“Where are they?” I asked, grabbing ahold of what I assumed to be Garrett’s uninjured arm.
He looked at the house. “They were right behind me, but it collapsed. I had to get the girl out, Elena. Ethan had Derrick, and he’ll find a way to get him out.”
“They’re trapped?” I asked. I felt entirely helpless as I stared at the house. Cinders flew from the flames in unpredictable swirls. The water was taming only small segments of the fire while the rest grew wilder. It was doing little good in containing it, so Benji went from hosing the burning house to wetting the surrounding ones, ensuring that the fire wouldn’t spread.
Garrett finally conceded and sat on the medic’s table. “Not trapped. This exit is blocked, but there were two others. Ethan hasn’t gone into many fires recently, but he knows what to do.”
The fire was doomed to take down the entire structure before my very eyes. The two people I most cared for were fighting their way out, and I could do nothing to help. Derrick’s life was in the hands of Ethan. The last words we spoke to one another were hateful and angry. I intended to make him hate himself for what he said, but now I wondered if I’d ever see him again.
And it was my fault Derrick was still at the daycare. Because I said things that should have never been said, I left Derrick at the daycare for an extra hour. Had I picked him up when I usually did, he would have never been in this situation. Everything leading up to this point was my fault, and I couldn’t lose my son for it. I couldn’t lose Ethan.
I sat on the curb and watched as the flames within the house further ravaged every ounce of the exposed surface. Crashes from within grew more frequent, and I flinched with each loud pop. Benji, noticing that Ethan was nowhere in sight, flew toward Garrett. “Where’s your brother?”
“Inside still. Go find him,” Garrett pleaded. Could they still be alive, or would I have to deal with the loss of both? I shook violently, though the heat surrounding the area was nearly too much to bear. The sun began setting in the distance, but the light of the fire kept the entire street lit. Benji secured his mask to his face and rushed toward the ruined house.
He stopped halfway between un and the house.
Limping toward us was Ethan. Over his shoulders in a fireman’s hold was Derrick, conscious and breathing through Ethan’s air filtration tube.
I jumped from the curb and watched as they approached the medic. As they grew closer, I saw through the black grime that covered Derrick’s skin. Tear streaks ran down his cheeks as Ethan bent and sat him on his feet carefully. Derrick clutched his right arm. “Derrick,” I whispered, dropping to my knees and pulling him into my arms. I squeezed him and buried my chin into his slim shoulder.
“He’s okay. A little shaken, and a small burn. He inhaled some smoke before I got there, but I don’t think it was enough to be life threatening,” Ethan said.
I looked up at him and a shaky smile pulled to my lips. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for this.”
He shook his head and removed his mask. “I don’t need a repayment.”
He leaned against the ambulance and removed his entire helmet and mask. His breathing was unsteady and rapid. He bent over his knees and stood in place, staring at the ground. It took me a moment to realize the situation was likely the most overstimulating one he’d been in for years. He not only faced a fire, but he entered it and never once hesitated. The paramedic grabbed my son and sat him on a gurney, listing off his vitals.
My attention split between Ethan and Derrick as the same paramedic paid Ethan equal attention seconds later. His face paled as he mumbled answers to all the paramedic’s questions. The moment the paramedic turned to grab her blood pressure cuff, Ethan fell forward and I dove.
Chapter Fourteen
Once at the hospital, the doctor concluded that my wild save likely saved Ethan from a concussion. Fortunately, everyone ended up being fine, aside from my scraped elbows and Derrick’s forearm burn. Due to his sudden loss of consciousness, Ethan was admitted as a patient while I sat beside my son, who nursed his burn with pride. “Will Faith want to kiss me since I saved her from a fire?” Derrick asked spontaneously.
I leaned back my head and belly laughed. “It takes more than saving a girl from a fire to kiss her,” I told him.
“I’ll let you know when I figure out what else you need to do, kid,” a voice from behind spoke. I jumped in my seat and turned to the door. Ethan stood in his hospital gown. It covered nearly his entire scar from the front, excluding a patch of burns on the upper part of his legs.
Derrick noticed immediately, and he didn’t bother holding his tongue.
“What’s wrong with your leg?”
“Honey, that’s not polite to ask about his leg,” I told Derrick, but he looked confused.
He shook his head and pointed. “No, mommy. It’s okay. I have one, too.” My precious little boy raised his arm and pointed at the bandage. “Will mine look like that?”
Ethan looked entirely unfazed by the question as he leaned over Derrick’s bed, his arm gently brushing my shoulder. “Yours won’t be this big,” Ethan said. “But you have a battle scar now, so you can show all your friends at school in the fall.”
Derrick looked down at his bandage. “That’s cool.
