I'm A Loser

Cry Baby Cry

The sound of a fire truck interrupted Liz's dinner with Paul. They looked out the window and saw smoke in the distance.

"Isn't that near Lucy's friend's house?" Paul asked.

Liz nodded.

"Do you think..." Paul began to say.

Liz bolted out the door and Paul followed. The two ran towards the fire.

Paul tried to slow her down when he knew it was the house. He grabbed her wrist and begged her to stop.

"Liz we can't help her now, just wait!" Paul yelled.

Liz ran faster and made it as far as she could before policemen ordered her to stop.

"Where's Julian? Is her son okay?!" Liz asked the policeman.

"We were able to get the baby out, we haven't found the other people in the house yet." He told her.

"Is the baby hurt?"

"No. He's fine. Ma'am I'm going to have to ask you to just wait."

Paul pulled Liz back. He brushed the hair out of her face.

"Shhh. They'll be fine." Paul told her.

"Why is all of this happening to us?" Liz asked. "Why did John, Stu, and Julia die? Why does George have cancer? Why did Linda have to live I New York? Why was John's son almost killed by a fire? Why?!"

"I-I don't know." Paul muttered.

"Why?"

The two's attention was brought to a few firefighters who were carrying a body out on a stretcher.

"That's Lucy..." Liz murmured.

Her body was covered in terrible burns.

"Is she breathing?" Liz asked.

"I don't know Liz."

Several paramedics surrounded the stretcher and worked frantically. Lizzy started shaking. Paul wrapped his arms around her and lifted her face up to his.

"Close your eyes, Love." Paul told her.

She did.

"None of this is happening. Everything is okay. Don't worry, Darling."

Tears streamed down from her eyes and Paul wiped them away.

Paul rested his lips on her forehead.

"Excuse me, Sir." A fireman said. "Do you know if anyone else may have been in the building?"

"She lived with a friend, but that's the only other person I think would be in there." Paul told the man.

The man thanked him and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Paul shouted to the fireman. "How's the girl?"

The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sir. But it's not likely she'll survive. She received severe burns and her lungs were extremely injured by the smoke."

Liz cried more hearing the news. Paul pushed her head onto his chest and tried to calm her.

"What about Julian?" Liz asked. "Where will he go?"

"We'll...we'll take him in." Paul told her.

"What?"

"It's the least we could do for John." Paul assured her.

They went to the hospital where the news was confirmed that Lucy had passed. After many packets and signings of paperwork, Julian was officially under Paul and Liz's care. After a few days to ensure he was okay, Julian went home with his new guardians.