Chapter Eleven #2
Over the next several minutes they discussed the fire, the rescue, and the events immediately following the collapse.
Jasper wanted to know whether the boy had been reunited with his mother and Cody confirmed that he had.
He also provided updates regarding the crew back at Firehouse 99 who were waiting for news before they visited.
Eventually Cody glanced toward the bandages covering Jasper's shoulder.
"The doctor give you any idea when they're letting you out?"
"Tomorrow if everything looks good overnight."
Cody nodded.
"And after that?"
"Apparently I'm supposed to sit around doing nothing for two weeks."
"That should last about fifteen minutes."
A faint smile curved Jasper’s lips.
"Probably."
"The captain's already asked Ingrid to start putting together a roster."
Jasper frowned.
"A roster for what?"
Jasper then turned his attention to me. “Ingrid’s in charge of keeping our butts organized.”
"Checking on you," Cody answered when he’d finished explaining.
"That's not necessary."
"It wasn't a suggestion."
The response arrived so quickly that it was obvious the discussion had already taken place and decisions made.
"Cole, Ingrid, me, probably half the station. Nobody's interested in leaving you alone to start lifting furniture with one arm because you got bored."
"Why on earth would I start lifting furniture?"
Cody gave him a look.
"Because sitting still has never been one of your strengths."
"That's a ridiculous example."
"Pick your own then. The point stays the same."
Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
"Fine," Jasper admitted.
"That's what I thought."
Cody shook his head.
"You're going to follow the doctor's instructions, stay off duty until they clear you, and you're going to let people help when you need it."
"You've become very bossy."
"I work with you. Experience has made it necessary."
"I'll let everyone know you're out of surgery and awake before Ingrid starts threatening hospital staff for information."
"Tell her I'm fine."
"I'll tell her you're complaining already. That'll reassure everybody."
The conversation continued for another minute before Cody glanced toward me.
"I should get back to the station."
Jasper nodded.
"Thanks for staying."
"There wasn't anywhere else I was going."
The sincerity behind the response was obvious.
Cody looked toward me.
"Thanks for coming."
I nodded.
"Of course."
He glanced back at Jasper.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
After saying goodbye, he headed toward the door and a few seconds later it closed behind him, leaving Jasper and I alone for the first time since I'd arrived at the hospital.
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable. It simply felt different now that there were no distractions and no practical updates requiring discussion. I moved closer, lowered myself carefully into the chair beside his bed and reached out to take his hand in mine.
For several moments neither of us spoke.
"I got a phone call from someone I'd never met telling me you were in surgery. You scared me," I confessed.
The words emerged quietly but carried more weight than I intended.
Jasper’s expression softened immediately.
"I'm sorry."
I looked toward the bandages covering his shoulder.
"When Cody said there'd been a collapse, my imagination filled in the gaps."
"Your imagination was probably worse than reality."
"I'm not convinced."
A tired smile appeared.
"Fair."
The room fell quiet again.
"I keep thinking about how easily this could have been different."
Jasper looked at me for several seconds before answering.
"It could have."
His honesty surprised me.
"There isn't really a version of this job where people pretend bad things can't happen. We train for it, we prepare for it, and we do everything possible to avoid it, but none of us walk into a fire believing we're invincible."
Hearing him say it aloud somehow made the reality more tangible.
"I don't think I understood that until today."
"I wish today hadn't been the lesson."
I nodded.
"So do I."
His gaze remained steady.
"The kid made it out."
The statement wasn't defensive or self-congratulatory. It sounded more like an explanation.
"I know."
"He was the reason we were there."
I understood what he was telling me. More importantly, I understood what he wasn't saying. Jasper wasn't asking for approval, forgiveness, or reassurance. He was simply explaining a reality that shaped every decision he made at work.
"Cody explained."
Something eased in his expression and we remained quiet for a moment or two. Eventually I glanced toward the clock on the wall.
"You realise our dinner plans are probably ruined."
A laugh escaped him and he immediately regretted it.
"That’s painful."
"Then don’t laugh."
The smile that followed looked considerably more genuine.
"We can reschedule," he offered.
"I wasn't suggesting we cancel."
His eyes remained on mine.
"I'd hate to think I almost died and still got stood up."
Despite everything, I laughed. The sound felt unexpectedly welcome inside a hospital room.
Jasper was injured and recovery wouldn't be quick.
The reality of his job looked very different now that someone I cared about occupied the hospital bed instead of a stranger.
Even so, he was here, he was going to recover, and for the first time since Cody's phone call I could finally breathe properly again.