The Town of Ruins

Chapter Twelve

             "Simon, Cassie! Thank goodness! Where have you been?!" We were bombarded with questions just as soon as we got down to the Offices. All I could do was just push through and try to get to Nuno's office. Once there, I didn't even knock. I opened the door to find my grandmother, Sarah, talking to Nuno. "If she doesn't wake up soon, I'm not sure we can keep her alive." She said. I pushed the door open all the way and ran to Nuno. He hugged me so tightly I couldn't breathe. "Oh Cassie, I've been so worried about you." He said. "Where is everyone else? What happened?" He asked. I replied, "Everyone else is in the basement up there. There's some new additions too. Some of them can't walk and we need help to get everyone down."
"Alright, let's send some people up to help. We need to see how bad this is, and I would like to know what exactly happened."
               With tears in my eyes, I led everyone up to the basement my friends were sitting in, I didn't pay attention to who. By the time I got there, Sammy was back. Simon picked Millie up and Sammy lowered the gurney down the ladder. Simon carefully lowered Millie down and I heard the wheels of the gurney being moved towards the elevators through the opening. Next, they helped Jacob, Lisa, and Diana down the ladder. Then Bella, Vieanna, and Sammy went down, and I heard Nuno tell them that he would have to talk to them in the Office and them being led to the elevator. Simon walked over to me. He put his arm around me and said, "Cassie I know this has been really traumatic and awful, but you can't just stay by his side." I looked at him, and then I looked down. I had subconsciously sat down next to the gurney he was on. "I didn't even realize..." I said. "I know." He said as he pulled me into a hug.
               "Cassie?! Oh my God thank goodness you're okay!" A familiar voice yelled. I looked up and saw Carter walking towards me. I squeezed Simon once more and then got up and walked towards him. When we reached each other, he picked me up and spun me in a circle, before setting me down and hugging me so tightly I couldn't breathe. "Carter, you're crushing my lungs." I said. "I'm sorry." He said as he let go. He looked at me for a while before kissing me. "Please don't disappear like that ever again. I've been so worried about you." I nodded and said, "It wasn't my idea I promise."
               I walked back to Simon and Dad, as Carter followed. "Who is that? I thought we got everyone that went up there." Simon looked as if he was going to strangle Carter right then and there for even mentioning it, and I started crying again. "Oh Cassie, I'm so sorry." Carter said as he knelt next to me. I shrugged and watched as two figures started to lower my father's body down the ladder. I shook my head and followed them down the ladder, leaving the two boys alone upstairs.