A Firefighter in Her Stocking

When the man had caught his breath, he continued as if nothing had happened. “He told me if I saw you here to put in a good word and tell you he was sorry and that he was crazy about you.”

Sarah’s head spun. Jude had sent word to her? Why?

“He was going back for Betty Kingston. She was in her bathroom, too. Whole place was up in flames.” The old man coughed again. “I hope he found Betty. And the Millers. And got out of that inferno.”

Sarah’s heart pounded. Jude was inside a burning building. He was in danger.

The thought gutted her. Made her want to call him and beg him to get out of the building if he wasn’t already.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath.

Examining Mr. Johnson, Sarah ended up admitting him to the medical floor and consulted orthopedic surgery. Bedside X-ray had shown he’d fractured his right hip when he’d fallen. Mrs. Johnson had suffered mild smoke inhalation and had been discharged. As Sarah expected, the woman stayed with her husband rather than leave.

Then again, her home had burned. She might not have anywhere else to go. Not that Sarah thought she’d leave even if she did.

Ambulances dropped off victims from a motor vehicle crash. Pedestrians came in with abdominal and chest pain. The ER stayed crazy. Sarah was swamped. But her heart wasn’t fully on what she was doing.

Because no Betty Kingston or Millers had come into the emergency department and if they were who Jude had gone back for, surely they should be out by now? Should be in the emergency department, being given a good once-over even under the best of circumstances of being trapped inside a burning building.

Had Jude gotten them out?

Had Jude gotten out?

“Oh, God!” Shelley breathed, catching Sarah’s attention. Her friend had just been at the unit desk and her face was pale. “That building that was on fire collapsed.”

Collapsed.

Jude!

“Was everyone out?” she managed to squeak from her tight throat.

Shelley shook her head. “Per the call that just came in there were people still inside. Firefighters, too.”

The room spun around, making Sarah think she might fall to her knees.

First one in. Last one out.

Wasn’t that what Paul had said? Please, no.

Please, just, no.

“Sarah?”

Insides shaking, she stared at Shelley. “My neighbor works for the fire department.”

“Your neighbor?”

Jude was so much more than her neighbor. He was...her heart.

Sarah’s personal life never interfered with her work.

Never.

But for the life of her she couldn’t focus.

Couldn’t think.

Could only feel.