Treacherous Temptations [Chaennie]

Worry

"Whitlock, take the ten foot ladder with Taehyung," Jeon called, pointing his firefighters towards the upstairs window where the man was waving frantically, screaming for help into the cool dawn air.

The flames curled out of the downstairs windows, burning the frames and sending coils of grey smoke into the dark sky. Engine 17 and Ladder 7 were parked at either end of the plot with Ambulance 67 drawn up behind the latter. Jennie and Kang had already set up a stretcher near the base of the ladder up which Taehyung was beginning to climb.

"Hurry!" the man cried, looking back into the smoke filled room behind him and coughing heavily. "My daughter, she's not moving!"

Jeon turned to Roseanne. "You up for this, Park?"

"Sure, Lieutenant," she nodded, moving towards Whitlock who was holding the ladder steady.

"Ok, mate," Taehyung said as he reached the man. "I'm going to need you to climb out onto this ladder and we'll get you down."

"I can't leave Felicity," the man screamed, turning back towards his daughter.

"My colleague is coming right up behind me," Taehyung assured. "We'll get her out. But first, we need to get you down ok?"

The man turned back to the firefighter, panic and fear evident even through the coating of ash on his face. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded and moved back towards the window. Taehyung helped him climb carefully onto the window ledge and then turn around to place a foot firmly on the metal ladder. Soon, the two men were descending safely.

"Please," the man said to Roseanne, who quickly began to climb as soon as the father was on the ground. "Bring her out to me."

Roseanne didn't reply, the sound of the flames eclipsing the plea as she ascended towards the heat of the fire. As she reached the top, she peered into what was evidently a young child's bedroom and spotted the small girl lying on the floor beside the bed. The smoke wasn't too thick but Roseanne slid her mask on anyway. Jennie's eyes watched from the ground as Kang tried to calm the man down enough to check him over. The brunette's breath hitched as Roseanne swung herself in through the smoking window frame and dropped out of sight.

Keeping low to the floor, Roseanne crawled towards Felicity. The girl looked no older than three, her blonde hair discoloured by the smoke and her eyes closed. Roseanne felt for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's alive," she radioed to Jeon before scooping the child into her arms and returning to the window.

Martin was waiting at the top of the ladder when Roseanne reached the fresh air. He held his arms out to receive the unconscious child and they carefully exchanged her weight.

"Got her?" Roseanne asked. Will nodded and began to climb slowly downwards, keeping one hand on the rail and the other holding Felicity closely to his body.

Jennie wheeled a second stretcher towards the ladder and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Roseanne climb back out of the window and begin her own descent.

"Lay her down," she instructed Martin, focused on her job immediately as the small child reached the safely of the ground. As soon as the child was on the stretcher and a neck brace in place, they quickly wheeled the victim away from the burning house so Engine 17 could begin their work.

As Jennie fitted an oxygen mask and checked the girl's body for burns, Roseanne appeared beside her.

"Is she ok?" she asked, wiping her sweaty brow.

"Smoke inhalation but she's breathing by herself. The oxygen will be replenished soon and she should wake up naturally."

"Good," Roseanne sighed, moving off towards Jeon to see what he wanted her to do.