The smoke alarm went off at 2; 23AM. At first, Alie thought she was dreaming. The bed was shaking. Someone was wailing. Then she realized it was her husband Ted shaking her shoulders. She came fully awake.
"The house is on fire." He said in a tight, controlled voice. Smoke billowed into the bedroom. Horror-stricken, she screamed. "The baby."
"Right beside you." He pressed the screaming child into her arms. Reaching behind him, he threw a soaking blanket over her and baby Donny. Eyes burning coughing, she held the crying child to her breast.
Grasping Alie by the hand, he said in a slow, commanding voice. "Follow me. "
Did she trust him? What other choice did she have? Not just her life, but the life of their baby, Donny, depended on him.
"Stay under the blanket. Follow my lead." He said. His hand felt warm and moist. Yet his strength flowed from his fingertips into her. She heard him cry out. He was in pain. Yet he never let go of her hand. He tightened his grasp. She heard him weeping. Even with the wet blanket, she felt searing heat. Slowly, he led her down the hall from their bedroom. Nothing mattered. Not her beautiful home. Not that their marriage was falling apart.
"Stairs." He said. His coughing shook her. He cried out in agony, never letting go of her hand. "Don't touch the banister. It's on fire."
Step by step, he led her down the stairs. The fire crackled to her left. The kitchen and living room were fully engulfed. To her horror, she remembered the stove.
After the argument with Ted, she decided to have a cup of tea. She had set in the kitchen chair weeping. Why did it always have to be Ted's way? She went to the nursery to check on the baby, forgetting about the kittle on the back burner.
Flames licked at the blanket, causing steam to raise. He was weeping. Ted led her down the last step. They crossed the foyer to the front door. His hand trembled, his fingers tightened until they hurt her. She inched along behind him, realizing he was feeling the wall. If they got lost, they would die. The child had stopped screaming and now suckled at her breast. She chanced a look from under the blanket. The entire house was on fire. Flames shot up all around them.
Above the roar of the flames, she heard sirens. Help was coming. Ted stopped. He felt along the door. His hand touched the searing knob he threw the door open. The cool night air refreshed her and make her cough. Hands reached out, taking her and the baby to safety. She pulled the baby from her breast.
Letting the burnt blanket fall from her shoulders, she looked back at Ted. He had dropped to his knees. His left hand horribly burnt his right where he held her untouched. His face and feet blackened and charred.
Two paramedics worked on him, laying him on a gurney. They cut off his burnt pjs, giving him oxygen. She wept. He had risked maybe even given his life for her and little Donny. they whisk him by her. She heard him groan.
Two other paramedics directed her to a second ambulance.
"I need to be with him."Alie said, not taking her eyes off Ted. They were loading him into the first ambulance. She was hit with another fit of coughing. "Ma'am, we're taking you to the same hospital. Medical needs to check out you and the baby." One paramedic said. There was a roar and a crash. She glanced back at the house. the roof had fallen in. This man, her husband, had saved the lives of those most cherished to him. He had risked, maybe even given his life for her and little Donny. She wept not for the loss of her home, but for the loss of love. For her husband. Taking her by the arm, the paramedic said. "Come on, we'll get you to the hospital."
She let him steer her to the ambulance.
By the time they were loaded, the other ambulance was pulling out. They raced through the streets, sirens howling. Arriving at Mercy General, they took her and the baby into a treatment room. She waited at least twenty minutes while the staff checked her and the baby. "You may have some irritation in your throat. Watch the baby for the next few days." The doctor smiled. "Your husband is a very brave man."
"Yes, I know. He saved our lives." she murmured. "How is he" She had asked the same question a dozen times.
The doctor gave her the same response. "We're still accessing him. We'll let you know as soon as possible."
She called her parents. Four in the morning. Her dad answered the phone. His tone was gruff. "This better not be a telemarketer.
"Dad." His tone changed.
"Honey, what is it?"
She heard her mother in the background. "What's wrong" She could picture her setting up in bed.
"The house burnt." She sobbed. "Ted's hurt."
"Are you and the baby, ok?" Andy said. "The house burnt." He said to his wife Gladys.
"Oh no. Tell her we're coming. "Her mother said.
"Are you and the baby, ok?" He repeated the question.
"Yes, Ted got us out. But he's hurt, maybe dying." She said, her voice breaking. The thought struck her he might already be dead. "We're at Mercy General."
"We'll be right there." He said, ending the call.
A nurse came in. "My husband?"
"He's in treatment room 3. It's pretty chaotic in there right now." She said. "Do you need help with the baby? "
"I need to change his diaper. I?" She looked down at herself. All she had on was a hospital gown. She realized she had nothing. Maybe not even a husband, or something as insignificant as diapers for little Donny. She began weeping, all self-control gone.
"I'll get you some diapers." The nurse said, laying her hand on her shoulder. She came back in about five minutes, carrying a bag. "You should find everything you need in here. Let me know if you need anything else."
"Thank you."
She just finished diapering the baby when a man appeared at the door to the treatment room.
"Mrs. Ryne? I'm David Franks hospital chaplain. "
All the color drained from her face. More tears sprang from her eyes. She collapsed into a chair.
"Is? is he dead? is my husband dead? Please no? no."
He rushed to her. "I'm sorry, just the curse of my profession. No, your husband is alive, its touch and go, but he's hanging in there." Franks said.
Her mother rushed in. "Mom." She cried. Still holding the baby, she hugged her mother.
The chaplain stood back in the corner, waiting. "Your father is parking the car. He'll be in in a minute. "How's Ted?"
"This is Chaplain Franks; he was just telling me about Ted." She turned to Chaplain Franks.
At that minute, her father rushed in. Her mother took the baby. Andy hugged his daughter. "How's Ted?"
"He's still alive." Franks said, stepping forward. "I'm not going to sugar coat it for you. I believe you want the truth."
"Yes please." Alie said. Her mother and father standing behind her, she faced the Chaplain.
Franks took a deep breath. "Ted has 3th degree burns over 80 percent of his body."
Alie thought she was dry of tears now they sprang again from her eyes. "Is? is he going to be alright?"
"I?" Franks began. A doctor stepped into the room. He looked at the chaplain and shook his head.
"I'm very sorry. We did all we could. He was too far gone." The doctor said. Andy and Gladys helped their daughter to a chair. Alie sobbed. It was all her fault. If she had just turned off the burner on the stove. Ted had given his life for her and the baby. Franks came forward and lay his hand on her shoulder.
"Lord, we don't know why this happened. Thank you for this brave young man who gave his life for those he loved." He squeezed her hand. "I'll be right outside if you need me."
She lifted tear-filled eyes to this man she didn't know.
"Can I see him?" Franks looked at her, his eyes moist.
"Of course. Give me a minute and I'll come back for you." In a few minutes, he was back. Her mother still held the baby. "Are you ready?" Franks said. She nodded. Standing to her feet, she swayed. Her father put his arm around her. "I'm going to stay here with the baby." Her father said.
"Oh mom. He gave his life for us." She said, holding onto her father.
"I know honey, he loved you and Donny very, very much."
Franks escorted Alie and her mother to treatment room 3. A nurse opened the door for them. As they stepped in to the room, the chaplain and nurse slipped out, leaving her and her mother alone with her dead husband. His face blackened and charred, Ted lay in the bed, his eyes closed. Gripping the side of the bed Alie cried. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry, so very sorry." Sobs racked her body. Why was she so stubborn? Why did it always have to be her way? "I love you."
Holding his burnt right hand, she sobbed. Wanting to hug her as she had as a little girl, her mother put her hand on her shoulder. Gladys longed to make the pain go away. At first, Alie thought she imagined it. Then she felt his fingers move again.
"Mom, he's alive." She cried.
"Oh honey, I know you want him to be but?" Then she saw it herself. Ted's fingers twitched. A low moan issued from deep within him.
"Mom, call the doctor." She screamed. Her request unnecessary. Her mother flung open the door to the treatment room.
"We need a doctor in here now." She shouted, then ran to the door of the other treatment room. Alie's father was playing with the baby to keep him entertained while his mother was gone. At the sound of the door being thrown open, he swiveled his head around.
"He's alive." Gladys shouted and then was gone.
"What?" Andy said.
There was a commotion in the hallway. Standing at the door of Ted's treatment room, Andy watched a team of doctors and nurses work on his son-in-law.
Gladys hugged her daughter. A few minutes later, a doctor motioned the family outside.
He smiled. "Folks, I can't explain it. What you just saw was a miracle. I'm the one who pronounced him dead."
"So will he be alright?" Alie said, now holding the baby.
"We will move him to CCU and watch him for the next 24 hours." The doctor sighed. "He breathed in a lot of smoke and the burns were extensive. "
"What can we do?" Alie asks.
"He is a fighter. He already proved that." The doctor said. "Talk to him. Tell him you and the baby are safe. Tell him you love him."
"Will that help?" Alis's father ask.
"I've seen love work more than the best medicine. Like I said, we will watch him closely. Please let the nurse know if there is any change."
15 hours in. The hospital provided her with equipment to express milk so her parents could take Donny to their home. Alie rested in a chair by the window overlooking the helipad. She must have drifted off. She heard a whirling noise. A red helicopter with white lettering hovered over the helipad. It landed. As she watched, two people in flight suits rushed from the helicopter into the hospital.
There was a sound behind her. Alie stepped to the bed. Ted opened his eyes. Tears filled Alie's.
His blistered lips moved. She couldn't understand him. She leaned down closer to hear.
"I?I?lov?you." He went back to sleep.
She sobbed. How close she came to losing this good man. Just because she wanted her own selfish way. "I love you too." she hugged him, missing all the wires and tubes.
5 years later
Washing the dinner dishes, Alie watched her husband and son tossing the ball back and forth. She smiled. Patiently, Ted showed Donny how to throw the ball. This Saturday would be their son's first T-ball game. She was putting the last of the silverware away when Donny came in the back door. He set down at the table where she had placed a glass of milk.
"You're really getting good at throwing the ball." She said.
"Daddy's a good coach." Donny seemed to be studying something. "Mom, how did daddy lose his leg? He said it was because of love?"
Pouring herself a cup of coffee, Alie set down a crossed from her son. "Your daddy's right. One night when you were about four months old?.