Chapter Text
Danny and his children huddled inside the Camaro and watched their little bungalow burn; only the rain had saved them. Or rather, the thunder.
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The proximity of the lightning had shaken the house with such ferocity that both kids had run into Danny’s bedroom to huddle under his blankets. None of them enjoyed storms and this particular one with its massive forked lightning was particularly intense.
The thunder was horrendous and Danny had been amazed to see a number of trees ablaze in the neighbourhood when he closed the shutters against the pelting rain.
“Come on you two,” he cajoled. “Let’s try to get some rest.
“Seriously?” Grace snarked as only a fourteen year old girl could. “Are you loco?”
“Danno loco moco,” mimicked Charlie.
“No Charlie, Danno is cray-cray. He’s not loco-moco. That’s just stupid.”
“Danno, Gwacie called me the S word!” Charlie whined.
“Grace! Apologize!” Danny scolded. “Charlie is not the S word! And he absolutely is not squishy either! Are you little man?” Danny tickled Charlie’s tummy until the toddler was giggling hysterically.
“Oh please, would you two just stop being so immature? Gawd!” Grace rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation.
“Charlie, let’s see if Grace is squishy!”
Charlie jumped on his sister and began to tickle her ineffectively.
“Oh for Pete’s sake!” sighed Grace but she just grabbed her baby brother and hugged him close. “Sorry okay? I give up!”
The three of them collapsed in spasms of laughter and despite the thunder, fell into a fitful sleep.
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Danny awoke the moment before the whole house exploded. The room began to fill with thick black smoke and Danny scrambled from the bed to slam the door against what he quickly recognized as a large fire consuming his home. “Holy hell!” he screamed and threw open the shutters and kicked the screen out. “Grace—climb out; I’ll hand you Charlie!” He had just enough time to grab his keys and jump out the window before another bolt of lightning struck their roof and the rest of the house was ablaze.
“Come on!” he shouted, picking up Charlie and pulling Grace by the hand. He ran towards the car and shoved the kids inside before jumping in and quickly pulling to the other side of the street, several houses up. Danny was relieved to hear sirens approaching, and he smiled shakily at his children, “We’re safe and the firemen are almost here.”
“Firetwucks!” Charlie shouted excitedly as the engines rounded the corner.
“Daddy? Where’s Buddy?” Grace sobbed, referring to their dog.
Danny sprang out of the car into the pelting rain and ran back towards the house. “Buddy? Buddy! Come on boy!” Borderline hysterical by this point, Danny was quickly succumbing to fear and shock. He raced to the front of the house, convinced he could hear barking. And there in the front window, through the smoke, he could see the face of the raggedy dog he had adopted four years ago. “Holdonholdonholdon” he shouted. He picked up a rock from the garden and hurled it at the window.
The backdraft knocked him back several feet and he wound up in the garden with an enthusiastic, yet badly singed dog, lapping feebly at his hand.
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“Over here!” He heard a deep voice shouting. “Jesus Christ man, what the hell were you thinking?” Danny opened his eyes and spluttered against the rain.
“Saving my dog.” He struggled to his feet and headed towards the car. “My kids…” he offered the fire fighter as explanation. “My kids….”
“Are they still inside sir?” Danny could hear the fear in the other man’s voice.
“No, I put them in the car.” Danny was becoming vaguely aware that he was in pain.
“Where?”
“Camaro---over there---“ Danny raised his hand to point.
“We’ll get them sir. You’re hurt. We need to get you in the ambulance now.”
“Steve—call…..”