The Unwanted Wife's Return (Ex-Husband Wants Me Back) novel Chapter 149

No Escape

3RD POV:

“She’s being taken care of,” he assured Elijah gently. “We’ve got multiple teams here. You’re both getting help right now.”

But even as he said it, Elijah’s hand was searching blindly, desperately reaching out for Hannah. His fingers found hers and locked around them, holding on like a lifeline.

The fire chief was still shouting orders behind them as massive hoses roared to life, sending powerful streams of water and foam onto the burning structure. The flames were being beaten back slowly but surely

Sirens continued to blare from multiple emergency vehicles. Lights flashed red and blue and white, creating a disorienting strobe effect. Radios crackled with constant chatter and updates.

Yet somehow, all of it felt distant and muffled. Drowned under the pounding panic of this moment.

The medics worked with practiced speed and efficiency. Oxygen masks were placed over both Hannah’s and Elijah’s noses and mouths. Pure oxygen rushed into their smoke-damaged lungs.

Hands pressed carefully on Elijah’s chest, checking his breathing rate, checking his heart rate. A penlight was shone in his eyes, checking his pupils for signs of neurological damage.

Lucas was standing nearby, staring at them with such intense anxiety that he looked like he might pass out himself. “Where is the ambulance? Why isn’t it here yet? We could drive them to the hospital ourselves, couldn’t we? We could…”

Martin gently grabbed his shoulders, trying to ground him. “Lucas, breathe. The ambulance is coming. They’re getting the best care possible right now. Just breathe.”

Lucas let out a long, shaky breath, but he didn’t stop watching Hannah’s face.

Then finally, blessedly, the ambulance that had been delayed by traffic on the narrow forest roads skidded to a stop beside them.

“Thank God,” Jacob exhaled deeply, feeling like he could breathe properly for the first time in minutes. He walked over and took a seat on a nearby log, his legs too shaky to hold him up anymore.

The ambulance doors swung open and a stretcher was immediately rolled out, its wheels clattering against the uneven ground.

“Smoke inhalation, severe,” the lead medic reported to her colleagues, carefully lifting Hannah from Elijah’s protective hold. “Possible burns and possible internal injuries. We need to move NOW. Every second counts.

Elijah tried to push himself up to a sitting position, but the world spun violently around him. Everything tilted and blurred.

“Wait… Hannah…” he rasped, trying to breathe but finding it incredibly difficult. He couldn’t picture not being by her side after everything. After finding her tied to that chair with bruised arms and rope burns. After seeing her sitting in the middle of that burning room, crying and desperately trying to stay awake and alive.

“You’re going too,” another medic told him firmly, hooking an arm around his back and under his shoulders to help him onto a separate stretcher. “You inhaled a dangerous amount of smoke. Your oxygen levels are way too low. Don’t fight us on this.”

But Elijah wasn’t listening. He didn’t want to listen. His hand stretched out blind and desperate toward where they were loading Hannah onto her stretcher.

“Hannah… Hannah, please stay with me,” he whispered, keeping his eyes locked on her even as his vision started to go dark around the edges. “Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.”

“Can I come with them?” he asked desperately. “Please. She’s my best friend. I need to be there when she wakes up.”

The paramedic, a young man with kind eyes, looked genuinely sympathetic. “I’m sorry, sir. We can’t allow that. It’s quite occupied in here with both patients and all our equipment. But we’re headed to St. Monica’s Hospital on 34th road. They’ll both arrive there safely. You can meet us there.”

Lucas looked like he wanted to argue, but he just nodded, understanding that they were doing their jobs.

“It’s okay,” Martin said softly, stepping up beside Lucas and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He pulled him close and kissed his forehead gently. “We’ll be right behind them. We’ll get to the hospital and we’ll be there when they wake up. I promise.”

Lucas nodded again, wiping at his eyes.

The ambulance doors finally closed with a decisive thud.

But before the ambulance could pull away, police sirens suddenly screeched in from the opposite direction, cutting through the night.

Every single head snapped toward the sound.

Three police SUVS came skidding to a rough stop on the dirt road, their tires kicking up dust and gravel. Doors flung open almost before the vehicles had fully stopped.

Officers spilled out quickly, and between them, handcuffed and looking significantly worse for wear, were three figures.

Janet and her parents.