Hold Me

Chapter 1

By: BeForeverYoung

Jane sped through the traffic in her car. It was a typical morning in the city of Boston and like usually traffic was horrible. Sighing she eased her car to a halt at a stop light and waited for the light to turn green.

The sound of screaming and laughing over the roar of her engine however caught her the sound of the noise Jane's eyes found themselves set on a school bus full of kids. She looked in through the bus's back window to see it jam packed of sugar rushed children bouncing up and down on their seats, laughing and throwing things. She looked to the side of the bus that read, "Jackson Elementary," taking her eyes off the words she brought her gaze back up to the bus and watched the children as she waited for the light. A particular kid however caught her eye.

He had to be around 7 years old maybe a little less by the looks of him. But he was sitting at the back of the bus, the closest child in her sights. Jane watched the child with mild interest as he interacted with his former classmates. She was not prepared however when the child turned around and stared at her.

Jane and the child's eyes met in a showdown, neither one backing down. The kids waved to her happily and then mouthed to Jane, 'watch this.' Jane smirked when she saw a child blow a spit wad hitting a kid a few feet ahead of him in the back of the head.

Jane found herself actually impressed with the little devil. The kid was highly amusing and his spit wad performance was the first thing all day that made Jane smirk. Raising her hand off the stearing wheel Jane decided to give the kid a little scare as she reached down and unclipped her badge and flashed it to him with smile. She watched amused as she kids eyes went wide with shock before he ducked back down in his seat hiding from her.

When the bus started pulling forward Jane brought her attention back up to the light which was now green. The bus was slowly pulling away as the left lane was moving faster than her. Giving the window one last glance Jane saw the kid who poked his head over the seat one last time flash her a smile before ducking back down again.

Her lane started moving so she tore her gaze away from the bus and the amusing child and put the car in gear as she started to steadily move forward. Out of the corner of her eye however she saw something that made her heart stop…a semi truck. Noticing the truck was going to fast in the middle of town and the fact that it wasn't slowing down at all. Jane instantly clapped down on her breaks on the car. And in slow motion she watched as the semi ran the red light and crashed into the school bus.

She cringed at the sound of steel meeting steel. The sound of crunching, scraping, banging but over it all the screams of the children made their way to her ear. She watched as the semi's force sent the bus over on its side from there the bus rode down the cement about 15 feet before coming to a stop.

Jane shut her eyes and opened them as if hoping that it was an hallucination…that it was just a dream. But when her eyes opened they were instantly blinded when a bright light and heat escaped from the bus as the engine explode.

Before she knew it she was out of her car and was running to the bus. Her eyes took in her surrounding as people were running around screaming, a couple of them on their cell phones screaming into the phone.

"A BUS OF CHILDREN!" Jane distantly heard a woman scream into her phone who was no doubt on the phone with 911.

Jane drew closer to the bus and the heat emanating from it was giving her a burning feeling on her skin. She watched as a few other men were getting as close to the bus as possible breaking out windows trying to into it. Jane mind was reeling as she looked for the best way to help. And then she saw it, an emergency hatch on the top of the bus. Getting there as fast as she could she braced her leg on the top of the bus as she reached down and grabbed the hatch and pulled with all of her might.

"Ahh…" she screamed as she pulled and pulled and she was about to give up but then finally it unsnapped as she flew backwards.

Quickly getting to her feet she practically though herself in through the hole. She looked around in her surroundings all pain was out of her mind as she looked around through the black smoke. She couldn't see her hands in front of her face let alone any children because the smoke was so thick. The sounds of screaming and children calling for help were the only things that let her know that there were kids still alive.

Carefully moving she heard some whimpering to her left. Looking down at an empty seat Jane followed the whimpering noises. Looking under the seat to see a little girl about 6 years old cradling her arm which was bleeding profusely.

"Hey," spoke Jane softly trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

The little girl looked at her with wide eyes as she stared up at Jane terrified.

"Take my hand sweetie," said Jane reaching out her hand her mind not even processing the fact that she just said "sweetie," or the fact that she was actually being a kind caring person.

The little girl hesitated just slightly before she crawled out from beneath the seat and ignored Jane's hand and jumped into her chest. Jane's reflexes instantly snapped in as she caught the girl and protectively held her to her body. She stumbled back up to the hole in which she entered but not before finding another little boy who had a nasty head wound. Leaning down she picked him up too. From there she took the two children back to the hole. Setting the children on the ground she stuck her head out of the bus she saw a man around her age running around the bus in panic trying to figure out how he could help.

"HEY!," hollered Jane as loud as her vocal cords would allow. It must have been enough however because the man stopped and stared at her in surprise for a second before sprinting over to him.

"Help me out here," hollered Jane as she saw the man nod.

Reaching down she picked up the little girl and handed her the man. Reaching down she did the same to the little boy. "Take them to ambulance," hollered Jane, "they both need medical attention immediately and then get your ass back here….I am going back in to get some more," and with that she watched as the man nodded and took off with the children towards the flashing lights.

Taking in a deep breath of less smoke filled air she pushed her body back into the bus. The screams and cries have died down now…the only sound was the roaring fire and the distant sirens. Jane found another child on the floor as she leaned down and flipped the little boy over. He wasn't moving as Jane instantly reached forward and tried to fine a pulse. Her heart beat sped at the feeling of lack of beat under her fingertips.

Knowing the child was gone Jane gave a strangled cry before she got up and continued her path to the back of the bus. She found more and more bodies on her way…each one with that all too familiar lack of heart beat. But she kept pushing forwards and finally she was at the back of the bus. Her eyes instantly focused on three children all crying holding each other.

Two girls…both of their shirts were soaked in blood as they held each other cried and as her eyes now found the third child she froze. Jane's heart literally stopped when her eyes now were resting upon the same boy who only minutes before was laughing and hiding behind his seat. Jane could see a very deep gash in the kid's neck which was now bleeding all down the front of his shirt.

Instantly snapping into action Jane reached down and assessed the girl's wounds first. They had shallow gashes that were bleeding, nothing life threatening. Moving onto the boy she knew if she were to save the kids life she needed to stop the bleeding. Reaching at the bottom of her shirt she ripped it. Taking the piece of cloth she reached out to the boy getting her attention.

"Hey can you hear me?" asked Jane as grasped the child's shoulder.

The little boy opened her mouth the talk but it only increased the bleeding.

"Don't talk," shouted Jane. "I am a police officer and I need to stop your bleeding okay," said Jane as she stared down at the terrified boy, "nod if your understand me."

The little boy gave him a little nod which signaled to Jane to get to work.

"This is going to hurt," whispered Jane, "but I need to do this okay."

Not waiting for an acknowledgement Jane shoved the piece of cloth into the wound. She flinched when she heard the little boys scream of pain. She tied the cloth firmly as the little boy screamed in pain. She got the knot done and pulled back to see the little boy starting at him tears streaming down her face.

"I am sorry…" started Jane but a loud explosion stopped him as she flung forward and covered the children with her body as pieces of the bus flung at him. Jane bit her lips to keep herself from crying out when a bar flew and crashed into her back.

She covered the screaming kids until the bus stopped shaking. Pulling back she knew they didn't have a lot of time before the whole bus was gone.

"Okay I need you three to listen to me," shouted Jane over the roar of the now growing fire.

"You," she pointed to the littlest girl, "come here," she shouted as the little girl sat on her outstretched forearm.

"Okay," she said as she got her situated, "you," she pointed with her free arm at the other little girl. She followed suit as she sat on her other forearm. Jane moved so that she positioned both girls perfectly so she could effectively carry both of them without risking the chance that their broken ribs could pierce a lung.

"Okay," whispered Jane to herself.

"Okay kid," she said nodding to the little boy who was now staring at him waiting to be spoken too. Jane turned around so that her back was to the boy.

"I need you to wrap your arms around my neck okay," shouted Jane. Instantly she felt tiny hands wrap themselves firmly around her neck. "Okay don't let go," she shouted.

Bracing herself for the pain she was no doubt about to experience she got up.

Jane muffled scream of pain that radiated from her back as she finally got to her feet.

Slowly she started walking. Every step was like daggers into her back but she kept going. She moved as fast as her legs would allow her as she stumbled over debris and the fallen bodies of the children she couldn't save.

Another explosion sounded in front of she as the bus shook causing him to stumble. She cried out and collapsed to the ground as the children buried their faces into her neck and screamed.

Taking every amount of strength she had left she pushed herself off the floor and stumbled to the hatch. Lowering each child to the ground she repeated her action and stuck her head out and was surprised to see not only the man but also firefighters and police officers staring at her. Reaching down she grabbed the girls and held them up for the men.

Reaching down she grabbed the boy and crawled out of the hatch. With the help of the firefighters tugging her out of the hole. Jane landed with a thump down on the ground as she protectively held the child to her chest as the firefighters and police officers grabbed her free arm and pulled her across the ash fault as fast as they could.

As soon as she was about 15 feet away from the bus it exploded and was engulfed with fire. Jane stared at the bus in shock as she silently prayed that she got to all the children who were still alive.

"Mam," called someone.

Jane followed the sounds as she looked up to see an EMT holding out her hands for the kid.

"It's Detective," croaked out Jane.

"Detective, give us the child," yelled the EMT, "we will take of him."

Jane looked down at the crying kid then back up the EMT. Nodding she pried the kids hands from her blood soaked shirt and handed him to the EMT, while the other EMT helped her up.

"Where are you taking them," yelled Jane.

"St. Mary's is the closest!" yelled the EMT.

"I am coming with you," yelled Jane as she followed the EMT.

She neared the ambulance with the EMT's before one of them turned around and put a hand into her chest.

"Mam' you have done enough," she yelled, "we will take over from here."

"Like hell you will," roared Jane, "I am a Detective damn it and as of right now that…" she pointed to the kid who was now on a stretcher in the back of the ambulance, "…child is a part of ongoing investigation."

The EMT stared at Jane in shock before nodding and turning sideways allowing Jane into the back of the ambulance.

As soon as she was seated Jane instantly snapped back in the seat and watched EMT's work around as the ambulance doors shut and the truck sped down the road towards to the hospital.

"TOA is 5 minutes," called the driver.

"Get me some gauze," yelled the one EMT, "if we don't stop that neck wound he isn't going to make it."

The little boy cried out in pain again at EMT's touch.

"Jesus Christ give the kids some god damn pain meds!" yelled Jane as she watched the EMT's instantly start a central line.

The ambulance came abruptly to a halt and the back doors opened as both Jane and EMT's jumped out.

As soon as she entered there were doctors and nurses swarming them.

"Mam are you hurt?" asked a doctor seeing her blood soaked clothing.

"I am fine," roared Jane, "help the kid," she said nodding down to the child.

And with that she watched the rest of the surgical team wheeled him through the door leaving Jane in their wake.

Jane stood there staring at the door her chest heaving as she tried to breath in steady breaths to slow her pulse. With a few shaky steps Jane reached the wall as she slowly lowered herself to the ground and leaned against it.

Her muscles were twitching from over excursion and where she wasn't covered in blood was a thick layer of sweat. Her body ached, her legs were on fire and she was pretty sure her back was had one hell of bruise on it.

Shutting her eyes she leaned her head on the back of the wall as her body went limp.

"Jane," called a voice down the hallway.

Opening only one eye Jane peered down the hallway to see Frankie and Maura running towards him. Within seconds they were kneeling by her side.

"We heard on the radio what happened," said Frankie frantically.

"Jesus Christ," muttered Frankie as he instantly started to check Jane over, "you are bleeding," he shouted looking around for a nurse.

"Not my blood," mumbled Jane.

Maura and Frankie instantly stopped checking her for injuries at her words.

"Children," mumbled Jane, "their blood…all over…bus…semi…explosion…dead..." she mumbled incoherently.

"Jane," whispered Maura reaching forwards as she grasped her face and tugged it up so she looked her in the eye.

"All dead," cried out Jane, "couldn't save them…too slow… wouldn't let me…to slow…"

"Jane look at me," shouted Maura breaking her out of panic attack.

"I couldn't save them Maura," she whispered her brown eyes glazed over with pain and sorrow. "I tried…so hard…"

Maura's heart broke as she stared at her friend. Leaning forward she hugged Jane close to her body not caring at all that she would ruin her outfit, "You did good Jane," said Maura bringing her head to her chest as she stroked her hair.

She looked up at Frankie with tears in her eyes as he too had tear filed eyes as she stared at his blood soaked broken sister.

"I am so tired," whispered Jane as exhaustion finally was taking over her body.

"Make sure the kids okay," she mumbled before she surrendered to the blackness and finally passed out.

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