Burning Flames ¦ Evan Buckley

Chapter 28 - Changing

Another day, another shift. The team rolled in, chatting away to one another only to be met with Bobby sitting in his own clothes at the dining table. "Hey, Cap. Why are you setting up here in your civvies? And how come I am not smelling my breakfast huh?" Chimney asked, being the first one up the stairs.

"Maybe you should all sit down," Bobby spoke.

"Oh. This doesn't feel good" Hen spoke, everyone's faces dropping.

El stood with Eddie and Buck, the three of them exchanging mutual looks of confusion. "All right. I know the shift's about to start but I wanted to be here to tell you this in person" Bobby began. El could feel her heart drop in her stomach. "As of this morning, pending further investigation, I am officially suspended from my duties here at the 118."

"What?!" El and Buck both blurted out.

"Why? That's insane" Buck spoke. "Suspended for what?"

"For not disclosing what happened in Minnesota before I took the job" Bobby explained.

"Minnesota? That's old news" Buck continued, still confused.

"Well, not to them and if they knew all the details, there's a very good chance they never would've hired me" Bobby sighed, staying strong for the team.

"Cap...you don't owe them that part of you" Hen spoke in a soft tone before it turned passionate "You owe them your record."

"All of the people you've helped," Buck added.

"The lives you've saved," Eddie also added.

"The way you've guided us all" El spoke, looking around at everyone, all of them having been given their own guidance from Bobby and mentorship.

"Well, I knew the truth would catch up to me one day" Bobby nodded, it was clear he was in pain. "I just figured by the time it did, it wouldn't matter. I would have nothing to lose. I was wrong"

The selfish part of El was now wired and zapping, her heart rate picking up significantly as she thought about her life and her secrets being revealed, causing her to lose one of the only things she cared about.

Chimney was given the role of interim Captain which was no surprise seeing as he had been in the 118 the longest and was likely the most mature option. That was a short lived experience though as Chimney was already beginning to grind everyone's gears.

-

"Barry Johnson, 57. Seems to have had some sort of existential crisis after lunch. Threw all his money off the roof and then decided to jump after it. Falls 20 stories and lives." Athena caught them up, walking alongside the first responders.

"20 stories? How is that even possible?" Buck questioned, cocking his brow.

"We also got a few greedy bystanders with minor injuries. Not sure how you want to handle those." Mikey said, motioning towards the people that had gotten injured fighting over the raining bills.

"That's up to the Cap." Hen retorted as Chim pulled into the scene.

"Interim Cap." Buck interjected, "This is just temporary until Bobby comes back."

"When is that-" Mikey started only to be cut off by Chimney.

"You keep telling yourself that, Buck." He looked over towards the patient and his eyes widened, "Woah, alright.. I'll take spinal precautions." He walked over to the patient forgetting for a moment that his job was to tell the others where to go in this situation, leaving them standing there, staring in his direction fr guidance. "Right, I'm the Captain. Hen, Eddie.. You're with him. Buck, go with El Triage the minor injuries. And I'll get the jaws."