there was a fire in your house. and yet that was not the worst part. the worst part was that there was a fire set on your house while you were getting ready to go to the beach. what you didn't realise was this was the way you'd meet a handsome firefighter pope heyward.
you'd plucked your eyebrows, gotten ready for the occasion, and done what any other girl would do to get ready for a beach day. really, it was tiring work to look so proper. in the end you'd just throw on a bikini and call it a day. it was a shining yellow, so pretty with its little tropical flowers and mellow pinks. you were ready, and this was the break you needed.
this was the break that you so desperately needed from your receptionist job at a paper company. so what else would you do to properly set your day off you started to make your egg. before slathering on avocado and some pepper on your bread. after that, you get yourself some honey granola and some coffee. and here was your first mistake. you hummed with happiness, taking a few sips of your mixture.
you forgot to turn off the pot for coffee. you forgot.
your fingers trembled to watch the pot steam up, and then to make matters worse, the wind blew with such power—your daily newspaper got stuck in the gas. strokes of fire lept for you, red and angry. they were so violent, knocking you over. it was firey hell, the smoke rising at an increasing rate. your heart hammered into your chest. it was only when you jumped away, and the fiery paper dropped on the carpet.
within seconds the white furry carpet that you got for a discount was in flames. you screamed to get cover, as you rushed to the phone. you uselessly pressed buttons on your phone, as you gasped. fuck. fuck. fuck.
"hi, hi, i need help...my carpet is on fire," you shrieked, inching away from the flames that were centimetres from burning you. the dispatcher spoke to you calmly, telling you to get down and slowly make your way outside. you were instructed not to grab anything on the way. you were the most important one. you quickly started crawling, trying to open the doors. it was jammed.
"ma'am? ma'am are you there?"
you coughed, "the door is jammed, i can't breath—"
as if the smoke had heard you, it thickened tremendously, the flames licking the walls as it climbed up in the room in tendrils. you slammed your hands against the door, palms aching and red. you felt your eyes start to water as the dispatcher's voice crackled in a monotone.
"try to stay low. yes, yes, help is on the way."
"okay," you croaked, holding your hands to your face now.
"stay away from the door, someone will try to get in," the dispatcher continued.
you shook your head, "please, please—" your head pounded now, as you choaked through what seemed like nothing but smoke. you could barley see anything with bleary eyes caked with dust. the dizziness was getting to you as you coughed violently.
suddenly when you thought all hope was lost the door slammed open. the air rushed in as your body finally gave in. it felt like ages being stuck in there without anything. strong hands held onto you, cradling you firmly.
"you're fine now. i got you, alright?" a voice assured you, and you let out a sharp cry, tears streaming down your face. your heart still pounded as you pathetically cried out.
"thank you, thank you, thank you so much."
and that was when your body gave out.
there was a distant beeping and the scent of antiseptic. your eyelids fluttered, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her. slowly, shapes came into focus—white walls, sterile blue curtains.
suddenly, you startled up, clutching at the sides of the cott you were lying in. where were you? what was happening?
a handsome man stared at you, as you narrowed your eyes, "yes...i am. um? where am i?"
he patted your head with a cloth, gently as if he was concerned, "you don't remember? there was a fire in your house."
a fire? you tried to wrack your mind around the idea of your whole house going to flames. you remembered. yes, there was a fire in your house. you remember, frantically calling 911, choking, until someone came to save you. you could hardly believe it.
pain went through our chest, and you let out a small cry.
"hey, hey it's going to be okay—" he mused. suddenly you noticed how strange he looked in the hospital. with his big helmet, and neon striped coat...was he a goddamn firefighter? you remembered someone saving you, was that him?
"you saved me," you murmered, a small shock going through your chest. the firefighter, handsome stranger(?) nodded, his gaze steady.
“i—” you started, but your throat caught. he reached for the water cup on the side table, offering it to her before you could ask. their fingers brushed.
"drink,” he said softly. you accepted it, quickly drinking up the cool water. finally, you leaned back, looking at him in a different light. he had brown skin and the most beautiful brown eyes.
a strange silence settled between the two of you. the man smiled, a bashful smile as he reached his hand out, "it's not protocol, but you weren't fully conscious and needed someone to come with you to the hospital, and i, i just happened to be there."
"he didn't just happen to be there. he saved you. ma'am. if it wasn't up to our hero pope heyward you would have gone up with the flames,"a sharp voice said. you turned around, and it seemed to be your doctor.
"thank you, heyward. we'll take it from here," the old man said crossly, holding a clipboard near his chest, "you'll get all the care you need here."
pope nodded, almost as if he was embarrassed, "yea. get better soon."
but he didn’t leave right away. his fingers hovered at the strap of his helmet like he wanted to say something else.
you pursed your lips, giving a shy wave. but you couldn't hide the fact that you continued to watch him as he disappeared down the hallway.