Fiancé Discussed Academics With Childhood Friend at Wedding, I'm Done

4: 4

My last day at the institute was a night shift.

Near the end of the shift, the building's fire alarm suddenly went off.

Right behind it came the smoke, thick and choking.

Fire.

I understood almost at once.

It spread fast from the second-floor lab.

Within a few breaths the smoke had me choking so hard I couldn't move.

The flames swallowed the first floor and seared my arm.

I don't know how long it was before I saw someone rush in with a fire extinguisher.

It was Ray.

"Ray, I'm over here…"

Pain and terror crashed over me all at once.

I used the last of my strength to grab the hem of his clothes, the way a drowning person grabs the only piece of driftwood.

But he didn't notice.

"Peg, where are you?"

In the last few seconds before I lost consciousness,

I heard him screaming Peggy's name, his voice raw.

…

I woke up in the hospital.

The burns on my neck and arm stung fiercely, and every small movement pulled at the nerves.

"It hurts so much…"

Looking at Ray beside the bed, I felt as if a large hand had closed around my chest.

The helplessness of being cast aside again, the agony of lying half-dead in the firelight, brought the tears down before I could stop them.

"Why didn't you see me again?"

I heard how hoarse my own voice was, a thread of stubborn longing still in it.

But no answer came.

What came was Ray, his eyes red, hurling a cup at my head.

"What are you crying about?"

"Because you failed at your job, Peggy got hurt, the experiment data is gone, all that work from so many people is gone!"

The pain made me flinch, and my ears rang.

But Ray had lost all reason, and he roared at me:

"How is it you can't do a single thing right? You're useless at everything! You can't even work a front desk!"

"Why do you always have to be the dead weight!"

"The last patrol of the night, why didn't you do it?"

"The fire started in Lab 02 on the second floor. That's a restricted area, not part of my duties. Someone in the lab mishandled something, that's what—"

Under the accusing eyes of the other coworkers in the ward, I forced the words out through the pain.

But the next second, Ray flew into an even greater rage.

Ignoring how weak I was after barely escaping with my life, he yanked me up by the collar.

"What are you saying! Are you framing Peggy?"

"Take a good look at her! She's your best friend!"

"Because of your mistake, you got her hurt, you lost the experiment data, and now you're smearing her. Do you have any conscience at all?"

Peggy kept her head down, tears falling fast, and said nothing.

I heard the other coworkers muttering:

"Exactly. What does any of this have to do with Dr. Baxter? Sally is really good at shifting blame. The nighttime safety check was her job."

"I'm not smearing anyone."

"Ray, you'll see the evidence."

I wiped my tears away as calmly as I could.

"The full cause of the fire will be in the investigation team's report."

"Nurse, I'd like these people out of my room."

I said it with the last of my strength.

In that moment, the heart of mine that ached seemed to go completely calm, completely at peace.

All the feelings and memories the three of us once shared,

it was as if they'd burned to ash along with that fire.

Seven days later, I was discharged.

This time the apartment was even filthier.

There was barely anywhere left to set foot.

I packed quickly and set out for Northport.

I'd just settled in when a text from the investigation team came through.

"Ms. Henson, here's a small portion of the surveillance footage, along with the fire cause report."

Looking at the footage, I froze, my pupils contracting.

Peggy, Ray, the two of you may have to say goodbye to the institute.