new york lights [infinity war]

the little miracle

august 13, 2010, san fransisco

"Mom?" Drew Michaels ran around the building that was engulfed in flames.
"Dad? Mom?" She continued searching, but to no avail. Her search was interrupted when she heard the sound of the outside wall crumbling. She gasped and ran away from the wall, stumbling over the ash-covered and burning furniture. "Mom?" She screamed again. "Dad?"

The building began falling and she watched as bricks fell from their position and tumbled to the ground, where there was a growing group of people watching, some filming on their phones.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no." She cried. She continued backing up until she hit the wall, which was hot to the touch. She screamed in pain as it burned her through her clothes. She stumbled forward, unsure of where to go.

She was unsure of what to do except try the door again. She ran over and went to turn the doorknob, but the metal knob was burning hot. She screamed in pain and stumbled away from the door before falling to the ground.

Her blinking became slower and slower until her eyes barely opened. The last thing saw was a fireman break down a door and run over to her before she closed her eyes and awaited death, which was an unusual thing for a little girl to do.

* * *

When Oliver Michaels heard that his brother, niece, and sister-in-law had been in an accident, he took the first flight over from New York to San Fransisco. It had only taken a few hours, and he had gotten there by the next day. As soon as he walked into the hospital and told them his name, he was met with an influx of doctors giving him information and apologizing for his loss. One doctor pushed the others away and pulled Oliver to the side, talking to him in private.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with this alone, especially at only 21. Your niece inhaled a lot of smoke, but other than that, she sustained no severe injuries. It's a miracle she survived. We aren't really sure yet how she survived since the room she was in was completely engulfed in flames by the time the firemen arrived. According to family records, you are her only known family, so you will have full custody of her unless there is a reason that you are seen unfit for custody." The doctor said.

"I know. My brother and I have talked about what would happen if they should ever..." Oliver trailed off, his heart breaking with every word. He and his brother had spoken briefly about what would happen if he and his wife, Drew's mother, should ever pass, but everyone all thought that it would never happen. The man's eyes darted around the hospital, looking through the sliding glass door towards his niece.

"We'll bring the papers, now, if that's okay with you." The doctor said. The man nodded and the doctor turned and walked away, calling over a nurse to help him get the papers.

The man walked through the sliding glass doors to where his niece was, laying in a hospital bed. Her face was still covered in ash, and her curly hair was in two messy, bushy ponytails. Her eyes were filled in genuine worry and moved quickly around the room, trying to get a sense of what was happening. The young girl's mouth was covered by an oxygen mask, and a faint smile was seen on her lips through the mask when her uncle walked into the room.

"Hi, Uncle Oliver." She mumbled, barely audible through the mask.

"Hey, Mija." He smiled sadly at her, sitting down next to her bed. "Drew... Listen." He began.

"I know what you're going to tell me. I already heard what the doctors said." She took off her oxygen mask so it hung down on her neck like a large necklace. "I know that my mom and dad are dead." She stared into his brown eyes with her puppy dog ones. "I just don't know what happens now."

Oliver thought it was all very strange, having the girl be content with her parents' death at only 8 years old. He knew in the back of his head that it was just the adrenaline and that it would hit her once everything had calmed down.

"Okay." He sighed. "You're gonna come live with me, in New York."

"Okay." She nodded, sadness hinting in her voice. "I never liked it here anyway. It was always too hot."

"Okay, kid." He stood up and hugged her gently. She was hot to the touch, but he didn't think much of it. Maybe it was just something that happened after being in a fire. He didn't know and didn't make a comment. The same doctor Oliver had seen before knocked on the door and Oliver stood. "I have to go sign some papers, but I'll be right back." He smiled before leaving the room.

"Okay." She nodded before slipping her oxygen mask back on.

"Here are the papers," The doctor handed him a packet. "The report of the fire has also just come back. According to the firemen, no one else survived."

"How is she still alive?"

"We don't know... Her vitals are all stable, except for a fever."

"Hm." Oliver sighed, trying to process what had happened. It was bad enough that his brother and sister-in-law had died, now he had the mystery of figuring out how his only niece had survived a fire that had killed over 100 people.

"You can take those into the room if you would like."

"Thanks," Oliver mumbled, before taking a pen off of the counter and going into the room, the sliding glass door closing behind him.

"What are you doing?" Drew asked, her voice muffled through the mask.

"I'm signing the papers so that you can come with me," Oliver responded, beginning to read and sign the papers.

"Okay," She nodded slowly. "When can we leave? I don't like it here, it's scary."

"As soon as you're okay enough to fly back to New York." Oliver signed his name again.

"I'm tired." She yawned, which was hard for her to do under the restrictions of the mask.

"Go to bed, kiddo. When you wake up you'll feel better." He lied, knowing that when she when she woke up she would feel worse and that everything that had happened would set in, and she'd realize that she'd never see her parents again.

"Okay. Night, Uncle Oliver." She yawned again before letting her head gently fall back against the pillows and closing her eyes.

"Night, Mija." He sighed.

* * *