Page 62 of When It Burns

I nod at her and make my way into the private waiting room. I sit for a second, but I feel like I am going to lose my mind since I am unable to help. I stand and pace for what feels like hours until an older doctor enters the room. “Chief Johnson,” he asks, and I give him a quick nod, waiting to hear the prognosis.

“He’s got a bit of a recovery ahead of him, but he’s awake and from what I can tell, he’s going to be okay. He dislocated his shoulder, and we reset it already. He’s on a hefty dose of morphine right now, but he’ll just need rest and some PT for that. As for his other injuries, he inhaled a whole lot of smoke and he has a bunch of second-degree burns on the backside of his body—roughly twenty percent.”

I visibly wince, knowing from my first aid training that his burns are some of the most painful due to the layers of skin they affect. My grimace eases only slightly with the knowledge that they’ve already given him some strong IV pain meds, so hopefully he’s not too miserable. Poor kid won’t be running marathons anytime soon, that’s for damn sure.

Interrupting my thoughts, the doctor continues, “They’re hooking him up to IV fluids and have already started him on some high flow oxygen therapy for the smoke inhalation. Once he’s stable, we will transfer him to the ICU where, with the help of a great team of doctors, we can monitor his airway and wounds for complications.

“Also, he was pretty out of it when he came in, but he kept trying to ask about his sister. I talked to one of the other doctors who recognized him from the night of his family’s accident. He’s one of the leads on his sister’s case, and his wife has helped Zach with Bethany in the past. She went to get her, and they’re gonna make sure she’s taken care of while Zach is out of commission. I don’t know many people who would have run into that building the way that he did, but I have to say, he’s damn brave. It’ll be a while before he’s allowed to have visitors, but if you’ll leave your information with the nurse, I will call if anything changes.”

I nod, frustrated I can’t see him but thankful he’s getting the care he needs. I thank the doctor before making my way out and giving my information to the front desk. I stand there for a moment taking in the scent of antiseptic and smoke before darting out to my truck. For the second time in twenty-four hours, I am overcome with a myriad of emotions, and I drive toward the only place that I think can calm the chaos raging inside me.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

CAROLINE

The team runs out, and I shake my powder blue and white shaker in the air as the cheerleaders lead the crowd through some chants. I look through the mass of players and coaches on the sideline, trying to find Theo. I search through the faces twice before I realize he isn’t here.

Weird. Maybe he’s dealing with something in the locker room.

Margaret sits beside me, wearing another one of the Springside shirts we gave her last week. She leans over and bumps my shoulder. “Hmm, is Theo not here?”

I shrug at her. “He was. I was talking to him on the phone when he said he was pulling up to the stadium for pregame warmups. Maybe there’s something with one of his players that he needed to handle. He could be in the locker room.”

“Yeah, that’s probably it,” Margaret says, but I can tell she’s as unsettled by his absence as I am.

We all stand as the band plays the national anthem, and Hannah hip-checks me as the boys run out to the fifty-yard line for the kickoff. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay. He’ll be here soon. He’s grown to love these boys. No way he would miss this.”

I nod at her, trying to hide the fact that her words have made me more anxious. She’s right. Whether he’s willing to acknowledge it or not, Theo has fallen in love with this team. He wouldn’t miss this game for anything. I ignore the knot in my stomach and settle in to watch the game.

The boys play hard while the girls cheer loudly, as I fight to focus on the game. We score twice in the first quarter, and I shake my pom along with the beat to “When the Saints Come Marching In”. Hannah and Margaret squeeze my hand every once in a while, and as I smile at them, I can see their concern is growing alongside mine.

As halftime rolls around, I fight the urge to scream. Theo has been missing from the sidelines all game and no one seems to have any clue where he disappeared to. I have sent him at least ten panicked text messages, but they have all gone unanswered.

Beside me, Margaret twists her hands nervously. “I just don't understand. He wouldn’t miss this game. Where the hell is he?”

“I don’t know. Have you tried calling?” I ask as I try to focus my attention on my squad taking the field. Tonight, there’s no excitement in me for their performance because every part of my soul is focused on finding Theo. I try to put a pleasant smile on my face as the girls get into their formation, but even I can tell it looks forced.

“Let’s do it, girls!” I shout right before their music starts to boom loudly through the stadium.

The girls execute a complicated jump sequence as the music plays, and normally I would be bouncing right along with them. Tonight, I feel as though I barely have the energy to stand on the sideline as they begin the dance portion with a ripple. They call out “S-A-I-N-T-S” as they dance, and the crowd cheers along with them. They move to the stunt sequence as Maggie runs through the formation and completes her tumbling pass. She lands her full, and I know I should be screaming at the top of my lungs for her.

Instead, I just stare blankly at the sidelines as the girls throw the basket tosses in time to the beat of the music. Beside me, Hannah is going absolutely insane, jumping and screaming, until she reaches over for my hand and realizes that I haven’t moved since the routine started. She looks at me and wraps her arm around me before turning her attention back to the squad who is moving to their final formation. The bracing groups build up and wait for Maggie to load in before grabbing her arms and flipping her around one way and then back the other. From there she shoots up to her perfectly executed liberty while they scream, “Springside Saints” as the crowd screams in excitement.

I manage to clap my hands and give the girls another small smile before I turn back to the bleachers and take my seat. As soon as I sit, several fans come to tell me how impressed they were with the routine, and I do my best to be polite despite the fact that I am completely unfocused.

As the team runs back out onto the field to start the second half, I notice Huey coming my way. He stops in front of me and says, “Caroline, come on. We need to go.”

My heart stops. “What’s going on? Do you know where Theo is? Is he okay? I can’t leave the girls. The game isn’t over. Huey, what-”

“Caroline, breathe. I need you to come with me. Theo is safe, but he needs you,” the older man says, and I feel his anxiety as he tries to explain.

I open my mouth to ask another series of questions, but Hannah stops me. “Caroline, go! I have the girls. Keep us updated.”

I look over to Margaret who seems to be having a silent conversation with Huey. “Are you coming with us, Margaret?” I ask.

“I don’t think it’s me that he needs right now,” Margaret says with a worried smile. “Go figure out what’s going on. If there’s something major, text me, and I will come running.”

“Okay,” I say as I scramble to gather my things. Maggie looks up at me with worry in her eyes, and I give her a small smile. “It’s okay,” I mouth to her over the noise. “Y’all listen to Miss Hannah.”

---