From Dusk Till Dawn

Chapter 38: The Brave Man- Louise's Pov

I stand frozen in the street as I watch Joseph run into the flames. The man comes out with two of the kids and then runs back in. My heart feels lighter when I see Joseph run out with three more.

One more kid, I tell myself. One more kid and then he'll have kept his promise.

"How is she?" I asked the nurse of the orphanage. "Not good, her spine looks severely damaged, maybe broken." My heart collapses for the hurt my friend is in. "She needs a doctor and quick. My husband and I can take her to the infirmary tent down the street. I can see it now." I can't leave Joseph here and I can't part with Elenora.

My decision is tough but I can't leave the orphanage without seeing Joseph is out safe. "The woman's name is Elenora." My Italian is slow as I speak. They nod before carefully picking an unconscious Elenora up.

"Where are they?" An older woman who sits with the orphans cries holding hands with the children.

"Shit, come on Joseph." I whisper to myself. I clutch the sleeve of my dress as I watch for him.

Still, no sign of Joseph or the middle aged man. Without another thought, I dash into the burning fire. Instantly I get choked by dark, ashy smoke. It's hotter than any summer I'd experienced before. "Joseph!" I yell as I make my way up the burning stairs.

I have to hop around avoiding flames. "Joseph!" I called again. As I make it to the top of the stairs, my wrapped bandage that I got for my sprained wrist gets caught on something sharp. It rips my bandage down the middle and I slip out of the fabric.

My wrist has been hurting a lot lately but it's something I'll have to worry about later.

As I slip out of the bandage I fall to the group with a thumb. The sharp object sliding across my arm. Blood spills down my ashy skin but I keep my search up.

Finally I find the middle aged man leaning over his body. Joseph's. "Your friend is fine, we just need to get him out of here." I nod. On the man's back, is a navy blue blanket that protects the remaining child. Quickly but surely the man hands me the little girl in the blanket.

There's tears in her eyes but most importantly fear. She looks to be only four years of age. Her frail body wraps around me as I hold close to her.
The middle aged man picks up Joseph allowing me to lead the way out. A large piece of burning wood suddenly falls near us causing me to trip with the child in my arms. As I land on the wooden plank floor, I protect the child's head.

Looking back, he yells something at me that I don't need any translation to understand. He means us to get the hell out of there. My mind is foggy with smoke as I dash out of the building. Just as we all make it out the building begins to collapse.

I fall back on my back with the little girl still attached to my body. She begins crying, shutting her eyes into my chest. "It's okay, it's okay little one. It's all over." We all cough erratically, trying to get the smoke out of our lungs.

We're immediately led together by a few military soldiers away from the smoke.

Handing the young child off to the woman who ran the orphanage, I hurried to a few nurses who lay Joseph on a wooden stretcher. Please be okay. Those words repeated in my head numerous times as they led us away.

All of a sudden Joseph coughs, waking up. His olive complexion face is covered in soot and ashes.

Lowering the wooden stretcher to the dirt, the nurses begin examining Joseph's burned edges.

I don't waste any time lowering to my knees beside the nurses. My hands begin to slide to each side of his face but back off when I see some hidden burns. "You're going to be okay, you hear me!" I accidentally said it in English but at the moment I don't care. Joseph's eyes are only open for a split second before he falls back into the darkness.