Wilhelmina laid in her bed silently, her hand sweeping over the empty spot on the other side, longing for it to be filled. Forget it Willie, he almost cheated on you with your Prozac sister..be strong. She peered over her shoulder and reached for her phone, turning it on to see the time. 10:30. She sighed and began to text Marc ; Going to be Late . Wilhelmina set down her phone and sat up in her bed, a sharp pain shooting across her stomach. She winced, waiting it out for about 10 seconds until the pain died down to an uncomfortable sting then she picked back up her phone to call Marc, only getting voice mail.
She laid back slowly as it continued to intensify without stopping. What the hell? ...She stood to her feet quickly and was immediately knocked back down with a wind of dizziness hovering over her. She tried to ignore it, balancing herself on the side of the wall as she entered her closet to pick an outfit for the day. You have to make it today, this is important, show that your unaffected.
NWJ
Daniel sat on his mother's the couch grouchily, a bag of chips in his hands as he wallowed in his utter misery, flipping through the channels aimlessly. Claire ran up behind him and snatched the bag, setting it to the side.
"Get up!" Claire bellowed, throwing a suit at him. "Get dressed so you can o to work."
"I don't want to go." Daniel whined, pushing away the suit in frustration.
"I didn't ask you that, now get up!"
"Mom..." Daniel whined childishly
The phone began to ring abruptly and Claire reached to pick it up. "Hello?..." Claire held the receiver and pulled the phone from her ear. "Daniel why is your wife calling me?"
Daniel's eyed widened, turning around with his knees in the couch as he reached for the phone. "Give it here.." He whispered.
"I'm going to put you on with Dan-...No?...Okay well was is it that you want...Your friend?...Has she had children before...Is it bad?...Can she walk?...Tell her to try a hot bath or a short nap that will ease her mind...why doesn't she call her do-...oh okay calm down...are you sure you don't want to talk to him?...Fine...No problem...See you at work," Claire sighed and hung up the phone.
"Was was that about?" Daniel asked. "Is she okay?"
"She sounded a bit upset but she's fine...She just called about her friend."
"Her friend?...Wilhelmina doesn't make friends...She eats them."
"Well she was just calling about her friend that's pregnant...she wasn't feeling well and was having like..."
"LIKE WHAT?" Daniel asked, concerned etched all over his face.
"Really bad stomach pains...I told her to take a hot ba-" Claire was barely able to finish before Daniel jumped over the couch and out the door, still in the clothes from the previous day.
NWJ
He sprinted down the hallways expeditiously, his feet moving faster than his thoughts as he slid down the hallways with ease. He stopped for a breath as he approached Wilhelmina's hall, slowing down when he spotted a shadowy figure descending down the stairs. "Renee?" Daniel questioned.
Renee turned around and smirked evilly, twinkling her fingers as she winked at him. Daniel's eyes widened as he leapt forward in anger. "Bitch!" He called out as he sprinted down the halls after her until an overwhelming smell filled his nostrils. "What the-" Daniel started, looking back at Wilhelmina's apartment as the smoke escaped from the underpass. Daniel immediately went into action, knocking his shoulder against the door until he realized that he still possessed a key. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the key, unlocking the door. He pushed the door open with all his might, screaming between calls "WILLIE! WILLIE! W-"
NWJ
"-illie!" Marc screeched, walking into Wilhelmina's office. He sighed when he spotted her on the chaise, fast asleep. He leaned in to see how deep in sleep she was and her eyes snapped open, scaring him entirely.
"Oh..You scared me."
"Sorry." Wilhelmina mumbled, sitting up easily as she held her back.
"Here you go." Marc handed her the hot compress and sat next to her on the edge of chaise. "Are you okay?"
Wilhelmina winced, taking the pack and easing it behind her back. "I'm fine, I just have this sharp pain that kind of migrates fom my stomach to my back."
"Do you want me to call the doctor?" Marc asked and Wilhelmina shook her head.
"No...I'll be fine...it's probably just stress."
"Well you are just 15 weeks..."
"That was yesterday." Wilhelmina corrected him.
"Where the hell is Wilhelmina?" Claire screamed as she stumbled into her office.
Wilhelmina sat up slowly, peeking her head into Claire's view. "I'm in my office."
"Have you talked to Daniel?"
"No...Why?"
"Your apartment is on fire!" Claire screeched, her arms flaring dramatically.
Wilhelmina's eyes bulged out and she sat up quickly, ignoring the pinch in her back. "Where is Daniel?"
"I think he is at your apartment." Claire whispered.
NWJ
Daniel ran out of the apartment and down the steps in his best efforts to escape the fire as it followed him closely. The crisp crackling of the flames crept behind him as the structure of the ceiling began to collapse. He bent down and ripped a piece of his pant leg off, bringing it to his mouth. His steps quickened down the stairs until he fell, stumbling on what seemed like a hard object. He looked up seeing black hair frayed against a singed mocha skin. Daniel crawled to his knees and brushed the hair from her face. "Renee?" She moaned, her leg turned in as if she had fallen as well. He sighed and picked her up, carrying her down the stairs as best he could despite the smoke that was beginning to compromise his breathing as well.
NWJ
"Willie No!" Marc yelled as Wilhelmina climbed out of the limo, running towards the building. She ignored him, running up to the firefighter who turned her away from the action.
"Ma'am you can't go pass this area." He stopped her, pointing back towards the limo.
Wilhelmina shook her head, holding her ribs tightly as she gasped to catch her breath. "My husband...he...he's in the building."
"Ma'm that's impossible, we got everyone out of the building an hour ago."
She bent over, her hands clasped around her knees as she attempted to speak. "D-Daniel Meade..where is he?"
"We didn't pull a Daniel Meade ma'am."
"Don't...lie...to me..He is in there!" Wilhelmina screamed as Marc came up behind her, covering her with a shawl. "Willie..let them work."
"No!" Wilhelmina screeched, shaking Marc loose and detouring the firefighters, running passed them all and into the smokey building.
Marc ran behind her, trying to catch up but failed as she leapt over the collapsed bricks and made her way in. "What the hell? SOMEONE STOP HER!" Marc bellowed pointing at the building. The firefighters circled around the building cautiously.
"We can't...the foundation is weakening..it's not even safe for us to be in there right now."
Marc held his hands in his hands as Claire ran behind him. "SHE'S PREGNANT, YOU HAVE TO GET HER OUT OF THERE!" Marc screamed to no avail.
"She's pregnant?" Claire questioned, looking at Marc in confusion.
The same firefighter that had denied Daniel's very appearance in the first place, strapped on his head gear and stepped forward, his husk mentality bringing attention to himself as his domineering voice boomed in their ears. "My wife's pregnant, man...I can't let that lady go down like this." He spoke harshly, rushing into the building against the advice of his co-workers.
NWJ
Daniel coughed brutally, still covering his mouth as he carried Renee down the steps. Reaching the second floor, he exhaled in relief just as a light headed spell came over him. He shook it off, continuing to descend down the stairs as they collapsed behind him.
"Daniel!"
Daniel spun around, looking for the distinctive voice. "Willie?" He questioned.
"Daniel!" Wilhelmina bellowed again, covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve.
Daniel looked down at the staircase below him and spotted Wilhelmina, on the bottom floor. "Wilhelmina...the baby...get out of here!"
"Not without you!" Wilhelmina yelled back.
Daniel looked at Renee's unconscious body that laid in his arms. He looked back at Willie and proceeded down the steps with Renee in his hands. "I'm coming." He coughed, heavily into the stitch of fabric over his mouth. Wilhelmina stood impatiently on the floor, looking around in fear as the ceiling began to slowly creak in, boards of wood buckling above her.
"Daniel hurry!"
Daniel, weak and tired, took all he had and made it down the last flight of stairs with the quickness, setting Renee down and hurrying towards Wilhelmina.
"Is...that...Renee?" Wilhelmina asked between hacks and coughs.
"No time to talk...I need to get us all out of here.." Daniel said, looking around at the openings to the building.
"Da- Dan- D- " Wilhelmina sputtered breathlessly as she traced the frame of the warm door, the handle; Hot from the fire. She looked up to see the husky firefighter, extending his hand as she slid down the wall in defeat.
Daniel spun around, seeing Wilhelmina on the floor, clutching her abdomen tightly as the husky firefighter took her into his arms and lifted her. He looked back to Renee, unmoving and than back to Wilhelmina. He moved, feeling the foundation weaken beneath him and the floorboards crackle under pressure. He scooped up Renee and followed behind Willie and her rescuer, only to have him halt in his steps.
"Dude why'd you stop, we're gonna die."
"We just might...The entrance is blocked off.:"
"What?"
"Here take her!" He yelled, handing Daniel, Wilhelmina.
"I'm holding her!" Daniel extended his arms to show Renee.
"Is that your wife?" He questioned.
"No."
"Than take your wife Jackass!" He raised his voice, watching as Daniel dropped Renee and reached out for a now unconscious Willie. He held her close, her heart beat slowing yet steadily. Daniel looked back at her, his eyes flickering between the panicked firefighter and a sick Wilhelmina. He looked at his hands in defeat, seeing how he couldn't take her pulse, he pressed his ear to her chest; her pulse a faint impression of a real one.
"She's barely breathing!"
"Which one?"
"Both of them!"
The husky firefighter stood back and rammed his shoulder into the door, thrusting it open forcefully to a corridor thar led to the foyer. Daniel ran through, holding Wilhelmina close to him as he emerged out into the fresh air behind the firefighter. He spotted the nearest stretcher and set her down, thrusting on her chest to preform CPR.
"Daniel what happened?" Marc asked, as the crowded around the pair.
Daniel looked up, his eyes rimmed in a Scarlet red while his face was pale and singed in ash and smoke which matched his tattered clothing and frayed hems. "She's not breathing...Mom give me your purse!"
"What?"
"I said give me your Godamn purse!" Her screamed, snatching the bag and placing it under the right side of her abdomen and continued with the chest compressions.
The Paramedics stepped to Daniel and moved him out of the way, continuing the CPR until they heard light light gasp escape from her lips. Daniel exhaled in relief, his attention quickly turning. "Where's Renee?"
"What?"Marc questioned.
Daniel batted away the Med Tech who tried to attend to him. "Renee...She's still in the building!" He yelled, trying to get the attention of the other firefighter.
"Why do you care?"
"She's my sister-in-law!" Daniel exclaimed, trying to get the attention of another firefighter. "MY sister in law is still in the building!"
"We can't go back in...I'm sorry."
"Bu-"Daniel started but was quickly brought back to a harsh reality by a quick smack to the cheek. "Do not focus on her..Go focus on your wife...your PREGNANT wife who RISKED HER LIFE running into a BURNING BUILDING to save your scrawny ass!...Now let this lady check you over and treat you so that you can focus on your family!...Your real family."
Daniel nodded sadly as he hopped onto the ambulance that they had loaded Wilhelmina onto. He sat on the edge seat and pulled her hand into his, pulling her close. Wilhelmina's eyes fluttered open, and clearing her throat she spoke. "You thought about it."
"What?"
"To save me or her...You had to think about it...