9-1-1 + Lone Star one shots

broken ice - mateo

The 126 was finally back and going, Mateo was no longer a probational firefighter. Life was good. Until it wasn't.

They were responding to a call, a kid had somehow got trapped on the ice, the plan was to lower Mateo down, he'd hook the kid on with him to the harness and that was that.

But of course, the 126 didn't have luck like that.

When Mateo made it down they realised the harness clip was broken, and since time was against them he couldn't go back and get a new one so he made a quick decision to give the kid his.

"Teo it's too dangerous" Marjan had said from the helicopter, which contained Marjan,TK and the driver, due to everyone else being away on other missions due to the bad weather.

"All the more reason to get this little guy up first" Mateo said into his radio after he'd strapped in the kid and sent him up to the helicopter.

Just as the kid reached the top there was a loud crack. Before Mateo could react he was dropped down into the ice cold water.

"Mateo!"

---

Mateo's survival instincts kicked in straight away making him kick out his legs and wave his arms around.

Mateo tried and succeeded at calming himself down before trying to swim up. He frantically looked around for the crack he fell through but it was no where to be found.

He banged as hard as he could on the ice until a sharp pain shot through his wrist, he probably sprained it.

Lifting his feet up he began using his work boots to try crack the ice, fortunately it began to crack, relief washing over him.

When his foot was through, he used his hands to break away the rest of the ice he quickly popped out his head taking a breath, accidentally swallowing some water too.

He tried to climb out but slipped and fell back down banging his head harshly on the ice in the process. Just before he slipped back fully underwater a hand reached out and grabbed him before everything went black.

---

"Hey Teo, can you hear me?" TK asked as Mateo began to come to. "Mhm" he hummed eyes still shut.

His lungs burned with the cold and he felt numb. "Teo can you open your eyes for me?" And about a minute or so later his eyes fluttered open.

TK didn't like how long his friend took to process what he was saying but he didn't comment on it for now.

"Good, do you remember what happened?"

"Kid on the ice, cold, dark." Mateo slurred out.

"Is he going to be okay" the little kid they had rescued asked.

Mateo quickly turned, ignoring the nauseousness that followed from moving.

"Is he okay? Are you hurt, any cuts or scratches, here" he said taking the blanket from around himself and placing it around the kid.

Marjan stiffled a laugh to herself as she watched Mateo, who she had just dragged out of freezing cold water,seconds away from drowning worry about the kid who was fine, just a little cold and shook up.

But that was just typical Mateo, je is who he is and Marjan would never want that to change.