Roman and the paramedic seemed to share another look, and the paramedic sighed and let go of me. My shoulders slumped in relief.
The medic draped a heavy gray blanket over my shoulders. “Can you tell me your name?”
“Palmer.”
“And do you know where you are?”
I scanned the space again. “Ambulance.”
“That’s right.” He nodded. “You fainted outside a structure fire. Do you remember what happened?”
It all rushed back to me then. The fire. Phantom.
I looked around for the kitten, but he wasn’t there.
“I had someone bring him back to the house,” Roman’s voice whispered beside my ear. “He’s safe.”
I relaxed, and focused back on the medic. He was waiting for my answer, and I quickly described what happened.
“Any trouble breathing?” he asked when I was finished. “Any chest tightness? Dizziness right now?”
I inhaled carefully. My lungs felt heavy, but clear. “No.”
“Throat sore?”
I shook my head.
“Did you hit your head when you went down?”
“I—”
“No, she didn’t.” Roman’s voice interrupted, his chest rumbling at my back.
The EMT gently lifted one of my wrapped hands to inspect the burn dressings. “You’ve got first-degree burns and some superficial second-degree on the palms. Nothing deep. We’ve cooled them and wrapped them.”
Superficial. I clung to the word like a lifeline. Nothing like last time. I would be fine. They would heal on their own.
The paramedic hesitated before continuing. “We do recommend transport to the hospital. Smoke exposure can be unpredictable, even if you’re feeling okay now. They can do bloodwork and monitor you properly.”
Hospital.A pang of panic struck me.
“No,” I said immediately. The burns weren’t bad. I didn’t want to go to the hospital.
The medic blinked. “Ma’am, it would be against medical recommendation to refuse transport.”
“I’m fine,” I insisted, the words coming out thin and brittle. I didn’t have good insurance, either. A trip to the hospital in the ambulance was the last thing I needed.
“You have the right to refuse,” he said carefully. “But we do advise you to get evaluated. Especially after smoke exposure.”
“Okay,” I breathed. “Then I refuse.”
Roman’s arm tightened around me as the paramedic’s gaze shifted to him.
“Sir—”
“I’ll take responsibility,” Roman said, his tone calm but firm. “She’ll be seen by a doctor. Today.”
There was an edge of authority in his voice that made further argument pointless.
