log: District X flooding
Nov. 2nd, 2023 08:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAfter the District X flooding, Nica and Liam work together to free a tapped resident
The little motor boat of volunteers tied itself to a nearby lamp post and Liam shrugged into the backpack of assorted rescue items that ranged from water bottles and meal bars to feminine stuff and single packets of OTC medications. Things that people trapped in the buildings by the floodwaters might need. They couldn't get out, but Liam could get in. And once he shared the goodies, he could report back to coordinate getting more supplies out whatever out to help people.
Jumping with cat-like grace from the boat to a pole and then making his way up and over things eventually reaching the fire escape, Liam was grateful for his tail for balance. He often kept it wrapped around one leg or his waist just to keep it out of the way, tripping over it was just dumb, but it was fully unfurled now for all to see.
He easily climbed up the building to get to where people were.
It was as he was done and climbing back down that Nica came across him; zipping around the corner in a flash of light. "Oh, great! I need a pair of hands! Come this way, quick!" She buzzed around him like an over-large firefly.
Looking up, Liam grinned, following in what could only be described as a scamper. Follow the moving light? Absolutely! He refused to chase laser pointers mostly on principle, but it was still fun. More fun with it being a building and not a living room. "Hands for what?" he called back.
"I found someone who needs help, but he's stuck in this tight corner and it's really dark and I can't get him out by myself - I need someone who can help him while I light things up so you can see what you're doing." Nica's words were blurted out in a rush as she flew over the muddy water filling the streets.
"I'm a cat!" Liam called back, assuming that Nica would understand. That was possibly presumptuous though given her last statement.
She totally did not understand, but fortunately, they'd reached the abandoned building that was their destination. "Be careful," Nica warned, hovering by a broken door half-sagging on its hinges. "The floors are all rotten - that's how this guy got into trouble. He was squatting on the ground floor when the storm came, so he decided to go upstairs and the stairs collapsed under him. Over here." She went through the wall, pausing only a little on the other side to wait for Liam.
Squeezing in, Liam stayed on all fours, tail high. He didn't usually move like this, his body wasn't designed to be a quadruped, but he wasn't uncomfortable and it was a lot safer. Turning, his eyes glowed in the dim light, "I can see in the dark," he explained with a grin. "Cat eyes. And ick, this is so gross," but that was flooding. It was nasty.
"Of course." Nica rolled her eyes at herself. "Well, it's even luckier I found you, then!" She led the way to a ruined staircase and pointed upwards. The upper level was completely dark, apart from the light Nica was shedding.
The stairs weren't trustworthy at all and Liam picked his way up carefully, "We can't take him down those stairs," he said, "Or bring anyone bigger than me up them..." they needed a third option. "Can you make an exit?"
"I can probably blast a way out of the back," Nica offered, hovering by his side and simply drifting through the ceiling once she reached it. Once through, she glided to the pile of twisted metal and wood that had been the stairway to the next floor. A voice could be heard groaning from the midst of it. "Travis? It's me, Nica. I told you I'd be back. And I have help."
"N-nica?" It was a young voice, younger than Liam. "I hurt so much."
Oh, crap a kid. Liam had assumed they were looking for an adult. "Hey, I'm Liam," he called, continuing to move carefully, "I'm going to help get you out to the paramedics," he added, using the radio clipped near his shoulder to relay his location so someone could meet them.
Surveying the debris, Liam tried to figure out his options, "Travis? Where do you hurt? And can you move your fingers and toes?" He wasn't a paramedic or anything, but he was pretty sure that was how you could tell if there was a spinal cord injury.
As Nica's light fell on the trapped boy, it revealed a young African American, probably around 12 or 13, looking shabby and underfed. He didn't seem to have a visible mutation, but he was only visible from the waist up. At Liam's questions, he briefly nodded. "Nica asked me all that already. It's my legs, they're stuck under all this..." He pointed his chin at the pile. "...and it feels like they're broken. I can move my toes, tho'."
"I moved a bit of the stuff pinning him down," Nica elaborated. "But the main piece needs two hands and even then I can only move it a couple of inches. I need someone to pull him out carefully while I lift, and then make sure he doesn't bleed out."
"Yeah, okay," Liam agreed, shrugging off his backpack and setting it aside carefully. "You lift and I pull? Or want me to lift?" They were pretty close to the same size.
"I'll take it. I can keep things lit up and if we need to get out of here in a hurry, I should keep my hands free." Nica went and stood over the beam in question, bending her knees and keeping her back straight. "Okay, one... two... three!" And with a grunt, she heaved up until she had the beam lifted a couple of inches. "Now! Quick!"
Grabbing Travis under his shoulders, Liam pulled, possibly harder than needed, the boy sliding out quickly and Liam moving them smoothly until he was certain they were on more stable flooring. "Don't move," he instructed, nimbly going to get his backpack.
Travis had cried out in pain as the beam had moved and his face was ashen, but he still managed a weak grin. "Wasn't planning on it, Tony the Tiger." Then he lay back, breathing shallowly. His upper legs looked unharmed, but a dark red stain was spreading from his left shin and a hole in his jeans showed a jagged edge of bone.
There was a thump and a relieved groan as Nica let the beam drop. "Hey Travis, how're you..." She began, glancing over at the boy, then cut herself off at the sight of his leg. "I'll go make a hole," she said instead to Liam. "He needs a doctor asap. Try and stop the bleeding if you can, but don't move him just yet."
Turning, Liam's face offered a complicated range of expressions as he tapped his radio, requesting emergency backup asap. "Uh, compound fracture, that's where you can see the bone right? And bleeding," he told dispatch, rummaging for a tourniquet and putting it on just under his knee, but over his pants. He wasn't equipped for this! Not really. But. He wanted to be. For next time. Because maybe it was silly, but he wanted to be one of the helpers, like Mr. Rogers always said. Especially to other mutants.
There was a bright flare of light which illuminated the whole floor of the building and a rumble of bricks and wood falling to splash into the water below. Then daylight shifted through, leading to a large hole in the side of the warehouse. Nica reappeared at their sides, solidifying and panting slightly. "I'm going to need a recharge after that," she managed. "Let's get him out of here."
His radio crackled to life and he hit the button to acknowledge, "Paramedics are on their way," he relayed, "We just need to get him out enough so they can get him safely," because he wasn't sure the paramedics could get up here like he could. Especially not safely.
Nica nodded. "I can't fly him out of here, but I think if we put him on something flat and strap him down, it will make it easier not to bump anything?" She gave Travis an apologetic smile. "Sorry to talk about you like you're not here. You okay with that?"
Travis sighed, but gave a curt nod. "I can't stay here," he agreed. "Let's do this."
Using a door that had come off its hinges was the easy part. Straps were more difficult, but after a few minutes, they found some ropes. Sticking his head out, Liam waved at the boat headed their way, "The paramedics are almost here," he said to Travis, "Can we wait for them?" Liam asked, turning to Nica. It wasn't that they wouldn't try, it was just... well, these guys were the professionals.
"It might be best. They know what they're doing," Nica replied, unknowingly echoing Liam's own thoughts. "I can make a beacon for them." And with that, she leaned out of the hole, glowing hand waving the boat down.
The little motor boat of volunteers tied itself to a nearby lamp post and Liam shrugged into the backpack of assorted rescue items that ranged from water bottles and meal bars to feminine stuff and single packets of OTC medications. Things that people trapped in the buildings by the floodwaters might need. They couldn't get out, but Liam could get in. And once he shared the goodies, he could report back to coordinate getting more supplies out whatever out to help people.
Jumping with cat-like grace from the boat to a pole and then making his way up and over things eventually reaching the fire escape, Liam was grateful for his tail for balance. He often kept it wrapped around one leg or his waist just to keep it out of the way, tripping over it was just dumb, but it was fully unfurled now for all to see.
He easily climbed up the building to get to where people were.
It was as he was done and climbing back down that Nica came across him; zipping around the corner in a flash of light. "Oh, great! I need a pair of hands! Come this way, quick!" She buzzed around him like an over-large firefly.
Looking up, Liam grinned, following in what could only be described as a scamper. Follow the moving light? Absolutely! He refused to chase laser pointers mostly on principle, but it was still fun. More fun with it being a building and not a living room. "Hands for what?" he called back.
"I found someone who needs help, but he's stuck in this tight corner and it's really dark and I can't get him out by myself - I need someone who can help him while I light things up so you can see what you're doing." Nica's words were blurted out in a rush as she flew over the muddy water filling the streets.
"I'm a cat!" Liam called back, assuming that Nica would understand. That was possibly presumptuous though given her last statement.
She totally did not understand, but fortunately, they'd reached the abandoned building that was their destination. "Be careful," Nica warned, hovering by a broken door half-sagging on its hinges. "The floors are all rotten - that's how this guy got into trouble. He was squatting on the ground floor when the storm came, so he decided to go upstairs and the stairs collapsed under him. Over here." She went through the wall, pausing only a little on the other side to wait for Liam.
Squeezing in, Liam stayed on all fours, tail high. He didn't usually move like this, his body wasn't designed to be a quadruped, but he wasn't uncomfortable and it was a lot safer. Turning, his eyes glowed in the dim light, "I can see in the dark," he explained with a grin. "Cat eyes. And ick, this is so gross," but that was flooding. It was nasty.
"Of course." Nica rolled her eyes at herself. "Well, it's even luckier I found you, then!" She led the way to a ruined staircase and pointed upwards. The upper level was completely dark, apart from the light Nica was shedding.
The stairs weren't trustworthy at all and Liam picked his way up carefully, "We can't take him down those stairs," he said, "Or bring anyone bigger than me up them..." they needed a third option. "Can you make an exit?"
"I can probably blast a way out of the back," Nica offered, hovering by his side and simply drifting through the ceiling once she reached it. Once through, she glided to the pile of twisted metal and wood that had been the stairway to the next floor. A voice could be heard groaning from the midst of it. "Travis? It's me, Nica. I told you I'd be back. And I have help."
"N-nica?" It was a young voice, younger than Liam. "I hurt so much."
Oh, crap a kid. Liam had assumed they were looking for an adult. "Hey, I'm Liam," he called, continuing to move carefully, "I'm going to help get you out to the paramedics," he added, using the radio clipped near his shoulder to relay his location so someone could meet them.
Surveying the debris, Liam tried to figure out his options, "Travis? Where do you hurt? And can you move your fingers and toes?" He wasn't a paramedic or anything, but he was pretty sure that was how you could tell if there was a spinal cord injury.
As Nica's light fell on the trapped boy, it revealed a young African American, probably around 12 or 13, looking shabby and underfed. He didn't seem to have a visible mutation, but he was only visible from the waist up. At Liam's questions, he briefly nodded. "Nica asked me all that already. It's my legs, they're stuck under all this..." He pointed his chin at the pile. "...and it feels like they're broken. I can move my toes, tho'."
"I moved a bit of the stuff pinning him down," Nica elaborated. "But the main piece needs two hands and even then I can only move it a couple of inches. I need someone to pull him out carefully while I lift, and then make sure he doesn't bleed out."
"Yeah, okay," Liam agreed, shrugging off his backpack and setting it aside carefully. "You lift and I pull? Or want me to lift?" They were pretty close to the same size.
"I'll take it. I can keep things lit up and if we need to get out of here in a hurry, I should keep my hands free." Nica went and stood over the beam in question, bending her knees and keeping her back straight. "Okay, one... two... three!" And with a grunt, she heaved up until she had the beam lifted a couple of inches. "Now! Quick!"
Grabbing Travis under his shoulders, Liam pulled, possibly harder than needed, the boy sliding out quickly and Liam moving them smoothly until he was certain they were on more stable flooring. "Don't move," he instructed, nimbly going to get his backpack.
Travis had cried out in pain as the beam had moved and his face was ashen, but he still managed a weak grin. "Wasn't planning on it, Tony the Tiger." Then he lay back, breathing shallowly. His upper legs looked unharmed, but a dark red stain was spreading from his left shin and a hole in his jeans showed a jagged edge of bone.
There was a thump and a relieved groan as Nica let the beam drop. "Hey Travis, how're you..." She began, glancing over at the boy, then cut herself off at the sight of his leg. "I'll go make a hole," she said instead to Liam. "He needs a doctor asap. Try and stop the bleeding if you can, but don't move him just yet."
Turning, Liam's face offered a complicated range of expressions as he tapped his radio, requesting emergency backup asap. "Uh, compound fracture, that's where you can see the bone right? And bleeding," he told dispatch, rummaging for a tourniquet and putting it on just under his knee, but over his pants. He wasn't equipped for this! Not really. But. He wanted to be. For next time. Because maybe it was silly, but he wanted to be one of the helpers, like Mr. Rogers always said. Especially to other mutants.
There was a bright flare of light which illuminated the whole floor of the building and a rumble of bricks and wood falling to splash into the water below. Then daylight shifted through, leading to a large hole in the side of the warehouse. Nica reappeared at their sides, solidifying and panting slightly. "I'm going to need a recharge after that," she managed. "Let's get him out of here."
His radio crackled to life and he hit the button to acknowledge, "Paramedics are on their way," he relayed, "We just need to get him out enough so they can get him safely," because he wasn't sure the paramedics could get up here like he could. Especially not safely.
Nica nodded. "I can't fly him out of here, but I think if we put him on something flat and strap him down, it will make it easier not to bump anything?" She gave Travis an apologetic smile. "Sorry to talk about you like you're not here. You okay with that?"
Travis sighed, but gave a curt nod. "I can't stay here," he agreed. "Let's do this."
Using a door that had come off its hinges was the easy part. Straps were more difficult, but after a few minutes, they found some ropes. Sticking his head out, Liam waved at the boat headed their way, "The paramedics are almost here," he said to Travis, "Can we wait for them?" Liam asked, turning to Nica. It wasn't that they wouldn't try, it was just... well, these guys were the professionals.
"It might be best. They know what they're doing," Nica replied, unknowingly echoing Liam's own thoughts. "I can make a beacon for them." And with that, she leaned out of the hole, glowing hand waving the boat down.
