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Sloane Hart felt overwhelmed with an indescribable emotion as she walked into the new fire station. Station 118 was a completely new place for her, but managed to bring back familiar feelings she felt when she had walked into her old firehouse for the first time. This house was filled with new people who did not know her or her past, who she would have to meet and eventually get along with to do their jobs and save lives.
Her eyes carefully assessed the details of the open space as she continued her stroll between the fire engine and ladder truck, her hand reaching out briefly to swipe against the recently shined red paint. It was smooth and cool under her fingertips, comforting in contrast to the warm air flowing through the open station doors.
This place is your fresh start, she silently reminded herself as she pulled her hand away.
"Hart!"
Sloane looked up in the direction of the voice that had called her name, directing a nervous smile toward her new Captain, Bobby Nash, who stood at the railing on the upper level, waving her up to join him.
She quickly located the stairwell leading up to the mezzanine, where she found a group of firefighters sitting around a table in the center of the floor. Adjacent to the dining area was a fully functioning kitchen, Bobby having returned to the stovetop after calling Sloane upstairs.
Sloane had begun subtly assessing the new crew seated at the table as she approached. But her steps faltered when she spotted a familiar-looking birthmark present on one of their faces. His attention turned towards the dark-haired man seated next to him; the two had been so engrossed in their conversation that they had not even acknowledged her arrival.
Forcing herself to recover before anyone noticed, she focused instead on an approaching figure, who had just stood up from his seat at the table to be the first to introduce himself to the new hire.
The Asian man in front of her had a big, welcoming grin as he thrust his hand in her direction. Sloane took his eager hand with a smile, shaking it firmly before dropping hers back to her side as he initiated verbal introductions.
"I'm Howie, but everyone around here calls me Chimney."
"Don't ask, you have to earn the answer," a dark-skinned woman spoke up as Sloane opened her mouth to question the odd nickname. She looked at the unnamed woman who stood a few steps behind Chimney. "I'm Hen. Let me show you to the locker room so you can put your stuff away, and then we'll set you up with a plate."
"That'd be great, thank you," Sloane expressed her gratitude, nodding in agreement as Hen brushed past her, leading the way back toward the stairwell. Sloane moved to follow behind her but briefly turned back to Chimney. "I'm Sloane, by the way."
Sloane then moved to follow after Hen, maintaining pace behind her as Hen led her to the locker room on the main floor. Hen then showed her the location of her locker, watching as Sloane dumped her bag into the assigned space before they moved out of the room and to a row of open equipment lockers along the sidewall of the firehouse, where they encountered all of the turnout gear.
