Twenty feet from the water. Moving toward it—carrying sandbags—working right next to—
The sound roared in my ears. Water. Current. She could slip, could fall, could get swept—Cisco went down at thirty thousand feet. I went down at thirty thousand feet, nothing I could do—couldn’t reach him—
I couldn’t breathe.
The panic locked everything down. Sound—violent, churning water, voices calling out instructions—hit wrong, too sharp. Everyone working so close to the current—
Alex bent down for another sandbag. One step closer to the edge. Right there. Right next to—
“She’s been incredible,” Mom’s voice startled the shit out of me. She smiled as she watched Alex—by the water. “Jumped right in when we realized how bad it was getting.”
Incredible. Working by flood water. What if she—what if the bank gave way—what if—
Alex stood up with a sandbag in her arms. Three steps toward the water—no, no don’t—
The ground was mud, rain, everything slick—
She slipped.
“You okay?” Lou called out, helping her back up.
I didn’t hear Alex’s response as she brushed mud off her knee. I was already moving toward her. The sound of the creek—too loud, too urgent—too uncontrollable. She was too close. Overwhelming buzzing filled my ears… I couldn’t protect her… I couldn’t save her if… she might—
“Alex,” I reached her. Stopped short when I realized Lou was still holding her arm. My heart had lodged itself in my throat. “You need to get away from the water. Right now.”
She looked up, confused. “I’m okay, Finn. It was just a slip.”
Just a slip. Just—
This is irrational. I know this is irrational. She’s fine. But I can’t—can’t stop seeing—
“I said now.”
Everyone stopped working. Lou’s mouth agape. Family staring.
Know I’m losing it but can’t—
Alex straightened, sandbag still in her arms, mud streaking her jacket. “Finn. We need to finish this section. The water’s still rising.”
Insubordinate—
Was she really arguing with me about safety when she’d fallen just feet away flood water? Did she think I was going to let her—
My voice wasn’t my own. It belonged to the man who’d trained pilots a lifetime ago. Who didn’t put up with insubordination.
“Get away from the fucking creek, Alex.”
The world stopped moving, stopped making noise.
Alex went completely still and I felt the cold front hit me, knocking the air out of my lungs. She set the sandbag downcarefully and straightened to her full height, mud streaked across her cheek, rain dripping from her hair.
Her eyes were ice.
“No.” Her voice was flat, emotionless. Dead. “I’m working. This is important.”
She turned her back on me and picked up the sandbag.
“Alex—”
