Into the Flames

by Multi-Author

  Lexi sipped the soda and then set it down on her tray table. “Thanks, Sharon.”

  She rested her head against the pillow and stared at the stark walls and the TV above her head. There was nothing else to do but rest and sleep, which was exactly what the doctor said she needed.

  The painkillers had made her fuzzy, and she was dog tired, though she’d done nothing but doze since her admission. Her memory of how she’d gotten to the hospital remained hazy. Had she imagined the devastatingly handsome firefighter who’d rescued her? Had he been a hallucination?

  Had she really…kissed him? Or was that all in her mind, too?

  She touched her lips as if the gesture could bring back the moment. Maybe the drugs had created the rescue fantasy with the amazing fireman who’d lifted her into his arms. She barely remembered the ambulance ride to the hospital, but she remembered him. Or was his image a symptom of the shock she’d suffered?

  Instead of asking about the firefighter, whom the nurse would probably know nothing about, she switched gears. “Was anyone able to contact my friend Daniela to let her know I’m here?”

  Sharon nodded. “We left her a message, and she called back to say she’d stop by this afternoon with your belongings. She said to tell you she’s taking care of Ginger until you’re discharged.”

  Lexi sighed with relief. She’d been worried about her kitten.

  “Anything else I can get you before I take my lunch break?” Sharon asked.

  “No, thanks.”

  “Press the call button if you need anything. A nurse’s assistant will take care of you until I’m back on the floor.” She gave Lexi a nod and exited the room.

  The next thing Lexi knew, Daniela was standing over her bed. “Oh.” She raised herself up with a start. “I must have fallen asleep.”

  Daniela made soothing shushing sounds and smoothed the hair by her temple. She spoke rapidly in Spanish, using words Lexi could barely understand, and then switched to English after she caught her breath. “I’m so sorry this happened to you, and sorry it took me so long to get here. I was at the gym when the hospital called and my phone was in my locker. I didn’t see the message until after I got home and showered.”

  Daniela put a hand to her chest and continued talking. “Ginger is okay, though. Everything at your house is fine. I brought your purse, and a few things you might need, and locked up when I left.”

  Lexi couldn’t hide her relief. “I’m glad you’re here. Though judging by your expression, I must look worse than I feel.”

  Tears filled Daniela’s eyes. “No, no, no. It’s not that at all. I was soooo scared. Now that I see you look normal, except for being too pale and having a bandaged leg and an IV, my mind isn’t racing with scary pictures.” She bit her lip when it quivered.

  Lexi held out her free hand and squeezed the one Daniela offered. She wasn’t used to seeing her friend rattled. Daniela always seemed so confident.

  Lexi relaxed into her pillows. “I’ve been seeing things, too, I think. I’m not sure. Good things, though, not scary ones, about the way I got to the hospital.”

  Daniela smirked and her eyes glanced at the IV bags. “Sounds like they’re giving you the good drugs.”

  Lexi laughed. “Maybe.” She shook her head then regretted the motion. Her headache came and went. “Though I can’t shake the feeling my rescue by a hot firefighter was real.”

  Daniela’s eyes lit up. “Hot firefighter? My favorite kind.”

  “And I kissed him.”

  “The story gets better.”

  Lexi told her everything she remembered about that morning, which turned out to be more than she’d expected. “Maybe the firefighter holding me in his arms wasn’t a hallucination.”

  Did he really say, “Your chariot awaits”? No, that couldn’t be right. She must have imagined that part.

  “If the firefighter was real, I want to thank him for saving my best friend.” Daniela leaned over and kissed Lexi’s forehead. “Rest. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

  * * *

  Knox woke from his bunk with a start. Sirens blared, hurtling him from his bed, until he remembered he was off-shift. He yanked on his boots, hit the head, washed his face, and then strode to the communal area looking for Marcus. His partner often hung out at the station, even when not on duty, and said earlier he’d catch some sleep on his bunk.

  Sure enough, Marcus was alone at the card table, putting away the game the emergency siren had interrupted. All the other guys were either at home or on the job.

  Knox hitched his thumb at the overflowing box of donations for the kids at the hospital. “Wanna take a ride with me to drop those off?” He brushed a hand down the front of his West Arbor firehouse shirt, checking for wrinkles.

  Marcus caught the gesture and grinned. “I bet we can check on that chick from the apple tree, too, while we’re there. Who’s to know?”

  There was no use pretending that wasn’t what he had in mind, though he’d been meaning to take the donations to the kids all week. “Yeah. It’s like that.” He pointed a finger at Marcus. “And her name is Lexi.”

  Marcus only laughed. “No disrespect intended, my man. Though it seems like you’ve got it bad for someone you just met—under weird circumstances, at that.”

  There was no denying the truth in those words. Knox blew out a breath. “I can’t get her out of my head. I even dreamt about her.”

  Had he really said, “Your chariot awaits”…and then kissed her?

  He must have seemed like an idiot. She probably considered him a dangerous predator. He wouldn’t be surprised if she never wanted to see him again. If she did see him, she’d likely call the police. Molesting an accident victim was a criminal offense.

  Perspiration dotted his brow. What if Lexi filed a complaint? His career would be in the shitter. Firefighters couldn’t see victims socially after a rescue for good reason. Blurred lines were always hazardous.

  Marcus interrupted his negative thoughts. “Hey, what’s up? You don’t look so good all of a sudden.”

  Knox had to think, but that was hard to do with his career on the line.

  His gaze drifted to the box of toys and games for the kids. Lexi was a third grade schoolteacher. She’d understand his need to follow through with his commitment to the hospital, should she happen to hear he’d stopped by off-shift. No harm there, right? A visit to the hospital wasn’t social.

  He wouldn’t seek her out, but it wouldn’t hurt to at least ask if she was okay, would it? He wasn’t really pursuing her by inquiring, was he? He knew practically everyone in the emergency unit and could inquire after he delivered the gifts to the pediatric ward. And it wouldn’t be his fault if someone mentioned to Lexi that he’d stopped by, would it? Chances were that wouldn’t happen. In any case, his interest in her was…ah…completely…aboveboard.

  He finally answered Marcus. “I’m fine. Let’s make our delivery and leave it at that.”

  Twenty minutes later, Knox and Marcus carried the enormous bin filled with items for the hospital’s pediatric ward into the elevator. Twice a year, spring and fall, the fire station hosted an open house with a truck display and refreshments to encourage donations. Everyone seemed to remember the children at Christmastime, and the firefighters did, too, but the crew wanted to look after them other times of the year. There could be no lonelier place on earth for a child than a hospital.

  Chelsea’s memory hit his heart like a hammer.

  They had no sooner reached the ward than staff greeted them with smiles of welcome and offered to lend a hand. Within minutes, the donations were whisked away to the nurses’ station to be divvyed by age group. He and Marcus made a circuit of the area outside the station to say hello to the kids, who always treated them like rock stars, before they headed toward the elevator.

  When they reached the double doors, the hottest nurse this side of the continental divide approached, wearing her trademark tight uni
form and too-big smile. The woman was a walking wet dream. That was, if you liked that type.

  “Knooooxxx.” The way she rolled his name off her tongue made it sound obscene.

  “Hey, Tanya.” He offered a polite wave, turned, and hit the down button on the elevator. Three times.

  Marcus whispered near his ear. “Whaddya doin’, man? She wants you so bad.”

  Knox returned a tight nod. “Not interested.” Tanya was a badge bunny who hung out at the local bar with her badge bunny friends. He’d fielded her passes at least a dozen times.

  The elevator doors opened and Knox got in. Marcus gave Tanya a longing glance before he stepped in behind him. Then Tanya got on and scooted between Knox and the wall.

  She pressed close against him though there was plenty of space inside the compartment. The side of her large, soft breast brushed his bicep and the hairs on his arm prickled. She looked up at him with smoky bedroom eyes that promised ripped clothes, damp sheets, and a buckled mattress. “I’m going to the cafeteria for coffee. Want to come with?”

  Marcus elbowed Knox in the ribs on his other side. Jealous bastard.

  “Not this time, Tanya,” he replied, not wanting to hurt her feelings, but hoping not to encourage her, either. “I have to…uh.”

  The elevator opened on another floor and several people got on. Nurses, a doctor, and a few visitors nodded and smiled at him and Marcus. Their West Arbor shirts and chinos always generated friendly responses from the locals.

  Knox moved forward to make his escape before the doors closed. It made no difference to him what floor he landed on; he’d catch the next elevator down. He turned in time to see Marcus smile over at Tanya before following Knox out the door. “See you, Tanya,” he said.

  She waved but didn’t reply.

  “Jeez, I wish she had the hots for me,” Marcus told him, after the doors closed.

  “Ask her out. See what happens,” Knox replied, offhand. He glanced up at the directional signs and headed toward the nurses’ station to ask about Lexi Wentworth. They wouldn’t have been able to answer questions on the pediatric ward, but Tanya had inadvertently done him a favor by chasing him to the general admissions floor. He’d have a better chance of getting information here than in the emergency unit.

  They passed a tiny office with a closed door, a water fountain, and rows of patient rooms on either side of the hall as they made their way to the nurses’ station. Knox kept his eyes averted to give the patients their privacy, and continued past fast-moving healthcare workers and a housekeeper pushing a rickety cart over the brightly waxed floor. A voice came over the intercom requesting assistance, TVs blared, and call bells pinged.

  Before they reached the nurses’ station, he and Marcus almost collided with Chang’s girlfriend, Sharon.

  “Hey, stranger,” she said to Knox, her dark eyes smiling. “Haven’t seen you in a while. We miss you at the beer bashes.” The firehouse team and their guests gathered once a month at a local pub to blow off steam, shoot pool, and throw darts.

  “Yeah, maybe next time.” He’d spent every spare hour with his brother’s family for so long that he’d continued to hang out there. He really needed to reclaim his life.

  Sharon turned to his partner. “Now there’s a familiar face. Good to see you.”

  Marcus gave her a hug.

  “What brings you guys to my floor?”

  Knox answered. “We had a rescue early this morning and wondered how she was doing. Maybe you can tell us.” They moved out of the way of hall traffic. “She came in by ambulance about six-thirty. I don’t know what time she was admitted. I’m fairly certain she suffered from shock. She had lacerations and maybe a fractured leg.”

  Sharon grimaced. “You know I can’t give you information about a patient’s condition. That’s confidential. By law.”

  Knox groaned. “I’m not asking for anything sensitive. I just want to know if she’s okay.” He recalled Lexi’s fearful expression, how her body trembled when he carried her in his arms, and the press of her mouth against his. The story of her rescue would be the one that warmed him on winter nights when he got old.

  Sharon moved toward the nurses’ station. “Sorry, guys. Can’t help you. See you at the beer bash.”

  Knox clenched and unclenched his fist to fight off a burst of temper, though he understood Sharon’s position on protocol. His blood pressure rose and his heart pounded while he wondered if Lexi had taken a turn for the worse. The inside of his mouth went dry at the thought.

  He told Marcus he’d be right back, and went to the water fountain for a drink. The cool liquid wet his throat and eased the tension in his muscles. Then he counted to ten, forward and backward, until his heart rate returned to normal.

  He came back for Marcus and they moved on to the nurses’ station. Knox took a deep breath and started over with Sharon. “Please. There must be something you can tell me. The patient’s name is Alexis Wentworth. Tell me what you can about her condition.”

  “Yeah. Help the man out,” Marcus replied.

  Sharon shook her head, not giving an inch. She waved an index finger. “Knox, you know all about patient privacy.” She glared at his partner. “You too, Marcus. I can’t breach that. You want to get me fired?”

  Knox groaned. Rules had shut him down. The hospital wouldn’t help him, and the firehouse code of behavior stopped him from seeking Lexi out. They were deadlocked. His frustration mounted, but he wasn’t giving up. There had to be something he could do to make contact with Lexi without breaking protocol.

  Maybe he looked as defeated as he felt, because Sharon heaved a sigh, leaned closer, and whispered, “Stable.” Before Knox could react, she bustled off.

  A curvy woman with long dark hair and vanilla caramel skin walked by, balancing a cardboard carrier filled with cold beverages and packaged snacks. She turned to stare at him and Marcus over her shoulder while she passed.

  Marcus stretched his neck to watch her walk away.

  Knox chuffed. “You’re such a hound dog.”

  “Hey, I’m only looking. I want women to know I’m available. Who knows when Ms. Right might show up?”

  * * *

  Daniela bustled into Lexi’s room with an overloaded carrier filled with food and drinks, smiling like she’d just won the lottery. “Ooooh, you won’t believe what just happened.” She fussed over Lexi, adjusting her pillows and coverlet, and then opened a bottle of cold iced tea and placed it in her free hand. Lexi took a few sips and handed it back.

  Daniela found adventure wherever she went, and by the look on her face, discovered something—or someone—interesting on her visit to the cafeteria. No one else but Daniela could.

  Lexi yawned, which only seemed to heighten Daniela’s impulse to share. “Oh, c’mon,” her friend said. “This is too good for you to sleep through.”

  Lexi boosted herself on the bed. “Sorry.”

  Daniela leaned in. “There were two gorgeous firefighters at the nurses’ desk.” She made sounds in her throat like she’d tasted something delicious. “They were the most exquisite combination of white and milk chocolate I’ve ever seen.” She took a deep breath and huffed it out. “I could just imagine…”

  Daniela’s voice trailed off and her eyes lost focus for a second before she snapped back to reality and continued her story. She pointed a finger. “And the hunky blond one was asking about you.”

  That got Lexi’s attention. “Blond?” Could he have been the man who’d rescued her? This couldn’t be a coincidence, could it?

  “Describe him.”

  Daniela became more animated, if that were possible, while she raised her arms and lifted her eyes to indicate someone tall, and clutched her fists to depict his muscular arms and torso. “Dios, you should have seen him from the back. I bet you haven’t seen his backside, have you?”

  Lexi shook her head, though she could imagine what his bottom looked like. Her cheeks flushed when she rememb
ered he’d gotten a close look at hers, though. He’d also seen almost every other part of her anatomy.

  Daniela continued, not waiting for Lexi to say anything. “And those blue eyes almost took the breath from my body. I’ve never seen eyes like that. When he looked up at you in that tree, you must have thought you were looking at an angel.”

  Lexi nodded. “I thought I was hallucinating.”

  “Let me tell you, he’s real. I heard the nurse call him ‘Knox’ and the other guy is Marcus, and Knox wanted to know that you’re okay, like he was really interested, like it was personal, but that nurse wouldn’t tell him anything except that you were recovering. She was all about that patient privacy stuff.”

  Lexi remembered Knox asking her name, and telling her his, and identifying his firehouse. The name Knox suited him, she decided. Strong and unique. Sexy too.

  “And his partner.” Daniela pursed her lips and shook her hands like she was shaking off water. “Just as handsome.”

  Lexi didn’t waste another minute. “Go find them. Bring them here. The nurse couldn’t talk to Knox, but she can’t stop me from having visitors. Tell him I’d like to thank him. Marcus too.”

  Her heartbeat kicked up at thoughts of seeing the handsome firefighter again. What should she say? What would he say? Had she made more of the momentary spark they’d shared than she should have? Did he seek her out for personal reasons, as Daniela suggested, or was his visit purely professional?

  Daniela didn’t have to be asked twice to invite the guys to the room. She was out the door in milliseconds.

  Lexi smoothed the hand not connected to the IV over her hair, sat up straight, and folded the sheet and coverlet neatly over her chest. Under the circumstances, that was the best she could do to make herself presentable.

  The pain meds quelled the low-level anxiety she’d endured since the crash in Ohio. The usual flutters in her chest, nervous jitters, and humming in her brain like a frozen hard drive had disappeared. Maybe when she got out of here, she’d talk to her doctor and ask for medication to get on with her life. It was time.