“Ethan. Where is Ethan?” I push through the crowd, heart in my throat.
Cas, Dex, Jude, and Josh stand near a group of EMTs. They are all ash-streaked, exhausted.
“Where is Ethan?” My voice cracks as I grab Jude’s arm.
His eyes widen. Slowly, he looks toward the fire.
“He went up with the second team. They are trying to cut it off near the ridge. There are victims…”
I do not let him finish. The world narrows to a tunnel. Noise fades. My lungs seize.
I grab Cas by the arm.“Tell me he is okay. Please, tell me he is okay.”
Cas lifts his radio, attempts connection after connection. Finally,
Static.
Voices.
Shouting.
Then a call.
And Cas’s face drains of color.
Everything inside me freezes.
EMTs sprint up the slope and vanish into the smoke. Time loses meaning. Minutes or hours pass, I cannot tell. Then
Two gurneys appear through the haze, pushed by frantic EMTs.
My body moves before my mind does.
“Ethan.” The scream rips from my throat as I run.
His face is streaked with soot. His uniform is shredded. His arm hangs wrong, blood and ash mixing on torn skin.
But he is breathing. He is alive.
I crash into him, arms locking around his neck before the EMTs can stop me. The smell of smoke, sweat, and something metallic clings to him. Tears pour down my face.
“Ma’am, you cannot,” an EMT says, but I do not let go.
It is Josh’s hand on my shoulder that finally pulls me back.“Summer, they need to check him out. They cannot do that with you holding him.”
I loosen my grip, barely.
“Do not ever do that again,” I whisper against his shoulder, voice shaking.“Do not ever scare me like that.”
“Summer.” His voice is raw, broken.“You were scared?”
Those forest-green eyes, glassy with exhaustion, pin me in place.
“Terrified.”
“Asher?” Ethan tries to turn, but an EMT steadies him.
I follow the EMT’s gaze to the other gurney.
