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She spun around, grabbing Maddie right as splintered wood exploded up into her back.
Then she pulled her forward to the small opening in the glass.
“Josh!” she yelled, his panic-filled eyes meeting hers on the other side.
He leapt up onto the porch, narrowly avoiding the piece of roof that had just fallen.
“Step up and through,” she rasped into Maddie’s ear. “Josh will get you on the other side.”
Maddie kept her tight grip on her shirt, and Saff had to practically tear her hands off as she guided her through the broken glass.
When Josh finally had a secure hold on her, Saff hopped over the windowsill after them, landing with a thud against the wooden floor on the other side.
She followed behind Josh and Maddie to the edge of the porch, helping Maddie over the railing, before going over herself.
And by the time they made it to the grass, she collapsed to her knees, the coughing finally taking over.
Chapter thirty-four
Maddie leaned back on the bed in the medical house, eyes closing as she worked to block out the searing pain in her arm.
Low voices murmured in the background, along with the occasional grunt or groan of agony. And beneath that, soft sobbing.
Tears prickled in the back of her own eyes, both from the pain and the immense worry of not knowing where her parents were. She was glad that Josh had left to go find them, but waiting there while Saff helped the other people with injuries left her feeling dreadfully alone.
“Here,” Saff’s gravelly voice came a moment later from beside her. “You need to stay hydrated.”
Saff gently took her hand, placing a cup in it.
Maddie lifted the cup to her lips and took a small sip, wincing as the liquid poured over her raw throat.
Saff coughed beside her.
“Oh Maddie, thank god you’re okay.” Her mother’s rushed, worried voice met her ears, and relief instantly flooded her body.
“Mom?” she called out, pushing herself to sit up farther on the bed. Pain shot through her arm, and she hissed as she pulled it back, cradling it tightly to her chest.
“What happened?” Her dad’s concerned voice joined and the last of the worry housed in her shoulders lifted.
“She has some severe burns on her arm,” Saff said, before letting out another cough. “She’ll be fine as long as the wounds stay clean.”
“What—how did that—“ Her mother’s voice trembled with fear and worry. “How did that happen?”
“The house I was in caught fire,” Maddie replied, keeping the details to a minimum. If they knew why she was in there in the first place, a lecture would definitely follow, and that was the last thing she needed.
Luckily, Saff cut in before they could ask questions.
“Is it your ankle?” she asked.
“Yeah,” her mother answered. “I think it’s just sprained.”
Maddie shifted on the bed, leaning forward. “What? Mom, what happened?”
The bed dipped near her knees as someone sat down. Then a slight groan of pain from her mother.
“Nothing, I just fell as we were running.” She felt her mother’s hand rest on her knee. “Let me see your arm.”
Maddie frowned. She didn’t want to think about her arm or the fire anymore, but she stretched it out, nonetheless.