Parallel Lives

Chapter 26: Recovery - Sabrina

   (This is gonna get extremely depressing. I hope you guys will enjoy this though)!

   It was February 2002. Crazy to think it has been five months since 9/11. I've been better since then. My injuries are fully healed and my relationship with my mom has gotten better. She got help and we are now better. I got officially diagnosed with PTSD. Soleil has been helping me since then. The teachers and students, including Justin and Leyla have been nicer towards me. Well, except for Mrs. Chandler, who resigned after my principal spoke with her to tell her not to do what she did. My new history teacher is way better, luckily.

   The firehouse got new probationary firefighters, and Tommy and I have been teaching them stuff. It's crazy that in June, it'll be a year since I joined this firehouse and for Tommy, it'll be a year in July. Now here we were teaching new firefighters. Tommy will become a full firefighter in two months. I'll officially become a firefighter in a few years, as I'm almost 15 so I need to wait.

   I was hanging out at the firehouse, since it was Sunday, when the phone rang. Captain Thomas picked it up and after a moment, called Jacob over. Jacob walked over and grabbed the phone. I noticed his face went pale. After a few moments, he put the phone down. "What's wrong?" I asked. "They want me down at the site." Jacob answered, a sense of worriness in his voice.

   The look on his face made me not want to ask why he had to go down there. "Come with me." Jacob muttered. I nodded and went to grab my gear. When we left the firehouse, we didn't exchange any words. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew it wasn't good. We eventually made it to the pile.

   Daniel's battalion chief, Chief Anderson, walked over to him. "Are you sure it's him?" Jacob asked. Once he said that, I immediately knew why we were here. They found Daniel's body. "Yes Rossi. We know it's him. His name is on his turnout coat." Chief Anderson answered. My heart sank. I knew Daniel was dead, but the wound is reopening now that his body has been found.

   We walked over to where the stretcher lay. The outline of a body laid there and was covered by an American flag. Daniel is now the last of his unit to be found after five months. His family can now have a funeral, since they refused to have one until his body was found. Daniel can finally rest in peace.

   Tears streamed down Jacob's face. He accepted that Daniel was dead, but I knew it was hurting him all over again. He bent down and laid a hand on the stretcher, where his head was. I could hear small sobs escaping out of his mouth. The pain he's experiencing will never be extinguished, and neither will mine. We lost our dad, sister, and friend, who has been Jacob's best friend since childhood.

   I bent down and hugged Jacob, rubbing his back to console him. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders as he cried. After a moment, we stood up and Jacob and other firefighters lifted the stretcher so it could be put in the ambulance. I followed closely behind as we walked. The winter air felt solemn, when it usually felt happy. Ever since 9/11, the air never felt the same. There was barely any happiness, no matter how hard we tried.

   Jacob and I went inside the ambulance with Daniel's body. We sat on either side of him, just taking the sadness all in again. Daniel's absence was felt all over again, even though we've accepted it long ago. "At least we and Daniel's family have closure." I spoke, breaking the silence. "Yeah." Jacob mumbled, sadly. Who knew closure could hurt so much?

   (Yeah. That was horrible. Poor Jacob and Sabrina. :( I hope you guys enjoyed this though. See you in the next chapter)!