Mosaic ran fast as he could into the burning apartment building. He and his team burst through the apartment building as Mosaic gave the signal to bust through the tenants doors. He kept forward, breathing deeply into the mask he wore and seen an available door.

He hurriedly knocked on the door as harshly as he could so he can wake the tenant up but he didn't hear anything. He tried to shake the knob but it was locked. Seeing the black smoke erupt onto the ceiling, he banged harder and faster.

"DC Fire Department, open up!" He yelled as he looked down the hall and seen his team safely rush the remaining tenants out of their houses and downstairs.

He grew nervous, wanting to leave the door but he had to follow protocol. He wasn't leaving till everyone was off of the floor. He kicked the door open, breaking her knob and lock and searched the apartment. He was simply looking for proof of life, that's it.

He ran to the bathroom and didn't see anything. He ran to the bedroom and since the room was dark, he was suspicious about going in but again, proof of life and then he was leaving. He was about to leave when he directly didn't see anything but he heard wheezing and that made him walk further into the bedroom and turn the light on. He saw a young woman clutching her throat and gasping for air.

He wasted no time pulling the covers back and picking her up bridal style and getting out of her apartment. The fire was just next door to her so obviously she would be affected. Mosaic looked down and seen that her eyes were watery and her face looked scared. Amidst of his hold, she was kicking her legs, seemingly trying to get out of his grasp.

He made a run for it and while he did, he saw one of his partners so he yells, "The floor clear?!" He asked, running to the safe exit.

"Yes sir! The rest of the team is about to come up and diffuse the fire first. Go! Get outta here!" His partner, Mayson, gave him a head nod as he quickly did a sweep and then followed after Mosaic downstairs.

Mosaic didn't care that he was out of breath but he cared about her breath. He cared about her life. He looked down while busting through the doors of the apartment complex and seen that she was no longer wheezing. Her eyes were closed and her body felt heavier the more he ran.

The EMT's saw him running and they quickly prepared the gurney for her. He carefully placed her on the gurney but grabbed her wrist and pressed his pointer and middle finger into her wrist to see if there was a pulse. There was.

It wasn't as strong but her heart was still beating.

He take a look back and seen that all of the fire marshal's, police, and other EMT's were on the scene so they weren't going to miss his presence. Besides, he was also a trained EMT first before he was a firefighter. Before they close the door, he searched for his closest partner Mayson and Mosaic grew relieved when he seen him and the rest of his team exit safely.

It was like Mayson knew that Mosaic was looking for him because their eyes landed right on one another. They gave each other their signal and they both blew a brotherly kiss. They blow each other a kiss in solidarity; letting each other know that they are still in the land of the living.

Some might call it fruity or just downright gay, but they don't actually blow a kiss. They just just pat their lips and extend their hand. They were alive. In certain situations like this, from a fire this big, some firefighters and EMT's don't make it back home safe and sound. And sometimes not even safe and sound, they just don't return home. Instead their new home is at the city morgue with a toe tag.

Mosaic pats the ambulance and lets them know that he was gonna meet them there. This wasn't a new occurrence. When bad shit like this happens, especially to the victim, he goes to the hospital to make sure that they are okay.

This was the least he can do.

——

He found out that her name was Bronze. He thought that was a pretty name; certainly different though. The next day after the horrible apartment complex fire, he got information on the young woman's hospital location and hospital room so he made the field trip to the hospital to see her.

He walked through the hospital and went right upstairs to her room floor. She was in the ICU wing so he was kinda nervous about what he was going to see. He can admit, things didn't look good when he saw her. The wheezing sounded very faint and harsh at the same time, almost like someone was taking their last suffering breath. He had hope because before she was rolled off into the ambulance, she had a pulse.

We walked to her room and her door was cracked open. Before he walked in, he peeped through her open-curtain window and just saw her. She was alone but someone was obviously here by the plethora of balloons and hospital teddy bears. Mosaic analyzed her.

Now that he was seeing her in the light, he noticed how smooth her dark brown skin looked; it looked so chocolatey and rich. It surely matched her name. She had an oxygen mask on and she appeared to be sleep. Before he steps off, her eyes open up. Bronze had to look at her surroundings and when she did, she immediately panicked.

He seen the fear on her face so he stepped inside to try to comfort her but it wasn't working. She was trying to take the oxygen mask off but he gently stopped her by crossing one arm on her chest and by grabbing the other with his hand. He wasn't rough with it because he couldn't be. She was genuinely afraid.

"Almost 48 hours ago, your apartment complex was on fire. Your next door neighbor's apartment was literally on fire and you were the last one in the apartment complex. You're here because of smoke inhalation and I'm the firefighter who grabbed you out. I'm here to simply check on you." He said softly and upon hearing that, Bronze tears up.

"M-mom, my mom," She struggled to get out, and that makes him raise a brow.

"What about your mom?" He asked, genuinely wanting to know. Lowkey, his mind was going back to the night of the fire; he knew that he swept the whole floor. He had to. They had to.

"Apartment," She blinked as tears rolled down her face. "Mom's apartment."

Upon hearing that, Mosaic was relieved. He tried to pick apart what she was saying but he just concluded that she was sleeping in her mother's apartment. It was a one bedroom anyway so he had no other place to look.

"You were staying at your mom's apartment?" He clarified.

"Yes," It came out in a whisper as she turned her head to the teddy bears and balloons. "Did anyone else came to visit?" Bronze grabbed her mask because it was annoying her and the moment she pulled it down, she regretted it.

Clutching Mosaic's hand, she lets out a nasty cough. Mosaic didn't flinch because this was to be expected. Smoke inhalation wasn't no joke; it was a nasty devil. She never let go of his hand until she was done coughing. He grabbed a tissue so she can one, wipe her eyes, and two, blow her nose. He grabbed the monitor for the bed and used it to sit her up. Once he did that, he aided her to blow her nose.

Three tissues; that's what it took. Three tissues for her to be completely relieved of black phlegm. Bronze didn't cry because she was slowly coming to terms of what happened to her. She was thankful for Mosaic though because he didn't have to come see about her but he did and she's thankful.

He stayed another hour with her before his girlfriend started calling him. In so many words, she thanked him for his time and thanked him for staying.

Before he left, he told her that his name was Mosaic. Though she was 90% lucid, it was still a little fuzzy for her. She ended up telling him her name and he carried on like he didn't know her name already.

She watched him walk out of her room, on the phone, seemingly upset with whoever he was on the phone with. He turned his body and gave her a wave and she did the same and closed her eyes.

As confused and disoriented Bronze thoughts were, she was just glad that she was okay, especially her mom. She was in her mother's house apartment because she was having a bad day and she knew that her mother was working late at the hospital so she went to her mother's house to wait for her. She was just glad that it was her and not her mother.

Speaking of her mother, she was her nurse. Bronze smiled when she saw her mother walk into her room with water and snacks. "Hi Ma," She said hoarsely.

"Don't talk baby. How long you been up and who was that handsome young man that just left your room? He tried to hurt you?" Her mother, Opal, asked as she fluffed her daughter's pillows.

Bronze wanted to laugh because her mother is asking questions and yet she told her not to talk. She knew what she meant.

"He's the firefighter that saved my life from the fire. His name escapes me but all I know that he works in Engine 32." She said slowly. She felt the phlegm in her throat and it was like her mother knew, so she grabbed a clean tissue and she removed her mask and allowed her to blow her nose.

When she was done, she disposed of the tissue and she allowed her daughter to rest. Whatever medicine they gave her hasn't worn off just yet so Ms. Opal decided to chill in her room before Bronze closes her eyes. She wanted her daughter to see her face last. As Ms. Opal was getting relaxed, a knock on the door sounded, making Bronze crack open an eye and made Ms. Opal roll hers.

"Its him," Ms. Opal said, tone filled with distaste.

Bronze looked at the door and seen her boyfriend Tomas. Tomas was fine as all get out but his attitude turned him into an ugly creature. He had a low tapered fade with waves, smooth peanut butter skin, and the prettiest white teeth. But again, it was his attitude.

Ms. Opal never liked him because of the way he treats her daughter. He was always belittling her, gaslighting her, and make her feel bad for her choices. If it was up to her, she'd call her sons to come up here and beat his narrow ass but Bronze always spared him. She loved him and sometimes as a mother, it hurt to see her with him. She can do so much better.

Not even greeting her mother, he shot right towards Bronze. "Why didn't you call me and tell me you were in the hospital?" He asks, gesturing at her whole setup.

"Are you shitting me right now? How the fuck else was she gonna call you from a hospital bed?" Ms. Opal goes off. To her, that was a stupid ass question. And to be honest, she was wondering how the hell did he even find out about her being in the hospital.

"Bro I wasn't even talking to you," He shot back, side eyeing her mother.

Ms. Opal stands up. "I'm sicka' this shit. Lemme gon' head and call Sabir and 'nem," She whips out her phone and Bronze was trying to sit up but her chest was hurting too much.

"M-Mommy please," Bronze struggled out. "Tomas why did yo-you say that?" Out of nowhere she starts to cough violently.

Tomas went to her aid but Ms. Opal made sure to push him out of the way. With the way she was coughing, she grabbed a vomit bag just in case anything comes up and she held it up to her mouth. She had her daughter sit up just so the phlegm won't travel back down her throat and while she was coughing, Bronze was crying.

It was the worst feeling ever. Since she been awake it felt like her breath was constantly being taken away. After a few minutes and guided breathing exercise, Bronze's coughing had ceased and she was back on the oxygen mask.

It was quiet for a while before Tomas spoke up. "You ain't dying right?" He asked nervously and weakly, Bronze threw him a look. "Yeah I don't think I'm cut out for this. I'ma go. I hope you feel better,"

With that, he left. She silently cried and her mother immediately went to comfort her. She cried for a while, wondering what just really happened. Did Tomas just break up with her? If so, was her being in the hospital the real reason? The only reason?

Her cries acquired more sound and her mother held her close on her shoulder. The cry her daughter was exuding was a familiar cry; the type of cry she let out when her father had passed on. Ms. Opal cried so loud when Eric passed. This was a heartbreak cry.

Though it may seemed like Tomas never reciprocated the same energy to Bronze, Bronze loved the hell outta Tomas. She was in love with that man. She loved him but she knew that they weren't going to get that far. She met Tomas when he had a girlfriend and after knowing that she fell back. But Tomas was persistent and pursued her anyway and she let him.

After the first few weeks, Tomas started to show his ass. He'd start talking to her crazy, treating her any 'ol way and never gave her the attention she deserves. She should have ended then but she already had hearts in her eyes.

Besides, this was her first boyfriend so she wanted to keep him the best way she thought. She allowed him to do what he wanted to do; whether that's staying out all late, being on the phone all day, or not checking his tone when it was getting out of hand.

Like she'd known, she knew it wasn't going to go far. But it went further than she expected. If he hadn't broken up with her a few minutes ago, it would've been their one year anniversary.

Ms. Opal's heart broke hearing her daughter cry. "Don't worry baby. Mommy got you. Mommy's gonna help you heal." She declared.

"Promise?" She asked in a muffled cry.

"Of course baby. But let your brothers beat his ass one good time?" She asks in a hopeful tone. If Bronze said yes, she'd leap for joy.

Bronze didn't say anything; she just got comfortable on her mother shoulder and eventually she cries herself to sleep.

Ms. Opal was on her way to sleep too but her sons, Sabir and Blessyn, had just walked in with teddy bears and balloons. They were making too much noise will all of the rustling from the plastic and that made their mother tighten her lips and snap her fingers.

They gently placed her goodies on the side of the table and rest themselves on opposite ends of the bed. Blessyn decides to get up to give his sister a kiss on the cheek. When he notices that his lips are wet, he assessed her face.

"Why her cheek wet?" He asks, leaning in and seeing the partially dry tears on her face. "She'd been crying?" He asks their mother and Ms. Opal looked the other way, deciding on if she wanted to break the news to her big brothers or not.

Sabir sits up. "Why she crying? Someone said sumn'?" In that moment, Ms. Opal knows not to say a damn thing. Seeing the tears on her face already had them on go. She decided that she was going to let Bronze tell her brothers on her own.

"She's just in pain that's all," Ms. Opal lies, watching her tough sons become submissive cubs to their little sister.

Bronze was always a soft spot for them. They were all 2 years apart making Sabir the oldest at 26, Blessyn the middle child at 24, and Bronze the baby at 22. Though Sabir and Bronze have different fathers apart from Blessyn, it didn't make them any less closer. Together, they were super close knit.
Ms. Opal and her own siblings were merely estranged; but she can blame her own mother for that.

Though the bed wasn't big enough, they hauled their asses in the bed with her and because of the sudden heaviness on her chest, Bronze wakes up out of her slumber. Blessyn was laying in between his mother, positioning his head on her chest since her head was turned the same way he was facing.

Bronze was about to talk but her family told her to rest. Now that his head was on her chest, she couldn't barely rest. She rubbed Blessyn's head as she pulled the pillow from behind her head and place it on her chest. It felt like a boulder was on her chest. Blessyn gets comfortable on the pillow and she tries to get comfortable again.

She moved around a little bit before she gets completely comfortable. She fell right back asleep and the boys decided to bring up their mothers living situation.

"Mommy you're more than welcome to come live with me until you get your shit together," Blessyn offered and she popped his chest.

"Stop cussing and that's a nice offer baby but my apartment's fine. The fire happened on my floor but my apartment's still in tact," She lets them know and they sigh out of relief.

Though her apartment was fine, she knew that she couldn't rest her head there for a couple of days. She would have taken up her sons offer but to be honest, her sons got a lot going on and she didn't want to be in the mix of that. Wherever she lays her head, she'll figure it out from there.

It gets quiet again until Blessyn speaks again. "How long she gonna be in here?"

"Probably the next two days. She barely had a pulse when she came in here so they're going to implicate an extended care for her, just to make sure that she's alright," She caressed her cheek again.

"She'll be alright. I know she will," Sabir says with confidence.

Ms. Opal took his statement to heart because what happened to Bronze via the fire and her boyfriend breaking up with her, Ms. Opal prayed that she would be alright. She believed that her daughter will be alright. She has to be because she promised her.

——

"Where were you all morning Moe?" His girlfriend, Kamara said.

He took off his boots and placed them by the door. "I went to the hospital to see if shawty was okay. Shit got hella spooky last night and I wanted to make sure that she was alive," He explained, even though he hated doing that because he already told her what was up before he left the hospital.

"Oh so you was visitin' a bitch?" She crossed her arms and Mosaic looked at her like she got two heads.

"Shawty was almost burned to a crisp! You really stuntin' over the fact that I decided to check up on an 'almost dead' shawty? You trippin' for real slim," DC natives doesn't have a heavy drawl or accent in their words but you can tell that it was coming out from Mosaic.

Anytime that he would say 'slim', 'moe' or 'son' and whatever else DC natives use, Mosaic was bound to wind up.

Kamara was from Waldorf, Maryland and she always told Mosaic that he had a lil accent. She thought that their slang was different, their music was different and their talk of tone. Though Maryland is the neighboring state of DC, and she was practically apart of the DMV, she never associated herself with it.

"Shawty can be dead for all I care. I don't give a fuck about her. And to be honest, while we're on the topic, I never really liked you going to the hospital to visit these people because I know that most of them are bitches," Kamara walked up to him and shoved his head to the side.

"Don't put your hands on me bruh," He deadpanned.

"Or what Moe? You gonna hit me? Hit me and I'll get my daddy," She threatened and Mosaic simply gave her blank face.

She didn't like that which made her go off on him. She pushed him, hit him, and even slandered his name. He ignored her and it made her angry. It wasn't until she strikes his face and his reflexes responded before he did.

He choked her and what made him snap out of it was realizing that her face was turning red and her eyes were getting wide. He released her neck and she takes a step back.

"Really Moe? You put your hands on me?" She says in disbelief.

Out of the 2 years that they've been together, Mosaic, not even once, put his hands on her. No matter how angry he was. Kamara felt okay with putting her hands on him because she knew that he would never hit her back.