Ashes

The Powers Out

Casey

Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61, Ambulance 47. Car Accident. 95th Ashburton drive
It was late at night a couple days before Christmas. I'd just gone to bed before the bells run. Shift had started about an hour ago, which meant I wouldn't be home to see Gabby all of tomorrow. The baby was doing well though, that gave me some comfort from being away from her. It was freezing and a blizzard had just started in the cold night air. I pulled my beanie over my ears as Cruz drove us to the scene. When we arrived I saw a car crashed into a light pole, the pole tilting dangerously sideways. The driver from the car had fled, but there were beer bottles across the front seat. The passenger lay there unconscious and the woman that had been hit was in pretty bad shape. She looked cut and bruised up. "Alright I was everyone was 81 with extinguishers in case that pole goes down," I called. "Squad get working to get that passenger out," Boden called. "Shay, Rafferty, you don't have long before that pole comes down." "Copy that chief. Casey give us a hand," Shay said to me. I bent down beside the woman laying in the snow. "Hold this. I have to intubate," shay said handing me the tube. Watching a paramedic work on a victim is like watching the first embers of a fire start. It just looks incredible. The precision and way that their hands work blows me away. "Tube." Shay said holding out her hand. I passed it over just as squad were pulling the passenger from the car. "Casey that poles going to go!" Boden called. Shay quickly put a c collar around the woman's neck and we slid her on to the backboard. "Move now!" All three of a grabbed the backboard and ran just as the pole came down on top of the car. As the pole fell all the lights went out along the street and in the houses. "Woh," Herrmann said looking around at the empty. Boden looked around at the residents and on lookers to the accident. Without heaters people would freeze tonight. I know that our new place is on the same grid as this street, which probably means Gabby has no power. "Anyone who is without power tonight, you are most welcome to come back to firehouse 51. We have a back up generator and working heaters." Boden called. I looked over at truck, "pack up the equipment, I want to go make sure Gabby has power." They nodded at me and out all the tools away before we all clambered back into the truck again.

~~~

I unlocked the front door with the keys in my pocket and tried to turn on the light. No luck. The house was already freezing without the heater going for 15 minutes. I climbed the stairs to the bedroom and turned on my torch before sitting on the edge of the bed. "Hey Gabby? Baby?" I asked shaking her shoulder slightly. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, it didn't take long for her to start shivering, "it's freezing in here." "I know. The powers out. Let me take you back to the firehouse." She nodded and I helped her out of bed. I handed her my cfd jumper to put over her top and then her ugh boots. I grabbed her warm winter jacket from the wardrobe and wrapped it around her. She tiredly walked down the stairs with her hand in mine under the guidance of my torch light. Once I got in the truck I helped Gabby up onto my lap and she cuddled into me. "How you doing Dawson?" Herrmann asked rubbing her shoulder. "Tired," she mumbled slightly, I let out a light chuckle with the other guys as she closed her eyes.

Once we got back to the firehouse I took Gabby down to my office and she fell asleep in my bunk while everyone started to accommodate the general public who were coming in and trying to keep warm. I led some into the bunk room where they could fall asleep, and some adults went into the common room to watch TV while children slept in the beds. "Chief Dawson's going to stay the night in my office is that okay?" "Whatever you need Casey. It doesn't bother me."