Maggie felt like vomiting. Her body wasn’t reacting to anything other than the pulsating feeling of her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She couldn’t think. All Maggie felt was static. Her body felt like it was on fire. Her arms were strapped down, vision blurry.

  Maggie could barely hear anything but voices mumbling to her. They sounded warped, almost like they were speaking through a gas mask. There was nothing. She couldn’t understand anyone. Her heart thudded louder and louder in her chest. She felt like she couldn’t get enough air in her lungs to breathe. Maggie felt like the earth was swallowing her up and there was nothing there. Was this my life now?

  Slowly, her vision cleared, and Maggie saw lights. They were blinding. It was almost as if she was looking directly at an eclipse. There was so much happening, and she could feel the energy of sheer panic and confusion surrounding her.

  Maggie wasn’t sure if this was even real. She didn’t recognize anything. Nothing was registering in her head. The more Maggie became aware that she was lying on a hard surface, strapped down, breasts bare, the more she panicked.

  It was as if everything became clear in a split second.

  “Maggie?”

  Maggie’s eyes snapped to the EMT beside her. She didn’t know who he was or where he came from, but she assumed he just saved her life. His eyes were a deep blue, full of relief, concern, and something else… It was almost as if he was trying to calculate if I knew where I was or what had happened. His hair was tied back in a bun and his hands felt calming to Maggie. Relief flooded her body. She felt safe.

  She tried to speak, but it came out more of a mumble as her head rolled back.

  “Easy now,” he said, “you just died. You have a broken leg and a broken neck. You’re lucky to be alive. We’re gonna take you to the hospital and keep you that way.”

  There was something about the way he spoke. It felt like he was determined to not only make Maggie believe it, but make it happen.

  The journey to the hospital was a blur. Maggie was hoisted up into a proper gurney and whisked away to a hospital. IVs were placed in her arms, monitors on her large bare chest, and a mask was put on her face that helped her feel a little less like she was swallowing fire. Maggie didn’t remember how long the ambulance ride was, but it felt like a lifetime. Everyone blurred together as if everything was on a time lapse, just blending into one blurry image.

  The EMT said something about helping with the pain, and soon her body relaxed, and she was able to drift off to sleep.

  The next few days at the hospital were also a blur. The doctors go in and out of her room, checking for vitals and giving Maggie medications. Everything was moving so slowly and so fast at the same time. Pretty soon, though, her fiancé came to greet her.

  His short blonde hair was in a mess on the top of his head, a bruise on his lower jawline and his long nose was crooked with a bandage strip along it. He seemed fully alert and like he was doing okay, but Maggie hadn’t seen him since the fire. Part of her wondered if he had even made it out alive. The doctors didn’t mention him, and she was too high off the painkillers to notice that he wasn’t around.

  His lips were dry and chapped, but Maggie could still make out a smile underneath them. Her fiancé Derek seemed like he was doing alright. His arm was in a bandage wrap, his hands filled with cuts. There were dark circles under Derek’s dark brown eyes, and he seemed like he hadn’t slept.

  Maggie was speechless, as was Derek. Neither said a word to each other as Derek moved slowly to the edge of Maggie’s bed and placed his forehead on hers. Tears welled up in her eyes as reality finally hit her. She almost died in a house fire. Maggie didn’t know what had even started the fire in the first place, but she felt relief knowing that her beloved was okay.

  “Mags,” Derek breathed, “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  Maggie was still trying to savor the moment of being alive. She felt grateful. Maggie looked up at Derek with adoration. “I’m glad we’re alive.”

  Derek looked at Maggie and turned his head to the side, gently tucking her hair behind her ear and looking in her eyes. “I never noticed your eyes were green before,” he said with a chuckle. “I always assumed they were blue.”

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Maggie didn’t think much of the comment, because in that moment all she felt the need for was a question that was burning in the back of her mind.

  “What even started the fire?” She asked.

  He laughed, embarrassed. His hand wandered to his neck, and he let out a sigh. “I was going to surprise you. I had some candles burning and went to take a shower while setting up everything and I guess… I guess I forgot about them.. they were too close to the curtains…” His voice trailed off. He seemed like he was reliving the moment too much, so Maggie decided not to press it. She would worry about everything to do with the house later.

  “How did you get out?”

  Derek clenched his firm jaw, his eyes hardening. “I had to go out the window. I tried to put the fire out and I was yelling for you, but… I couldn’t get to you… the fire was everywhere…”

  Maggie doesn’t remember much from that night. The only thing she can remember is waking up and looking for Derek, only to be met with smoke and flames.

  There was a moment of silence. Neither one wanted to relive the situation any further. Luckily, though, a doctor saved the day by walking in at the right time. His short and clipped brown hair hung slightly over his wide forehead, and his eyes hid behind a -pair of thick framed glasses. His lips were chapped, and he had a nervous demeanor. A clipboard and a large manilla envelope rested in his hands.

  The doctor started speaking as a nurse shuffled in behind him, her blonde hair tightly in a ponytail and her blue scrubs loose on her body.

  “You will be released later this evening,” he spoke softly. “The smoke has seemed to clear from your lungs, however you will need regular breathing treatments and will have to return in a few weeks to have your casts removed.”

  Maggie wished she could turn her head, but the brace on her neck was limiting any mobility. She croaked softly, “Okay.”

  --

  Maggie got her discharge papers and Derek also remained silent the entire time. Magnolia was worried that he was upset with her, since he would now have to help her around considering she had a fat neck brace and a broken leg. She wasn’t sure if she was still doped up on pain medication or not, because she couldn’t feel much pain other than the uncomfortable feeling of the casts.

  “Do you want to stop by the house to see the damage?” He asked softly. There was not much else to do, and they would probably have to stay at a motel for a few days until they could figure out what to do, but she didn’t want to consider that right now. She knew that she would have to see the house eventually, so Magnolia figured that ripping off the band-aid now would be better than just imagining it in her mind and torturing herself.

  “Yeah, that’s fine.”

  Derek reached over and lightly squeezed her thigh, she wanted to break down and cry. Tears gathered in her eyes and her nose burned. How could she have not noticed the fire sooner? Most would say that she had no fault, how would she have known if she was asleep?

  The other part of her, the darker part, reminds her that she was stupid. She had a great sense for danger. How would she not have not woken up after her body felt something off? How could she have not gotten out of the house before everything went amidst? She remembered being tired after having some amazing sex and resting before going at it again. She remembered waking up to the warmth of the house, but after that.. nothing. How could she have not known?

  When they pulled into the driveway, Magnolia almost burst into tears. The once white porch was now black and falling apart. There was no telling how long the fire had gone on for.

  The roof of the house had been partially caved in, and it looked awful. The once pastel blue shutters were in ruin, and the two-story peaceful house that Magnolia and Derek once worked so hard to make beautiful now lie decimated before their very eyes. Magnolia’s eyes watered and her nose stung while holding back the tears. She had to be strong. She had survived this catastrophe somehow, and she would continue to do so. Magnolia knew she would be lying however, if she said she wasn’t absolutely devastated.

  Derek let out an anguished sigh and rested his head on the steering wheel, almost as if he couldn’t stand the sight of it.

  “It’s all gone,” he whispered, letting out a shaky breath. “All of our love… in shambles…”

  Magnolia reached out and put her hand on his thigh, carefully moving to face him. “Baby,” she said, “our love is not gone, okay? It is only a house. We can rebuild. We, however, will come out of this stronger than ever.”

  He looked at her with teary eyes. “How are you being so calm? Look at our house!” His voice cracked, but he was not angry. Derek’s bright blue eyes shone with tears.

  “Derek, I- ” Magnolia was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. She grabbed it out of the back she had packed and glanced at the screen. It was her mother, Willow.

  “It’s mom,” Magnolia said, worry crackling in her voice. Her mom must have heard the news.

  She answered it with a quiet, “Hey, mom,”

  “Oh, Maggie, baby, I’m so relieved to hear your voice. We heard what happened and took the quickest flight home. Are you alright? Are you still in the hospital?”

  Magnolia took a shaky breath. Her mother was panicked, and she wanted to try and calm her down. Magnolia could feel her guilt through the phone.

  “I’m okay mom,” she said quietly. “I have a broken leg, but I was just released today after my oxygen levels stayed stable.”

  “Oh, honey,” She heard a male voice, one she recognized to be her dad. He was such a hard ass sometimes, but in this moment, she could hear the relief and concern flood his voice. “We’re just glad you’re okay. Where are you staying?”

  Always one to be logical, Magnolia thought.

  “We are outside of the house, looking at it, but we were thinking a hotel -”

  “Nonsense. You come on home now, alright?”

  Magnolia did not have the energy to say no. Relief flooded her. There was too much agony and despair in her life, and her parents would always be there for her.

  Her voice cracked as she spoke. “Okay, dad.”

  “Come home Mags,” her mom said, “we are here for you. We love you.”