I wake up, but keep my eyes closed. I can smell the hospital scent, and hear people milling around, but I can't sense the bright light that's usually on in the hospital.

I slowly open my eyes. It's dark. I hate waking up to light, and TK knows it. The only light coming into the room is from the hallway outside, and through the closed blinds. I look to my right to see TK is sitting on the couch, his head resting on his hand. I look closer to see his chest rising and falling steadily, telling me that he's asleep.

"TK." I try to say.

My throat is parched, and it hurts to talk. I have no idea how long I was out, but I know it wasn't just two hours, like the clock on the wall tells me.

"TK." I whisper, louder this time.

TK jolts awake, and runs over to me.

"Lia!" he exclaims.

I wince as my head pounds.

"Please don't scream." I whisper.

"Sorry," he says sheepishly.

"How long was I out?" I ask.

"Five days."

No wonder I feel so hungry.

I open my mouth to say something else, but that's when the numbness disappears and I feel the pain. Tears prick my eyes as it starts hurting everywhere.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" TK asks, worried.

"It hurts." I whisper. "It hurts TK."

"Hang on, I'll go get the doctor."

He runs out of the room, hitting the lights on his way out. I cry silently to myself. I can't move my right leg, and taking a breath hurts too.

A few moments later, TK rushes in with a young woman.

"Liara, it's good to see you awake." the woman says. "I'm Doctor Johnson."

"Hi." I say, trying to smile, but it hurts.

"Where does it hurt?" she asks.

"Everywhere." I whisper.

"Okay, we'll have you back on painkillers. You were in a coma, so we didn't have to numb your pain. In fact, we were hoping the pain would wake you up. But, now that you're back with us, I'm sure you'll need the help," she says.

"How bad is it?" I ask, bracing myself for the worst.

"Well, you have minor, second-degree burns, and some cuts and bruises, along with some bruised ribs." I let out a small sigh of relief at her words.

"So not bad?" I ask hopefully.

"Unfortunately, that's the good part." Dr. Johnson says. "Your leg was practically sliced open, and you broke it too. The good part is that your cut is healing quickly, but your bones will take time."

I squeeze my eyes shut. "Shit." I curse, remembering that I broke my leg to get out from under the rubble.

"I'm still not sure how your leg broke the way it did." Dr. Johnson tells me. "I've never seen anything like it. It was almost as if someone twisted your bone."

"I broke it." I tell her.

"What?"

"My leg, it-it was stuck under some rubble, and the only way to avoid being buried alive was to break my leg."

"Ah, so you twisted it?"

"Yes."

"Well, survival skills kicked in, didn't they?" she asks. "You must have felt it after, because you had passed out from the pain. You went into a coma from the blood loss."

I give her a weak smile.

"When can I get back to work?" I ask.

"Well, your leg has to heal, and you might need therapy. Maybe another three months?" Dr. Johnson says.

"Three months?!" I exclaim, accidentally trying to sit up in my shock. I groan in the pain.

"I'll have a nurse in to give you your painkillers." Dr. Johnson says.

"Okay." I say weakly.

She nods and gives me a small smile before walking out of the room.

"You didn't do it for yourself, did you?" TK asks.

I turn my head to look over at him.

"What?"

"When you told Dr. Johnson that you wanted to avoid being buried alive, you were lying," he says. "You were not thinking about yourself."

I downcast my eyes. TK practically raised me. He knows me too well.

"You were thinking about the baby."

I look up at him, remembering Lina.

"Lina! Is she okay?" I ask.

"She's fine." TK says, practically waving me off..

"TK." I look at him.

"She really is fine Lia." he assures me. "You saved her." he adds with a smile.

I return the smile back.

"Yay."

A nurse walks in and injects painkillers into my saline drip.

"Well, I'm glad to see you awake." The nurse says. "You have such a big fan following." she says to me with a smile before walking out.

I look at her, confused, then turn to TK.

"What's she talking about?" I ask him.

He waves me off. "It's nothing." He says.

"Hmm." I relax as the painkillers kick in, dulling my pain a little.

"Oh, by the way, you have some visitors." TK says.

"What?" I ask.

He just walks over to the door and throws it open. Everyone walks in. Dad, Captain Wells, Matt, Miles, Trav, Tara, Athena, May(Athena's daughter), Charlie(my best friend and a 9-1-1 Dispatcher) and Blake. They file in one after another, carrying cards, chocolates, and flowers.

"Guys." I say, looking at all of them.

"Hey baby girl." Dad says, walking over to me. He gives me a kiss on the forehead.

"Hey Dad." I say.

"Well, it's good to see you awake." Athena says.

"Hey Athena." I greet her.

Athena and I are close friends. I met her on duty when I was with the 129(the worst time of my life). She's twenty years older than me, but we instantly became friends. Her husband died five years ago in an accident, and she raised May into a beautiful, strong young woman. I respect her.

I turn to Blake, who's carrying my favorite chocolates, Ferrero Rochers and Lindt Truffles.

"Hey Fake." I greet him as usual.

I know you probably think that's rude, but it's how I greet him. Blake, Fake, they rhyme.

"Lia," he says.

What? He usually calls me Loser.

"What's your deal?" I ask.

"Huh?"

"You called me by my name." I point out. He just stares at me. I gesture to the chocolates in his hands. "Did you poison those truffles or something?"

"I wish," he replies. "But if I did, I wouldn't have my job. And, sorry-not-sorry to say, I love my job. It's way more important than you."

"Oh, come on you two!" Cap exclaims, and everyone laughs.

****

Everyone leaves after an hour. I forced Dad to go back home and rest. TK stays glued to me though.

"You can go home TK." I say.

"As long as you're here, you're stuck with me."

"But-"

"No, no buts."

"TK, go home to Carlos and the kids, I'll be fine." I tell him. "The kids need you."

As if they were waiting for an entry line, the door opens. Carlos and the kids walk in.

"Where's my favorite sister-in-law!" Carlos asks, walking in with a brown lunch bag in his hand.

"Carlos!" I exclaim.

"Aunty Lia." Nia says.

"Ah! There are my favorite niece and nephews!" I say.

"Hi Aunt Liara." James says.

"Hey Aunt Lia." Nick says.

"Hi guys." I greet them.

"Sorry we're late. My shift ran over and by the time I made dinner and picked the kids up, it got even later." Carlos says, walking over and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

I smile. "It's okay Carlos."

Okay, introductions. Carlos is TK's husband. Carlos is a cop. Nicolas, who goes by Nick, is their older son, James is their younger son, and Nia is their youngest child. Nick is 17, James is 11, and Nia is 4. Carlos and TK got married about eight months after I was born. They adopted Nick four years later, when he was one. Six years later, they adopted James, then seven years later, Nia came along.

"Aunty Lia, are you okay?" Nia asks, waddling over to me with a piece of paper folded in her hand,

"Oh, I'm fine, baby." I say to her.

She hands me the paper in her hand. "This is for you." She tells me.

I take the paper from her and open it. She drew a woman in turnout gear, carrying a baby. There's an orange-red bird flying over us.

"Wow!" I say. "It's beautiful!" I exclaim.

"That's you," she tells me. "Papi and Daddy said that you are a hero. You saved a baby." she says. The kids call Carlos Papi. and TK either Dad or Daddy.

I look at her. Lina reminded me so much of Nia when Carlos and TK first adopted her.

"Oh! Nia, I love it!" I say.

"That's a phoenix, like you." Nia says, pointing to the red bird.

I look at TK, confused.

"You are now known as the Phoenix. Someone caught everything on video and posted it online."

"Oh, great. I'm famous, and I have a nickname?"

TK chuckles.

"Why don't we give Aunt Lia the food we brought her?" Carlos says.

"Yes!" Nia shouts, clapping her hands.

I look at her and smile. I love watching her. She's so adorable.

"Did you bring a Dr. Pepper?" I ask Carlos.

"Oh snap, I knew I forgot something," he says. "It's in the car," he turns to the boys. "Nick, James, can you run out and get it for me please?" he asks, tossing them the car keys.

"Sure Papi." Nick says.

"I want to go too." Nia says.

"Take Nia too, please." Carlos says.

Nick lifts Nia up and the three of them leave to bring the Dr. Pepper.

Carlos sets the brown bag he brought on the table and walks back over to me.

"How are you Lia?" he asks, sitting down next to me.

"I'm fine Carlos." I say. "I'm on pain meds. I'm high and hungry as hell." I add with a smile, but Carlos doesn't laugh.

"I'm serious. What you did back there. I saw what happened. The video's everywhere."

I sigh. "It's nothing. I just won't be able to get back to work for a month, but I'm fine." I assure him.

"Three months, if you're lucky." TK says.

"Lia, you really need to stop scaring us," Carlos says. He has tears in his eyes.

"Carlos-" I say.

"No, promise me you won't do anything like this again," he says.

"I can't do that, and you know it too." I tell him.

"I can't have you die on me."

"Hey, hey, I'm okay, aren't I?" I say, tears forming in my own eyes. I quickly blink my tears away. Carlos and TK are not just my brothers, they're like my parents. They think of me as their first child. Ever since I was young, I hated worrying them.

"Carlos is right, Lia." TK says. I turn to him. He's crying too.

"Guys, I'm fine." I assure them.

"No, no you aren't. You can't keep putting yourself in positions like this, Lia," Carlos says.

"It's my line of work Carlos." I say. "Our line of work." I gesture to the three of us.

"Look, you can just go back into med school, and become a doctor." TK says.

"Ty, you know I can't." I tell him.

"Lia, you know that no one is forcing you to be a firefighter, right?" he asks.

"I know that. It's my choice."

"Then why are you still-"

"Ty," I stop him.

I'm the only person who calls him Ty, short for his real name, Tyler. I'm the only person he allows to call him Ty instead of TK. I use that to my advantage.

"No, don't you 'Ty' me." He says. I sigh. "What will I do if I lose you?" He asks, getting up and walking towards me. "Lia, I already lost mom, I'm not going to lose you too. You're all I have of her."

He grabs my hand. I feel a tear drop on my hand. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to stay strong, to not cry.

"You're not gonna lose me TK." I say. "I promise, okay. I'll be safer."

"Can't you find another job?" he asks. He's been asking me this ever since I dropped out of med school and decided to become a firefighter.

"TK, you know I can't." I tell him. "It's in my blood. Dad was a firefighter, then you-"

"No!" he shouts, scaring me. "You don't understand! It hurts, Lia. Seeing you like this, it's hard! You're supposed to be up and running! You should be out there, making a difference in the world!"

"TK-"

"No, I've seen you get hurt too many times on this job. I can't lose you too." he says. With that, he lets go of my hand, and walks out of the room.

I stare after him as he walks out.

"TK-" I whisper. "TK." the tears start flowing.

Carlos rushes to my side and holds me, trying to comfort me, and I cry into his shoulder.

Hey guys! So, what are your thoughts?? Please let me know what you think about this? How do you think Lia and TK's relationship will be from now on? Also, cast list will be coming soon(by the end of this week), since all of the characters are introduced for this book. I don't have school today, so I was able to update before 4. Anyways, please comment, and let me know your thoughts on how the book will progress. Thank you!