Page 80 of A Second Chance At Forever

Firefighters rushed the building, some getting to work putting the fire out. I couldn’t hear anything that was going on, only the rush of blood pumping in my ears. Tears flooded my eyes while I screamed until my throat was raw. The heat of the flames so hot, it burned my skin.

A beam in the roof broke, causing a part of the roof to come falling down. I fell to my knees, crying and screaming. Where is Mason? Was he in the building when this happened? Is he still in the building?

Seconds after a part of the roof came crashing down, two firefighters walked out, holding up Mason. His skin was covered in black ash, he had a gash on his forehead, and he could barely walk, but he was alive.

They walked him over to the ambulance and instantly put a mask on him. I got up and ran toward the ambulance and climbed in the back. I grabbed his hand and leaned over to look into his eyes. He gave me that sexy smile of his while he brushed my cheek before falling unconscious.

The ambulance doors got slammed shut and we sped toward the hospital. I watched the EMT’s as they pried open his eyelids and shined a light into his eyes. They poked and prodded around the rest of his body, after covering the gash on his head.

We were at the hospital within minutes and we were rushed through the halls.

“I’m sorry, Miss, but this is as far as you can go. You will have to wait in the waiting room. We will come get you when we’re ready for you,” a nurse said with her hand on my arm, trying to comfort me. I glanced down to her name tag that read, Kelly.

Her hazel eyes held softness that instantly helped to soothe me. She offered me a small smile before leading me toward the waiting room.

I almost fell into a seat. I was covered in ash from Mason, and all I could smell was smoke. I sat in the chair and cried. I knew he would be okay but that didn’t stop me from worrying. I was angry that Chris would do something like that. He could have really hurt Mason, although I knew he didn’t care, he hurt me almost every day.

Alissa, Dane, Trent, and Sarah rushed into the waiting room.

“What’s going on? Is he okay?” Sarah asked.

“I don’t know. They haven’t told me anything yet. He was awake at first, but he passed out. He had a big gash on his head, but I didn’t notice anything else.”

Alissa pulled me in for a hug before we all took our seats, waiting impatiently. There wasn’t anything to do but wait. Alissa kept asking if I wanted coffee or anything to eat, but I couldn’t think of anything but Mason.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, a doctor came out of those swinging doors, I hated so much.

“You came in with Mason Reynolds, correct?” he asked.

“Yes, how is he? Is he okay?” I stood on shaky legs.

“We stitched up a laceration on his forehead and he has a slight concussion. He has some smoke inhalation, so we’re treating him with oxygen, albuterol, which is a steroid to help keep the lungs from becoming inflamed, and he’s receiving antibiotics to help prevent infection. He will be required to stay for a few days to make sure he is responding well to treatment and so we can keep an eye on his blood gases, but he is expected to make a full recovery. He’s awake now, if you’d like to go see him.”

I followed the doctor back to his room and gasped when I saw him hooked up to all the machines. The gash on his head had been stitched up and bandaged and he was wearing a mask, breathing in his medications. I sat down beside him, his eyes watching my every move.

I reached for his hand. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” I felt a tear slide down my cheek.

Mason mouth opened but no words came out. Instead, he wiped my tear away.

“He’s having a little trouble talking right now due to the smoke inhalation but he should be back to himself within a few days. If you have any questions, please ask.” The doctor walked out, leaving us alone.

I curled up to Mason’s side and we just held each other. He couldn’t talk above a whisper and it pained him to do that.

“I can’t believe he did this. I’m so sorry I got you involved in this mess.” More tears filled my eyes and rolled down my cheeks as I laid my head against his chest.

He wrapped his strong arms around me and held me to him. Being in his arms again after thinking I would lose him, was overwhelming. I was relieved but filled with anger and sadness.

As happy as I was to have Mason back, I wasn’t sure it was worth all the trouble I had brought into his life.

Since I had shown up, he’d had his truck destroyed, his house broken into, and his shop set on fire. The shop his dad built, the shop he gave up his future for. I hated myself for turning his life upside down.

Mason drifted off to sleep, but I couldn’t. I was blinded by hate. I hated Chris for doing that to him and bringing all those problems into our lives. I thought I had escaped him when I left California, I didn’t realize he would find me and torture me and everyone else that I cared about. I had managed to protect Alissa but I couldn’t protect the one person I truly loved.

“Visiting hours are over. You will have to come back in the morning,” Kelly, the same nurse as earlier, said peeking her head in.

I stood from the bed and pressed a kiss to Mason’s forehead before leaving him alone in the room. I found my way back to the waiting room.

“Visiting hours are over,” I said when they all stood.

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