Chapter 274 Saving Lives
This scene, etched into the minds of every witness, would remain unforgettable. A hero, a true hero, had risen amongst them.
They couldn't fathom the strength of will, the selflessness it took to charge into that inferno, for it was a sea of fire, a raging inferno! Even from a distance, the heat was palpable, yet James had plunged in, his own safety forgotten, to save those children.
Awe and profound respect filled their hearts. James' heroism resonated deeply within them.
Regrettably, the stark reality of the contemporary era was the pervasive indifference that had infiltrated the fundamental structure of human interaction. Hearts had grown numb, consumed by the relentless pursuit of wealth. It was a rarity to be genuinely moved by anything or anyone.
Yet, here and now, the two to three thousand souls gathered felt a profound shift within themselves. Tears flowed freely, a testament to the raw emotion that James' actions had ignited.
None present could have done what he did, bravely facing that inferno to save innocent lives.
Suddenly, Jennifer, fueled by a surge of adrenaline, broke free from the two teachers who tried to restrain her. With a desperate cry, she ran towards James.
"James!!!" Her voice, thick with tears, pierced the air. She reached out, her hand trembling, to touch his face, but the searing heat forced her to pull back.
The crowd seemed to snap out of their collective shock. Someone gently lifted Sapphira from James' arms, recoiling at the intense heat radiating from his skin.
Harmony, her heart pounding in her chest, rushed towards James, stumbling and falling in her haste. Her knee slammed against the pavement, but the pain barely registered. At that moment, her world narrowed to a single point – James.
Unable to stand, she crawled the remaining distance, her teeth gritted against the agonizing sight before her. James' face, red and blistered, tore at her soul. Each breath she took was a struggle, as if the very air had turned to ash in her lungs.
The pain of his rejection the day before paled in comparison to the agony that ripped through her now.
Jennifer, her fingers trembling violently, reached out and checked for James' pulse. The color drained from her face, her vibrant eyes turning into dull, lifeless pools of despair.
The weight of her sorrow rendered her unable to bear it any longer, causing her to collapse to the ground, unconscious.
Harmony, witnessing Jennifer's collapse, felt a strange pang of envy. At least in unconsciousness, there was respite from this unbearable pain.
If only she could choose, she would choose to have no heart at all, to be free from this torment!
She sank to the ground, cradling James' head in her lap, drawing comfort from the heat that still emanated from him. A smile, devoid of joy, stretched across her lips, but no sound escaped her.
The scene was heart-wrenching, a poignant tableau of sacrifice and grief. Tears flowed freely among the onlookers, their sobs echoing in the air.
As if mirroring the collective sorrow, the light rain intensified, soaking the crowd. Yet, no one moved, their silent vigil a testament to the hero who lay before them.
"Save him!" a voice, choked with sobs, cried out from the crowd. "Someone, please save him!"
"Call an ambulance!" another voice shouted.
The pleas acted as a catalyst, jolting the crowd into action. Individuals urgency sought their telecommunication devices, earnestly endeavoring to elicit assistance. Some made frantic calls, leveraging connections, clinging to the slimmest hope that James could be saved.
In that moment, a shared humanity transcended their individual lives, uniting their hearts.
The hospital, thankfully, was nearby. Within minutes, the wail of sirens pierced the air as the ambulance arrived. The medical team, taken aback by the sheer number of people, quickly made their way through the crowd.
"He's a hero! He saved those children! You have to save him!"
"Please, hurry! Every second counts! We'll pay anything, just save him!"
"Don't worry about the cost! I'm a businessman, I'll cover all the expenses!"
The urgency and desperation in the voices were impossible to ignore. The medical team, visibly moved, nodded their assurances and rushed forward, their curiosity piqued by the hero who had inspired such fervent devotion.
Pushing through the throng of people, they reached the heart of the gathering. There, they saw three figures on the ground. One, a woman, sat motionless, her face a mask of despair, gently stroking the face of a charred figure cradled in her lap. Tears streamed down her face, mingling with the rain.
Beside her lay another woman, unconscious, her tear-stained face etched with sorrow.
And then they saw him. The man, his body ravaged by fire, his shoes burned away, revealing bloodied feet and the devastating path of the flames.
It was a burn victim, they realized, but the term seemed inadequate. This was beyond a victim; this was a life hanging by the thinnest of threads.
They exchanged a look, momentarily stunned by the sheer severity of James' condition.
Their hesitation, however, was met with a wave of anger from the crowd. "What are you waiting for?! Help him!"
"Are you even real doctors?! Every second you waste could cost him his life!"
The overwhelming quantity of voices, imbued with raw fury and desperation, galvanized the medical team into immediate action. They couldn't, wouldn't, allow fear to paralyze them.
"Please, step aside! We need to get him to the hospital immediately!"
Harmony, her movements mechanical, lifted her head and nodded.
As James and Jennifer were carefully lifted onto stretchers and carried towards the waiting ambulance, a flicker of relief crossed Harmony's face. Then, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, finally succumbing to the emotional and physical exhaustion that had gripped her.
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