[D8, EN] Checking on the Bekeles

[Bee Haw]

As soon as she could, after helping the people in the immediate vicinity of the blast, and finding LD nearby (thank God!), Bea flew over to the area of the sprawl with the temple and the Bekele's house.

She'd seen the temple spires still standing at a distance. She had to hope they'd survived.

This area had avoided the worst of the rampage. Their house was still standing. They weren't there. Her Tigray bees were scattered. But hopefully most - some - would survive and return. The hive was still usable.

She found Mr. and Mrs. Bekele at the temple, which had converted much of its space, outside the sanctuary, into an emergency response center. Much of the congregation was there. Mr. Bekele was manning a station where people were checking in, describing their needs, and listing the missing. A younger teen sat beside him transcribing the names into a database and confirming if a missing person had come through earlier.

Others at the table were on the phone with hospitals and police, cross-referencing the names.

Mrs. Bekele was in the kitchen with many of the women cooking food to feed ... well, a city. Everyone who needed, as much as they could. Other women were dropping off boxes of pantry goods.

She hugged them both. They were glad she was okay. And LD, too.

No time to talk about all that had happened. She was still processing. Three years? Aliens from another universe? There would be time to pray over that. To notify 'authorities'. For now, they just needed to help the stunned and panicked and terrified.

Mrs. B remembered to ask "What happened earlier? Did you make the team?"

She shook her head. "They hadn't decided yet. There ... there was going to be a break. A reunion event." Did any of that matter now?

"I am to move out of Academy House. I thought I'd ask if I could stay with you longer. I was going to get a job. Pay rent. If you'd take it. Now, maybe I am just maybe going to volunteer with emergency services as long as ... as long as it takes." Months? Years? The devastation was ... she still couldn't wrap her mind around it.

There was a TV playing news footage in a classroom. She could listen later. Process.

Of course she could stay with them. Another hug.

And then she got to work on the list of reported missing. Searching the locations last seen or expected to be. Using her bee form and supernatural sense to search collapsed buildings and other potentially otherwise impenetrable wreckage. Find the survivors. The ones who could still be saved. That was all you could do.

It was already a long list.