Page 11 of Rhodes
Ethan responds through radio, but I can’t understand his response.
Suddenly there is another explosion, that shakes the ground, but it’s not nearly as powerful as the first one. A woman in the crowd screams.
“Rhodes!” The other firefighter yells into his radio. “Rhodes, what happened?”
All the blood in my body goes suddenly cold. I’m frozen in place, unable to react, to breathe. I can only wait the impossibly long time it takes for anything to happen. It feels like volume of everything happening around me is turned down so low I can’t register it. The seconds turn to minutes. The minutes turn to hours. The hours turn into days. At least that’s what it feels like to me, but in truth hardly any time has probably passed. Someone standing next to me knocks into me and all at once the volume is cranked up when I turn to see a man jumping and pointing.
“There they are!” He yells.
I turn just as the two firefighters on the radio run towards the mineshaft entrance. I can see another firefighter coming out and he’s holding another unconscious firefighter over his shoulder. I can’t see either of their faces. One of them has to be Ethan.
The EMT runs over to the men and they all move the unconscious man onto the stretcher. The men step back and I’m able to see Ethan sooty face. I draw in a burning breath of relief. But he does the unthinkable. He turns and heads back into the shaft entrance.
“Where is he going?” I scream, but no one answers me.
The wait is unbearable again. Someone else must be in there. The crowd starts to cheer as Ethan emerges from the entrance again, with someone else over his shoulder. This man is dressed in regular clothes. Another stretcher appears, and the man is whisked away.
I lift the yellow tape when I see Ethan drop to his knees. I push my way passed someone trying to stop me from going any further.
“Ethan!” I yell and drop to my knees next to him.
I through my arms around his next and hold onto him, never wanting to let go. I feel Ethan’s arms wrap around me and hold me close.
“I’m okay,” he says, his voice raspy.
“I was so scared.”
“I know.” He rubs his hand up and down my back. “I know, me too.”
“I love you.” I pull back to look at him.
“I love you too.”
“Don’t ever scare me like that again.” I smack him in the chest.
He’s not even phased by my assault, but chuckles to himself. “I promise, I won’t be going into those old mine shafts anytime soon.”
I want to push him harder, but I know that is a conversation for another day. Right now, I’m just grateful that he’s okay.
Epilogue
RHODES
“Are there any other questions?” I ask the room full of students. Twenty-five little arms shoot up in the air.
It’s my yearly visit to Hazel’s class to teach her students about fire safety.
“Questions about fire safety,” Hazel clarifies.
All but one of the arms goes down. I point to the little girl with twin braids still holding up her hand.
“Yes?”
“Is it true that you saved two people in the old mines?” she asks with an adorable lisp.
I’ve grown accustomed to this question. It’s now the only thing I seem to be known for in this town beside being Hazel’s husband.
“Yes, it is.”
