Chapter 13
They got into the Jeep and started out of the parking lot. Gary looked over at Kaitlyn and saw that she was upset. They drove in silence for awhile until Gary spoke first.
"Why are you so upset with me?" He asked.
"Why? Gary you told me that you were going to be there on time. You were almost a half hour late." Kaitlyn said.
"It couldn't be helped. I got tied up." Gary said.
"You could have called." Kaitlyn said. "We could have rescheduled. Then we had to rush out of there. He probably thinks were nuts. Wanting to get married so quickly." Kaitlyn said as she crossed her arms.
"You know what? Maybe we are nuts." Gary said in frustration as he stopped the car.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kaitlyn asked angrily.
"I don't have time to argue with you about this right now. I'm already late." Gary said as he handed Kaitlyn the cell phone. "Call 911 and report a fire. Stay here." He said as the slammed the car door.
Kaitlyn watched Gary run across the street and head into the apartment building. She dialed 911 and reported the fire. After she hung up, she looked out the window. She felt awful. She knew what a great burden of responsibility the paper was for him. She felt terrible for coming down on him so hard. She would have to apologize and make it up to him, she thought to herself as she got out and stood by the car.
Gary headed into the building. He was late. At this point, he knew he couldn't stop the fire. He just had to hope he could get everyone out safely. It was a small apartment building housing 10 apartments, 5 apartments on each floor. He looked at the paper. The fire was to start when an elderly man passes out with a cigarette in his hand. The only problem was Gary didn't know which apartment the fire would start in. He decided to pull the fire alarm. When he pulled it, nothing happened.
"Great." He said disgusted.
He started knocking on doors and getting people to evacuate the building. He was in the process of evacuating the first floor when he heard smoke alarms going off. He got everyone out of the first floor. As he headed up to the second floor, people were already coming out of their apartments and heading down the stairs. He stopped a woman carrying a young child.
"Where does the old man live?" Gary asked.
"Last apartment on the left. My brother is trying to get him out." The woman said as she hurried down the stairs.
Gary ran into the hallway, which was already filled with smoke. He ran into a man.
"I can't get him to open the door." He screamed as he coughed.
"I'll get him." Gary said as he headed down the hall.
"Hey buddy, the smoke is to thick." The man screamed then ran down the stairs to exit the building.
When Gary got to the door, he was able to kick it in. The smoke was so thick he couldn't see anything. He got down on his knees and began to crawl into the apartment. The smoke was overwhelming and before Gary knew it, he collapsed on the floor.
Kaitlyn was waiting by the car when the fire trucks arrived. She saw a man run out of the building, pull a firefighter aside, and tell him something. She then noticed flames shooting from a second floor back window. As the firefighter headed into the building, she crossed the street and grabbed the man she saw talking with the firefighter.
"Hey, my fiancée went in there. Did you see him?" She asked frantically.
"He was trying to get Mr. Hanson out." The man said. "I told him the smoke was too thick. He didn't listen."
As she turned toward the building, she saw the firefighters carry someone out and place him or her on a paramedics gurney. They headed for the ambulance. She ran to the ambulance only to see that it was an elderly man.
She ran to the firefighter, who brought out the old man and said, "My fiancée is in there. He was trying to get him out."
"The hallway wall collapsed as we were trying to bring him out. They're getting him out now." He said.
"Is he okay." Kaitlyn screamed.
"I don't know, ma'am." He said.
"Oh, God." She cried as she saw them carry Gary out and lay him on a stretcher.
She ran over to the paramedic.
"Is he okay. Please tell me he is okay. Gary!" She cried as she stroked his hair.
"Ma'am he can't hear you he's unconscious." The paramedic said as they headed towards the ambulance.
"What hospital are you taking him to?" She asked.
"Chicago Memorial." He said as he put Gary into the ambulance.
Kaitlyn stood and cried as the doors closed and the ambulance pulled away. She ran over to her car and followed as closely behind as she could. On the way to the hospital she called Marissa at McGinty's and told her what had happened. She asked her if she could get in touch with Gary's parents and have them meet her at the hospital.