her company. He slid his car in behind it, and paused for a moment. Just the thought of her made him feel warm all over. Not like "get lucky" warm, but something different. He hoped she would give him a chance, he really wanted to explore this feeling.
He slid out of the driver's seat of his SUV and walked to the door. He rang her buzzer, but nothing happened. He looked up, there appeared to be just a few apartments in this building, then he noticed the front door was propped open with a small rock. He slipped in and headed up the stairs.
It was an older building, majestic in its day no doubt. Polished wooden railings, wooden floors, solid walls and doors. A nice old place. As he got closer to her door he smelled it. Smoke! He crossed to her doorway in a couple of quick steps and banged on her door. Nothing. He felt it with his hand, it wasn't hot to the touch. That was good.
He knocked on the door again, and there was still no answer. The door was too thick for him to bust down, and he was pretty sure that only worked in movies anyway. Thinking quickly he lifted the small welcome mat, nothing. He ran his hands along the top of the doorway, searching for a key. Still nothing. He was about to start knocking on the other door when a young woman came up the stairs.
"I smell smoke, you wouldn't happen to have a key to the apartment here would you. I can't get Cyndi's attention but she told me to meet her, I think she's in there."
"Yeah, we swapped when I moved in, hang on!" the young woman said. She unlocked her door and went in, then quickly came out again holding her phone. "I'm calling 911, here's her key."
He unlocked it and flung the door open. The apartment was hazy, smoke lingering in the air. He charged through, and found her lying in her room on her bed.
Lifting her gently he walked quickly to the doorway, and pausing only to speak to the girl with the key, he said "follow me, does anyone else live up here?"
"No," she said breathlessly, "just us, the others are vacant."
"Good, let's get out of here."
"Is she okay?"
"She's breathing, maybe she was overcome by smoke? I'm not sure but fresh air will help."
The rest of the night passed in a blur. The fire department came and determined that it was a small electrical fire. They put it out but closed the building and shut off the power until it could be inspected and fixed.
The EMT's had been there within minutes and they had her on oxygen and responsive right away.
His heart was pounding in his chest, and he sat with his head in his hands. When the ambulance went to leave for the hospital they turned to him.
"You coming, man?" asked a burly young paramedic.
"Nah, I'm not her boyf..., I mean...I'm nobody. Go ahead, I'm not sure who to call."
"We'll figure it out, man, no problem. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Go. And thanks."
And just like that she had slipped away from him again. He was happy he had been able to get there just in time. God, he hated to think what might have happened if he hadn't come over. He got up and walked toward his car, and that's when he saw it. He still had that damn coat. He opened the door and got in, and put his hand on the coat. This damn quest might have saved her life. He smiled at the thought, he knew he'd see her again. He'd have to make sure of it.
It was hard to feel lucky when she felt like hell. She needed to call...Crap! her cell phone. How was she going to break out of this damn hospital if no one knew she was here? Gooch. Where was Gooch. She tried to buzz the nurse, but before her hand could press the button, she was out again.
When she woke up, she could still smell the smoke. She opened her eyes slowly, trying to recall where she was. She decided, based on the sounds, that she wasn't in her apartment anymore, and then she remembered that she probably had no apartment anymore.
She was having a hard time focusing her eyes, when she spotted someone in the corner. It
He slid out of the driver's seat of his SUV and walked to the door. He rang her buzzer, but nothing happened. He looked up, there appeared to be just a few apartments in this building, then he noticed the front door was propped open with a small rock. He slipped in and headed up the stairs.
It was an older building, majestic in its day no doubt. Polished wooden railings, wooden floors, solid walls and doors. A nice old place. As he got closer to her door he smelled it. Smoke! He crossed to her doorway in a couple of quick steps and banged on her door. Nothing. He felt it with his hand, it wasn't hot to the touch. That was good.
He knocked on the door again, and there was still no answer. The door was too thick for him to bust down, and he was pretty sure that only worked in movies anyway. Thinking quickly he lifted the small welcome mat, nothing. He ran his hands along the top of the doorway, searching for a key. Still nothing. He was about to start knocking on the other door when a young woman came up the stairs.
"I smell smoke, you wouldn't happen to have a key to the apartment here would you. I can't get Cyndi's attention but she told me to meet her, I think she's in there."
"Yeah, we swapped when I moved in, hang on!" the young woman said. She unlocked her door and went in, then quickly came out again holding her phone. "I'm calling 911, here's her key."
He unlocked it and flung the door open. The apartment was hazy, smoke lingering in the air. He charged through, and found her lying in her room on her bed.
Lifting her gently he walked quickly to the doorway, and pausing only to speak to the girl with the key, he said "follow me, does anyone else live up here?"
"No," she said breathlessly, "just us, the others are vacant."
"Good, let's get out of here."
"Is she okay?"
"She's breathing, maybe she was overcome by smoke? I'm not sure but fresh air will help."
The rest of the night passed in a blur. The fire department came and determined that it was a small electrical fire. They put it out but closed the building and shut off the power until it could be inspected and fixed.
The EMT's had been there within minutes and they had her on oxygen and responsive right away.
His heart was pounding in his chest, and he sat with his head in his hands. When the ambulance went to leave for the hospital they turned to him.
"You coming, man?" asked a burly young paramedic.
"Nah, I'm not her boyf..., I mean...I'm nobody. Go ahead, I'm not sure who to call."
"We'll figure it out, man, no problem. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Go. And thanks."
And just like that she had slipped away from him again. He was happy he had been able to get there just in time. God, he hated to think what might have happened if he hadn't come over. He got up and walked toward his car, and that's when he saw it. He still had that damn coat. He opened the door and got in, and put his hand on the coat. This damn quest might have saved her life. He smiled at the thought, he knew he'd see her again. He'd have to make sure of it.
It was hard to feel lucky when she felt like hell. She needed to call...Crap! her cell phone. How was she going to break out of this damn hospital if no one knew she was here? Gooch. Where was Gooch. She tried to buzz the nurse, but before her hand could press the button, she was out again.
When she woke up, she could still smell the smoke. She opened her eyes slowly, trying to recall where she was. She decided, based on the sounds, that she wasn't in her apartment anymore, and then she remembered that she probably had no apartment anymore.
She was having a hard time focusing her eyes, when she spotted someone in the corner. It
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