Where were you when the world stopped turning?

I've written a story about 9/11 to share with you all today. Here it is. :) 

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day? 

September 7, 2015

 Christy reached over and turned the radio down. "Do you know what Friday is?" 

 Her husband, John, nodded. "Fourteenth anniversary of nine-eleven." 

 "Yeah..." Her eyes filled with tears. 

 He held out his hand and she took it. After a quick glance over her shoulder to assure herself the kids were asleep, she told her husband all that was on her heart. "So much has happened since then. Moving out of the city, four kids." 

 "Not just in our lives, but around the world too. Now we're a country at war," he shook his head. "It sure doesn't seem like it's been almost fifteen years." 

 Christy agreed. "I still remember it all so clearly..." 

Fourteen years ago... September 11, 2015

 That morning, Christy and John had had an arguement. He wanted to move, saying he didn't like living in the city and it was no place to raise children. Christy disagreed. She had always lived in the city, and she didn't want to give it up or her job as an ER nurse at Bellevue hospital. 

 When she left for work, the disagreement was still between them. Nothing had been settled. She didn't tell him goodbye. 

 At the hospital the crash was heard but no one had any idea as to what was happening. 

 Suddenly, the streets outside became chaos. Everywhere there were people running, screaming, crying, panicking. It was a nightmarish feeling. 

 A terrorist attack had been made on American soil. Two highjacked planes had just crashed into the World Trade Center. Christy felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. This can't be real! How is something like this happening? 

 All medical personnel at the hospital were immediately preparing for the thousands of patients they were sure to see. Christy and a few others rode along with the ambulances and were soon on their way to the scene of the disaster. 

 Upon seeing the horrific sight, Christy's heart picked up speed. Her husband of six months was a firefighter...no doubt at this moment pulling people from among the rubble. 

 The injured casualties were being placed a safe distance from the fallen towers until they could be transported to nearby hospitals. 

 Christy and the others hurried over to do whatever they could. She knelt next to a fireman who'd just came from the building. His arm and side were badly burned. 

 He squinted as he looked up at her. "Aren't you John Darrin's wife?" He coughed. 

 "Yes I am." 

 "He was with me when we went, but he didn't come back out." The man coughed again. "I'm sorry, ma'am." 

 Christy felt numb all over. This isn't real...it can't be...Not John...please God, no! 

 Someone called to her, and she went back to tending the wounded. Her medical knowledge was needed. She couldn't give into the overwhelming grief right now. 

 Nearly an hour had passed when Christy paused in her work long enough to look around her at all the destruction. It has to all be a bad dream...

 A shifting, in the rubble and off her right, caught her attention. Is it falling again? Please God, not while there's still people in there! 

 As she watched, the movement, that appeared to be coming from beneath, continued but didn't go anywhere else. Not understanding what she was seeing, Christy slowly made her way towards the place. 

 Suddenly an arm appeared through the debris. Christy gasped and broke into a run. By the time she reached the place, a head and shoulders had appeared. Someone was struggling from the rubble! 

 She knelt and held out her hand. "Let me help you, sir!" The victim took her hand and she helped pull him the rest of the way out. 

 Once free, he collapsed to the ground next to her, coughing harshly. It was then that Christy realized he wore the uniform of a fireman. 

 "John?" her voice wavered. 

 He stopped coughing and looked up at her. "Christy?" 

 She could only nod. He's not dead!

 He coughed again and pointed to where he'd just emerged from. "Get help; There's people in there!" 

 Christy alerted two other rescuers, and five more people were found in the cavity in the ruins. After they were all out and safely away, Christy helped John towards the makeshift 'hospital'. 

 He insisted he was fine, but she didn't like the sound of his coughing. 

 The hospital was short-staffed for the number of patients they were receiving and Christy rode back in one of the ambulances. John was transported there as well. 

 It was near midnight when Christy walked into the room where John was. 

 She sank into a chair. "Are you alright?" 

 He nodded. "Yeah. Are you?" 

 "Not really," she sighed. "This is terrible." 

 "I know." 

 Christy rubbed her temples. "With all this going on, I'll be here all night." 

 "So will I." 

 She looked up suddenly. "What?" 

 "They want to keep me overnight." 

 "Why?" 

 He shrugged. "Bruises to the lungs. Something fell on me." 

 She blinked back tears. "In...there?" 

 "Yeah..." 

  He took her hand. "I love you." 

 "I love you, too." 

 "Let's pray together before you have to get back to work." 

******

A/N: Though this story was based on a historical happening, the characters and the things that happened to them is fictional. 

This picture was captioned, Firefighters and soldiers unfurl a large American flag over the side of the Pentagon during rescue and recovery efforts. 

A flag in a name at the 9/11 memorial in Washington D.C. 

The caption that was on this photo told that the man in the picture joined the U.S. Army three days after 9/11. 

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day? 

Leave a comment and left me know. I'd love to hear your story! Thanks for reading! 

-Faith