OOM: Emergency Situation

[agirllost]

Kim is on the verge of tears by the time she finally hears ringing on the other end.

Angela's sitting quietly now, curled up against her, and Kim has warded the house, not that she thinks anyone will try to break in, but she won't take the chance.

All she gets is her dad's voice mail and it's a struggle to keep her voice even and try not to frighten Angie who wasn't worried before but is starting to pick up on her mom's emotions. "I- it's me, I just wanted to see how - if you were - " she breathes in and out, rubbing Angie's shoulder. She can't say she wanted to see if he was still alive. "Call me if - when you get this - I hope you're all okay." She hangs up before her voice goes completely and turns to kiss Angie's forehead.

"Are you hungry?" She asks, grateful that they remembered to re-stock the earthquake closet.

Angie nods and preparing food gives Kim something to do other than worry and try every number she can find to reach Chris, her dad or CTU which has enough to worry about right now without her tying up the lines.

Thousands of people are dead and her world's narrowed down to a handful.

Comments

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

Jack's just stepped out of the server room to see what's going on with the rescue effort, when he hears his cell chirp, telling him he has a voicemail message. Not surprising that he wouldn't be able to get a signal in there. Quickly pulling it out of his pocket, he feels a little relief, seeing Kim's number on the display. Re-dialling her number, it takes a few tries, but finally it connects.

[agirllost]

Kim's handing Angie a bowl of cereal when the phone rings. She forces herself to complete the motion, and grabs the phone from the floor, her chest feeling less tight when she sees the number.

"Daddy?"

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Sweetheart? Where are you? Are you all right?" Jack asks, walking out into the bullpen, looking at the screens for any recent updates on the bomb's effects.

[agirllost]

She slowly sinks into a sitting position. He's alive. "We're home...we're fine," she places her hand over her heart, trying hard to pretend that everything's okay. "And Chris and Caiti and have you - are they?" Her voice goes up slightly and she swallows. "They're saying the radiation..." she doesn't want to hear the answer, but she has to ask.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

Jack takes a deep breath. "Chris and I are fine, we weren't anywhere near the bomb, but...we haven't heard from Caiti yet."

[agirllost]

"Oh God," she whispers, holding her hand over her mouth and closing her eyes. Not Caiti. Life couldn't be that unfair to Chris. "Was she...?"

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"We don't know if she was home at the time of the explosion," Jack says, holding on to that thought. "But she was when I was there about four hours before."

[agirllost]

"I understand," She nods, feeling tears slide down her face and she tries to wipe them away before Angie sees but her daughter looks up, puts the cereal bowl on the floor and walks over and looks at her seriously.

"Mommy?" She touches her shoulder. "Why are you crying?"

Kim lowers her hand from her face and reaches out to bring Angie closer, rocking her slightly.

"Do they need me?" She asks after a moment, her voice soft and almost trembling.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

Part of him wants to tell her no, that she should stay home, because he's never entirely confident that CTU is the safest place for her to be. But then out there definitely isn't safe, either, and CTU needs her. Back on the day of the virus attack, she'd told him that she worked at CTU because she wanted the job, that she was willing to go undercover because it was her duty. Right now, being at CTU is her duty, and he can't tell her to not do it, just because he wants to keep her out of harm's way. It's not his decision any more.

"I think they need everyone they can get. You can find someone to watch Angie?"

[agirllost]

"Yeah," she whispers, remembering all the other people she needs to check on and make sure that everyone's safe. "I - are you there now?"

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, Chris and I are both at CTU. Do you want me to let Buchanan know that you're coming in?" he asks.

[agirllost]

She nods before remembering he can't see her. "Dad, I want to take Angie with me." Anything could happen out here and she knows CTU isn't always safe but if another bomb went off or any other attack, she'd never forgive herself.

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

He sighs; he wants nothing more than to have Angie in CTU, surrounded by heavily armed agents and where he can keep an eye on her. But they can't bring a preschooler into CTU, and not just for the same reasons that part of him doesn't want Kim there. "I understand, sweetheart, I want her here too, but...there's really no one here who can keep an eye on her; everyone's just too busy."

[agirllost]

"I'll call Aunt Carol," she decides. "It might take a while to get up there, but I'll...feel better if Angie's...somewhere safe," she closes her eyes again, sniffing back tears. "I can't believe this is happening."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Neither can I, sweetheart," he says, sadly. "Try calling me and letting me know when you're heading back? And be careful, there are a lot of panicky people on the roads."

[agirllost]

"I will. I love you and Chris and I - I'm so sorry about Caiti," she almost breathes her name, as if saying it too loudly will make it true. She glances down at her daughter, trying to give her a reassuring smile, but she knows she's fooling no one. "Angie, do you want to say hi to Grampa?"

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

Jack can hear Angie give an enthusiastic "yes!" and some scuffling as Kim hands over the phone. "Hi, Grampa! Mommy an' me are havin' a picnic in the basement!"

He smiles sadly, part of him glad that she doesn't have a clue what's going on. How many kids had he hear splashing around in the pool at the condo or playing games? How many of them are dead or dying now? "That sounds fun, pumpkin. Have you been having a good day?"

"Yeah, Mommy and I are gonna go get ice cream later! And we were playin' outside but then we had to go inside when it got really bright out."

"Your Mom's just making sure your safe, and I don't think you'll be able to get ice cream, but how about going to see your Auntie Carol while your Mom stays here?"

"Will Auntie Carol have ice cream?" Angie asks, sounding a little disappointed, "And are you gonna be there?"

"She might, but I won't be there. Your Mom and I've got a lot of work we need to do, but as soon as it's done, we'll come up and we can all go out for ice cream, how does that sound?" If they manage to get the rest of the cell without any more disasters, the least he can do is spend a couple hours with Teri's sister, for Angie's sake.

"Yeah! Mommy, grampa's gonna get ice cream with me an' you an' Auntie Carol when he's done work!" Angie replies, her words a little hard to hear as she has her mouth away from the phone.

"Angie, Grampa's got to go now, so can you give the phone back to your Mom? I love you, sweetheart," Jack says, trying to keep his voice even, though it cracks for a moment at the end.

"I love you too, Grampa," Angie says, before thre's more rustling as Angie hands the phone back to Kim.

[agirllost]

Kim listens to their conversation, holding in her tears by smiling slightly and even through the worst tragedy she can't help but be grateful that this little girl is in her life.

"That will be a lot of fun," Kim says to her, relieved that Angie has no idea the kind of danger and horror that just happened a few miles away.

She takes the phone, controlling her expression but unable to stop her voice from trembling. "I'll see you both soon, Dad. It's...really nice to hear your voice."

[action-antihero.livejournal.com]

"Yours too, sweetheart. I love you," he says, hearing the shake in her voice and finding it that much harder to try and keep his composure. "I'll see you when you get to CTU."

[agirllost]

"I love you too," she says again and presses end on the phone, rubbing her eyes and taking a breath before picking up the phone again. Through the conversation with Carol she manages not to frighten Angie, but Aunt Carol points out that she's far away and if she's needed at work, it's not practical. She does remind her that she loves her and hopes to see her soon.

Kim ends the call and looks over at Angie. "Angie, I have to...go somewhere, I'll be back and I'll talk to you as much as possible," she says, kneeling in front of her. "How do you feel about Aunt Miriam's?"

Angie seems to like this idea better, especially since Aunt Miriam has been showing her how to cook. Kim wanted her as far away from LA as possible, but at the same time, there's no guarantee that she'll be safe anywhere and if something horrible was going to happen again, at least Kim could get there quickly..

She talks to Miriam, who tells her that she's alone in the house and Christopher's been called into an emergency meeting at work. The news doesn't make Kim feel very good about the arrangement, but if she can work to stop another bomb from going off - if there *is* another bomb - she has no choice.

Soon, she and Angie are leaving the basement and going upstairs to pack a few things to take to Miriam's.

Driving just to Miriam's is a nightmare, Kim can't imagine what it's like driving out of the city.

They hug for a few moments at the door.

"I wish Christopher was here," Miriam admits, her eyes red rimmed and she's holding a tissue in her hand.

"He'll be back soon," Kim whispers, thinking of all the people that were lost earlier - the face she's seen in photographs foremost in her mind. She wishes she went over to see her, that she met her even one time.

"Go," Miriam tells her, her free hand resting gently against Kim's arm. "If anything happens...I know where we keep the weapons."

She hates herself just a little for that making her feel better about the situation.

"Thank you," she says honestly, looking up at the woman who has been almost a grandmother to her.

Miriam strokes Angie's hair as the little girl clings to her leg.

"Christopher considered your dad like a son," Miriam says seriously, "I'll be there for you whenever I can."

Kim nods and leans forward to kiss her cheek. "I know, but thank you."

She hugs Angie goodbye, kissing the top of her head, and makes her promise not to eat ice cream before dinner.

It's easier than trying to make her promise that she won't go away.

"I love you, Angie girl," she says, letting go.

"I love you too, Mommy," Angie says in return, starting to look a little worried.

Kim leaves before she changes her mind, grabs Angie, and tries to get as far from LA as possible.