Wanted for slaughter

The job

David clutched the tiny body to his chest. Red stained his hands and smoke filled his lungs, but he paid no mind to it. His only objective: save the kid.

For some reason this one stood out. Sure, he felt a protective sense over all the children he and his team had to drag out that night, but this one...For some reason...

David pressed on. His brain hammered against his skull as he desperately searched for an exit. Heat surrounded him and it was difficult for him to keep his eyes open. His ears picked up on a voice calling out to him. The sound of sirens became louder as he followed the voice, becoming deafening as cool air suddenly greeted his face.

He coughed harshly, expelling darkened mucus from his throat. He felt like he was going to pass out. The weight was lifted from his arms and for some reason this filled him with a sense of panic and dread. Before he could do anything to retrieve the child, a face was thrusted into his view.

"Oh my fucking God. What the fuck were you thinking!?"

He coughed sheepishly, another black clump tumbling from his lips and into his hand. He wanted to answer her, but he choked on his own voice. It felt like someone had thrown burning coals down his oesophagus and it burned and itched like hell.

She sighed and helped him up from the ground, keeping a steadying hand behind his back. "David, you're gonna kill yourself one of these days. I would kick your ass if you hadn't just run into a burning building and saved a child." Someone threw a water bottle at them and she caught it with sharp reflex, handing it to him with a frown.

He shot a weak smile at her. Gwen was his best friend and although she came off as crude and quite rude, he knew it was only because she cared. She sat him down on the back of an ambulance a bit harder than he would've liked.

As the paramedic tended to his mostly minor injuries, he allowed his tired eyes to wander over the scene.

A burning orphanage. Children being rushed to the hospital. One silent as the grave and suited with a respirator. His eyes rested on the child. A mess of curls framed the face caked in soot and burns. A small teddy was clutched to his chest, something David hadn't even noticed when they first ran out of the building.

The paramedic pulled his attention back to them and asked him a few questions. His throat was still burning and raw, but the water had relieved him somewhat so he was able to answer most of their questions.

Gwen sat down next to him with a humph and crossed her arms, examining his injuries.

"The captain said you have to take some time off or work some white collar cases. Whatcha gonna pick?"

"Hmm?"

She sighed exasperatedly and turned to face him "You know what? I'll just pick for you. You're gonna take a few days off from work to recover from all of..." She waved her hands at everything, including him "This."

"What? No!" His voice cut out halfway through and he had to clear his throat to speak again, a bit gentler this time. "I can't take time off when everyone is already overworked."

"You haven't slept in three days. You won't be any use to us if you keep going like this. I speak from personal experience when I say that what you are doing right now is going to kill you. I mean it almost did tonight. You didn't even know if there was anyone left in there. You could've died for no fucking reason!"

David looked down at the ground, mulling over her words with a slight frown on his soot covered face. "But I-" "No buts. I know you think you're hot shit because you're ranked above me, but we're also (and I can't believe I'm going to say it) CBFL's and I...I'm worried about you, ok?"