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Another citizen had used the extinguisher. Skippy had come out with two more extinguishers. In minutes, the fire department and an ambulance had arrived, and the fire was out by then.
The EMT pushed me aside, and I returned to my kiosk. It wasn’t until I sat down in my chair that I realized how badly I was shaking. Reaching for my wastebasket, I threw up four or five cups of coffee.
Everything happened so fast after that. A cop came to my window.
“The people out there are saying you saved that man’s life.”
“Who?” I asked. “Not me.”
The next thing I remembered, I was lying on a stretcher in the back of another ambulance, my father weeping inconsolably, hovering over me.
“Pop, you’re drooling on me.”
“Oh God, she’s awake! Thank God.”
“Where am I?”
“Just about to go to the medical center,” a woman in a uniform said. She had ID that said she was an EMT.
I tried to sit up. “No can do. I don’t want to go there, please.”
“Lie still, kiddo,” my father said. “They need to make sure you’re okay.”
“No way, man. Let me out of here.”
“Bella, you’re acting like a jackass.” The voice belonged to my sister, Margo, who stuck her head in the door, making me laugh.
“Pop here will tell you I am a jackass. Right, daddo? I’m leaving.”
“We can’t force her to go to the ER,” the technician said. “How’s your head?”
“I’m good,” I said, sitting up. “I’ll be better once I find out what the heck happened.”
“You don’t remember?”
“I woke up with my father blubbering over me,” I said.
“Bella, really?” George sputtered, embarrassed.
“Sorry, Pop, but get real. I’m outta here.”
I slid off the gurney before anyone could stop me. Margo offered a hand so I could jump down from the step.
“You’ll do anything for attention,” she said, snickering, calling over her shoulder to our father. “Pop, I’ll take care of her.”
“What the hell happened?” I asked.
“Let me take you home, and we’ll talk.”
“My car.”
“I’ll bring you back in the morning. You need to rest up.”
“Bella!” Dad’s familiar voice shouted. He was running after us.
“Pop, go home. I’m fine.”
“You are not fine,” he said, catching up.
