HERO (The Complete Series)
Page 3
“Yes, Doctor.” I had to admit I was somewhat concerned by the laundry list he rattled off.
“Someone will be right along with the wheelchair. Once the release papers are complete in a few minutes, they’ll wheel you out to the entrance. Your friends are waiting outside so they’re ready to take you home as well.”
“Thanks.”
“Oh, there’s also this envelope. Someone left it for you at the nurse’s reception desk.” He held out an off-white envelope I’ve got to go and check on some other patients, so take care of yourself, and great work today. What you did was something that most people would be too afraid to do. You saved that boy’s life. He suffered from second- and third-degree burns, but he’s alive and he’ll be fine in time. I wanted to let you know that.”
I nodded, because I didn’t know what to say. After he and the nurse left, I looked down at the envelope with just my last name written on it. Inside it was a folded Post-it note. It read,
Ms. Samuel,
Please contact FDNY 10 station at your earliest convenience.
Lieut. Matt Lewis
212 – 718 – 9999
That was really weird, for him to leave a note like that for me. He had just taken my information, and already said that the Fire Chief would contact me. I couldn’t figure it out, but also didn’t have the intellectual adeptness to question it any further at that point. I decided I’d give them a call the next day.
George and Richard chatted like giddy schoolgirls the entire way home. Why? I’m not sure. I think they were always that way together. It probably didn’t help that they had met the Lieutenant either. I wasn’t able to focus much on what they said, and it was easy to tune them out for some reason. I think I just needed some rest. I had no clothes to change into when we got to their place, so George gave me a pair of his sweatpants and a T-shirt. I was so beat; I fell asleep in their guest room on the main floor right away.
Chapter 4
I slowly woke up in the sun-filled, warmly decorated room. It took a while to get up, but once I sat up I noticed a handwritten note on the dresser. It was from George, telling me that he had gone off to work and I could have the day off today so that I could rest. I looked over at the clock on the wall and saw that it was already after 1:00 P.M. I went out to the living room and plugged my iPhone into Richard’s charger. Up until then I had still not turned on the television, listened to the radio, seen a newspaper, or logged onto any of the social media accounts on my phone.
As I’d been over to their place frequently, I was pretty comfortable with the layout and I knew where things were in the kitchen. I decided to make myself a coffee and try to chase away some of the fogginess. I hadn’t eaten since the day before, so I was ravenous. I checked the fridge for some fruit or anything I could find, and turned on their kitchen TV.
I almost dropped the bowl of fruit yogurt I had found when the reporter’s coverage finally registered.
A local DJ is being hailed a hero today, after saving the life of a 9 year old boy. Twenty-two year old Kate Samuel sprang into action last night when a large fire broke out at a row of lower east side Manhattan townhouses. The young woman risked her life by climbing up a residential ladder to the boy’s window, and even jumped in through the window when the scared child wouldn’t come out to her.
Amateur video captured by witnesses shows the woman climbing down the ladder with the boy in a fireman’s carry over her shoulder.
The boy suffered serious second- and third-degree burns to 20 percent of his body, but thanks to this quick-thinking young lady, doctors say he will have a full recovery. Miss Samuel suffered only minor injuries and was released from hospital last night. We have not been able to reach her for comment, quite understandable, given that Miss Samuel lived at one of the burned down townhomes.
Sadly, there appears to be two fatalities from the blaze; however Police and Fire officials have not released the names of the victims, whose bodies were seen being removed from Unit 16 this morning, after the fire was under control.
(Unit 16?)
FDNY 10 Station Fire Chief Bill Jameson released a statement today, thanking the woman for her bravery, calling it a “bold, courageous citizen’s action”, and will be recommending her for a Meritorious Service Award. The fire began in the middle of the row of homes, and the cause is still under investigation.
And the bad news does not seem to end there. Over 48 people in 18 families have been left homeless, as the fire is said to have caused extensive damage and will require the building to be demolished. Of the 18 families, seven reportedly did not have insurance. Incidentally, this street was also hit hard by Hurricane Irene back in late 2011, so we know it’s a tough time for these families. City officials are working to find supports and locate temporary lodgings for these seven families.
In international news…
Temporary.
It was hard to believe what I was hearing. It was too much to sink in. My knees weakened on learning there were fatalities. I took the coffee to try and perk up, and went over to the living room sofa to sit. Disbelief. I barely remember doing all of that, and to hear her calling me a hero was an even bigger surprise. I did what anyone else probably would have done. I mean, was I supposed to leave the little boy there? I just did what had to be done. And people were dead? I wracked my brain trying to think of who was missing last night. Who lived at Unit 16? I knew most of the neighbors, maybe not by name, but I’d seen their faces and greeted them whenever we saw each other as we went about our routines. I couldn’t think straight.
I got up and walked over to turn on my phone, which was on Richard’s charger. That was the moment when I think it started to sink in. There was a constant, almost never-ending sequence of buzzing, beeping, and pinging as the text messages, voicemail, and Facebook alerts loaded onto the phone. I didn’t know what to check first, so I looked at my text messages. There were over 60 from a variety of phone numbers, and the majority of them were from TV and news stations asking me to contact them for an interview.
Text messages just kept loading and loading, row after row of messages appearing. After the tenth message, I pressed the home button. I logged on to Facebook and it was like my news feed and alerts just blew up. Congratulatory messages in my inbox from friends and people I didn’t know, comments in the news feed, and I was tagged in hundreds of the same pictures of me, descending the ladder. Images of me on the ladder, images of me carrying the boy on my shoulder, even one of me in the stretcher, with the lieutenant and paramedic standing over me. I couldn’t look at it all. I couldn’t digest it all in one bite. I decided not to check my voice messages, and as soon as I put the phone down, it rang. I recognized the number was George’s at the station, so I answered.
“Hello?”
“Are you getting it now Kate?’ he asked, with such excitement in his voice. “You’re a celebrity!”
“My phone is full of messages from people I don’t know, George. And journalists. And I just turned on the news. Uh, I just… it just doesn’t feel real,” I tried to change the subject. “How is everything where you are? Did you get someone to fill my timeslot?”
“Yes, never mind about that,” he answered. “We’ve got it all under control. If you’re up for it, you can come in tomorrow. Just a little word of warning you’re going to be a bit surprised when you get here.”
“Why?” I didn’t like the sound of that.
“You’ll see,” George said, with a hint of glee in his voice. “Did you call back the FDNY guy?”
“No, I’m just waking up. I’ll give them a call as soon as I can clear my head.”
“They phoned a couple times. I gave them your cell number, and our address too. Don’t be surprised if Lieutenant Lewis pays a visit.”
“What? What do they want?”
“I really don’t know. Probably all that talk about giving you a commendation. Okay, well get some rest, and I’ll see you in a few hours. Dean has got the evening shift tonight. ”
“Not to worry, Kate. It’s no problem at all. Look I’ve got to take care of something, but I will see you later. Take care okay? Bye.”
I turned the phone off as I hung up as I couldn’t handle the buzzing of new messages, and didn’t want to take any more calls. I needed time to take it all in. However, it didn’t seem like time was a commodity I had anymore, because right there and then, there was a knock at the door.
I looked through the peephole, and it was Lieutenant Lewis. What was he doing here? I kept the security chain on the door and just open it a crack, just enough to make eye contact.
“Hello? What can I do for you Lieutenant?”
“Hello ma’am. I’m here on behalf of Fire Chief Bill Jameson FDNY 10 station. We tried to contact you a few times, so the chief asked me to come down here to inform you that he’s put your name in for a citizen’s commendation. Congratulations ma’am.”
“You can call me Kate,” I answered. “And this is how it normally happens? I thought that these kinds of things would happen in a letter or something more formal.”
“Well, no. Ma’am, uh, Kate. Normally it would be more formal. However, the award service is in two days, and the mayor insisted that we add you to this upcoming ceremony. So with that decision, there wouldn’t be enough time to get an announcement and invitation to you by mail. I have the letter and invitation here though.”
“Oh, I see,” I replied. “Um, hold on, let me open the door.” He was in a plain white shirt and black dress pants this time, as though he had just come out of a business meeting. His muscled shoulders and chest pressed through his crisp shirt, and broad toned legs strained the seams of his tailored pants. He was breathtakingly handsome. A part of me was completely overtaken by his dominant presence. He looked so strong, so sexy.
Hero.
It was not the time or place, but I had to resist imagining him running his hand through my hair, ripping my clothes off, and us having an uncontrollable moment of passion together. Sure, it was not the time or place, but I was already wet for him. I put every effort into getting all of it out of my mind as he walked in through the door.
“This is the invitation Kate,” he said, not moving any further than a couple steps away from the door. As I reached my hand out for it, our fingers brushed together and our eyes locked. Electricity charged through my fingers, feeling like there was some invisible chemistry emanating from him to me. Like a primal, prehistoric force. I turned my head slightly and gulped a little too loudly. There was sadness in his eyes.
“Thank you Lieutenant Lewis. It’s still a big blur for me right now. Once everything calms down I’ll definitely make every attempt to come.”
“Not to worry, the media hype will pass soon enough,” he said, then re-focused on the invite. “The invitation allows for two guests, which can be your parents or anyone else that you’d like to have with you.”
“Oh,” I said in hesitation. I didn’t want to have to get into explaining why my parents would not be there. “My parents live out of town. It’s probably not enough notice. Can I bring George and Richard?”
“Definitely,” he answered. “Anyone you want.”
“Great. Well, would you like tea or something to drink?”
Hero defenses dropping.
“No ma’am,” he replied quickly. “Well, yes I would, but I’m actually late for a meeting. Another time, maybe?”
“S-Sure,” I stuttered, partly relieved, but also a little disappointed. “Definitely. No problem at all. Thank you for coming by.”
“No, problem ma’am,” he said. “Looking forward to seeing you at the ceremony. Actually can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“I saw the replays of your rescue and the way you held the boy was remarkable.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“Have you had firefighter training? You used the fireman’s hold.”
“No, I just grew up on a cattle farm. That’s how I learned to carry the smaller calves we had. It was nothing, really.”
“Really?” he answered. “Where?”
“Just outside Phoenix,” I replied.
“Nice,” he said. He seemed to want to talk more, but stopped himself.
“Well, enjoy the rest of your afternoon, Kate.”
As he left, I felt torn. I could have turned on my flirtatious side and may have turned that into a date if I wanted. I was just not myself, and really didn’t have the inclination to be ‘the vixen’. In the end, I was always the one to get hurt. Especially with these hero-types. I pushed the door closed and locked it.
Chapter 5
No sooner after sitting back down in the living room, the doorbell rang again. Thinking it was the Lieutenant, I just unlocked the door and opened it without checking through the peephole. Big mistake. I was met with over ten news reporters, cameras, voice recorders, microphones and blinding camera lights. They talked over each other, asking undiscernible questions that all merged into one loud and hounding sound. One female reporter waved her hand at the others, and they quieted down so that I could hear her question.
“Miss Samuel, how are you feeling now that you’re being hailed as a heroine?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “Better now.”
“What were you thinking when you took the ladder and climbed up to save the boy?”
“I just did what anyone else would do,” I said, trying to be calm.
“Did you know him?”
“Did I know who?” I asked.
“The child you saved.”
“Well,” I began. “I’ve seen him and his family playing in the park form time to time, but no.”
“What do you feel about your other displaced neighbors who are…,”
I suddenly caught myself and started to take control of the situation, before things got too intense.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” I started, “as you can tell, I’m standing in the doorway with just my robe on. I am still recovering from my injuries. I am very saddened by the tragedy of last night’s fire. I feel I did what I needed to do to help. I lost my home too. I’d be happy to give a more detailed statement or interview once I’ve recovered from my injuries. Thank you all for your support. Sorry, I have no further comment at this time.”
I turned away from all of the microphones, overwhelmed, and quickly stepped inside and locked the door. I could still hear them, shouting questions through the door, and reporting back to their respective station listeners from right outside.
How did they know I was here?
I walked over to the kitchen and it seemed to quiet down after about five minutes. But then the door knocked again. Why would they harass me at a time like this? I began to understand what celebrities felt on a day-to-day basis. This time, I opened the door again, impatient and ready to give them a piece of my mind.
“What the hell do you people want from m-?” I asked before fully opening the door, then realizing that it was the Lieutenant again. “Oh, Lieutenant, I’m sorry. There was just a bunch in media reporters and cameras at my door, and I don’t know how they had this address.”
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I answered.
“I think they may have followed me here,” he said, a little embarrassed. “When I got back to the car two blocks away, I noticed them all entering your building. I’m late for a meeting, but I thought you could probably use a little help. Glad you were able to send them packing.”
“Oh, so I have you to thank for this, Lieutenant?” I joked, smiling.
“I am really sorry,” he added. “I should’ve known they’d be tailing me because a few of them were down at the station, grilling everyone to find out more about you. And by the way, call me Matt.”
“It’s all right,” I tried to reassure him. “I know my way around the PR block. So you came back just to help me?”
“I just thought that in your state, you might need a little help,” he admitted.
“Well, that was really kind of you,” I said. “I appreciate that. Here, let me get you some tea. It’s cold out, and you’re late anyway, so it’s the least I can do to make up for it.” I started walking towards the kitchen, figuring this time he’d say yes.
“Okay,” he conceded. “Sure, thanks Kate.”
As I turned to grab the teapot at the kitchen island counter, the room started spinning, and my vision blurred. I had to hold on to stop myself from falling. He must have noticed I was on weak footing, because the next thing I knew, I felt his arms around my waist, holding me up against his solid, muscular chest, to keep me from falling. My body was weak, and he instinctively stretched out one arm behind my knees, picked me up with ease, and began to carry me over to the living room sofa. His body was so warm and solid. I leaned into his strong arms and rested my head against his neck. The smell of his cologne was irresistible and therapeutic.
Hero.
He lowered me gently on the sofa and reached for the blanket draped over George’s favorite lazy boy chair.
“Sorry,” I said slowly. “I must still be a little dizzy. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“No,” he answered with a commanding, protective tone. “Don’t move. I’ll get you some tea.”
“He walked over to the kitchen and put the kettle on. He comfortably maneuvered his way around, searching the cupboards to find the teabags and a teacup for me. As the kettle was heating up, he reached for his cell phone in his pocket and sent a text message.
“I just sent a message ahead that I’ll have to miss this meeting that I’m late for,” he said. “Not to worry. My vice president James will help, and I’ll get up to speed later.”
“Vice president?” I asked. “That’s an unusual title for the fire service.”