Night Owl (The Complete Serial)

“And not a single alarm went off?” I looked between the two of them and both shake their heads. I had a good mind to call the housing department and sue the shit out of her landlord. Someone was going to hear about this.

“We were so lucky.” The words from Casey’s lips sound garbled and broken under the mask.

“Yes, you both were.” Something in my gut tells me this wasn’t an accident. “Shit. I need to make a call; I’ll be right back.” Gritting my teeth I point at Devin. ‘Watch her with your life.” Devin nods and takes up a seat next to her gurney while I walk down the hall to cool my jets.

Pacing back and forth, I take my phone from my pocket and call Eli Bennett, the security expert. “Bennett, this is James Austin. I need help.”

A curt voice greets me. “What happened now?”

“A fire in Casey’s building this morning. She’s all right but banged up. I don’t think it was an accident.”

“Shit, I’m in DC right now, but can get up there in a few hours. Get a copy of the preliminary police and fire reports if you can. ”

“Thanks.” I sure hope this guy can find out what the hell is going on. I trust him with the other half of my heart.

I walk back to Casey’s makeshift room as the doctor is joining us. Devin nods that he’s out as soon as they discharge him and going back to the building to see what’s left of things. I give him my card with a number to call if he needs anything. I offer to make arrangements for a hotel he can stay at, but he declines, saying this is probably a good time to visit friends in the city, or maybe his brother and parents in Georgia. I still think he’s a giant douche, but he saved Casey, and I can’t forget that. I hate feeling like I owe him and I hate feeling like maybe I was wrong about him even more.

“How is she?” The doctor flips through her chart, making several notes. The time he’s taking to answer my question agitates me.

“And you would be who?” Pompous ass white coat looks over his set of black-rimmed spectacles, and I want to punch him out.

“I’m the boyfriend.”

Casey whines from behind the mask, and I grit my teeth and give her my best smile to reassure her. “I also donate heavily to the children’s hospital. I sit in on the occasional board meeting.” Crossing my arms and leaning in, I glare at him, but this guy’s not budging.

Casey rolls her eyes like she’s miffed at me. I didn’t even do anything this time. Dr. Attitude nods and continues scribbling before speaking again. I hope he got that all written down.

“We’re going to treat her for the smoke inhalation. I want to run a few tests. We will likely prescribe an antibiotic in a bronchodilator. The airways are swollen and a bit constricted, so the antibiotic and steroid combined will help bring the swelling down and open up the affected airway.”

Hearing this does not make me feel better, she could have died in that fire. “And the other injuries?”

The doctor takes her bandaged hand and unwraps a portion of it, letting an ice pack slip out. The palm is an angry red, blistered in places and cut in others.

“It’s mostly a first-degree burn from grabbing a hot doorknob. More of a scalding really, but just to be sure—because she’s cut her hand on window glass in places with open blisters—I’ll have the nurse give her a tetanus booster and some pain killers. Light gauze wraps, separating the digits, and at times, elevate the arm above her heart with an ice pack. The orthopedic surgeon will be down to check on it as well before she’s discharged. The cuts here aren’t deep enough to bother with stitches once the glass was removed.”

For the most part, I’m relieved, but not feeling any better. “So she can go home?” With me, to my place, where I can keep an eye on her and maybe never let her out of my sight. Yeah, cue the creepy boyfriend.

“If the surgeon comes before the shift change, we can likely get her discharged later today. Miss Cole will need to follow up with an ENT, though, especially if she’s having difficulty with her voice. I’ll leave a referral in her chart.”

Once he leaves, I finally let out the breath that’s been constricting my chest for the last thirty minutes.

Casey uses her good hand to pull down her mask and for a moment, I’m worried she won’t put it back on. “You can be a real ass sometimes, you know that?” Frowning, her voice rattles and sounds nothing near the tone or husky quality I’ve grown accustomed to. Its froggy sounding and loopy from pain medication. I’ll make sure she sees that ENT as soon as possible.

“But you still like me.” Rolling her eyes, she puts the mask back on and leans back against her throne of pillows. Sooty dusty lifts up like dark glitter against the stark hospital lights and I’m man enough to admit I was scared of almost losing her.

29

Casey

Nervously, I trace the seam of the oversized sweatpants they let me wear home when James begins to speak.

“This isn’t exactly how I anticipated getting you to stay with me. You know you could have just asked me.”

Snorting, even quietly, hurts my throat, and James reaches over to squeeze my good hand reassuringly. The drive from the hospital is thankfully uneventful, and I’m coming off my adrenaline high and feeling sleepy again with the painkillers kicking in. James strong-armed the hospital staff; most of my medications have come from the hospital pharmacy so he wouldn’t have to run out later and leave me alone. I thought I heard him offer up a new hospital wing, but I’m sure I totally heard that part wrong.

“My options were a bit limited. I’m kind of homeless and out of a job at the moment.” Yawning hurts but so does most of my body right now. A scratchy throat reminds me of why I need to not talk. In a few days, I have another doctor appointment with an ear, nose, and throat specialist. The doctor warned that my throat could have some residual damage from the smoke inhalation, and I pray that’s not the case. My voice has been my career—although a seemingly short one so far.

“You can sass me later… once you’ve rested. Come on.” James helps me out of the car. We ride up in the elevator dozens of floors to his penthouse apartment. I’ve never been here before, and this isn’t the way our date for later today was supposed to go. I’m a bit nervous to see how the other half lives. I mean, I know… I did walk Charlie and other dogs from people in this neighborhood, just not anyone from James’ building, specifically.