Chapter 19: Inside the Inferno
"Jack!" Ennis yelled frantically, and raised his hand to shield his eyes from the bright light and blazing heat of the flames that licked their way up the bales of hay and bags of feed stacked in the rear of the barn. Oh God, please let'em be alright… he thought, and coughed hard against the horrible burning he felt as his lungs protested to the smoke that forced its way in each time he opened his mouth.
"Jack…" he yelled again, falling into another coughing spasm. Remembering a trick his daddy used to use when they burned the hay fields in the spring, he pulled his bandanna out of his pocket, and held it over his nose and mouth to filter out the smoke before continuing on into the row of horse stalls.
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"Ow! Dammit, Salamar… watch it!" Jack cursed as the frightened horse once again pushed against him, knocking him sideways and stepping on his foot.
Coughing slightly, he pushed the horse away, and pulled his foot closer to his body, causing him to tumble sideways and bang his head against the tack room wall.
Damn… its fucking hot in here! Ya really dun it this time Twist… got yerself stuck but good! Runnin' in after a damn horse of all stupid things!
Jack once again mentally kicked himself for running in to the barn after the horse. He had known while he was doing it that it was a foolhardy thing to do, but his thoughts couldn't get away from how brokenhearted Ennis would be if his horse was to die in such a horrible way.
After letting Salamar out of her stall, he had started back toward the barn door, only to find that the frightened horse was refusing to move. By the time he had yanked and pulled and cursed at her enough to get her moving, their path to the door had been blocked by flames. Their only escape route gone, Jack had quickly ducked into the tack room at the back of the barn, pulling the balking horse in with him and slamming the door shut. Just seconds after, he had heard a cracking sound and something had hit the floor outside the tack room door. When he tried to open it, the door wouldn't budge. Something had fallen outside the door and was blocking it.
A wave of sorrow washed over him at the thought that he would never see Ennis again. For what seemed like hours he sat inside the little tack room, painfully aware of the increasing heat in the small room, and the smoke that was seeping its way through the sacks he had stuffed under the door to block it.
Suppose you think Ennis'll feel better now, huh? Now not only will his horse die this way, but it looks as though yer gonna be goin' 'long with her! God, Ennis… I'm so sorry ta leave ya like this… so damn sorry…
Suddenly, there was a loud crash outside the tack room door, and Jack heard a voice yelling and choking.
"Jack… is that you?"
"Ennis!" Jack yelled frantically and pounded on the door and praying he would be heard.
"Jack…! Thank god! Hold on, Darlin'… there's a rafter…" the voice choked off in another fit of hacking coughs before continuing in a hoarse croak, "there's a rafter blockin' the door."
"Ennis… get the fuck outta here!" Jack yelled, his anguish clear in his voice. "Ain't no way ya can move that yerself… please… go!"
Jack heard scuffling around outside the door and a great deal of cursing and shouting mixed in with increasing bouts of deep hacking coughs.
Damn you, Ennis Del Mar! Stubborn jackass… get outta here… please Ennis… can' bear the thought of ya gettin' hurt tryin' ta save me!
Suddenly Jack heard Salmar roar with fear and looked over to see that the rear wall of the tack room was becoming quickly engulfed with flames, the fire at last having burned through the stacks of hay piled on the other side.
"Ennis!" Jack yelled frantically as he pulled on the horse's lead, trying to edge her closer to him and away from the roaring heat of the fire.
Suddenly the door burst open, and Jack felt Ennis' arms wrapped tightly around him.
"Ennis… goddamn… didn' think I was gonna see ya again."
"I know, darlin' I know." Ennis said his emotions clear in his voice, "Com'on now… we gotta get outta here, that roof is gonna let go any minute!"
Reaching in behind Jack, Ennis grabbed Salamar's lead, and struggled and coaxed the frightened horse out of the tack room. Pulling back his arm, he slapped her hard on the hind quarters, and watched with fear and then relief as the horse bolted through the barn and then darted out through the doors to safety.
"Com'on, darlin' let's get outta here!" Ennis yelled, a big grin spreading across his face as he gave Jack a shove toward the door.
Ain't gotta tell me twice, Cowboy!
Jack returned the grin and started toward the door. When he reached the opening, he turned back just in time to see a large chunk of roof fall crashing to the floor. A board, flaming and black stuck out in front of the mass of falling wood, and Jack watched in horror as the board bounced off the top of Ennis' head before continuing down to the floor, closely followed by Ennis' crumpling body.
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When he woke, the room was dark and silent. He lifted his arm and searched his face, feeling only gauze and tape where his eyes should be. At first he panicked, but then he realized that he could still feel his eyes when he blinked, and that when he closed them the room seemed darker then when they were open.
Relieved, he listened carefully, tying to detect the slightest sound or thought. Hearing nothing, he relaxed a bit and reached his hand up to touch a painful throbbing spot on the top of his head. When his fingers made contact, he groaned at the bolt of pain that lanced through his already throbbing head, then jumped, startled, poking the spot again and eliciting an even louder groan, when a voice suddenly spoke next to his ear.
"'Bout time ya woke up!"
"Jack?" Ennis asked, his voice coming out in a hoarse croak.
"Who else… less ya got some other guy sneaking in here ta see ya! Course, handsome as ya are, can't says though I'd blame 'em" Jack replied, and Ennis couldn't help but grin, though the grin quickly turned to a grimace as another bolt of pain worked its way through his head.
"I thought I was alone ya dern fool." He managed through gritted teeth, and then coughed hard and rough, which caused the pain in his head to turn from a dull throb to a sharp ache.
"Now ya jus calm down and be quiet, Babe. The doc says ya shouldn't talk much fer a few days, give yer throat a chance ta heal from the smoke ya inhaled."
"Smoke?" Ennis muttered, trying to remember, then suddenly it all came rushing back. The barn in flames, struggling through to the tack room scared to death that he would be too late and Jack would be dead. Finding both he and Salamar alive. Moving the big rafter out of the way and getting Jack out. Then seeing Jack grinning in the doorway, his grin quickly turning into a horrified shout, and then nothing until he woke up just now.
"Jack, the fire! Are you all right, Darlin'? Ya ain't hurt are ya?" Ennis asked frantically, trying to push himself into a sitting position. His words were cut off by another bout of coughing, and he allowed Jack's hands to push him back against the pillow, bringing his hand back to his throbbing head.
"Whoa!" Jack said, trying to sooth Ennis and holding him against the pillow until he was sure he wasn't going to try to sit up again. "Take it easy there, cowboy! I jus got done tellin' ya that the doc wants ya ta take it easy. Don' go gettin' all riled, or he'll make me leave."
Seeing that Ennis was calming down again, Jack breathed a sigh of relief, and sat back down in the chair next to the bed that he had occupied since they had arrived the morning before. Reaching out and clasping Ennis' hand in his, he said, "Now, if ya can behave yerself and stay quiet, I'll tell ya all about what's been happening."
Ennis nodded, and grimaced again. Then settled back to listen, content for the moment to allow the sound of Jack's voice to convince him that Jack was alright.
"Ok then. First of all, let me tell ya that ya scared the shit outta me! I thought ya was dead when that big ole hunk'a wood fell on yer head. Course I guess I shoulda known that ya would be fine, considerin' how hard yer head is."
Ennis scowled, and opened his mouth to protest, only to find it quickly covered by Jack's hand.
"Uh, uh, uh!" Jack said, his voice gleeful and teasing. He chuckled heartily at Ennis growl of protest before he continued.
"Anyways, Gary and I hauled yer ass outta the barn and the ambulance brought ya here. The doc says ya got a mild concussion, the lining of your throat is seared from the smoke ya inhaled, and yer eyes are covered ta prevent further damage to em from the smoke. The doc says ya might not be able ta see when they first take the bandages off, but that should go away right quick."
"K.E," Ennis croaked, and coughed hoarsely, "Was Stubbs and K.E what started the fire… I know it."
"Hush now, Cowboy," Jack said, and rubbed Ennis' arm soothingly, "don'tcha worry none 'bout Stubbs or that asshole brother'a yers. Sandy found some tire tracks and matched em ta Stubb's truck. Track'd both he and yer brother down, and didn't bother to tell em that we was both still alive until after they went on along braggin' ta half the crowd down at Slider's bar 'bout the faggots they sent ta hell. Sandy says ta tell ya that we won' be needing ta worry bout neither of them or their friends no more. Attempted murder holds a pretty good sentence in this county, and they got enough witnesses ta send em all away fer a real long time!"
Ennis squeezed Jack's hand, relief washing through him and bringing tears to his eyes.
"Jack…" he croaked, and cleared his throat, "com'ere, darlin'" He felt the bed dip as Jack stood and leaned over him, and then he raised his arms and pulled Jack into a fierce hug. Pulling Jack's head toward his, he kissed him carefully on the lips and then whispered against his mouth, "Yer really ok, ain't ya… you ain't lyin' ta me?"
"No, bud… I ain't lyin'. I am well and fine, thanks ta ya. But if ya ever do a fool thing like that again… I'll kill ya maself!"
Ennis listened carefully, trying to pick up Jack's thoughts to determine that Jack was not keeping anything back from him. Suddenly he realized something that hadn't occurred to him before.
"Jack…" he asked, "when did ya come into the room… I didn't hear ya come in before ya spoke ta me."
Confused, Jack looked carefully at Ennis' face, but it was always so hard to tell what he was thinking when his eyes were hidden.
"Babe… I haven' left this room since they brought ya in. Been sitting in this chair the whole time."
"But… if ya was there… how come I didn' hear what ya…" Suddenly Ennis' voice trailed off as realization finally sunk in. The gift, the curse, whatever it was that had given him the ability to hear others thoughts… it was gone, just as quickly as it came.
"Ennis," Jack asked, concern in his voice, "are ya ok, bud… ya need me ta call a nurse?"
"No," Ennis replied, a big grin spreading across his face, "don' need noone but you, darlin'"
Jack shook his head, and said, "I swear, Ennis… sometimes I wish I knew what goes on in that head'a yers!"
Ennis merely snorted and replied, "Trust me… ya don'!"
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