by Lyssa Layne
When Mark didn’t speak up, Cherie looked up just in time to see the door to the records room being push shut from the outside. Through the frosted window, she saw the outline of someone no taller than she, put a chair up to the door handle blocking her in.
No sooner did she see this than she smelled gasoline. Then she saw flames lick the doorframe. She screamed for help.
“Mark, help, someone has just locked me in the records room, and I can’t get out. Hurry Mark, the flames are coming into the office.”
Cherie ducked into the back room hoping to find an exit, but those windows were boarded up as well. Removing her jacket, she stuffed it under the door to prevent the smoke from filling the room before help could arrive.
Against all hope, she picked up the phone. Of course, naturally, it was out of order.
“Cherie, can you hear me?”
It was Mark.
“Yes Mark, I can’t get out of here. Help!”
“I can’t get to you this way. I’m going to have to go outside and try to get you out that way. I’ve already called the 911, and there should be a firetruck here shortly, so don’t worry, I’ll get you out. I promise.”
“Mark. Are you there?”
He must have already left the building and was trying to get to her. Unfortunately, the smoke was starting to fill the room. Cherie coughed as the smoke filled her lungs. What a way to have to die, being burned alive. She refused to think that way. Mark is here, and he’ll get me out. I will not let whoever is doing this kill off my one and only chances of happiness.
Cherie refused to give up or give in. Instead, she grabbed a stapler and smacked it against the window. She had to find a way to make sure Mark had no trouble finding her and getting her out.
Her attempts to break the window were fruitless. The wire-reinforced safety glass made it impossible for her to break through it.
The back office slowly filled with noxious smoke. Cherie couldn’t stop coughing. If Mark didn’t find her soon, she knew she wouldn’t survive. Her breathing was already becoming impaired.
Light began to filter into the room as Mark removed each board. She could hear the wood splintering mixed with his grunts of exertion. The sounds of the flames growing ever closer, the snapping and popping scared the living hell out of her.
When she spied the bars protecting the pane from the outside, her shoulders slumped, and a wash of despair flooded her senses. Tears flooded her eyes, not just from the smoke, but fear for her life.
“Cherie, stand back I’m going to have to use a crowbar to break the glass.”
She coughed until she choked then wiped her eyes. “Okay, but hurry Mark, I can’t breathe and I’m getting dizzy.” Cherie continued to cough as she grabbed the chair from behind the desk, she’d need it to climb out the window. Unsure if the glass would shatter or what, she took her jacket from the base of the door and covered the upper half of her body.
“Go ahead, I’m ready.”
Mark’s first swing at the glass left fractures throughout the glass.
Cherie peaked around her shield, anxiously waiting to hear the glass hit the ground. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, gasping for air.
His second swing knocked out small chunks, leaving the wire in place.
Cherie realized these windows were meant to keep patients in, not to allow escape.
After several more attempts, glass peppered the room. There was a large enough hole so that Cherie could a least breath in some fresh air. The only problem was the when Cherie removed her coat from the bottom of the door smoke rapidly filtered into the room. Smoke roiling out of the window continued to seep out faster than the fresh air coming in.
Mark continued to attack the window with a vengeance.
Cherie could no longer speak, her coughs choking her. Unless Mark could remove the window, bars, frame and all, he wasn’t going to be able to get Cherie out alive.
As the sirens grew louder, she tried to hold on to hope.
“Stand back.”
The window frame popped out just as the fire truck arrived.
Cherie pulled the chair up to the hole where the window had been. She put her jacket over the jagged opening and jumped up. Mark was there to pull her through on the other side.
She wrapped her arms around his neck in a death grip, and she pulled herself free from the opening then slid down his torso until her feet touched the ground.
Mark scooped her up and ran to safety just as the truck and ambulance pulled to a stop. He motioned for the ambulance driver to join them. “Get her some oxygen.” He ordered.
In less than a minute, Cherie was on a gurney, mask in place having oxygen supplied to her, while the fire chief asked Mark what they were doing on the premises.
Cherie continued to cough and gasp for air as two police cars pulled up next to the ambulance.
The driver of the first car stepped out proceeded to push back the people, the looky-loo’s, while the second driver came alongside the fire chief.
“Hey Ben, what happened?” the cop asked the fire chief, nodding toward Cherie and Mark he asked, “Are these the culprits?”
The fire chief immediately responded, “I’m about to find out, why don’t you join us.”
With the two men looking on, Mark pulled out the paperwork he’d received from the judge. He handed it to the fireman who turned it over to the police officer. “We were here with the approval of the state and Judge Atkins.”
Cherie thanked God that Mark wasn’t the type to stay quiet if mentioning a name in high places would get them out of there faster.
“Judge Atkins gave us permission to search the files to possibly find the records for this young woman’s mother. While she was looking for the file, I tried to locate her doctor’s office hoping to find the files might be in there. Only I’d barely set foot in the room when I was hit from behind.” Mark rubbed his head for emphasis.
The second EMT from the ambulance upon hearing this information came over to Mark. He felt the area Mark pointed at.
“Sure enough, this guy has a goose egg the size of a tangerine.”
Mark continued, “When I came to, I heard Cherie screaming for help. By the time I got to the records office the whole front wall was engulfed in flames. I told her to sit tightthat I was going to try to get to her from the outside. The rest you know because I pulled Cherie clear just as the fire truck pulled up. They can verify that.” Mark while flicking his chin toward the firemen. He staggered a bit as he finished speaking.
The EMT sat Mark on the edge of the back bumper and took a closer look at his wound to make sure there was no break in the skin.
Once the ambulance driver had Cherie safely in place in the ambulance, he announced, “I’m taking her to Auburn Faith Hospital. Is this guy going too or what?”
Mark hated being treated like an invalid. “Hell no, I’m going to stay here and see what they come up with once the fire is out.”
Mark climbed into the ambulance and took her hand. “Cherie, they’re going to take you to the hospital.”
Cherie’s chest heaved, gasping for air.
“I’m going to stay here and see if I can find out anything once we can get inside. Do you want me to call your Grandmother or Jason?”
Cherie merely shook her head. She didn’t want to worry her grandmother, and the last thing she wanted was Jason to show up and not of his own volition.
Mark frowned as if he read the sadness in her eyes. One brow went up as if he were silently asking what happened.
“Okay, I’ll be at the hospital shortly, and if you’re okay and they release you, I’ll drive you home.”
Cherie could only nod.
An hour or so later Cherie dozed in one of the ER rooms.
She smiled when she hear Mark flat out lie saying he was her boyfriend.
A round, fifty-something nurse checked behind the drawn partition before she let Mark into the cubical.
Mark gasped. “Is she okay, she’s so
pale?”
“She’s fine, we just want her to keep the oxygen on a little longer.”
Cherie tried to open her eyes, but they were too heavy.
“Cherie? Hon, you okay?” Mark covered Cherie’s hand with his.
The nurse stepped closer. “The doctor gave her a sedative because she was fighting the oxygen mask, but she’s sleeping now.”
“You’re sure she’s going to be okay?” Mark asked. The tension in his voice was every bit as apparent as the concern written on his face.
Cherie blinked trying hard to focus on Mark’s face.
The nurse smiled and said, “She’ll probably be released later this evening. The doctor wants to see her again and make sure her lungs have cleared before he signs the release papers.”
“Oh, well, that’s good.” Mark seated himself next to her in the chair beside the bed. He took hold of her hand and stroked the top of her knuckles with his free hand.
Why couldn’t he be Jason? He should be here, not Mark. She feigned sleep, rather than having to deal with the emotional upheaval of who should be with her.
“Well, I can see she’s in good hands, if she wakes up and appears distressed, just push that red button and I’ll come running.”
She heard the nurse leave the room.
“Excuse me, but I was told that a friend of mine was recently brought into the hospital. Her name is Cherie Michaels. Is she here? Can I see her?”
Jason.
##
Jason had never been so scared in his life. His chest hurt like hell from his heart slamming against his ribs. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if his heart was bruised. There was nothing like getting a call that someone you care about was injured and no details. And if that wasn’t bad enough the combination of rubbing alcohol, ammonia, and other scents he associated with hospitals, threatened his lunch to come back up.
“Yes, she’s here, but she already has a visitor in with her, so you’ll have to wait in the waiting room.”
He let out a sigh. “Oh, so her Grandmother is in with her?” Jason said, curious how Olivia beat him to the hospital.
“I don’t know anything about a Grandmother, but her boyfriend is in with her.”
“Her what?” Jason hadn’t meant to shout, but the nurse’s comment took him completely by surprise.
“Her young man. He was apparently caught in the fire with her. Only barely got out before she did. In fact, he’s the one who saved her life. And what a charming and attentive young man he is, too.”
Suddenly things were making sense. Who else could be with Cherie but Mark? Lord knows what those two were up to, or how they managed to get caught in a burning building, but he damn well meant to find out.
Jason gave himself a stern talking to so that he wouldn’t jump to conclusions when they allowed him to see Cherie. God knows she’d never forgive him if he came unglued again on them.
He paced the waiting room for over an hour before Mark came out, heading to the vending machine for some coffee. Jason was on him in a flash.
“What the hell is going on? I got this call from Olivia that there was a fire at the building you and Cherie were visiting. She was in a total panic because the news crew announced that people were inside and the injured parties were taken to the hospital. What happened?”
Mark ignored Jason’s ranting while he put his money in the slot, choosing black coffee. He took a seat, setting the paper cup on the weathered table in front of him. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees.
“Okay Mark, you’re scaring me. What the hell is going on?” Jason was too upset to take the seat available next to Mark.
When Mark didn’t answer, Jason took a step closer, putting his hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Mark, is Cherie okay?”
Before Mark could respond, a man dressed in a long white coat stepped up to them. “Excuse me, aren’t you here for Miss Michaels?” The doctor addressed Mark.
Mark looked up and seeing the doctor, immediately stood. He put his hands on his waist, “Doc, is Cherie going to be okay?”
The look of concern on Mark’s face took Jason by surprise. If he didn’t know better, Mark had more than friendly feelings toward the woman he was in love with. In love with? The suddenly revelation stopped him dead in his tracks. He was in love with Cherie. Stunned, by the admission he couldn’t speak.
The doctor spoke to Mark, treating him as Cherie’s responsibility. Jason held his ire in check and listened to what the man had to say.
“She should be fine. I’d like to keep her here a few more hours, on the oxygen, just until her lungs sound a bit clearer. If you’d like to come back for her in a few hours,” the doctor checked his watch. “We’ll probably release her by six this evening. She’s still sedated so you might want to let her rest.” Shaking hands with Mark, the doctor turned and went back to his patients.
Mark sat down with a thud, making the chair bump against the wall. “Thank God.”
Hearing that Cherie was going to be okay, Jason finally took the seat next to Mark. It was that, or his knees were going to give out on him any second, as he realized his shaking legs could no longer hold him.
Turning toward Mark, Jason began to speak. His voice was weak and low. “Okay Mark, now that we know Cherie is going to be okay, can you please tell me what happened this afternoon?”
For the next ten minutes Mark explained how after talking to Olivia, she suggested they contact the judge to gain access to the old building, and the files, hoping to find something on Destiny as a patient or the miserable doctor who treated her before Cherie’s birth.
By the time Mark finished the sequence of events that brought them to the hospital. Jason slumped back in his chair visibly shaking.
“Jason, are you okay?” Mark sat straighter in his chair.
“Of course I’m not okay. The woman I’m in love with is in the emergency room suffering from smoke inhalation from traipsing around a dilapidated old building she had no right to be in.” Jason didn’t recognize his own voice raised in anger.
Several people in the in the waiting room stared over at them, but Jason ignored their stares.
“Listen, Jason, I’m already beating myself up about it. I never should have let her come along. But you should know by now that nothing is going to stop Cherie from discovering what happened to her mother, any more than they could stop her from falling in love with your ugly mug.” Mark said with a smile on his face.
“I was beginning to wonder if you remembered I was interested in her.” Jason felt guilty for even suggesting what was on his mind.
“Oh I remember alright, I was wondering how long it would take you to realize you were crazy about her. I had that figured out the first time I saw your eyes connect with hers. You were a goner that day in your office when you behaved like such an ass.”
“Geez, Don’t remind me. It took until Cherie and I went to dinner to find out why I reacted the way I did.” Changing the subject before he had to go into an explanation, stood up, commenting, “I’m going to call Olivia and tell her Cherie is okay.”
He had his hand in his pocket fishing for change when Mark stopped him.
“Why don’t I go over and give Olivia the details, that way you can stay here and wait for Cherie to be released. Besides, I feel like I owe it to Olivia to explain what happened since Cherie was with me. I can give her details you wouldn’t know.”
Following their good-byes, Jason asked to be led to Cherie’s room to wait for her to be released.
Three hours later, Jason was escorting Cherie into Olivia’s library, where they were met by a very impatient but relieved Olivia, and Mark who looked like the cat who swallowed the canary.
Olivia rushed to Cherie’s side the moment she entered the room. “Oh Honey, I’m so glad to see that you’re home safe. After hearing what you went through, I don’t mind telling you, I think you scared at least ten years off of my life.” Olivia wrapped her arms around her granddaughter, prepared to hang on f
or dear life. “I hope you’ll stop this foolishness and just leave it to the professionals.”
“Amen to that,” Jason added, afraid he’d said it a bit too smugly.
“Cherie, I’m afraid your Grandmother is right. It was stupid of me to let you go along. I won’t make that mistake again anytime soon. Besides, after what I’ve just discovered the next bit of sleuthing will be a great deal safer.”
Cherie turned to Mark so quickly that she almost knocked her Grandmother off her feet. “Mark, are you holding out on me? What’s up?”
Mark took his time responding. He glanced from Olivia, to Cherie, to Jason, and then back to Olivia, who nodded apprehensively.
“After I left the hospital today, I came directly here to tell your Grandmother you were safe and that you weren’t physically hurt, just suffering a bit of smoke inhalation. I told her what happened we got to talking and that’s when she remembered?”
“Screw the suspense already. We’ve had enough of that already for one day.” Jason was about at the end of his patience regardless of what news Mark might have for them.
Cherie elbowed him for interrupting Mark.
“Well, it appears that when Mason first went to work for Lawrence, he didn’t have an office, so Olivia and Lawrence let him use the gatehouse here on the property. Then, when he got his practice going, he left all his old files here in the basement in boxes. Eventually, as cases were completed, they moved the boxes into the wine cellar for safe keeping. And it appears they’re still there, which leads me to believe that while we spent all that time looking for the file on Cherie’s adoption, we’ve been looking in the wrong place.
“Grandmother? Is this true?” Cherie was right, she couldn’t hide her emotions.
Olivia bowed her head. “I’m sorry honey, I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I only remembered the boxes were down there after something Mark said.”
“And what was that?” Cherie asked hesitantly.
“Mark asked if Mason’s practice was always in the brownstone it’s in now. Until he mentioned it, I had completely forgotten he worked out of the gatehouse in the beginning.”