A/N: Great news! Your generous reviews caused inspiration to strike and I
stayed up till 4 last night, writing. I have finished up to Chapter 14 but
I will continue only to post one chapter at a time. I won't give you a
number to how many days will be between each post but let's just say that
reviews make me much more willing to transfer the chapter from the terrible
handwriting their in now, in my notebook, to my computer, then to FF.net.
Be warned, they are long chapters and I'm not a big fan of typing, so I
need encouragement but believe me, it will be worth it. This stuff is the
best writing I've ever done, fanfiction or not. Well, now that I've stopped
bragging, I live you with 2 simple instructions, no 3, no 4. Number 1: Read
This Chapter. Number 2: Review. Number 3: Check back for more. Number 4:
Enjoy.
Chapter 8: The Rescue
"Ma'am...Ma'am, are you okay?"
Amy snapped out of her devastated daze to turn to the policeman who had clearly been addressing her for some time now. She vaguely saw his mouth continue to move but nothing processed in her brain as she tightly clutched the inhaler in her hand.
Apparently, the officer noticed her preoccupation because he stopped himself in mid-sentence and gestured to the inhaler.
"Is that yours ma'am? Do you have asthma? Are you having an attack?" he asked, afraid that his one witness was about to pass out on him.
"What? No...No, it's not my inhaler. It's Ephram's." As the words passed over her lips, their full impact hit her. Ephram was inside a burning building, alone and unable to breathe, he didn't have his inhaler, he didn't have help, and he was in incredible danger. If they were able to get him out before he was burned alive, it would be too late, he would have already died from suffocation.
"Oh, God, no. It's all my fault." Amy whispered as the realization struck her.
"What are you talking about Ms. Abbott? What's all your fault?" the policeman asked, suddenly grasping her arms tightly.
"Ephram's going to die and it will be all my fault. I forgot to give him his inhaler. I left him alone with nothing. He has asthma; he'll have stopped breathing by now. He's dead, I know it. It's all my fault. It's all my fault! I killed him! Oh God, no! Ephram!" Amy's knees went weak and she wobbled as she felt her heart break into tiny pieces. She began sobbing more than she had all night. She barely registered the feeling of the officer's arms encircling her body, easing her onto the ground as she was wracked with heavy suffocating howls. She didn't feel Nina's hand grip her shoulder and she definitely didn't hear the sound of sirens as a fire truck pulled into the parking lot and yellow-suited firemen began unloading from the vehicle, toting large hoses and heading towards the burning diner. She just shook with deeper and deeper sobs, eventually running out of tears and finally just heaving dryly as she continued to weep. Suddenly, though, she felt the gentle officer shake her and grab her chin, pulling her eyes up to meet his.
"Ms. Abbott, Amy, we need you to tell us what part of the restaurant your friend was in. They've put out the fire. They're going in to get him."
"Why does it matter?" Amy heard herself saying dully, "He's already dead. He's dead and I killed him."
Suddenly, Nina grasped her shoulders harshly and spun her around to face her.
"Amy Nicole Abbott, you did not kill Ephram. He's not dead and if he was it wouldn't be your fault. You accidentally forgot to give him his inhaler. It was an accident. It's amazing that you remembered how to walk after the night you've been through. Ephram's not dead and it's not your fault. So get a hold of yourself and tell the officer where to find him." Nina's words were harsh, but her eyes were filled with pain and sympathy.
"How do you know he's not dead?" Amy couldn't seem to pull herself out of the pit she found herself wallowing in.
"Because I know Ephram. He wouldn't give up that easily. You know he wouldn't."
And as Amy saw the strong belief in Nina's eyes, she did know it. Ephram was not one to give up. He would fight with everything he had in him to get out alive.
Resolved, Amy turned back to the once burning, now merely wet, black, and still slightly smoky building. After getting her bearings and searching her mind she ran over to the fireman who looked to be in charge of the rescue. She grabbed his shoulder and spun him around with strength she didn't know she possessed.
"Ephram's in the kitchen. It's on the far south side of the building, towards the back."
"Ok, ma'a..."
"No, my name is Amy not ma'am and anything you say to me can wait until after you find him. Now go."
The tall fireman nodded, staring unbelievably at the petite blond who had just told him to hurry his ass up. He turned to his crew and began shouting out orders, soon venturing into the blackened diner. He and the other men on his team sifted their way through the debris that had once been tiny cozy tables, comfortable cushy booths, perfect for cuddling with your significant other, and lacy homemade curtains that had once fluttered lightly in the wind coming through the open window, but now hung wet and charred, dripping in the cold night air.
The tall fireman carefully pulled off the debris that blocked the door to the kitchen and made his way in. Looking around, his eyes came to rest on what appeared to be a shoe buried underneath a large pile of what was once the roof.
"Oh, please Lord, no." the compassionate man muttered to himself as he approached the pile. Carefully pulling off a large piece of wood, the strong masculine fireman felt tears spring to his eyes as he discovered that a leg was attached to the shoe. He had found the boy who obviously meant so much to the courageous girl outside and he was devastated to think of what he might find under the foot of debris.
Once again screaming for his crew, they began to quickly and carefully remove the debris. Fortunately, they didn't find any terribly large pieces which would have crushed the boy had they fallen on him but as they drew nearer the bottom of the pile, droplets of blood began to appear and the men each found themselves wiping their eyes so that they could continue to see clearly. Finally, after removing a particularly large piece of debris, they found him and the tears flowed freely.
Amy stood silently in the cold, staring at the building in which the firemen had entered several minutes before. Her eyes began to sting as she faced the smoky wind but she refused to look away. She was going to see Ephram come out. Hopefully, walking on his own and smiling that adorable half-smile that he seemed to reserve for her and her alone.
After several more minutes, she saw him come out but it was not the way she dreamed. In fact, it was very nearly her worst nightmare. Running up to him, with Nina closely following, she reached him and thought she might faint. As fresh silent tears cascaded down her cheeks, she heard Nina whisper behind her.
"I forgot to call Andy."
Chapter 8: The Rescue
"Ma'am...Ma'am, are you okay?"
Amy snapped out of her devastated daze to turn to the policeman who had clearly been addressing her for some time now. She vaguely saw his mouth continue to move but nothing processed in her brain as she tightly clutched the inhaler in her hand.
Apparently, the officer noticed her preoccupation because he stopped himself in mid-sentence and gestured to the inhaler.
"Is that yours ma'am? Do you have asthma? Are you having an attack?" he asked, afraid that his one witness was about to pass out on him.
"What? No...No, it's not my inhaler. It's Ephram's." As the words passed over her lips, their full impact hit her. Ephram was inside a burning building, alone and unable to breathe, he didn't have his inhaler, he didn't have help, and he was in incredible danger. If they were able to get him out before he was burned alive, it would be too late, he would have already died from suffocation.
"Oh, God, no. It's all my fault." Amy whispered as the realization struck her.
"What are you talking about Ms. Abbott? What's all your fault?" the policeman asked, suddenly grasping her arms tightly.
"Ephram's going to die and it will be all my fault. I forgot to give him his inhaler. I left him alone with nothing. He has asthma; he'll have stopped breathing by now. He's dead, I know it. It's all my fault. It's all my fault! I killed him! Oh God, no! Ephram!" Amy's knees went weak and she wobbled as she felt her heart break into tiny pieces. She began sobbing more than she had all night. She barely registered the feeling of the officer's arms encircling her body, easing her onto the ground as she was wracked with heavy suffocating howls. She didn't feel Nina's hand grip her shoulder and she definitely didn't hear the sound of sirens as a fire truck pulled into the parking lot and yellow-suited firemen began unloading from the vehicle, toting large hoses and heading towards the burning diner. She just shook with deeper and deeper sobs, eventually running out of tears and finally just heaving dryly as she continued to weep. Suddenly, though, she felt the gentle officer shake her and grab her chin, pulling her eyes up to meet his.
"Ms. Abbott, Amy, we need you to tell us what part of the restaurant your friend was in. They've put out the fire. They're going in to get him."
"Why does it matter?" Amy heard herself saying dully, "He's already dead. He's dead and I killed him."
Suddenly, Nina grasped her shoulders harshly and spun her around to face her.
"Amy Nicole Abbott, you did not kill Ephram. He's not dead and if he was it wouldn't be your fault. You accidentally forgot to give him his inhaler. It was an accident. It's amazing that you remembered how to walk after the night you've been through. Ephram's not dead and it's not your fault. So get a hold of yourself and tell the officer where to find him." Nina's words were harsh, but her eyes were filled with pain and sympathy.
"How do you know he's not dead?" Amy couldn't seem to pull herself out of the pit she found herself wallowing in.
"Because I know Ephram. He wouldn't give up that easily. You know he wouldn't."
And as Amy saw the strong belief in Nina's eyes, she did know it. Ephram was not one to give up. He would fight with everything he had in him to get out alive.
Resolved, Amy turned back to the once burning, now merely wet, black, and still slightly smoky building. After getting her bearings and searching her mind she ran over to the fireman who looked to be in charge of the rescue. She grabbed his shoulder and spun him around with strength she didn't know she possessed.
"Ephram's in the kitchen. It's on the far south side of the building, towards the back."
"Ok, ma'a..."
"No, my name is Amy not ma'am and anything you say to me can wait until after you find him. Now go."
The tall fireman nodded, staring unbelievably at the petite blond who had just told him to hurry his ass up. He turned to his crew and began shouting out orders, soon venturing into the blackened diner. He and the other men on his team sifted their way through the debris that had once been tiny cozy tables, comfortable cushy booths, perfect for cuddling with your significant other, and lacy homemade curtains that had once fluttered lightly in the wind coming through the open window, but now hung wet and charred, dripping in the cold night air.
The tall fireman carefully pulled off the debris that blocked the door to the kitchen and made his way in. Looking around, his eyes came to rest on what appeared to be a shoe buried underneath a large pile of what was once the roof.
"Oh, please Lord, no." the compassionate man muttered to himself as he approached the pile. Carefully pulling off a large piece of wood, the strong masculine fireman felt tears spring to his eyes as he discovered that a leg was attached to the shoe. He had found the boy who obviously meant so much to the courageous girl outside and he was devastated to think of what he might find under the foot of debris.
Once again screaming for his crew, they began to quickly and carefully remove the debris. Fortunately, they didn't find any terribly large pieces which would have crushed the boy had they fallen on him but as they drew nearer the bottom of the pile, droplets of blood began to appear and the men each found themselves wiping their eyes so that they could continue to see clearly. Finally, after removing a particularly large piece of debris, they found him and the tears flowed freely.
Amy stood silently in the cold, staring at the building in which the firemen had entered several minutes before. Her eyes began to sting as she faced the smoky wind but she refused to look away. She was going to see Ephram come out. Hopefully, walking on his own and smiling that adorable half-smile that he seemed to reserve for her and her alone.
After several more minutes, she saw him come out but it was not the way she dreamed. In fact, it was very nearly her worst nightmare. Running up to him, with Nina closely following, she reached him and thought she might faint. As fresh silent tears cascaded down her cheeks, she heard Nina whisper behind her.
"I forgot to call Andy."
