Caught In The Fire - Karlnap

14 - I lose him

TW - swearing, arson, hospital

SAPNAP POV -

Within minutes the roof of the house collapsed. It was a carcass of a house that was enveloped in flames.

All I could hear was screaming. All I could see was flickering, burning, red and orange fire. All I could feel was heat pulsing towards me from the raging flames, overwhelming me. All I could smell was the thick clouds of smoke that were spiralling into the early morning sky. All I could taste was the dryness of my mouth as the smoke curled into my lungs. All I could think was Karl. Save Karl. Save Karl. Karl. Karl. Karl. Karl needs to be safe.

Quackity got out safely.

Dream got out safely.

George got out safely.

I got out safely.

Karl got out safely.

Karl's parents weren't as lucky. Karl's parents got out with extreme third degree burns.

————

I managed to pick up a screaming, terrified Karl and carry him outside onto the huge front lawn. Dream and George came sprinting out of the burning building moments later with Quackity close behind them. All five of us collapsed on the grass, breathing heavily and coughing, all of us having inhaled some of the smoke.

Karl sat up dazedly and looked around. We could here sirens in the distance, getting closer and closer. I pulled Karl into my arms, rocking back and forth and stroking his slightly singed hair as I whispered words of comfort to him, trying  to distract him from the huge fire still tearing through his home.

He seemed to be relaxing when sudden screams erupted from inside the mass of flames. Karl sat bolt upright and looked around us, searching frantically.
"Where are my parents?!" He asked urgently in a voice barely audible because of how much smoke he had in his lungs. He leapt to his feet.

"I think they're still inside," I whispered, scared of his reaction. He turned to me, his eyes full of fear. Then he turned to the house and started running towards it. "Karl no!" I cried, jumping to me feet and sprint after him, tackling him to the ground before he could enter the flames again. "Karl, please don't, you won't help them by going back in," I said, holding him close as he sobbed into my shoulder. After a moment he fell still. He'd passed out from inhalation of smoke and heat exhaustion.

I heard the fire department arrive behind us along with a few ambulances. I also heard Dream telling them about Karl's parents and I watched as three fire fighters went running into the fire to save them.

I felt someone trying to pull Karl out of my arms and I looked up to see a medic. She gave me a sad, apologetic smile which I didn't return.
"I'm fine. He's not. I'm not leaving his side," I said simply, standing up and carrying Karl to the nearest ambulance. The medic followed me, she tried to help me with Karl but I brushed her off. I placed him down on the bed inside the ambulance and strapped him in before sitting down in the chair next to it and putting on my seatbelt.

I took Karl's hand and started rubbing circles on his knuckles, whispering to him to let him know that I was here and he was going to be okay.

When we reached the hospital, Karl was rushed to a room, he had suffered more in the fire than the rest of us, which was understandable seeing as the second the fire had started he'd collapsed on the floor. I wasn't allowed to follow him and even after I'd made a massive scene in the middle of the waiting room, I was still told to wait.

Annoyed, I sat down next to Quackity. He, Dream and George were all fine apart from a little bit of smoke inhalation. They'd all refused the doctors when they'd been offered a room, not wanting to take up space when they were fine.

I didn't see Karl's parents enter. They'd been ahead of our ambulance because they were more severely injured. But I assumed it was extremely bad seeing as doctors kept running past yelling about it and hurrying to try and help.

✨Time Skip✨

After two days of sitting in the waiting room, I was finally allowed to see Karl. I practically sprinted to his room the second that the nurse gave me the all clear.

When I entered I saw Karl in a hospital gown, sitting up in bed, tears streaming down his face. I rushed over to him and tried to hug him.

But he pushed me away.

"Karl, I-" I searched his face, trying to figure out what was wrong.
"No. Sapnap do you know where my parents are right now?" He asked, turning to me, his face emotionless yet his cheeks streaked with tears. I shook my head and he gave a short, humorless laugh.

"They're both in the ICU with third degree burns. Do you know where they got those burns?" He didn't even give me a chance to respond, "They got them in the fire that you started when you broke your promise," His eyes met mine and he seemed to be having a huge conflict in his mind.

"Karl I'm so sorry, I just lost control, I couldn't stand seeing them hurt you like that. Please Karl, I'm so sorry, you have to believe me, please, Karl I love you," I took a step closer but froze at the look of hurt that he gave me.

"Stop it Sapnap. You can't light my entire fucking house on fire and then say 'I lost control' and 'I love you' then expect to be forgiven! It doesn't work like that!" I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to explain what had happened to me, the mind blinding rage that I'd felt, the way that the feel of the lighter in my hand had turned everything around me into white noise. I was at a loss for words.

"Karl-"
"Just stop talking Sapnap. You're making this harder," His eyes were full of a devastating sadness and all I wanted to do was hold him in my arms and tell him that I was sorry and that I would try to get better. But I didn't. All I said was,
"Make what harder?" I wish I hadn't said it. I wish I'd tried harder to explain myself.

"Make it harder to break up with you. Sap, I can't do this, I really do love you but you're out of control. You're dangerous. You almost killed my parents. Just... stay away from me... please. I won't tell anyone that you started the fire, I'll say the oil overheated and caught on fire or something, just stay away from me," He looked like saying that broke him almost as much as it broke me.

His words shattered me. I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off, "Get out of my room, please. We're over. Please leave me alone,"

I didn't respond, I just turned and left. Tears began to spill down my face the second that I closed the door behind me.

I'd lost the most important person in my life.

I hadn't been able to control my impulses and that had cost me everything.

I felt broken, like a yin without it's yang.

I was an empty shell. I felt nothing except mind numbing sadness.

I'd lost him.

I'd lost the boy that could make a whole room light up with a single smile.

I'd lost the person that mattered more to me than my own life.

I'd lost the love of my life.

I'd lost my soulmate.

I'd lost Karl Jacobs.

Word count - 1296

A/N -
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