Free Halloween Submission by Bonnie Bliss Page B

won’t I.” It was a statement, not a question.
    The look in Ella’s eyes screamed that she knew exactly what Lucy was thinking. She averted her gaze and took one final gulp of the scalding liquid. Lucy was used to chugging the hot beverage and didn’t even register the heat. With a resigned demeanor, her limbs running off fumes she headed off to prep the E.R. and get cleaned up. She just finished drying her hands on the large towel, when the E.R. outer doors burst open and commotion broke out.
    Lucy didn’t walk, she ran. If she gave herself one thing, once the shit hit the fan, adrenaline kicked in and she could handle anything that came at her. Lucy weaved through the three stretchers that came barreling at her. Blowing the stray bangs from her face, she tried to hunt down Tom in the chaos. As she stepped out of the way of a fourth stretcher coming at her, she spun to avoid it and slammed right into the man of the hour.
    Strong fingers curled into her upper arm. She took in a deep breath. He smelled like fire. It wasn’t a bad thing. Lucy tended to associate it with heat, sex, and hot leather. Her mind flashed a brief image of him in leathers and nothing else. Lucy took a step back and looked down. His free hand, the one that hadn’t been grabbing her, wasn’t so free once she looked. A little boy aged about seven or eight gazed up at him with hero envy and pain. The agony burned deep into her soul once she realized the extent of his wounds. Licking her lips, she moved to his side and started to do a visual run down of his body.
    “40% burns Tom. Did you know this?”
    “Yes, I knew you would be careful. He hasn’t let go of me since I found him. He was under his bed, it was already on fire. By the time I got to him…” he hesitated.
    Lucy looked back down at the poor child, his eyes still on Tom. The side of his face looked like it was burned. She bent at the waist; her eyes scanning the flesh. Lucy realized it was just soot. His skin had reddened from the heat. Her eyes roamed over the rest of his exposed body. His right arm was a mess. The possibility of skin grafting looked high. She didn’t want to move him until a doctor arrived. Lucy looked back up at Tom. His eyes were blood shot, his breathing still erratic. It looked as if he was panting. Lucy reached out. Her fingers lightly brushed his arm.
    “I got him Tom. We have to get him to a room now. The doctor needs to determine the extent of damage.”
    The boy obviously heard. He whimpered and gripped Tom more tightly.
    “What’s his name?”
    “Timothy. Timmy”
    Lucy nodded and smiled down at the boy.
    “Timmy. I’m Lucy, I’m a nurse. Tom here is my best friend in the whole world. He brought me to you. I’m the one that can make all that burn go away. If you will let me…” She let her eyes drop to his. Tender and affectionately she brushed her fingers through the boy’s singed bangs.
    He started to loosen his fingers.
    “You don’t have to worry, Timmy. Tom will come back to check up on you. He might even bring you something from the fire department.” She looked up at Tom, “Won’t you Tom?”
    He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. A conflict of emotions raged in his sea blue eyes. They looked tired, in pain, and exhaustion filled those sapphire depths.
    “Tom?” She coaxed him.
    He seemed to shake off his thoughts.
    “Yes, yes. Timmy, listen to me. Lucy here has taken care of me more than once. She is the best nurse in the whole world,” he looked at her. “She is also a magical princess. So go with her. She will take very good care of you.”
    Small, still chubby fingers slowly unclenched from Tom’s hand. Once he was free, Lucy gave Tom a look. She had to let him know the poor boy would be okay. Even a mess, straight from a fire, this man looked good. The other nurses fell all over him when he came in to have lunch with her and his sister.
    “He will be okay, Tom. I promise.”
    “Yeah, yeah I know.” He shook his