little love

30

Maya

"19 let's move!" i call out as the klaxons go off. we are being called to the scene of a multi car wreck. we need our wits about us.

maddie has been living with carina and i for a few weeks now and it's been good. we still haven't talked about our father but i'm confident that we are making steps in the right direction.

we get to the scene and have to put my focus on what's in-front of me. "alright- miller, hughes: get the tools, get ready to start on extraction. warren, montgomery: set up triage. gibson, herrera i want you to check these cars, make sure there are no fuel leaks. let's get it done 19!"

i stand back and watch my team work. i tell dispatch we will need more aid cars. nothing out of the ordinary.

i feel my phone ring. ignore it. i need to focus. it rings again. and again. i pull it out and see that all 3 calls have been from lily.

i instantly worry about maddie. would could
be wrong??? the school day was just starting.

my phone keeps ringing. i take a moment and answer it.

"lily i'm working this better be important" i spit out

"maya i'm sorry to bother you but your dad came to the school" i freeze. "he pulled maddie out of class i don't know where they went." i'm shitting myself now "all maddie said before she got pulled out was to call you, she sounded really scared Maya." i can tell lily is upset and worried.

"thanks for letting me know, i'll handle it" i say as calmly as i can manage. i hang up.

i'm incident command. there are 3 stations here looking at me to direct them. "HERRERA" i call out over the radio

"yes cap?" andy says trotting over to me

"i need you to take over" i start to hand her the tablet i see my hands shaking. andy sees it too.

"sure maya whatever you need. what happened !?" andy says with concern as i start to take off my turnouts.

"my dad came to maddie's school. he pulled her out of class. i gotta go" i turn and start running. we are only a few miles from the station, but we are only a block away from the hospital.

as i run, i try to call maddie. no answer. i try again, and again. nothing.

i call carina, i'm almost to the hospital

"ciao bam-" she starts to greet me but i cut her off

"are you at the hospital!?" i ask frantic

"si, maya what's wrong." she can tell something's up

"meet me in the parking lot with your keys i need to borrow your car"

"maya my car? why?"

"please carina i'll explain later. i'm jogging in now"

"si, i'm on my way" i can tell she's scared. i feel badly but there's no time for that.

"maya!" i hear her call to me. she has a bottle of water in her hand, bless her. "let's go, i'm driving. where are we going"

i should've known she would come with me. she's just that good. she takes it in faith and comes with me

"i don't know but i think we need to start at my parents house" she raises her eyebrows but starts the car and pulls out "my dad showed up and pulled maddie out of school" i say filled with anxiety

she speeds up and puts one of her hands on mine and squeezes it. we don't know what it means, but it can't be good. there was a reason maddie was living in her car and not for the first time, i wonder if Lane was harder in maddie than he was in me. i wonder if he hurt her. i am terrified of what he may be doing right now.