Well, I've been sick all day. I got to school and felt like really dizzy and weird. Then I got to science and felt like I was going to puke. I had a fever and still do but not as high. So my mom came and picked me up.

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Charlie knelt by Leland's side and tried to bring him back into consciousness. "Come on, Leland! You've been strong so far. Stay with me… please." She looked up at the light and saw it flickering.

"There they are!" a man yelled. "Go get help and hurry."

Charlie's heart began racing. "Hurry! He's unconscious! He needs a doctor now," she yelled. She knelt by Leland again. "Help's here, Leland. Helps here." She pulled him up to his feet just as more men arrived.

"Leland!" one man yelled as he saw Leland. "How is he?"

Charlie looked up. "He's unconscious, but I think he'll be alright after they set the leg, get him fed and re-hydrated."

He nodded at her. "Are you alright?"

"I have a few scrapes, but I'm fine. Hurry up!" she yelled.

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They got Leland and Charlie out and quickly rushed Leland to the hospital. Charlie had to wait for another ambulance.

"I'm Duane Chapman, Leland's dad," one man said.

"Charlie. Nice to meet you." They look alike, she thought with a friendly smile.

"You saved his life and I want to thank you for that."

"Don't thank me. Any decent person would've done the same for me or you. I was doing my job, like I was trained."

Duane looked at her. "I doubted you. When I heard, I told my wife that you probably abandoned him. And I'm sorry for that. I should've had more faith in you. I'm sorry."

Charlie smiled. "I understand completely. He's your son and you were concerned. It's a father's instinct to protect his son and that's what you wanted to do. I know how it is."

Duane smiled. "Thank you again for my son's life and for your understanding. That's more than I could've even asked for."

"It's not more. You'd ask if you needed that understanding enough." Charlie sighed. "Go on. Leland will want to see you."

Duane nodded. He couldn't help but smile at her before he left. Charlie watched him walk away to care for Leland.

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The nurses cared for Charlie quickly and then left. Charlie went to look for Leland. She found him with his leg in a brace. She smiled. "Hey. How's your leg?"

"Much better now. I thought I'd never see you again."

"Yeah. They wanted to patch up my scrapes. And I had a sprained wrist, but I'm okay. So here I am. I wanted to make sure my latest rescue lived."

"Yeah, they said I pulled through great. And I still have my leg which is the best thing."

Charlie nodded. "Where's your dad? I thought he'd be here with you."

"No, I made him go home and sleep. He hasn't slept since he heard about us. I'm surprised you two were able to stay awake."

"Ah, well, I'm used to it by now. I don't always get as much sleep as I'd like to."

"I don't think any of us do." He paused. "I want to thank you for saving me in there. It was something you had a choice about and I can't help but be glad with the choice you made."

"I already have several deaths on my head. I won't have another. I couldn't deal with that."

"What do you mean? You already have several deaths on your head. What does that mean?"

"I do whatever I can, but sometimes, I can't save everyone. The people who give up on me are the people who get left behind most of the time, unless I have time to go back and save them."

"I gave up and you didn't leave me."

"Because you and I were the only people there, I saved us both. We'll be alright."

"All thanks to you. I would've died there without you in that cave with me. You saved me…" he paused. "You're my saving angel."

Charlie looked at him, startled by what he had just called her. "Leland, when we were in that cave, I thought back on every rescue I ever made and this one was so different."

"How was it different? You rescued me the same as the others."

"No, I really had to fight for this one." She paused and looked into his eyes. "And YOU were the one I was saving this time. That made it all worth it."

Leland smiled at her. He took her hand in his and kissed it. He reached in and kissed her lips.

"Well, I guess there was a lot more than just a rescue going on in that cave," Duane said from behind them.

Charlie and Leland shared a small laugh before looking at Duane. "This is new for us, Dad," Leland said. "And we were too busy trying to get out of the cave then. But NO, we can have some time."

Charlie smiled at him. "Well, I guess in that time we were in that cave, we somehow found the time to fall in love."

Leland kissed her easily. "Are you gonna be okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She flashed a short smile. "I'm a member of the National Guard. I'll be fine."

"Well, you may be a member of the National Guard, but you're also my saving angel."

Charlie looked at him. "I guess you owe me one."

"I'll pay you back, eventually."

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Wow. I feel really sick. I have to go lay down now. I MIGHT post another chapter tomorrow, depends on how sick I feel.