AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But he didn’t pick up. The phone went straight to voice mail.
She hung up, not bothering to leave a message, and then berated herself for even trying to call. If he was being treated for an injury in the hospital, then he probably wouldn’t be able to answer his phone.
Beth knew she needed to calm down and think rationally. If he’d sent the text message, then he couldn’t have been that badly hurt, right? Then the thought crossed her mind that maybe he hadn’t sent the message. Maybe he’d asked one of the guys he worked with to send it for him. Before she could talk herself into a panic attack, Beth called the only person she knew could help her.
“Isn’t this supposed to be your day off?” Nicole yawned in her ear.
“I need your help.”
Her friend must have picked up on how desperate Beth sounded. “What’s wrong? What do you need?”
She took a deep breath and explained. “Drew was supposed to come over this morning, but instead I got a text saying he went to the hospital. I tried to call him back but he isn’t answering. I need to know what’s going on and I know if I call the station they won’t tell me anything.”
“Okay. Hold tight. I’ll see what I can find out and call you back, okay?”
“Okay.”
Beth paced while she waited. Nothing could happen to him. It couldn’t. She’d just told him she loved him. They had so much more to experience together.
When the phone rang, she jumped. “Hello?”
“Drew’s fine. He’s not hurt.” Nicole must have known those were the words Beth needed to hear most.
“Then why did he go to the hospital?”
“They were responding to a fire last night and two other guys were hurt. One was Drew’s former captain.”
Beth swallowed. “Shawn.”
“Yeah.” Nicole gave her a moment. “I didn’t get all the details, but apparently something happened as they were exiting the building and two of the responding firefighters were injured. I got the impression that Drew, along with most of the other guys from that station, headed over to the hospital as soon as their shift was over.”
“What hospital?” Although Nicole had assured her that he was all right, Beth needed to see it for herself.
It took her almost a half hour to get dressed and drive to the hospital where Shawn was being treated. She was still trying to convince herself that Drew wasn’t the one hurt as she parked her car and headed into the emergency room waiting area.
If there had been any doubt that she had the right place, it disappeared as soon as she walked through the sliding doors. There had to be a dozen firefighters taking up various positions around the large room. All of them were still wearing their dark blue pants and polo shirts with the St. Louis Fire Department logo.
“Beth?”
Beth turned to her left and saw Drew striding toward her. She released a cleansing breath when she saw he was perfectly fine. “Drew.”
He pulled her into his arms and held on tight. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here? Didn’t you get my text?”
She still hadn’t let go of him. “Yes. I got your text. Your text that said you’d gone to the hospital.”
Drew leaned back and searched her face. Then his gaze softened as he realized how she’d taken the message. “You thought it was me? That I’d been taken to the hospital?”
“Yes, you insufferable man.” Beth wiped the moisture from her cheeks. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
“Aw, Beth, I’m so sorry. I never meant to make you worry. It didn’t occur to me that you’d take it to mean I’d gotten hurt.”
She tried to pull herself together—everyone was watching them. “How’s Shawn?”
“How did you . . .” He paused. “Nicole.”
“Yeah. I didn’t know what else to do when you didn’t answer your phone, so I called her.”
He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, still trying to comfort her. “The last we heard he was still unconscious, but stable. I think they’re trying to get him a room now. Kelly, though . . . they took him upstairs for emergency surgery. He got beat up pretty bad by the explosion.”
