Page 4 of Breathless

“Stop pulling at it and slow those breaths down, damn it. We need to get him to the hospital now.”

“Fire,” he rasped, his voice muffled his ribs aching with the force of his cough. He wanted to tell them about the smell. About the smoke. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t safe for anyone else to go in there.

The captain gripped Wyatt’s shoulders so tightly it felt like the older man’s strong hands were the only things keeping him upright. “We’ve got it under control, Finn. Reinforcements came while you were being a hero, so now all you have to do is to go with your brother and take care of this. Fix it, you got me? Because I am not losing either one of you tonight.”

The command was harsh, but oddly paternal. Comforting. Elder wouldn’t have cared, would he? He’d barely noticed Wyatt. He tried to nod, but his head was hurting too much to move. He needed to close his eyes until they stopped aching. Maybe lie down.

He must have blacked out. When he opened his eyes again, he was on his back with lights flickering like fire on the ceiling and people talking over him so rapidly he could barely understand them.

Burns his brother… Damage to his lungs, but we won’t know until…. Keep him intubated until…Chief Finn is demanding to…

Chief Finn. Solomon the Younger demanding things meant Noah would be taken care of. He’d have people looking after Zach, too. Younger was the oldest for a reason. The man got shit done.

He closed his dry, aching eyes again, still seeing red and black sparks popping in front of his lids. But if he focused, he could make out her face. It was framed by the colorful hair that was the first thing he noticed about her. Wild fairy hair. Blue, purple and gray all faded and mixed together, making her gray-green eyes look almost violet in the right light. She’d taken out the sexy lip piercing months ago, but she didn’t need it to draw his attention to her mouth.

Damn, he loved her mouth. The sensual smile that always felt like a dare. She used it on him every time she tested his boundaries and challenged him to try something new. To see more than his narrow corner of the world. To explore desires he’d never let himself look at too closely, let alone share.

He’d heard her voice in his head like she was right there with him the whole time, but there was no way she could have been. She was on the other side of the country with her nose buried in a textbook. Her smile was daring someone else to think. Making someone else feel special, just by being near her.

He’d give anything to talk to her again. There were things he needed to tell her. Things she needed to know.

But he’d heard her. That had to mean something. She’d helped him get Noah out of there.

Noah.

He’s struggling with the tube. I thought he was sedated. Get me another…

Wyatt’s eyelids felt like cement, but he managed to lift them enough to see the shape of a woman through his singed lashes. She was blurry and glowing, but he could tell it wasn’t Fiona. Other than the blue scrubs and serious expression, this lady looked a little like his mother.

Not a good sign for him, he thought as he started to sink into unconsciousness for good. Laney Finn had been dead since he was Zach’s age.

---