Page 57 of High Velocity

Next thing I know, what looks like a wadded up bedsheet is lowered out the window, immediately followed by Jackson’s prosthesis. Then comes the man himself, head first, as he launches himself out of the burning house.

Still hanging on to the dog, I scramble to get him to safety as an ominous groaning sound heralds nothing good. Jackson is right behind me on one leg, dragging the sheet behind him. Moments later there is a loud reverberation as the roof of the trailer collapses, sending sparks and burning debris flying.

I’m knocked to the ground as Jackson throws himself on me and the dog, covering our bodies with his own.

Eighteen

Jackson

Stephanie looks pale in the harsh light of the ambulance.

She also looks pissed, mainly at me since I insisted she get checked out before me.

After I made sure she and Ash were safe outside, I was able to grab a few random things I wrapped in a bedsheet. Some clothes, stuff off the bedside table which included Stephanie’s phone, and a couple of things I’d manage to snag from the top of the dresser. Not enough, not nearly enough, but it was all I could get before the heat got too much. I was lucky, I almost tripped over my prosthesis hopping back to the window and was able to rescue it too, but unfortunately the heat already got to parts of it and it’s going to need some repairs.

After the roof collapsed, I knew any efforts to go back in another way to try and salvage anything else would be moot.

Stephanie ended up calling 911, but I knew they’d be at least ten minutes if not more. While waiting for emergency services to get here, we got dressed in the few things I was able to grab off the floor. We’re both barefoot and dressed haphazardly at best, but at least the important parts are covered.

“Minor smoke inhalation. Rest, avoid irritants, and if your throat feels raw, you can take some cough medication,” the EMT tells her before adding, “If anything changes, get checked out in the emergency room.”

The woman turns to me. “Now, let me see what you’ve got going on.”

As it turns out, I get off with a few second degree burns, which are treated on the spot at my insistence. For smoke inhalation I receive the same instructions Stephanie got.

I climb out of the ambulance just as Jonas pulls up, the pale face of my mother visible through the windshield as she leans forward in the passenger seat.

“Jackson!”

The moment the SUV stops, she’s out and running for me. I’m not too stable on one leg, but manage to brace myself against the side of the ambulance when she hits me full force, her arms banding around me.

“Jesus, kid. Scared the living crap out of your mother,” Jonas mutters when he walks up, carrying my spare prosthesis.

From the slight waver in his voice, it sounds like Ma wasn’t the only one affected.

“Shit, Alex,” he grumbles. “Let the man put his leg on before you take him to the ground.”

Ma reluctantly lets go as I’m handed my leg, and Jonas tucks my mother under his arm.

“How is Stephanie?” she asks.

I look around to see where she went. She went with the sheriff’s deputy to answer some questions when I was being looked at in the ambulance. That was fifteen or so minutes ago.

“Junior!” I yell out when I catch sight of the sheriff, who must’ve just gotten here as well. “Have you seen Stephanie? She was with Dale earlier.”

“She’s not with him now. Dale is back there.” He cocks his thumb over his shoulder at the water truck, where I can see the deputy talking with some of the fire crew.

Stephanie is nowhere in sight, and suddenly the same sense of panic I felt when I first woke up, disoriented as smoke filled the room, making it difficult to see where I was, is back.

“I’ll go see where she went,” Jonas offers, reaching out to give my shoulder a squeeze before he takes off.

“She’s not wearing any shoes,” I mumble as my eyes scan the clusters of first responders and the surrounding area.

“I brought you some clothes. I wasn’t sure…” Ma pauses. “I grabbed some things that might fit Stephanie too, just in case. Jonas will find her. And JD will be here soon too, we called him on the way over.”

She’s rambling, and I can hear the barely contained emotion in her voice, as I struggle to strap on my spare prosthetic. It’s not fitting properly without the liner, which is probably still in my closet somewhere at the cabin, but this will have to do for now.

“I didn’t think about footwear. Should I call JD back and ask him to bring some boots or something?”

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