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“Where?” I heard him ask.
I pointed, unable to take my eyes off the scene going on inside my house. The living room was fully engulfed. Nothing would be salvageable. Not that it mattered. They were only material items and they could be replaced, but watching your house along with everything you own go up in flames, was like losing a piece of yourself.
“I got him.”
I snapped out of my trance at those words.
The man came toward me with his arm around Vince. “He must have passed out from the smoke. That’s why he didn’t follow you.”
“Oh God.” I rushed to them, hooking Vince’s other arm around my shoulders.
“I’m fine,” Vince coughed.
We walked back up the side of the house to the older man’s yard. Sirens sounded, the fire trucks barreling down the streets as we walked to safety.
An ambulance parked in front of the neighbor’s house and the paramedics rushed toward us with a stretcher between them. They pulled Vince from the man who helped us and laid him on it, placing an oxygen mask on his face.
“No.” He sat up, handing me the mask. “She needs it more.”
“Vince.” I went to his side, trying to calm him. “They’re going to help you.”
“You need this more than I do.” He tried handing me the mask again.
“Stop.” I placed the mask back on his face and kissed his forehead. “You were in the smoke longer than I was.”
“She’s pregnant,” he told the nearest EMT, ignoring me. “She needs it more.”
“I’m fine, Vince.” But my words didn’t stop the other EMT from guiding me to the ambulance and giving me my own oxygen. “Wait.” I pushed away from her and went back to the man who helped Vince.
He was talking to a police officer. They both turned toward me.
“Sorry for interrupting. I just needed to thank you.” Before he could respond, I hugged him around the middle.
“You don’t need to thank me at all,” he told me, stiffening.
“You went into a burning house and got my boyfriend.” I squeezed him. “Thank you. Thank you for bringing him back to me.”
The man relaxed and hugged me back. “You’re welcome.”
I released him and went to head back to the ambulance when another officer came toward us.
“We just have some questions,” he said. “You’re the homeowner?”
“Yes I am.”
He nodded. “We’ll meet you at the hospital. Go get checked out.”
“Thank you.” I went to the ambulance and stepped up into the back.
“What’s going on?” Vince asked, pulling the mask off his face.
“I thanked my neighbor for saving you and the police are going to meet us at the hospital to question us.” I wasn’t sure why, but I imagined they needed to rule out arson. It was probably faulty wiring. No. My dad wouldn’t have let that happen when he and the guys built the house for us girls.
“I need to check you out,” the female EMT told me.
“Put your mask back on,” I told Vince.
Something flashed behind his eyes.
