The yards was a busy place, aside from the normal day to day operations of the Ship Yards, the constructions prep Aja had started in motion added a new level of activity to the place.
She knew it would come with its own set of challenges, but she couldn't have predicted what would happen Tuesday night.
Aja was trying to finish up her inspection of the cradle the men were constructing for large ship construction. She wanted to get to the Isle and support Hochi in his quest to make the rank required for him to continue to hold his recently won Tower.
She was climbing down from the scaffolding, when she heard her men start shouting. A forklift was careening backwards at a good clip and the driver was literally standing on the brake pedal. He couldn't stop and he was heading straight for a stack of barrels that held highly flammable liquids.
"Hit the deck!" she yelled but between the shouts of the men and the noise of the cradle construction, only a few heard her.
A heartbeat later, the forklift collided with the barrels sending one flying through the air towards the cradle construction, it hit the base of the cradle with a crash, and exploded as the liquid came in contact with the sparks from the welding.
The explosion rocked the scaffolding knocking Aja to the ground, luckily she wasn't that high up and the fall only served to knock the wind out of her.
"Son of a ?" she muttered as she fought her way up off the ground. Every breath in was a fight. She willed herself to relax and it slowly eased up. When she was breathing normally again, she made her way to the source of the fire, grabbing a fire extinguisher off the truck as she went by. Her and the boys battled the blaze, when it was under control, she let them finish up and went to help the others tend to the wounded. She saw Parker putting Scooter on a stretcher.
"Take him to Riverview immediately." He instructed the men who took off at a quick pace to follow those orders. "You there!" Parker was motioning to a group of men tending to Pike. "On a stretcher, to Riverview!" It was one of the few times Aja could recall Parker raising his voice. She came to a halt next to him.
"What do we got?"
"Scooter and Pike are heading to Riverview so I can tend to the others." The reply was given on the move with Aja following behind him.
"Good. Grab anyone ya need ta help." She said as she turned to check on the rest of the crew. "And don't be stubborn." She tossed over her shoulder at him. If he answered, it was lost in the hustle and bustle of the aftermath.
Turning her attention to the rest of the crew. Some were righting the barrels that had fallen over, others were covering any liquid that had spilled with an absorbent power, about a dozen were already starting to clean up the debris from the explosion while the rest either tended to their own, or their colleagues injuries.
Rico came running up with Ajia not far behind.
"You ok?"
"I'm good. Scooter and Pike on route to Riverview. Don't know how bad. Boys got the fire under control. Spill being cleaned up." She rapid fired the rundown to Rico while she made her way to the forklift that started the chain of events. "Someone tell me why this thing hit those barrels!"
"Brakes just stopped working." Thomas answered from the other side of the lift.
"Brake line blew." A voice added from under the lift that the men had jacked up. "Line was weakened, probably by that acid spill last week."
"What acid spill?" Aja was now looking at Rico narrowing her eyes, who visibly gulped. "Something you fergot to share with the class?"
"It was minor, Boss. Got cleaned up and we didn't think anything else about it." He stood tall, but she could see in his eyes that he now felt guilt about the incident. She patted his shoulder, giving him an understanding look. He nodded once and relaxed his stance.
"Forklift must've gotten run through the puddle, there's some erosion under here. Chewed up the brake line." The voice under the lift said again and Aja leaned down to see who it was that was talking. She saw Nolan, the mechanic, under the lift. He gave her a nod, then the lift shifted making Nolan halt, looking up at the lift. "And I'm gonna get out from under here."
"Good idea." she said as she started to straighten, hitting her head on a pipe that had slide out during the shift. "Damn it. " she muttered, rubbing her head as she straightened fully and looked over the men. "I want a full inspection of all lifts done before any of them run again."
"You ok?" Rico took a step forward, Aja waved him off.
"I'm fine. See ta the rest." She grimaced touching her head. "Just a bonk."
"On it." Rico said and immediately got to it.
"You hit your head pretty hard, Aja." Ajia said standing there looking at her sister. "Should have Parker look at it."
"He's got his hands full." Aja motioned to where Parker was going from man to man, quickly triaging the injuries. "It'll keep fer a while."
"Suit yourself." Ajia sighed giving Aja a look.
"If ma was here, I'm sure she'd sound just like that." Aja gave Ajia a grin.
"I bet she's sound like Mami."
"Oh Zeus help us." Aja laughed and looked around. "Do me a favor, help Rico get things locked down here. I gotta go speak to Hochi and then check on Scooter and Pike." She paused. "Their families are gonna need some updates on their condition. Want ta make it easy on "em."
"No problem." Ajia was walking with Aja as she started to make another pass through the activity, checking the progress the impromptu teams were making. "You've been going since five this morning, Aja. You should try to get back and get some rest."
"How do ya know when I started?"
"Tristan." Ajia answered simply which made Aja sigh.
"Yeah." She rubbed at her head, which was itching slightly. "I won't be long. He comes lookin, tell him I went ta talk to Hochi and check on the guys."
"He's not going to like that."
"He knows what it means ta run this place. I think he'll understand." Aja patted Ajia's shoulder. "I'll be on the cell, I want an update every half hour till I'm back."
"It's handled, Aja."
"Every half hour. Till all the men are patched up and accounted fer.? Aja said again as she made her way for her car. She stopped to tell Parker and Rico the same information then headed for RhyDin City.
Aja was trying to finish up her inspection of the cradle the men were constructing for large ship construction. She wanted to get to the Isle and support Hochi in his quest to make the rank required for him to continue to hold his recently won Tower.
She was climbing down from the scaffolding, when she heard her men start shouting. A forklift was careening backwards at a good clip and the driver was literally standing on the brake pedal. He couldn't stop and he was heading straight for a stack of barrels that held highly flammable liquids.
"Hit the deck!" she yelled but between the shouts of the men and the noise of the cradle construction, only a few heard her.
A heartbeat later, the forklift collided with the barrels sending one flying through the air towards the cradle construction, it hit the base of the cradle with a crash, and exploded as the liquid came in contact with the sparks from the welding.
The explosion rocked the scaffolding knocking Aja to the ground, luckily she wasn't that high up and the fall only served to knock the wind out of her.
"Son of a ?" she muttered as she fought her way up off the ground. Every breath in was a fight. She willed herself to relax and it slowly eased up. When she was breathing normally again, she made her way to the source of the fire, grabbing a fire extinguisher off the truck as she went by. Her and the boys battled the blaze, when it was under control, she let them finish up and went to help the others tend to the wounded. She saw Parker putting Scooter on a stretcher.
"Take him to Riverview immediately." He instructed the men who took off at a quick pace to follow those orders. "You there!" Parker was motioning to a group of men tending to Pike. "On a stretcher, to Riverview!" It was one of the few times Aja could recall Parker raising his voice. She came to a halt next to him.
"What do we got?"
"Scooter and Pike are heading to Riverview so I can tend to the others." The reply was given on the move with Aja following behind him.
"Good. Grab anyone ya need ta help." She said as she turned to check on the rest of the crew. "And don't be stubborn." She tossed over her shoulder at him. If he answered, it was lost in the hustle and bustle of the aftermath.
Turning her attention to the rest of the crew. Some were righting the barrels that had fallen over, others were covering any liquid that had spilled with an absorbent power, about a dozen were already starting to clean up the debris from the explosion while the rest either tended to their own, or their colleagues injuries.
Rico came running up with Ajia not far behind.
"You ok?"
"I'm good. Scooter and Pike on route to Riverview. Don't know how bad. Boys got the fire under control. Spill being cleaned up." She rapid fired the rundown to Rico while she made her way to the forklift that started the chain of events. "Someone tell me why this thing hit those barrels!"
"Brakes just stopped working." Thomas answered from the other side of the lift.
"Brake line blew." A voice added from under the lift that the men had jacked up. "Line was weakened, probably by that acid spill last week."
"What acid spill?" Aja was now looking at Rico narrowing her eyes, who visibly gulped. "Something you fergot to share with the class?"
"It was minor, Boss. Got cleaned up and we didn't think anything else about it." He stood tall, but she could see in his eyes that he now felt guilt about the incident. She patted his shoulder, giving him an understanding look. He nodded once and relaxed his stance.
"Forklift must've gotten run through the puddle, there's some erosion under here. Chewed up the brake line." The voice under the lift said again and Aja leaned down to see who it was that was talking. She saw Nolan, the mechanic, under the lift. He gave her a nod, then the lift shifted making Nolan halt, looking up at the lift. "And I'm gonna get out from under here."
"Good idea." she said as she started to straighten, hitting her head on a pipe that had slide out during the shift. "Damn it. " she muttered, rubbing her head as she straightened fully and looked over the men. "I want a full inspection of all lifts done before any of them run again."
"You ok?" Rico took a step forward, Aja waved him off.
"I'm fine. See ta the rest." She grimaced touching her head. "Just a bonk."
"On it." Rico said and immediately got to it.
"You hit your head pretty hard, Aja." Ajia said standing there looking at her sister. "Should have Parker look at it."
"He's got his hands full." Aja motioned to where Parker was going from man to man, quickly triaging the injuries. "It'll keep fer a while."
"Suit yourself." Ajia sighed giving Aja a look.
"If ma was here, I'm sure she'd sound just like that." Aja gave Ajia a grin.
"I bet she's sound like Mami."
"Oh Zeus help us." Aja laughed and looked around. "Do me a favor, help Rico get things locked down here. I gotta go speak to Hochi and then check on Scooter and Pike." She paused. "Their families are gonna need some updates on their condition. Want ta make it easy on "em."
"No problem." Ajia was walking with Aja as she started to make another pass through the activity, checking the progress the impromptu teams were making. "You've been going since five this morning, Aja. You should try to get back and get some rest."
"How do ya know when I started?"
"Tristan." Ajia answered simply which made Aja sigh.
"Yeah." She rubbed at her head, which was itching slightly. "I won't be long. He comes lookin, tell him I went ta talk to Hochi and check on the guys."
"He's not going to like that."
"He knows what it means ta run this place. I think he'll understand." Aja patted Ajia's shoulder. "I'll be on the cell, I want an update every half hour till I'm back."
"It's handled, Aja."
"Every half hour. Till all the men are patched up and accounted fer.? Aja said again as she made her way for her car. She stopped to tell Parker and Rico the same information then headed for RhyDin City.