Page 8 of Between the Stacks

Well, when she put it like that... “Who picks me up once a doctor sees me? Will the school cover the cost of the visit?”

Moira approached as the last question hung between the EMT and me. “We’ll be covering all medical expenses for this incident. If the Paramedics and EMT believe you should go, go. Don’t risk your health, Lyra. Besides, not much you’ll be able to do here.”

She had me there.

“Fine,” I replied. “I’ll go. I just want to be back by morning.”

“Hate to break it to you,” the EMT said. “The sun will be coming up in two hours.”

Damn... Where’d the time go?

Scott

Two hoursafter our cam session, a text alert pinged on our phones. There was a fire in one of the dorms. Several students injured and left without housing. No one knew what caused the fire or where it started, other than the college was looking for donations. Cole and I hopped back online and made a plea. Whoever stopped by our channel would see it and hopefully, we could raise funds for the students in need. Then we hopped into Cole’s truck and headed to the college to see what damage had been done.

When we arrived, billowing black smoke covered the area. Flashing red lights bounced off the walls and swelling clouds rose into the night sky. There were students huddled together, blankets wrapped around them, crying on each other’s shoulders. The sound of chirping twined with the rev of the pumper truck’s engine while the firefighters lay siege on the fire, still consuming the structure.

Off in the distance, ambulances sat in a line. All their doors were open, and several students sat at the rear of the vehicles, being assessed. Then there were those who laid on gurneys, masks over their faces, while paramedics and EMTs worked on them. My heart sank. My stomach churned. Mystic College was one of the safest colleges on the western seaboard. About theonly thing that’d happened since our arrival was some fraternity thing neither Cole nor I wanted any part of.

I parked the truck when I saw Doctor August Barlowe, or Lowe, as he was called at Behind the Lens, standing off to the side with a group of school officials watching the scene play out. Even in the darkness, the looks of concern on their faces, along with the way the muscle in his jaw twitched, said everything I needed to know. Nothing about the situation was normal.

“Half the building is gone,” Cole murmured, staring out the windshield at the building. “Where did the dorm go?”

Even in the low light with spotlights and the red flashing lights casting parts of the structure in shadow, Cole was right. The half of the building following the slope of the campus had toppled, leaving behind the ruined charred remains. “Down the hill.”

The gravity of the situation lay like a heavy weight between us. I hadn’t ever stepped foot in that building, nor had Cole. The text didn’t even convey the totality of the situation. Students weren’t just going to need a night at a friend's place. They’d need a whole new home, including all their stuff being replaced.

“What do you want to do?” Cole glanced at me.

“Whatever we can. Help as many as possible, then give the money we raise to the housing committee for the students in need.” I glanced over at August, who walked away from the group of people. “First, we’ll talk to Lowe.”

We jumped out of the vehicle and hurried across the parking lot, following behind August. I didn’t know what we’d say to him or how to even broach the subject with him. Not that he could tell us more than what we knew. But something was better than nothing, right? Plus, if we told him our idea, maybe he’d kick in a few bucks or hit up his fans for a little donation. I knew Cole wouldn’t be averse to working with August in a scene. Hell,damn thing might sell more than what we’d ever made with our cam stuff.

“This isn’t how I saw my first year of college going.” I knew that voice. I practically heard it every day in my statistics class. I glanced to my right and almost tripped over my feet. There she sat, the girl Cole and I crushed over since the beginning of the semester.

She didn’t even know we existed.

Lyra.

Splotchy soot covered her face. Her vibrant blue eyes were bloodshot from the smoke, if I had to guess, and she looked hella pale. Her eyes were also a little too big for my liking. She appeared scared, probably freaking out...lost. I knew that look on her face all too well. I didn’t like the punch of jealousy to my stomach as the paramedic touched her, either. It wasn’t like she was my girlfriend or anything. Just some cute chick who shied away from people, while also turning my world upside down.

“Hey?” Cole said, nudging me as he slowed his pace. “All good?”

“Yeah,” I said, losing Lyra in the crowd. “I think that was Lyra’s building.”

“Shit,” Cole muttered. “The super sweet girl in your statistics. That’s fucked up bro. What should we do?”

Wasn’t like she could stay with us. That would bring up too many questions and put us in a position of having to ask our landlord permission to allow Lyra to stay with us, our lease was up, and we’d have to move for the rest of the semester. Which meant camming more and being home less, not a great combo when having a houseguest. Didn’t want them to feel ignored all the time. Especially since we needed the money if we wanted to finish school and have a cushion while we looked for “real” jobs in the private sector.

“Just something else to talk to Lowe about when we catch up to him.” I quickened my pace, following August back toward the professors’ residence. When we were close enough, I called out to him in hopes of catching him. “Dr. Barlowe!”

The man stopped mid stride and glanced over his shoulder. He exhaled. “Boys, what can I do for you tonight?” The tension in his voice held the weight of the situation.

“We wondered if we could have a minute of your time, privately,” I said. “It’s about the fire.”

“If you have information on what transpired please let campus police know,” he said, taking a step away from us.

“No, sir,” I replied and kept my voice low, “Lowe, we were wondering if we could talk to you about something else.”

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