Cold Flames

[sneezychick93]

In and out of the burning building from cold to hot cold to hot. 22 hours of hard labor trying to put the warehouse fire out. 45 hours with no sleep. I came home coughing a little, from the smoke inhalation, and completely exhausted. In just 3 hours I’d have to be up to get Parker from school.

I called Kelly and left a voicemail, knowing she’d get the message he was okay, when she got out of class.

Fighting fires in severe freezing and snowy weather wasn’t particularly ideal. Most of the hose lines had thin layers of ice covering them by this morning as well as ice frozen over the helmets and wet gloves that froze if you stopped moving your fingers for a split second.

I climbed into the shower and pulled on my most comfortable sweat pants and hoodie. Relishing the warmth, I hadn’t been able to stop shivering since we’d arrived back at the station. I turned the heat up and curled in bed setting five alarms to make sure I actually did wake up in 3 hours to get my boy.

The headache had hit, about two hours into the salvage and overhaul stage. Adrenaline worn off and exhaustion caught up. My nose had been running since the call came in, but we were working in the cold that was normal.

I coughed a few times and curled up in bed, within seconds sleep claimed me, only to be rudely disappointed when the alarms started going off. Man, this sucks! Head pounding, chest tight, nose congested, throat a little swollen and sore. Stupid cold weather. I picked up Parker, who’d been fighting a cold, and the two of us climbed into bed put in his favorite movie ‘Cars’ and fell asleep.

When I woke up, I heard Kelly humming in the shower and I smiled, but it quickly turned into a grimace as I sat up. I shivered and Parker stirred next to me.

“Daddy, I don’t feel good...” Parker rubbed his eyes and coughed a couple times. I sat up and went into the bathroom to get some child’s cough medicine.

“Hey Babe, how’s Parker doing?” Kelly asked me through the shower. I searched through the cabinet, but couldn’t find anything to give Parker or take myself for that matter.

“I was about to give him some medicine. Where did you put it?” I searched around hoping that she didn’t catch the hint of congestion in my own voice.

“We ran out the last time Parker caught a cold.”

“I’ll run out and get some.” I almost made it out of the bathroom with my illness going unnoticed. Until, however, the stupid itch returned to my nose. Oh goodness not now! I couldn’t even hold it off till I made it outside the bathroom. Pressing a fist to my nose, I turned to the side and stifled the sneeze best I could.

"HNNGT!"

I heard the water turn off, and next thing I knew Kelly had already changed into sweat pants and a blue tank top. Her favorite winter, lounge around the house, clothes. Her arms wrapped around me and I savored the feeling of her arms wrapped around my achy muscles.

“How was your shift at the station?” She kissed the back of my neck and chills ran up my spine, from the kiss or a fever, I couldn’t be sure.

“We had a brutal house fire.” Stupid nose! Why do you continue to torture me? I tried to warn Kelly of the pending sneeze, but I couldn’t speak. Already caught in the sneezes full power and control I quickly brought my fist back to my nose.

“Hu’eSSHHHH! Hu’eTCSSSH! hu’ITSHuh!” The power of the sneezes bent me forward a bit. Looking into the mirror I could seen the concern etched on Kelly’s face.

“Bless you, luv! You and Parker always share illnesses. Not sure why this surprises me.” Kelly sighed and then I noticed the wheels turning in her head. “My finals are tomorrow. I can’t miss it and Parker can’t go to school if he’s running a fever.”

“He’ll just have to hang out at the station with Daddy.” I turned to face Kelly who looked concerned and like she was enjoying this at the same time. Kelly had always loved being a caretaker. It’s what would make her a great nurse.

“Or you could just call out of work? You still have some sick days built up, don’t you?” Kelly walked into the bedroom and I followed. Parker had fallen back to sleep. I wish I had, thinking through the schedule for tomorrow did not help the headache. Tomorrow was the annual Physical Fitness Evaluation. Brutal training!

“I can’t tomorrow. It’s the Physical fitness, I have to be there to run it. Parker will be fine at the station. He can sleep in the bunk room the whole day or watch tv.” Kelly smiled as she grabbed her coat and car keys.

“It’s not Parker that I’m worried about. He’s not going to over do it, but you will.” Kelly smiled and walked out the front door. I stood in the doorway and watched her opened the car door.

“Where are you going?” My teeth chattered as she responded.

“To the pharmacy, I have two sick men in my home. Someone needs to watch out for them.”

I chuckled which only caused me to cough a few times. “Go back inside James!” She called as the car door shut. I went back into the house and went back into my bedroom.

Parker came out of the bedroom. Poor little man looked so pale except for the pink hue on his feverish cheeks.

“Where’s Mommy going?”

“Mommy is going to get you some medicine to make you feel better.” I went and took Parker by the hand and led him to the couch.

“Do I have to go to school tomorrow?” I sat down and pulled Parker into my lap. He was small for his age 6. Sometimes as a father I enjoyed that. Maybe it meant he wouldn’t grow up to fast.

“No, you get to go to the station with Daddy tomorrow.”

“Really?” A glimmer of excited shone in Parker’s eyes. I loved every minute of it.

45 minutes later Parker had fallen into another feverish sleep, when I heard the car door shut. Kelly came in exasperated.

“Hey Babe, what’s wrong?” I reached for the roll of toilet paper to blow my increasingly stuffy nose. The tickle had returned again for the thousandth time in the last ten minutes. “Hu’eeeSSH! Huh’eSSSH! hu’ehuhSSH! Hu’eTSSH!”

“The cashier wouldn’t let me buy the cough medicine because I forgot my drivers license at home and couldn’t prove I was over 18. I’m 23!”

“Wait, why I didn’t think child’s cough medicine had any alcohol in it?” I ask before blowing my nose again. the rims of my nostrils had become raw and had a red hue around them already. This was just day half of this stupid cold. Not even day one!

“She let my buy some for Parker, but not you. I’m sorry, sweetheart, but do you think you’ll be okay till tomorrow? I’m really tired and still have to get some studying done for the exam tomorrow.” She looked so depressed it made me chuckle, which in turn was a bad idea with how tight my chest felt. Stupid smoke inhalation.

“Hu’eETSSCH! Ugh! Yeah, I’ll be fine... Hu’EETCHIeeH!”

“Bless you, hun. Get some rest please. Are you going to call out tomorrow?” She asked with a hint of sadness in her voice. Probably because she knew the answer.

“Do, abter dhe fire today, bost peoble will call oud.” (No, after the fire today, most people will call out) “HeeTSSCHIECH!”

“You fought the fire today after already working for a shift! You deserve some rest too!” Kelly sat next to him on the couch ran her hand through my hair.

“He’euTSSCH! Let’s not talk about this right now. You need to study and I will put Parker and myself to bed.”

The relief felt so wonderful when she sighed and went to her office.

“Goodnight, James.”

“Goodnight, Kelly.”

I poured Parker his medicine carried him to bed, then drug myself into my bed. If I woke up with a fever I would call out. At least that was what I planned on doing, at least until the pager went off at 2 am and I’d realized I’d only fallen asleep 30 minutes ago.

TBC??

[swann_ee_song]

Love it!!

Can't wait for more!

This is probably the best original fic I've read in a while.

[Jamison Leigh]

Very interesting beginning--I like it! I love the whole strong man has to take care of his sick kid scenario! Please continue!

[obsessed]

Intriguing! The character interaction is just lovely.

[sneezychick93]

Part 2 is up!! Glad you guys liked it!

I rushed out the door leaving Kelly a note to drop Parker off at the station that’d he’d be there on standby waiting for the guys on the call to return to the station.

Illness momentarily forgotten I walked into the station. Two of the volunteer guys were sitting in the radio room listing to the responders. I sat on the bench in the room, wincing bright light. Man, my head hurt. Maybe I could lay down in the bunk room and sleep the rest of the night... I stood up to go to my locker, where my pillow and sleeping bag were, and that fateful, all to familiar, sound rang through the station.

The two volunteers ran out of the radio room to their gear. I followed and noticed the chief of the station already sitting in the drivers seat. Oh boy this will be along night! Gear on, sirens on, seat belt on, firetruck rolling.

Once all the way geared up, I felt it. The faintest tickle in my nose that would only be the beginning. Couldn’t it wait a few hours! Apparently not. I pulled my gloved fist under my nose, but the ash from the last fire was still on my gloves and as my breath hitched I inhaled it sending my nose into the flames itself, or so it felt.

“Hu’eeeSSH! Huh’eSSSH! hu’ehuhSSH! Hu’eTSSH! HeeTSSCHIECH! Ugh!” I put my head in my hands as the truck flew down the road.

“Dang man! You okay?” Volunteer Jeff Oldman asked him.

“Yeah, allergies.” I lied, not a good plan to let your chief know you were sick before entering a burning building. At least if you wanted to still enter it. First on the scene to arrive the house was fully engulfed in flames.

We caught a hydrant on the way. So now with Jeff and I pulled out the three inch hose line and began flowing water on the fire. Other stations began to arrive on the scene and five hours later the fire was out and they entered the Salvage and Overhaul stage. (saving anything they can and searching for hot spots and hidden fires)

Another hour in a half later we all arrived back at the station, cleaned the trucks. I went inside to look for Parker, whom I found watching some show on CartoonNetwork in the TV room.

“Hey Daddy, did you put the fire out?” Parker asked without taking his attention off the TV. Funny, how kids do that.

“Yeah, we did.” I sat down next to him and within seconds he’d placed his head on my lap. A sure sign of fever. Parker wasn’t a touchy kid unless we decided to wrestle. Drives his caring loving mother insane.

“Good, I’m glad.” Parker coughed a rough chesty cough. I felt his forehead, no fever. That was good, probably from medicine though.

“Did mommy leave me a note?” I chuckled as Parker nodded sleepily. He’d be out in moments if I didn’t move, but unfortunately I needed to call Kelly and go fill out a report.

“Yes, its in my backpack.” I moved Parker off of me and went to grab the backpack. The room spun for a moment and I had no choice but to brace myself on the wall at the same time my darn nose decided it was time for another sneezing fit, and with no warning to.

“He’eeESSSCHH!” The first one escaped before I had time to cover it and was way to powerful to stifle. “HeuTSSSCH! He’EUSTchhh! He’eeuhTTSCHH!”

Jeff walked into the room as Parker blessed me.

“Allergies to what? It’s the middle of winter. Looks like you caught your sons cold. Parker, don’t you think so?”

“No...” Parker said only half listening. I smiled then headed into the radio room and filled out the report. My head felt like it was splitting, and since getting back my back and leg muscles had started to ache miserably. Maybe he and Parker should go home and he should just come back tonight to help with the assessment.

“James, go home.” I looked up and saw my captain, otherwise known as my boss. I was about to convince myself to go home, but now that someone else brought it up going up wouldn’t be an option. I wont show vulnerability at the station. It’s just a head cold. Nothing I cant handle. “If you wont do it for you, do it for your son. Take Parker home and let him get some good rest.”

He had a point, that wouldn’t be showing my weakness. I’d be taking care of my boy, like any good father would be.

“Ok.” Then Captain Dewton left and I finished the long report. Two fully involved house fires in two days in the same part of town was a little strange. Sure they were dealing with an arson fire. Question was if they were dealing with one arsonist or two. finished the report, gathered up Parker and his things and headed out the door. Home bound at last.

“Daddy, can I go to school tomorrow?” Parker asked in the car. Odd, Parker usually hated school.

“Depends on how you feel tomorrow morning bud. Why do you want to go to school?”

He turned away and looked out the mirror as if embarrassed. Curiously, I waited for him to answer the question.

“Well, Emma was sick last week and...well I’ve been sick so I haven’t seen her...”

Emma and Parker were always hanging out together. Best friends since age 3 so for 4 years now. it wouldn’t surprise me if still friends in high school if they’d date, but thank goodness that was a long ways away.

“We’ll see, if you’re still sick, you don’t want to get her sick again.”

I pulled into the drive way. It was about 10 am now. I made breakfast and put a movie in for Parker. The second I sat down it all hit me. The achiness, the splitting headache, the tightness in my chest, the itch in my sinuses, the just complete and utter feeling of sick. I sat next to Parker trying not to succumb to the chills and the itch in my nose. Failing to do both a shiver went down my spin about the same time the itch in my nose turned into full blown, breath hitching, eyes fluttering and watering.

“Hee’uuSSCHH! Hee’UUTTSSCHIW!! He’eUTSSCH! Heh...heh HEEUTSSSHH!”

“Bless you, Daddy. Are you sick too?” Parker got up off the couch and ran into his bed room. I grabbed some tissues off the coffee table in an attempt to squelch the tickle, I blew my nose. This only intensified the need to sneeze. I held the tissues balled in my fist under my nose and waited.

“ Ye...yes...heh...hheh...hih...Hnnngxt” I stifled in the attempt to end the sneezing fit. It seemed to work, although it had its consequences. The headache grew more intense and my nose felt completely clogged now. Kelly probably hadn’t had the chance to get any medicine for me yet. I didn’t have the energy to go out an get any. We had some for Parker and that was all that mattered.

“Daddy, here.” Parker came back and handed me his favorite blanket and sat next to me. I looked at him questionably. “You were shivering.” I smiled at his thought fullness and the two of us curled up on the couch and waited for Kelly to come home from class. I look forward to her care taking, this cold was more miserable than walking through flames.

[Pinky's Pal]

Please keep writing this is a very cute story. <3

It was so cute when Parker covered his Father with his blanket and cuddled with him. Cute and very well written.

All in all this is very interesting. Great details.

[Scion]

Awwww, this is absolutely adorable!

[ichixshiro14]

Awwww they're so cute!

[swann_ee_song]

This is great! Can't wait to read the next bit.

Your details about the fire station are great! I mean, not that I would really know, but the story doesn't seem to have any gaps.

[Lalena]

I LOOOOVVEEE this story!!! Thank you so much for writing it. I hope it's not over yet!

[Dutchgirl]

I love this story, it seams so real. Please continue.

[doggo]

Oh what a lovely story. Very cute and well written. I love his cold already... Poor man!

[Kiwifruit]

Squeeee Such total complete CUTE! Gah, such a gorgeous fic you're writing <3

I have to ask though, where do you live where you can't buy cough mixture for adults unless you can prove you're 18+? :S

[StarryView]

OH MY!!!! Wonderful story you have here! I absolutely love it. Dont suppose you'd mind adding a few extra lines to it?

[sneezychick93]

So sorry that it is significantly shorter than the other two posts. Last week I worked 40+ hours at work, plus getting over being sick form the following week. By this weekend I had a massive headache and 21 hours of work in two days, didn't feel up to writing more. So here is an update! I hope you guys enjoyed it.

I woke up around 2, when I heard Kelly coming in the door. Groggy, I drug myself out of bed and met her in the kitchen.

“Hey Babe, how are you feeling?” Kelly smiled gently and kissed me tenderly on the forehead.

“Dever Bedder.” the congestion had settled deep into my sinus as I had been sleeping. I could no longer breathe through my nose at all.

“You have a fever and you sound awful. Go lay down, I’ll be there in a minute. How is Parker doing?”

“He’s acting normal, but only until the medicine starts wearing off and the fever starts to come back. His cough seems to be going away though. He’ETSSSH! hu’eSSSHHH! Hu’ITShuh!” The sneezes came out of nowhere and with no time to cover my nose I had turned away as quickly as I could away from Kelly who now had her hand on my back nudging me to bed.

I climbed into bed and she handed me some tissues. I’ve always been shy about blowing my nose in front of her, even after 9 years of marriage. She understands, so she went in to the bathroom and I heard the shower start running. Parker was asleep in next to me. I didn’t realize how tired I felt until I laid next to him, but I’d just woken up and hadn’t had time to spend with Kelly yet.

“hu’eTCSSSSH! hu’ITShuh!! Hnngxt! Huhnngxt! HNNGxT!” Why all the sudden were the sneezes coming without warning. I groaned and laid back in bed. I felt pathetic, like a whiny sick baby. I should just man up and go back to work tonight. Kelly was home for the day.

“Bless you, Love.” She sat next to me on the bed in her sweats and tank top. Her wet hair dangled in front of me. She was done showering already? I must have fallen asleep. I laid flat on the bed and Kelly curled up next to me. I felt reassured to have her arms wrapped around me and her head resting on my chest. I wrap my arms around her. “I think it’s time for a nap.” She yawned and her breathing soon fell into a steady rhythm. My body felt heavy, everything around me had started to disappear as I slipped into sleep, but my nose had other plans.

“Heh...Huh...” I tried to fight it, not wanting to wake Kelly up. I put my wrist under my nose, but the motion had brought Kelly’s hair to my face. The sensation of the tickling hair on my sensitive nose was enough to set me off the edge.

“Hnngxt. Hnngxt! Hnngxt! HNNGXT! HNNGT! HNNGXT! HNNNGT!” The force of the sneezes were getting strong and louder. With each one my body jolted forward more in the bed, until I’d pushed Kelly off me completely and sat up in bed. “HNNGXT! Hu’eTSSCCH!” Too powerful to stifle, I groped around for the tissues box, but when I found it soon realized, too late, that it was empty. “Hu’ITSHUH! Hu’eTSCCH!”

Gasping for air as the fit ended. I ran for the bathroom for tissues. The tickle was building up again, maybe I could stop it if I blew my nose. I didn’t care if Kelly could hear me at this point. I needed to stop sn... “huh...huhhh...HEH...” The sneeze was stuck. Oh this felt worse than the sneezes.

I heard Kelly shuffling around in the bedroom. fully engulfed in the sneezes control. I sat on the edge of the bathtub. Chest rising and falling as my breath hitched, my eyes were fluttering shut as tears streamed down my cheeks. My nose had started to run as my nostrils flared and I knew that if this sneeze came it would end up a mess.

Kelly had entered the bathroom, but I hadn’t noticed until she kissed my forehead. Her hand placed gently on my shoulders. Then she bent down again and kissed my nose. Her tender kiss, soft and gentle, sent a battle raging within my nose into high gear.

“HU’ITSCCH! Hu’esTSCCH! hu’eTSSCCH! Hu’eSSHHH! hu’ITSHuh!”

I sighed in relief as the tickle receded for now. I blew my nose to rid it of all the crud, but 4 wads of toilet paper later and I still wasn’t close. My throat felt excruciatingly sore, head pounded, body ached, chills ran up and down my spine. It seemed the sneezing fit only enhanced these other symptoms as I crawled into bed. Kelly crawled next to me again.

“I wish I could help you.”

“You’re doing a great job.” My voice cracked and Kelly giggled. “I love you.”

“I love you too! Go to sleep, tomorrow you’ll have to go back to work.” I kissed her cheek. Her classes were and at this point she was already well exposed to this illness. I prayed she wouldn’t catch it though. It was utter miserable. The rest of the day was spent sleeping or sneezing, by evening time I felt ready to cut off my nose. Kelly had run to the store to buy more tissues, but already I had made it through and entire 200ply box. Hopefully tomorrow was better or it would be an interesting day at the station.

[obsessed]

Sorry to hear about all that work, eep!

This update was so cute

[ichixshiro14]

Awww poor baby *cuddles*

[sneezychick93]

Ok so sorry this took so long. I haven't forgotten about the story, but work has been nuts. Just finished recording and editing my first CD and taking a test for work. But I'm back and the next chapter is up. There isn't much sneezing but I'll make up for it in the next chapter, I promise! I was really excited about writing this chapter! So anyway, Here is it!!!!!!

Where was I? I woke up disoriented and cold. Who had turned the AC up? I heard movement next to me but didn’t want to move. Everything hurt. All of my muscles were sore and achy.

“Here Babe, keep this under your tongue.” Kelley placed the thermometer under my tongue. I couldn’t stop shivering. As I sat up Kelley put more pillows behind me to prop me up. “I wish you would feel better.” She kissed my forehead. I hated seeing the concern on her face. I wasn’t that sick...was I?

The thermometer beeped and she sighed.

“What time is it?” I croaked out.

“It’s 2:42 am.” I missed the Assessment at work. “Relax, I called the station. You’re fever isn’t seeming to go down. I can’t give you any more medicine right now.” Kelley cleaned the thermometer and crawled into bed next to me. I put my arm around her and she rested her head against my chest.

“How is Parker?” I closed my eyes, and listen to Kelley’s breathing as I felt her heart beat against my chest.

“He hasn’t had a fever or any medicine in 5 hours. I’m hoping we’re over this, but we will see if he wakes up at all the rest of tonight. I still want him to stay home from school tomorrow.” I heard it. In her voice I heard the slightest hit of congestion and prayed that it was just allergies and not this miserable illness.

“How are you feeling, Honey? You’ve been up so late taking care of me and Parker the last few nights.”

She yawned and her body relaxed into me more. “All little stuffy, but really I’m just tired. Before I came home today I had to stop by Vicki’s house for a half hour. The cats have been driving me crazy all day.”

“I’m sorry, you should have said something. I know you’re allergy med make you exhausted.” She didn’t hear me, her breathing had already fallen into a steady rhythm. I kissed her forehead goodnight. Normal, maybe it was just allergies. I laid there thinking about the last 7 years of being married to Kelley. The good times, the amazing times, and the hard times. Two years after Parker was born when we miscarried. Hardest trial in the marriage and my life. Kelley hadn’t been able to conceive again, so she started going to school to become a nurse. She’d work morning shifts while Parker was in school. If we had another baby she wouldn’t even look for a job.

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but sleep never came. The fever never broke, the headache never reduce, but I hadn’t been sneezing or coughing all night. A good sign right? The sun crept through the window. Kelley had pushed away from me sometime in the night and laid curled up next to me.

Feeling a little better, I decided I was fit for work today. I went to Parker’s room to check on him. Poor Parker was shivering all curled up in a ball. I placed my hand on his head and my heart sunk for my son. Definitely no school today. I went into the kitchen found the meds and woke Parker up to take them. He fell back to sleep immediately.

Back in the bedroom I heard Kelley shuffle and come out to the kitchen. I left Parker’s room and watched for a few moment. She hadn’t noticed me yet. She was so radiant, and beautiful as she poured a glass of orange juice. Orange Juice? She hated it. She did look a little pale.

“Oh Baby, I’m sorry I got you sick.” She looked up startled. She looked like a dear caught in the headlights and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Yeah, but not with what you and Parker have. Just woke up feeling a little nauseas. The stomach flu has been going around all of the nursing students at the school. How are you?”

“I feel a little better.” I wasn’t sure she believed me or not, but it was the truth.

“You look awful! Please tell me you aren’t going to work today...” The color drained from her face as she ran for the bathroom. I followed her to find her getting sick in the toilet. I pulled her hair back off her face. It wasn’t long before she finished and we both leaned up against the bathtub.

“Well I was, but I can’t leave my sick wife alone to take care of our sick son.” I sighed, I really didn’t want to call out of the station. Maybe I could stop by for a few minutes see how the assessment last night went.

“Parker still has a fever?” I nodded and we stood up and made our way to the couch.

“I gave him some medicine, so it’ll break soon, and he’ll wake up again.” Kelley laid down on the couch, and once again the color drained from her face. I grabbed the trash can from the bathroom and placed it next to her on the couch. I she clenched her eyes shut tight and curled up in a ball. I grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and wrapped it around her. “I’m just going to run by the station and see how last night went. I will be back in an hour.”

She nodded and I went to the bedroom, showered and changed. Hoping to feel better after the shower I only felt worse. The aches were worse, the headache was awful, and my nose was starting to run incessantly, the tightness in my chest returned and the soreness in my throat returned all at once. I really didn’t feel like moving, but forced myself out to my car. Coughing harshly I sat in the car for a few moments before turning the car on. I turned on the heater but all it did was blow cold air.

“Hu’eeeSSH! Huh’eSSSH! hu’ehuhSSH! Hu’eTSSH!”

Ugh the sneezing and coughing had returned! I looked around the car for tissues, but found nothing. Sniffling I tried to fight off the pending sneezes. I put the car in reverse and pulled out of the drive way.

“Huehh...Huh...Heeh...” I rubbed my fist under my nose to try and stop the itch. It worked for a brief moment. Why would the car warm up? I placed my hand over the vents. Stupid heat must be broken. I drove the three miles to the station and sat in the parking lot until the sneezing would either come or stop, unfortunately neither. The itch just decided to remain deep in my stuffy and runny sinuses.

I walked into the station tired off looking like a fool sitting in my car. As I walked into the Bay (where all the trucks are parked) the itch decided it was going to be time for a release, but with no tissues it would be a mess. I could feel it. I quickened my pace trying to hold it off as long as possible. I bee-lined straight for the kitchen to the paper towels and I sneeze a harsh and wet triple.

“Hue’SSCH! Huh’eTSCHH! Huh’eSSSSH!”

“See that cold still has a hold of you. What are you doing here?” Captain Dewton.

“I just came long enough to check on the report from last night.” The alarms in the station went off. I followed everyone into the Bay, as they scrambled to pull on their gear . I went of the to the Call board and wait for them to read over the address.

4135 Hanckerson St...

4135 Hankerson St!?!?! My house!

I dropped the radio and ran for my gear climbing on the truck. Captain looked at me like I was crazy as I pulled on my gear. “That’s my house!”

The sirens went on as we left the station flying down the road at a speed that felt too slow. My heart beat in my chest so hard. I couldn’t breathe. Kelly, Parker, please be okay!

[ilovesneezing]

Oh nooooooooo!!!

And ill bet kelly is pregnant this story is awesome

[BlueGirl]

Ooh, wow! Brilliant story, horrible cliff hanger! Can't wait for the update! :-)

[Dutchgirl]

Thank you for the new chapter. It's realy great! Poor sick James. Everything goes wrong. He must feel terrible.

[sneezychick93]

The 3 miles drive seemed to take too long as we pulled up on scene I saw someone holding Kelley back from the house. Kelley was okay. Parker, where was Parker? I jumped out of the truck helmet in hand.

“James! Parker’s inside! He’s inside still!” Kelley was crying hysterically. I ran past her, not waiting for my crew. Not caring about protocol. I just wanted my son safe. I ran into the flames straight for Parker’s bedroom. The flames and fully engulfed his room. Anything in the room had already been burned up. I continued to move through the house calling Parker’s name in a panic.

“Come on Parker! It’s Daddy, don’t be scared.” I coughed incessantly from the smoke and the bloody cold! But I didn’t stop, I moved in a pattern checking ever corner of the house as I made my way to Kelley and my bedroom hoping that Parker, like most kids, ran to find his parents when he got scared.

As I made my way down the hallway some of the roof caved in on top of me. Ignoring the pain that shot through my body I tried to push whatever had trapped me off, but it didn’t budge. Panic for Parker gave me an unknown strength and I tried again to push it off of me. I pushed and pushed, but nothing happened at first. Finally it move and I slid out from under the debris.

I crawled to the bedroom and I open the door, the only room in the house that wasn’t completely full of smoke. I searched the room again in the same pattern as the others. I reached the bed and there he was. Parker laid crying under the blankets. I reached out and grabbed and at first he pulled away scared.

“Parker, it’s Daddy! Come on buddy, you’ll be okay! Daddy has you.” I grabbed Parker, and took off my turnout jacket and wrapped him in it. I went for the window. I tried to open it, but the window wouldn’t budge. I grabbed the nearest hard object. The lamp. I broke the window and climbed out with Parker in my arms. Poor kid had started coughing extremely badly. The paramedics immediately took Parker from my arms, but they started working on me.

“Get my son first. My son not me!” I didn’t notice the burns on my arms or how badly I myself had started coughing. An EMT had taken Parker into the recovery station to the firefighters. I took a step to go to him, and tried to ignore the pain that shot through my leg and chest. I tried to take another step, but things started to go black... Why couldn’t I move? Why was it getting dark?

****************

I woke to the rhythmic sound of beeping. I looked around to see the bright white room. What had happened? The fire, that’s right. Parker! Was He okay?

I looked around the room and saw Kelley asleep in the chair next to the bed. I tried to speak, but my throat hurt and there was something in my mouth and throat. I looked around the room more, wires were everywhere.

I heard movement and I looked over at Kelley. The color in her face was gone, she looked so exhausted. Tears streamed down her face and she smiled and fell over me. She held onto me and cried. Doctors came into the room, they began checking the machines and within a few minutes they had pulled the breathing tube out.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Kelley kissed my bruised and burned hand wrapped in gauze.

“Where is Parker?” I managed to croak out. My throat was so dry.

“He’s with your Mom at Jennifer’s house. You’ve been in a coma for three days. The house is gone.”

A coma? for three days? and my wife has had to deal with this all alone. I tried to move my hand to brush away her tears, but the pain in my body hurt so badly. My head pounded and about the same time I remembered I had a horrible cold. My nose started to itch again. Oh how the itched burned deep in my sinuses.

My breath hitched once and the pain that ran through my ribs was almost unbearable, but I had to bed strong for Kelley and Parker now.

“Hu’ehuSHH! Heue’ssuHHH! Ow!” I clutched my chest as the pain ripped through it with each sneeze.

“Oh baby, that cold is still hanging on. You’ve broken all of your ribs. Let me get the doctor to give you some more pain medicine.” Kelley kissed my forehead, but I still needed to sneeze.

“Hue’sshH Hnggxt!” Mistake! Trying to stifle the sneeze, had been an awful mistake. The doctors came in and gave me the pain meds. Within ten minutes of them administering it through the IV, I was asleep again.

I woke up, Parker sat on the bed as Kelley changed the bandage on his leg. He has some mild burns, but nothing serious.

“Dad! You’re awake!” Parker leaned over and gave me a gentle hug. “Mommy, said I could only hug you softly, because you were hurt.” Parker smiled.

“Parker, can you go out into the hallway for a few moments. I want to talk to your Dad for a moment.”

Parker nodded and ran out into the hall where his grandmother sat waiting. “I have something we need to talk about.”

“I know, we need to talk about the house. The insurance company should cover the whole thing. Did they find out how the fire started?” I rambled off questions with no pause for response. Kelley just smiled.

“We’ll worry about that in a few days, when you get out of the hospital. There is something else I need to tell you.” She smiled. My heart skipped a beat. She was smiling. This was good news. “I’m pregnant!”

Her radiant skin beamed with joy! Pregnant!

10 Months Later:

I sat up miserable again. Two major colds in one year! I guess the stress of the last few months had just caught up with me. Recovering from the damage of the fire physically. Finding a new house. The stress of a hard pregnancy with Kelley, but now. 10 months later, we have a gorgeous house, much bigger than our last for less. Such a blessing. I passed the physical assessment last week and am now back on the fire department. Parker was enjoying his new school, and out 2 month old Baby girl, Adellae is healthy and growing.

Stressful yet magnificent. This cold couldn’t ruin this. My life was great.

“He’euchhH! hue’‘sCHHSHH! hue’sCHHH!”

The End

This chapter is dedicate to Baby Adellae, my unborn niece who only made it to 20 weeks.

[Dutchgirl]

I'm sorry for the loss of your niece. But you made this story a happy ending with her name, I think it's great.

However, I love the whole story! Thank you.