Page 16 of Colton’s Inferno

“They’re your records,” said his future brother-in-law. “Whatever is okay with you is fine with me.”

“I’m good.” After all, Aiden had nothing to hide.

“Let’s start with the good news. You didn’t break any bones. You have some contusions. A couple of first-degree burns. But nothing that’s alarming or unexpected.”

“So, are you good or lucky?” Chuck asked.

“Maybe a little of both,” said Aiden.

Ryan continued, “We did a CT scan, which you know. The best news is that there’s no bleeding on the brain.”

That was excellent news, really. “Are you ready to cut me loose, then?”

“Hold on a minute,” said Ryan. “I said I was going to start with the good news. Now, I’ve got bad news.”

Aiden sank back into the bed. “What is it?”

“Even though nothing showed up on imaging, I’m treating you as if you have a concussion. In fact, I’m positive that you have one. You lost consciousness for several minutes.”

He’d worked as a firefighter long enough to know that a concussion was a serious brain injury—one that needed time to heal. Still, he felt fine. “I’m not letting a bump on my head put me on the sidelines. I’m supposed to be at work tomorrow.”

“You know the department’s policy. Anyone injured on the job is placed on medical leave for two weeks,” his boss said, as if he needed the reminder. “That’s especially true of a head injury.”

“Two weeks.” The next fourteen days stretched out like an endless desert. What was Aiden supposed to do without a job for two weeks?

“Taking it easy for a couple of weeks seems best to me,” said Ryan. “You might have headaches. Sensitivity to light and sound. Take over the counter pain meds for the headaches. Find some place dim and quiet to rest as much as you can.”

“At least I can still look into the fire at the ranch,” said Aiden.

Chuck shook his head. “No can do, my friend. You heard what the doctor said. You need to rest.”

“I can’t lie around all day.” He knew his logic wouldn’t work. He tried a different tactic. “Besides, the fire station is shorthanded right now. Let me take the lead on the investigation. That’ll free up other people to take my shifts.”

The fire chief blew out a long breath. “Fine. Get dressed and you can come with me to talk to Lucy Harris. But aside from the fire at the Five Steers Ranch, you’re on medical leave. Understand?”

“Understood,” said Aiden.

Once Ryan and Chuck had left the room, Aiden rose to his feet. The walls seemed to undulate. Holding on to the bed’s railing, he waited for the sensation to pass. He grabbed the plastic bag with his belongings and dumped the contents onto the bed. The stench of smoke wafted off his clothes.

The scent triggered a memory. For a moment, he was standing in the burning barn. The opening, which he had barely fit through, was gone. There was no way out. Flames licked around the tanks of helium, their casing only moments away from becoming a deadly projectile. His pulse soared, and Aiden clenched his jaw.

This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real.

He repeated the mantra several times and focused on his breathing. His heart rate slowed, and the image faded.

Aiden had no idea how long he’d been lost in his mind. Seconds? Minutes? Certainly, it was longer than he needed to be standing in the middle of the hospital room with his ass hanging out.

After stripping out of the hospital gown, he stepped into his skivvies. Then, he held up his T-shirt. Embers had burned a constellation of holes into the fabric. He put it on. Once he was fully dressed, Aiden stepped out of his room.

Chuck stood in the hallway, leaning against the opposite wall. “You ready?”

Aiden was more than ready to see Lucy Harris again.

Chapter 5

Lucy lay in a hospital bed. She’d been told by a nurse that the doctor was going to review her test results and stop by her room. For her, it couldn’t be soon enough. Red Grove University Hospital was the same place they’d brought Derek after his overdose. It didn’t matter that her brother died ten years earlier. The place still smelled the same. The lights reflected off the tiles in the same way. The same sounds of quiet conversation and the beeping of medical equipment still filled the corridors. The doctor’s words, I’m sorry, Miss Harris. Your brother didn’t make it, were still an arrow that pierced her heart.

“Knock, knock,” someone said from outside her room. There was a rapping of knuckles on the door as it slowly swung open. A large man with grayish-blond hair and a bushy mustache in the same shades entered her room. He wore a white shirt, with a pick and axe emblem on the collar points. He also wore black pants. “Hi, Lucy. I’m Charles Kane, fire chief for Red Grove. I think you know this guy.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Aiden Colton.”