Chapter 1 - Left Behind
The elevator doors stayed half-open.
Cold air finally reached my face.
But freedom didn't.
I watched Alex disappear with Valerie in his arms.
My lips trembled.
"Alex..."
My voice barely came out.
He never turned around.
Another firefighter shouted, "We've got one more survivor!"
Someone answered from outside.
"Lieutenant already took the critical patient."
Critical patient.
The words hit harder than the heat ever had.
I looked down at my swollen belly.
My daughter barely moved.
A young firefighter crawled toward me.
His eyes widened.
"Oh my God..."
"She's pregnant."
He grabbed his radio.
"We need a medic inside now!"
Another voice crackled back.
"Ambulances are overloaded."
"Stabilize her until we rotate."
I stared toward the opening where Alex had disappeared.
He never asked if I was alive.
Not once.
The young firefighter carefully reached for me.
"I'm Officer Mason."
"I'm getting you out."
I whispered one question.
"Did my husband... say anything about me?"
Mason froze.
Then he slowly lowered his eyes.
"No..."
He helped lift me through the broken doorway.
Pain exploded across my abdomen.
Something warm ran down my leg.
The medic outside looked at the blood.
His face instantly changed.
"We're losing the baby."
Everything around me went silent.
...
Across the street...
Alex was still holding Valerie's hand.
May you like
Neither of them noticed me being rushed into another ambulance.
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