everywhere, everything | e. buckley

New Kid On The Block

season 1 episode 1

Being a first responder was no joke.

Being a first responder in the second biggest city in the nation was an even bigger challenge Tatum craved.

When she was basically forced into retirement following a chopper accident overseas, she instantly began to think about what was next for her. As an army medic, being a first responder was an easy choice for her to make. 

She was never one to back down from a challenge, so when it came to deciding on where to go she wanted a big city. New York and LA are the two biggest cities in the nation. As a Arizona native, she was not about to go to a place that has a real winter. 

The team of the 118 pushed their way into a house in Beverly Hills. A teenage boy had hit his head on a diving board and was not breathing.

"Okay, Tate, start chest compressions. Hen, start bagging him." Captain Bobby Nash instructed.

"Copy that, cap." Tatum said, kneeling down opposite of the mother. "Ma'am, LAFD. Let me take over for you." The brunette told the distressed mother. 

"Ma'am, come with me. I need to get my team in there." Bobby took the woman away from the boy. 

"All right, starting compressions." Tatum said. Despite being a US Veteran, the girl still sings Stayin Alive in her head as she does compressions. But she would never admit that.

"Pulse ox is on. Pads on." Howie, or Chim as the crew calls him, communicates.

"What can I do?" Evan Buckely, the newest one in the group, asked. 

"Give us space and learn something." Tatum told him. "Clear." She sat back, prompting Chim to shock the boy. 

"No rythem. Charging again." Tatum nodded her head, waiting for the thump of the machine.

"Resuming compressions." The girl leaned up began and began singing in her head. 

"Come on kid." She heard Evan whisper from next to her. She stopped when the kid began to cough up the water. "There we go! Let it out, let it out." 

If her brain was Spotify, her most played song would be Stayin Alive. Which is odd seeing that she has seen more death than anyone else around her. For all that she has been through, she was weirdly put together. On the outside that is. 

Despite the smile on her face and her unique laugh that is wildly contagious, she is barely hanging on. 

Some calls trigger her more than others. Typically mass casualities involving motor or air crashes and mental health calls. 

The jumper today was no different.

After her shift, Tatum found herself in her bare apartment. 

All her furniture was a dark brown that matched the trim, doors, drawers, and stairs around her apartment. Her bedding the same color as her old Army uniform. She had not personal photos or knick knacks. It was all bare. 

She curled up on her couch, wrapped in a cacoon of a black plush blanket as her comfort show, Criminal Minds, played infront of her. 

She didn't even make it to her bed that night, passing out on her couch.

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"I smell cap's meatballs!" The girl ran up the staris to the firehouse. She saw Bobby at the stove talking to Chimney as Hen set the table.

"Just for you Tate." The man said, causing the small girl to smile. 

If you saw Tatum on the street, you would never guess she was a veteran and a frist responder. The girl looked like she would snap in half the if the wind was strong enough.