[center]Her eyes fluttered open, and she groaned. Dark, musty air stung her eyes and made her fight the urge to cough. Shaking and soaking wet, she pushed herself to her knees. Her vision adjusted to the darkness, revealing walls and a ceiling made of rubble. She squinted, sifting through her dizzied thoughts to remember what happened. She remembered the officer running into her classroom as the siren sounded, her student's panic as she tried to lead them to the school shelter, her and the officer sprinting to help when a student had fallen...

Her breath caught. She struggled to speak, her voice lost in the sound of the rain drumming over the rubble above. She took a deeper breath, ignoring the burning in her lungs.

"Max?"

Everything was silent for an agonizing moment. Her breathing accelerated, and she swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Max?" She tried again.

"M-Mrs Morrison?"

Her head whipped around, her eyes scanning the rubble to her right. Finally, she caught a glimpse of movement. She tried to pull herself to her feet, instead clamping her jaws over a hiss of pain. She glanced back at her left foot and immediately regretted it. She shut her eyes, breathing as evenly as she could. When she opened them again, she could make out the wide eyes and dropped jaw of her student as he stared behind her.

"Mrs Morrison?" Max whimpered again, his tearing eyes glued to the blood mixing with the water around his teacher's leg. She took a stabilizing breath, reaching out and pulling Max into a hug. 

"Max, it's okay." She said. "Shhh, it's okay. It's going to be fine." She felt Max nodding against her shoulder. She released him from her embrace, giving him a quick smile. She looked around the small gap in the rubble that they were in. She shuffled forwards on her knees, shivering as the deepening water splashed against her thighs. Her hands traced the ground, running over chunks of rock and twisted strips of metal before hitting a warm, soft obstacle. The water sloshed as she flung herself backwards, her breathing rapid as the officer's lifeless eyes stared up at her.

"Max, stay over there," She commanded, "stay over there and don't look, okay? Please. It's going to be fine." She heard Max's sniffling "uh-huh," and forced herself to look back over the officer's body. She searched it with trembling hands, praying for a radio or a flare or-

A gun. She snatched it off his chest before the water could reach it. She looked around desperately, finally seeing a clip floating in the water beside her. Her heart dropped into her stomach. Only one bullet remained. 

The water dripped down her shoulders, lapping at her waist as she stared at the gun. She loaded the clip and shoved it into her shirt before turning around to give Max another trembling smile.

"Max, I need you to help me." She said. "We have to yell for help. Can you do that for me?" When Max nodded jerkily, she put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "It's going to be okay, don't worry. It's going to be fine."

They yelled and screamed and shouted. The water lapped at their stomachs. She panted, eyes wide, lips trembling.

"It's going to be fine." She whispered, holding Max close. The rubble groaned. Max sobbed. The gun sat cold against her chest. 

Her hands scrabbled against the ceiling. The water swirled at her ribs. 

She was going to drown. She'd heard it was agony. Max sputtered, treading water.

The gun felt so heavy in her hands. Her words felt as far away as the sound of the gun cocking. 

The barrel was so cold against her head. Her eyes locked onto Max's terrified gaze. The water would cover him any moment. 

The barrel left her temple. The water lapped at her chin. Max's head dipped under the surface. "It's g-going to be fine."

The shot was so [i]loud.[/i]

The gun sank out of her hands. She tilted her head to reach the last bit of air, her frenzied breaths sucking in dust and water. She closed her eyes.

Light suddenly shone through the water and rough hands grabbed her, dragging her out. 

"I knew I heard something!" A voice close to her cried. She heard a grunt in affirmation, and she felt a blanket wrap around her shoulders. 

"Ma'am, it's okay. You're going to be okay.

"It's going to be fine."[/center]