Chapter 19
nineteen
Denver
One Week Later
When we get to the scene, JJ is in full swing.
“Trapped family inside apartment B on the left,” he says.
Ladders are already in place, with Stellan leading the charge, forcing entry over a patio railing and sliding door.
“Dylan, Marco, and Denver, get moving to the upper levels. We’re gonna need backup. ”
Lissa and August—AJ—are already in place, stretching the line charged with water, then Wes and Sam, the probie, have already moved to the interior fire attack position, and things are getting pretty fucking crazy fast.
Ladder 99 crew are already searching for victims and forcing entry on the lower levels, pulling them from the windows, and setting up ladders for residents to escape.
The fire sure as shit took hold fast. I follow Dylan and Marco up the ladder, giving AJ a chin lift as he follows suit.
We’re a great team, there’s no denying it.
Lissa has been at the firehouse for five years, and she’s one of our best on Ladder 99.
Nothing can stop that woman, she’s a storm in a teacup.
When we get to the railing, we climb over one by one. Dark is already directing us, giving us a brief overview. The fire is raging, flames licking up the inside of the building, but that’s not gonna stop us. Visual isn’t the best, but we’re geared up.
“Got two bedrooms in the back fully engulfed,” Dark says, the charged hose line pointed right in the doorway, knocking back the flames.
“Got it,” I say.
“Covering the rescue crew,” he says, Dylan assisting.
I give him a chin lift, then turn the men behind me. “I’ll take the back rooms, you take the front.” Then I radio to JJ. “Rescue entering for primary search, floor seven.”
“Roger that,” JJ says back.
The heat is already starting to affect us, and we’re not even in there yet. It’s fucking raging.
“We got you,” JC says behind me.
I run in, the flames licking all around. I take the first room on the left, kicking the door in. There’s a woman inside, screaming. “I’ve got you,” I say. “Come with me, how many more inside?”
“My kids!” she screams.
“How many?”
“Three.”
I radio to JJ. “Command, Rescue, Mom located, back bedroom, initiating removal. There are three kids still inside.” Then to the mom, I say, “You first. My team will help with the kids.” We get low and I use my body to shield her from the heat and flames.
We race through the house and I don’t see Dylan or JC.
I hand her over to Dark and run back in.
“Denver!” he calls after me, but I keep charging, radioing command again. “Rescue entering back inside, searching for the children.”
Then JC runs by, a small child in his arms, while Dylan is carrying another.
“There’s another kid somewhere,” I yell out.
“Front rooms clear,” JC calls out.
Three kids. She said three.
I run to the room opposite the mom’s and the door is open. Flames engulf the opening and it’s a fucking furness in there. Jesus. If I make it outta here tonight, it’ll be a miracle.
I glance around, searching frantically. “Hey!” I call out. “If you hear me, call out to me!”
Fuck!
“Kid?” I say again. Where are you?
I bend low, then I see sneakers. I duck farther under. “Give me your hand!” I yell, but then I realize the child isn’t moving.
Holy shit.
The smoke inhalation is getting thick. I drag the kid, a girl, out by her ankles and yank her over my shoulder.
She has flame red hair, just like Adi. Then I turn and bolt out of the room, staying as low as I can as I try to see through the thick fumes.
I’m halfway through the hallway when a beam suddenly falls in front of my path, hitting me in the chest, knocking me sideways.
I stumble, unable to keep my footing. The flames are getting higher and higher, the heat unbearable on my skin.
The child starts to slip from my arms. No!
“Denver!” Dylan, or it could be JC, calls out, but his words sound like he’s underwater, or I’m underwater. What the fuck?
I feel myself falling, but it’s almost like slow motion.
No.
I’m not gonna go down like this.
No fucking way.
But I can’t move. I can’t fucking move!
I reach out to the figure in front of me, trying to protect the girl as I fall, but I never reach him.
Then everything goes black.
“You’re okay,” someone says. “I got you, bro.”
I don’t know who it is, but it feels like an elephant sat on my chest. I have breathing apparatus over my face. I try to pull it off.
“Leave it, D. For once in your life, fucking listen.” Could be JJ, I’m not sure.
“He’s stable,” Jake, maybe? “Broken ribs, possible lung injury, smoke inhalation—he was only down for a few seconds, so I’d expect some swelling in the throat.”
“The girl?” I sputter, but the words don’t come out. I try and sit up, but a hand pushes me back down.
“Stay put,” my rescuer says. “Jesus, D.”
“Jake?”
“Who else?”
“Girl,” I say again. “Sh-she g-good?”
“You got her out. She suffered a lot of smoke inhalation, but they gave her oxygen. They’re still working on her vitals, but I think she’s gonna be okay. Everyone got out.”
I rest my head back, feeling light headed. “Adi.” My voice is scratchy. “Call Adelaide.”
“Got it, but you’re going for a ride first.” JJ takes my phone from my pocket and they load me into the back of the ambulance.
“I need Adi,” I mutter, but Jake secures the mask back over my face and tells me to shut up.
I grin, but I’m not gonna rest till I see my girl.
Adelaide
I stand there in shock, my phone falling from my hand.
“Adi?” Daryl says, concern on his face as he rushes to me. He just got in tonight and we had a late dinner. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Denver,” I whisper. “He’s… he had an accident at work—”
“And? Is he okay?” Daryl is already picking up the phone. “Hello? Hello, yes, it’s Daryl, I’m Denver’s best friend… Oh shit… is he okay? What happened?” He waits, listening intently as I begin to pace. “Okay, that’s good news. Thank fuck. What hospital? We’ll be there soon. Thanks, JJ.”
I glance at him, tears streaking down my face. “D-Denver’s hurt.” He can’t be… he can’t be hurt. Denver is my superman.
Daryl steps in my path, resting his hands on my shoulders. “He’s okay. A beam fell on him and knocked him out. He has some smoke inhalation and broken ribs, but he’s okay, Ad.”
“B-broken ribs?” I screech, tearing at my hair.
“Hey, it’s alright. JJ said he’s in recovery, but, uh, he’s asking for you.”
I nod, looking away. “Okay, I’m getting my things…”
He keeps his hands on my shoulders. “Why was he calling you and asking for you?”
“I-I, um, I guess I was the last person he talked to?”
“Adi, I don’t know if you’ve realized, but every time I’ve brought his name up tonight, you blushed.”
“I did not!”
“Yes, you did, several times. Something’s going on.”
I swallow, not able to meet his gaze. “I—we, uh, I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just gonna come out with it.” I clear my throat. “Me and Denver are, well, we’re together.”
His eyebrows raise slightly. “Together?”
“Yes.”
“Together together?”
“It’s not what you think. I mean, it’s not just a hook up. Jesus, I’m going about this all wrong.”
“Take a breath,” he tells me. “Then spit it out.”
“Well, we, um, we fell in love.” I close my eyes. I need to get to him.
“In the last month I’ve been gone, you fell in love?”
“Can we talk about this in the car? We need to call his parents.”
He levels me with a gaze. “Yes, but I’m driving.” He forgets all about me for a second, and grabs his keys, then we begin to walk as he scrolls through his phone.
“I didn’t want to tell you like this,” I say as I close the apartment door behind me. “We wanted to talk to you together. It just happened.”
“That’s not important now,” he says, the phone to his ear. “What’s important is we get there, okay? I’m sure you two can enlighten me when we’re sure Denver is alright.”
“What, so you can yell at him and not feel guilty?”
He gives me a smirk. “Exactly.”
“Urgh, how can you be so calm?”
“What use is it gonna do flapping my arms around? This is someone we know very well, he’s gonna pull through.”
I smile slightly, the unease settling for a second. I didn’t mean to drop the phone, but I was in shock. When that man said Denver asked for me and he was hurt, I panicked.
I feel a hand on my shoulder. “Sis?”
I turn to look at Daryl, tears rolling down my face. He pulls me into a hug. “Daryl, h-he’s hurt.”
“It’s gonna be okay. You know Denver, he’s one tough son of a gun.”
I snort laugh. I’m a fucking mess. “That’s true, but smoke inhalation can be serious, and we don’t know anything else yet.”
“If he’s calling you above anyone else, I’d say he’s pretty much had a hit to the head.”
“Very funny.”
“To be honest with you, I’m not mad about it. How long has it been going on?”
“Not that long,” I say, feeling sheepish. “Not right away. But we got closer over the last month, and he’s, well, he’s pretty fucking great.”
Daryl snorts. “You had to go for my best friend.”
“Correction.” I hold up a finger. “He had to go for his best friend’s little sister.”
He narrows his eyes. “I know you, sis. I know how persuasive you can be.”
“We were gonna tell you at my housewarming dinner, but Mom and I decided that won’t be until Thanksgiving because that’s when we can get everyone together.”
“Do Mom and Dad know?”
“Mom does,” I say, biting my lip. “I confessed because I was so worried you’d be mad and things would be awkward between us.”
“You should know me better than that. I’ve got no reservations that Denver isn’t a great guy for you, the problem is it becomes awkward for our friendship if you two break up—”
“We won’t be breaking up.”
He side-eyes me as we rush to the elevator. I stab the button over and over. “You’re sure about that?”
“Pretty darned sure.”
“Jesus, I haven’t been gone that long. You really had to fall for my best friend?”
“I didn’t mean to.”
He gives me a sympathetic smile and then says, “Let’s take the fucking stairs.”
We race down, two at a time, and when we finally get to his truck, I clamber into the passenger seat. He starts her up and we pull out into the street.
“For the record,” Daryl says, his eyes on the road. “All I’ve ever wanted for you, and for Carrie, is to be happy, and if that means you want to date Denver, then I’m okay with that.”
I give him a teary smile. “You’re a good brother, but would you really be saying that if D wasn’t holed up in a hospital, fighting for life?”
“He’s in recovery,” Daryl reminds me. “Let’s not jump to conclusions until we’re there, okay?
And yes, I would be saying it because you could have just told me.
I’m a big boy. I’m not going to condemn you or talk you out of it.
Yeah, I have concerns about what happens if you two don’t work out, but I have zero say in who you want to be with. ”
I nod, giving his arm a squeeze. “I appreciate you saying that.”
“You’ve always been very strong willed, and had amazing gut instinct.
I trust you, and I trust Denver implicitly.
You may not know this about him because he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, but he’s fiercely loyal, protective, and a decent guy.
I figure whatever you two have going on is something you need to explore.
And really, am I that much of a stick in the mud that I’d come down heavy on you? ”
I burst into tears, covering my face with my hands. “You being nice is making it so much worse.”
He chuckles. “Well, I’m not going to yell at you. You’re a grown woman in charge of your own life. If Denver steps out of line, trust me, I may be a nerd but I’ve got means and ways to make him disappear, best friend or not.”
I laugh, wiping my tears. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”
I know my brother is a good guy. I’ve always known it, but I’m also hearing his words.
Things would be awkward if me and Denver had a bad breakup.
Which is all the more reason to be open and honest with each other.
Denver has admitted he’s not the best at sharing how he feels, but he’s opening up little by little.
After he and Bodhi came over that night, things between us changed.
I heard him out. I knew deep down that Hannah was a trouble maker, heck, I saw it coming a mile away, but I also realized a lot about myself in that moment: I run away when things get hard.
I can’t do that to Denver, not if we really want to give this a shot.
So that’s what I hold onto as Daryl drives across the city, my heart hammering in my chest because the man I love almost died today.
It’s him. Only him. And I can’t wait to tell him so.