#Chapter 42: Through the Flames
Abby

Just as I’m leaning forward to make sense of the strange spark in the back of the oven, something

ignites.

I jump back with a yelp just as the heat nearly consumes me.

My heart races as the orange flames dance menacingly from the oven, cutting off the symphony of our

dinner rush with its threatening roar. The scent of burnt food mingles with a more acrid, electrical smell.

An electrical fire.

Panic courses through me.

“Fire! Fire in the oven!” I shout, reaching for the nearby fire extinguisher.

My fingers barely grasp the cool metal before I feel the searing heat engulf my arm. A sharp pain

lances through me, and I draw back with a sharp hiss, dropping the fire extinguisher.

My arm pulses with intense pain, the skin red and already blistering.

“Abby!” Karl’s voice cuts through the chaos, and before I know it, he’s beside me, effortlessly wielding

the extinguisher to smother the flames. Within moments, the roaring fire is reduced to a smoky whisper,

but the damage is done.

I cradle my burnt arm, biting back the tears that threaten to spill. The pain is overwhelming. My vision

blurs, and my legs feel weak. The world tilts.

“Abby, look at me,” Karl urges, his voice lined with concern. His deep brown eyes are inches away, full

of worry.

“I… I’m okay,” I manage, although the quiver in my voice betrays me. The pain isn’t subsiding, and a

nauseating mix of fear and shock swirls within me.

“You’re not okay,” he insists. “We need to get you to the hospital. Now.”

The bustling sounds of the restaurant seem distant. Whispers and murmurs of concern ripple around

us, but all I can focus on is Karl’s steady voice.

“No, the restaurant…” I begin, my thoughts fragmented. The reality of the situation hasn’t fully sunk in.

Jake. “Handle things here.

gently scoops me up, his arms cradling me close.

the aromas of the kitchen, is oddly comforting.

carries me out to his car. The cool evening air is a sharp contrast to the heat inside,

but shiver.

passenger seat, buckling

We’ll be there soon.”

my gaze drifting to my burnt arm. The pain is unbearable, but having Karl beside me is

strange balm. novelbin

I feel his fingers intertwining with mine. It’s a simple gesture, but in this moment

vulnerability, it means everything.

murmurs, shooting me a quick glance

barely above a whisper. “I don’t

you weren’t there.”

squeezes my hand, his thumb tracing comforting circles

just did what anyone

not true. In my pain-induced state, I

return to me has been nothing but one thing after another. Like

the most. But it’s silly; I’m just delirious from the

rhythm of his pulse against

but inside the car, time

is it?” I ask, my

glances over, the soft streetlights illuminating the concern etched on his features. “It’s not

The doctors will take

a comfortable silence. The hum of the engine,

outside becomes a hazy, unfocused

hand is a

but appreciate the intimacy of the moment. Our shared experiences in the kitchen, the

ingredients, have fostered a connection I never

time to time, ensuring I’m still conscious.

of emotion that’s hard

feels like mere moments before the car comes to a halt. The glaring lights of the

the gravity of the situation hits me

of the car, the pain intensifies, but I grit my teeth, trying to

whispers, guiding me through the

emergency room are a stark contrast to the warm, cozy ambiance

about with practiced precision, their voices

and concern.

however, cuts through the din. “She

to a bed, the clinical environment around me a whirlwind

close, filling out the necessary paperwork and answering

I can tell he’s just as shaken up as I am, he’s my anchor in

clutch his hand, drawing strength from

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