Elizabeth finally finds a place to park her black Jeep amongst the firetrucks, emergency vehicles, live broadcast equipment, and throngs of people running around with gas masks on all sounding like Darth Vader. She has entered into, what seems, an atmospere of subdued hysteria, mass confusion and chaotic order all working towards the same thing; trying to keep the fires from spreading down river towards the Munitions Depot and just beyond that to the nuclear plant. She tries to quell the threats of panic rising within her as she searches for John.
There he is near the chain link fence. She rushes to him, the sense of familiarity calming her somewhat.
"John!" she yells thru the fogged up plastic of the respirator.
"Liz!" he replies taking him by surprise.
Even through the unclear plastic and thick, black smoke she can see the exhaustion showing in his eyes and in the slouching of his shoulders.
"What's going on?" she asks.
"I really don't know yet. But there isn't much we can do down here now. Can you take me to go get my car? I left it at my house," he asks.
"Yeah, let's go. Besides, I don't want to be around if one of those tankers blows. Besides, it's better to let them do their thing without anyone being in their way."
They make their way back the few blocks to her car, get in and take off the gas masks. She begins the very slow procession to John's house in the lines of cars.
"John, what's going on down there?" Elizabeth asks John quietly.
He is resting with his head against the back of the seat, eyes closed, the concern deepening the few lines on his face.
"I don't know, Liz. The investigators haven't found anything yet but it seems, atleast, that they have stopped it from spreading...I hope. I just don't know."
Silence.
Elizabeth takes a glance at John. She can't help but notice the ominous feeling hanging around them, more visible than the toxic smoke at the accident site. The expression on his face reflects it.
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