Lifeline | Steve Rogers

Chapter 13

AN: Flashbacks in italics

"Okay, Team, we have a single-level house fire in a local suburb. A neighbor called it in but isn't sure if anyone is home. The owners of the house are newly married, Ian Boothby and Darcy Lewis. He suspected the husband to be home since he saw him mowing the lawn earlier this morning. Now, when we get on scene, I want Steve to stay with the truck engine in case the ventilation team needs help on site. On ventilation I want..." Carol continued to give demands to the rest of the team. "As for Thor and Bucky, search the home." Everyone agreed with Danver's orders, and Steve nodded, looking out the window of the truck.

"Hey man, you alright?" Sam asked Steve through his headset, taking in his appearance, sitting across from him.

"Yeah, I'm good. Getting my head in the game."

"Okay." Sam narrowed his eyes, nodding but not believing him. "Let's do this, boys and girls."

At the scene, Bucky and Thor went to the hatch to grab their tanks and masks before running into the burning house in record time.

"I'll go left, and you go right," Thor commanded over the walkie.

"Got it," Bucky added. "First bedroom clear."

"Living room clear," Thor voiced.

Steve went to talk with the ventilation team but noticed the house's skylight on the roof was already broken, so the ladder truck wouldn't be needed. He rushed back over to Danver's to figure out the next game plan when Thor's voice broke through the walkie.

"Found Ian in the kitchen, heading out now. Val, get the gurney ready."

Steve watched Thor run out with Ian in his arms, coughing. He placed him on the gurney, and Val put an oxygen mask on him, but he immediately pulled it off.

"My wife, Darcy," he wheezed in a British accent. "She's still in there. Please...please save her."

"Barnes, his wife is still in there somewhere," Carol commanded into her walkie, but there was no reply. "Barnes."

A second later, Bucky was running out of the burning house with Darcy in his arms. He laid her on the ground and tore off his mask, and shouted, "she's not breathing." Sam rushed to their side and started chest compressions.

Ian jumped off the gurney and ran over to them. "Please...please help her. Don't let her die," Ian cried, holding onto Darcy's hand. "I don't know what I would do without her."

Steve's eyes stayed glued to the scene before him. His mouth went dry, and he started to hear his heartbeat in his ears. He tried to concentrate on breathing evenly, but it didn't help. He turned away from the scene, stumbling to the side of the truck. He squeezed his eyes shut as flashes of Peggy drifted to the front of his mind: her smiling at him as they laid in bed together, her waving goodbye to him when he went off to work, and her lying motionless on the cold ground. He put a hand on the truck to hold himself steady, feeling his chin start to tremble and his chest start to tighten with every breath he took.

Steve heard a cry of relief behind him, forcing his eyes to snap open. He glanced over his shoulder as all the oxygen left his lungs, seeing Darcy sitting up and hugging her husband. He turned back to the truck, closing his eyes, causing a few tears to slide down his cheeks. He shook his head, knowing he should be happy Darcy is alive, and we got to her in time, but his mind continued to drift back to the worst day of his life.

"You okay, pal?" Bucky inquired in a soothing voice.

Steve's eyes shot open, rubbing his hand on his cheeks before he turned around. "Yeah." He nodded his head a little too much, waving it off. "It's nothing. I'll be fine."