Chapter 50: Chapter 50

Blair

I was lying on my bed staring at the ceiling with my cell phone on my stomach, waiting for Dimitri to call or text me to let me know that he had already landed. Once again that need that dominated us at the beginning of our relationship had taken over me. I needed to talk to him all the time, and when I couldn't, I felt empty.

It had taken me a while to finally pluck up the courage and take the first step to recover our relationship, but I could no longer deny it, I did not want to live away from him, and if for that to work I had to move to Russia, I would move to Russia!

By my count he must have landed at least an hour ago, could the flight have been delayed somehow?

I closed my eyes, determined to get some sleep. Finally my life was settling down, my father was recovering at home, my mother was back to normal, even deciding to teach me how to cook so that I wouldn't suffer so much in "emergency situations". I didn't quite understand the reason for her sudden interest in this subject, but decided not to argue.

I was about to fall asleep when his voice full of pure terror woke me up.

" BLAIR!”

I jumped out of bed with the worst thoughts in my mind. My father had had another heart attack, his stitches were broken. He fell out of bed. My mother broke her other foot!

I ran to her voice, finding her in the living room, sitting next to my father who was resting with his leg on a stool.

" What happened? " I alternated my gaze between them, who were glued to some TV report.

My mother merely pointed at the screen, and I looked, finding the headline "Plane crash at Russian airport leaves about 80 people injured and three dead.”

I frowned, recognizing the airport I had been to a few times. All right, I understand their fright, but that doesn't mean....

That's when my heart failed me. Dimitri's face appeared there, being reported as the commander of the flight.

No...

A suffocating feeling began to build up in my chest, I felt cold, as if all the blood had fled from my body.

This is not right! They've made a mistake!

" Ayeleen " my father called out to me.

" She's going to faint. " My mother warned before shouting for the caregiver, "Seva, come here!”

" Ayeleen, sit down! " my father ordered.

I obeyed mechanically without taking my eyes off the TV screen.

This was a nightmare, it couldn't be happening. My attention was stuck on the TV while my parents were talking to each other. The image of the two planes was shocking, one of them had been hit in the tail and seemed to have suffered no major damage, but the other? the cabin was just twisted iron. All around, numerous ambulances and tents were set up to attend to the injured.

Which plane was he in?

" It is not yet known what led Commander Dimitri Voitovich to land on a landing track that was already in use, the local authorities are waiting for the recovery of the black box to determine what happened," the journalist covering the case reported.

I closed my eyes at this statement, feeling a searing pain consume my insides.

" He was in the plane that hit the other," I stammered, feeling that I might actually pass out at that moment.

" Blair, here, Seva has made some tea for you," my mother held out a cup that I accepted instinctively, even though I wasn't drinking.

" They don't have any information about him," I held back the tears that threatened to come.

" I'm sorry, dear," my father looked at me with concern.

I didn't answer, but stood up, abandoning the cup on the coffee table before going into the bedroom in search of my cell phone.

Joe answered my call within the first few rings. His voice showed that he was also following the news and I didn't have to explain myself.

" Blair," he greeted me ruefully.

" Tell me you know something.”

" I'm sorry, I…”

" Please help me," I sobbed, letting the tears of pain and despair that had taken over me flow out.

Even through the distance I could feel the despair and helplessness the boy felt at that moment.

" I'm sorry, Blair. I... I can give you Masha's number, she must know something!”

Yes, Masha would have some news for me!

" Thank you.”

I ended the call then, eagerly awaiting her message that was not long in coming. After taking a moment to consider what I should say to Masha, I decided to text first to identify myself. She probably wouldn't answer an unknown number in the midst of this chaos.

Before I could think about writing anything else, she called me.

" Blair " Her voice sounded agitated with sirens and voices in the background before I could say anything.

" Tell me you have news and you're not in the dark like me," I pleaded.

" We know that he is not among the fatalities," that information soothed my soul a little, "but we don't know his real condition, he is trapped in the wreckage and the fire department is working right now to try to rescue him and the other pilot.”

" All this time? " I stammered.

By my calculations, according to the news it had been more than two hours since the accident had happened!

" It is a delicate rescue, it takes time. Other than that we don't know much. Three flight attendants were confirmed dead and there are many injured among the passengers. It is crazy here!

I closed my eyes, imagining the chaos that must have been there. I had never suffered, and hoped never to suffer, an air crash, but I Knew how delicate the whole rescue operation was.

" I have a ticket for a flight tomorrow, but I'll try to get one first," I warned.

" You have a ticket?”

" We talked before he boarded, he would pick me up at the airport and we would spend the next two days together," I declared with a hint of a voice, trying not to cry again, but a sob from my sister-in-law on the other end of the line made all my firmness disappear.

We both spent a few seconds in silence, trying to pull ourselves together.

" I'll try to get on board sooner," I declared finally.

" I don't know if you'll make it, they've canceled all the flights and the others have diverted to other airports," she took a deep breath.

" I'll manage. Let me know if you hear anything new," I assured her before saying goodbye and ending the call.

I took a deep breath, wondering what I should do next. In a few seconds I stood up, took a quick shower, changed, and left, dragging my suitcase behind me.

" Blair, where are you going? " My mother was surprised when I arrived in the living room.

" To Russia," I muttered.

" Blair, this is ridiculous, what do you expect? " my father returned.

" He's stuck in the wreckage, he's being rescued, I need to be there," I alternated my gaze between my parents and the caregiver.

" Miss Ayeleen, even if you manage to get there, you can't stay with him, he will be hospitalized and you are not family," Seva warned.

" I will make it, I will..."

They didn't understand, I needed to stay close to him, I couldn't stay here while the man I loved was hurt. I wouldn't leave him alone!

" What are you waiting for, Ayeleen? Are you going to storm the hospital? " My father scolded.

" Who knows? He deserves all my effort and I'll do everything I can to stay with him, even if I have to get myself hospitalized too! "At the end of the sentence I was practically screaming, surprising my father and Seva.

Everyone was silent after my sudden outburst, until my mother decided to intervene.

" She's getting on a plane and she'll find a way to be close to him. She needs this.”

I once again held back my tears at her words. My mother understood, and now I understood her too. When everything happened with my father I said that I didn't see myself acting the way she did, but I was wrong. I was willing to do anything just to be near Dimitri.

I left home without waiting for anyone to come up with any more excuses, promising to send news as soon as possible. I hoped to get a flight soon, but soon reality hit me.

Despite explaining the situation to numerous flight attendants in search of a solution, I kept hearing the same generic answer that the next flight had been delayed until early in the morning because of the accident and was full.

I would only be able to board before the end of the day if there was a cancellation!

What the hell!

Near midnight Masha called me to let me know that Dimitri had been rescued alive and was being taken to the hospital. She didn't know much about his condition, only that his injuries were serious.

That news cheered me up a bit, but it also made the urgency inside me grow. I had to get to him as soon as possible!

The hours seemed endless as I wandered around the airport, pestering the attendants every hour in search of some solution to my problem.

" Miss, we have already informed you that there has been an air crash at Pulkovo airport and we are out of seats for the next flight, I don't know what you expect to happen," the attendant gave me an exasperated look.

" I hope someone here will help me, my boyfriend was on that plane and I need to get to St. Petersburg!”

It was obvious that they were not buying this story, and this was already annoying me. The biggest proof was when I left the line, feeling defeated, and heard two women whispering to each other.

" It is the height of shamelessness to want to use such a horrible accident to benefit yourself," one of them muttered to the other.

Benefit me? What kind of benefit do they think I'm getting?

" Excuse me, are you talking about me? " I interrupted them, receiving a shocked look in return.

" No, we…”

" Do you even know me to know if I am seeking any benefits? In fact, do you even know the name of the commander involved in the accident?” I felt my blood boil, letting all the anger, sadness, and frustration finally out.

I must have raised my voice, as those around us stopped to watch what was happening.

" Miss, please " the attendant from before tried to get my attention.

" I didn't pay attention to the news, and…”

" So please, search the Internet for any news on the subject and tell me what comes up!”

" You really need to calm down," the attendant insisted.

" They accused me of something and I think that at the very least I have the right to defend myself!”

One of the women took the cell phone and did what I asked, giving me an irritated look immediately afterwards.

" The commander was Dimitri ya... yaro…”

" Dimitri Yaroslavovich Voitovich, you have his picture, right? " I cut her off, when she had trouble pronouncing his patronymic.

" Yes, there is one," she murmured.

" This is the picture we took together on his last visit to Istanbul " I opened the picture that I could never delete from my image gallery " This one we took on New Year's Eve, and this is the picture he sent me minutes before he took off from Moscow.”

I could feel the hot tears streaming down my face as some people whispered among themselves, and the women from before looked more and more ashamed.

" You said that I am using an accident to get benefits, while the only benefit I want is to get to St. Petersburg, because the man I love is between life and death in a hospital, and I am here, stuck in this airport, afraid that I won't make it before…”

I could not finish the sentence as I realized that Dimitri really was between life and death, this was not a dramatization on my part. I felt my lungs close up and the air begin to shorten. This is a nightmare, I am trapped in a nightmare, because there is no other explanation for everything that is happening!

" She is the pilot's girlfriend," I heard someone whisper somewhere behind me.

" Miss, I am sorry about all this, we are trying to solve this situation, but the next flight is really full, we cannot take someone by force, and…”

" I'll trade places with her," a male voice called our attention.

I turned to face a middle-aged man who had been watching us for a few meters.

" Sir, the next flight is not until this afternoon," the attendant informed me.

" No problem, I can wait. My wife passed away last year and I know what it is like not to be able to say goodbye to the person you love," he explained.

That statement made me cry again. I wasn't going to say goodbye to him, he'll be fine! But anyway, I just thanked the man. One way or another I would make it!