Two weeks later everything changed.
There was a fire at Bravo company that started with a rookie driver backing into the metal building sending sparks from impact, which ignited some spilt oil. A whoosh of sound filled the room engulfing the Hum-V and Private who screamed.
Gage and his men rushed to help the poor kid while others in the platoon grabbed extinguishers and moved other flammable things from its grasp, but the fire was just too much. It surged forward like a sentient being conquering all within its grasp. The poisonous fumes filled the cavernous area; men collapsed while wheezing for the precious oxygen that was being stripped from the building.
Gage had grabbed the private through the flames yanking him from the window he had shattered just to get the poor kid out. There were flames, shards of glass and scalding hot metal that had touched him along the way, yet he felt nothing. Adrenaline was a powerful drug that shadowed all else. They along with several others crawled out coughing and hacking, taking sharp breaths only to expel them again.
Fire trucks and paramedics flooded the area a short time later, but nothing could be done about the building. Water on an oil fire would only make things worse, so those who were not seriously injured were left to stand and watch it burn.
Gage, Mark and the private were taken to the hospital, while the others sat with oxygen masks pressed to their faces refusing to leave. This was their unit, where they gathered every morning, drank coffee and lied about women. For some it was home, the only one they really knew.
Third degree burns on his chest, hands and face along with a sliced cheek that required stitches, that was what the doctor had said. Gage sat on the hospital bed breathing fresh oxygen and then coughing it back up again.
The kid had a few cuts on his stomach and legs from being dragged across the broken bits, but was relatively good just a few burns here and there. He too, coughed and took another breath before coughing again.
Mark's condition was a little more critical as he had been standing on the oil spill that ignited the building. His legs were badly burned from calf to knee. Thankfully he sprinted from the fire fairly quickly after that, but he would definitely be looking at some down time for his injuries.
Pulling the mask from his face Gage looked at the kid, "You ok Dresden?"
Coughing again he put his thumb up in an 'ok' gesture.
"What about you O'Connor?"
Mark winced a bit as a nurse checked his legs, "oorah brother."
Nodding he laid back in bed trying to relax.
Marty got the call at work that Gage was in the hospital and high tailed it out of there. She was shaking as she entered the emergency room.
The minute she saw him lying there eyes closed with an oxygen mask on his face she nearly fainted. There was a startling white bandage across the left cheek and two more wrapped around his hands.
Slowly she came up to the bed tears filling her eyes. "G-gage?"
Clear, bright blue eyes looked up into her face, pulling the mask from his mouth he forced a smile. "Hey Marty, how was your day?"
She laughed even as tears fell down her cheeks.
Gage gave her a smile. "I'm fine, don't cry please. I'm sure they'll let us go home soon."
"Us?" Marty looked one bed over realizing that Mark was next to him.
"Mark, you were hurt too?"
His eyes came open and a tired smile replaced the frown that had been there moments before, "Marty, what no food for a French fried marine?"
"Don't worry, I'll cook you up something nice once you're out of here and feeling better."
Nodding he rested his head against a pillow.
"I'm just going to go find the doctor and find out what it's going to take to get you out of here," she said looking at Gage who had once again closed his eyes in rest.
The doctor on call made a hard decision, but it was for their own good, he wanted all three men to stay for a few days to oversee treatment of their burns and also avoid the chance of infection. None were happy about it in the least and the food they provided offered little comfort.
Marty called Jesse the first day to tell her what had happened and then both visited each day after. By day three he was anxious to get out of there, especially since Marty had promised him a home cook meal.
Jesse felt it best to wait a while before visiting him at the house. Although she was anxious to see him again and hear about his progress, she knew he was healing and needed to rest.
People are so funny. They don't visit as often as they should or tell you how they feel until something like this happens, then everyone descends at once like locusts when all that's really wanted is the peace and quiet that was previously lamented.
She needed to be patient and wait it out knowing Marty would call if she needed anything.
