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Overwhelmed by fear for Phoebe, she started to panic, her ability to think dulled by the smothering smoke and the pain in her chest.
And then she saw her.
Lying on the floor in a little ball. Unconscious.
Unconscious or dead?
No. Please, not dead.
Forcing herself not to think about that possibility, Keely battled to keep her rising panic in check. This was no time for even the most basic first aid. The best thing she could do for Phoebe now was get her out. If she didn't get her out, she'd die for sure—in fact, both of them would die...
Choking and coughing, she wriggled up to the body of the child and grabbed a handful of her jumper, dragging her along the floor towards the door. But this time her journey was impeded by the extra weight and the ever-building volume of smoke. She cried out and sobbed as a piece of burning wood fell onto her hand and she collapsed face down on the floor ready to give up.
She was going to die. They were both going to die. And Zach would lose his precious daughter.
First his wife and then his daughter.
No!
The thought of what such a loss would do to the man gave a final boost to her will-power and she drove herself forward, teeth gritted, barely breathing as the smoke grew denser. It felt as though her lungs were on fire and she started to cough and choke as she crawled nearer to the door.
Oh, God, please, let Phoebe live.
She didn't even care if she died any more. Her lungs and her hand hurt so much that she was ready to give up and let the smoke get her, but she wanted the little girl to live so badly she pushed herself through the pain barrier.
Keep going, just keep going, she told herself, and then finally, through the flames that were starting to lick their way into the hall, she saw the front door. Nearly there. So nearly there. But she couldn't make it. Her lungs were burning and she no longer had enough oxygen to continue, but she pushed Phoebe as hard as she could towards the door, dimly aware of a fireman in breathing apparatus grabbing the child and carrying her to safety.
And then her breath scorched in her lungs and the world went black.
'Burns coming in, Zach,' Nicky said brisk
ly, hanging up the hotline phone and scurrying towards Resus.
'Adult and child.'
Zach nodded, his eyes gritty from lack of sleep. Phoebe had been up all the previous night, fractious and unsettled because of the new nanny. She was missing Keely's gentle warmth and, if he was honest, so was he. He forced the thought aside and tried to concentrate on the job in hand. 'Any details?'
'None.'
The hotline rang again and Nicky frowned. 'Not another one. Don't do this to me,' she muttered, picking the phone up and tucking it under her ear. 'Hello?'
Zach watched idly, waiting to hear whether yet another incident was about to descend on them.
'Oh, Lord, are you sure? Read me the address.' Nicky's voice was little more than a whisper and her face visibly paled as she swivelled to look at him.
And he knew.
Just by looking at the expression in her eyes, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that the fire was in his house.
Which meant that the child was—
'Phoebe!'
The ambulance siren shrieked outside the department and Zach was in the ambulance bay and dragging open the doors before they'd turned the engine off.
'Calm down, Zach.' Pete, one of the paramedics, gave his shoulder a quick squeeze. 'She seems OK. Maybe some minor smoke inhalation, but her resps have been fine and she's got no obvious burns.'
'Thank God.'
