when the wall collapsed.
Casey was already helping people move farther toward the back. Megan saw one of the Brick kids holding his head, but he was walking unaided. One of Marco’s daughters had a scratch on her cheek, but the bleeding didn’t look serious. Niccolo’s mother had her arm around his grandfather and was helping him walk. Megan turned to see Peggy struggling with the door to the apartment, and she remembered that Kieran was upstairs with their aunt.
As she watched, Peggy wrenched open the door, despite the crush of frantic guests, and disappeared into the stairwell. The back of the building seemed secure, but what if the second story wasn’t? What if the upstairs, which camel backed the saloon, had been blown away? The apartment only ran across the back, but what if…
She stumbled forward, helping a great-uncle who seemed unable to find his way. Once she was sure he was heading in the right direction, she made it to the door and started up the stairs.
“Peggy?” She called her sister’s name as she climbed. The stairs seemed secure. Above her, everything looked the way it always did. “Peggy! Aunt Dee!”
The door at the head of the stairwell was open. She made it to the top without incident and found Peggy and her aunt clasped together in a bear hug, Kieran screaming between them.
“Thank God.” She joined them.
“The bedroom’s wrecked,” Deirdre said calmly. “The window exploded. There’s glass everywhere, but Kieran and I were in here.”
“Let’s get downstairs. We can exit through the kitchen door. The front’s a nightmare.”
“No, we can’t get out that way,” Peggy said. “The back door’s blocked.”
Megan knew she wasn’t thinking clearly, but now she was particularly confused. “How do you know? You came straight up here.”
“A tree fell in front of the back door this morning, Megan. Right on top of Nick’s car. We’d pulled his Civic out behind the kitchen door to decorate it, and that old maple toppled right onto his roof. Nobody wanted to tell you until we had to. We didn’t want to spoil—”
“I guess you didn’t.”
“I’m sorry,” Peggy said.
The loss of a car seemed inconsequential at the moment. “Nick’s won’t be the only car in Cleveland to suffer storm damage. Kieran’s okay?”
“Just scared. We’re all scared.” Peggy kissed Kieran’s hair.
“Aunt Dee?”
Deirdre drew herself up straight. “Let’s get downstairs. Did you see your uncle?”
Megan tried to remember if she had seen Uncle Frank. “I didn’t, I’m sorry. But I didn’t see any serious injuries.” She thought of the roof sitting at the front of the saloon and what might be under it. “Nick and Jon were checking when I came upstairs.”
“I think we need to go down right away.” Deirdre no longer sounded calm, and Megan knew reality was setting in.
They started for the stairs. Megan went first, with Peggy and Kieran right behind her and their aunt bringing up the rear.
Niccolo was waiting at the bottom, and at the sight of them, he looked relieved. “I don’t think anyone was buried in the rubble,” he said in a low voice. “There’s no sign anybody was that close. Some people were hit by flying debris. There’s some blood and some bruises, but none of the injuries are life-threatening. We’re doing a head count now.”
“Nick, there’s no exit.” Megan stepped aside to let Peggy and her aunt by. “There’s a tree blocking the kitchen door.”
“Jon told me.”
“Maybe it’s better if we stay inside until the fire department can get to us. Outside must be as bad as in. Wires must be down, trees are down. If nobody’s seriously hurt here—”
“Megan, a couple of people claim they smell gas.”
She couldn’t breathe again. She was angry at herself for succumbing to fear, but anger was not inflating her lungs.
“Take it easy,” he said, spotting her dilemma. “Let yourself go limp. Don’t think about breathing….”
She
Casey was already helping people move farther toward the back. Megan saw one of the Brick kids holding his head, but he was walking unaided. One of Marco’s daughters had a scratch on her cheek, but the bleeding didn’t look serious. Niccolo’s mother had her arm around his grandfather and was helping him walk. Megan turned to see Peggy struggling with the door to the apartment, and she remembered that Kieran was upstairs with their aunt.
As she watched, Peggy wrenched open the door, despite the crush of frantic guests, and disappeared into the stairwell. The back of the building seemed secure, but what if the second story wasn’t? What if the upstairs, which camel backed the saloon, had been blown away? The apartment only ran across the back, but what if…
She stumbled forward, helping a great-uncle who seemed unable to find his way. Once she was sure he was heading in the right direction, she made it to the door and started up the stairs.
“Peggy?” She called her sister’s name as she climbed. The stairs seemed secure. Above her, everything looked the way it always did. “Peggy! Aunt Dee!”
The door at the head of the stairwell was open. She made it to the top without incident and found Peggy and her aunt clasped together in a bear hug, Kieran screaming between them.
“Thank God.” She joined them.
“The bedroom’s wrecked,” Deirdre said calmly. “The window exploded. There’s glass everywhere, but Kieran and I were in here.”
“Let’s get downstairs. We can exit through the kitchen door. The front’s a nightmare.”
“No, we can’t get out that way,” Peggy said. “The back door’s blocked.”
Megan knew she wasn’t thinking clearly, but now she was particularly confused. “How do you know? You came straight up here.”
“A tree fell in front of the back door this morning, Megan. Right on top of Nick’s car. We’d pulled his Civic out behind the kitchen door to decorate it, and that old maple toppled right onto his roof. Nobody wanted to tell you until we had to. We didn’t want to spoil—”
“I guess you didn’t.”
“I’m sorry,” Peggy said.
The loss of a car seemed inconsequential at the moment. “Nick’s won’t be the only car in Cleveland to suffer storm damage. Kieran’s okay?”
“Just scared. We’re all scared.” Peggy kissed Kieran’s hair.
“Aunt Dee?”
Deirdre drew herself up straight. “Let’s get downstairs. Did you see your uncle?”
Megan tried to remember if she had seen Uncle Frank. “I didn’t, I’m sorry. But I didn’t see any serious injuries.” She thought of the roof sitting at the front of the saloon and what might be under it. “Nick and Jon were checking when I came upstairs.”
“I think we need to go down right away.” Deirdre no longer sounded calm, and Megan knew reality was setting in.
They started for the stairs. Megan went first, with Peggy and Kieran right behind her and their aunt bringing up the rear.
Niccolo was waiting at the bottom, and at the sight of them, he looked relieved. “I don’t think anyone was buried in the rubble,” he said in a low voice. “There’s no sign anybody was that close. Some people were hit by flying debris. There’s some blood and some bruises, but none of the injuries are life-threatening. We’re doing a head count now.”
“Nick, there’s no exit.” Megan stepped aside to let Peggy and her aunt by. “There’s a tree blocking the kitchen door.”
“Jon told me.”
“Maybe it’s better if we stay inside until the fire department can get to us. Outside must be as bad as in. Wires must be down, trees are down. If nobody’s seriously hurt here—”
“Megan, a couple of people claim they smell gas.”
She couldn’t breathe again. She was angry at herself for succumbing to fear, but anger was not inflating her lungs.
“Take it easy,” he said, spotting her dilemma. “Let yourself go limp. Don’t think about breathing….”
She
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