The Evolution Trigger (Evolution Trigger Trilogy Book 1)

by C. S. Won

  I failed in my duty as a firefighter, and now Adam is paying the price because of it. Is Adam going to live? I . . .

  The words danced on the tip of Jae’s tongue, ready to jump and unfurl in Gabe’s ear. But just as he couldn’t tell Gabe to stop stomping around, he also couldn’t say what he thought Adam’s chances of survival were. Behind that mask of optimism hid a palpable layer of fear, ready to break through at a moment’s notice. Jae didn’t want to be the one who took a hammer to it all. So he told him: “I don’t know.”

  Gabe scowled, perhaps expecting a more assured, confident response. “The bastard will make it; I know he will.” He resumed his march, looking pleased with his assessment of the situation. The soles of his shoes squawked against the floor once more.

  Several more hours passed with nary any news concerning Adam. Day had shifted into night, clear blue skies dissolving into a half-moon, star dust canvas. The TV was now broadcasting some procedural cop show featuring an attractive woman with long legs and a handsome man with a chiseled jaw grimacing over a bloody crime scene. A scattered few of the company had already left to go home or visit the hospital cafeteria, but many of the crew still remained. Stephanie sat with a colleague, deep in conversation. Her legs were bunched up against her chest, hands moving around like she was swatting at flies. Gabe, Tommy, and a few others sat in a pack of closely huddled chairs, talking over one another. Chief McAdams had two of the rookies alone underneath the TV, regaling them with stories from the past, telling them the history of their station and the many great deeds accomplished by those that came before them. While the mood was still decidedly sullen, it appeared the long hours had loosened things up a bit.

  “Station 4?”

  A thin older man cloaked in a white coat stood near the opening to the ICU, a clipboard hanging limp in his hand. Blotches of dried blood marked his scrubs in uneven arrangements, blooming like spring flowers. A surgical mask was looped around his neck like an ill-fitted bowtie. Heavy bags sagged beneath his eyes, and his shock of grey hair looked like a desert tumbleweed, stringy and messy. Everyone dropped what they were doing and looked up, holding in their breath.

  “Yes, we’re Station 4,” Chief McAdams said, walking up to the doctor. Jae stood up and went with him, as did Gabe. “How is he, doctor?”

  The doctor hooked on his glasses, raised his clipboard, cleared his throat, and flipped through the attached papers. He gazed up at the three faces looking at him, frowned, and then quickly looked back at his clipboard, clearing his throat again. “Eighty-one percent of his body is covered in second and third degree burns.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Gabe said, his face going white.

  The doctor continued, undaunted. “Furthermore, he has multiple traumatic fractures in his legs, arm, sternum, and vertebrae, specifically his L4 and L5. He—”

  “Will he be able to walk?” The chief asked.

  The doctor wiped his brow. “He’ll need multiple surgeries. The healing process will take months, and he’ll have to endure numerous sessions of therapy after that. If everything goes well, then yes, I’m optimistic he’ll regain some semblance of mobility, but he won’t be the same. Pain will be a constant for him for the rest of his life.”

  “I see . . .”

  “We’ve stabilized his circulatory state and dressed his burn wounds, but he'll need to go through a number of skin graft operations. And due to the continuous threat of infection, coupled with the high levels of trauma he endured . . .” The doctor paused, clearing his throat again. “Amputation is a possibility. It's a scenario we'll do our best to avoid, but I can't make any promises.” The doctor lowered the clipboard and paused, looking at them. He opened his mouth to speak again but stopped, appearing as though he was struggling to find the right words. “Gentlemen, I hate to be frank, but . . .”

  “Is he going to make it? That’s all we want to know,” Jae asked.

  The doctor nodded and cleared his throat once more. It seemed like a habit of his. “The outlook is not good. I don’t want to frighten you, but you must prepare for the worst.”

  “What are his odds?” The chief asked.

  “If he wants it enough then he may pull through, but the stress he suffered may prove too much for his body to handle. It’s a war he’ll have to fight and win, and the fight will be a long and difficult one.”

  “But . . . but the fact that he even survived is good news, right?” Gabe asked. “By all accounts it sounds like he should already be dead.”

  “It is true that he survived the worst. The first few hours are the most critical, and the fact that he survived can be categorized as a miracle of sorts. But in a situation like this, complications can and will arise, which could set him back tremendously. Anything is possible at this point. We’ll just have to be diligent.”

  “Is there anything we can do?” The chief asked.

  “Pray.”

  “Can we see him?” Jae asked.

  “No, not yet. He can’t be disturbed. But if all goes well, then you may be able to see him by next week or so. I’ll let you know when you can. Does he have any next of kin that you can contact?”

  “He has a sister down in Florida, I believe. I’ll give her a call and let her know what’s happened,” the chief said.

  “Good.” The doctor tucked the clipboard underneath his arm. “We’ll do everything we can to make sure he gets through this.”

  “Thank you, doctor,” the chief said.

  The doctor nodded, solemn and respectful. He exchanged handshakes with the three, and then walked off, leaving them to their thoughts. Gabe looked like he had been slapped hard across the face. The chief draped an arm around him and guided him back to his seat. The others converged around Gabe like ants at a picnic. Jae turned and stared up at the ceiling.

  “Jae.” The chief placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it tight. “Take a few days. The whole week. Two, actually.”

  “I’m okay, chief.”

  “I wasn’t asking you, Jae. I’m ordering you. Take a load off. Recharge. Spend time with your woman.”

  “Sir, I don’t—”

  “You’ve endured a lot today, more than any of us. You’ve earned the rest.”

  “Then I’m staying here.”

  “You know the hospital won’t allow that. Just go home, son. I’ll let you know when they update us on his condition. You’ll be the first person I call.”

  “Then I’m coming to visit every day.”

  “Why? They won’t let you see him, not until he’s ready. I told you, just go home. I’ll call you when they provide an update.”

  Jae turned around, facing the chief. “I fucked up. I’m responsible for this. All of it. Adam is dying in there because I was too slow and too weak. My failure cost him. He’ll never be the same, and that’s assuming he even lives.” He shook his head. “No . . . no, if I say I’m going to visit every day, then I’m going to visit every day. I created this mess. My incompetence put him in that hospital bed. The least I can do is show up and give him my support, as hollow at that may be.”

  “Son, none of this is your fault. You did everything you could. You dug him out and carried him from that burning apartment. Lesser men would not have been able to do that. Not even Superman himself could have done more.” The chief patted him on the shoulder. “I understand how you feel—I really do—but you can’t pin this on yourself. If anything, your actions saved him.”

  “How can you say I saved him when he’s hanging by a thread and I’m here with hardly a scratch?”

  “Your hands—”

  “Don’t even hurt, and it’s nothing compared to what he’s going through.”

  “Are you saying that you wish you were the one in that hospital bed, and not him?”

  Jae opened his mouth to speak, but the words stuck in his throat.

  “That’s misplaced guilt speaking. You’re blameless in this situation.” The chief let out a rumbling sigh. “And Gabe told me what happened, how Adam barge
d in and started an argument with you right in the middle of that hellfire. The whole thing sounded like a mess.”

  “Don’t blame Adam for this, chief.”

  “I’m saying the situation is to blame, not Adam. It shouldn’t have happened, but it happened. All we can do now is put our heads down and move on.”

  Jae turned from the chief and took a few paces. “I’m going to visit every day. I owe him that much.”

  “Fine. I can’t stop you from doing so, but I don’t want to keep hearing this nonsense about how you think you’re to blame. None of this is your fault, okay?” The chief turned and made his way back to talk to Gabe and the others, but stopped for a moment, looking at Jae over his shoulder. “If you happen to hear anything before any of us, let us know, will ya?”

  Jae nodded. The chief joined with the rest of the crew. A melody sang in Jae’s pocket. He stuck his hand inside and pulled out his phone, silencing the ring with a push of a button. Madeline. He accepted the call. “Hello?”

  “Honey? I heard what happened. Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Madeline asked.

  “I’m alright, for the most part. My hands got touched up a bit, but it’s nothing bad. It won’t leave any major scars behind. Maybe some minor ones; that’s all.”

  “That’s good to hear.” A pause. “I heard what happened to Adam. I’m so sorry. How is he doing?”

  “He is . . .” Jae heard Adam’s mocking words echoing in his head, as clear and as loud as the moment he heard them. I fucked her. I fucked her raw and I fucked her good. He cinched his phone, mouth pressed into a hard line. Your lovely fiancé-to-be is an illusion. Through gritted teeth, he muttered, “fine. He’s doing just fine.”

  “What did the doctors say? Will he pull through?”

  I fucked her raw, and I fucked her good. Anger warmed his face. His jaw tightened. His fingers curled into a fist. I fucked her raw, and I fucked her good. He saw a faint reflection of himself in the window. His body was shaking, his eyebrows pushed down into a menacing glare, and his teeth were bared in a fierce snarl.

  “Jae? Honey, are you there?”

  He closed his eyes. It wasn’t true. He only said it to rile me up, to bait me. It was only a lie. Nothing more. He breathed in and out, slow and quiet, to calm his nerves and sooth his fury. Don’t be angry. Adam is dying; he needs your support now. Don’t let it bother you.

  “Hello?”

  Jae opened his eyes. His reflection stared back from the other side of the window, floating in the darkness. It looked relaxed, calm, and in control. The anger was gone from his face, replaced with a softer, neutral expression. His fingers were relaxed, no longer clenched tight into a fist. His body stood still and firm—no longer riddled with the shakes. “I’m here,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “Sorry, just got a little sidetracked . . . yeah, the doctors are preaching caution. He’s not out of it yet, not by a long shot, but with time and care his outlook improves bit by bit. We’ll just have to wait and be patient.”

  “I’m just about finished with my shift. Do you want me to drop by? I’d like to be there for moral support.”

  “No, it’s fine. The company is here right now, so he’s got plenty of support coming his way.”

  “Alright. I should be home in an hour or so. When will you be coming home?”

  “I’ll be sticking around for at least a couple more hours. If I’m too late, don’t stay up for me.”

  “Okay, I’ll leave some steaks behind, just in case.”

  “Sounds good. Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  Jae tossed the phone back in his pocket. He chuckled at the absurdity of it all. Madeline sleeping with Adam? A finger prod meant to enrage him, and it had worked too, much to Adam’s credit. He did have a knack for pushing the right buttons. Shuffling across the floor, Jae took a seat and craned his neck back into the chair, staring up at the ceiling. Only a joke, he reminded himself.

  Then why did it still bother him?

  Chapter 8

  “Jae?”

  A warm hand gripped him by the shoulder and shook gently, pulling him away from his dreams—of Han, who was leaving home, promising to make the world a better place; of Madeline, red hair streaking down her body, smiling against a breeze; of Adam and his burnt face, flesh peeling away to reveal a blackened, charred skull underneath, curses spewing from his lips.

  Jae opened his eyes, head swimming in a cloud, limbs heavy and numbed by slumber. The world filtered through a haze—objects imprecise and out of focus, lights flared and hot, colors blanched and smeared, motes of stars bursting in his sight. A low growl simmered from his throat. He rubbed his eyelids, fingers digging in deep.

  “How long have you been here?”

  He looked up, still rubbing his eyes, trying to place a face to the voice that had woken him. Tommy? Gabe? Chief? But knowing who woke him would have to come later, as stiffness took hold of him in an unflinching grip, sinking its fangs into the scruff of his neck, seizing his muscles and turning them into stone. It was painful enough to induce tears behind his eyes. It felt as though someone had looped a concrete weight around his neck, dragging his whole body down. Jae groaned, sucking in air through gritted teeth. He arched his back as he worked his hands around his neck. I must have been sleeping with my head in my chest.

  “You look like shit. Here, I got you some food. Eat up.”

  Blinking through welling tears, Jae saw Gabe standing over him, free of any soot or blood, face lively and freshly cleaned. It was a whole new Gabe. A bag of food dangled from his fingertips, wobbling back and forth. Jae grabbed the food with one hand, still rubbing the back of his neck with the other. He set the bag on his lap, yawning. “How long was I out?”

  “No idea. If today is anything like the past two weeks, then I’m guessing hours.” Gabe took the seat next to Jae. “Man, you look homeless. Do they actually let you sleep here?”

  “No.” Jae sighed. “But they know I’m here for Adam, so they probably feel sorry enough to leave me alone when I take a nap.”

  “Being a friend of the victim does have its perks.”

  “If you can call it that.”

  “So then, what do you do all day when you’re here? I can’t imagine there’s much to do.”

  Jae shrugged. “Nothing really, as you might imagine. Lots of sitting, lots of waiting. Sometimes I’ll watch the TV or I’ll bring a book or I’ll just strike up a conversation with whoever is sitting next to me.”

  “That’s it?” Gabe looked around. “At least some of the nurses here are cute, so you’ve got some nice eye candy to liven things up a bit.”

  “You don’t say.”

  “Did I tell you about the nurse I was exchanging glances with at the cafeteria the other day?”

  “I don’t recall.”

  “She was so fine. Had an ass that wouldn’t quit.” Gabe drew a silhouette of the woman’s curves with his hands. “It was like we were playing this game to see how long we could look at each other before we broke away. It was pretty intense. Sometimes I’d break first; other times, she’d glance away with this shy look on her face. Sometimes I would throw in a smile, and she’d throw one in too.” Gabe snapped his fingers. “Damn it all, I should have approached her. Why the hell didn’t I? What was I thinking? I should really find her before I leave. If only I knew her name.”

  Jae grunted his acknowledgement and dug inside the bag. Rummaging through the contents, he found a sub sandwich, a small potato salad, and a dill pickle. His stomach gurgled, eager to get its fill. He took the sandwich out and unraveled the paper around it, unveiling roast beef shoveled nice and tight inside a loaf of wheat bread, stacked with layers of red and green vegetables. Stomach gurgling even louder, Jae picked up one half of the sandwich, and raised it to his mouth. Oil and vinegar dripped from the sub, tantalizingly close. But just as soon as he was about to take a bite, he stopped, realizing something.

  “Crap,” Jae said.

  “What’s the matter?”

>   Jae returned the sandwich to its paper, rolled it back up, and placed it inside the bag. “I’m not allowed to eat inside the waiting room.”

  “Really?”

  “Law of the land. Don’t want to break it and lose my privileges. I’ll just eat it later.” Jae looked at the sandwich with sadness in his eyes.

  “But you’re already breaking rules. You sleep here.”

  “Napping, not sleeping, and I don’t stay here overnight.”

  Gabe clicked his tongue. “You and your misguided respect for rules. One of these days you’ll realize it’s more fun breaking them than obeying them.”

  “Not today, friend. Not today.” Jae placed the food on the chair next to him. His stomach groaned in protest.

  “Have you heard anything about Adam?” Gabe asked.

  “No, not yet.” Jae stared at the ground. “But I consider that a good thing. No news is good news.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  Jae raised an eyebrow and then chuckled. “You hope I’m right? What happened to that unflinching optimism you displayed a couple weeks ago? You were so confident he was going to make it.”

  Gabe smirked. “Was I really? I don’t remember. I don’t even know what I was doing. I was in complete shock that day. That whole day is a blur.”

  “We were all in shock that day. It was a tough thing to see.”

  Gabe looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t like the guy. In fact, I think I hate him. I’ll be the first to admit that I think he’s the worst of the worst, but I don’t hate him enough to think he deserved to be burned alive. No one deserves that.” A sigh drifted from his lips. “Stephanie is having a rough time of it, the worst out of all of us, in fact . . . well, maybe not more than you, but she’s having difficulty coping. She feels really shitty, especially after what she said to him in the truck. Started going to counseling almost immediately.”

  “We all said or did things we regret.” Jae slipped his left hand over his right, massaging the knuckles. He could still feel the pain seething in his hand, a numbing reminder of his stupidity. I should have never hit him. “First thing I’ll do if he wakes is apologize.”