--- EMBERS

❝He is the picture of ambition: the boy who didn't know when to stop. The one who wanted to the point of losing himself to the waves. He leaves us with the knowledge that we are made to sink or to fly. And sometimes, both. This is not a love story, it is a boy who let the darkness within pull him under. ❞ Jackson O'Dyer Captain. New Hanover FD

[jcksnodycr]

@sommerstessa​

at the grocery store ft. @wilmingtonstarters​

In an attempt to move past the hurricane and, more importantly, the shooting, Tessa was making every effort to get her life back to normal. That began with getting back into cooking - a past time she enjoyed only second to baking, and one she was particularly good at, too. Of course, everyone had stocked up for the hurricane, including her, but now that power was restored and things were almost back to normal, Tessa was in need of food items that were more than just non-perishables. As she stood facing a large array of vegetables, Tessa sighed, frustrated by the fact she couldn’t quite reach the peppers on the top shelf thanks to her sling. Glancing to her left, she smiled politely to the person beside her. “I’m sorry to bother you - would you mind giving me a hand? It’s just-” she shrugged her shoulder just slightly, enough to show her restrictions.

“I got it, I got it.” The last thing Tessa had to do was offer up some sense of an explanation. He knew enough, and didn’t intend to pry any further for what it was worth. He’d been working closely with people in situations much the same for the majority of his life, one way or another, he understood that recovery was as much a private sentiment as any other. Reaching for the peppers, he grabbed a few, some for himself too, dropping them into each of their baskets without further question. “Broke my arm when I was twelve, ice hockey incident..-- never realize how damn helpless you can be without both arms until it happens. Sling suited me a hell of a lot better than it does you though, Tessa.”

[jcksnodycr]

@daniellesheppard​

OPEN STARTER

Location: A bar in Downtown Wilmington

So far, so not good. Having spent the majority of the evening enjoying a few cocktails during happy hour with work colleagues, Danielle now found herself alone at the bar wishing she’d accepted a ride home. Yet as she rummaged through her bag, attempting to find a fifty to cover her drinks bill, Danielle couldn’t find a single dollar. “Dammit!” she screeched, banging her fist to the bar top before attempting to compose herself. Apparently she’d left her wallet in the desk at work. As a way to salvage the situation, the brunette started to scroll through her phone, the sudden idea of Apple Pay flashing through her head. Naturally, it was now of all occasions for her phone to die on her. “Oh my gosh,” she muttered, bringing up both hands to rub her eyes in frustration. “This can not be happening to me.” And just after the town was finally beginning to get back to a sense of normalcy after the storm.

Increasingly so, the string of nights that Jackson could be found at the bar had shifted in the aftermath of the hurricane. Though he’d carried the weight and responsibility of each of his jobs throughout the years well, stoic and spine rigid against the violence, and just as surely in the face of finding those he knew and cared for within harms way. Worst of all, the scathing idea that he’d almost lost Beau, his best friend -- his brother, had been enough to tip the scales of Jackson’s stable appearance. Overhearing the woman’s frustration, and though he’d tried not to pry too much, it became far more obvious as the bartender waiting for her grew impatient. Shifting from his own bar stool, finishing off his glass, and only deeming that he’d had enough here for the bottle he had waiting at home, Jackson stepped towards her, “I’m out, but .. put whatever she had on my card,” Even despite the look of disbelief the man gave him, Jackson nodded and looked back to the woman beside him. “Shit around here’s been rough enough lately, I hope you don’t mind too much.”

[jcksnodycr]

jennyxhayes‌:

LOCATION: JENNY’S APARTMENT DATE: MONDAY MARCH 23RD, 11PM. CLOSED: @jcksnodycr​

Jenny laid on her couch, keeping her eyes on the television. Dynasty was something she recently started watching and was already halfway through season one. It was better than going out and trying to avoid Mason and his wife, not something she really wanted to do. She glanced towards the door when she heard a knock, picking up her remote and pausing her show. She got up. She tugged on her black tank top, glancing down at her pajama shorts, wishing she had worn something else because she had no idea who would even be at her door at this hour. She walked over to the door and unlocked it, moving her hand to the doorknob, twisting it and pulling the door open as her eyes landed on Jackson. Her lips parted to say something but her eyes glanced down at the bottle in his hand before moving up to his face. “What’s all this?”

Though he wasn’t so against spending his night at home, finding the time to recuperate after another long day of trying to piece back as much of the city as they possibly could, and all that had come before it - Jackson found that, he really didn’t feel like being alone for the night. Neither, however, did he feel like traipsing his way to a bar, to delve into small talk and mindless conversation. Which somehow, brought him to Jenny’s doorstop with not a whole lot of good reasoning as to why - beyond a promise that he’d repay her for her help at the shelter during the worst of the storm. When she opened the door, he looked between her, and the bottle in his hand, fingers tapping mindlessly against the full bottle. “--- Didn’t feel like drinking alone tonight, remembered that I owed you one.” Not that they’d ever, truly, discussed what he’d owed her, only that he did, and Jackson hated the idea of not being squared up. “Figured you might not be against a little company.”

[yourwonderman]

[jcksnodycr]

beth-dryden‌:

Leaning against the wall of the hall, Beth took a moment to close her eyes, the first time she’d been able to do so in what felt like the longest time. Her hand was gently stroking Ellie’s hair as the little girl slept soundly on the cot she had been supplied. Despite all the anxiety and fear around her, Ellie still managed to sleep with a small smile on her face, her beloved Dalmatian laying across her feet. Making sure Ellie was tucked in, Beth pressed a kiss to her forehead before turning to one of her friends. “Can you watch her? I just need to go somewhere where I can’t smell people for a couple of minutes.”

It was all she needed, to find a quiet room where she could take a few breaths of air that hadn’t been breathed out by, what felt like, every other person in Wilmington. A couple of minutes and she felt a little refreshed, strong enough again to face the room of the mass evacuated. Walking back to her spot, Beth saw the familiar figure and immediately, her heart lifted. “Jacks! Hey! When did you get here?” Beth rushed over to him, her face breaking into a smile that was so full of anticipation. “Are Beau and Sydney here as well? I thought Beau would be with you, is he just getting some water or something? I’d better go and let him know where we’ve set up camp. Do you want to join us?” @jcksnodycr​

The bitter taste in his mouth as thick as the blood still caked beneath his nails, Jackson carved his way through those still milling out by the entrance of the shelter, despite the heavy handed suggestion that people steer clear of windows and doors. It irritated him more now than it did before. The wreckage he’d left behind a mirror image of the scars he wore in the inside, now drawn open to reveal metaphorical bleeding wounds that refused to let him breathe. Despite doing all he could, there was only so much faith he could put into his skills knowing there was the long haul ride to Charlotte that followed. One wrong bump in the road could undo all he’d done to leave Beau to bleed out if it wasn’t enough -- if those with him couldn’t keep him stable until they reached safety. The twist and turn of his own stomach as it played out in his head, over and over, unable to so easily bend to the possibility of witnessing the near loss of his best friend - his brother, left him with such little tolerance, noted in the sharp edge of his tone as he snapped at those too close to the doorway to get back. Intention had lay in slipping into the nearby office to snatch up the radio and wait until he heard something about the bus with Beau in it reaching Charlotte, regardless of whether it was a waste of his time. Such intention, however, changed immediately, the smile Beth wore as she found him like a twisting knife to the gut, all too quickly remembering what Beau in his shock ridden state had asked him to do. It was the right thing, of course -- it was always the right thing to be upfront about the seriousness of each and every incident he was called to, but this one hit far too close to home and the last thing he wanted to do, was look this woman in the eye and tell her what had happened. “Just walked in the door.” With the now pressing intention to find a reason to walk right back out again, he moved across to the supply table pooled together for emergency responders, already filling his pack with whatever his hands reached for. “Sydney’s here somewhere.” Sharp, blunt -- and not what she deserved, the imminent pause as she questioned Beau’s whereabouts pressed down heavily on his shoulders. Biting his tongue, Jackson steeled his gaze, pulling at the zipper of his bag before he sought to look at her. “--- He’s not here, Beth.”

[jcksnodycr]

beau-haywood‌:

CLOSED START FOR: @jcksnodycr​ LOCATION: route 765, charlotte bound

“Fire department! Call out!” Beau’s normally booming call was dwarfed by the rising din of the wind and the rain, not to mention the surrounding chaos of evacuees and emergency response crew still assisting crash victims on the site. Captain O’Dyer had sent Beau ahead to scan the last of the vehicles before they called the scene and regrouped. They’d been out there for hours, enduring the heavy rain and hissing winds, and the natural fatigue was setting in. Beau loved his job, not just because it was meaningful, but because he had a team around him he trusted implicitly. Even when shit hit the fan the way it had that day, there was still hope.

‘Over here!’ The voice was faint amongst the chaos, but Beau would make his way to the Toyota Camry that was relatively unscathed, but stuck between a car on either side, making that exit impossible. Sliding over the roof of the car, Beau would move to the open window. “Everything’s going to be fine, ma’am.” He assured. “Does anything hurt? Did you hit your head?” Verdant hues drifted to the sunroof. “Does your car still have power?”

‘I think so…’ The woman’s voice replied, her key turning in the ignition to power the battery. “Okay ma’am, that’s great. I’m going to help you out, but you’re going to have to work with me, here.” Beau would move back around to the hood of the car, planting his feet firmly as he called back to the passenger. “Take it nice and easy, okay? I’ll be right here to help you down.” But in the relief of freedom, the woman would scramble out of the car with Beau’s assistance, knocking him over as she began to flee towards the rest of the rescue team. 

It only took a moment to fall backwards, helmet slamming against the pavement, next to where they’d only recently had to use the jaws of life to pry open a vehicle. It took a few seconds for Beau to come to his senses as he laid on his back, only a few more to feel the warm, wet sensation pooling down his right arm. One glance of his eyes would see the piece of auto-body lanced through his forearm, not that the copious amount of blood falling down to his palm was a severed artery. His breath shallowed, and only a few seconds later his PASS alarm sounded. And all the man could do, as he stared at his wound in shock, was hope one of those trusted teammates found him quickly enough.

Call the scene. It was that simple, the wreckage scoured for hours on end for survivors, the death toll rising far more than any would have imagined when they’d set the evacuation route on the 765. It’d been a straight shot to Charlotte and out of the oncoming hell Selene promised to rain down on those that remained. Call the scene, and they were out of there. It should have been that simple, but truly -- whatever higher power existed to guide each and every one of them through the existential crisis that might have arisen within the chaos, hadn’t yet thought to touch Jackson with the guttural, vicious demand to feel anything beyond instinct and a steadfast intention to just do his job. A thought that hadn’t yet found him, no breath within his lungs offering him the time to think about what might hit later, in the confines of silence as he knew disaster often did.  As the crew loaded up, Jackson snapping the last tilting draw closed, he might not have heard it, if not for the howling wind catching within a suction pocket and drawing the whistle to a temperamental sliver of silence. The piercing wail of a PASS alarm jarring something within his chest that fell beyond the realms of instinct. His fist slammed down against the truck, calling out to those within to find out whether one of theirs had set itself off - the momentary peace of mind found within the cab of the truck on the tail end of a job always a fleeting endeavor of possibility. Truly, it was a harrowing grab for another explanation than what he already knew it to be. “Beau.. It’s Beau.. ---Get this road lit up, now.” Already on the move, Jackson faced the heavy rainfall with new intention in every step he took towards the skeletal wreckage that shouldn’t have had the ability to shove so much fear down his throat as it did in that moment. 

Headlights within the temporary graveyard of cars, blurred by the rain drew him in -- that was new. Most of the cars left behind were too smashed up to power any electrics, others.. abandoned and left like ghostly reminders of what their intention had been, beelined as they were, headed for safety. A reckless nature that existed beneath the leader mentality ripped at hemmed edges as Jackson pulled himself across car after car, wasting no time in finding a safe path towards the lights. Yet within his minds eye, lights turned to flame, and every obstacle that kept him from pinpointing the exact placement of the alarm sounding were the arms of firefighters, of her, keeping him away in his near obsessive need to fling himself back into the fire to find his brother. Parker.. -- “Beau!” The brash call of his rough timbre broken by the wind, the swirling echo of the alarm piercing his ears as he scrambled across the final bonnet and landed hastily against bitumen, feet away from where his brother lay. The sight caught breath in his throat, unable to press upon the idea of losing another, “Oh, like fucking hell..” The spiking anger a far easier outlet than the wounded cry that echoed the skeletal cavern of his chest. 

No. No. No. Gravel and glass bit viciously at the palms of his hands as he skidded to a halt across the wet road. The pool of crimson that spilled out from Beau’s severed artery turning the water that fell in droplets from his hands pink as he reached for the other. “Beau..--- C’mon, don’t do this.” The only imminent panic that settled in his chest, turning over and over until it felt too big to exist there at all. Bloodied hands instead reaching to check the other mans pupils, “Hey..-- Hey, you’re fine, we’ve got this.” An insistence that he had to believe because the alternative was far more than he could handle right then and there. “What’s going on? What happened? --- Did you hit your head? Does anything else hurt?” Anything beyond the sharp of piece metal protruding his arm at least, “You gonna’ talk me through this?” He tried, beyond it all, to offer some press of a laugh, as nimble digits tried to trace out the impending details of the wound itself. “You know I fucking suck at it. you’re gonna’ help me, right?” It was a lie, of course, Jackson could do his job with his eyes glued shut but that generally depended on his own ability to remain calm -- a sentiment that, right now, couldn’t be fulfilled without hearing Beau talk back to him. All within in the same hope that’ it’d keep him there, and not slipping right through his fingers, like Parker had.

[jcksnodycr]

@sydncyfitzpatrick​

location: makeshift shelter date: March 13th; early hours. 

Grueling hours spent liaising with those clearing the highway and those sweeping what was left within reach inside the town borders felt like grinding teeth, endlessly until there was little left other than the dull and aching reminder that there was nothing left. Transports for the injured had crossed over into Charlotte and with each and every person received on the other end of such an evacuation, Jackson had thought an easier breath might have been awaiting them on the horizon. But, there was yet one more thing he had to do. The high rise of panic and concern that had underlined Claire’s voice when she’d told him about the foster kid. - caught up within the foundations of his own home while his parents were here, within the shelter, relegated by authorities not to go back. Another sweep of the streets too dangerous to even those trained to do exactly that. He might have swallowed back bile for the thought of anyone, let alone a child being out there on their own in the front of the storm that now awaited. Time had never been on their side, but now, now it didn’t exist. The order already set in motion to move everyone left, into the buses and en-route to Charlotte. No exceptions. No going back. Outside, the deafening cacophony of the storm raging was nothing to settle his mind, his decision already beyond made, a promise to Claire that he’d bring the kid back before the last bus rolled out. Details relayed about the home, the case -- the kid itself, didn’t make anything feel easier when he’d found out there might be some immediate distrust simply because he was a man, but after so many years, he wasn’t surprised. It simply offered itself as an obstacle he’d have to work his way around when he got there. The other option simply didn’t offer itself as one, not to Jackson, at least. Never quite one to lay claim to any sense of a hero complex, he just didn’t see the waste in endangering anyone else when the window of time that remained, became almost non-existent as Selene closed in on their town. “Sweep the shelter when everyone’s loaded up and get your ass on the tail end of those buses out of here, Syd.” An order that fell far more harshly than so many before as he slung his pack across his shoulder, already headed for the exit with no intention of stopping. After spending far too many years being the last line of possibility, the last call made, it was simply instilled within his bones, within the genetic makeup of a man who was the last resort, “Don’t let them stop for anything.” The underlying order that nobody wait for him, was unspoken in the loudest breath of silence as he awaited a verbal understanding.  

[jcksnodycr]

@natehuntington​

location: highway 765 en route to Charlotte, NC.

There was no relief in it, not like there should have been. Getting Caleigh out of the contorted, mutilated vehicle and stepping back to let the paramedics take control over her current state should have been met with something far more than the gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of his stomach, but knowing how faint her pulse felt beneath his fingertips was a cause for dire concern and perhaps by now, everyone on scene knew it. Prying open the broken metal with hydraulics a drastic step taken in pushing their luck for time when it came to the woman beloved by the Police Captain, and while it might have been just as heartbreaking had it been anyone in there, something about it being one of their own felt like a looming cloud that nobody wanted to acknowledge as she was strapped to a gurney, Jackson having already radioed out for an airlift by the time he’d found Nate among the onlookers.  He could feel the sharp, menial cuts in his skin from the flying slivers of metal that assaulted his skin as they’d cut open the car, one by one objecting against the mix of salt and blood as rain water washed it all away yet still, he didn’t feel as bad as Nate looked. “Tell me you reached him and he’s on his way now.” Something he wouldn’t quite forgive the man for if he’d somehow not managed to get ahold of the other Captain. “You look like fucking hell.” Jackson paused, taking in the extent of Nate’s injuries, “--- You were already out here.” Statement, not a question, “You were in that.. Anyone stopped to check you out yet?”

[jcksnodycr]

@weston-taylor​

Location: Charlotte Hospital Date: look, it’s after everything ok. that’s all I know.

There were very few things that set Jackson O’Dyer off in any capacity. The anger that once instilled itself within his every action as a teenager, in the wake of his brothers death, while survivors guilt sought to bury him alive long buried beneath the steady hand of a man far more willing to channel it elsewhere. However, that disappeared in it’s entirety, when the people he, in so many ways, felt responsible for put in harms way, through fault of another person? It boiled blood to the point that the twenty years that’d passed since he’d felt the sting of such pertinent anger might as well have never happened. Despite the fact that he could hardly be accounted for in any sense of fault for what happened within the hostage situation at the hardware store, letting go of such a protective nature would never be an easy feat. Which brought him here, standing just beyond the triage desk, arguing with a nurse who insisted that he couldn’t go in and see Weston because of the lacking family connection. Under different circumstances, he might have allowed her to pander to the bullshit rule set in place for very good reason, but right now -- with the several hellish days settling heavy on shoulders, all Jackson had was the knowledge that his team made it through. “----So call them, I’d could use a security escort back to my truck.” Cut sharply as he swung open the door to Weston’s hospital room. Her insistence, dying as Jackson stopped, unashamed of whatever scene might have been caused, “She’s sorry she didn’t let me in sooner,” His forward speaking on the nurses behalf filled with amusement, “Too busy worrying over whether I’m your brother or not to care about the family brawl about to start out in the waiting room.” 

[jcksnodycr]

simonmessina‌:

The entirety of Wilmington seemed to be in an absolute state of panic as the hurricane continued to decimate everything in its path. Houses, cars, trees, signage, everything was being knocked around and blown into spots that they didn’t belong against the harsh push of the winds that Selena was bringing through. It was something Simon found ironic in a way, mostly because the last time he had dealt with such destruction was overseas and the dry, hot climate had been the exact opposite of his current surroundings. But, nevertheless, Simon (amongst the majority, if not all, of medical personnel) was out doing his best to put out small fires where he could — though, in conditions like this, he knew that a small incident could turn deadly in a moment and casualties could skyrocket. 

He and his partner had come across a myriad of small accidents, all lining the same street, with some cars being abandoned due to the flooding roads and some trapped by fallen trees. They decided to divide and conquer, forcing themselves into the harsh conditions to eye each situation carefully, and Simon was the one to come across a family that was trapped inside of their car. There was a downed telephone wire, a fallen tree, and continuous flooding, which put all of the odds against them. He knew he first had to assess the situation, and he did so, just having enough time to make eye contact with the patrons before a familiar face showed up.

“Four!” He called over the sound of Selena, about to elaborate before his arm was grabbed, moving him out of the way of the sparking wire. Wiping the water from his face, Simon made eye contact with Jackson, raising his voice so that they could make contact. “Wife is in the driver’s seat, husband in the passenger. Two kids in the back,” he spoke, pushing himself through the water around his ankles to try to get a better look at the situation. “I don’t know if they can, they look pretty jammed in there!”

“They’re gonna’ have to.” He cut sharply, not willing to allow time to stand in their way. The ability to think anything through as they might be so used to was cut severely beyond the press of ensuring everyone’s safety. Unfortunately, with everything going against them, it was survival that meant far more than making it out in one piece. A sentiment that took him back ten years, feet planted in the middle of a warzone with little more than his unit and the crunch of time, and daring, cunning recklessness to get them through it. Thinking on his feet was something that Jackson O’Dyer had done since the day he was pulled from the wreckage of his own home. The previous sharpened edge of his own voice doubling back to remind him that he couldn’t very well expect those inside the car to be anything beyond frozen in fear and uncertainty. Cursing beneath his breath, his arm flew up to shield his face from the sparking wire still whipping around overhead, the rise of water around their ankles a far more pressing concern if they didn’t hurry.  “Alright...” A heavy pause settled against his tongue, taking a split second to further assess what they were working with. “Okay, they need to all move into the back, as quickly as they can, we’re gonna’ kick it in ourselves..-- Go to my truck, there’s a crowbar in the tray.” An easier feat still, if they could shatter the glass first. The telephone wire posed the most danger, flickering back and forth as if it might have been searching for someone to strike down. Unable to round the car, crushed by the fallen telephone pole, his knuckles tapped mercilessly against the glass of the front passenger window, his reach across the tree difficult at best, gesturing as best he could above the whistling wind and electrical sparks for the parents to move in to the back and get as low as he could with one of his kids. Pushing water from his eyes, he looked around for any possible way around this, but as far as ideas went, it was this or leave them to die.  It clearly wasn’t an option, pointedly made as Jackson climbed up on the skeleton of the fallen tree, turning just long enough to hold his hand out to haul Simon up with him. “You watch that god damn wire. We catch that and we’re screwed.” Pointing out the obvious had never been something he was known to do, Jackson trusting those he worked with to understand it all the more without reminder, but right then and there, it was the very last thing he wanted. Once Simon was stood close enough, Jackson called out above the wind and rain, “You ready?”

[jcksnodycr]

clairckim‌:

Claire knew that Ava was with her father. In fact, she’d told him to take her and head out of town at the first sight of the hurricane coming their direction. While he’d argued about her staying, Claire could not be told to do anything when her mind was set on ensuring her foster kids and others were safe. Without any rides, and some living on the street, she needed to know that they were out before she even dared to leave. While she’d spent too much time looking for them and pilling a few in her car, she headed out of town and made it to the shelter at the last moment. Even though she knew that she had done what was necessary to save the children she had in her back seat, she could still feel her stomach tighten for those kids that she hadn’t been able to find. 

As soon as she arrived into the shelter, Claire found spots and blankets for the kids she’d brought over. Ushering them in a corner whilst shoving bottles of water in their laps before she ventured off to help other people who seemed in need. It was only when she noted the sight of a wet kid that her form halted, turning towards the male who spoke. Though she should have recognized him by voice alone, she didn’t — not when her attention was solely focused on the pale child. “I got it,” she hurried over, helping the kid stand. Dark hues flicked up to peer at Jackson, and while recognition flicked over her features, she didn’t react any other way. Moving to the side with the child, she set them down on the bench and placed a blanket over them. “Jackson,” Claire called out moments before he turned around, and waited for his attention to turn to her. “Be careful.”

Unfurling the young girls arms from around his neck, Jackson pulled her free of his form, gently placing her down to stand beside her brother. A pointless venture as said arms only moved to weave around his leg instead. Fixated in the throws of panic and chaos that collided in a way that she couldn’t comprehend in the slightest, a gentle hand shifted to curl around her messy head of dripping wet blonde hair. “Thanks Claire.” He’d never held an ounce of doubt within him that she was a good woman, despite his own mistakes when it had come to their relationship. It was another thing entirely to be able to put aside certain thoughts and feelings when they didn’t belong, some people entirely unable to do so, it was a breath of relief when she fell to something far more cooperative than a heated, toxic moment further fueled by the Armageddon raining down on them now. It pressed a shift within his shoulders that felt more comforting than anything, rest assured the children were in good hands now, hopefully until he brought their mother back here with him.   He might have been satisfied with that much, an offer to pass up on transgressions and focus on what lay at their feet - Five kids without their mother and with little more than a strangers promise to hold onto that they wouldn’t always be without her. Jackson’s first intention to go back to the street he’d come across her dead vehicle and bring her back. At least, as satisfied as one could be until Claire called his attention back to her and something within the expanse of her reminder to be careful twisted guilt within his gut. “I will be, always am.” He noted, as quietly as one could within the throng of those seeking shelter, “--- I’m sorry I never called, Claire.” Maybe it felt misplaced, a dire reach for something more permanent than the chaos he fell into like a mold calling out for him, but he always knew she deserved an apology, and perhaps, there never really was as good a time as right now. “I really am.”

[jcksnodycr]

penelxpebradley‌:

She had only just got to the shelter in one piece. Soaked through to the skin, she had only just managed to convince Amelia to actually come into the shelter by begging and pleading and promising that the dogs could come with them. As it was, she wasn’t certain dogs would be allowed, but she saw no reason why they shouldn’t, and that was enough for her to grasp onto. Outside she could hear the wind screaming through the town,  and as she glanced down at her phone to check her messages she saw that the signal was cutting in and out intermittently. It seemed she wasn’t the only one who had headed for the makeshift shelter, the place crowded with people and small children in particular, and Penelope edged past a few people to try and find a corner to bunker down in. None of them knew how long the hurricane was going to last, but already the streets were starting to flood. Evacuation – if it were even possible, looked a long way off. 

It was only when there was a commotion and the sounds of young wailing children that she actually looked up and away from her phone and saw how a string of kids had entered the building clinging to a man who looked old enough to be their father even if he did not look thrilled by the prospect. “Sorry?” she asked, slightly dazed by the way the man turned to her expectantly with the small children in tow. She definitely didn’t know these kids. She’d assumed the man did…but it seemed not. “I mean, yeah sure”. Jolting into action, she gathered the kids closer to her, reaching down to grab one of the towels that had been chucked into a corner and passing it to one of the boys. “Here, dry off first and then we’ll find you something warmer” she promised, stooping down to her knees to look the child in the eye before she straightened back up and focussed on the man who had asked her. “Your not going outside right? I mean you’ve seen what it’s like out there”

It was, perhaps, a little more forward than he might have liked to have been about it, Jackson’s general instinct was to use his every ability to offer whatever protection he could, to whoever needed it. Now, however, the kids in tow were in as much a safe place as they could find and his responsibility lay with those outside once again. “Sorry, I know it’s not ideal.” None of it was, “It shouldn’t take long.” All he had to do was go back out there and find their mother, stranded inside her broken down car, awaiting Jackson’s return. “They seem like good kids.. scared.” He pointed out a little quietly. It wasn’t as if he sought to blame them. He’d wager that more than half of them didn’t even understand what was going on, or better yet, why they’d had to leave their mother behind and trust a man they’d never met before. Keen eyes watched the woman as she handed off a towel and promised something warmer, something within his stomach settling at the knowledge that he might have chosen the right stranger within the shelter to entrust them to.  A more difficult feat than the one that faced him outside. Despite the necessary coordination that’d come into play in subjecting the school as a shelter for as long as they could bunker down here, Jackson couldn’t in good conscience stick around to hand out blankets and water. It wasn’t in his blood -- that he could entrust to those far more maternal than he. “It’s because I’ve seen what it’s like out there that I can’t stay here.” He offered up, not nearly as defeatist as it might have sounded. Chaos was a place he found solace - purpose, and without it, he might as well have been twiddling his thumbs. “Someone’s got to, can’t really expect my teams to stay out there if I’m in here.” A rough, damp hand found the expanse of his chin, fingers drawing nimbly across his jaw, “Look, they’ve got a radio set up in the office back there, if I’m not back in an hour, make sure it’s on channel fifteen and radio out for Jackson O’Dyer.. if I’m not answering, try Beau Haywood. Don’t let anyone get too comfortable, this place is just temporary until we can clear the road.” Which, in the minds of so many seemed near impossible with the pile up, the imprint of blood, metal and smoke doused in the heavy rain not something he’d forget all too quickly. “How’re you doing anyway? Did you get here okay?”

[jcksnodycr]

caleighgx‌:

THURSDAY, March 12th on Route 765, after 10:12PM.

     The truck of Caleigh’s car was packed with luggage for both herself and Calvin along with food and water for their German Sheperd, Sadie. Music had been turned to the news station and kept on low while she kept her cerulean gaze on the road ahead to Charlotte. Rain pelted the car and wind rattled the windows, the force of it causing a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel as it tried to push her from the road. After a little while, dodging debris and somehow managing to keep her vehicle in it’s lane, her shoulders and arms ached some for how hard she had to fight the weather. Her thoughts were on her boyfriend, stuck in the rearview as she attempted to exit Wilmington. Calvin had to stay behind as police captain and work, help the citizens that weren’t as fortunate as her to be in the car and headed away from Hurricane Selena that was coming up everyone’s asses.

     It happened in the blink of an eye, so quickly that Caleigh had no time to react — a tree landed in the road, a small car spun and a truck tipped over, then an SUV — everything went black.

     A crash and crunch of impact; breaking glass, the horrific sound of metal bending and breaking, and a young woman crushed and pinned by the dashboard of her car. Caleigh was out cold on impact. Fragments of the windshield sliced her neck and upper arm. Her petite body slumped over toward the passenger seat bleeding out from her fresh wounds while her dog barked out of a broken back window frantically. Sadie cried for help, bark after bark, only pausing to whine and look over her mama. She licked Caleigh’s face, her neck, and barked some more until help finally arrived by way of an off-duty cop whom had also been a little banged up in the accident. Nate Huntington tore off his jacket and placed it over the back window he broke down even further and pulled Sadie out. In that moment he couldn’t care if the dog ran off, he only acted by hauling his body onto the wreckage and pulling his sweater off. He tore pieces to put over her wounds and add pressure to try and slow the bleeding because one feel of Caleigh’s pulse told him she was weak and fading. The detective tried to get on his radio, he needed immediate help but he couldn’t move his hands. Then with a pounding heart he saw the fire crew and other responders begin to arrive.

     “Jackson! HEY — O’Dyer!” Nate called out as soon as the fire captain came into view and within earshot of his yelling. Sadie was circling around the wreckage, barking and whining. “I need you over here now, man! She’s critical, you’ve gotta get her outta this car!” It wasn’t clear or even all that hopeful she’d survive transport to the ER in Charlotte but… they had to try. As soon as Jackson and crew made it over, Nate was relieved and he backed away, grabbing ahold of Sadie and stood nearby just in case. Ready to make the radio call no one ever wanted to make. ( @jcksnodycr )

Conducting the constant sweep through of Wilmington to get people moving towards Charlotte was never going to be an easy task. People were stubborn, believed the simplicity of believing things would be okay would make it so, but Jackson had seen far too many facets of disaster strike the most foolhardy person to their knees and he knew with the oncoming report of Selene, that this would be no different. The issue that sprouted from the opposing panic to stubborneity, was that people made far too many mistakes while adrenaline remained unfocused. When he’d first heard the crackle of the radio, barely audible above the hammering of rain and wind against the truck, his heart sank. They’d sent so many people towards the highway and despite knowing that circumstances were beyond his control, there was no mistaking the slight pinch of guilt that pooled in his gut as his guy in the drivers seat swung them around towards the evacuation route.  The devastation might have painted itself a vision of hell itself, even with the worst of it still looming on the horizon within the blackened clouds and harrowing call of the hurricane in the wind. He’d seen hell, walked right through it, time and time again, and though this didn’t hold the same weight as his own hell had to him, he knew that to so many others, nothing could be worse. Flame pitched eerily within the rain, burning spilled oil as his teams worked tirelessly to guide people away from the wreckage and towards the safety, school buses en reroute to pick up those who could manage on their own

A heavy brow smeared, an unearthly mix of mud and crimson caught within the drops of rain and sweat dripping endlessly down sharpened features as he watched paramedics tend to Jacob, the far off sound of his name almost otherworldly, an echo that didn’t exist within the trained thoughts that pinned him down to what came next and not when does it end.. It was only when one of his own crew members pointed his attention towards Nate, both of them moving without second thought towards the detective, clambering out of the shattered window as the shepherd circled him. “Any vitals, Nate?” He demanded, timbre rough as he moved past him, hues targeting another of his crew members sharply, the quickened snap of his attention pinpointing every necessity before he even made it to the crushed car. Low pulse, heavy blood loss, shallow breath. “Get a bus in here and make sure I’ve got enough clearance to get her out.” The stark realization of who she might have been not nearly close enough to apparent until he’d hauled himself through the shattered window and caught sight of Caleigh’s familiar features. “--- You get hold of Calvin and tell him to get his ass to the Charlotte hospital now.” Even if Nate had to go and drag the man out of Wilmington himself, no sense of lowered communication was going to get between alerting one of their own that it was time to pack it in for the sake of family.   Nimble fingers worked quickly, shifting dampened, bloodied strands of dark hair from her face to take note of any further injury to her head, “Caleigh?” His steady voice a pillar of controlled ambiance within the chaos, “Caleigh, you with me?” His palm pressed down against the wound at her throat to staunch the bleeding, “C’mon, girl. It’s Jackson, you gotta’ give me something to work with here,” Because anything beyond that was not a welcomed option, “--- Get this door open!” The sharp hail of rain against the roof of the car was harrowing in itself, each roll of thunder across the sky an ominous lurch of inevitability that didn’t leave him with the same range of options he might have otherwise had. The lowly thud of Caleigh’s pulse beneath his fingers more than enough to urge him to more drastic measures, “Someone tell me how stable this front end is,” noted only from the inside as the crushed front end came dangerously close to the drivers seat Caleigh now sat slumped in, the last thing he wanted was for the font end to collapse further when they sought to cut her out. Bloodied fingers brushed across her cheekbone, willing some sign of life into her features, sooner rather than later, “It’s gonna’ get real loud in here, Caleigh, but we’re here and you’re gonna’ be fine.” ---Still uncertain as to whether she could even hear him, he went on as another of his crew settled into the back seat of the car to help steady her head from behind as Jackson continued to administer as much aid as he could from the front seat until a trusted paramedic could take his place.

[jcksnodycr]

@jaccb-altman​

location: HIGHWAY 765 EN-ROUTE TO CHARLOTTE, NC. 

It seemed never ending, the sharp pelt of rain and wind further skewing the vision as the impact of such disastrous weather lay strewn across the highway, crushed metal contorted beyond repair. To those caught within it, it was a nightmare that nobody ever saw coming - yet one in the same that Jackson and so many of his crew knew was near inevitable as far too many people clung to the last minute effort to leave the city. Another day in the life, yet no easier as he moved through the wreckage, diverting the team that he’d led out here towards people they knew - people they cared about. A battlefield far different to any of those he’d once chosen to put himself in the middle of, this one wrecked havoc in ways that didn’t end with a fired bullet, the nightmare ensued and he knew he’d weather the storm until it ended before he sought a moment for himself to rest, simply because it was who he was.  Prying loose the back door of a crushed camero, Jackson stepped back to offer the paramedic with him room to work on the passenger within when familiarity fluttered within his chest and toppled the depths until by autonomous thought alone, he was moving through the throng of people and carnage towards the truck they’d not yet gotten to. Climbing across the bonnet of an empty vehicle, he maneuvered quickly yet carefully until he could see clearly enough to see inside, hues averting to assess his truck quickly. Crushed - both ends, wedged far too tightly within the entanglement of metal.. “Shit.. Jake..-- Hey Jake, you with me?” He spoke loudly over the hammering of rain and whirling wind, the shattered window offering Jackson the possibility to look beyond the glass, “Jake, buddy..-- C’mon, how’s your legs? They’re not pinned are they?” Blood --- he could see the crimson that smeared across the younger mans face and immediately considered his options, “Don’t move if you can’t, we’re gonna’ figure this out, okay? All you gotta’ do is talk to me, tell me what doesn’t feel right.” Often enough, pain confused with a certain numbness and far too often looked over in the immediate assessment, all sense of personal panic set aside to boil beneath the surface as instinct took over.

[jcksnodycr]

@wilmingtonstarters​

location: makeshift shelter date: thursday 12th 3.26am

The young girl in his arms shook, soaked to the bone and wailing for her mother as four boys, not much older than her trailed behind, latched with a tight grip around one another’s arms. Under different circumstances, it might have looked almost comical, a man with almost no typical disposition towards children with so many clinging to him, but right then as he breached the doors of the shelter, it all just looked like chaos. With every belief that the teams he’d left behind on the highway would make the right decisions and a two way that at best did little more than crack static, he’d opted to lead others back towards the city, taking as many people as he could fit into his truck. Those of who now spilled through the doors to find shelter, and some sense of warmth.

However, it wasn’t where he’d remain. His every intention fell to getting as many people to safety as possible, and with the rain and wind picking up, Jackson could only guess how much time they might have had left. “Hey, excuse me.” His hand detangling from the boy at his side, noting the way he seemed to shift closer to him anyway, “Can you take them, please? Find them some blankets, water.” The small whine from the girl tangled around his neck twisted something within his chest, Jackson never able to stomach this part. “It’s okay, it’s okay..” He lent back slightly, prying tiny fingers from around his neck, darkened hues shifting between the girl and the person he’d pulled to a stop,  “They’re just going to help you, watch you until I get back with your mom, okay? --- I’ll be back, I promise, just keep an eye on them for me, would you?”

[jcksnodycr]

@simonmessina​

location: downtown

Nothing about this was ideal. The evacuation implemented that stretched the highway towards Charlotte stifled by the pile up hadn’t left those remaining within their cars, uncertain of what lay ahead with much choice. As paramount as getting everyone out of their vehicles might have been, the pressing matter of the hurricane and the people still out here in the open had led Jackson to leading as many people as he could to the shelter back in town. Irony painted itself black within his veins, with the reminder that he found his calm within the chaos, almost unfazed by the concern over those he cared about - knowing the majority would stand, as he did, as the last people on the front line of disaster. After circling back, pointing his truck towards the highway again, he took barely a moment to watch the flood waters of the river spill out across the road, the unmistakable spark of light that didn’t belong among such gloom.  Pulling up, the force of the water edging higher almost pulling his legs out from beneath him as he found the road, murky beneath the surface. The live wire sparking as the wind caught it against the car, pressed up against the side of the building, washed from the road in the overflow. Movement within the car, and outside of it drew him closer, wading through the water until he could press a cold palm against the trunk of the car. “How many?” He called out over the heavy falling rain, recognition of one of his own men coming moments later, “Simon, how many people are ins..--- Move.” Like the lightning above, Jackson reached to curl a steady palm around the others arm, pulling him through the water as the live wire reared it’s head like a venomous snake, sending sparks into the water rushing by their feet. “The windshield --” It was the furthest opening from the wire lashing in the wind, “They’ve gotta’ kick it out..-- now.”

[jcksnodycr]

rhysxcalvin‌:

LOCATION: HIGHWAY 765 EN-ROUTE TO CHARLOTTE, NC. DATE: THURSDAY MARCH 12TH 10:12 PM OPEN: @wilmingtonstarters​

Rhys hopped out of the truck, his eyes moving to look at the scene in front of him. Although, it was hard to see through the pouring rain. He took a moment to let it all sink in until he felt a tap on his shoulder and the sound of his captain yelling over the sound of the rain. He gave him a nod before heading off in a direction. His head-turning to check out the cars around him, seeing different people checking on others. He turned his head to notice someone sitting on the ground by a car, he moved over towards them, kneeling on the ground in front of them. “Hey.” He had to shout over the rain. “Do you need any assistance?” 

In his opinion, it had taken far too long to get out to the scene of the incident, the highway to Charlotte so backed up they’d began turning people back to find shelter beyond the stretch of road that had been their second option. It was, despite his utter dismay for the idea, inevitable. Panic didn’t so easily quell in the veins of civilians and with the heavy rain skewing vision, there’d perhaps been no doubt that the highway would compact into a disaster zone one way or another. The truck behind him, headlights glimmering through the falling rain, Jackson made quick note of the scene before him, searching for the immediate problem -- found in the flicker of flame that illuminated in the distance. “Rhys!” His voice booming through the cacophony, “Rhys.-- can she move?” Although it wasn’t where his immediate concern landed, he’d been at this far too long not ask, reaching for his shoulder to grab his attention. “If she can, she needs to move. Tell her to head towards the truck. We gotta’ get to that,---” a pointed gesture towards the mac truck, spraying oil across the washed out road, “It’s blocked down that way so we’re going around, you stay close and direct anyone you see on their feet back towards the town.”