Between Floors
by channelD
written for: the NFA Boxed In Challenge. The aim of the challenge was to create a dialogue-only story involving two or more characters trapped somewhere.
rating: K plus
genre: light
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disclaimer: I own nothing of NCIS.
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"Hello?! Hello?! Can anyone hear me??...Anyone?...This is Abby Sciuto…darn these stupid little so-called elevator phones!...Hello??? I'm stuck in elevator number, uh…number 3, it says. Stuck between the lab and floor 1. Can someone get me out, please??"
*fart*
"Oh, sorry if you heard that. That was my farting hippo. Oh, he's not a live hippo; it would be a tight fit for him in an elevator if he were alive. And I don't mean he's dead, either. He's a stuffed hippo. A toy. And he farts when you squeeze him."
*fart*
"Thank you, Bert. Just like that. Can you get us out, please?"
*whine*
"Oh, and my friend's dog is in here, too, only he is a real live dog."
"Woof!"
"Yes, Jethro. Sit. Good boy. If anyone can hear me…could you please get us out???...Boys, I'm going to hang up this phone now. I don't think it's working. But someone will notice the elevator's not working, and will get us out soon."
"Woof." *pant* *pant* *pant*
"I'm thirsty too, Jethro, but I don't have any water on me. And I left my cell phone in the lab so I can't call out on it. Ohhhhhhhhhh, I'm so tired. I wish I'd gotten more sleep last night. You boys will behave if I curl up and take a little nap, won't you?"
"Woof woof woof woof." *pant* *pant* *pant*
- - - - -
"Huffa huffa woof."
. . .
"Keep it down, Jethro. Abby wants to sleep…" *Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…*
*whine* *pant* *pant* *pant*
. . .
"Huffa huffa." *snork* *pant* *pant* *pant* *pant* *sniff* *sniff* *sniff*
. . .
*whine* "Woof."
. . .
"Oh…did I doze off for long? Oh, my head…does it seem stuffy in here to you, Jethro? I guess elevators don't have the best air circulation."
"Woof woof woof!"
"Oh, I totally agree, Jethro. This is not how I wanted to spend my afternoon, either."
*fart*
"Be gentle with Bert, Jethro. You can carry him around, but don't bite him too hard."
*fart* *fart* *fart*
"Oh…so stuffy…going to…sleep again…" *Zzzzzz*
*fart*
*pant* *pant* *pant* *whine* *sniff* *sniff* *sniff*
. . .
"Aroo?"
. . .
*sniff* *sniff* *lick* *lick* *lick*
*fart*
"Woof."
. . .
"Huffa huffa huffa." *pant* *pant* *pant*
. . .
*whine* *whine* *whine* *whine* *whine*
"Lee'me alone, Jethro…wanna…sleep…"
*whine* *whine* *whine* *whine* *whine* *whine* *lick* *lick* *lick*
. . .
*pant* *pant* *pant* "Woof! Woof!" *whine*
*fart*
*pant* *pant* *pant*
- - - - -
"Abby! Are you in there? This is Gibbs!...Abby!!"
"Whuff? Whuff?" *whine*
"Abby?"
"WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!" *whine* *whine* *whine* "WOOF!"
"Abby! I'm betting you're in there, unless McGee's trained that dog of his to work the buttons and ride the elevator by himself! Hang on, we'll have you out shortly."
*fart*
*slobber* *slobber* *slobber*
"Gibbs…"
*whine* *lick* *lick* *whine*
"Jethro…"
*fart*
*whine*
*fart* *fart* *fart* *fart*
"Woof! Woof!"
. . .
- - - - -
"I think the car's stuck about 10 feet up from the lab level. We'll pry the doors open at ground level and get down from there…No, hang the elevator contract! I don't want to wait for the elevator company to come down from Baltimore! Abby's non-responsive. You know we've complained about the closed-air feelings in the elevators in the last few months. She could be passed out from lack of oxygen."
"We're not going to wait. For once, I agree with you, Gibbs."
"Thanks, Leon. It must be a historic day. Let's grab some tools and get to ground level. DiNozzo, McGee…we'll need you, too."
- - - - -
"Woof?"
. . .
"Woof?" *pant* *pant* *pant*
. . .
*fart*
*lick* *lick* *lick*
"Woof!"
"Abby! It's Tony, Abbs! I've just dropped down onto the top of the elevator car, and I'm going to go in through that little trap door, just like in the movies, and pull you out. Okay? Don't worry about a thing."
"Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"
"Jethro, rescue for you might have to wait a little longer. Dogs aren't as good at standing on shoulders to be lifted out…"
*whine*
"Well, okay; I'll do what I can. McGee, you coming down here, or what?...Ziva!"
"It was decided that my lesser weight might be less stress on the car; less likely to make it move. You go in, hand Abby up to me, and I shall pass her up to the others."
"Okay. But you might have to take the dog, too."
"Not simultaneously. Okay; I'm going in. Cover me."
"Cover you…?"
"Joke."
"Woof!" *lick* *lick* *lick*
"Haha! Stop it, Jethro. Let me get to Abby…Urgh. Why aren't you a nice, dainty, 5' 0" and 95 pounds, Abbs?!"
"Are you absolutely certain she is unconscious, Tony?"
"Ah…"
"Hand her up."
*whine* *whine* *whine*
"Take it easy, dog. No one's going to hurt Abby. We're helping her…Ziva, you got her?"
"Yes. I am attaching the rope harness to her; the others will pull her up to the ground floor door."
*whine* *whine* "Woof! Woof! Woof!"
. . .
"What was that?!? the car is moving…down! Ziva! Ziva!"
"I am all right. I grabbed onto the trap door."
"Well, don't you move until it comes to a…stop."
"I think it has stopped."
"But where?"
"We are far down from the ground floor. We may be close to Autopsy, or the sub-basement, even."
"Great. Now we need to be rescued."
"Is there enough air in there for you and the dog?"
"Oh, sure. With the trap door open, we're fine."
*fart*
"Though if Jethro doesn't stop picking up Bert and making him fart, I may amend that statement."
"Haha. The fart is only a sound effect, Tony."
"Tell that to the German Shepherd who's waving a hippo in your face."
"Would you rather that he licked you?"
"Let me get back to you on that."
"DiNozzo! We think the car is lined up almost exactly with the Autopsy door. We're going to pry it open."
"Thanks, boss! Ziva, you might as well come on down. I'll catch you. Or would you rather jump and use Bert as a pillow?"
"Abby would kill me if I damaged Bert. You may catch me, but watch what you do with your hands."
"Who, me?"
*whine* *whine* *whine* "Yip! Yip! Yip!" *slobber* *slobber*
"Haha! Yes, I'm glad to see you, too, Jethro. Come on out, DiNozzo, and David. The rest is up to the elevator company."
"Is Abby all right, Gibbs?"
"Yes; she'd already come to before we started down here."
"Thanks, boss. Even Bert was getting a little claustrophobic in here, I think."
"Bert…talked to you, Tony?"
"Yes, McGeek. And he said—"
*fart*
-END-