Page 65 of Never Forget
Jenna squeezed my arm and slipped back through the curtain.
I sat there in the silence she left behind, trying to make sense of it.
Jack saved Jenna's life. And now Jenna was here, taking care of us. Taking care of his daughter.
The night kept coming back in pieces. The smoke that filled the room. The window that wouldn't open. Rosie's small body pressed against mine, her face buried in my chest. I'd thought that was the end.
And then Sam came through the door and carried us out.
I swore on my life. I will always protect you.
"Uncle Sam!"
Sam had changed into his station shirt. His hair was still damp at the edges. He must have showered and decontaminated as fast as protocol allowed and come straight here.
Rosie reached for him with both arms, and he crossed the space in two steps and pulled us both into a hug.
"I'm so glad you're okay." His voice was rough.
I opened my mouth. Nothing came out. My throat closed around the words, and my eyes burned with tears I couldn't shed.
But Rosie nodded against his chest.
"A nurse came," she said. Her voice was small but steady. "She put a clip on my finger." She held up her hand to show him, even though the pulse oximeter was gone now. "It didn't hurt. She said it tells her if I'm breathing okay."
Sam listened like this was the most important information he'd ever received.
"She listened to my breathing too," Rosie continued. "With the thing that goes in your ears. She said I was very brave."
"You are brave," Sam said. "The bravest."
Rosie looked up at him. "Are you staying?"
"I'm staying."
She nodded and pressed her face back into his chest.
"The room's ready." Jenna pulled the curtain back. She had a stack of folded fabric in her arms that looked like hospital clothes. "I brought these for both of you so you can get cleaned up."
I looked down at myself. My hands were covered in soot. The smell of smoke clung to our hair, our skin. I hadn't even thought about it until now.
"Thank you," I said.
Jenna led us down a hallway to a small private room. One bed, a chair by the window, a bathroom with a shower.
"Take your time," Jenna said, setting the clothes on the bed. "I'll check on you in a bit."
She left, and it was just the three of us.
Sam sat down in the chair. "Go ahead. I'll be right here."
I took Rosie into the bathroom and closed the door.
I turned on the water and helped her wash. The soot ran off her skin in dark rivulets, swirling down the drain. I scrubbed her hair, her face, her small hands, until she was clean again. I helped her into the hospital clothes that were too big on her.
"Go find Sam," I said. "I'll be out in a minute."
She was out the door before I finished the sentence.
