Brad & 'Tanaya Ch. 06

The man holding the hose done as he was ordered before turning back towards the flames coming out the window.

'Tanaya ran back to the rear door and jerked it open using the wet towel as a glove before throwing the towel over her shoulders and holding a wet cover over her mouth and nose. She could hear people yelling at her as she rushed into the smoky room and dropped almost to her knees as she listened for the faint voice she was sure she had heard.

The smoke made her eyes burn and her lungs smarted even with the damp towel. Ruthlessly she moved further into the house refusing to think about what she was doing.

"Help me...someone...help me!" the voice was faint and racked by coughs as 'Tanaya scurried forward.

The heat reached out with red-hot fingers and seemed to almost scorch her skin on her face and hands as she headed for the faint voice near the ominous crackling sound. 'Tanaya wasn't really sure of what she found at first as her fingers touched something knobbly and rough, then she made out the shape of a hand and searched for an armpit.

The heat was intense and seemed to press down on her as 'Tanaya struggled with the dead weight of Mrs Brinkley. She managed to get a hold on her but realised she would have to let go of the corner of the towel she was using as a mask if she was to be able to move the woman.

Gasping a last breath of the hot air through the wet towel 'Tanaya dropped the corner and began dragging the inert body back towards where she believed the door was. The heat and the smoke combined to make a deadly combination that dazed the senses and soon had 'Tanaya gasping for breath. She paused as she coughed and choked, trying to get air into her starving lungs before trying to head towards the door once more.

Finally she bumped something with her feet, she was dimly aware of something red hot burning her feet and then she was being dragged out of the smoke filled air. 'Tanaya struggled weakly as she lost hold on Mrs Brinkley and then she was choking as she tried to breath the fresh air outside.

'Tanaya felt herself being carried by two people clear of the house; she wanted to protest but didn't have the strength or oxygen to speak. Every breath was torture as she coughed her lungs full of smoke; someone pressed a mask over her face and she struggled as she continued to choke.

"Keep the mask on, it'll help you to breath." Someone ordered near her ear.

'Tanaya struggled to open her eyes but they stung as if red-hot embers were buried in her skull.

As if sensing her distress someone soothed her face with a damp cloth and 'Tanaya winced as her cheeks, forehead and the bridge of her nose stung. Whatever she was laying on moved and she grabbed at the ground with stinging hands.

"It's all right, we're taking you to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, I'm Anthony, an ambulance officer. Try to relax."

'Tanaya tried to nod but she was racked by a rasping cough as she tried to breath; she was dimly aware of a sharp pain like a thick pin prick in the back of her hand. She tried to jerk her hand away but it was held steady and someone was talking to her in a soft voice. Unable to do more then cough and choke as she tried to breath slowly and evenly she was barely aware of the ambulance starting to move.

* * * * *

"Holy shit!" Hank exclaimed as he turned into the street where Brent, Matty and Brad lived. The road was closed and two fire trucks appeared to be parked outside the house where he picked up the three men.

"What the hell's going on!" Brent exclaimed as he looked through the front window to see the fire trucks, one of which was parked on 'Tanaya's front lawn.

"I can't get any closer," Hank said as he was stopped by a fireman directing traffic.

"Let me out!" Brad demanded as he reached over Gerry to jerk the rear door open.

Both Brad and Brent climbed out of the vehicle fast, leaving Matty to follow with the lunch esky's. Brad took off up the street at a run dodging the police officer who would have stopped him.

"He lives where the fire truck is parked on the lawn," Brent said as the police officer stopped him.

"The fire was in the other house. You might want to get up there with your mate, the woman who lives in that house ran into the house that was on fire..."

Brent didn't wait around to hear the rest of what the officer had to say, instead he raced after Brad with his heart in his throat.

Matty was stopped by the police officer and when he identified himself and where he lived he was allowed past but with strict instructions not to go near the fire scene.

Brad raced around the back of the neighbours house looking for 'Tanaya; the fire brigade was still checking to make sure they had the fire out properly and the neighbours were standing around in stunned groups.

"Where's 'Tanaya, the woman that lives over there," Brad demanded of one group as he barged up to them.

Several people turned stunned faces to him and finally one man more collected then the others spoke.

"They've taken her to hospital, she was in the house." The man said.

Brad swallowed hard and headed towards one of the fire fighters, surely the guy had it wrong. Brent came up beside him as he approached the fire fighter who appeared to be in charge.

"Excuse me but the woman who lives next door, is she here?" Brad demanded harshly.

"Hold on there young fellow," the chief fire fighter said, "who are you looking for?"

"Shantanaya Redwolf, the woman that lives next door. About five ten, black hair, dark brown eyes," Brent said describing 'Tanaya.

"Oh yes, I know who you mean. The young lady has been taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation and burns, if not for her the woman who lives here would most likely be dead." The fire chief said.

"The hospital here in town?" Brad demanded.

"Yes ...hey wait! Can you give some details to that police officer over there!" The fire chief called after Brad but he had already left the yard to jump the fence and head for the garage where his bike was housed.

"I'll give the officer all the details I can," Brent said and headed towards the police officer indicated.

Brent really wanted to go to the hospital to see 'Tanaya but someone should talk to the police officer and give what details they could. He knew that Brad would make sure he got in to see 'Tanaya. Giving a sigh of frustration Brent began talking to the officer barely noticing when Brad roared out of the next-door yard on his bike in a hurry.

Brad rode through the town quickly and headed for the hospital parking lot; he parked his bike not far from the front door and hurried inside looking for the emergency department.

Brad found himself forced to wait in the waiting room until 'Tanaya was put in a room in one of the wards near the nurses desk. When he finally was allowed to go into the room to see her he walked into the room with his heart in his throat.

'Tanaya lay motionless in the bed with an oxygen tube beneath her nose. There were singed patches in her hair and her face had the shiny look of heat scorched skin.

Brad settled into the chair beside the bed as noiselessly as he could and just sat there watching the bedclothes rise and fall rhythmically with her breathing. Now and then she coughed slightly but she didn't stir or wake.

Brad ran his eyes down over what he could see of her face and body. One side of her head had more singed hair and there was a light dressing of gauze on her right hand.

"I'm here Darling, I'm here." Brad said softly.

'Tanaya moved slightly in her sleep as if she heard him, a slight frown marring her brow for a second before she sighed softly and seemed to ease into a deeper sleep.

Nearly an hour later Brent and Matty came to the doorway very quietly, Brad turned his head at the slight noise and got to his feet and went to the doorway; the three men went out into the hallway so they could talk without disturbing 'Tanaya.

"How is she?" Brent asked with a worried frown.

"She's sleeping at the moment, which is good. Lets the body recover. She has one or two minor burns but nothing serious, just mainly a mild case of smoke inhalation and exhaustion." Brad said quietly.

"We locked the house up for youse. We're going to get some tea, you coming or do you want us to bring something back for you to eat?" Brent asked.

"I should go eat and get some sleep, it's not likely she'll wake up tonight but I want to stay here with her, just in case." Brad said worriedly.

"Okay, you stay here and we'll bring a feed back for you but at nine you're going back to the house to get some sleep. You won't do 'Tanaya any good if you're exhausted from sitting up with her all night." Brent said firmly.

Brad looked back towards the hospital room with a worried frown; he wanted to be here when 'Tanaya woke up but commonsense also told him she would need his help over the next few days until she recovered.

Brent also looked towards the hospital room and even though he wanted to be in there with 'Tanaya he knew that it was Brad she would be wanting to see when she woke up. The kindest thing he could do for 'Tanaya would be to take a step back and let Brad be there in the morning.

"We'll be back shortly, you go make sure 'Tanaya sleeps." Brent said quietly.

Brad didn't give his friends a second look as he turned and headed back into the room where 'Tanaya was. He sat in the chair at her bedside and once again watched as she breathed steadily.