Chapter Text
The smell hit him first. Sharp, acidic; like something burning, melting.
Bobby gasped as if his lungs had forgotten how to breathe, and when he opened his eyes, red light burst across his vision. Fire. Everywhere. It danced along the walls and windows in front of him like a living, twisted creature, flickering in madness.
He pushed himself up halfway, coughing, disoriented. Where was he? The space around him didn’t offer any answers. There was no sense of recognition. And yet… there was something beautiful beneath the burn marks; clean design, sharp corners, everything laid out like it was carefully planned by a talented architect.
It wasn’t a place he knew.
But somehow, it felt like it was his.
And now, it was burning to the ground.
The flames spread fast, licking across furniture and walls like they were alive. Bobby knew he had to run. He had to get out. Now. But his body refused to listen. His knees were frozen, his arms trembling as they clutched the side of the couch. And his chest tight. Not just from the smoke, but from something deeper. Fear, maybe. Or guilt.
His eyes scanned the space. Looking for someone. Anyone.
His mouth opened. He tried to call out—but no sound came. Only the sound of cracking beams, falling debris, and the furious hiss of fire.
He wasn't alone.
He couldn't explain why. He didn’t see anyone. But something inside him screamed: someone’s here. And when no one answered, a cold panic began to spread inside him. Slow at first, then faster, burning inside his ribs.
He stood—staggering, but focused. He forced himself toward the kitchen, trying to see through the thick smoke and the orange glow of firelight. Nothing. No one. The backyard? Just more fire.
Then something strange happened.
His head turned, completely on its own. His eyes locked on a single door. A room. His legs froze, but his heart sped up. There was no reason to be sure, but he knew. He knew someone was in there. Someone important. Someone who mattered more than anything else.
He didn’t know why; but he knew what the room looked like. As if he had entered it a thousand times before. As if something inside that room belonged to him.
He ran.
There was no hesitation. No second thought. Just instinct. Urgency.
Bobby didn’t feel the pain when he grabbed the hot metal doorknob. Didn’t care. He turned it. Pushed.
The door flew open.
Smoke rushed out like a wave, hot and suffocating. It hit him in the face, burned his skin, blurred his sight. The room inside was a blur of darkness and heat. It was like stepping into a furnace.
He couldn’t breathe.
Every second burned. His lungs screamed. His skin felt like it was peeling. But he didn’t stop.
Because there was only one place left that mattered.
And in the middle of that smoke, he found her.
A woman—unmoving. Collapsed on the floor. Her hair was splayed out across the ground, her face too pale, her chest too still. She wasn’t breathing.
Bobby’s heart twisted in his chest.
No. No, no, no—
Somehow, he knew this was his fault. That she was here because of him. That if he lost her now, there would be nothing left to save.
His hands trembled as he dropped to the ground beside her. He pulled her close, his mind going blank as his fingers searched for a pulse—please… please…
And then, he felt it.
Faint. Barely there. But real.
Her pulse. Weak, but beating. Still fighting.
That was all he needed.
Bobby’s strength returned in a rush. He lifted her into his arms and ran, and through the fire, through the smoke, through everything. He didn’t stop until he was far enough, until the flames were just a memory behind them.
Only then did he collapse.
His body gave out, his knees sinking into the dirt. He lowered her carefully to the ground, his breaths ragged, chest on fire. His bare feet were bleeding, his vision blurry. But he didn’t care.
He leaned over her, pressing on her chest, calling her out.
Nothing.
Again. Harder this time. His voice cracked with fear. “Wake up—please—”
She didn’t move.
He remembered the smoke. How long she’d been in that room. What that much smoke could do to the lungs… to the brain.
He’d seen it before. He was trained for this. He was a captain. But he’d never been more afraid. Not in disaster zones. Not ever.
Because this was different.
This woman—whoever she was—meant something. And Bobby didn’t know what would happen to him if he lost her.
He gave her CPR. The only thing that made sense right now. The only thing he could do.
He watched her face as he breathed into her—so familiar, and yet, so distant. He prayed. He begged. Tears burned behind his eyes, but didn’t fall. His hands kept moving. Chest compressions. Breath. Hope.
Please...
There was something unfinished between them.
Something unspoken.
He had to save her.
Because if he didn’t, that part of him—the part that still believed in second chances—would burn with her.
She had to live.
She—
“BOBBY!”
The voice ripped him out of everything.
His eyes shot open. He gasped, clutching his chest. Reality came crashing down like cold water—and yet the dream was still there, burning behind his eyes.
It was a dream.
But it felt real.
He could still feel the heat. Still smell the smoke. Still feel her pulse. Hear his own voice calling her.
But when he tried to remember her face…
Nothing. Just fog. Always fog.
And Bobby didn’t even notice that Marcy—his wife—was already by his side, sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands on his shoulders.
“Bobby, we need to go to the hospital,” she said, voice shaking.
“No.” Bobby pulled away, sharp and harsh. It almost sounded like he was yelling. Marcy froze. Her eyes widened, shocked. That wasn’t Bobby. Not the man she knew. And it scared her.
“There’s something wrong with you,” she said, voice cracking. “That dream… it’s taking over. I’m scared, Bobby. I’m scared you’ll hurt the kids.”
Silence.
Only Bobby’s breathing remained. He lowered his head, closed his eyes. His fists clenched in the blanket. He took a deep breath. Then another. Trying to steady himself.
“…I don’t know,” he whispered. “Why I keep seeing that. Why it feels so real. Why I feel like I’ve lost something.”
Marcy didn’t let go. Her grip was steady.
“The kids are here. I’m here, Bobby. You haven’t lost anyone.”
And Bobby knew she was right.
Every morning, he woke up and checked. The kids were still laughing. Marcy still held his hand. Everything was the same.
But the feeling… The loss…
It didn’t go away.
Every night, it was like living a second life. And every morning, waking up was like leaving someone behind in that fire. Someone who might still be waiting. Or someone he had lost forever.
He opened his eyes again. Looked at Marcy.
Was it her?
Was she the woman he was trying to save?
If she was—then maybe it made sense. Maybe it was just fear. Maybe it was his heart reminding him how much she meant.
She was here.
She was real.
But even so… something still felt missing.
And that’s what scared him the most.