Chapter 40

The doctor shook his head in disgust.

"I put this cast on you. If it hadn't been for the police escort, I'd be giving you the riot act for the way this looks. Want to tell me what happened?"

I was still in pain, but that didn't dull my sense of humor when an opportunity arose.

"You know, gun shots, a house fire, the usual. I had little to do with the damage. If the firemen had left well enough alone, the cast would have been in perfect condition. I wouldn't have survived, but the cast would have come out ok. They thought replacing the cast was the better option, so you'll have to talk with them about it."

"Wise cracker, aren't you. Let's take a look," he huffed, and then pulled the sheet off of me, exposing both legs. "Christ Almighty! What the hell did you do to your other leg?"

"When they yanked me out of the burning house, they weren't too gentle with me. Why? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Have you tried to stand on this leg?" the doctor asked.

My heart sank and I answered, 'No. I was set down on the stretcher. To tell you the truth, I don't remember much of it. Not until I got here, anyway."

Grabbing the chart, he started reading it, shaking his head as he went.

"You were trying to fall asleep. Now you're wide-awake. Classic signs of shock. John, the first thing I need to do is get this cast off you. Then you're getting a trip to X-ray. Have your parents been called?"

I realized he hadn't asked me that question, but I heard a nurse give an affirmative response. Just what I needed. My mother would drag my father here in the middle of the night, just so they could wait.

The sound of the saw that cut off the cast was enough to make my skin crawl. The only good thing was that it was quick, although the dead skin that was underneath was enough to gag me.

With the sheet over me, I was wheeled away to get my legs X-rayed.

"If he's safe," Jessica demanded from her mother, "then where is he?"

The two were sitting on the running board, on the side of Engine No. 2. Not the most comfortable seat, but at the moment, one of the few around.

"Let me ask one of the firemen. I'm sure they'll know," Theresa said, trying to remain calm. "Sir ... SIR," she had to shout to be heard.

"Yes ma'am?"

"We're looking for..." Theresa realized the fireman wouldn't know John, by his name. "There was a young man in the house."

"You want to know what happened? I understand they just took someone out, a few minutes ago," he replied.

Someone yelled to him, and he went running off.

Jessica felt her stomach wrench. She turned her head and let loose the contents of her stomach. Her body felt just like her stomach ... empty. She fell from where she was sitting, hitting her knees hard on the pavement. Jessica curled up into a fetal ball and started to cry.

Theresa was right there, cradling her daughter's head.

"Jessica, oh my dear sweet Jessica. I think you didn't understand. He said they got someone out. If John had ... If he didn't make it ... It there'd been a major problem ... he would have said they got a body out. It's how they talk. John got out."

Jessica closed one eye completely and blinked the other one several times, trying to quell the water running from her eyes. She sniffled. Jessica had a cognizant moment, which told her that her knees should hurt, although she couldn't feel anything. She felt numb. Her hands moved down to find 'road rash.'

She winced, and wondered, 'If it feels this bad, why doesn't it hurt more?' At the same time she voiced her doubt.

"If that's true, Mom, then where is he?"

Fortunately, Theresa was saved from guessing an answer to that one. Jeanie, her husband, and Fiona's father walked up. Antonio nodded, but kept walking around to the other side of the engine, where his daughter was.

Jeanie winced, seeing Jessica's state, but was quick with information she hoped would help.

"They just took John off in the ambulance. I'm sure you must have heard the siren. His cast didn't look very good. I think the water did most of the damage."

Theresa joined in, saying, "Yes, those things don't like water at all. I'm sure they'll have to cut it off and give him another one."

Jessica sat up. As she unbent her legs, the pain was rather evident.

"Ahhh."

"Don't worry, honey, they'll take care of that at the hospital," Theresa said.

"I'm going there?" Jessica asked.

"Both you and Fiona will. It's standard procedure," Theresa said and then added, "But knowing you, we'd be going anyway."

"Why?" Jessica questioned.

"Because that's where John is," Theresa said.

"Oh, right," Jessica responded, without much emotion at all.

Jeanie and Theresa gave a look to each other. Jessica seemed completely irrational.

"Papa! Did they get him out?" Fiona asked.

Antonio bit the inside of his lip before answering his daughter. She hadn't called him 'Papa, ' in years.