Cam recognized he was right, but he didn’t want to turn Sage’s care over to anyone. No matter how competent they were.
The EMTs from station four were at the back of the ambulance.
“Let’s go!” Cam yelled at them. “She needs a hyperbaric chamber.”
“Okay.” The guy climbed in with them and the girl, Cam thought her name was Heather, slammed the door, and within seconds, they were driving off.
Jake checked her pulse and put a blood pressure cuff on then glanced up at him. “You know her?”
Cam nodded, glancing down at Sage’s beautiful face. She looked okay, just pale and unresponsive. He really needed her to wake up. He couldn’t take this stress much longer. “What are her O2 stats?” he asked.
“Eighty-three percent.”
Cam blew out a breath and uttered another prayer. Anything below ninety percent was a bad sign, and with all the carbon monoxide in fire gasses, her true oxygen saturation could be much lower. What if they didn’t get to the hospital and a hyperbaric chamber soon enough so they could push the carbon monoxide out? He’d fallen for her much too fast. What if he had to survive without her? He’d always been a believer and knew that his parents were in a better place and all that kind of junk, but it was excruciating to be the one left behind. He couldn’t let Sage go. It was just unacceptable to think of living without her.
The ambulance weaved as they flew down Parley’s Canyon. Cam grabbed for a hand hold as one vicious turn threw him.
Sage coughed shallowly, and Cam pushed closer to her. “Sage?”
Her body was suddenly racked with coughs. Cam’s hopes spiked. Her coughing fit looked miserable, but it was actually a very good sign.
“That’s it, baby, clear those lungs.”
Jake glanced sharply at him, but Cam didn’t care. Please help her, he repeated over and over again in his head, a desperate prayer to a God he’d never given up on, no matter how low things had gotten for him.
Cam pushed an arm underneath the gurney to keep her stable and elevate her upper body as the ambulance continued to weave down the canyon. The coughing continued for several minutes. Cam winced as her body was racked with the coughs, but he was grateful she was coughing.
“Up to eighty-eight,” Jake said.
Cam nodded. He’d take any improvement. Sage’s coughing subsided, and she blinked, opening those beautiful brown eyes and staring up at him. “Cam?” she whispered.
He squeezed her hand. “I’m here.” His shoulders sagged, and he felt almost weak with relief. She was awake. “You’re going to be okay.”
She gave him a wan smile, and her eyes fluttered closed. Cam held her up as coughs continued to expand her chest. Her eyes flew back open. “Braden?”
“I got him and the teacher out. They’ll get to the hospital before us, and we’ll find out how he’s doing.”
“Okay.”
“One minute out.” Heather called back to them.
Jake readied her oxygen for transport as the ambulance rolled up in front of the emergency room entrance. The doors popped open, and Cam had to release her as they lowered the gurney out and the three paramedics rolled her through the doors.
“Cam,” he heard her whisper.
Cam started forward. He needed to be with her. Jake stopped him with a hand on his chest. “Wait here for just a minute, Cap. I’ll come get you.”
Cam’s eyes widened. Yes, Jake was the medic and had more expertise in this situation, but Cam was used to giving the commands.
“She’ll be okay. There are plenty of us.” Jake gave a dry chuckle. There were always too many people standing by to help when they got to the emergency room. “But maybe you need a minute?” Jake’s green eyes said he understood somehow. “Give us just a few minutes.”
Cam didn’t answer. He stopped in his tracks and watched her disappear through the double doors. She was going to be okay, and Jake was right. He needed a minute, or maybe much more than a minute.
He sank onto a chair. His body started trembling. He’d almost lost her. He tried to push the memories away. He couldn’t think about his parents right now. His stomach tightened like somebody had gut-punched him. He couldn’t do this. He’d let himself fall for Sage, and she’d almost died in a fire. All of his nightmares came back to assault him, and his shoulders bowed with the anguish of it.
His body started shaking like a recovering addict going through DTs. He had to clench his fists and flex his muscles to stop the trembling. Sage. He couldn’t lose her. It wasn’t possible to survive another loss like his parents. He said a prayer of gratitude that she was okay, but he didn’t believe he could handle loving and losing again.
Chapter Eighteen
Sage watched her oxygen levels rise as the hospital staff poked, prodded, and did about a hundred tests on her. There had to be twenty different people in and out of her room for the first few minutes. It didn’t take long for the crowd to die down, and with her oxygen levels rising, they didn’t end up putting her in the chamber they had been talking about.
“Where’s Cam?” she asked the fireman with the bright green eyes who’d stayed with her. Her throat hurt, and her voice came out all scratchy, but besides that and being really tired, she felt okay.
“He’s in the waiting room. You can see him soon.”
“Can you go get him?”
“Sure.” He nodded and disappeared. A few minutes later he returned. Sage searched behind him for Cam. The green-eyed guy shrugged. “I’m sure he’s close by. He was really concerned. He’ll come find you.”
The curtain was swept aside, and Sage’s heart lifted. He was here. But instead of her broad-shouldered firefighter, a round-faced nurse bustled in. Disappointment tasted bitter as the nurse checked her blood pressure for the fiftieth time and kept claiming that she was doing great. She’d be doing great when Cam came.
Cam never appeared. Sage was released an hour later with instructions to rest and drink lots of fluids. She was grateful she was alive, but she wanted Cam with her.
Her parents showed up. Thankfully, they brought some clothes for her as the hospital had cut hers off and given her an awful sweat suit she could wear home. She changed into her own clothes, then signed a bunch of papers, promising the hospital personnel that she had insurance and she would send them the information as soon as she got her purse.
Her mom fussed over her, and her dad tried to act tough, but he kept giving her arm a squeeze. “Your young man around here?” he asked.
“I thought he was.” Sage didn’t have her phone, so she couldn’t text or call Cam. She remembered waking and seeing him in the ambulance with her, his eyes filled with concern and anguish. But as soon as she got into the emergency room, he was gone. Where had he disappeared to?
“Are you okay to wait while I go find out if Braden and Mrs. James are all right?” she asked. A little break from her mom’s anxious glances would be nice, and she really needed to check on her student and fellow teacher.
“Sure thing,” her dad said, settling himself into a couch in the emergency room waiting area. “We’ll catch us up on some People Magazine reading.”
Sage smiled. “I’ll come find you right here then.”
“Sounds good.”
Her mom gave her one more hug then let her go. Sage went to the information desk and then slowly walked to the elevator and the Burn Center. An older nurse with long, gray hair braided down her back escorted her to Braden’s room.
“He’s doing really well for the amount of burns he received,” the nurse said in response to her queries.
“What about the teacher who was brought in with him?”
The nurse shook her head. “She’s alive, but …” She left it at that, and Sage’s stomach turned. She didn’t know Mrs. James very well, but she was a nice lady who’d been doing art for years. She had a large family that she liked to share pictures and stories about.
“The little guy’s on a lot of painkillers, so he’ll probably be in and
out of consciousness, but he’s going to come out of this with only a few scars.”
“Thank you. That’s wonderful to hear.” Sage pushed through the door and saw Braden stretched out in the bed. His monitors were beeping slowly. Cam sat in the chair next to the bed, his head bowed and his wide shoulders rounded like the weight of the world was capable of bowing even his strength. He was still in his firefighter pants, but his coat was sitting on the floor beside him.
“Cam!” Sage exclaimed, so excited to see him that she yelled too loud for the quiet hospital atmosphere.
His head jerked up and then he was on his feet, gathering her into his arms. “Sage.” He breathed out, kind of choking on her name. “You’re okay?”
Sage clung to him. “Yes. Thanks to you, I hear.”
Cam pulled back and searched her face. He gave her a grim smile, and then he was kissing her, and there wasn’t room for any pain, sorrow, or worry when he was doing that.
“Coach?” A little croak broke them apart.
Cam yanked away from Sage and hurried back to Braden’s side. “Hey, buddy.”
“Hi,” Braden whispered. He smiled groggily up at her. “Miss Turner.”
“Hi, sweetheart.” Sage came over and touched his arm, wondering where his burns were and how extensive they were. “Are you doing okay?”
“Hurts.” He managed.
“I’m sorry, bud.” Sage rubbed his arm. “You were so brave trying to help Mrs. James.”
“I tried, but the desk was too heavy. Is she … okay?”
“Yes.” Sage lied.
Cam glanced up at her. She shook her head. Braden didn’t need to deal with any other worries right now. They’d have to pray Mrs. James recovered so Sage wouldn’t receive a black mark on her heavenly record for lying to an innocent child.
When she glanced back at Braden, he was asleep again.
“He’s been in and out?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Is Isabella here?”
“She’s been here the entire time. I told her I’d sit with him while she went to the restroom.” Cam kept his focus on Braden. Sage selfishly wanted him to concentrate on her.
“That was nice of you,” she said slowly.
Things were suddenly stiff between them. What was going on? Cam had disappeared earlier when she really wanted him to be there for her, and now, he wouldn’t even meet her gaze. Why was he so excited to see her a few minutes ago? Why had he held her and kissed her and now seemed like he didn’t even want her around?
Isabella pushed into the room from behind them. “Miss Turner? Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay.” She gave Sage a brief hug.
“I’m fine. I just got minor smoke inhalation. They told me one breath of hot air is enough to knock a person completely out.”
“Why did you go back in?” Cam’s voice was stern, and she felt like she was one of his crew members who’d disobeyed an order. He chose that moment to finally look at her, but it wasn’t warm or welcoming.
“The nurse said Braden is doing well.” Sage directed her comment to Isabella, ignoring Cam’s question because she really didn’t have a good answer besides that she was scared, confused, and couldn’t not try to help.
“Yes. He’s going to be okay. Some bad burns on his abdomen and back where his clothes caught fire, but thank heavens Coach Compton went back in him for him.” She gazed up at Cam worshipfully.
Cam stood and cleared his throat. “I’m going to walk Sage out.”
“Okay.”
“Do you need anything?” Sage asked.
“No. The nurses and Coach are taking good care of us. Thank you.”
“I’ll check in with you tonight,” Sage said.
“Thanks again.” Isabella sank into the chair Cam had been sitting in, reaching out and holding her son’s hand.
Sage was so grateful Braden was okay. His mom was a sweetheart, and Sage sure loved that boy.
Cam didn’t touch her as they walked out of the burn unit and down a short hallway. She really could’ve used that touch, some reassurance that things were still good between them.
“I’m going to stay here with Braden and Isabella tonight,” he said, not looking at her.
“I’m sure they’ll appreciate that. Do you need a ride back?”
“No. Powers and JFK brought my truck down.”
“Okay.” She clenched her hands together, wanting to reach out to him, but feeling extremely awkward for some reason. Where had her Cam from this past weekend gone?
“Do you have a ride home?” His gaze brushed over her then returned to the wall behind her.
“Yes, my parents are here.”
“Good. Okay, then.”
He turned to walk away. What on earth? Sage grabbed his arm, not willing to leave things like this between them. “Cam?”
He glanced back. “Yeah?”
“Um, what … what happened?”
“What happened?” His brows drew together.
“You’re acting really remote.” That was a nice way of putting it. He was acting like he wanted nothing to do with her. Like they were strangers and this stilted conversation was all they had between them. If Cam was pulling away from her, it would kill her surer than the smoke.
Cam drew in a breath then slowly let it out. “I …” He shook his head. The silence stretched until it was more than awkward, and then he flung out there. “Why did you go back in the school, Sage?”
Sage drew back. What did that have to do with their relationship and why he was suddenly so cold? “I had to find Braden.”
He stared at her with narrowed, cold eyes. “That was my job. You didn’t have protective gear, training, an air tank.” He shook his head and then kind of hung it like somebody had beat the happiness out of him. “You know, I thought you were great because you’re brave and like taking risks, but I can’t be with somebody like that.” He blew out a breath. “I can’t lose someone I love again.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not some crazy person who throws myself into danger.” She had done that, but only because she’d been so consumed with worry about him and Braden and … Wait a minute! He’d said he loved her, but yet he couldn’t be with her?
Cam studied the wall again. “I can’t do it, Sage. I’m sorry.” He turned and walked away from her.
Sage was confused, and then she was ticked. She rushed after him, catching him just before the Burn Unit door. “You can’t do what exactly?”
“I can’t have a relationship with you, Sage. It’s not worth it.”
Sage drew back like he’d hit her.
Cam’s face softened for a fraction of a second. He reached his hand up and brushed her cheek. “I’m sorry.” Then his jaw hardened, and he turned and marched through the hospital doors.
Sage sat there in shock. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she wondered what had just happened between her and Cam, and why she wasn’t worth it.
Chapter Nineteen
Cam went through the next few days on autopilot. The chief sent someone in to cover the rest of his shift, and he stayed with Braden and Isabella at the hospital. He went home at night to sleep and shower. The little guy recovered amazingly fast. He would have some scarring on his abdomen and back, which was something Cam could relate to. The good news was the emotional scarring from the fire should be minimal, especially when they got the news that Mrs. James was out of intensive care and was going to recover. The older teacher would have a lot of skin grafts and would probably not return to school, but she’d survive. It was more than could be said of Cam’s parents. What he wouldn’t have given to not feel the survival guilt. Thank heavens Braden wouldn’t experience that.
By Thursday afternoon, Cam was able to drive Braden and Isabella home and get them settled in their little apartment. He went to the grocery store and stocked the fridge and pantry, hiding five one-hundred dollar bills underneath one of Braden’s schoolbooks where they should find it. He made sure that the hospital knew that anythi
ng not covered by insurance was to be sent to Cam for payment. Hopefully Isabella would be okay without her normal income over the next week.
He thought about Sage twenty times an hour. No. That was an under-exaggeration. She never left his thoughts. He ached for her. He wanted more than anything to go to her and tell her the pain and agony of loving and knowing you might have your heart ripped out might be worth it if he could be with her, but he wasn’t brave enough. Was it really worth it? He’d lost his parents. He couldn’t handle losing someone else he loved. Loving Caylee like he did was enough of a risk, but he couldn’t break up with his sister.
His phone rang as he pulled into his driveway Thursday night. He pushed the button on his wheel, and Bluetooth picked it up inside his cab.
“Hey, sis.”
“How are you? I heard about a huge fire at the school.”
“Yeah. It was bad. One of my players got burned. I just got him and his mom home from the hospital.”
“That sucks.”
He looked out his window at the forest around his house. Caylee had no idea how bad this entire situation sucked.
“But he’s okay?”
“He’ll have some scars, but he’s doing pretty good.”
“Then why do you sound so down?”
Anger flared inside of him. “Not all of us brush off fire and burns as easily as you do.”
“Whoa. Just because I deal with my emotional crap better than you doesn’t mean I brush off Mom and Dad’s deaths.”
Cam sucked in a quick breath. He picked up his phone and pushed a button so the Bluetooth disconnected and then swung his legs out of his truck and hopped down. He and Caylee didn’t go here very often, and he needed to be on the move if they were getting into deep issues. He hated deep issues.
“You there?” she asked, her voice small and suddenly very childlike. Cam was transported back twenty years ago to after the accident when they were living with Grams and he’d find Caylee crying in the night. He’d hold her until she fell back to sleep.
“I’m here,” he said quietly.
“This fire bringing back stuff you don’t want to deal with?” she asked.
Rescued By Love: Park City Firefighter Romance Page 10