Chapter 14
Lissa Adrenaline flushed through my system as I jumped out of the fire truck in front of the burning building. The two-story building looked abandoned, and it already looked engulfed in flames. As the first truck on the scene, Thorne and I got to work.
I connected a hose from the truck, then connected another one to the fire hydrant conveniently next to the burning structure.
Thorne stayed next to the truck as instructed.
He was ready to turn on the system as soon as I gave the signal.
The second truck pulled up right after I cracked open the hydrant.
Once I ran out of water on the truck, I could easily pick up the hose connected to the hydrant and keep going.
I grabbed the end of the hose connected to the truck and nodded at Thorne.
BANG.
A flash of light expanded from the building, pushing me away. I lay on my back, squinting up at the bright sky. A solid high-pitched tone rang in my ears. I lay still, trying to control my breathing and wondering why I felt so hot until a face appeared in my field of view, mouthing something to me.
“What?” I asked.
“Melissa, can you hear me?” The voice sounded far away even though the face was mere inches from my own.
“Yes. Why are you whispering?”
“Do you know who I am?”
I stared at the face. “Yes. My partner.”
He put his hand on my face. “What’s my name?”
I stared up at him. What was his name? I just knew he was my partner. That he was mine. Why was he asking stupid questions?”
Someone pushed him aside. A new face appeared.
“Melissa, Lissa, can you hear me?”
“Yes. Why are you whispering?”
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yes, I think.” She looked familiar.
“Okay. Do you feel nauseous? Have a headache? Dizzy?” The lady shined a light into my eyes, and I shut them.
“That’s too bright,” I said and swatted her hand away. “Lacey. Your name is Lacey.”
“Good. Do you remember where you are?” Lacey was one of the paramedics.
I tried to look around.
Lacey grabbed my head. “Don’t move your head.” Someone stopped next to them and handed Lacey something. She proceeded to put a c-collar on me.
“What is this for?”
“Do you remember what happened? Where you are?” Lacey asked while checking my pulse.
Over Lacey’s head, I spotted flames. “There’s a fire.” I started to sit up again.
“Stay down. There was a small explosion that knocked you down.”
I remembered holding the end of the hose. “Where’s…my partner?” Jesus. What was his name?
“I’m right here.” He moved where I could see him.
I reached my hand for his. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said.
“Don’t move. We don’t know the extent of your injuries.” Lacey said.
“I need to put out the fire.” I grabbed onto Lacey’s arm to pull myself up. Lacey held me down. “The stretcher is almost here.”
I could feel the heat from the fire. “Why do I need a stretcher?”
“You were blown back by an explosion.”
“Really? Where’s…my partner?” What was his name?
“I’m still right here.” His voice caused me to focus on him. He stood next to Lacey.
“But the fire—”
“There are plenty of people here to take care of the fire. Alright. We’re ready to move you.” She patted my arm.
Lacey stood up and walked to my feet. My eyes darted around while Lacey talked to the second person whose name I didn’t remember.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“We’re taking you to the hospital.” Lacey said.
Up on the stretcher, I could see more of the scene around me. I really needed to help put out the fire. “That building is on fire. We got to put it out. I can’t go to the hospital.”
“You were hit by an explosion. We need to check you out.”
“What? Where’s…Thorne?”
“He’s coming with us,” Lacey said as she pushed me through the back of the ambulance and shut the doors, my view of the fire now gone.
“I’m right here.” Thorne sat beside me in the back of the ambulance and held my hand.
Lissa I sat on the hospital bed surrounded by light blue cloth curtains. I’d been here for about four hours. Light no longer hurt my eyes nor my head, but they had given me some medicine when I’d arrived. After they read my CT scan, they would probably let me go.
Now that I could remember the fire and explosion, I let the scene play over and over in my mind. There was no warning and anything could’ve been in an abandoned building.
Lacey told me that only I was affected. As mad as I was at Thorne, I was grateful that nothing happened to him.
He was still on light duty. Him even being on site could get us all in trouble, possibly fired.
He’d stayed with me until the doctors forced him out.
Now all I wanted was for him to be in the room with me.
Not content to just sit there, I slowly tested my ability to walk. Concussions weren’t something to ignore, and they told me I had a moderate concussion, or Grade 2. If I was lucky, I could go back on full duty in a week.
Walking around the room with the IV still in my wrist proved doable, but made me aware of how sore my body was from the blast. Landing on asphalt will do that. I turned around when I heard the curtains move. A nurse looked at me with a portable computer in tow and shook her head.
“Do you need to go to the washroom?” she asked.
“No. Just needed to move.”
“It’s best if you stay on the bed.” She pointed to the hospital bed I’d abandoned.
I gave her a nod and sat down on the bed. She helped me swing my legs up, even though I didn’t need the help.
“Can you see if there’s someone in the waiting room for me named Thorne? Hawthorne Graves? And if he is, can he come sit with me?”
The nurse nodded. “I can do that. Though, I think they called your emergency contact.”
I stopped breathing for a moment. Did they call my parents?
“Who…is my emergency contact?”
“Let’s see.” The nurse pulled up my file. “Monica Bein.”
“Oh thank god,” I laid back on the bed and relaxed.
She chuckled and pulled out a blood pressure cuff. “Let’s take some readings. The doctor should be with you shortly. She’s just waiting on the CT results.”
Thorne I sat in the waiting room for a good three hours after they kicked me out of Lissa’s room. Dark dropped by after the run, still smelling of smoke, to ask about Lissa. He told me to look after her and to keep him updated, then left.
Somehow, I managed to have both our phones. Hers was off, and I kept it that way, though I’m sure someone would want an update from her. The harsh lights started to get to me. No amount of walking in circles or coffee helped.
Speaking of which, I looked down at my fourth cup of coffee since I arrived. I should switch to water. The constant shake of my legs was vibrating an entire row of chairs.
“Hawthorne Graves.”
I looked up to see a nurse in pink with a clipboard.
“I’m Hawthorne Graves.”
She nodded. “Come with me.”
I didn’t ask questions, just nodded and followed.
She led me to a row of examination bays separated by blue curtains.
She pulled a set of curtains aside and motioned for me to enter.
Lissa laid on a bed with the back inclined, her head resting on a pillow, and her eyes closed.
A little smudge of soot graced her cheek, and her hair flowed down around her shoulders.
I rushed in and grabbed her hand without the IV.
Lissa opened her eyes and smiled at me. “Hey, you’re still here.”
“Of course. How are you feeling?”
“Bored and restless. I got in trouble for walking around my tiny curtain room.”
I kissed her hand. “What did the doctor say?”
“Just a concussion.” She shrugged, like it was an everyday occurrence.
I narrowed my eyes. “Just a concussion? It’s serious, Lissa.”
“I know. I just hate being here.”
“Anything else? No broken bones or internal bleeding? Any bruising?”
She squeezed my hand. “Just bruising from the fall. I’m going to be fine.”
“Good. I was worried.” I put the back of her hand against my face.
We stared at each other for the longest time. I regretted my decision to step away from her this week to sort out my own feelings. She deserved someone who didn’t hide away during conflict. I didn’t know if I could be that person for her before, but now I knew I’d do anything.
“Guess what?” Lissa smirked. “Chelsea’s pregnant.”
I smiled. “That’s amazing. Wait. Are we happy about this?”
“Yes.” Lissa laughed. “Everyone is excited.”
“Good. Then I’m excited. Congratulations to her.”
“So, with her being pregnant, I need to find a new belayer.”
“That’s the person that feeds the rope to you as you climb and lowers you down at the end?”
She nodded. “I was wondering if you’d like to do it. There’s time for you to learn. If you’re interested.”
“Absolutely. My physical therapist said I should be released to full duty in about two weeks.”
She turned her hand to cup my cheek. “That’s great.”
I kissed the palm of her hand. “Lissa, I’m sorry.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I have a concussion. You’ll have to tell me what you’re sorry for.”
I studied her face and spotted the lie in the way the corner of her lips moved. But I’d play the game. “I’m sorry that I avoided you all week. I was mad and confused and wanted to wait until I’d calmed down.”
“Okay.” She lightly scratched my jaw. “Are you going to tell me why you were mad and confused?”
“I overheard the captain ask if you still wanted to switch partners.”
She looked at me for a few moments. “And you didn’t stick around to hear my answer?”
“The guys were calling me.”
She sighed. “I told the captain I was happy with you as a partner. My request to change partners came from a place of frustration and anger. The day we almost damaged the hydraulics on the Jaws of Life.”
“So you don’t want a new partner?” I gripped her hand tighter.
“No.”
I stood up and hugged her, practically laying on top of her on the bed. “I was so scared of your answer to that question.”
“You’re killing me, Graves. Get off.” She pushed me off, and I stayed standing by her. “Now why don’t you tell me about your meal with Milo.”
“What meal with Milo?” I tried to remember eating with Milo. “I don’t remember eating with him.”
“Breakfast with him after you eavesdropped on my conversation with the captain.”
“Right! I can’t believe I forgot about that.” It’s wild I couldn’t remember breakfast with an ex. “He came to the station and asked to go eat. Then he proceeded to ask me to have a friends with benefits situation. But we’re not friends. Ex with benefits? What would you call it?”
“Does it matter?” Lissa cocked her head to the side and stared.
“You’re right. It doesn’t matter.” I kissed her forehead. “I said no and left. I haven’t thought about it since that day. Too busy thinking about why you didn’t want to be my partner.”
“You’re an idiot.” She pulled me down and kissed me. “Next time don’t avoid me. Talk to me. If you don’t, I won’t stick around. Okay?”
I smiled. “Okay.”