#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.

charge, nods to Jake. “Handle things here. I’ll take Abby to the

me up, his arms cradling me close. The scent of

the aromas of the kitchen, is

car. The cool evening air is a

but shiver.

gently on the passenger seat, buckling me in. “Just

We’ll be there soon.”

my burnt arm. The pain

strange balm. novelbin

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

vulnerability, it means everything.

okay,” he murmurs, shooting me a quick glance before focusing back on the

a whisper. “I don’t know what I would’ve done

you weren’t there.”

hand, his thumb tracing comforting circles on my skin.

did what

moment, I know that’s not true. In my pain-induced

return to me has been nothing but one

when I needed him the most. But it’s silly; I’m

rhythm of

but inside the car,

is it?” I ask, my voice

over, the soft streetlights illuminating the concern etched on his

take care of

lapse into a comfortable silence. The hum of the

world outside becomes a hazy, unfocused

is a constant,

the moment. Our

fostered a

at me from time to time, ensuring I’m still conscious. Each time

of emotion that’s hard to

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

gravity of the situation hits me

Karl helps me out of the car, the pain intensifies, but I grit my teeth, trying to put on a brave

great,” he whispers, guiding me through

the emergency room are a stark

with practiced precision, their voices a blend

and concern.

however, cuts through the din. “She needs help. She’s burnt

I know it, I’m being led to a bed, the clinical environment

stays close, filling out the necessary paperwork and

I can tell he’s just as shaken up as I am, he’s my anchor in this moment. And as the

treatment, I clutch his hand, drawing

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