Page 60 of Protecting Christina

But this time, the tears fell, and I couldn’t stop them. I buried my face in Will’s shoulder, his skin warm against my cheek. Slowly, I turned and pressed a kiss onto his shoulder.

Goosebumps raised on his flesh, and his grip tightened.

“The only thing that kept me going was that I had to get back to you.”

I swallowed the emotion that clogged my throat, but I couldn’t form any words. I’d never felt anything like this before. Perhaps it was the adrenaline talking, or maybe he just needed to explain what was going through his mind. But I wouldn’t read too much into this. The heart and the mind were two different things.

“I’m glad you’re safe, and Donna, too.”

“How can we ever repay you for this?”

He rubbed my back and squeezed my waist. “I’ll think of something.”

I looked up, and he smiled weakly, his eyes a bit glossy. “Will? Are you feeling all right?”

His eyes closed, and he crumbled to his knees as I struggled to hold his body up. “Help! Someone, please!”

Christian pulled Will up from his armpits while Jake grabbed his ankles. Will’s eyes were closed and panic set in.

They lifted him onto a stretcher, and a paramedic fixed an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose.

“How long was he in the house?” asked the paramedic.

“He was in there the longest,” said Jake. “Maybe fifteen minutes. Maybe more.”

They pushed the stretcher down the driveway to the ambulance and hoisted him inside. When I tried to get in with him, one of them asked, “Are you his wife?”

I shook my head.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, you can’t come in.”

Then they closed the doors and drove away. Looking around me, I assessed the scene. Three ambulances and two fire trucks lined the road. People were running all around me, and yet, I couldn’t move.

Jake appeared in front of me. I hadn’t seen him approach. My head raced with worry.

“Can I take you home?” he asked. “You can come back to our place if you don’t want to be alone. I know Nikole would love to see you and make sure you’re alright.”

For a moment, I imagined sitting on Nikole’s couch and being handed a cup of coffee. But then I knew I’d only be thinking of the people I love lying in a recovery bed and I knew there was only one place I wanted to be.

“Can you take me to the hospital instead?”

He nodded. “Absolutely.”

I handed Jake my car keys, as I could barely walk straight. We didn’t say a word to each other, each of us was absorbed in our own thoughts and memories. Or perhaps he was just being polite. I had no idea what was going on inside of my head right now. I just felt everything all at once.

He parked my car, and we walked to the information desk. “I’m looking for Donna Polito and Will Nash,” I said. “They would have been brought in by ambulance a little while ago.”

“If they came by ambulance, they’re likely still in the ER. Take this corridor and stick to your right,” she said, pointing down a white sterile hallway.

“Thank you.”

Jake walked with me in silence and when we turned the corner toward the Emergency Room, we saw Christian and Jager leaning against one wall.

“Are they here?” asked Jake.

They turned and nodded. “Donna inhaled less smoke than Will since she was beneath the floor most of the time. The nurse is with her now.”

“And Will?” I asked.

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