A/n: Okay, so upon popular request, I have sort of tacked on a "prolouge". Let me know what you guys think! And you may ask, " Why did you write the prolouge last?" Because Yoda I am. Lol Enjoy!
Charles jumped awake to the sound of his alarm clock, its obnoxious beep jolting him from a decent slumber. Rubbing his eyes, he reached over and slapped the clock, shutting it of. He grunted, tiredly and read the clock. 5:01 A.M. With a sigh he swung his legs over the side of the bed and pulled himself up into a sitting position. His wife, Sarah, lay on her side, deep in sleep and this caused Charles to smile. She's beautiful, even in sleep. He thought. He stood up and kissed her forehead before walking to the closet and putting on his uniform. As he entered the kitchen, his tiredness slapped him and he decided to make some coffee and watch the news. A few minutes later he flips through the channels with a cup of what he reffered to as liquid gold, until he lands on the news channel, just in time to see the fire he helped put out last night come on the screen.
Last night, a massive house fire erupted on the outskirts of the city. Police, ambulances, and the local fire department was on the scene within minutes and the fire lasted about two and a half ours. There were no deaths and only minor injuries to the residents. The cameraman then shifted to an older man in his fifties; the owner of the house. We are extremely greatful and fortunate that the boys in the fire department showed up when they did. We would have lost a lot more than what we did. They did a great job. Keep up the good work, boys. The man said, a relaxed look on his face. Charles smiled, glad that he could help his community. Just as the news casters were switching over, he cut the TV off and, grabbing his keys, he headed out the door, off to the station.
The day went by uneventful, which was unusual. Charles had a bad feeling all that day, but couldn't place it. It wasn't until the station got a call, that he knew what it was. As he and his crew packed everything up into the truck, dispatch sent the exact address. 1312 Arlington way. Charles' heart stopped. No. That has to be wrong. He volunteered to drive, still in denial, until he pulled the truck up to the house. It was his. He quickly jumped out of the truck as the rest of the crew began spraying the house down. Someone strapped on a set of tanks and went inside as he help the boys outside, and Charles prayed for the best. Thirty minutes later, the man who went in, bursted out of the front door with a woman in his arms. Charles stopped what he was doing and ran up to them.
"Sarah!" He screamed. The man shook his head and the world seemed to move in slow motion. The ambulance arriving, Sarah being loaded inside, Charles climbing inside, arriving at the hospital, Sarah being pronounced dead. It was like a horrible nightmare but he couldn't wake up, no matter what he did. The next few days, he spent locked up in his room at a friend's house, secluded, broken, and alone. The funeral arrived with more heartbreak, and afterwards he again spent his time alone. It took him an entire year to finally "heal" somewhat, and even then, rarely did he go out on calls. They bothered him too much and he was thinking of quitting, until he finally went out on one special call...
