Scars That Mend - Kiribaku Emergency Services AU

Fire. So much fucking fire.

The station bell jangled noisily as four men in their mid twenties scrambled to pull on their uniforms. Hanta, who'd been passed out on the break room couch, was tripping over his pant legs as he struggled to pull them on over his boots, making a beeline for the bay doors. Hitoshi was already pulling himself into the engine as Mirio and Chief Aizawa started up the tanker. I'd just managed to scramble up into the cab with Hitoshi as Hanta finished raising the shutters, and we screamed out of the station towards our destination.

It had been a quiet day - until that moment - and none of us had been anticipating a callout at five-am. It was nearing the shift change, so we were already flagging, but our job was to be ready at all times, no matter what. So there we were: half asleep, roaring through the streets with lights flashing and sirens blaring, heading towards a fire.

"Up here on the left." I barked at the lavender-haired man behind the wheel, who simply grunted and turned towards the tower of smoke rising from a burning cottage. I grimaced; I hated domestic fires. They always came with the most loss.

I shook my head as I tried to ignore the rising anxiety, as if shaking my head would erase the memories I'd carried since childhood. You're not an Etch-a-Sketch, I told myself, and began gearing myself up to attack the fire.

"Gas cooker exploded," Chief Aizawa grumbled over the radio, his voice strained from a double shift. "Fully involved. No information about evac."

I suppressed a shudder as we came to a halt, pausing for a fraction of a second before leaping out of the cab. Mirio and Aizawa pulled in behind us as Hitoshi climbed down, casting a sympathetic glance at me. He knew what I was thinking: there could still be someone inside.

I steeled myself as I sprinted towards the family, who were gathered a little away from the house. The mother was in hysterics, screaming about someone called Peter. Tears streamed from her cheeks as she grabbed at the people nearby, shaking them violently with a straining voice.

"Our son is still inside." The father said emotionlessly, his eyes glassy but dry. "We thought he was behind us. He was right there..."

I froze for a split second. Hitoshi's voice was muffled as he asked the family for more information. I could barely hear the sound of Mirio and Aizawa unfurling the line. All I could focus on was the roar of the house being devoured by fire, and the distant but distinct screams of a child from within.

Shit.

Before I knew what was happening, I was sprinting towards the building at full speed, kicking in the blackened door. Chief Aizawa was yelling but his voice was distant as I barrelled through the doorway, kicking charred furniture out of the way, my head empty aside from the thought of finding Peter.

I have to prevent people from dying. That's my job.

His cries had gotten quieter in the creaking house. I choked; I hadn't grabbed a breather and the smoke was thick inside the building. Shit. I cursed myself for being such an idiot, cursed the smoke, cursed the cooker for causing the fire. Finally, I cursed the damn fire for existing.

No, I thought. Negativity is pointless. Find Peter.

"Help..." A quiet mewl came from behind one of the rear doors in the main hall. The voice was small and strained - but alive. I could still save him. The only problem was that between myself and that door was a wall of flame - completely impassable without severe injury. I saw only one way through - completely stupid and incredibly dangerous, but it could work.

I could hear Aizawa from a distance, ordering me to clear the building. Not without Peter.

"I'm coming, stay low!" I bellowed over the roar.

I sighed. To hell with safety. I knew exactly what I was about to do.

I squeezed my eyes shut at sprinted towards the fire at full speed. Just before I reached it, I kicked a smouldering end table into my path, right into the centre of the flames, creating a momentary window for me to pass. I leapt, vaulting the table, thinking I'd just made it - convincing myself I'd made it.

Either I was ignoring the prickling feeling on my forearm, or I was too hopped up on adrenaline to really feel it. Idiot.

I barged through the door, surveying the room quickly. The small boy was cowered in the corner, covering his mouth with his arm. Good job, I thought proudly, silently commending him for knowing not to breathe in the smoke. I rushed forward and immediately scooped the boy into my arms, scanning the room for an alternative exit.

A window. Perfect.

I tossed Peter onto my shoulder without a word and smashed out the blackened window with my elbow, brushing the remaining shards aside before I climbed through. Smoke billowed out of the egress point as I scrambled into the garden at the rear of the house, hearing the sirens as the Paramedics arrived in ambulances.

"Side gate." I heard Peter choke weakly, devolving into a coughing fit. Shit, kid. Just hold on a few more seconds, I promise you'll be okay.

I scurried round, kicking through the gate and rushing him to the waiting ambulance. Two Para's were on the scene already, with another ambulance pulling in just behind. I lowered the boy onto the stretcher without a word, then stepped back as they began treating him.

My head spun once the boy was in the hands of the professionals. I crouched low, feeling the edges of my vision start to white out, my fingers losing sensation. The adrenaline was wearing off, and I was oxygen-deprived.

"Dude, are you okay?" A voice cut through the roar of blood pumping in my ears. I looked up to see Denki, who I'd met a few times on the job, but also got drinks with after shift occasionally. The canary-blonde was bending down to check me over, grimacing at the charred sleeve of my jacket.

"He's an idiot." Aizawa huffed as he rushed past, going to help Mirio douse the flames.

"I ran inside without any kit." I laughed, grinning sheepishly. "Had to save the kid, you know?"

"Damn, man!" Denki cried, his eyes growing wide at my confession. "Come over, we'll check you out."

He helped me up to my feet and walked me to the secondary ambulance, where the family had just been looked over by Denki's partner Deb - a grumpy middle-aged woman with short blonde hair and tired green eyes.

"Aren't you supposed to be saving people?" She taunted when I sat on the back of the rig, holding up a scope to my lips. "Not getting yourself hurt?"

I shrugged as she unceremoniously shoved the scope into my mouth, inspecting my throat for a few seconds. She put it to one side and pointed at my jacket.

"I need to check the rest of you." She grunted, while Denki watched on in both concern and amusement, handing me an oxygen mask while his partner continued the examination.

I laughed awkwardly and shrugged off my jacket, my stomach sinking when I felt a searing pain on my forearm where the jacket brushed the skin. Lo and behold, when the coat was off, I saw a raw-looking burn covering most of my left forearm.

"Fucking hell dude." Denki gasped, coming closer to take a look. "Well, at least it could have been worse."

"Did you even pass your exams?!" Deb growled at the blonde. "Just, go check on Izu and Ochako. Tell them we're dealing with partial-thickness burns on an idiot firefighter here and we'll be heading back ASAP."

"Idiot." Hitoshi said as he walked past the ambulances, heading back to the engine and tanker. The house was left smouldering and damp, the structure intact, nothing but a shell of what it had previously been. I sighed and turned my attention to the floor, staying silent while I was checked over.

After making sure I wasn't dying, Deb loaded me up into the rig where we were rejoined by Denki, and we headed off to the hospital.