Conflagration

Chapter 1

Peyton finished closing up her patient when it happened. She had been in surgery for hours trying to fix an infant that had been in a terrible car accident. Ruptured spleen that she had to take out, liver almost sliced in two. A kidney that had all but shredded inside the child. But Peyton was a miracle worker. Plus, she always prayed before surgery for God to guide her hands and the hands of her surgical team. She just wished that God had guided her husband that night.

After closing the infant and instructing her intern to take him up to recovery and to notify the parents, she went and scrubbed out. She was very tired and just wanted to go home to her kids and husband. But, this night, that wasn't going to happen.

Lucy, a fellow neonatal surgeon and also Peyton's best friend, brought her pager with a sad expression on her face.

Peyton took the pager and shook her head. "What's wrong with you?'

"Luke paged you 911. And I know he's at work so, I don't know. Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

Peyton shook her head again, trying not to panic as bile began to rise in her throat. "M-maybe the babysitter called him because something's wrong with one of the kids. Stef wasn't feeling so well when we left for work."

Lucy forced a smile at her friend. "Maybe. But I would call just to be sure."

Peyton finished scrubbing out before walking out. She pulled out of her cell phone and called Lukka. It went straight to voicemail. "Shit." She went to call again but noticed there was a voice message.

She clicked on it and put the phone to her ear. There was coughing at first and then that strong Italian accent rang through. "Hey my tesoro. I want you to know that I love you and the kids so much." More coughing and some gagging. "I know I promised you that I would always come home to you, but it looks like I have to break that promise." He took a deep breath and held it for a long time.

Peyton stood in the hall of the surgical floor with tears running down her face. No. This couldn't be happening. She was four months pregnant with their fifth child. She couldn't raise five kids by herself. Oh God....

"I have loved you since high school, but you knew that. But you were always studying and didn't have time for me. Even in college when we did start dating, my tesoro was busy." A little more coughing. "It took me to throw your books on the floor for you to look at me. And when you did, the anger in your beautiful eyes was so hot. And then you pounced on me like a hungry tiger." Peyton's cheeks heated at that. She hoped nobody was around to hear this part of the conversation.

"That first time with you was everything I knew it would be. And your hunger for sex after that was insatiable. Honestly, I was surprised you finished school with how much we had sex." More coughing and sniffling. "I wish I would have taken you this morning before work. That would have been a great last memory of me. I wish it wasn't this voicemail. I want you and the kids to stay in the house. We built it together, so you have to stay. I have a lot of money stashed away in a safe in the basement. Don't ask questions, just put it in the bank in a trust fund for the kids." She heard him take his helmet off and the clatter of it hitting the floor. No, no baby...

"You're gonna get through this. I know you're carrying a little girl, so make sure our little princess knows about me. Don't let her grow up not knowing her daddy." She didn't even know what she was having. It was supposed to be a surprise for the baby shower. That sneaky, sly bastard had to bribe the doctor to look at the result. She was going to have to have a conversation with Rosemary.

Lukka went into a fit of coughs and chokes. He was dying on the phone with her. She was listening to her husband take his final breaths. "The guys at the house are already planning the baby shower so you don't have to. Our first princess, it's a big deal." Another deep breath but this time he took longer to release it. "I love you, Mrs. Di Maggio..." Then nothing, all she could hear was a roaring fire and the crackling of the surfaces it was on. Possibly on her husband. After a several minutes, loud clatter was heard and shouts, calling his name. But it was too late. Her husband was dead. And probably burned up.