Huxley

I hate this apartment. It's so fucking cold. It's old, I know it is, but damn you'd think there would be some kind of insulation up here. Every morning waking up with frost bite gets old. Nothing like waking up at Wren's place. She always keeps it warm, cozy. It's the closest thing to home I've felt since my mom died and my dad checked out of life.

At least I can hit the gym before I need to get started on shit for the bar. I knew owning a business would be difficult, but old man Jesse didn't really keep records. Receipts, payroll, insurance documents. Really the only thing he kept up with was the liquor license.

Thank god for small miracles I guess.

I rush down the stairs, and out the door heading towards my car when a deafening blast hits my ears. I stop in place, looking around until I see smoke billowing in the air. My heart drops when I realize it's the same direction as the diner. I take off on a dead sprint, running the two blocks to the same building. My heart sinking further when I see it on fire.

And Wren's car out front.

"Fuck!" I yell, turning when I see Russ running up to me. "The fire department?" I scream at him.

"At least ten minutes out!" He yells back. A look crosses between us, an undertstanding before we barrel into the building, him behind me.

Smoke clogs the air, my lungs burning as I make my way back to the kitchen. The ceiling has caved in, making the air a little clearer, but the fire is raging, so loud it hurts my ears. My heart pumps painfully as I look for any signs of life.

"Wren!" I scream, my eyes searching frantically for her small form.

"Jim!" Russ yells, pushing through the debris of the fallen ceiling. "Hux! Here!" He yells, pointing to the floor in front of him.

I hurry to where he gestured, a breath releasing when I see Wren. But she's still and unmoving, her eyes closed.

"Help me with this beam!" I yell at Russ, trying to push it off of her leg. She groans as if in pain and rolls her head, but her eyes don't open. My anxiety ratchets up at the realization. Russ and I push in unison, the heavy log slipping down and setting her free.

"Get her out! I'll get Jim!" Russ yells and I nod, pushing more debris off of her. My arm pushes against the metal shelves she had stacked with food and I cry out as it burns my skin. I curse under my breath, but ignore the pain to slip my arms under her body. I pull her up into my chest and stagger as I stand, the smoke becoming thicker as more of the building is devoured by the flames.

I push through the building, my lungs burning as I try to pull in air. Wren's head lolls against my shoulder as she groans again, blood pouring from her leg. I get outside and lay her on the ground, examining her wounds. I rip my shirt off and wrap it around her leg, pulling it tight and tying it to stem the bleeding. She lets out a little whimper and I put pressure on the wound, leaning down in front of her face.

"It's alright, Wren. I've got you, baby." I say and her eyes flutter, but don't open.

My eyes flick up to see Russ pulling Jim from the building. I check Wren's leg and the bleeding has mostly stopped so I go to him, to help him pull the older man and lay him on the ground. The next moment the building lets out a loud creak before the entire thing caves in, spreading dust in a cloud. A crowd has gathered and I can hear sirens in the distance.

"He's not breathing!" Russ yells, his voice hoarse from the breathing in the smoke.

As much as it hurts me, I leave Wren to go to Jim. The man's head is covered in blood, his arm clearly broken. I check for a pulse but find nothing so I start chest compressions. I hear Russ mutter curses under his breath, doing rescue breaths while we wait for help to arrive. I hear screaming and look up to see Brenda, Jim's wife watching me with a horrified expression. My heart breaks at the sight and gives me strength to continue my efforts. I feel his ribs crack under the pressure and wince at the feeling, but I know that means I'm doing what I'm supposed to.

Russ and I continue taking turns, breathing and pumping Jim's heart until a paramedic steps in. He checks his pulse and curses, taking over as they load him onto a gurney. I sprint back over to Wren, Jace sitting next to her keeping pressure on her wound. I go to her head, patting her cheek with my hand trying to get her to wake, but she doesn't make any movements.

"Come on, little bird. Wake up for me." I beg her until someone comes to load her up as well. I follow her to the ambulance, the paramedic putting a hand up to stop me.

"Family only." He says, as I watch Wren be lifted into the ambulance.

"I'm her husband." I growl out, daring this little prick to stop my from following her into the vehicle. He waves me forward, moving to the side so I can sit next to Wren. I grab her hand as I watch them work on her leg, putting oxygen on her face. I watch as the mask fogs up, releasing a little tension in my chest to know she's breathing.

"Let me see your arm." The guy says and I shake my head, waving him off.

"It's fine." I say, the dull ache in my arm nothing compared to the fracture in my chest watching Wren lay there unconcious.

"Just let me clean it." He says, taking some fluid and cleansing my arm. I hiss at the sting as he presses a clean dressing to it. He puts some ointment on it before wrapping it. I watch as if in a daze, my mind not really understanding what's happening.

We pull up to the hospital, the back doors flinging open as a flurry of activity fills the cabin of the ambulance. I listen as the paramedics bark out things I don't understand as the nurses wheel Wren into the emergency room. I go to follow her, but a woman comes up and steers me in another direction.

"We need you to go to the waiting room." She says and I growl, going to fight back.

"I need to be with her!" I yell and the woman shakes her head.

"Let us do our jobs." She barks and I stiffen at her words. I huff out a frustrated breath, lifting my hands to pull at my hair. I let her lead me to a small sterile room and I sit for a moment before standing again, pacing the room as I wait.

Russ, Liv, Brenda and Jace flood the room, each looking at me with wide, terrified eyes. I shake my head, my fists clenching with anxiety.

"No news." I say. I continue to pace, my arm throbbing with pain, but I ignore it.

We wait like this for I'm not sure how long, me wearing a trail in the floor as Jace holds Liv and Russ holds Brenda, whispering platitudes as the thin threads of my patience begin to snap. When a doctor walks into the room, we all stand and wait with bated breath. My heart nearly stops beating as the woman looks around the room.

"Wren Collins?" She asks and I hurry forward, Liv close on my heels.

"Are you family?" The woman asks.

"Yes. Is she ok?" I ask and she nods.

"Yes. We got the bleeding in her leg to stop. She had some internal bleeding as well. She needed surgery to fix it, but we stopped the bleeding. Her leg is broken as well as two of her ribs. But she should make a full recovery." She says and I let out the breath I was holding while Liv lets out a cry of relief. I wrap my arm around her and pull her into me to keep her steady as I look back at the doctor.

"Can we see her?" I ask and she nods.

"Only two visitors allowed in the ICU." She says and I pull Liv with me.

"Just us." I say and she nods, asking someone to direct us to Wren's room.

We follow the man up to the top floor of the hospital, my nerves roiling as I hold Liv's hand. She clings to me, shaking as tears stream down her face.

"She's gonna be fine." I murmur to her soothingly. She looks at me with wide eyes and nods, sniffling back her tears.

"We could have lost her, Hux." She chokes out. I nod, letting out a haggard breath.

"Trust me, Liv, I know. The thought fucking kills me." I answer as the man opens a door.

Liv thanks him quietly and we walk into the room, my eyes landing on Wren. She looks so small in the large bed, bruises littering the bits of her skin that are showing. Liv flies to her bedside, tucking back her hair and holding her hand. I go sit next to her, pressing a kiss to her temple. Feeling the warmth of her skin against me gives me a little peace as I reach out to hold her other hand, settling down and preparing to wait for as long as necessary for her to wake up.