Page 117 of Chasing Infinity

“They took her to the hospital,” I tell him, my tongue heavy in my mouth. “She had some burns from the fire.”

Charlie turns around and says something to Eli that I don’t care to interpret, and then they leave, walking away from me at a swift pace. I manage to get my brain to work enough to stand up and holler after them, “Wait!”

Charlie turns around and raises an eyebrow at me. “What?”

“Are you going to see her?” He reluctantly nods, and I take a few steps toward him. “Could you give me a ride? I need to get out of here, but I don’t know where my friends and father went—” I trail off. Thankfully Charlie doesn’t press the issue.

He watches me thoughtfully but then nods his head and motions for me to follow him to his car. Eli mutters something under his breath the whole drive to the hospital, but to be honest, I don’t care. I’m too numb to feel anything other than shock.

Tonight was a disaster. I don’t think I could have imagined anything like this happening in my wildest dreams. As I ride in the backseat toward the hospital, fear replaces the shock that’s consumed me. As the distance grows between me and the wreckage, that feeling of dread only grows. I am scared shitless to see the fallout from what happened here tonight. I don’t know what will happen, but I know I have to find a way to prove that my father did this. For Addison. For Mr. and Mrs. Parks.

Chapter 29

Addison

Addison - Age 18

My eyes are blurry as I blink them open. I flutter my eyelids a few times, trying to make the world around me come into focus. I’m able to make out a few figures as I regain consciousness. One of them notices me coming around and steps forward.

“Addison? Addison, can you hear me?” they ask. I register that it’s a feminine voice speaking, and I blink a few more times, trying to clear the fuzzy edges of my vision. Finally, I can make her out. She has dark hair, eyes, and a kind smile as she leans toward me. “I’m Dr. Brunner. You’re in the hospital, you were caught in a fire last night and had some burns, but we’ve treated them. We’ve given you some medication to help with the pain. Just try and take it easy, okay?”

I don’t know what else to do but nod my head. Now that I’m aware of where I am, the panic begins. The heart monitor starts beeping faster, indicating my rising heart rate. With my vision cleared, I look around, trying to take in everything.

I was caught in a fire?

It all starts returning to me, and my horror starts to grow. Memories of flames licking up the walls of the café flash in my mind. My throat starts to feel scratchy as I visualize the thick wall of smoke which formed rapidly, making it hard to breathe. Flames erupted from the storeroom, immediately feasting on anything they could reach.

My eyes go wide as I stare out at nothing, my vision tunneling and going dark around the edges. My heart rate picks up more, the beeping from the monitor coming faster and faster. My chest heaves as I attempt to breathe, the sensation of suffocation weighing heavily on my chest as if I was still stuck in the smoke. The tube underneath my nose feels too tight, and the blanket I’m under too heavy. I reach for the tubing and attempt to pull it off my face.

I can’t breathe. I need to get out of here. I need to release this constriction tightening on my lungs, suffocating me.

“No, no, no—” I whisper over and over, my voice cracking from dryness.

Then a hand slips into mine and squeezes it. The weight seems to ground me, bringing me back to the present. Though my head pounds from increased blood pressure, I find myself calming. The cool air from the tubing under my nose finally reaches my brain, giving my body the oxygen it desperately craves. As my vitals start to level out, the panic begins to ease.

“That’s it,” a deep voice murmurs near my ear. “Deep breaths. You’re safe; you’re not alone.”

I do my best to listen, breathing as deeply as possible with the tube flushing air into my nose. Trying to focus on the gentle clicks and beeps of the machines around me instead of my racing thoughts. I blink a few times and am relieved to see Noah sitting by my side. He gives my hand another squeeze as I scan his face, searching and grasping onto the strength that he offers.

“Noah?” I whisper, and he scoots closer to the bed, reaching up his other hand to brush a few hairs out of my face. He offers me a small smile, and his familiar blue eyes trace over me.

“I’m here, Parks. Charlie, Eli, and Grace are out in the waiting room. We’re all here for you.” His voice is gentle and soothing, continuing to ease the storm inside me.

The doctor and nurses bustle around the room for another few minutes, ensuring my pupils are reactive. They then double-check my vital signs before noting them and excusing themselves from the room, leaving Noah and me in privacy.

“The café?” I croak. Noah hears the scratchiness of my voice and reaches for a cup of water on the side table, holding it up so I can take a sip. The cool water makes my throat ache, but it helps relieve some of the burn I’m experiencing.

Noah’s expression is grim, his eyebrows knit together, and his lips press into a thin line. “Yeah, there was a fire at the café.”

My breathing becomes heavy and exaggerated again as my heart threatens to beat out of my chest.

Noah laces our fingers together, which calms and grounds me. “Do you remember anything from last night?”

“Kind of,” I whisper. I frown, trying to piece the whole story together. My head starts to hurt, and I press my left hand up to my temple to ease the ache. A white bandage on my forearm catches my eye, and I tilt my head away to get a better look at it. Most of my arm, from my hand to my elbow, is wrapped tightly. The doctor said I had some burns, but I can’t determine their severity from the bandages.

“I’m sorry,” Noah says softly. When I look at him, his gaze is attached to my forearm; eyes stuck on the white gauze. “I should’ve been there sooner, I wish—I’m sorry.” The catch in his voice causes tears to threaten in his eyes, making my eyes water in response.

Pieces of it come back to me then, Noah rushing in and crouching next to me. Of him swinging me up into his arms, holding onto me tightly. I remember saying something to him as he rushed us out, but I can’t piece it together.

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