Peig

You can't always tell when it will be a bad day, a good day, or even your last day. I thought today was going to go great, despite the storm. I would go to work, save lives, and go home to Mia to start it all over again. 

None of that happened though. 

I ended up with being stuck in this forsaken elevator with my ex-husband. 

The last time I even spoke to him was the night I left him pondering in my house with another woman. It was the last time he saw Mia, and Harry, the stuffed bear he got her Christmas a couple years ago. It was the last time he saw the money only I made in the house, and it was the last bit of alcohol he's had. I can tell in his eyes that he stopped. I just wished he would have put his life in place before I left him. I guess it's too late now. 

The lights still worked, but they flickered on and off every now and then. Elevators always made me nervous, but I wasn't terrified of them like a lot of people in this hospital. Now that I've been in here for a couple minutes, I saw the white paint chipping off the corners and staining yellow from the many hands rubbing on them. 

"While we sit here, why don't we get your paperwork started." I suggested even though I wanted to avoid him. At least if I do it now, I won't have to later when we get out. I won't ever have to see him again. 

"How are you Peig?" He asked, avoiding the conversation. "We haven't seen each other in years." Luckily, he was still sitting on the other side of the elevator, keeping his eyes on the floor. 

"There are reasons for that." I kept it simple because I knew if I didn't answer him he would keep pestering me about it. 

"That still didn't answer my question. How are you?" He asked again. I really didn't want to answer his questions anymore. I wanted to leave before I broke in tears.

"I'm fine with myself and Mia away from you." I said. I decided to sit down now, knowing that we would be here a while. I might as well make myself as comfortable as possible even if I knew it was impossible with him in here. "I see you have moved on though."

"I guess you could say that." He started doing what I was doing. He shuttered at the thought of me knowing he was happy with someone else. Especially when he knew I still loved him secretly. I don't think I'll stop loving him. If you've had kids with someone, the emotional bond is at it's peak and before we divorced, that's exactly where we were.

When we figured out I was pregnant, he kept showering me with gifts that costed probably hundreds of dollars all together. I never asked for any of it, but he was so ecstatic with the fact that we were going to be parents together. We would be able to raise a child together. The thought of it now made me sick.

"I'm still single. I live happily with my daughter, and-"

"Ours." He cut me off softly. "She's our kid."

"Not anymore. You haven't paid for anything of hers since she was a little baby, and that was because you fucked me over. Not one or twice, but many times." I raised my voice to where it echoed around the walls. "If you had a heart, you would have at least tried to stay in her life, but you left me. You left us."

"Actually Peig, you were the one who walked out the door that night and never came back. You didn't even have the courage to come back and get your things." He started to crawl over to me, his pale blue eyes making contact with mine. "You had your brother do it." His emotion changed from anger to something that didn't seem like him. I couldn't put my finger on what he meant to feel or what he wanted me to feel.

"I was gluing the heart you shattered on the floor when I found you in our bed with that woman." That didn't affect him at all. In fact, he got closer, still having the same emotion in his eyes. 

"You could've tried to help our little family by keeping Mia in my life."

"This isn't about her. This is about how you fucked up." Now he was really close to me, our faces almost touching. I could feel his breath down my neck, which I couldn't remember the last time I felt. 

He was trying to hit my soft spot, which was him, period. He knew my favorite spots and weaknesses. It was too bad that it wasn't working now. I pushed him back, making him tumble to the ground. The elevator then shook and made my heart jump. This was the one thing I hated about elevators, they shake and make weird noises. 

"Your games are pathetic Hayden. Don't talk to me anymore." I demanded, but it didn't work. He got closer again, but it was just to sit next to me. 

He took his hands, put them in his pockets, then sighed. "This isn't how I wanted us to end. Peig, you were the love of my life, but you treated me like I was a piece of shit. How can I stay with someone like that?"

"Really now? So it's my fault." I felt the blood in my veins boil. I would burst soon. 

"Not exactly. I never said anything about it to you, but you could've told me you didn't want me. I would've divorced you on the spot. I mean, since you wanted me gone so bad."

"I wanted you for the rest of my life, you narcissistic asshole! How did you not see that?" Here I went. "I had a child with you. I smiled everyday with all the gifts you showered on me. Then I had her and it was like something inside of you had changed. You turned into a completely different person, but it was apparently my fault. Thanks for making me feel better about us." My hands went to my temples, rubbing them roughly. This was the exact reason I left him. 

"You were so tied into our daughter that it was like I wasn't even there anymore. I never had a say in what you did with her, and you never left me alone with her. Excuse me for not feeling like the father I was."

"Correction: You were never home to watch her. She was only a baby and what is she supposed to do? Watch herself? I was always alone with her, and when I finally got you to stay home for one day, you cheated on me. I've never trusted you since, and I couldn't bear to see you ever again. When we leave here, you better expect that tradition to keep happening."

He didn't say anything. I couldn't break up the courage to look at him, but I could hear a couple sniffles. He was crying? 

I finally looked at him, but he luckily couldn't see me through his hands. They covered his face, entirely. This man was more complicating than my three year old. 

"I hate you Peig." he said, taking a couple staggered breaths. "I hate you for what you made me do."

**

Penelope

The rain had slowed down to a sprinkle, so I suggested that we make a move to go inside. There were puddles almost as deep as the road itself to the sidewalks. It didn't seem like a lot, but it was way to much to drive in. 

We all unanimously decided to try and get into the hospital. First thing was first, we knock on the doors. No answer.

Step two: Bang on the doors.

Still no answer. I couldn't believe that a hospital wasn't accepting patients right now. What kind of hospital closes?

Step Three: Find the parking garage, and stay in there. 

It took a little bit of time before the gates would even open. Nudging and breaking locks was what we were trying to accomplish. Fortunately, they weren't very strong locks so it wasn't hard to get in. 

"Now what do you expect us to do?" Issac asked, his voice soft and gentle. 

"I was thinking that we find an emergency exit and try to break that lock, if there is one." 

Issac smiled and said, "okay." 

Some people wanted to leave, but Issac and I convinced most of them to stay, but others still left. I guess they have a death wish, but that's none of my business. 

The rain was picking up now so we all ran in a corner and put the umbrella towards the the direction of the wind. My plans have worked so far which gained trust from other people, but it wasn't enough for us to be completely safe. I still don't feel completely helpful. 

"We're hungry." A kid said. There were a couple kids behind him and they all looked to be about eight. I guess this is where the feeling is coming from. 

"Why don't we wait until the rain slows, then we can go into town and find something to eat." I suggested. They just nodded and left me alone with Issac. 

"I don't feel like a good person." I suddenly said. My mouth twitched and I felt my face get hot and blushed when I realized I said that out loud.  

I kept having flashbacks of when I was younger. I remembered the accident with my parents and how I didn't help them simply because I was scared about my own life. I regret how selfish I was about keeping my life instead of putting it on the line to try and save them and keep my life. I was a selfish kid, especially when I didn't get what I wanted and had to share what I already had. 

All of this is the reason I'm so helpful now, even if I didn't think I was actually helping. I was satisfied with at least trying. 

I was kicked back to reality with a hand placed on my arm. I looked to see that that arm was attached to Isaac. His eyes glistened with hope and something else I couldn't put my finger on. "Don't ever think that you didn't help anyone. You've already saved a lot of people."

"Then why did those other people leave us?" My emotions were unsteady. I wanted to just go home and curl in a ball, but that couldn't happen with all these people here. 

"They think that they can do whatever they want without consequences. Think about all the people who are still here." I knew he was right, but I still somehow doubted his words. There has to be something else I can do to help everyone. 

**

Aiden

"Someone help her! Can't you see she's comatose?" A voice yelled. There were a lot of voices, actually. 

I never knew how big this room was and how many people were in it. 

A lot of people were sitting on the floor now; standing for two hours was starting to get to everyone's legs. 

Being the savior I am, I quickly stood and went to the patient. She was lying on the floor unresponsive. The same black hair I saw from before, pulled in a ponytail.

Her pupils were dilated, which is sign of brain damage so we had to get an MRI. The doors were still locked, but it wasn't about to stop me from saving this woman. 

I picked her up and ran to the doors. "Sir," Someone started saying, but I pushed past them anyways. Eventually, I ended up at the door. I slammed on the doors, hoping someone would hear me but there was no answer. What seemed like hours, but was actually only a minute, I got fed up with yelling and banging on the door. I had to break it open to save her, and that's exactly what I did. 

There were a lot of people shouting at me for potentially putting them in danger, but I didn't care. "Hey!" There was that voice. Her voice. "You didn't have to break down doors for me. I faint, it happens all the time."

She was standing on her own two feet with her arms crossed. Her eyes weren't dilated anymore, and she was responsive to the light I flashed at her. "How in the hell is this possible?"

"It's called 'figure it out for yourself.' You always seem to know what you're talking about when diagnosing your patients as well as mine, but you can't seem to understand why I fainted earlier." She walked towards me, keeping her arms crossed around her chest. "I already know what I have and there's no way to save me. You might as well get away while you can or you'll end up disappointed when I'm gone."

"You don't realize how much I would go out of my way to save someone. Even if it's a complete stranger. I will figure out what you have and cure it." I put my face towards hers, making her look at my lips then my eyes. I knew what was going through her mind without a second thought. "I'll promise that." She took a deep breath, but to her unfortunate self, I pushed her to the side and walked away. I was tempted to see her face behind me, but she would think about me in a different way then. 

"Wait there you asshole!" She shouted at me. I stopped in my tracks and took a glance at her. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her arms were now on her hips. I raised my eyebrows in interest of what she had to say. She then walked to me and put her face by mine. I made eye contact with her, but she immediately looked away. That's what I thought. "You don't even understand why I'm telling you to leave while you can."

"I was leaving, but you stopped me." I simply said. 

"You know what I meant, idiot." She seemed to lighten her face with a slight smile. She didn't want me to leave her.

"I think it's a little too late for that." I said, then walked away again. I didn't hear anything else from her.