Chapter 6

The flames climbed higher, licking at the ceiling with hungry tongues. Smoke filled my lungs as I watched the fire spread from the curtains to the medical equipment. The heat was becoming unbearable, but I couldn't move—my body felt like it was made of lead.

Then came the explosion.

A deafening boom shook the entire building. The wall beside me crumbled as oxygen tanks from the adjacent room detonated, sending shards of brick and metal flying. The blast wave lifted me off the bed, throwing me toward the gaping hole where the wall had been.

"Kaiser!" I screamed, though I…