Hey Ya'll, I finally was able to put up my next chapter, I apologize to everyone for taking so long. I have been working on getting a book published and I had to work on it. But I am back in the writing mood for the O'Malleys. Hope ya'll like this chapter, review and tell me what you think. If I get enough reviews, I might even make another O'Malley story, of course about Jack and Cassie. Once I get some reviews I will put the final chapter up. Enjoy.
Jack shut his eyes tightly while keeping Cassie as close to him as possible. He was coughing from the smoke around him; the flames were closing in quickly. His arm was throbbing agonizingly but he couldn't put Cassie down.
Cassie moaned and opened her one eye. She felt as though she was in another nightmare and prayed to wake up. The intensity of the heat was overwhelming and she felt herself giving into the darkness that threatened to take over. Her one arm hung limply at her side, useless, she wrapped her other arm around Jack's waist and held on as tight as she could.
Jack felt her arm wrap around his waist and it lightened the weight on his arm slightly. He looked down at Cassie, his eyes watering from the smoke and from fear. He couldn't say anything, the smoke was too suffocating.
Kate was close to panicking, tears were running down her face and she couldn't see Jack or Cassie through the flames and smoke and her logical side was telling her there was no way they would make it out alive. Flaming debris was falling all around them from the old ceiling; the apartment complex wasn't stable to begin with, now it was on the verge of collapsing. Kate's logical side told her to run; it told her there wasn't anything she could do for Jack.
Kate shut her eyes and prayed hard for Jack and Cassie. After she finished her prayer, she opened her eyes and looked at Marcus. Marcus had a look of quiet distress, he wanted to leap into the flames and save Jack and Cassie, but he couldn't. He grabbed Andrew by the shirt collar; Andrew seemed to dangle in his strong grasp, as if he was no longer attached to reality. A large fiery piece of ceiling came down almost on top of Kate, Kate and Marcus ran to the door. With one final look at the flames, they ran down the stairs and out of the building, leaving Jack and Cassie in God's capable hands.
Rachel stood with Stephen watching the flames shoot out the open window. Her heart pounded so loud that Stephen could hear it. Rachel heard a noise and looked down at the apartment doors, out came Kate and Marcus, Marcus was practically dragging someone behind him. Rachel and Stephen ran over and gathered their siblings into warm embraces. Marcus, having dropped Andrew, hugged Rachel back. Stephen gathered Kate into his arms, all the emotions that Kate had been holding in finally broke, and she began to sob into Stephen's shoulder. Stephen, being the more comforting O'Malley, began to talk soothingly to her and rub her back. It was hard for them all to accept that they might never see Jack or Cassie again. Andrew lay on the ground just staring into space.
Jack was beginning to feel lightheaded and weak; his hold on Cassie began to slip. Something had to happen or he and Cassie would perish. He heard the fire trucks arrive and knew the procedure; the firefighters wouldn't be able to risk coming into the apartment because of the unstable structure. The fire had to be put out before anyone could risk coming up for them. He looked down and saw that Cassie was unconscious again. He leaned down and kissed her forehead for what seemed the last time.
Cole's heart was aching with the other O'Malleys, Cassie was like a sister to him and Jack was like a brother. He was good friends with them both and couldn't imagine how dull life would be without them. Cole watched looked up at the blaze and tried figuring out how they could get the fire out, they couldn't go into the building with an unsound structure and it would be hard to get the fire out with the hose from where they were.
Somewhere in Cole's gut, God was telling him to use the hose. Normally a standard hose would reach the window as high as it was. The water pressure around here wasn't powerful enough to reach the window. However, he knew that through God all things were possible, so he ordered the men to get the hose ready. They looked at Cole funny but didn't argue, not at a time like this.
The hose was hooked up and everything was ready, they aimed at the window with the flames shooting out and let the water flow. Cole nearly fell over as the powerful gush of water sprayed from the hose, it was much more powerful then he expected and it was hard to hold on. The powerful spray climbed higher and higher until amazingly it reached the window. The firefighters held it steady as the water surged through the window and began to put out the flames. Cole knew God was at work and he thanked God repeatedly in his mind.
Jack was ready to fall over and he knew it. He had prayed for a miracle to occur, but nothing was happening. Cassie kept coughing really badly and Jack's arm felt like it was being ripped off slowly. He couldn't hold out much longer. He heard the sound of water and thought he was delusional. He was reminded just how close he was to the window when a spray of water came through the window and began to douse the flames. Jack and Cassie were soaked from head to toe and it felt so good. However, the unfortunate thing was when the blast came through; it was so powerful that it blasted Jack over and onto the ground. The only humorous thing Jack could think before he blacked out was. "Hey God, you couldn't leave me without a bruised behind huh." With a laugh, he finally gave into the exhaustion.
Cole and the other firefighters walked carefully up the steps of the apartment, it was somewhat smart on Andrews's part to make it so high, but it made Cole hate him all the more. When they finally made it up to the apartment, where Jack and Cassie were two firemen had already almost fallen through rotten boards and one was hit in the head from falling plaster from the ceiling.
As they opened the door Cole prayed for Jack and Cassie to be all right, what he saw made his heart ache. He saw Cassie first, her arm clearly broken and bent, a swollen eye, bruises and cuts and a long gash across her forehead. She had burns on her legs and some on her hands from the fire and from the rope. She would need immediate medical attention.
Cole turned his attention on Jack; Jack's arm was bleeding from a gunshot wound in the shoulder. He had burns on his hands and some on his legs. Cole had to worry about their burns and smoke inhalation. Both Jack and Cassie were soaked and it might have been good when the sweltering hot flames were around them, it was dangerous now because of the freezing cold outside. Stephen walked in with his medical equipment and began quickly examining them to make sure it was okay to move them. He nodded and Stephen and the other firefighters wrapped Jack and Cassie in blankets. Because of all Cassie's wounds, three firefighters had to carry her down slowly along with Stephen, since Jack was as hurt, Cole and another firefighter carried him down the stairs. Cole smiled and said to the sleeping Jack. "You know, you are getting to heavy, time for a diet." The other fireman laughed and nodded.
Once they arrived down into the parking lot, they put Jack into one ambulance and Cassie in another. Marcus and Stephen rode with Jack, Rachel and Kate rode with Cassie. Andrew was taken away in a police car.