Emmett sat on the examination table in the small hospital room, his legs dangling off the edge as the doctor finished up her assessment. His shirt had been discarded in favor of a hospital gown, and a small oxygen mask rested on his face, helping to flush out the smoke he had inhaled during the fire. His chest still felt tight, and the occasional cough rattled his lungs, but he was lucky—much luckier than Valerie.
"Well, you're not too worse for wear," the doctor said as she scribbled something on her clipboard, her tone efficient but kind. "You inhaled a significant amount of smoke, but your lungs will recover with rest. There's some minor singeing on your arms, but nothing that won't heal in a few days."
Emmett nodded, though his mind was only half on what the doctor was saying. His thoughts kept drifting back to Valerie, back to the fire. The image of her curled up behind the couch, paralyzed with fear, kept replaying in his mind. He had been so close to losing her. He knew he should feel relieved—grateful even—but all he felt now was a tight knot of anxiety in his gut.
"Are you sure she's going to be okay?" Emmett asked, his voice slightly muffled by the mask.
The doctor glanced at him sympathetically. "Valerie is in much better condition than we initially feared. She inhaled more smoke than you did, and she has a few light burns, but she's stable. She'll need some time to recover, but she's out of immediate danger."
Emmett nodded again, the tightness in his chest easing slightly. He let out a long breath of relief, but it was shaky. "Thank you, doc."
"Just make sure to take it easy," she added with a smile before walking out, leaving him alone in the room.
A moment later, the door opened again, and Emmett's little sister, Madison, burst into the room, her face a mixture of worry and relief. "Emmett!" she cried, running over to him and flinging her arms around his waist. "You scared me!"
Emmett let out a soft chuckle, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Sorry, Maddy. I'm okay, I promise."
Behind Madison, his parents entered, their expressions heavy with concern. His mom was the first to speak, her voice trembling slightly. "You gave us quite a scare, you know. When we heard about the fire..."
His dad, always the more composed of the two, nodded, though there was a hint of worry in his eyes as well. "We're just glad you're safe, son."
Emmett took off the oxygen mask and gave his family a small, reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Really."
His mom stepped forward, her hand brushing a stray lock of hair out of his face, her eyes soft but tired. "We were so worried," she whispered, before pulling him into a tight hug.
Emmett closed his eyes and let himself be held for a moment, feeling the warmth and love from his family. After everything that had happened, it felt good to be surrounded by them, to feel their presence.
"You're not allowed to run into burning buildings anymore," his mom said firmly, pulling back to give him a stern look. "I don't care if you think you're a hero."
Emmett chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll try to avoid it, Mom."
"Try harder," his dad chimed in, though there was a glint of humor in his eyes. "We don't need you playing firefighter."
Madison, not wanting to be left out, crossed her arms and pouted. "Yeah! You better not do it again, Emmett!"
"Alright, alright," Emmett said, raising his hands in surrender. "I promise. No more running into burning buildings."
Satisfied, his family relaxed a bit, the tension easing as they shared a few more moments together. After a while, his dad cleared his throat and glanced toward the door. "Should we go check on Valerie?"
Emmett's heart gave a little jolt at the mention of Valerie's name. "Yeah, let's go see how she's doing."
The four of them left the small examination room and made their way down the hall toward Valerie's room. As they approached, the atmosphere shifted—less laughter, more concern. They walked into the room quietly, careful not to disturb her if she was resting.
Inside, Valerie was lying in the hospital bed, an oxygen mask over her face and her arms bandaged where the burns had been treated. She looked tired, her eyes half-lidded. The sight of her in the hospital bed made Emmett's stomach twist uncomfortably, but he was relieved to see her awake.
The room was cramped with people—Larissa, Valerie's parents, Mirabelle, and even Mirabelle's mother were already gathered around, their faces a mix of concern and relief. With the addition of Emmett and his family, the small hospital room now felt more like a packed elevator.
Larissa was the first to notice Emmett, and she stood up from her chair with a small, relieved smile. She walked over to him, gently taking his hand in hers. "You okay?" she asked softly.
Emmett gave her hand a squeeze, nodding. "Yeah, I'm good. Just worried about Val."
Larissa's eyes softened, and she gave him a reassuring smile. "She's tough. She'll be fine."
Emmett smiled back at her, appreciating the comfort she was offering. But his attention quickly shifted to Valerie. He walked over to her bedside, leaning down to brush aside the stray locks of hair that had fallen across her face.
Valerie's eyes fluttered open, and when she saw him, a tired but playful smile spread across her lips. "You just couldn't stay away from me, could you?" she rasped, her voice weak from the smoke inhalation, but her teasing tone still intact.
Emmett grinned, relieved to hear her sarcasm. "You caught me," he said, his voice soft. "I couldn't resist."
Valerie let out a small laugh, though it quickly turned into a cough. She winced but waved him off when he started to look concerned. "I'm fine. Just a little crispy."
"More than a little," Emmett said, his voice laced with both humor and worry. "You had me scared to death in there."
"Scared? You? The big brave hero?" Valerie teased, though her smile was softer now. "You're never scared."
"Don't tell anyone," Emmett whispered conspiratorially, leaning in closer. "I've got a reputation to uphold."
Valerie chuckled, though it was weak and followed by another cough. She leaned her head back on the pillow, her eyes closing for a moment. "Thanks, Em. For coming back for me."
Emmett reached out, taking her hand in his. "You don't need to thank me. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
Valerie smiled, and for a moment, they were both quiet, the chaos of the night fading into the background as they shared a rare moment of peace.
In the background, the parents and Mirabelle were engaged in quiet conversation. Emmett's mom and Valerie's dad were whispering to each other, casting glances at the kids as they talked.
"Remember when they were growing up?" Valerie's dad said with a chuckle. "We all thought Emmett would end up dating either Valerie or Mirabelle."
"Yeah, and now look at them," Emmett's mom said with a smile. "In university and still no relationships between them. And Mirabelle's engaged now, too."
Valerie's dad raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking to Larissa, who was standing quietly by Emmett's side. "Looks like Emmett might have something going on with that Larissa girl, though."
Emmett overheard the comment and felt a flush of embarrassment creeping up his neck. He glanced at Larissa, who was still holding his hand, her eyes bright with affection. For a brief moment, Emmett wondered what his parents were seeing—what everyone was seeing. Was it obvious to everyone else?
After a few more minutes of conversation, Emmett squeezed Valerie's hand one last time. "I'll let you rest," he said softly. "But I'll be back to check on you later, okay?"
Valerie gave him a tired smile. "You better. I expect at least a few more visits. I'm stuck in this bed, so you're my entertainment now."
Emmett laughed. "I'll bring a deck of cards next time."
With that, Emmett left the room, his heart still heavy but lighter knowing that Valerie would be okay. As soon as he stepped out into the hallway, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts, pausing when he reached Theo's name.
His thumb hovered over the call button for a moment before he pressed it. The phone rang twice before Theo's familiar voice answered on the other end.
"Emmett, hey," Theo said, sounding a little surprised to hear from him. "What's up? Everything okay?"
Emmett glanced back at the hospital room, his stomach twisting with a mixture of emotions. "Hey, Theo. Yeah, I'm fine, but... I need to talk to you. It's important."
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. "Okay," Theo said slowly. "Do you want to meet up?"
"Yeah," Emmett replied. "Can you meet me at the café near the hospital? I'll be there in about fifteen minutes."
"Sure thing. I'll head over now."