Station 126

1: Pilot

When you slide down the firepole, you can't hold on to it too tightly, because if you do, you'll be stuck, and you'll just hang there, suspended in mid-air. But, if you don't hold on tight enough, you end up falling instead of sliding down the pole.

From the time I could walk, I knew I wanted to be a firefighter. Being around Station 126, I was always around fire engines, firepoles, and firefighters. My dad was the captain of the 126, and my brother was a firefighter, then a paramedic in the same station.

The members of the 126 are either retired or transferred to another team. Now, a new 126 replaces them.

The old members of the team were my dad, Robert Strand, as captain, Jed Ryder(second in command/lieutenant), Mahasin Marwani, Paul Hemmings, and Mateo Sanchez. My brother was a part of the firefighters, but he switched onto the EMS, and became a paramedic. The paramedic team was Tommy Vega as Captain, TK Strand(my brother), and Nancy Winstow.

The new team consists of Nash Wells as Captain, Liara Gwenyth Strand(me as second in command/lieutenant), Matthew Bishop, Miles Wayland, and Travis Montgomery. The current paramedic team is TK Strand as Captain, Blake Wilson, and Tara Sinaroy.

Station 126 is my second home, with my second family, the family I chose to be a part of.

****

I walk into the firehouse.

"Hey Lia." Tara pops out and greets me.

"T!" I exclaim, hugging her.

Tara is a really good friend of mine. I've known her from when we were probies together, which was about four years ago. I'm 25 and have been in the Austin FD for four years. TK started when he was 21, and so did I. Except, TK started in the NYFD, not the Austin FD.

I was born in New York, but brought up in Austin, so it makes sense that I get a job here as well. Tara and I joined the team, then Matthew joined. Since Matt joined, Tara has had a crush on Matt. But, Matt is currently dating a doctor, Hailey Monroe. After Matt, Miles came onboard. About a year ago, Travis switched over from the 114. I've known Travis from Fire Training, and we were really good friends ever since.

"I missed you so much!" I say to Tara.

"Me too."

Tara had gone to California to visit her sister, brother-in-law, and her new niece. She has two siblings, both older than her. Her sister, Eva, is a biologist, and her brother, Arjay, is a cop in the Austin PD. After getting married, her sister moved to California with her husband.

"So, how's your niece?" I ask.

"She is adorable!" Tara says, pulling out her phone to show me a picture.

"Awww!" I say. The baby is so adorable. I mean, I love babies, so I'm biased. But still, who doesn't like babies?

"Lia looked just like that when she was a baby." a voice says behind me.

I turn around to see TK.

"Hey TK." I greet him.

"Morning." He walks up to me and gives me a side hug.

"Morning Cap." Tara says.

"Tara, how are you?"

"Good Cap."

TK nods before turning to me. "How's Dad?"

"He's fine, still complaining about losing his hair though."

TK laughs. "Of course he is."

"That man loves his hair more than his own children." I joke.

TK laughs. "That he does."