Maya's Next Step

Part 111

Maya POV

"Hey bellina,"

I smiled warmly as I felt Carina's arms gently slip around my waist.

I was stood in the doorway to Elva's bedroom, leaning against the doorframe just watching her sleep.

"You've been here about twenty minutes," Carina whispered, resting her chin on my shoulder.

I glanced at my watch, not having realised the time.

"Warren messaged me earlier," I told her, not taking my eyes off of Elva.

Carina softly rested her hands on my stomach.

"About Poppy, the girl Andy and I were helping to rescue.." I began telling ber.

I sighed sadly and took a breath.

"She didn't make it,"

"I'm sorry bella, you and the team will have done everything in your power. You couldn't have known about the drugs," Carina said, attempting to comfort me.

"She didn't have a mask. She inhaled too much," I sighed.

"You couldn't have done anything more bellina. This isn't on you," she said firmly.

"I know, I just needed to take my mind off it. Elva takes my mind off it," I said, staring at my baby's chest rising and falling peacefully.

"I get that," Carina replied, placing a soft kiss on my neck.

"I'm going back to work tomorrow," I told her, having made my mind up earlier today.

"Maya," she sighed.

"We talked about this, you were meant to have a full week off," she said quietly, careful not to wake Elva.

"I can't sit around doing nothing, we were all cleared at the hospital. I'm ready to go back," I said stubbornly.

"Maya can we talk somewhere that we don't have to whisper?" She asked seriously.

I nodded and reluctantly closed Elva's door, walking towards mine and Carina's bedroom.

"It's just a couple more days," Carina tried to reason when we could talk at a normal volume.

"Exactly, a couple of days won't make any difference so I may as well go back to work," I shrugged.

"This is because you found out the girl died, Maya you can't just rush back to work," she tried to reason.

"I'm not rushing back to work. I'm going back to do my job because I'm fit and well," I explained.

"Maya you need to let your body heal," Carina sighed, starting to pace around our room.

"I have, I feel completely fine and Carina you were there at the hospital, I was cleared," I said frustratedly.

"What if there is another 5 alarm fire tomorrow and you can't just be captain and manage from outside?" She asked.

"Then I go and fight the fire and do my job," I told her.

"You can't exactly ease yourself back in to being a fire fighter," she snapped.

"I don't need to ease myself back in, Carina I'm fine," I said genuinely.

She stopped pacing back and forth and turned to look at me.

Tears filled her eyes and she bit down on the side of her cheek, a telling sign she was trying to hold it all together.