Free Once Upon a Christmas by Sarah Morgan

voice gentle and reassuring as he removed his jacket from the injured girl and took the end of the hosepipe.
    Bryony dropped on her knees beside him. ‘What do you want me to do?’
    She felt physically sick but as usual Jack was rock-solid and totally calm.
    ‘Her clothes are smouldering. If they’re not actually stuck to her body, I want them off.’
    He turned the hose onto Annie’s body, the cold water taking the heat away from the burn as Bryony struggled to remove the clothing.
    ‘Get me scissors.’
    Someone quickly produced a pair and she cut the clothing away as gently as she could, careful not to disturb any that actually adhered to the burn.
    ‘It’s all below her waist,’ Jack said softly, his eyes assessing the area of the burn. ‘It’s the skirt area. Her skirt caught fire. Has someone called the ambulance?’
    ‘I did, Jack,’ Lizzie said in a shaky voice from right beside them. ‘They said they’d be here in two minutes.’
    ‘Good girl.’ Jack gave her a nod of approval. ‘Sweetheart, I need some clingfilm. The stuff you wrap round food in the kitchen. The women over there are too upset to help and the men seem to have forgotten. Can you find it for me, angel?’
    Lizzie nodded and shot down the garden towards the house, legs and arms pumping. She was back in less than a minute with a long, thin box.
    ‘That’s my girl. Now open it up for me,’ Jack ordered, and Lizzie fished it out awkwardly and struggled to find the end.
    ‘How much do you want?’
    ‘I’ll do it, Lizzie.’ Bryony took it from her, worried about her daughter seeing her friend so badly injured. ‘You can go into the house with the other children.’
    ‘I want to help.’
    They heard the sound of an ambulance approaching and Jack looked at Lizzie. ‘Go and meet them. Tell them I want oxygen, two large-bore cannulae, IV fluids and morphine. Have you got that?’
    Lizzie nodded and Bryony glanced at him.
    ‘She won’t remember that, Jack, she’s only seven.’
    ‘She’ll remember,’ Jack said firmly, his eyes fixed on Lizzie. ‘Oxygen, two large-bore cannulae, IV fluids and morphine. Go, angel.’
    Lizzie sped back down the garden to meet the ambulance, leaving Jack and Bryony to wrap the exposed burns.
    ‘Can you get us clean sheets?’ Bryony addressed one of the fathers who was hovering by helplessly.
    ‘And someone put that bonfire out,’ Jack added, checking Annie’s pulse and breathing.
    She’d stopped screaming and was lying shivering, sobbing quietly, her father by her side.
    Annie’s mother was still hysterical at the far side of the garden.
    Seconds later the paramedics arrived with Lizzie, complete with all the equipment that Jack had asked for.
    As Bryony grabbed the oxygen and fitted the mask gently to Annie’s face, Jack smiled at Lizzie, his blue eyes showering her with approval and warmth.
    ‘Good girl.’
    Despite the stress of the situation Lizzie returned the smile bravely and Jack gave a nod.
    ‘All right, I’m going to need your help here, Lizzie. Annie needs some fluid and we’re going to put a line in and give her fluid through her arm. Then we’re going to take her to hospital. I want you to hold this for me.’
    Bryony looked at him uncertainly, still not sure that her young daughter should be exposed to the harsh realities of immediate care, but Jack seemed determined to involve her and Lizzie was frowning with concentration as she listened carefully to Jack’s instructions and did as he asked.
    Too worried about little Annie to argue, Bryony turned her attention back to the little girl, following Jack’s instructions to the letter.
    ‘Shall I give her morphine?’
    ‘We’re going to give it IV.’ Jack murmured, picking up a cannula and searching for a vein. ‘Can you squeeze for me?’
    Bryony took Annie’s little arm and squeezed, praying that Jack would find a vein first time.
    He did, of course, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
    ‘Give her the morphine and