Nothing Good Ever Happens

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it," Ross told them, bracing herself. "She's been diagnosed with Stage two leukemia." Ross heard the gasps and watched as faces drop. "I'm sorry that I had to be the one to tell you but I figured I should let you know. She's going to be moved to a new room tonight and start treatment tomorrow." Ross told them.

"There's something else," Travis stated. "I can see it on your face. What aren't you telling us?"

Ross sighed. "I - Um. again, I'm sorry I had to be the bearer of bad news but even if Andy beats this, she won't be able to return to firefighting."

"Please tell me that's a joke."
"Herrera? Not a firefighter anymore?"

"There's no way."

Responded rang through the beanery.

"Enough!" Ross bellowed. "I know this isn't what any of you want to hear, but this is the reality of what's happening right now."

Silence overcame the group, all the firefighters were shocked and saddened by the news.

"Is anyone with her right now?" Ross heard Maya ask.

"Robert is with her right now. 'A' shift is off the clock in 3 hours so I've called in 'B' so you can leave sooner. Until they come the station is also out of rotation so you're all free to get changed but we need you here in case there is an emergence and they need more firefighters."

'A' shift, still too shocked to say anything, gets out of their chairs and walks to the locker room. They all rush to get changed and make their way into the barn, Chief Ross having told them to meet them there.

"This is so messed up. Andy won't ever get the chance to come back to 19 now." Vic said, running a hand over her face.

"She was going to become captain, so yes, it is. It's extremely messed up." Ross blurted out, not wanting to hold back from the 19 family.

"What?"

"Are you serious"

"Well, this fucking sucks."

"Alright, I know it's big news. I know that Andy won't be coming back to work soon, if at all. And if she was, it would've been as 19's new captain next shift.." Ross raised a hand to stop anyone from interrupting. "Two things I forgot about before though. I need to speak to Beckett. And I need to know what the hell happened in a routine house fire."

Everyone looked around at each other.

"He sent us back in for a secondary sweep when we had already cleared the family of five from the house," Vic blurted out and everyone looked at her. "Sorry, I'm sorry. But she asked and I'm not about to lie to her when the situation is so serious."

Ross looked pissed, an expression none of the firefighters had seen before.

"Where the hell is Beckett?" She asked a growl in her voice.

"If he's not in his office or the gym, maybe the roof," Travis told her and Ross raced out of the barn, yelling nobody leaves over her shoulder.

When Ross got to the roof she tried to keep her anger from coming up but well...

"Beckett!" Ross yelled and he turned to face her and before he could get a word out Ross continued, "No. I need to ask you a question and you need to answer honestly." Sean nodded. "Did you call for a secondary check when everyone was already accounted for?"

"I did, I just wanted to be cautious Chief Ross." Beckett tried to defend.

Ross shakes her head. "Until an official report is filed, you're off duty." Ross raises a hand to stop him from saying anything. "You're not fired, Beckett. At most, you'll probably be demoted."

"Chief Ross, I'm seriously going to be demoted over taking a chance that there could have been more people in the house?"

"Yes. because you took a chance when you got intel that there was only a family of five living in that house who came from a neighbour who had lived there her whole life," Ross asked, nose flaring.

"Look, I'm sorry Herrera got injured. I am. But I was just being cautious." Beckett continued to try to defend.

"Beckett, go home. The rest of 'A' shift is off too." Ross told him, running a hand through her hair. She listens to Beckett's footsteps get further and when she hears the door close, she exhales. Fucking hell. She thinks.

S19S19S19S19S19S19S19S19S19S19S19S19S19S19S19S19S19S19

Back in the barn the rest of 'A' shift was talking about Andy, none knowing how to handle the news that they're losing the glue of the team.

"This is terrible," Travis whispered.

"It's more than terrible, Trav. It's horrible, it's devastating. It just hurts. Andy is the heartbeat of this house and we're losing her as a firefighter." Vic replied, sighing and leaning against one of the rigs.

"What's going to happen next?"

"Well," 'A' shift hears Ross' voice "First of all, you wait for 'B' shift to come in and then you figure out where to go from there."

"This fucking sucks," Maya said aloud and everyone nods.

I hope I did 19's first reactions to justice. I will be going into more detail about how each member is feeling though. The next chapter WILL have Andy in it too, just felt appropriate to let 19 know what happened.