ICARUS {d.w}

1 Hour After

June looked down at her hands as she walked through the hallway. It was finally over and the first thing she saw was the blood crusted on her hands. Her hands were stained a dark maroon, blood was dried around her nails and smeared on her face with sweat and ash. She felt a sharp pain in her bicep and looked down at her arm.

A piece of metal was lodged into her arm. The blood was running down her arm. Somehow she hadn't noticed the pain until now. Everything settled in her body as she touched the wound. She winced at the pain. She quickly removed the piece of metal and set it on a tray. She wiped the blood off with a cloth. She went to grab a bandage only to discover there were none. June looked down and ripped off the edge of her skirt and wrapped it tightly around her upper arm.

She quickly grabbed two IV's. Men laid on beds everywhere. Hands hung off the bed and carts. Blood dripped onto the once white tile floor. June grabbed the IV's and spun around she lost her place for a second as her mind ran wild. Her eyes filled with tears again.

She turned to see Danny and Rafe walking towards her. Both of them were covered in sweat and dirt. Her mind went blank. She let go of the IV's and ran to both of them. She engulfed both of them into a hug and every worry about what her brother thought of her and Danny melted away.

"How can we help?" Rafe asked when his sister pulled away.

June brushed the dark hair out of her face and grabbed the IV's from behind her.

"We need blood."

She directed the boys through the crowded hallways to an empty examination room. On the way, she grabbed two empty Coke bottles. She sat Danny in one chair and Rafe in the other. Next to them was a priest praying over a struggling man. June tried to ignore the moaning coming from the man and placed a needle into Rafe's arm. He looked up her like he wanted to say something but stayed quiet.

"Rember, son, hold on to your faith." The priest said as he spoke his prayers.

June never found herself to be overly religious, but today she had found herself continuously praying. She moved over to Danny. He took off his yellow Hawaiian shirt and revealed his no-longer white tank top. She slowly inserted the needle into his forearm and checked the IV. He grabbed her hand and looked up at her. June moved her body so that Rafe was blocked and couldn't see her face.

"Pain is temporary, but glory is forever."

Danny placed his hand on June's stomach and she looked down at him. She slightly shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. She placed her cold hand on his. She slowly pushed his hand off her stomach and looked back up at him.

"Not now." She said below a whisper.

She placed the two IV tubes into the empty Coke bottles and turned the valves. The thick blood ran through the tubes and into the empty glass bottles.

"The father, the son, and the holy spirit." The man started to struggle as the priest prayed.

The beads on the Rosary shook as the dying man grasped the priest's hands. Danny and Rafe both looked over at the man. He gasped for air before he laid his head back. The priest slid his hands over the face of the man and closed his eyes.

"Go with God, my son."

Danny let out a deep sigh as the priest exited. June looked over at the dead man with a sad look on her face. Footsteps entered the room and June looked up.

"We've got men trapped everywhere in the harbor." A man said as he entered the room.

June looked at Danny and Rafe and quickly removed their IV's. The boys left the room leaving June alone. After a few seconds, the man came back again.

"We could use a nurse out there." The man sighed. "We need help from anybody who can move."

June nodded quickly as she grabbed the closest first aid kit and extra supplies around her. There wasn't much left.

The worst part about the tragedy had to be the men trapped on The Arizona, forty feet under water. Nothing could compare to the clanging coming from inside the ship and the whirring of saws cutting through the ship's hull. June followed Danny and Rafe on top of the flipped ship. Rafe helped lower men into small boats as Danny helped attempt to break the metal. June performed and failed CPR on various men. She patched up a few and sent some back to the hospital.

"We need an airline in here!" A man called as he hit the metal with a wrench.

He was sitting by a small hole in the boat's exterior. Men's hands were stuck out reaching for something to grasp onto. Rafe and Danny ran to help. The men inside screamed as the water rose.

"What can we do?" Rafe asked.

"It won't cut any faster!" Another man exclaimed.

Danny grabbed one of the man's hands and held it tightly. June stood up and looked at the scene. The water rose to the top and flooded out of the small hole. The men's hands stop flailing around for something to grasp onto. Rafe took a shaky breath. Danny rested his head in his hands. June let tears roll down her face. The world went silent.

June slowly walked to the dock and fell to the ground. Steady tears fell from her eyes. She felt Danny's hand on her shoulder as she let a soft sob out. June reached her hand up and gripped Danny's hands. His touch soothed her. He let tears fall down his cheeks as he looked at the bodies floating in the harbor. At this moment, nothing seemed right. The only thing holding June together was the warm touch of Danny's hand. June stood up and looked at Danny. He wrapped her in her arms and placed his chin on her head. Once again, the world seemed to melt away.