Wow, thank you guys for the feedback. I'm not going to make this a long story because I have other ones to tend to so it will probably only be about 3-5 chapters, if that. Someone asked about Robert and his family being there and I'm not super comfortable writing them, so I will mention them, but I highly doubt I'd work them in because then the story would definitely be much long.
"Stef what in the hell is going on? Jude woke up because my phone was in his bag and it was buzzing so much. There are 38 missed calls Stef, from you and Brandon and some really odd text message to Jude from Callie. What happened?"
"Love did you listen to any of the messages I left?"
"No stef, I called you straight away because this seemed big, is everyone ok?" Stef sighed and ran her hand over her face. "No Lena, everyone isn't ok."
The line was quiet and Lena knew she had to ask questions that she feared the answers too. "Where are you now?"
"Sitting in the ER waiting for a doctor to come give me another update and a room number for her."
"Stef what happened, why is she in the hospital?"
"She was volunteering at Girls United this weekend and tonight one of the girls went into the basement and OD'd trying to kill herself, but not before setting the basement of the house on fire. The girls got out, Rita went to find the missing girl and when she couldn't move her alone, Callie rushed down there to help her. Rita said a beam collapsed and pined Callie to the ground, which broke her leg and then burned it. She managed to lift the thing off, but that burned her too. She made it half way up the stairs before the smoke made her pass out. The firefighters got to her just before the stairs collapsed."
Lena's end of the phone was full of tears being sniffled back, "what have the doctors said so far?"
"Lena right now the best news I have is that they are pretty sure she'll survive and won't need skin grafts. Beyond that, it could be breathing problems or scars from moving the beam, we won't know until they get her breathing on her own. She'll be in the burn unit, then the ICU until her breathing is better."
"Ok, look I'm grabbing our stuff and we'll be home soon. Wait, Stef, Jude wants to talk to you." Jude grabbed the phone from his mother and all but yelled into the phone. "Is Callie ok, where is she? I want to talk to her."
Stef hated this part the most.
"Listen sweets, Callie has a team of doctors fixing her up and making her better as we speak, she just needs time to heal."
"She can't die." Jude said it through tears and Stef felt terrible because no words could soothe his fears right now.
"Listen buddy, she is fighting like hell to get better. Just go with momma and I'll see you soon. I love you."
"I love you too." Jude said it and the line went dead after that and Stef tossed the phone at her feet in frustration. She kept her head in her hands for 15 minutes and was only forced to pick her head up when she head her name being called from behind her. When she looked up she saw Brandon and the twins walking toward her, all of them looking panicked and their flushed faces gave away that they had been crying. They all hugged their mother before launching into a bunch of question about Callie. Stef explained the story to them and the tears started all over again. All three teenagers sat down and they all settled into an uneasy silence.
"I thought I told you to stay home?" Stef looked at Brandon and the boy shook his head. "You did, but there was not a chance in hell I was going to wait at home while she lie in there fighting to live. Our place is here. Besides when Jude gets here you'll need people to hold him back a bit."
"She just had to play the hero." Mariana mumbled just loud enough for everyone to hear. Jesus bumped her shoulder, looking a little mad at his twin. "She wasn't playing anything, she did what she had been conditioned to do. She protected Jude all their lives. Her natural inclination is to save others and damn the consequences. It wasn't a smart idea, but she saved two people tonight Mariana. She wasn't playing a hero she fucking was one."
"Language." Stef warned, far too tired to scold her son further.
"Whatever, you know I'm right. When you came looking for me that night, it was a dumb idea, but you did it to make sure I was safe. You could've died that night and Callie could die after this, but if she is half as strong as I think she is, she'll live. Sounds pretty heroic to me." Stef wanted to say something, but she realized she didn't have the right to. The night she had been shot, she gave little thought to the consequences, she just wanted her children safe. Jesus was right, Callie had done what life had conditioned her to do; save others first and forget that she matters. Callie had devoted her life to protecting Jude and tonight she proved that her bravery is not reserved just for her baby brother. Stef could only hope that tonight had a positive outcome for Callie, much like it had for her the night she was shot. Stef's line of thought was interrupted when three large men walked over to her with sympathetic faces.
"Mrs. Foster?"
Stef stood up along with the kids and turned toward the men. "Yes, how can I help you?"
"We don't mean to bother you ma'am, my name Nicholas Banks, I'm one of the firefighters that was there tonight." The man stopped talking for a second because he didn't know what else to say. Stef studied the man's face and tried to remember the scene of the fire. She had been so focused on Callie that remembering faces of the rescue team didn't seem important, but Stef looked at this man and tried to place him. His face was no longer covered in soot and an oxygen mask, but he had piecing blue eyes and for some reason Stef remembered those eyes.
"You….you brought my daughter out of the house." The firefighter looked solemn and nodded his head. Stef didn't know if she wanted to cry or scream because this was all too much to handle for one person. Without thinking about it she quickly launched herself into the arms of the man in front of her and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you so much for getting my baby out of there. She would've died down there if you hadn't….just thank you." The firefighter was happy to return Stef's hug and Brandon could see tears forming in the man's eyes.
"It was my pleasure Mrs. Foster, I'm just glad we could get her out of there in time. We didn't mean to intrude on your family waiting for news, but we wanted to come by and see if there was any news on her."
"Not much. They think she'll make it, but they are tending to the burn now with the hopes that her scars won't be too bad."
The firefighter reached into his pocket and handed Stef a card. "If you wouldn't mind giving me a call when you know how she is doing. When it's stuff like this and it's a kid we like to keep in touch with the family."
"Of course." Stef took his card and put it in her pocket. The three firefighters were about to walk away when Nicholas paused. "When I picked her up, she said something to me. I'm not sure what it means, but she came to just long enough to say it so I figure it must be important."
"What did she say?"
"Not today. She opened her eyes, grabbed my jacket and said not today, then she passed out again. I figure it was something you might understand so I thought you should know." They said their goodbyes and left the family alone once again and Stef sat down running the words through her head over and over again.
"Not today. What the hell did she mean by that?" All three of the kids thought about it for a while and just as Stef was about to get mad at herself for not remembering, Jesus smiled and mumbled something under his breath.
"I know what she meant."
Stef looked up fast. "Really? How…never mind, what did she mean by it?"
"It was a message for you mom." Stef was already lost.
"What are you talking about, how can it be a message for me when I don't understand what it means?"
"Mom, think hard, what is the one show you and Callie love that no one else in the house watches?"
"Game of Thrones?" Jesus nodded his head.
"Yes, Game of Thrones, now I only ever watched like 15 minutes of that show, but it was enough to hear that line."
"What line?" Stef was getting mad and her son was talking in riddles.
"Mom. What do we say to the god of death?" Stef paused and seconds later it was like the answer slapped her across the face.
"Not today." Jesus nodded and continued to smile. "Mom she was telling you that she wasn't giving up. Callie may have known she was in trouble, but she has no intension of dying tonight. She is still in this fight, so we need to be in it with her."
"When did you get to be so wise?" Stef kissed her son's head as they settled back into the chairs. "We aren't going to give up honey, she is not alone in that fight. I promise."
Sorry for the short chapter guys, but my family had a rough night last night when a drunk driver crashed into our parked cars, just narrowly missing my pregnant sister so my nerves and emotions are shot.