The lateness of the hour and lightness of foot traffic meant no one was there to notice the tendrils of smoke which curled up from the trash can like specters crawling from a grave.
Chapter Seven
FIRE
Cole lifted the beer bottle and took another sip. At least there was beer, his sedative of choice. At least he had something to turn to, to bury his feelings with.
"Gimme another bottle." Cole said.
The bartender gave the patron beside Cole a look of concern. Cole was starting to speak loudly, and it seemed like he was well on his way to being drunk.
"Hey, Jenkins. I know it isn't any of my business or anything, but don't you think you've had enough for the night?" the patron asked Cole.
"Yer right. It isn't any of your business. I can stand well on my two feet thank you." Cole said.
The bartender shook his head and the patron agreed silently.
"Hey, Cole. We don't want you getting all drunk. You're a war hero. The local boy that did good. This isn't any way to … "
"You said it yourself it's none of your business! My parents have long croaked and none of you are my old folks, so I'll have one more!"
The bartender took out one more beer. "Suit yourself, Jenkins. I'm just saying."
"Keep your concerns to yourself." Cole said, somewhat sheepishly behind his defiance.
It was good advice but the patron next to him was not one to keep his mouth shut. Abe Pattinson was always known as a loudmouth and a gossip-monger and he held true to form.
"Everybody knows why you're drinking yourself to death, Cole. You're smitten by the Watts girl. Let me tell ya'. I know that type of girl, sweet, sassy, and uppity. She's gonna' break your heart faster than a speeding Mack truck! If I were you I'd just let her go, for your own good."
Once Abe had finished his diatribe Cole turned towards him and glared at him. It was the same look Cole had when he charged headlong into the enemy trenches. It was more than menacing and anything but friendly. Cole angrily slammed his bottle down on the table.
"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time Abe, so I'll speak slower and clearer. IT-IS-NONE-OF-YOUR-BUSINESS."
Cole moved closer and bore his entire body on Abe. Up close and with his demeanor, not to mention massive body standing six foot four, it made Cole look larger than life. Abe started to shake in fear. He was about to say something when their attention was suddenly diverted by the bartender
"Look guys! The clinic's on fire!"
"What?"
Cole turned to the TV and instantly forgot about Abe. The local anchorman reported the fire, live as it was happening. Cole looked on in horror as the TV showed images of the burning clinic.
"Kaylee always works late these days." Someone had told him.
Cole tossed some bills on the bar immediately darted out and hopped into his motorcycle. It roared to life and he sped away towards the clinic.
Abe wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked at the bartender who quietly took the payment.
"He forgot his crutches" Abe said.
***
Cole pushed on the throttle of the Harley as hard as he could. The monster bike was chomping the miles but Cole desperately wanted to go even faster. Adrenaline rushed through his veins and he was no longer drunk. If anything, he was on heightened alert.
"Dear God. I hope Kaylee's safe." he said to himself.
Soon enough, he arrived at the burning clinic. The fire had spread rapidly, engulfing the third floor of the clinic and spreading fast further down the building.
Cole jumped off the Harley and immediately noticed Dr. O'Bannon. His clothes were torn and he had some ash on his face but was still helping with the efforts to put the flames out. O'Bannon saw Cole coming as well.
"Dr. O'Bannon! Where's Kaylee? Why isn't the fire department here yet?" Cole asked desperately.
"I was just going to ask you that! I haven't seen her! There was a bad accident cross town, but they're on their way I'm told. She could be trapped in the lab on the second floor! I'm not sure."
Dr. O'Bannon's answer confirmed Cole's worst fears. His heart almost stopped beating and he turned white at the doctor's answer. Almost as if in reply, glass exploded from a second story window, a chair following close behind. Screams for help were being called. It was Kaylee.
"Kaylee! I'm coming!" Cole bellowed.
Cole heard Dr. O'Bannon saying something but he ignored him as he started dashing towards the inferno.
It was happening again. Just like the battle. Cole was rushing headlong into a potentially fatal situation. He didn't think twice. Cole felt time suddenly grind to a crawl. His perspective changed and it seemed like everything was moving in slow motion all over again.
He entered the burning building. There were flames and fumes all around him. Cole immediately felt the suffocating and searing heat. It was as if he had stepped into a giant burning fist that was slowly crushing him. Cole deftly avoided some burning planks that almost fell on him. He tore off a piece of his t-shirt and covered his mouth and nose with it, and stayed close to the ground practically crawling once he made it up to the second floor.
Cole was sweating profusely in the growing heat, and gasping for air. Heading to the lab he desperately yelled for Kaylee.
"Kaylee! Kaylee, where are you? Yell or bang on something so I can find you, I can't see through the smoke!" Cole said, screaming at this point.
There was no answer. Cole ignored the fearful thoughts in his head and pressed on.
‘She's all right. She has to be.' Cole thought.
More burning planks of wood almost fell on Cole as the fire continued to engulf almost half of the building. Slow motion had its benefits, as he pounced to the left and right, dodging obstacles now falling.
Cole heard gasps, and muffled coughs. He crawled to her, lying in a corner of the burning structure beside the window, smoke being sucked through it after she broke the glass. She was unconscious. Cole could see that she was still stirring. The fumes had gotten to her before she could jump.
Cole gently lifted her limp form and rushed back through the lab to the other end of the building, for the staircase on that side. More flames and wreckage blocked their way. There was no way back from where Cole came from. He cursed to himself, as he looked for another way.
Cole quickly headed back to the lab, and knew what he had to do. The flames burning all around them left Cole no other choice. There was no time to wait for the fire department.
"This is going to hurt." he said, as he gritted his teeth and held Kaylee tightly.
Cole's tightened grip stirred Kaylee. She looked up groggily to see Cole, holding her.
"Cole?"
"Hold on, Kaylee. Time to fly!"
Cole made a wild dash towards the window as he held Kaylee close. He ran straight for it launching his body outward, and then went into a tuck to shield Kaylee and lessen the impact, rolling so she would have him to land on. Cole felt the shards of glass that was left from the chair being tossed out, as he struck it. They cut long and deep but he ignored the pain.
Fortunately there were small bushes outside the window, and it lessened the blow, as he bounced off them and onto the lawn.
"Good God. He has her!" Dr. O'Bannon yelled in relief. He rushed towards them along with the other petrified bystanders. Kaylee started regaining consciousness while Cole was still curled up in pain on the grass.
The last thing he saw was Kaylee coughing while people scrambled towards him before his consciousness fled.
Chapter 8
Bed Rest
Cole woke up on a firm bed with soft sheets. The room was neatly and meticulously arranged. His muscles were still sore but he was conscious. There was a kettle on the table beside the bed. It smelled of warm tea. The smell was very relaxing and was a welcome change from all the fire and brimstone of the midnight drama.
"Where am I?" Cole asked.
He looked up to see Kaylee standing beside him. She was smiling.
"Kaylee?"
"You saved me. Everyone saw it." she glowed.
"Where am I?" Cole asked again. It was clear that Cole was still a little disoriented.
"At my house, silly. I've taken you in for some ‘home therapy.' You insisted you were okay at the hospital, after they stitched you up. They could see I was fine, just a dose of smoke inhalation, not as bad as you had it though! You passed out again, just as I put you into bed. Had I have known you were that bad, I wouldn't have brought you back!"
He smiled at Kaylee and pulled her closer with his eyes. It was an invitation and he knew that Kaylee would not refuse it.
"I'm not complaining but I thought you said this wasn't right."
"If the boss doesn't approve of us together, I'll find somewhere else to work, or open my own clinic!" she declared defiantly. "After you left last time, I would have told you that, but you didn't give me the chance to discuss it. If you didn't want to speak with me, I wasn't going to push you. I'm not going to force myself on you." she said, stubbornly.