Detective Archer places a hand on my back, but I flinch away from his touch. He was supposed to prevent this. He was supposed to keep us safe. The detective moves back into my line of sight. “Hannah, are you sure he’s in there?”
“I don’t know.” My voice cracks, and I hold tight to Morgan like I might get sucked into the earth without something to tether me here.
The detective looks to Morgan. “Do not let her move from this spot.”
“Yes, sir.”
And then he’s gone, pushing through the throng of firefighters, looking for someone who knows what’s going on.
Morgan gasps. “Oh my god...”
“What?” I pull away, but Morgan tightens her grip.
“You don’t want to see this,” she says even as she loosens herhold enough so I can turn. She keeps one hand firmly around my wrist, stopping me from running into the burning house.
But none of that matters when I finally see.
A fireman rushes down the lawn with my father draped across his back. Paramedics hurry forward with a stretcher, others racing ahead with their medical bags. It feels like centuries before they have him strapped in. One of the paramedics, a short Black woman with a determined expression, climbs on top of the stretcher and starts chest compressions.
“No.” The world tilts. I hit the ground. Everything goes dark.
It’s a struggle to open my eyes. I try to sit up, but I can’t move. It takes another few moments to realize I’m on a stretcher with a protective strap across my chest. There’s an oxygen mask on my face and people crowded all around.
“Hannah? Can you hear me? How do you feel?” Detective Archer stands behind a pair of paramedics.
I yank the mask off my face. “Where’s my dad? Is he all right?”
“He’s on route to the hospital. The doctors will know more once they examine him.”
“But was he alive? Did they get him breathing?”
“Miss, you need to keep the mask on.” The paramedic eases it onto my face and pushes the stretcher until it’s flush with the back of the ambulance. She shares a look with the man across from her, like they’re ready to lift me inside.
I shoot a panicked look at Morgan.
“I’ll take your car and meet you there,” she promises.
Before they can stop me, I pull off the oxygen mask again. “Call Gemma. Tell her to call my mom.”
I don’t even see Morgan nod before I’m shoved into the backof the ambulance and the doors slam shut. The vehicle jolts, rolling forward until there’s nothing but sirens and flashing lights.
•••
They won’t let me see my dad.
I pace the waiting room, afraid to stop moving. If I sit, I’ll have to admit that this is happening. The hospital released me as a patient two hours ago once they confirmed my vitals were fine. Morgan perches at the edge of a chair, my seat beside her empty, watching me pace.
Despite theNO CELL PHONESsign, I cling to mine like a lifeline. Mom called while I was waiting for the doctor to approve my discharge. She ended the field trip early, but the bus is stuck in traffic on the way back from Boston.
My heartbeat falters each time a doctor comes in, but they always call someone else’s name. The stress and the wait have my stomach in knots. I need answers. Now.
“Hannah, sit. You’ll make yourself dizzy.” Morgan rubs at her face like she’s the one who’s lightheaded. “They’ll be out as soon as they have an update.”
“I know.” I pause, coming to a full stop for the first time in hours. “You don’t have to stay. I’ll be okay.”
Morgan stares at her hands before glancing up at me. “I want to be here for you.”
I sink into the chair beside my date, reaching for her hand. She twines her fingers through mine, and I finally feel like I’m grounded to something real. Someone who’s not going to let me float away. “What am I going to do?”
