We finish the round of drinks and then Iris says that she has to head home since she has an early night. We all stand and I notice that Archie is once again staring at Iris as we leave.
I hug Madelyn and Iris goodbye, promising that I’ll text them and let them know how the interview goes. Lyla starts her Jeep and I climb into the passenger seat as we head back to the Mystery Cabin.
“I wish that you wouldn’t go,” she says quietly. “I know that I need to be supportive of what you want since you’re my friend. I just don’t want to lose you after we just met.”
“You won’t lose me,” I promise her.
“Yes, I will,” she whispers and I don’t have an answer for that.
She’s right. It would be different if I lived across the country from her. How often would I really come back here? We’d both get busy and our phone calls and texts would get fewer and far between.
We ride in silence for a bit until something orange starts to peek through the trees. A police car flies by us and Lyla slows down to see what’s going on.
The fire trucks are already in front of the burning house when we start to drive by and my heart shoots up into my throat when I spot Teller’s truck parked close to the property edge.
“Teller,” I whisper but Lyla must hear me because she turns in.
“I’m sure that he’s fine, Sutton. He’s trained for this,” she tries to reassure me but right then a paramedic runs by with Teller on the gurney and I jump out of the Jeep before Lyla can stop.
“Teller!” I scream, racing up to him before they can put him in the ambulance.
“Miss!” the paramedic says, trying to keep me away but I need to see him. I need to make sure that he’s alive.
Images of my mom’s frail body keep coming up and I’m choking back a sob when Teller’s eyes finally meet mine.
“Sutton,” he starts but they put him into the ambulance.
“Can I go with him?” I ask, my voice coming out shrill and filled with panic.
The paramedic looks to Teller who nods and I hop in, waving to Lyla before they can slam the doors closed. I can barely concentrate on anything as the paramedics work on Teller. He’s still awake, so that has to be a good sign.
I’m shoved to a corner on the bench in the ambulance and I sit in shock, my fingers wringing together as they say some medical jargon that I don’t understand.
We pull outside of the hospital and the doors are jerked open. It startles me but everyone else in the ambulance barely reacts. Instead, they’re in motion.
They wheel the stretcher with Teller out the back and I scramble to follow them. The nurses stop me at the entrance and direct me over to a waiting area.
Sitting down in the cold, uncomfortable plastic chair has painful memories crawling back to the surface and I choke back a sob. Even the sterile waiting area reminds me of my final days with my mom.
Lyla comes in soon after and sits with me.
“Have you heard anything?” she asks and I shake my head.
“No, but he was awake. That has to be a good sign. Right?” I ask, and I wonder if she can hear the hysteria in my voice as well.
“Yeah, I’m sure that it is.”
She holds my hand and we sit like that for a while. Some firefighters join us, their faces dirty. They’re all wearing the DFFD T-shirts and they sit close to us. I lose track of time but soon a doctor is walking into the waiting room with a clipboard.
“Anyone here for Teller Wells?” he asks.
“Yes,” Lyla and I say at the same time, both of us leaping to our feet.
The doctor walks over to us as the other firefighters join us.
“So he’s suffered from a second-degree burn on his arm. We’re treating him and have him on some medicine for the pain. He’ll be in the hospital for at least the next twenty-four hours but then he should be good to go home. He’ll have bandages that he’ll have to change for a week or two.”
I nod, swallowing hard as Lyla takes over.
“Can we see him?”
“For a little bit. He’s tired and a little out of it right now from the medicine but one or two visitors should be fine. The nurse will show you the way.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” she says.
He nods, turning and heading back down the hallway. A nurse comes in a minute later and says that she can take someone back now and then she’ll come back for the next person. One of the firefighters that came to the hospital, I’m assuming the chief, goes with her, and Lyla and I sit back down.
“He’s okay, Sutton,” she says and I nod.
“I know.”
“Then why are you shaking so much?”
I gulp, noticing that she’s right. I’m trembling, my teeth chattering as I stare into space.
“I can’t stop thinking about my mom,” I admit and I can’t stop the tears from spilling onto my cheeks.
“Oh, Sutton,” Lyla says, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.
We sit huddled like that until the nurse comes back. I still don’t think that I’m emotionally ready to go back to his room, to see someone that I love in a hospital bed again.
I stand on shaky legs when Lyla nudges me up and I wobble after the nurse down the hallway.
“Hey,” Teller says drowsily and he gives me a small smile.
“Hey,” I choke out. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine. It was just a little burn. I’ll be back to normal in a few days.”
I nod. I know that he’s right, that it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been, but seeing him in the hospital bed still has me shaken. Just being in the hospital is getting to me.
It’s like the walls are closing in on me. All I can see is my mom, lying in a similar hospital bed, as she takes her final breath.
“Oh god,” I whisper, tears spilling faster.
“Sutton,” Teller says, sounding alarmed. “I’m fine. Don’t cry, don’t cry.”
I can’t stop though.
“I can’t, I can’t. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t lose another person that I love.”
“Sutton,” Teller says and he sounds like he’s more alert this time. “Sutton, I love you too. I’m going to be just fine. I’m not going anywhere.”
He tries to reassure me but the damage has already been done. I’m too gunshy from losing my mom, the wound is still too fresh. I can’t go through that again.
I’ve been burned too. I don’t want to go back near the fire.
I don’t want to leave Teller. It feels like I’m letting my mom down. I’m doing the opposite of what she asked of me in her letter. I know that this reaction is irrational, but I can’t seem to stop myself.
“I’m so sorry,” I sob, backing toward the door. “I’m so sorry.”
“Sutton… Sutton!” Teller yells but I turn and run.
Lyla catches me as I bolt past the waiting room door and hugs me.
“I need to get out of here,” I cry and she nods, grabbing my arm and leading me outside to her Jeep.
The drive back to the Mystery Cabin is silent except for my sobs.
“Thanks for the ride,” I mumble as I rush out of the Jeep.
“Sutton!” Lyla calls but I’m already running up to the cabin.