Smoke
Twenty Two
He stood to attention, feeling the sweat creep down his spine under his tunic, his hands clammy, he could feel the sideways glances and he heard the hushed voices as they turned out for duty after roll call, he sat around the table in the mess room, his nerves still playing havoc,
“How’s Scarlett getting on Kevin?”
Sicknote asked drawing every one’s attention to him, all of them wanting to know how she was progressing, he cleared his throat,
“She’s, erm, she’s learned to walk again, the surgery went well,” he paused thoughtfully as they all stared concerned “she’s healed multiple fractures in her legs and a small one in her pelvis and managed to get over a collapsed lung and concussion”
“So, she should be home soon then? That’s good right?”
Billy asked excited, Kevin looked down shaking his head,
“No, she’s…she’s not well again Bill”
He looked as Bayleaf and George’s faces changed, their eyes fixed on Kevin
“What do you mean she’s ill again?” George asked his voice heavy with concern “Kev? What’s happened to her?”
He swallowed the lump in his throat as everyone exchanged looks around him,
“Septicaemia, she caught it from her surgery wounds”
“So, what are her chances? What have they said?”
Billy begged
“She’s stable but not out of the woods, it’s fifty fifty”
“well where’s Bayleigh? Can we go and see Scarlett?”
“She’s at Rita’s. It’s family only at the minute”
“Are you having a laugh? We’re all family!”
“Leave it Bill” Bayleaf uttered, putting his hand on Kevin’s shoulder “When she’s ready we’ll be there, she’s in the best place but imagine the bollocking we’ll all get when she comes out and finds out we haven’t looked after Kevin”
The night dragged on with only two minor calls, Kevin sat in the back of the ladder watching as the streets sped past, bathed in the neon blue from their beacons, he felt his rib cage throb with his heart beating harder, memories flashing through his mind, the same terrifying crash from the accident almost 8 months ago echoed in every corner of his mind,
“Alright Kev?”
Billy shouted.
He nodded biting his lip trying to quell the nausea that was crashing through his abdomen, he kept his fear silent and got on with the job, keeping Scarlett tucked in the back of his mind, as he pulled his BA over his face swallowing hard, he became hyper aware of his surroundings, anxiety swallowing him, his vision blurred as George pulled him back out, Kevin stood his body trembling, he took a breath in, steadying himself before adjusting his BA mask and storming straight back in to the building.
He climbed in his bed that night, his body throbbing, the room fell dark as Bayleaf switched the light off climbing back in to his own bed, he whispered in to the dark,
“You did well Kevin, Scarlett would be proud”
“Thanks mate”
He muttered before drifting in to a dreamless sleep.
He rolled over, thrusting his arm out in to the dark, hunting for the ringing phone, he screwed his face up as he pressed the receiver to his ear,
“Hello?”
“Mr Medhurst?”
“Speaking?”
He replied confused,
“It’s nurse Jodie, from the hospital?”
He sat bolt upright, kicking the covers off and pulling his clothes on,
“Is everything okay? I’m on my way”
“I think it’s wise you come up”
He became aware of the rest of the crew waking around him, speaking in hushed tones, he jumped out of the bed, The station became a sudden hive of activity, Kevin sprinted towards Georgiadis’s office,
“Sir the hospital has called they want me to go in!”
He gasped trying to catch his breath, he stood from his bed quickly,
“Go then!” He followed Kevin down to the pump bay, “George!” he bellowed “Book Kevin off the run cite family emergency!”
“Keep us updated Kev” Billy shouted “Give her our love!”
Kevin couldn’t keep his thoughts straight as his tyres screeched out of the station, his whole body ripe with fear and panic whilst he tore through the streets on his way to the hospital
He breathed a sigh of relief upon spotting Rita’s car in the car park, slamming his door he ran through the endless hallways, taking a deep breath as he came to her ward,
“Ah Mr Medhurst, glad you’re here, sorry to wake you but she needed you here”
He felt the acid rise from his stomach as the young nurse took his arm and lead him towards Scarlett’s small side room,
“What do you mean needed?”
“Mr Medhurst, I assume?”
A stern looking doctor approached him as the nurse gave a reassuring squeeze,
“Yeah Scarlett’s husband, I want to see her now!”
“In good time!”
“Look mate!” he felt his temper rising sick of not getting a straight answer, Rita rubbed his back “You’ve woke me up in the middle of a night duty, you’ve called me from work and I don’t even want to think about the amount of fines I’ve racked up driving here, so stop with the poxy games and tell me why I’m here!”
The doctor sighed, flaring his nostrils,
“Come with me”
He said quietly beckoning Kevin to follow him with a flick of his hand, the young firefighter huffed and followed the doctor.
“How’s Scarlett getting on Kevin?”
Sicknote asked drawing every one’s attention to him, all of them wanting to know how she was progressing, he cleared his throat,
“She’s, erm, she’s learned to walk again, the surgery went well,” he paused thoughtfully as they all stared concerned “she’s healed multiple fractures in her legs and a small one in her pelvis and managed to get over a collapsed lung and concussion”
“So, she should be home soon then? That’s good right?”
Billy asked excited, Kevin looked down shaking his head,
“No, she’s…she’s not well again Bill”
He looked as Bayleaf and George’s faces changed, their eyes fixed on Kevin
“What do you mean she’s ill again?” George asked his voice heavy with concern “Kev? What’s happened to her?”
He swallowed the lump in his throat as everyone exchanged looks around him,
“Septicaemia, she caught it from her surgery wounds”
“So, what are her chances? What have they said?”
Billy begged
“She’s stable but not out of the woods, it’s fifty fifty”
“well where’s Bayleigh? Can we go and see Scarlett?”
“She’s at Rita’s. It’s family only at the minute”
“Are you having a laugh? We’re all family!”
“Leave it Bill” Bayleaf uttered, putting his hand on Kevin’s shoulder “When she’s ready we’ll be there, she’s in the best place but imagine the bollocking we’ll all get when she comes out and finds out we haven’t looked after Kevin”
The night dragged on with only two minor calls, Kevin sat in the back of the ladder watching as the streets sped past, bathed in the neon blue from their beacons, he felt his rib cage throb with his heart beating harder, memories flashing through his mind, the same terrifying crash from the accident almost 8 months ago echoed in every corner of his mind,
“Alright Kev?”
Billy shouted.
He nodded biting his lip trying to quell the nausea that was crashing through his abdomen, he kept his fear silent and got on with the job, keeping Scarlett tucked in the back of his mind, as he pulled his BA over his face swallowing hard, he became hyper aware of his surroundings, anxiety swallowing him, his vision blurred as George pulled him back out, Kevin stood his body trembling, he took a breath in, steadying himself before adjusting his BA mask and storming straight back in to the building.
He climbed in his bed that night, his body throbbing, the room fell dark as Bayleaf switched the light off climbing back in to his own bed, he whispered in to the dark,
“You did well Kevin, Scarlett would be proud”
“Thanks mate”
He muttered before drifting in to a dreamless sleep.
He rolled over, thrusting his arm out in to the dark, hunting for the ringing phone, he screwed his face up as he pressed the receiver to his ear,
“Hello?”
“Mr Medhurst?”
“Speaking?”
He replied confused,
“It’s nurse Jodie, from the hospital?”
He sat bolt upright, kicking the covers off and pulling his clothes on,
“Is everything okay? I’m on my way”
“I think it’s wise you come up”
He became aware of the rest of the crew waking around him, speaking in hushed tones, he jumped out of the bed, The station became a sudden hive of activity, Kevin sprinted towards Georgiadis’s office,
“Sir the hospital has called they want me to go in!”
He gasped trying to catch his breath, he stood from his bed quickly,
“Go then!” He followed Kevin down to the pump bay, “George!” he bellowed “Book Kevin off the run cite family emergency!”
“Keep us updated Kev” Billy shouted “Give her our love!”
Kevin couldn’t keep his thoughts straight as his tyres screeched out of the station, his whole body ripe with fear and panic whilst he tore through the streets on his way to the hospital
He breathed a sigh of relief upon spotting Rita’s car in the car park, slamming his door he ran through the endless hallways, taking a deep breath as he came to her ward,
“Ah Mr Medhurst, glad you’re here, sorry to wake you but she needed you here”
He felt the acid rise from his stomach as the young nurse took his arm and lead him towards Scarlett’s small side room,
“What do you mean needed?”
“Mr Medhurst, I assume?”
A stern looking doctor approached him as the nurse gave a reassuring squeeze,
“Yeah Scarlett’s husband, I want to see her now!”
“In good time!”
“Look mate!” he felt his temper rising sick of not getting a straight answer, Rita rubbed his back “You’ve woke me up in the middle of a night duty, you’ve called me from work and I don’t even want to think about the amount of fines I’ve racked up driving here, so stop with the poxy games and tell me why I’m here!”
The doctor sighed, flaring his nostrils,
“Come with me”
He said quietly beckoning Kevin to follow him with a flick of his hand, the young firefighter huffed and followed the doctor.