Hello everyone! I'm back with another addition to this collection of mini stories, this time with a "what if" sent to me via PM. I had many what ifs revolving around the same topic... "what if Ethan was more involved in the Zax wedding drama" "What if Honey got injured" "What if Ethan got injured" "What if Cal was there" and so I've decided to challenge myself to try and get them all into one short story, and when I say "short story" I actually mean "short story" as you all know I tend to say "short story" and I drag it out for ten or so chapters and so I will actually try and make this one short...ish. My weekly routine has changed quite a lot in this last week and so I won't have as much time to publish, most updates will probably be towards the end of the week as that is when I have the most free time however I will stick to it *promise* so please keep your unanswered questions, wonderings and what ifs coming in as I am still writing any time I get the chance to, and this collection of short stories is extremely far from finished I can assure you.

I hope you enjoy. Please let me know your thoughts on the first chapter of this new what if "heart over head", it would be much appreciated, thanks, Kayxxx :)

What if – Zoe and Max's wedding was even more traumatic...

Heart over head – Chapter one

Smoke covered the room within seconds. I stood back, what was happening? Time seemed to happen so fast. Just a few moments ago I was dancing with Honey and now...now everything's burning down. I had two thoughts, two most important thoughts that appeared in my mind instantly, 1: Cal, 2: Honey.

I knew Cal was fine; I could hear him calling me but Honey...she was behind me when I jumped in to grab Max, when the gas light thing fell, she was behind me, meaning the fire thing was in between us, meaning she's behind the fire...no, surely not? I looked deep into the smoke; only seeing flashes of people scurrying to safety, and hearing terrified screams of the guests who were just a few moments ago having a lovely time, but no Honey..."Honey?" I whispered, why I whispered I'll never know it did no help, "Honey!" I managed to shout that time. I saw something move on the floor through the smoke, in between the fire and me, it may not be Honey but whoever it was, needed help. I moved closer I could feel the heat of the fire on my face. I took in a deep breath and shouted once more "Honey!" Toward the figure on the floor, but the deep breath of thick black smoke I decided to inhale was probably not for the best. I felt it hit the back of my throat and bury down into my lungs, polluting them instantly and I entered a coughing fit; my body desperately fighting for some clean air.

"Ethan, what are you doing? We need to get out of here!" I heard Cal's voice speak out and a hand grab my arm. But I protested, I shook my head and shoved off the hand "Honey!" I spluttered through my coughing, which was pointless; I couldn't even understand what I had said yet I was the one who had said it.

"Ethan come on!" Cal demanded as I felt my body being practically lifted by the force of my older brother desperately grabbing at me to leave.

"Where's Honey?" I asked him as he pushed me, my eyes were still very much fixed on where the figure lay on the floor, but my view of it had now been covered with smoke.

"She's probably outside with everyone else Ethan for god sake just get out!" Cal roared as he pushed me, hard, but I just couldn't seem to move myself. What if that figure was Honey? What if she's not outside with everyone else but lying there, by the fire, breathing in all this smoke? No. She WILL be outside, she'll be with Noel. I repeated the thought that she'd be with Noel in my head as I felt Cal place his arm over my shoulders and hurry us outside, he practically threw both our bodies down the stairs and we landed on the grass, just in time. I turned to witness the place where I was just stood crumble to the ground; I watched it, side by side with my brother who sat with the same shock-horror expression on his face as the building collapsed. I could practically read his mind, I knew he would be thinking "thank god we got out of there when we did" but all I could think was: "Honey will be with Noel, SHE WILL BE WITH NOEL"

Cal placed his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye, "are you okay?" He asked. I hesitated for a moment; everything was too much for me to take in, was I okay? I felt completely numb because of everything that was happening, I could be pouring with blood and I wouldn't know it, though I'm sure if I was pouring with blood Cal would react a lot differently than just asking if I'm okay. I managed to nod in reply to his question.

"Jesus lads, looks like you got out of there just in time" Noel's voice spoke out, "are you okay Ethan?" He asked as he stood over me beside Big Mac.

"Are there ambulances on their way? He's breathed in a lot of smoke he can't stop coughing" Cal spoke out as he stood up.

Me? Coughing? Oh wait, I am, I'm coughing, badly, I can't catch my breath, how did I not notice I still was coughing?

"They're coming" Big Mac reassured my older brother.

"And how are you doc?" He asked then their voices trailed off into mere background noise, like the sounds of the screams and the collapsing buildings had too.

I looked up at Noel to find he was alone, with Big Mac but, alone...no Honey.

Please no.

I had to get back in there, I just had to.

I managed to get myself up onto my knees and then heave my body up, though I stumbled forward but saved myself from the fall by putting out my hands into the muddy grass before me, still coughing whilst doing all this.

"Where are you going?" Cal's voice called.

"Ethan you need to calm down okay?" He spoke softly as he kneeled down before me.

I shook my head, "no" I managed to speak through my coughing and pushed him out of the way; I would get back in there, even if I had to crawl, I need to get to Honey.

Realisation must've grown upon Noel during my desperate scurrying, "where's Honey?" He spoke out as he looked toward Cal in worry, "I thought she was with you!" Cal spat out in concern.

"No she was with Ethan, she has been all night" Noel replied as he looked down at me.

I shook my head slowly. Noel darted instantly back into the crumbling building in search of his daughter.

Oh God no she's still in there she, she's in there, what type of person leaves the girl he loves in a burning building? I need to get there, I need to find Honey, I need to- breathe. I need to breathe, I can't breathe, I'm chocking...why can't I breathe?! It felt as though someone had their hand wrapped around my neck and squeezing so hard, my hands shot up to my neck to free the hands from around it but there weren't any, what was happening to me?

"Ethan look at me, look at me" Cal demanded as he kneeled down before me and pulled my hands off from feeling my neck.

"Calm down. You need to calm down you're having a panic attack, just breathe" he explained.

Breathe? BREATHE?! How am possibly supposed to do that I'm chocking!

"No you're not, you're not chocking Ethan, just take deep breaths okay?" He spoke determinately. I must've said that out loud...unless he felt as though he could read my mind too.

"In" Cal whispered as he inhaled, I did too, he held the breath there for a few moments; "out" he whispered as he slowly exhaled, I did too. We repeated this a few times before I began to calm, I could physically feel my heart rate drop back down to normal within my body.

"I need to find Honey, Caleb" I announced as I stood myself up.

Cal shook his head dramatically and began his lecture, "There's no way I'm letting you back in there Ethan-" he was cut off.

"Cal, Ethan, help us out will you?" Robyn called over to us as she held up some fire extinguishers.

Cal ran over and grabbed two, he threw one over to me but it hit the ground, I stood frozen, I felt so helpless...HONEY IS IN THERE.

"Listen mate, stop moping 'round yeah? You're not going back in that building if it's the last thing I do so grab an extinguisher and help out" Cal spoke firmly as he threw the extinguisher at me once more which I caught this time.

I sprung into action. I knew exactly where Honey was stood when the fire begun. I knew exactly where that figure lay through all the smoke. I grabbed my fire extinguisher and ran straight for it aiming right where the body lay. Soon enough the fire where I was aiming started to die down a little, just enough for me to see; the body was gone. I stood there for a moment in complete shock; they must have gotten themselves out.

Suddenly there was a huge explosion that seemed to rattle the earth, we all looked out to the river to find Dylan's boat go up completely in flames. No one had even noticed it leaving port, how had it caught fire? It must've been the embers off the fire from the building...there was splashing around the boat as if somebody had thrown themselves in, it must've been Dylan was my initial thought but then my assumptions soon changed.

"Zoe!" Max screamed tears were streaming down his face. Oh how completely messed up this entire day had become for them this was their wedding day ergo supposedly "the happiest day of their lives" yet the guests stood around trying to get die the fire down where the reception was being held whilst the bride had to jump from an exploding boat and the groom was in floods of tears.

"Charlie!" Lofty yelled. I looked over to find Charlie plunge himself into the water in attempt to rescue Zoe...this can't end well.

We all stopped what we were doing and watched for any signs, none came. I had held my breath since the second Charlie threw himself into the water.

"Zoe!" Max cried as he ran out into the water splashing about aimlessly.

Suddenly Charlie burst out of the water holding Zoe's limp body in his arms.

"...Cal!" I called as I released my breath; I seemed to be the first to notice them.

I ran down to the water, with my brother following closely behind and took Zoe's body from Charlie's grasp. I placed her gently on the ground and my doctor instincts hit in instantly.

"Zoe, it's Ethan can you hear me?" I called as I checked for any signs of breathing; there weren't any.

"Ethan please save her please you have to save her" Max sobbed at my side. The pressure of being medically qualified had never been so great. Cal hugged Max in attempt to calm him but also to allow me to get on with my job. I began chest compressions, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10...repeat, repeat once more...30. Check breathing again. Nothing. Two rescue breaths. Come on Zoe...come on, Hallelujah! Zoe took in a huge gasp for air and coughed out some water she had taken in during her struggle in the river. Cal kneeled down to help me roll her over into the recovery position and I let out a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding in. I stood up and looked around for signs of an ambulance and noticed a lot had changed since I last looked around me. There were two fire engines and many firemen fighting the flames of the burning building, the guests of the wedding had been moved far away and there was one ambulance parked beside there.

"Is she alive?" Max asked desperately as he grabbed at my suit.

"Just about" I replied admittedly.

"Thank you" he whimpered and he threw his arms around me.

I looked over at Lofty who had his arms around Charlie who looked pale, even pale for him; he didn't look well at all. Dylan was sat alone on the grass, he had burns to his face and hands, he was shaking and completely drenched from having to jump from his boat.

"We need that ambulance over here now!" I shouted over to Robyn who was still stood by the ambulance.

"It's full" she shouted back.

"Surely this is more important?!" I called in confusion; there was a woman who had been practically dead for a few moments, an elderly man who looked on the verge of death himself and another man with burns...all three had the high possibility of having hypothermia.

"Honey's in there!" She called back.