Till The End

Chapter 11

"Bucky!" I scream.

Looking at the house, the windows explode and glass shatters everywhere. In the windows at the top, I can see the pulsing red and orange of the fire. The whole loft windows are black with smoke. That's where it started.

I turn around, kneeling in front of a terrified and shaking Kitty. There's ash all over her cheeks, and her skin is pale red.

"Listen. You need to stay here and when the ambulance and fire engine come, you need to tell them I'm inside looking for Bucky. You're a big brave girl and I need you to tell them we are inside or they wont find us. Can you do that?" I ask.

Kitty nods slowly, rubbing her dirt covered hands together.

"Be careful Stevie, love you." She whispers.

"I love you too. Stay here. Don't move." I order.

Hiding my face in the inside of my elbow, I duck through the front door. The fire is blazing everywhere, creeping up the walls and engulfing everything in it's path.

"Bucky! Buck!" I scream as loud as I can.

Pushing my way through the smoke, there's wood and metal sticking up diagonally across the room. Ducking underneath, I step into the living room.

"Bucky! Come on! Where are you!" I shout.

Looking around the room, I can't see anything moving through the fire. Slipping back out of the room, I fight to the kitchen.

"Bucky!"

Hearing a very light whimper, I stop and glance around. It's so quiet that I might have made it up for myself.

"Bucky? Is that you?"

Stepping in, I climb over the wooden beams.

"Ste?" A gentle whisper.

Looking towards the sound, I can just make out a dark figure sat on the floor in the corner of the kitchen. Pushing my way through, I shove the rubble out of the way. Bucky is slumped in the corner, his head low and his metal hand clutching his shoulder. There's a wooden beam lodged between either side of the wall and trapping Bucky's shoulder.

I kneel in front of him, placing a hand on either of his cheeks. Bucky looks up, holding a hand over his mouth to cough. There's a bleeding cut above his eyebrow and dirt all over his skin.

"Bucky? Can you hear me?" I question.

"Yeah. I think I've dislocated my shoulder. It hurts, Ste." He whispers, tears springing to his eyes.

"I know. It's going to hurt for a little bit longer too. I'm going to get you out, okay?"

Bucky nods. Standing up, I use my back to lift up the beam trapping him. Clasping his hand, I pull him out but stop when he starts to scream.

"Buck? You okay?"

"Fine. Keep going." He orders.

Dragging him out more, I feel the wooden beam fall onto my back and I duck just in time before it falls. I swing Bucky into my arms, like a newly wed couple do.

"Steve, put me down! I can walk!" Bucky argues.

Placing him gently on the ground, his feet slip underneath him and I wrap my arms around his torso to hold him up. Bucky shouts through his teeth in pain.

"Stop being stubborn." I scold.

Scooping him back into my arms, he groans in pain and holds his dislocated shoulder. He leans his head against my chest and I use one hand to pull his t-shirt collar over his nose. Carrying him through the blazing building, he gasps when we step out of the door, the sun glaring. The sudden sound of the fire engine and ambulance ringing echoes in my ears.