Fire.
The word sent chills down Sybil's spine
She had just finished her shift at the hospital when she was given the news that Downton Abbey caught fire.
A million thoughts ran through her mind.
Is my family all right? My parents? My sisters? Tom? The children?
When she arrived at the grounds, it was chaos. The fire is just about out. Firemen coming and going, the servants milling about. She found Mary and Edith among the crowd. Edith in particular looked exhausted from the ordeal.
"We're fine, darling." Mary said. "Edith set fire to her room like an idiot, but we're fine. Thomas saved Edith and we won't hear the end of it for a long, long time, I'll bet."
The near-tragedy has not dampened the eldest Crawley sister's spirits at least.
She went over to her parents who have been speaking to the firemen. Sybil breathed a sigh of relief when she found her daughter and niece with them. She gave them all a big, big hug.
"Where is Tom?"
Her parent's faces changed countenance. Her mother gave the answer she most feared.
"Darling. The firemen took too long to arrive. Tom went back inside. He thought he could fight the fire himself."
Sybil's heart fell. The gallant fool, she thought. She was at a loss about what to do next. Was she supposed to look if anyone's been injured? There were already emergency personnel there.
Oh, god. What was she going to say to Sybbie?
She was startled out of her contemplation when Sybbie shouted "Daddy!"
And there he was. Still in his robe and pajamas, smelling of sweat and smoke. Sybil is dumbfounded.
"My darlings." He said as her took his wife and his daughter in arms.
Sybil felt a sense of relief, then anger.
"You idiot!", she swatted at his shoulder. "What were you thinking? What were you trying to prove? I almost had a heart attack worrying about you! Why do you have to act like the hero? Do you have any idea what would happen to me if something happened to you? Did you think of our child? We'd be devastated! I'm too young to be a widow, damn you!" She said all these thing while pummeling his chest with her tiny fists.
"Stop! Stop! I surrender!" He exclaimed. "I'm sorry, all right? It's just...Like it or not Downtown is our home for now. And even though you say we don't belong here anymore, I think you'd be sad if Downton was lost, and I don't want you to be sad."
And like that Sybil's anger faded as quickly as it flared up. She hugged her husband and felt him kiss the top of her head.
"You won't lose me. Not if I can help it. Not ever."