Chapter 10

(Who fancies a bit of danger and action? LOL)

Maxine slowly woke up on Saturday morning around ten or so, expecting Dodger to be there next to her but his side was empty. She immediately sat up and woke up for a few minutes before getting out of bed and looking for her fiancée.

"Dodger? Babe?" She said as she headed into the kitchen. It was then when she found a small note on the table, telling her Dodger had to stop by the emporium he, Dirk and Dennis took care of. Maxine smiled before making herself a bowl of cereal, hoping she didn't have to in to work that day. As of late, she had been extremely busy with the wedding she was helping to plan and everything else on top of her and Dodger being relentlessly tormented,

Meanwhile at the emporium, Dodger was busy taking of inventory which was both a trying yet sort of enjoyable task. Dennis and Dirk had stepped out for a minute to take care of something so for now he was on his own. He then noticed there was a box of something in the back storage closet he needed so Dodger headed to the back and began looking for that specific box of "junk" as he called it.

The same person who had been terrorizing Dodger and Maxine looked around before lighting a match and tossing it to the ground but not before sending another text as they walked away. The match that was on the ground suddenly created small flicks of orange flames and the strong smell of smoke filled the air.

Back inside the shop, the smoke alarm started going off. Dodger went over to try to open the door but it was locked. He tried again to get the door to open but it didn't still wouldn't budge. The place was on fire and he wasn't sure he was going to get out!

Dennis was on his way back to the emporium and smelled smoke and hurried toward where it was coming from-sure enough it was on fire. "Dodger!' He called for his cousin hoping the other man would hear him. By then the lower half of the building was covered with flames. By then quite a few people were out in the middle of the village watching everything.

"Someone call 911!" Dennis cried out, not wanting Dodger to die in that fire. It would hurt not only him and Dirk but Maxine too. Suddenly the thought of his cousin's fiancée sent Dennis into hurrying back to the boat where he hoped Maxine would be.

Dodger was still trapped inside the store in the storage closet, coughing as he tried to keep the toxic fumes of the smoke at bay but every time he took a breath it felt like his lungs were on fire or something.

'Help!" He cried as he pounded on the door, as he called out for help he began to choke on the thick smoke in the air. He began to think of Maxine and how much it would devastate her if he didn't make it.

Dennis quickly opened the door of the boat and quickly began to look for Maxine, hoping she would be home.

"Maxine!" Dennis called out as he walked down the hall looking for the young woman.

Maxine came out of the bedroom when she heard Dennis call for her. He sounded scared which worried her. She prayed her fiancée wasn't in trouble but then again by the sound of her friend's voice, her hope was dashed. "Dennis what's wrong?" She asked with a scared look on her face.

"The emporium is on fire" Dennis said hoping the fire trucks were there and doing their best to save his cousin.

Maxine then covered her mouth with her hands in distress. "Oh my god Dodger" She said before immediately hurrying off the boat and heading into town where the fire was happening, Dennis a few feet behind her. As she got closer Maxine could smell the harsh fumes of flames and smoke. And sure enough there was Dodger's van.

"No! Dodger!" Maxine yelled out in anguish as she hurried toward the building with Dirk attempting to hold her back.

"Let the firefighters do their job love" Dirk said as he tried to keep the hysterical woman from doing something foolish and in the process getting killed.

"Let me go!" Maxine said through her heavy sobs, her body shaking with every sob and fear that her beloved Dodger could be hurt or dead. She had no idea what she would do if he didn't make it. She broke down in Dirk's arms.

At the same time, the fire squad had made their way inside the building looking for any people trapped inside. The place looked a mess with almost everything on fire and burning.

Dodger was losing his strength and the heat and the smoke was making him woozy and tired. He didn't want to give up just yet but there so much his body could take before it quit on him. As he drifted in and out of consciousness he thought of Maxine and all they have been through good and bad…

"I have to see him my fiancée's in there" Maxine protested through her tears, she couldn't stand not knowing what was going to happen.

"The firefighters are doing all they can Maxine, I'm sure Dodger is just fine" Dennis reassured his friend as the squad was at work extinguishing the fire.

Two of the firefighters broke down the storage closet door and found Dodger passed out on the floor from smoke inhalation.

"We have a male in his mid-twenties passed from smoke inhalation, need an ambulance now" One of the firemen radioed. He and his fellow firefighters picked up Dodger and carried him out of the building.

Maxine, Dirk and Dennis hurried to Dodger's side as soon as he was brought out.

"It's going to be okay babe, I'm right here" Maxine said as she reached for Dodger's hand, afraid to let go.

The ambulance then arrived and soon the crowd moved so the paramedics could help Dodger. They placed him on a stretcher and placed a mask over his mouth before wheeling him into the ambulance.

"Can I go with him? I'm his fiancée" Maxine told one of the EMTs. She didn't want to leave his side now that he was hurt and was afraid that something would happen if she left him all alone.

"Sure love" One of the paramedics said before Maxine got into the ambulance since Dirk and Dennis were getting their own ride to the hospital.

Maxine tried to stay calm through everything that was going on but it was hard. Her fiancée was fighting for his life and she had no idea how the fire started. Maybe it was a bad accident or something else? Something more sinister?

She took his hand and held it tightly as they were on their way to the hospital. "You're going to make it Dodge, I promise…you have to, for me and your family" she said softly as fresh tears began to form. "I love you so much and I can't bear to lose you"

Just then Maxine felt Dodger squeeze her hand back and she smiled in relief when she noticed he was awake. "Hey" She said trying not to cry of happiness but it was difficult not to. Maxine beamed when he reached out and touched her face.

Then they arrived at A&E hospital and Dodger was wheeled into recovery where he could recuperate from smoke inhalation. Luckily the firefighters got there before it was too late for him.

Awhile later, Dodger woke up and he was in a cool and white room so he was sure he was in the hospital. He remembered the fire and how the toxic fumes made it hard for him to breathe without coughing. But the sight he wanted to remember was Maxine's beautiful face.

"Hey babe" Maxine said as she held his hand, relieved he was okay.

"Hey" Dodger said softly, still a bit tired. "That was scary wasn't it?" He asked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"You need to rest Dodge, you can joke around later when you have the strength" Maxine said. She couldn't take that risk. For now he had to get better.

Dodger nodded. "Remember that time I saved you from that fire in The Loft?" He asked,

Maxine nodded. "Yeah, I was scared. But then you saved me"

"I'll always be here for you Maxine" Dodger said softly as he held her hand.

"I'll hold you to that" Maxine said with a smile. "You should be allowed to go home in a few hours" She continued.