Page 41 of Disciplining Dana

Another pause stretched out, and Mr. Hawkins closed his eyes. “We’ll talk about who and what and why when I’m back, but… yeah, you’ve pretty much got the gist of it.” He smiled firmly. “Thanks, darlin’. And like I said, not a word to Sadie”—he cast a glance at Jagger—“or Moira, please. No need to worry the wives.” After thanking Erika, he ended the call and turned back to Kurt. “Hopefully, it won’t come to anything, but at least someone will know where we are if there’s trouble, unlike your friend…” He regarded Kurt pointedly.

“I appreciate everything you’re doing,” Kurt replied quietly.

“You hold on to that thought, because you might not feel the same way when this is all over.”

Roman returned at that moment and handed each of them a hardhat—a real hardhat, not the kind that hung on the wall of the exploration center they stood in. He handed out flashlights, too, and once he passed a first-aid kit to Jagger, they all began heading into the mine, Mr. Hawkins leading.

For ten minutes or so they proceeded wordlessly, each of them keeping to their own thoughts. Mr. Hawkins came to a sudden stop. As Kurt looked ahead, his throat went tight.

“First branches,” Mr. Hawkins informed them quietly, shining his flashlight left and right before pointing it toward the ground continuing ahead.

“Good girl,” he said softly before turning to look back. “Okay, your friend’s smarter than her actions make her seem.”

“Why do you say that?” Kurt asked.

“Because she stayed straight instead of taking one of the side paths,” Jagger explained, sweeping his beam of light across the tunnel floor ahead of them. “You can see her footprints. If she keeps it up, should make our job a little easier.”

“I hope you’re right,” Kurt murmured, “because it’d be the first time Dana’s made anything easy.”

No one laughed, and given the circumstances, Kurt understood why. A moment later, Mr. Hawkins moved forward again, and they all continued down the passageway.

Kurt wasn’t sure how much longer they pressed on in silence until Mr. Hawkins came to an abrupt halt. All three of them stood statue-like, then Kurt heard it, too.

“Hello?”

The word was faint, but Kurt recognized it instantly.

Dana.

“That’s her.” He pushed past Mr. Hawkins, sprinting ahead.

As Mr. Hawkins and Jagger caught up with him, another cry came.

“Hello! I’m down here!”

Kurt surged in the direction of Dana’s voice. “Dana? Can you hear me?” he called out as he strode forward, and a moment later a response followed.

“Yes,” was all she said, but Kurt heard something in her voice he rarely had before.

Fear.

Less than a minute later, the bobbing beam of Kurt’s flashlight fell on her. She was lying prone on the floor, and it took him a second to realize what he was seeing.

“Dana!” He raced forward and dropped to his knees beside her.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Dana. Are you okay?” He cradled her head, stroking her hair gently.

“Umm… not really.” She tried to make it sound humorous, but her voice was weak, laced with the same fear he’d noted earlier, and there wasn’t a single fucking thing amusing about this.

Mr. Hawkins was beside him, peering into Dana’s face.

“Hello, Ms. Aziz. Wish it were under better circumstances.”

“I’m kinda okay with the current circumstances as opposed to ten minutes ago, honestly.”

“I suppose you would be,” Mr. Hawkins agreed diplomatically. He ran his hand across her shoulder, then along her side to where it disappeared in the rubble. “Do you feel any broken bones? Any bleeding?”

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