Page 48 of Maggie’s Match

She didn’t know what the nearest hospital was, but the drive took longer than she expected. By the time they pulled up to the emergency room, Rick was finished coughing and throwing up ash.

He lay there, breathing heavily and blinking at the ceiling. There were clean streaks on his face from where his eyes had watered. Other than that, he looked like someone had dipped him in silver and black paint.

His left boot had been on fire and had been doused with the water hose. His jeans were half gone, and she worried his legs would be permanently scarred by the burns. He lay perfectly still.

The paramedics had given him a shot of something for the pain, which was probably why he was just staring up at the ceiling as they wheeled him into the brightly lit hospital.

She held in a gasp when she got a good look at him for the first time under the bright lights.

She was told to wait in the waiting area, and she nodded, tears rolling down her face. They wheeled Rick away through double doors.

She didn’t even get to tell him that she loved him again.

“Miss.” A woman behind the counter waved her over. “I’ll need you to fill out this information.” She handed her a clipboard.

Maggie took it and sat down. She stared at it for a moment, then Becca appeared as if out of nowhere and sat next to her and took the pen and clipboard from her and started asking her the questions.

“Where are your folks?” Maggie asked once Becca had turned in the paperwork.

“They’ll be here as soon as they can,” Becca answered, taking her hand in her own. “How’s he doing?”

Maggie shrugged. “How’d you get here?”

“I followed the ambulance. I knew I was needed here more than at home,” she said with a smile. “How are you holding up?”

Maggie opened her mouth to answer, but the only thing that came out was a strange cry. Becca held her as tears rolled down her cheeks and sobs burst from her chest.

When she was back under control, Becca walked over to the machines and bought them each a drink. Maggie hadn’t realized until now that her own throat hurt from the smoke she had inhaled while helping to pull Rick to safety.

They waited. And waited. Becca asked the woman behind the counter for an update and was told that the doctor or nurse would come get them when there was news.

Bent and Bridget walked in about an hour later. Bent needed to see a doctor for burns on his hands. He’d been the one to open the barn doors and pull Rick out of the worst of the flames.

He held his hands to his chest. They were as charred as Rick had been and covered in ash. She couldn’t tell how badly his skin was burned.

“I’ll see how he’s doing,” Bent said when they took him to the back.

A while after Bent disappeared, a nurse came out and called her name.

“You can come back with me,” she said, and Maggie followed her through the double doors, down a short hallway, and into a small room separated by curtains.

Rick lay on a bed, his legs and arms so wrapped up in gauze that he looked like a mummy.

Half of his hair was charred much shorter than his longer locks on the other side, and it almost looked like he had a mohawk.

She was afraid to touch him and wake him up, so she just sat next to his bed, watching him.

Then his eyes opened and scanned the room. When he spotted her, he lifted his left arm towards her.

“I’m here,” she said with a sob.

“I’m an idiot,” he groaned as she stood next to him.

“No.” She shook her head as more tears rolled down her face.

“Yes, I am. I shouldn’t have left you so many times over the years. I should have married you long ago,” he said with a slight cough.

“Yes,” she admitted as a burst of laughter escaped. She was hysterical. That was it. Totally crazy.