The Fighter

Chapter 18

I got up in the morning, took a shower and got dressed. Greg stayed over, so I wouldn't be alone. He woke up when I was doing my make-up. I had the bathroom door open. "Hey." He kissed me. "Hi, how did you sleep?" I asked. "Good, how did you sleep?" "Good, it's been a while since I've had to share my bed." "Is that why you kept pushing me off, and stealing the covers?" "Yeah, sorry about that." "Its fine, I think it's cute. Just like that cute little snore you have." "I do not snore!" "Yes, you do." "Okay, but I don't." I laughed and finished my eye liner. I had the radio on and one of my favorite songs came on. I danced and sang to it. "Does it usually take you this long to get ready?" "Actually it doesn't take me long at all. Jet and John swear up and down it takes me four hours." "I know why it takes you so long. You dance around to the music." He laughed. "Sometimes." "I heard you singing in the shower earlier." "Did I wake you?" "No, I woke up when you got out of bed. The music was up high and you still sung over it. It was cute." "You think that everything I do is cute." "Yes, that's because you're adorable." He put his arms around my waist. "Adorable!" I copied.

"So, what are your plans today?" he asked not letting go. "I'm going up to the hospital for a little bit, then coming back here and try to get a hold of Kyle. What about you?" I turned around to face him. "Not a freaking thing. Do you want me to come to hospital with you so you don't have to go alone?" "If you want. I wouldn't mind. I hate hospitals." "Then I'll go." He smiled and then I smiled. "Okay, that is fine with me." "Good. Why do you put makeup on anyway?" "To hide my flaws." "What flaws? You're beautiful either way." He kissed me.

We got to the hospital and my brother was in the waiting room with Julie. She had been there all night with him. She's very dedicated and loyal to Gavin, I'll give her that. "Hey!" Gavin came over and hugged me when he saw me. "Hey. Why are you guys out here?" I asked. "They're giving him a sponge bath and changing his dressings and stuff. Who's this?" he asked smiling. "This is Greg. My boyfriend." I smiled and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. "Hi Greg, I'm Gavin." He introduced himself. "Hi. I've heard a lot about you." Greg shook his hand. "Yeah, I've heard a lot about you too." Gavin looked over at me. He had the "I told you he was going to be your boyfriend" look. "Hi Mickie!" Julie came over. "Hi Julie. Greg this is Julie Gavin's girlfriend. Julie this is my boyfriend Greg." I introduced. "Hi! Mickie, he's cute!" she approved. "Yeah, can we change this subject before my entire face turns fire engine red!?" I begged for them to stop before they even really started. "Okay, okay. We won't embarrass you." Gavin pinched my cheeks. "Not working." "Sorry." He smiled and Greg just laughed.

"Anyway, dad was making some progress last night. He had some more brain activity and they were able to remove the breathing tube. He only has the nose thing in." Gavin seemed hopeful. "The nasal cannula. That's progress." I corrected him. "Yeah, he still has a long road ahead of him, but at least we're getting somewhere." "Yeah." I nodded and turned to Julie. "You're going to school to be a nurse right? A LPN?" "Yeah." "I thought that's what you said the other night at dinner. You're probably learning something's by being here. Thanks for staying here with Gavin." I smiled to her. I'm not a heartless bitch. "No problem, and yeah I'm getting some good tips and stuff. Gavin said you guys had a fire last night. Was it bad? You're in the department too right Greg?" she smiled and asked. "Yeah, I am. That's where I met Mickie mouse." He poked me. "The fire wasn't too bad. There were no visible flames, until we went inside." I sighed.

"You went in? Did you go in too?" Gavin looked at us both. "No, I can't go in yet. I need fire fighter one. I was outside manning part of the hose." "I did go in. I would have been outside with Greg, if Kyle had bothered to show up." I sighed and hugged Greg. I know the whole backdraft thing that happened last night bothered him. "Kyle goes to everything doesn't he? Where was he?" Gavin was as surprised as I was last night. "Yeah, he hasn't missed a trick in years. I don't know where he was. He didn't answer my calls or my texts all day yesterday or even this morning." "He was probably with Jet's sister Tessa. Isn't he talking to her?" Greg added. "Yeah, he is. That's where I think he was." I nodded.

We stayed at the hospital for about an hour and a half. Gavin and Greg were talking and bonding. Julie and I kind of were too. We stopped at the station on the way back to my house. "Do you think Kyle is here?" Greg asked getting out of my truck. "I have no idea. But, I have to pee." I laughed. "So, we stopped here so you could pee?" he asked laughing at me. "Yes! Shut up! I have a little bladder. I'm smaller then all of you!" I ran inside and he followed. I came out of the bathroom when I was done and he grabbed me in a hug. "Hi!" I giggled like a little girl. "Hi!" he kissed my cheek. "Kiss me like you mean it." I stuck my tongue out at him. "Okay." He pulled me into a big kiss.

"What is this?" Kyle asked walking in. "Oh, looks who's alive! I thought you know, you were dead or something since you haven't answered me in 2 days and didn't show up to the call last night!" I spoke up after Greg pulled away. "Yeah, I was with Tessa. You didn't seem to miss me too much." "Oh, I did last night. When Jet, John, and I almost died!" "Almost died? How?" "You didn't hear anything about last night did you?" Greg asked him. "No, I haven't been around. What happened?" Kyle calmed down. "We got called out for a fire, smoke visible, but no flames. Since you weren't there, I got to go in with Jet and John. We walked around and didn't see anything. Jet and I had the hose and John had the thermal imager. Then, I realized that the smoke was a little brownish. Which means where ever the fire was, it didn't have too much oxygen. John checked the closets and then he went to check a bedroom and I saw the orange glow from under the door and realized what was going to happen. I tried to stop him, but it was too late. He was already opening the door when I yelled. He tried to shut it before the flashover." I paused for a second.

"A backdraft." Kyle shook his head. "Yeah, come to find, they had a furnace in the closet of the room and it malfunctioned and caught fire. There was carbon monoxide in the house, especially that room and that's why we had a backdraft. The oxygen went in, the fire could breathe, and out it came. It wasn't that bad, thank God. Harry called Ray, so when we got back to the station the three of us had to be examined. We're all fine by the way." I finished and Greg hugged me. "The one call that I miss. So what are you two now?" he moved on. "We're together." I answered. "I figured, when I walked in and saw you two sucking face." "Yeah, I know." I smiled and walked away.

We left and took a ride. I stopped on one of the lesser traveled roads. I could've went on a seasonal road, but we probably would've gotten stuck and been there for a while. "Is it me or has Kyle been weird for a while?" Greg brought up. "No, it's not just you. I've noticed it too. He's been pushing me away for a while and now he's pushing the department away. The one thing that he loves more than anything." "I thought he loved you more than anything." "He loves me like his sister and as his closest friend in the world. He never loved me like...." I didn't know what to compare it to. "Never loved you like I do?" "You can't love me yet. It's still early." "I know it's early, but I know I do." He smiled and he made me smile. Smiled like an idiot like he always does. He leaned in and rubbed his nose against mine. Then I was going to kiss him and he pulled away and laughed. "You ass! Don't do that to me!" I laughed. "Do what?" "You know what?" "No, I have no idea what you're talking about." "Don't act like you're going to kiss me and then not!" "Oh, that. I can make that better." He leaned in and kissed me for real this time.