I spotted Connor as soon as I stepped into the staff-room on Monday morning and hurried over to him, hugging him briefly.
"Hey. Are you okay? You had me worried when you said you were at the hospital."
"Yeah. I had smoke inhalation and fainted but I'm okay now."
"Oh, thank god. What about your neighbours?"
"Um, the daughter is in pretty serious condition. Second degree burns all down one side. And the dad's got some burns on his leg. But the son and mother are pretty much okay. Only smoke inhalation and minor burns."
"Good to hear. Well, not about the daughter. But you know..." I trailed off as he nodded tiredly.
"I know."
"So, how did you get smoke inhalation?"
"I ran over to get the son to jump out the window 'cause the room he was in was about to practically explode."
"So you're a hero?" I raised an eyebrow, impressed.
"I guess. I just couldn't leave him there." Connor shrugged it off, reaching into his locker for his things.
"You're a hero." I pressed with a smile and he rolled his eyes.
"If you insist. I'll catch up with you at lunch?"
"Yeah. Sure. Enjoy your classes." I grinned at him, heading over to the coffee machine as he disappeared out the door.
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At home that night, I sat on the sofa in the living room, waiting for Joey to get home. I had a blanket over my legs and I was flicking through the channels on the TV when the garage door opened. Only a few minutes later, Joey appeared, rummaging through his bag as he walked so he didn't see me straight away.
"Oh. You scared me." He jumped a little when he finally noticed me and I smiled a little.
"Sorry. Where've you been? I thought you weren't working the late shift any more this month."
"I, uh, I was just finishing off with this new trainee. She was having trouble with a patient so I had to help her out."
"I didn't know you had new trainees."
"Not trainees exactly. Students from the local school."
"Which school?"
"What's with the twenty questions?" He frowned at me. I just shrugged.
"Just want to hear about your day. That's all."
"Okay." He dropped his bag to the floor and headed towards the kitchen. "What's for dinner?"
"Don't know. I wasn't hungry so the kids just had leftovers."
"Should have picked something up on the way home." He muttered as he disappeared. I rolled my eyes. He was dramatic sometimes. I turned my attention back to the TV, listening for Joey to come back.
"There's stuff still in the freezer, I think." I called out to him and he called something back that I couldn't make out. Giving up waiting for him to come back, I switched the TV off and made to head up to bed when I heard Joey talking.
"No, I'm in tomorrow morning..."
"What?" I asked, moving closer.
"I told him it was work...I know. Close call." I frowned to myself and pushed open the door to the kitchen.
"Joey?"
"Hey." He shot up from where he'd been crouched down, looking into the freezer. "I'll call you back later." He hung up from whoever was on the phone and came over to me, wrapping his arms around me.
