Thank you for saving me.. or not.

The Save

Lieutenant Maya Deluca-Bishop hurried through the chaotic scene, her adrenaline pumping in her chest as she ascended the smoky staircase of the office building. Each step felt like a battle against the weight of the thick, acrid smoke swirling around her, but she was driven by a singular purpose: to save lives and fight fires, the very calling she had been born to do. The urgency of the moment propelled her forward, each heartbeat echoing the necessity of her mission.

As she reached the fifth floor, the world around her was cloaked in a dense haze, visibility limited to just a few feet. The sounds of crackling flames echoed ominously in the distance, mingling with the frantic beeping of alarms and the distant cries of people in distress. "Seattle Fire Department, call out!" she yelled, her voice cutting through the chaos. She could hear Andy and Theo echoing the same words a few feet behind her.

Suddenly, she heard a voice, faint but desperate, drifting through the smoke. Urging her to push forward into the room and begin her search for the source. Instantly, she began to scan her surroundings, her training kicking in as she focused on the contours of the room, trying to locate the person in need.

After a few tense seconds, she spotted him—a man crouched beneath an office desk, his eyes wide with fear and his face smudged with soot. He was low to the ground, desperately trying to shield himself from the smoke and heat, but it was clear he was struggling. Coughing violently, he looked up at her, his expression a mix of terror and relief as he recognized that help had arrived.

"You're okay!" she shouted over the noise, her voice firm yet encouraging. "I'm here to get you out! Can you walk?"

The man hesitated for a moment, his instincts screaming for him to stay hidden, but as the smoke thickened around him, he realized he had no choice. As Maya approached, his eyes widened and he instinctively reached out, gripping her arm tightly as if she were his lifeline.

Without hesitation, Maya knelt beside him, her heart going out to the frightened man. She could feel the tremors coursing through him, the raw fear radiating from his body. "I've got you," she assured him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She hoisted him up, guiding him from his refuge beneath the desk.

He coughed again, the smoke filling his lungs, but Maya remained resolute. "I'm right here," she encouraged, her voice steady despite the chaos surrounding them. Together, they navigated through the haze, Maya leading him away from the desk and toward the door. The heat from the fire pressed against them and Maya could feel sweat dripping from her forehead but she pushed forward.

As they reached the corridor, Maya caught sight of the light from the exit sign shining through the smoke. Yet, with each step, she felt the man's grip on her tighten, making it harder for her to move as she bore much of his weight. She could feel his heart racing against her side, a reminder of just how precarious their situation was. "You're doing great," she said, her eyes locked on the door ahead. "Just a little further."

Finally, they burst into the open air outside, where the coolness of the evening greeted them. Maya quickly brought him to the nearest aid car, where Ben Warren and Travis Montgomery were ready to assist. She swiftly helped him onto the gurney, ensuring he was comfortable and stable before she turned around to go back to the burning building.

"Wait! What's your name...?" he called out, glancing at her gear and reading her surname, his voice hoarse from smoke inhalation.

"I mean.. what's your first name, DeLuca-Bishop?" he rasped, his words mingling with persistent coughs.

Maya paused, caught off guard by his question. In the midst of the chaos, she hadn't thought to introduce herself. "Oh um, it's Maya," she managed to say, her focus still on the urgency of returning to the fire and helping others.