PLAYING WITH FIRE

Chapter 105: Structure Fire

As if on cue, the station intercom crackled to life, the sound of the dispatch officer's voice breaking through. "19, this is dispatch. We have a structure fire at 123 Main Street. Requesting immediate response."

Maya wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath, forcing herself to ignore her lingering nausea and fatigue. She had a job to do, and she wasn't going to let her condition get in the way.
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A/N: Continued day 2 IVF

She turned to Vic, her voice a little hoarse but full of determination. "Let's go. We have a fire to put out."

Vic nodded, her expression showing a mix of worry and respect. "You sure you're up for this, Cap? You know we don't want you passing out on us on the scene."

Maya steadied herself against her desk, her legs a bit shaky. "I'm fine, Vic. I've been through worse. We have a job to do, and I don't want my personal issues getting in the way of that. Let's go."

Vic hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay, but if you start feeling worse, I'm putting my foot down. We're not risking your health for the sake of a call."

Maya nodded, appreciating Vic's concern. "I got it. Let's just get out there and save some lives."

The two of them headed out of the office and into the barn, where the rest of the team was already gearing up for the call. Maya did her best to cover the signs of her illness but her fatigue and tear-streaked face were hard to hide.

As Maya checked the time on her watch, a pang of realization hit her. 6 PM. It was the time for her hormone injection. Right in the middle of a call.

She muttered a curse under her breath, frustrated that her body had to complicate things even further. But she knew she couldn't ignore it. The injection was crucial to her fertility treatment, and she didn't want to risk skipping it.

She turned to Vic, her voice a whisper. "Cover for me for a moment, okay? I need to take care of something."

Vic raised an eyebrow, sensing the urgency in Maya's tone. "Sure, Cap. Just be quick, alright?"

Maya nodded and quietly retreated to the locker room. She rummaged through her backpack, her hands shaking slightly as she retrieved the pre-prepared injection.

She sat down on a nearby bench, her mind racing with a mixture of emotions. It felt almost ironic that her journey to become a mother was taking such a difficult toll on her body.

Maya gritted her teeth as she felt the needle enter her skin, the injection of hormones burning slightly. She grunted softly, the discomfort adding to the cocktail of feelings swirling inside her. In her pocket, her phone buzzed twice, signalling a new message.

She pulled it out and saw that it was from Carina: "Thinking about you, Bambina. You're the strongest and bravest person I know. <3"

Despite her pain and exhaustion, the message gave her a small burst of courage, the knowledge that her fiancée was thinking of her at that very moment like a balm to her soul.

She sent a quick reply, "Love you. <3" before putting her phone back into her pocket and focusing on getting through the call.

With her injection done, Maya took a few deep breaths to steady herself. She stood up, her legs still a bit shaky, and took a moment to compose herself before heading back out to join her team.

As she walked back into the barn, Vic shot her a worried glance. "You alright, Cap? You look a little pale."

Before she could respond, another wave of nausea hit her forcefully. She only had enough time to find the nearest trash can before she was retching into it again.