicted.

"Ian. You won't be able to do anything if you're dead tired like this. Go to sleep, I'll watch for a bit. See?" I say, rolling my chair over to the window. "I can watch while I'm sitting down. I'll even bring a trash can over so that if I puke, I won't ruin the carpet." He smiles at that.

"Well, you think it's okay..."

"Of course I think so. Now get going," I tease, and he laughs. He walks by me and places a hand on my cheek, and I wonder for just a moment if he's going to kiss me. He looks at me, and he even leans in a little, but he recovers and continues on.

I watch him walk away, glad he isn't glancing back at me to see my disappointment.