Saved By The Firefighter
Chapter 90

Josie's Point of View.

Lucy smiles and gives me a hug.

"Tell Anders not to worry about work, I have it under control," she tells me. "Thanks Lucy. Ben, you are, as always, a hero." I smile at one of my best friends.

"Yeah, call me Sam, the hero next door." Ben chuckles, referring to the Fireman Sam song.

I have never been so relieved as I was when Anders finally spoke with me. I knew something was happening, and it wasn't good, when he texted that he loved me, instead of saying he hated me. Today had been a whole mess of emotions. Anger because he hadn't messaged, pain and worry, again, because he hadn't messaged, then utter relief when Lucy called to inform me that something was wrong, and Anders was not ghosting me. Then guilt because I was relieved when I should have been worried about what he was going through, which in turn, changed to gut-wrenching fear. Safe to say, I no longer want any sort of break from Anders, and yeah, I am hopelessly, and completely in love with the arsehole.

"Can we go to mine first, I doubt he has a change of clothes with him?" I ask Ben.

"Aye." He grins at me, nodding his head.

I pull up outside my house, and run upstairs, grabbing some of my own stuff into a holdall, then open the small wardrobe which, over the past few weeks, has filled up with some of Anders' things. I grab some denims and trousers out, along with tops, his boxers, and socks, then rush to the bathroom, grabbing our toothbrushes, along with a shower kit, throwing them into a plastic bag, then placing them on top of the clothes, before heading out the door.

I throw the holdall into the boot of my car, then run around to the driver's side, as Ben sits patiently waiting for me to get in and drive.

"Which hospital is he at?"

"Harrogate District," I tell him.

"Isn't that where Liv, Davey's sister lives?" Ben asks.

"Yeah, I think it is." I shrug, not being funny or anything but Liv is the last person I want to think about right now, I just need to get to Anders.

Finally, we are heading down the A19, and I am not normally one to speed much, but I am in a hurry to get to Anders, so 90mph feels slow compared to the 100 mph I want to do. Sue me! "Good job I know you have taken your advance driver's course." Ben laughs as I remain in the overtaking lane with not a lot able to keep up with me.

"I know, but he is struggling Ben, he even text me that he loves me," I say, blowing out a lung full of air.

"Oh wow, he must be worried." Ben chuckles at me, shaking his head slightly.

"Thank you for doing this," I softly tell him.

"Are you kidding, I get to drive the Porsche, that is thanks enough." Ben grins like a cat who pinched the cream off the top of the milk.

"Boys and their toys." I giggle slightly, happy he is here to keep my sanity intact, I am so stressed out right now.

We finally join the A1 at the bottom of the A19, meaning it is around 20 minutes to our final destination when I see blue flashing lights up behind me, indicating that I pull over.

"f**k. s**t. Bollocks," I growl out, pulling over to the layby.

I roll the window down, and smile at the two officers who approach the car.

"Excuse me madam. Do you know how fast you were going?" The officer asks me.

"Yes, 98 miles per hour," I state, pointless lying, they will do me for driving without due care and attention then, and I will lose my advanced driver's privileges, which means no chance of driving anything for work, let alone the actual fire engine, if Headache is off for any reason.

"Honest of you. Your name please?" he asks

"Josie Edwards," I tell him, along with my address.

"PNC check please," the officer says in his radio.

"Can you just get out of your vehicle and come sit with my colleague," he asks.

I step out and head to the back of the police car.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" his colleague asks, me as I climb inside.

"Harrogate district hospital. Family emergency," I tell him, I am not lying, Anders is my family, and he needs me.

"You are a long way from Sunderland," the other officer tells me, when he gets into the car.

I resist the urge to tell him that his powers of investigation are second to none, because that will just make this whole thing a hell of a lot worse.

"Yes, I know. My partner's brother was rushed to hospital, and I am heading down to be with them," I tell him.

"Oh, my colleagues tell me you have an advanced license," the first officer informs me.

I simply nod.

"Why?" he asks, his brows furrowed.

"I am a firefighter," I tell him.

Both officers let out a breath looking at each other, then turn to me.

"Look, we will mark it down as a routine check, and not ticket your speeding. However, keep your speed down to 70 for the rest of the journey," the officer sighs out.

"I will, and sorry, I don't normally speed, unless in the engine." I bow my head.

"Hum, yeah, we don't speed either, unless in this car." The other officer laughs.

"Thank you." I smile at them relieved I don't have an awkward question to answer back at the station.

"Yeah, get out of here, but if we catch you again, you will get a ticket." The first officer shakes his head.

I step out of the police car and get back into my own, then getting up to speed on the layby I re-join the motorway, as Ben calls me all the lucky sods in the world.

Finally, we are pulling off down the A59, and I follow the sat nav to the hospital. As I pull up in the carpark I cannot see Anders' car anywhere, and now I am panicked I came to the wrong place. "I don't see the midlife crisis anywhere," I say to Ben.

"Give him a ring," Ben advises me, which I am not sure if I will get through.

I call his number, but his phone is switched off, so make my way into the hospital to make enquiries.

I approach the receptionist, with a smile, and she holds up a finger typing away. Why do they never acknowledge you in these places?

"How can I help?" she finally asks me.

"Yes, I am looking for my partner, I am not sure if I am at the right hospital. He came in with his brother who is going though withdrawal, the patient's name is Billy Maxwell," I tell her.

I see the recognition flash in her eyes, and she types away, then looks at me, her face a stoic mask.

"I am sorry, but nobody of that name has been brought in," the receptionist tells me.

I let out a sigh, and glance to Ben, wondering what the hell to do next.

"Can you double check for me please? My boyfriend's name is Anders, maybe check through the doors, and if he is there you can inform him it is Josie," I ask her, crossing my fingers this will work.

"I am sorry madam, but as I said, nobody of that name has been brought in," she dismisses me with a glare.

I walk over to Ben, shrugging my shoulders.

"I know she recognised the name but is insisting they are not here." I sigh.

"Maybe Anders told them to not let anyone know they are here, just in case. It is what I would have done. Try calling again." Ben nods his head towards the phone,

"Maybe I am wrong, after all his car is not in the carpark." I sigh.

I go to call Anders number once more when the double doors open and he steps out, still dressed in his work suit. He is running his hand through his thick brown hair, his face is pale and eyes wide, as he glances around the waiting room. Finding me he strides over to us, his face brightening as he takes hold of me and envelopes me into a hug, holding me tight to his chest.

"Thank f**k you are here," he whispers.

"The receptionist said you were not here," I tell him.

"Yeah, she is a good one. I spoke to her when we first got here, but then she asked about sending for the police. I told her about the situation and needing to get Billy to the rehab centre ASAP, calling the cops would just hold up the process even more." He sighs out. "Good, well I have some things for us in the boot of the car, Ben just needs to know where yours is." I smile up at him.

Anders looks at Ben and whispers his thanks to him, never once letting me go.

"Do you want some of that piss water they pass off as coffee before you go?" Anders asks.

"No, I will get straight back it is after 10pm," Ben states with a half-smile.

"Thank you, Ben, honestly you are a Sam and my hero next door." I grin at my friend and colleague.

Anders passes Ben the key fob for the Porsche.

"It is round the back of the hospital, between two large skips," he tells him.

"Cool, I will drop you a text when I get back. Lucy said don't worry about work, she will hold down the fort until you get back. I am obviously off, so would you mind if I go and sit in the office with her whilst your away? Just because of your family hanging around," Ben asks. "Not at all. In fact, I was going to suggest it. I owe you both one, so when I get back tell Lucy she can have a few days off on me." Anders grins at him.

"Make it the next time we are off shift, in the meantime you guys sort out what you need to sort, and Josie, I will talk to the mother, I am sure she can bat her eyelashes at the boss and get you some extra time if you need it." Ben grins.

"Some advantages to Whip-Me and your mother's relationship then." I giggle as Ben shakes his head laughing slightly.

"Later," he tells us, giving us a wave of his hand, then moves out of the hospital.

"f**k Josie, I have missed you," Anders groans out.

"I may or may not have missed you as well." I grin at him as he pulls me closer to his chest.

"Humm, and I do not like having a break away from you, s**t happens when you are not with me," Anders continues.

I do not say anything, but the truth is, I don't like it much either.

"How is he?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Better than he was, they wanted to keep him overnight. But I explained about getting him to rehab as they are holding the space, and they have agreed to let him go once the drip they have given him finishes." Anders sighs. "We need to get back into his room, don't want to risk my family finding us." Anders sighs, letting me go but holding onto my hand.

"Do you think they would search here for him?" I asked a little shocked they would go to those lengths.

"He took a load of their product and owes them thousands of pounds, which they are adding interest too. Trust me, that bastard of a father and brother will not let this go any time soon." Anders lets out another long sigh.

"Well, let's get back there, and get him out of here. At least we have my car now, so they will not know whose it is, if they do happen to still be driving around looking for the pair of you." I smile up at him.

"Yeah, and Ben is in my car. They will f*****g s**t a brick when they see the size of him." Anders laughs, and it is good to see him smile.

As we walk through the doors into the treatment rooms, Anders grabs me again placing his arms around me.

"I love you so f*****g much Josie, but know that when I get into that room, I can show no emotion. I will not use your name for the whole journey down to the rehab. Even though I am helping him, I still do not trust Billy, and I do not want those fuckers knowing you mean so much to me, I have to keep you safe from them," he whispers.

"I love you too. But hate you more. I understand, just call me Kris." I giggle up at him.

"Kris?" he asks.

"Yeah, my parents were big Kris Kristofferson fans, they called me after one of his songs. Don't know the name of it but begins. 'I've been chasing after Josie, since the day I could run," I sing.

"OKAYYYY Kris." Anders laughs, then lets me go, his body straight as a rod, and walks into his brother's treatment room, his face a stoic mask.

We walk past one of the booths, when a doctor pulls back the curtain, shaking his head, I glance in and see a woman laid on the bed, battered and bruised from head to toe.

"LIV!" I shout out in shock.