Burning Flames (Chicago Fire Fan-fiction) - Under Editing

Chapter 42: Life or Death

Gabriela Dawson's POV
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I pull off my coat, and climb through the opening. Jones follows me in as we slowly work our way through the debris.
"Jones call out for us. Your only one actually on the department." I say to her.
She gives me a look then calls out, "Chicago Fire Department. Call out."
"Help! Help us!" A woman calls out a ways away from us.
We keep moving forward until we find a woman and boy. The boys leg is trapped under a concrete slab.
I radio Casey and say, "Casey we have them, but the boys leg is trapped underneath a concrete slab. Severide, we are going to have to get some support struts in here. This slab is at least two feet thick and at least half a ton.
I'll need about four struts, cribbing, two jacks, a reverberating saw, a c-collar, and have a back board waiting."
"We'll either need to send it in, have one of you two come get it, or we'll have to find where you guys are and cut in." Severide says.
I look over my shoulder and say, "You are going to have to cut in."
"Got it. Make sure victim eyes are covered." Casey says.
Jones covers there eyes and ears, and I take here coat I lay it down and the SCBA censor starts going off. A few minutes later a saw cuts through the debris above us.
After the dust settles they lower the a ladder down. Severide climbs down with the struts and a jump bag.
As he sets up the struts I hand Jones a c-collar. She puts it on the mother, and I start setting up jacks to keep the slab from crushing the boy any farther.
As Jones takes the mother up the ladder, and comes back down. I crank up the jacks little by little until the boy starts coughing up blood.
"Shit. Shay, get down here. Now!" I shout.
Mills comes down the ladder, and says, "Shay is busy. I'm all you got."
I nod as Jones comes over, and hands me an incubation tube.
As I start to open it I say, "We have to incubate before he drowns in his own blood. There is most likely internal bleeding so we have to be careful.
Start incubating while Jones and I keep trying to free him.
"Dawson, I'm going to need all the help I can get over here." Mills says.
"I got it, Dawson. All I have to do is get a jack under this back corner, jack it up, and insert the cribbing." Jones says.
I shake my head and say, "I don't like it, but okay. Make sure not to lift it too high. If you do this slab will crush his lungs."
She nods as I turn to Mills and we start incubating. We are about to start bagging when the wall beside us explodes.
Jones is thrown to the ground, and the blast sends me back three feet. I hit a ree-bar behind me, and it sticks through my shirt. It misses my skin by centimeters.
I can't move, and Mills is a few feet away from me. I don't see Severide or Jones anywhere.
"Severide, Mills, Jones, Dawson. Report! Report! Dammit, somebody report back!" Matt yells over the radio.
I radio him, and say, "Casey, I'm fine. Mills is a few feet away from me, and Severide, Jones, and our victim are missing."
"Hold on. There was another bomb that went off just on the other side of the ruble that you were working by. We are working our way to you guys." Casey radios.
I radio, "Got it. Matt, hurry. Mills isn't looking to good... and Jones was right next to that ruble."
"What about you? Do a self-check." He says.
I look down at myself, and see a small gash on my arm. My Bunker gear is still intact, and everything else is fine.
"I have a cut about 1/4 inches deep and 2 inches long. That's it." I say over the radio.
With no reply I let myself relax as much as possible. Dust starts to stir as the ruble above me shifts, and disappears. I stare up through the dust at Casey, Shay, and Herman.
Shay and Casey come down, and I point over to Mills. Then say, "Take care of him first. Herman I need my coat, and a halligan. Shay, I need some guaze pads, wrap, and tape."
She hands it to me as Casey takes my jacket from Herman.
"Hey, Matt, hand me that disinfectant wash please." I say pointing to the brown bottle in the jump bag beside Shay.
He hands it to me, and I pour it over the gash in my arm. I wipe it off with a gauze pad, tape a different gauze pad on it, and wrap in the wrap.
I pull on my jacket, gloves, and helmet. I take the Halligan from Herman, and go over to the ruble. I start searching the ruble when Severide comes out of a small pile of ruble and dirt.
"I'm fine. Just covered in pebbles and dust. I'll go get a jump bag for you." He says as he climbs out.
I keep moving ruble until I find an arm. Severide comes over to me as I pull my gloves off, and check her pulse.
My face goes white as I start digging again. I find Jones with a hand loosely wrapped around the boy.
"Ok, guys... ok let's get a back board in here and we're going to pull Jones out. On the co-" I start to say when Severide interrupts me and says, "If we pull her out first, Dawson, think about what will happen to that boy... We need something else."
I shake my head and say, "Ok. Um... lets get any spare crank jacks down here and as much cribbing as possible. We'll need to pull... pull the boy out first. Let's get that down here. Now."
Severide nods, and they start handing jacks and cribbing down. I put a jack underneath the ruble and start to jack it up.
After I have all the jacks put in, and all the cribbing stacked I put a c-collar on the boy, and pull him out. We put him on a back board, and send him out.
I pull Jones out, and check the pulse in her neck. I fall back on my knees, and Mills checks her pulse. His head falls a little as he says, "Calling it. 10:36 am. Let's get her pulled out."
I stare at her body until it's gone pulled up the ladder.
I stare at the empty space, until Casey pulls me to my feet, and sends me up the ladder. Everyone starts cheering, and patting me on the back. Forgetting about the dead firefighter.
I walk, and keep walking. Leaving the scene, my family, and friends behind. I turn a corner, and realize I'm standing in the Chaplain's office.
"Gabriela, haven't seen you in a long time. What's going on?" Chaplain asks as I sit down on the couch in his office. I switch off my radio and look up at Chaplain Rolinski.
"She's dead... she's dead because instead of having her help Mills I let her put the jacks in. I let her put the jacks in, and now she's dead." I say as I start to sob.
I pull my gloves off, and cry into my hands. I say again, more to myself than the Chaplain, "She's dead because I let her put the jacks in..."