Fire Alarms Set Off

I was just laying on my bed, spending time doing nothing. A time to relax and think of nothing in particular. Then I was violently woken (no, I wasn't sleep, just dozing, though I wasn't even doing that. Minding my own business.) by the noise of the fire alarms. Boy, did it make me jump! Not only that, but deafen me. Mind you, perhaps it has to be loud, to wake people if they are asleep.) I thought that at first it might have been the weekly test, but when it didn't sop after a few seconds, there were thoughts racing through my mind, is it because of an ACTUAL fire, somewhere in the building? What should I do? You usually get told, leave the building, and go to the assembly point, exit by the marked fire exits (probably gather in the communal garden, which has a door at the bottom of the stairs.) I immediately put Alfie on his lead, which made him start off barking (which he almost always does when we're about to go out for a walk.) I didn't 'stop to collect any belongings,' which is what you also get told, and went out of the front door, locking it behind me. I got to the foot of the stairs and could see along the corridor that the doors had closed, automatically, because the alarms had activated this mechanism which releases the fire doors (to stop any fire spreading.) I went down to the front door of Dexter House, but no other residents there. I saw a sign which mentioned if the Duty Officer wasn't on duty, so I went back to my flat to get my iPhone and then rang the  number, and was told that a fire engine was on it's way. A relief. I went out onto the pavement outside. Nobody else there. I went inside and saw someone standing along the corridor, and she said that 'we have to remain in our flats.' Well, after the Grenfell  Tower fire, where the fire department told residents to stay in their flats, I wasn't doing that, so went outside with Alfie, who continued to bark loudly. After a minute or two I could hear the approaching fire engine and as it hurtled round the corner from Strudwick Drive, it drew up outside the flats and the firemen got out and one entered the building. All the firemen went after him and they were gone for several minutes, during which time the alarms went off and I went back inside. It turned out that someone in one of the flats had had a cooking accident (let some boiled eggs over-cook and no doubt they burnt dry, thus setting off the fire alarms.) What relief! But no some without fire, as they say, and the rather strong smell of burnt toast. I thought if might have been someone's cigarette which had set it all off, but it wasn't.

But throughout all this, a bit of excitement and a large red fire engine, with lights flashing and siren blazing certain livens things up.

Oh dear! Coughing Kate if off again! Probably set off by the fire. Well, I do exaggerate, but it must be caused by something or other. I certainly wouldn't allow a cough to continue unless I took something for it, cough linctus, some sort of pastille or sweet. Something to suck. But no. It continues and it's so annoying. How about i go out and buy a packet of lozenges or other sweets which you suck to elevate coughs? Which is what I get if I have a cough. Then there's Benylin, a good strong cough medicine.