“I don’t know.”

“Listen, it’s going to be a lot faster for me to get there than you. I’ll call you when I find out anything. How many hours are there between us?”

“It doesn’t matter about the time difference. I don’t care what time it is. When you find out something—anything—call me.”

He nodded. “I’ll do that. I have to go.” Before they disconnected, he said, “Mom, try not to worry. Everything is going to be all right.”

“I hope you’re right. Call me when you get there. And be careful.” She always worried about his safety, no matter his age. “I love you.”

“I will. And I love you too.”

Ethan slipped his phone into his pocket and then turned to head into the captain’s office. Ethan paused at the doorway. Captain Morales, or Cap as the crew liked to call him, was ten or so years older than Ethan. The man was good at his job—at following the protocols. Perhaps if Ethan was more of a rule follower, he wouldn’t have been sidelined with his injuries.

Cap sat behind his large desk with its neatly stacked papers and files. The captain’s dark hair was lightly peppered with gray. Ethan had been told more than once that he was responsible for a few of those gray hairs.

Cap glanced up and signaled for Ethan to join him. Ethan stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The room suddenly felt as though it had shrunk considerably.

He’d been in this room many times, some of the visits good and others were, um, stern warnings about him taking too many chances out in the field. Those chances had finally caught up with him this last time. But he didn’t want to think about that now. He shoved the troubling thoughts to the back of his mind.

“Have a seat.” Once Ethan was seated, the captain continued. “Thank you for keeping me updated on your recovery progress. You’ve done well in such a short amount of time.” The captain’s serious gaze met his. “But don’t forget, it could have been a lot worse.”

“Yes, sir.”

Cap’s chair groaned as he leaned back in it. He steepled his fingers together. “I just received your work release forms.”

Ethan rubbed his palms on his jeans. “About that, sir, I was wondering if I could take some vacation time?”

The captain’s brows scrunched together as his brown eyes probed him. “Are you still having issues?”

“No, sir. It’s not that. I’m ready to get back to work.” He wished he felt as confident as he sounded.

He glanced down at his hands, with their red burn scars that trailed up under his jacket sleeves. They served as a vivid reminder of his near miss with a blaze that quickly flamed out of control. He tugged down his jacket sleeves.

The worry lines on Cap’s face smoothed. “That’s good to hear.”

Ethan shifted in the cushioned chair, not able to find a comfortable position. He was beginning to think his discomfort came from being in this office, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the chair itself.