Scott...The letter she had received in the mail from his attorney had seemed to be the end of the world, and had caused so much stress. If only she had known that it wasn’t even close to the nightmare she was in now, she wouldn’t have batted an eye.
Taking yet another deep breath, she released it slowly before sliding the door open. Closing it behind her, she couldn’t help the feeling of helplessness.
“The news just said they have an update from the deputies who were on scene,” Leah said, motioning for Rachel to come sit down next to her. “The deputies said that there were three firefighters taken to St. Mary’s in Rockford.”
Rachel’s thoughts swarmed with the realization that Adam could be among those taken in for treatment. She knew the hospital wouldn’t tell her over the phone, so she needed to go there. Where ever Adam may be, she needed to find him and let him know that she was there.
Leah insisted that Liam drive her. They had both insisted she was in no condition to drive herself. Leah also insisted that she would stay at the house with the kids, and to let her know as soon as Rachel found out.
Rachel kissed Ava’s forehead, tucking the blankets under her for extra security through the night and when she made her way to the living room again, she whispered into Tyler’s ear that she was going to find his father, and that everything was going to be all right. Choking back the emotion for the thousandth time that night, Rachel hugged Leah and followed Liam out to his truck, which was parked less than twenty steps from the front porch.
He opened the door and assisted her in stepping inside before closing the door once she was seated. Rachel watched him walk around the front of the truck, wave to Leah who was standing in the doorway, and climb into the cab.
The truck grumbled to life with a turn of the key and for the majority of the ride to the hospital, the rev of the engine was the only sound she heard.
21
The beeping of the machines echoed noisily by his head. The hum of the blood pressure cuff on his arm and the squeak of the IV pump was irritating. He wanted nothing more than to get out of here.
The nurse had insisted he stay, allowing them to monitor him over night. He must have been knocked out by the pain meds they shot through him, because he hadn’t remembered any more conversation about it.
He had thought he was mistaken, or possibly dreaming, when Rachel pushed back the curtain to his room and walked in. He definitely could have been mistaken with all of the meds flowing through his bloodstream.
She raised a hand to cover her face, but he could still see the tremble of her lips and the tears as they fell, shadowing her cheeks on their way down.
He tried to raise his hand to motion her to come over to him, but his hands felt like they were tied to a ton of bricks. Another side effect of the meds, he imagined.
Liam came into the room once Rachel took another step forward. Adam couldn’t see too well in the darkened room, but he knew it was Liam by his stance and the buzzed haircut—an incident unspoken of that had to do with Leah and her first attempt at cutting his hair with trimming shears. All Adam knew was that it had ended with a visit to the local barber, who had to fix it.
Adam tried to talk, but the dry, scratchy feeling in his throat, like he had been sitting around a campfire inhaling all the smoke, was overwhelming.
Pain etched across Rachel’s face as she neared the bed, reaching for him through the rails along the side. Tears flooded her eyes, causing her makeup to stain her cheeks. She still looked beautiful.
He tried once again to tell her he was okay, but was stopped short by the same feeling he had a minute ago. He knew where he was, and he knew where he had been prior to being here, but he couldn’t remember what had happened between then and now.
“I’m sorry,” Rachel choked on the words as she turned away. There was another failed attempt on his part to reach out for her with arms that felt like bricks.
A nurse was heard entering the room, and in that exact minute, he heard the words explosion and smoke inhalation. The injuries hadn’t taken his life, that was obvious... The explosion had caused some major injuries that would heal with time. What injuries the nurse was talking about he wasn’t sure of, because no matter how hard he tried to sit up in order to get a good look, he couldn’t. He was stuck in this supine position and his only view was of the ceiling and the monitors in his peripheral.
“The injuries you see will heal with time,” the nurse said, her voice low and calm. “But the internal injuries, both physical and possibly psychological, may take some extra time to overcome.”
“What kind of internal injuries are there?” Rachel asked, her voice full of concern.
He so badly wanted to tell her that he was okay. That everything was going to be okay. He was going to be released soon and everything would be back to normal.
“Aside from his broken arm and bruised ribs, which we assume he got from being tossed in the explosion,” the nurse said, speaking low enough for Adam to not hear, but he heard every word. “He experienced smoke inhalation and a minor concussion.”
There was a long pause before the nurse said, “We expect him to be released within the next few days, as long as his oxygen stats stay above ninety-five and his pain level is managed well with the medicines.”
He could hear Rachel’s sigh from across the room. “Can we talk to him?”
The pain in Rachel’s voice was evident. The way she sounded was the way he felt. Consumed by the ugly reality of what really happened, he wondered if she’d ever let him go back to fighting fires. If he had to guess, the answer would be no. Point blank. He couldn’t, nor would he, blame her.
Then it hit him, the thought of those who were around him on scene. Were they all right? How would he find out?
The explosion must have happened when he had least expected it. The only memory he had was radioing dispatch to request more trucks. They were being overpowered by the flames and the possibility had reached its high for not being able to keep the flames back much longer than they had.
It was Megan’s first fire. He had promised Wes and Rosie, and Megan... hell, his whole crew, that he would keep them from danger. He had called the shots and now there was a possibility that they were injured…or worse.
His last thought had been cursing the farmer for not thinking things through, before consciousness eluded him once again.
* * *
Word had traveled quickly about the hospitalization of Adam and a few of his crew members, including Megan, whose only injury was a stitch-able fix. She had been hit with flying debris while being thrown by the blast. The nurses and doctors had told the family and friends who were crowded into the small, musty smelling waiting area that their prognosis looked good. None of them had experienced severe life threatening injuries, aside from Adam’s smoke inhalation, which had threatened to inflame his airway, but someone had rushed to his side and intubated him within minutes after the explosion.
No one had any idea who it was that saved Adam, and they probably never would. As it was explained by another fireman, when a scene becomes that hectic, it’s enough just to know that someone is being taken care of—no one is worried about who is taking care of whom, unless it’s you being taken care of and vice versa.
His words had been blunt, but they were the reality of the whole situation. The flames had raged out of control and everything else had escalated quickly. No one knows what exactly happened in the minutes of chaos. All they knew was there was an explosion and they were lucky there were no fatalities.
That’s all that mattered to all of them. Everyone made it out alive.
* * *
It took days for Adam’s release from the hospital, but once he was cleared, he was more than ready to get home. Rachel had driven back and forth from the hospital numerous times, leaving the kids with Leah as needed, but on the last day, they had decided it was more than okay for the kids to come with her.
Tyler’s arms were wrapped tightly around Adam’s ne
ck as soon as they entered the room. He couldn’t do much with a broken arm, as far as hugging went, but he had his voice back. “Hi, bud,” he said, his words pressed against the side of his son’s cheek. Tyler’s body shook as emotion escaped, causing them both to shake. He could only comfort his son the best way he knew how. “Hey, don’t cry, I’m okay. I’m here, bud. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Ava clung to Rachel, giving him an unsure look. It reminded him of her first time with Santa at the fire department. She had been scared to death of that guy, and hadn’t wanted anything to do with him. She had the same look now, as though she was debating on running away or hiding, but at the same time, he could tell she was trying to figure it all out.
“Ava,” he said, speaking soft in an attempt to let her know it was okay, it was still him she was looking at. It was the bulky casts on his arms that had her so confused. He didn’t blame her. “Hey, hon, it’s me.”
Her face wrinkled with confusion. Her nose crinkled and with squinted eyes, she said, “Dadda?”
“Yes, honey, it’s me,” he said, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. No one wanted to see a grown man cry. And he certainly didn’t want to, not when he couldn’t wipe his own face.
Rachel put Ava down and no sooner had her feet hit the floor, than she was running in his direction with her arms spread wide and a pouty face only a father could love.
She climbed onto his lap with the assistance of her mother, pushing aside Tyler as she nestled close to his chest. Tyler shifted in his lap, making room for Ava.
Rachel sat next to him, placing a hand on his arm, she said, “I’m so glad you’re okay. I wouldn’t have known what to do otherwise.”
Her words hit him hard. There was no guarantee that there would be a next time, but he did know that he didn’t want to put her through what she had just gone through in the last seventy-two hours. It pained him to know she had just gone through what he had gone through with the death of Tyler’s mother.
22
The weekend plans had been postponed to a later date. There was no baby shower and there certainly was not a bake off event in the nearby town park.
Leah had insisted that the baby shower be put off for a couple of weeks, allowing the time it would take to get things back to as normal as humanly possible.
The cupcakes for both events were stacked neatly in the café’s freezer, waiting to be thawed out when the time was right. Which, according to the ladies who had become regular fans of Rachel’s baking, the annual bake off would be the following weekend, as long as things were still improving as far as the injured were concerned. They had announced to Rachel that the grand prize, if won, would go to the Cedar Valley Fire Department to assist with medical bills and new equipment. They knew that the prize was only ten thousand dollars, which is why they offered to put their own money, along with donations currently being collected around town, to make sure everything was well taken care of.
The mention of the owners of Rockford’s diner, the one she and Leah had once worked at, brought tears to her eyes. They had donated well over twenty thousand to go towards the expenses wherever it was seen fit, with a promissory note to donate more if needed.
She would be forever in their debt for their kindness. They had always been there for her and Leah. Recently, last summer, they had given Leah a check to help out with the Spencer’s bar when it had caught fire due to an unforeseen situation with Leah’s ex.
She promised the ladies that the cupcakes were already made for the event. “They’re in the freezer and will taste just as good and fresh once they thaw in time for the event.”
The ladies left no sooner than they had come in, taking their designer bags and coffees with them. Rachel had to admit that they certainly weren’t who she first judged them to be. Remembering the first day she had met them, with their designer bags, jewelry and well done makeup, she was more than certain they were the prissy type. But, as with all other things, Rachel had learned not to judge someone based on first impressions. She was definitely proved wrong when she did.
“Hey Rosie,” she called out toward the counter, as she turned with the ladies dirty dishes. “How’s Megan doing?”
Rosie had vented to Rachel a few days after the release from the hospital. Everyone had been sent home, and all were on the mend. Adam was getting better by the day and Rachel couldn’t be more thankful for that. Rosie, on the other hand, was still quite upset that Megan had joined the squad, and even more upset that people she cared about had gotten badly hurt.
“She’s been better,” Rosie said, taking the dishes from Rachel and walking into the back room with her. She placed them in the basin of the sink and turned to face Rachel.
Rachel had seen this look on Rosie before, more than once, actually. A look of bewilderment, as if she was trying to find the right words to say without offending anyone.
“What’s the matter, Rose?”
She was near to tears with quivering lips and the whole shebang. Rachel wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to allow her to let loose of all the pent up emotion she had obviously been carrying around with her for days now.
Rosie’s body shook against Rachel’s as tears streamed freely, soaking into the fabric of Rachel’s apron. “I’m sorry,” Rosie said, swiping at her fallen tears, trying her best to regain composure. “I just... it’s been a helluva week.”
“You can say that again,” Rachel said, assuring Rosie that she wasn’t the only one with that opinion. The explosion had taken a toll on everyone, not just those who were injured, but the whole community. Cedar Valley was still in shock that something so careless had happened. The farmer had donated quite a bit of his own money to the donation pot—maybe to save face and insults, but people still wondered if he had his head on straight. “I’m just glad everyone’s okay.”
“Me, too, dear,” Rosie said, wiping away the remaining tears that had soaked her skin. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m so thankful no one was killed in that mess, but the thought they could have been...”
Rachel knew firsthand what it was like worrying about someone you love. She’d done it her whole life. First her mother, who many had thought led a perfect life, was a heroin addict for years. It had taken several medical interventions and the help of the courts to get her turned around. Rachel had worried endlessly, day and night, whether her mother was dead in the streets, without anyone by her side. Her father had been an average man, working in a local factory trying to make ends meet. Even though he promised Rachel he hadn’t stopped caring for her mother, she knew he had. It had taken years, more than five, for her mother to overcome the addiction. That still didn’t stop her father from filing for divorce and moving on with his life. Rachel couldn’t stand the thought of all those empty promises he had spoken of...
“Has Adam talked to you about the incident?” Rosie asked, scooping a spoonful of ice cream from the carton and eating it. Rachel grabbed a spoon and helped herself, shoving a heaping amount into her mouth before nodding. “What’d he say about it? Does he remember anything?”
The other night he had talked with her about it. He could only remember bits and pieces, and some she knew he would, hopefully, never remember. “He remembers radioing dispatch for more manpower, but everything after that, he doesn’t remember,” she said, stealing one more spoonful of ice cream before Rosie put the lid on it and put it away. “Which is probably a good thing.”
“Definitely so,” Rosie said, using a sharpie marker to write Rosie’s on the lid before shoving the carton in the back of the freezer. “Megan remembers it all.”
Rachel’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Poor Megan had to witness the whole thing, and knowing it was her first fire...
“She’s doing okay with it,” Rosie assured, giving a subtle shrug as if to dismiss the emotion that was creeping up again. “She got lucky in the aspect of injuries, but what she saw will haunt her for a while.”
Rachel couldn’t ima
gine what responders saw day after day, let alone an explosion. She knew she wouldn’t have been able to do what they had. Nope, not at all. It took someone with a caring heart and gratitude for the community in order to put their life on the line...
“She’s the one who intubated Adam,” Rosie said, just throwing the words out like she had no idea what that little detail meant.
Rachel swallowed hard, with the thought of owing Megan so much more than a thank you. She wanted to hug that woman and worship the ground she walked on. This... was the reason that woman was the talk of the town when it came to being a badass... because she was. She had shoved her own injury aside to deal with those of others.
“She saved Adam’s life,” Rachel said, thinking of what it would have meant for Adam if Megan hadn’t been there. “The nurse even said that if the person who intubated him hadn’t been on scene, he would have...”
She couldn’t finish the sentence. Death had come so close to their lives yet again, and she couldn’t think of the loss Tyler would have experienced. Thank God that wasn’t happening.
Rosie nodded in agreement with what Rachel had said. “No matter how many times I begged that girl not to go chasing fires,” Rosie said, mumbling something else incoherent under her breath. “She saw Adam and one other get tossed from the blast. She saw the crowd gather around Adam, who wasn’t moving. I don’t know all the details, because she said she just went Paramedic mode and jumped into action.”
“Thank God,” Rachel whispered, more than thankful for Megan’s efforts. That girl deserved a damned award.
Rosie smiled at the thought of her granddaughter saving someone’s life, something she did every day, but that day it was more than just something she did... It was something she had to do, in spite of her own injuries.
“We’ve been trying to figure out who it was that saved his life,” Rachel said, not wanting to dwell too long on the subject, but she wanted Rosie to know that because Megan was right there with the squad, she was able to do what needed to be done. She was a hero.
Everything She Needed (Cedar Valley Novel Book 2) Page 11
