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the tones started. Craig stood up and eyeballed the radio speaker. "Damn," she heard him swear under his breath. "Engine 18, respond to smell of smoke. 402 Westwood Blvd." He turned around and put a finger on each stove dial, manually checking to be sure they were off. "Sorry, I have to go. I'd love to see you again soon."
    He rushed into the hallway and a moment later, she saw the big, red engine pull out onto the road with lights flashing.

Chapter 5.
     
     
    "So how di d it go yesterday, anyway?
    What? Emma was jerked back to the here and now by Jerry's question. They were headed to a school out of their district for a possible sprained ankle, Code 1 - no lights or sirens.
    "You know, with firefighter hot and heavy. How d id it go?"
    "Oh, it went fine. I said thanks."
    "Yeah, and then what?" Jerry looked knowingly at her.
    "And then nothing. He had to go out on the call."
    "So you were in there for all that time, and all you said was th-"
    "Hey Jerry," she interrupted him, "Did you know he gave me mouth to mouth?"
    "Um, yeah, he mentioned it. Didn't I tell you that?"
    "No, you most certainly did not. I thought I started breathing again after he opened my airway." Emma scowled at him and crossed her arms.
    "Yeah, well, you were breat hing by the time I got there. irregular breathing, but breathing. And some oxygen got you all regular and comfortable again."
    "Oh." She lapsed into silence. Boy, she should have seen the long tunnel and the big light. But maybe her heart hadn't stopped bea ting so she hadn't technically been dead. Maybe you only see the tunnel when you are actually dead for a little bit. Not breathing for 30 or 40 seconds doesn't make you dead. Maybe you only get a glimpse of the afterlife if you are dead.
    Abruptly she sat straight up in her seat and strained against the belt, gasping a small "oh" of surprise.
    "What Em, what's wrong?"
    "My vision Jerry, I forgot all about my vision!"
    And she had. Yesterday afternoon she had reveled in being back at work, enjoying each adrenal ine rush and code 3 and patient interaction. When the day was over and she had relived each call at least once her thoughts had stolen to her talk with Craig. That one she replayed 4 or 5 times, berating herself each time for her horrible conversation skills. This morning, she had even started to think of ways to get them over to Firehouse 18 to see if he was working. There had been no call for Engine 18 yet, or she would have jumped it.
    "Your vision? What about it?"
    Oh yeah, Jerry didn't know she had been lusting after Craig for 24 hours now, so he also didn't know why the relationship she had been fantasizing about with him would never happen now. Should she tell him?
    "Nothing. Nothing. I was ah, just being silly."
    Jerry peeked over at her and said "Come on Em, spill it. What's going on? Does this have anything to do with the sexy new guy?"
    She laughed. Jerry knew her too well. "Ok, Ok, I guess I worked myself into a little crush for the new guy because I wasn't thinking of my vision."
    "I knew you would like him! Hell, I'd like him if I were a straight woman. He seems like a helluva nice guy and I'm no expert, but I can tell by the way you and those cops were looking at him yesterday that he is easy on the eyes."
    Emma felt jealousy flare in her brain and a l ittle pain beat in her chest at the thought of the cops looking at him. Especially the young one. No wait, especially the older one. She was about to demand to hear all about it when logic reasserted itself.
    "But it doesn't matter Jerry, he's cute, but he 's not the man in my vision."
    "Yeah, so?"
    "If he's not the man in my vision there's no reason to pursue him - the man in my vision is the love of my life. And that's what I want. Love, family, security."
    Jerry's brow creased and he frowned.
    "But Em, he's just a cute guy. You don't have to marry him. I haven't seen you have fun with a guy in ..." He trailed off.
    Emma knew what he was thinking. She never dated. And