Hands

By The Flaming Dragonfly

Johnny lay in the hospital bed, his hands wrapped in bandages, his face red and inflamed, and remembered…

The fire overwhelmed the small house.  A screaming woman was stopped from dashing into the smoking, flaming structure. 

“My baby!  My baby!”  Cap held her as Johnny and Roy donned their SCBA gear in record time, then carefully entered the house.

Johnny heard the cries first, and he stumbled into the baby’s room.  The crib was burning, and Johnny thrust his hands into the inferno, desperately feeling for the infant.  White heat seared his face and hands, but he continued to probe, the cries of the baby driving him past the pain and fear.  At last he felt the bundled child, and he scooped the baby to his chest.  He turned and made his way out of the house.

Roy joined him, and together they took the infant to the squad.  The baby was found to be relatively uninjured, but Johnny’s hands were badly burned.

“You saved my baby,” the mother wept.  “But your hands…”

Johnny shook his head.  “Just doing my job, ma’am.”  He met Roy’s eyes. 

“Let’s take a look at those hands,” Roy said.  He understood.

They all did.

***************************

This story was originally written for the AllEFanfic list as a two hundred word challenge.

*Click above to send The Flaming Dragonfly feedback

Stories by The Flaming Dragonfly          Guest Dispatchers