Thank you for being patient and supportive! :)

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I hold on to Taemin’s hand with my right like holding on to his life and try to help clearing away the debris with my left.

“Just wait a little, Taem”, I say although I have no idea if he can hear me, “we’ll get you out in no time.”

Digging deeper we can see that there is a huge sheet of plaster broken in half covering Taemin like a very shallow roof. Maybe, just maybe, that kept away some of the damage although it probably is heavy in itself. If this came down from the ceiling it must have had devastating impact.

I keep talking although I don’t even know what I’m saying, just trying to comfort our Maknae. I can feel the life-promising pulse with my fingers on his delicate wrist.

The bomb-squad and also some of Yoon’s guys are working fast and effectively. Minho and Jjong on the other hand are so desperate that I’m afraid they might hurt themselves. I try to reach down into the cavity to get closer to Taemin but there is still too much rubble. I only get as far as his shoulder. Apparently he is on his stomach.

While I keep feeling for his head I touch another hand. It can’t be Taemin’s, it’s covering his shoulderblade. It feels cold ... and slack.

“I think I feel Kibum, too”, I say but there’s a lump in my throat. Still Minho heard. Facing me he shakes his head in denial.

“No, no, no ...”, he says, “Don’t give me that look Hyung.”

I'm trying to be optimistic but my face speaks a different language.

Jonghyun has interrupted his frantic digging and eyes both of us with emerging rage:

“Stop this!” he shouts, “both of you. Kibum is not ...” He doesn’t finish the sentence, he can’t even say it, nor can I.

A rescue team arrives with heavy equipment, installing a small crane to clear away the heavy pieces. So the three of us shut-up and I try to concentrate on Taemin again since I can’t know anything for sure before we get deeper.

He squeezes my hand again for a second.

“It’s okay, Taeminnie”, I tell him, “just keep breathing, we’re almost there”, which is a lie. Although everybody is working hard it seems to take forever to even remove the first layer of debris.

A heavily-set rescue guy grabs Jonghyun and gently says:

“Son, we have to be careful not to hurt them any further, so don’t just rip away whatever you get your hands on.”

Jjong throws him a furious look but immediately apologizes and gets back to work more carefully. The guy gives him an encouraging pat on the back and I’m really glad that we’re not on our own here but with people who know this kind of situation.

There are paramedics standing by to. So as soon as we get the boys out they will be treated and rushed to hospital.

I hear a soft and there is a stronger squeeze.

“Hyung?”

“I’m here, Taem”, I say, “don’t worry.”

He coughs but that’s just the dust, isn’t it?

“Key-Hyung ...” he starts.

“Yes?” The lump in my throat is back.

“Help him!” he pleads and grips my hand really hard.

“Help him”, he repeats, “he’s bleeding, he’s bleeding on me ... a lot!”

“WE GOT TO HURRY!” I finally manage to shout, “KIBUM IS BLEEDING!”

The crane eventually gets to work and we’re making some progress although not nearly as fast as I wish to. I can see Taemin up to his shoulders now, he’s covered in white dust. He struggles to lift his head to look at me with oddly colored eyes, having lost one of his blue contact-lenses. But he manages a Taeminnie-smile.

“Are you hurt?” I ask him. The horrible image of a paralyzed Maknae crossing my mind.

“I ... I don’t know”, he croaks, “I don’t think it’s bad.” He is coughing again but this time I’m sure it’s just the dust.

“Please hurry”, Taemin adds, “he’s not talking anymore.”

After what feels like eternity we finally get to the huge plaster-sheet and the rescue guys hook it on to clear it away with the crane. Everyone carefully secures the area he was working in to prevent more rubble to slide into the shallow pit we have been digging. A couple of the squad-guys grab the sheet when it is lifted to help guiding it away without it breaking further but I don’t even look at them and slide down immediately.

There they are ... Taemin on his stomach, Kibum covering him, head resting on our Maknaes upper back, his face hidden in tousled hair ... and with a thick glass-shard of almost perfect dagger-shape protruding from his back.

“BUMMIE”, Jjong shouts and then immediately softens his voice and kneels beside our boys, wringing his hands not daring to touch. "Bummie", he whispers, "Bummie ..."

I still hold Taemin’s hand and our Maknae bluntly as always but with a tremble in his voice asks the question: “Is he alive?”