AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The call-out tones go off, breaking the moment.
“Jesus Christ, you two are worse than a couple of horny teenagers,” Craig says in disgust as we emerge from the office. “Off you fuck, the both of you. You’ve got lives to save.”
* * *
The next month passes quickly.As it turns out, working with Daniel is a good thing. Even though I miss working with Fletch, Daniel is great company and has me in stitches with his sharp sense of humour and crazy-good impersonations of famous people.
Fletcher and I rarely see each other while we’re on shift, but we make up for the time apart as soon as we’re together, mainly naked, with him deep inside me.
At work, we continue to conduct ourselves professionally. I’m sure our colleagues know we’re more than friends, but Fletcher and I haven’t put a label on whatever we are yet. The last thing we want is to be bombarded by questions from work colleagues we can’t answer.
When Katie shares her story with the local press, wanting to praise the care of the London Ambulance Service, Fletcher and I find ourselves temporarily in the limelight when we’re asked to give an interview for the London Oracle. It’s not something either of us would usually be comfortable doing, but we agree that highlighting the hard work of the emergency services can only be a good thing.
Life settles into a pattern, with Fletcher and I spending our nights in each other's arms—finding laughter and joy and healing in one another. Even so, we haven’t discussed a future together, and I know Fletcher worries about being a burden. I usually stay at his place as he has everything set up there for his needs, like the bathroom grab rails, crutches, and all the ointments he needs for his limb care.
For my part, I realise how easily Fletcher fits into my life. I’m already in love with him, not that I’ve said the words, and neither has he. But when we’re together, everything just feelsright.
I should’ve known, however, that things were going a little too smoothly, and everything changes when Daniel and I get a call-out to the fire victim.
The address is a recreational area on the city's outskirts where people go to picnic and walk their dogs. It seems a bunch of kids were doing drugs around a fire when one of them stumbled and fell into the flames.
As we approach, I see a fire engine and a police car at the scene. Daniel parks the ambulance, and I hop out to grab a stretcher. We make our way across the field, hearing agonized whimpers as we draw closer to the injured teenager. Firefighters are still hovering as we reach the fire pit, only to find two burn victims instead of one.
Daniel quickly calls it in, asking dispatch to send another ambulance.
Both teenagers have sustained second and third-degree burns. According to one of their friends still at the scene, they were fooling around and jumping over the fire when the wind took the flames, catching their polyester jackets alight.
We wrap the first patient in sterile sheets and get him on the stretcher. Moving quickly through the small crowd now gathered, we get him loaded into the ambulance. Daniel heads back to the second victim while I stay with our patient.
“Grace!”
Poised to climb into the back of the ambulance, I hesitate at the sound of my name.
No, no. Not again. My mouth goes dry. Panic swells in my chest, and my lungs constrict as I turn to see my father stalking towards me. My gaze flicks to the police car I noticed when we arrived. Shit. He’s one of the officers on the scene.
I suddenly wish Fletcher was by my side. Apart from Maddie and Jacob, he’s the only one who knows this monster is my father.
“Feeling pleased with yourself?” he sneers as he stops a few feet in front of me.
I narrow my eyes on him. “What do you mean?”
His mouth twists in a parody of a smile. “You and your boyfriend getting local recognition just because you delivered a baby.”
Ah. He saw the newspaper article. Great. I honestly believed my past was behind me. I was wrong. So long as my father is a free man, I’ll never be able to find peace.
“Doing well for yourself, aren’t ya? Little miss butter-wouldn’t-melt thinks she’s so much better than everyone else now.” His eyes flash dangerously. It’s a look I remember well. “But you’ll never amount to anything, Grace. You’re an ungrateful little bitch, just like your mother. Which reminds me. Where’s her jewellery?”
I lift my chin. “Long gone. I pawned it to pay for my education.” Am I proud of it? No. Was I desperate? Yes. And I refuse to regret it.
I know I’ve said the wrong thing as soon as the words leave my mouth. I’ve challenged him, and he's livid. Terror chokes me as he takes a step closer, and I almost whimper in relief when I see the other ambulance pull next to ours. It’s okay. My colleagues are here. I’m safe.
The slam of the ambulance door coincides with thethwackof something hard connecting with my right thigh. I scream and crumble to the ground as excruciating pain explodes along my nerve endings. My father’s face is a mask of rage as he raises his baton again. I didn’t even see him take it out.
I throw my arms over my head and wait for another blow that never comes. Instead, I hear a loudthump, followed by grunting. When I look up, my father is flat on his back with Fletcher on top of him, his hands around his throat.
Chaos erupts as two firefighters wrestle a furious Fletcher off my father while another two haul the arsehole to his feet and restrain him.
Blood pours from my father’s nose. “You’ll fucking pay for this,” he shouts, blood and spittle flying from his mouth.
