Chapter 17 Through the Flames #2
"He went inside."
Everything stopped.
The sounds.
The movement.
The chaos.
For one horrifying second, Eli heard nothing at all.
Only those three words.
He went inside.
"No."
The denial escaped automatically.
"He wouldn't—"
The sentence died unfinished.
Because of course he would.
Mason would absolutely run into a burning building if people needed help.
That was exactly who he was.
Protective.
Selfless.
Stubborn.
Infuriatingly brave.
The realization nearly broke Eli apart.
Several workers rushed past carrying emergency supplies.
A paramedic shouted instructions.
Somewhere nearby, a radio crackled.
Life continued.
The emergency continued.
Yet Eli felt trapped.
Unable to move.
Unable to think.
Unable to breathe.
Then someone shouted.
"They're coming out!"
Every head turned.
Including Eli's.
The main access corridor leading from the damaged kiln suddenly erupted with activity.
Emergency personnel rushed forward.
Workers moved aside.
And through the smoke emerged several figures.
Alive.
Moving.
Exhausted.
Relief slammed into Eli so hard his knees nearly gave out.
The trapped workers.
They had made it out.
For a moment, joy surged through the crowd.
Then Eli saw Mason.
The older man stumbled from the smoke several yards behind the others.
His clothes were covered in soot.
One side of his shirt was torn.
Blood stained the fabric near his shoulder.
The sight shattered any relief Eli had felt.
"Mason!"
The name tore from his throat.
He started running before anyone could stop him.
People moved aside.
Paramedics shouted something.
He ignored all of it.
The distance between them seemed impossibly long.
Yet somehow he crossed it.
Mason looked up just as Eli reached him.
Their eyes met.
For one brief second, the chaos around them disappeared.
The older man looked exhausted.
In pain.
Barely standing.
Yet a small smile appeared anyway.
The sight nearly destroyed Eli.
"You idiot."
The words came out broken.
Half laugh.
Half sob.
Mason's smile widened slightly.
"Hey."
The simple greeting hurt more than anything else.
Because it sounded so normal.
As if he hadn't just walked through fire.
As if he wasn't injured.
As if Eli's entire world hadn't nearly stopped.
A paramedic appeared beside them immediately.
"We need space."
Eli reluctantly stepped aside.
Not far.
Never far.
The medical team quickly assessed Mason's injuries.
Their expressions grew increasingly serious.
The sight terrified him.
Questions filled the air.
Pain levels.
Breathing.
Consciousness.
Possible fractures.
The words blurred together.
Eli hated every single one.
Because none of them should be necessary.
This shouldn't have happened.
Any of it.
The fire.
The accident.
The injuries.
The entire disaster existed because people ignored warnings.
The realization reignited his anger.
Yet fear remained stronger.
Much stronger.
Mason suddenly swayed.
The paramedics caught him immediately.
The movement sent panic surging through Eli.
"Mason."
The older man's eyes found him again.
Barely.
Yet they found him.
And for the first time since the breakup, all the walls between them vanished completely.
Nothing remained.
No distance.
No pride.
No sacrifice.
No pretending.
Only fear.
Raw and immediate.
Because Eli understood something terrible.
He could lose him.
Actually lose him.
The possibility hit with devastating force.
Every argument.
Every breakup.
Every rumor.
Every obstacle.
None of it mattered.
None of it.
Not if Mason wasn't here.
Not if he didn't survive.
The realization stripped away everything else.
Leaving only love.
Pure.
Undeniable.
Terrifying.
The paramedics began moving Mason toward an ambulance.
The sight made Eli move automatically.
Following.
Refusing to let him out of sight.
One of the medics tried stopping him.
Then apparently reconsidered after seeing his expression.
Good decision.
Because nothing short of physical restraint would have worked.
Mason looked pale now.
Far too pale.
His eyes struggled to remain open.
The sight filled Eli with panic.
Not the loud kind.
The quiet kind.
The kind that settled deep inside your chest and refused to leave.
The ambulance doors opened.
Medical equipment waited inside.
Bright lights illuminated the interior.
Everything suddenly felt too real.
Far too real.
As paramedics prepared to lift Mason inside, the older man's gaze found him one final time.
For a moment neither spoke.
Neither needed to.
Because everything important already existed in that look.
Love.
Fear.
Regret.
Hope.
All of it.
Eli stepped closer.
Ignoring everyone else.
Ignoring everything.
Then reached for Mason's hand.
The older man's fingers closed weakly around his.
Still warm.
Still alive.
Tears blurred Eli's vision.
He didn't care.
"Stay with me."
The words emerged as a whisper.
A plea.
A prayer.
"Please."
For one terrifying second, Mason said nothing.
Then his grip tightened slightly.
Just enough.
The smallest response.
Yet it felt like everything.
The ambulance doors closed.
Sirens activated moments later.
And as the vehicle pulled away from Blackthorn Brickworks, carrying the man he loved toward the hospital, Eli stood frozen beneath a sky darkened by smoke.
Watching.
Praying.
Terrified that he might have already lost the most important person in his life.
And for the first time since arriving in Blackthorn, Eli Bennett felt truly helpless.
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