Bombs and Fires

Two

Karina watched Venessa walk away to go speak with the chief. She lifted the air tank off her back. It had sat heavily on her back and it was driving her crazy. With the weight of her turnout gear and helmet, which was already at least 100 pounds, plus her body weight and then adding an air tank, all of it together was about two hundred pounds.

"You think the fire was set?" she heard TK ask behind her as she placed the air tank on the ground.

"Could be a possibility. But if there were drugs in there, why didn't we find them?" she told him. "And why would a drug dealer want to set fire to their stash. No one does that." She told him. The tone in her voice sounded like she'd dealt with something like this in the past. TK just couldn't place it.

"This could also be the start of an arsonist," TK suggested.

"I don't think so. Nothing about this fire screams arson to me."

"That could be exactly what they wanted. To make us think it wasn't arson." He replied.

"Maybe. Let's just let the fire marshals decide." She told him.

She couldn't imagine a drug dealer burning their drugs. That was their way of making some huge cash. Nothing about this fire made much sense. Karina didn't think that this was arson.

Karina spotted Venessa walking over to her. Karina met her at Engine 27, they linked arms and started to walk towards Venessa's car.
"Plans for tomorrow? I'm off." Karina grinned at her best friend.

"None." Vanessa smiled.

"I was planning to go see Randy and Liana tomorrow. Drive up, stay the day and drive back down for work on Friday." Karina told her. "He and Liana just got engaged, of all things." She grinned.

"I'd love to come. I'm not working tomorrow." Venessa told her, before unlinking their arms. Venessa opened her door and stood there for a moment.

"Be safe going home," Karina told her. "I don't need another call tonight." She joked but was serious. Her father's health was going downhill. And Karina just needed to catch a breath.

"I will. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Her friend smiled and got in her car.

Karina watched as she drove away before turning back to the matter at hand. The fire of the warehouse was almost out. They just had a few hot spots that needed to be taken care of. Another station would see be arriving to take over for Station 1 and Station 2.

She walked over to Engine 15 and grabbed her helmet from the steps, and took off her bunker gear jacket. She rolled up her long-sleeved uniform shirt.

"Alright, boys. Station 3 and 4 are on their way to take over for us. Let's get cleaned up."

~~~

Karina clasped onto her bunk in the bunk room. She heard a snicker behind her, she got up and looked at them. "Really, Damon?" She asked, in a tired voice.

"Sorry. You just look hilarious." He grinned.

"Go sleep." She scolded. "I have a trip to go on tomorrow." She announced.

"Sleeping." He told her and went off to his bunk.

Karina showily laid back down on the bunk. She looked up at the ceiling for a moment before turning over to see what time it was. Her clock read; 1:23 AM. If she didn't sleep now, she wouldn't sleep until the next night.

She turned onto her left side to be met with a street light. She then turned back onto her right side and winced. Her right shoulder hurt every time she moved it. She never thought about getting it looked at. But one day she probably should. If it continued to worsen, she could lose her job.

~~~

Karina woke to her phone ringtone; Narnia theme song. She heard everyone else in the bunk room groaning.

"Turn it off, West!" she heard the chief yell.

She turned over and picked it up. "West." She answered coldly.

"That's no way to treat your family, Karina." The voice on the other end told her. It was her cousin, Randy Miles. And she was supposed to visit him today along with his soon-to-be wife.

"Randy. Better have a good reason for waking me up." She scolded.

"Long night?" he asked.

"You have no idea. But what's up?" she asked as she got up from her bunk and started to strip the sheets off her bed. She enjoyed the luxury of sheets instead of sleeping bags, unlike the guys.

"Well, I just wanted to check in. Your mom called me yesterday. She tried getting a hold of you, but she couldn't." He told her.

"Really? Mom never tried to call me. After I had chosen to get into the Academy, she stopped calling." She replied. Picking up her sheets she walked over to the locker room and put the sheets into a bag.

"C'mon Rina, just call her. Your dad is getting worse. He wants you both to get over whatever happened when you got into the Academy." He pleaded.

"Fine. I'll call. I gotta go."

"I love you, cuz." He told her.

She hung up.