Page 121 of Fought and Freed

“Run, Maddy!” He had a coughing fit. “The fire is at the door.”

Maddy got up and ran even though every move sent pain knifing through her. Blood poured down her leg, but she ignored it as she kept checking her phone, praying for service.

A block away, she finally got a signal and dialed 911.

They said they’d be there soon.

She then dialed Jace.

As soon as he answered, she sobbed, “Jace, it’s on fire.”

Alarm filled his voice. “Maddy?”

“Ryder’s still inside, and the whole place is on fire,” she slurred, the street wobbling around her.

Dizzy, she collapsed to the sidewalk. Blood was everywhere. She needed to stop it. Hands shaking, she took off her shirt and tied it around her leg, but when she tried to stand, she fell right back down.

“Maddy!” Jace’s voice yelled from her phone, which she’d dropped on the sidewalk beside her. “Can you hear me?”

Black dots formed in her eyes as she grabbed the phone.

“Help,” she managed to get out before she lost consciousness.

* * *

Maddy slowly came back to awareness to the sound of beeping.

She moved her legs. Why were her sheets so rough?

When she opened her eyes, bright overhead lights blinded her, and she slammed her eyelids shut. She must have forgotten to close the blinds again.

As she got her eyes open again, she realized she wasn’t in her room but at the hospital, and everything came rushing back to her.

“Ryder!” she gasped out.

She pulled back the sheets and found her leg wrapped in bandages.

A nurse walked through her door and jogged over to Maddy. “Take it easy. You don’t want to rip out your port. Your friends will be happy to hear you’re awake.”

“Where are they?” Maddy croaked, her voice all scratchy.

The nurse checked the saline bag attached to Maddy’s IV. “They just left to go check in on your other friend.”

Concern filled Maddy. “Ryder? How is he?”

The nurse gave her a kind look. “He had some smoke inhalation, but he’ll fully recover.”

A man in a white lab coat and slicked-back black hair walked into the room. “Hi, Ms. Walsh, I’m glad to see you’re awake. My name is Dr. Ricci, and I’m the one who took care of your leg.”

Maddy nodded at him in greeting.

“That was a nasty gash, and we had to give you some blood to replace what you lost.” He walked over to the bed to check her bandage. “You needed some stitches, and you’ll have to use crutches for about a week. Keep the stitches dry, and if the area gets hot or turns red, please come back. I’ll write you a prescription for some antibiotics.”

Maddy nodded again.

“Do you have any questions?” he asked.

Maddy felt numb. “No, not right now.”

---