One Chicago: Linstead

Chapter 42: The Long Run

"Cole, something isn't right." Erin exclaimed. She held her stomach tightly.

"What's wrong." Cole asked calmly, getting her to the car.

"The babies. It doesn't feel right. Something weird is... I don't know it feels wrong."

Cole drove her to the hospital.

"Erin, you're okay. You're babies are fine. It looks as if they were fighting, just kicking at each other." The doctor stated. "Would you like to know the sexes?"

"Um, I don't know." She looked at Cole.

"That's up to you, Hun." He held her hand tightly.

"Sure." She smiled, watching the babies move on the screen as he checked.

"Looks like we have a boy, and a... Hang on, I'll be right back." The doctor said.

"Oh no. Something must be wrong. Why would he do that? Oh god. Somethings wrong."

"Erin, calm down, the stress isn't good for the babies. Calm down. It's okay." He comforted. He kissed her to get her to shut up.

"Hi, I'm sorry. Let me check this for you." A new doctor came in. "So you have a boy and a girl. Everything looks fine, he didn't mean to scare you back there, he thought he saw something, but he's new here so don't you worry." The new doctor explained.

"Thank you, doctor." Cole said. As the doctor left, Erin sat up and pulled on her clothes as Cole had his back turned.

"See, everything is okay." Cole said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, it's just, I'm paranoid, a bit, I guess." Erin confessed.

"That's okay." Cole said, hugging her.

"Can I ask you something?" Erin asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"Why did you stay with me? When you found out I was pregnant? Heck, when I was pregnant with twins?" Erin asked.

"Because I knew in the long run, I'd be happy with you." Cole said, truthfully.

"Well, I am." Erin said, kissing him.

"Me too." He kissed her back.

"I've got to go to work, but I'll take you home," Cole said.

Cole went to work, only to get a call as he arrived. He dropped everything and got ready as fast as he could. They loaded up the trucks and headed out. Arson. A building set on fire, half of it burnt but there were a couple people on the roof, although it was to high for the ladders. "I'll see if we can make it to the top with steps. I'll take rope with me, throw it down the side, and see if we can get those people down." Cole volunteered.

"If that's what you think," Severide agreed. "Evans, make us proud."

"Thank you, sir." Cole grabbed the rope and ran inside. He stepped over some burning wood and walked past a burnt down couch. he ran up the steps and jumped over a huge hole in the ground. Behind him part of the floor collapsed in.

"Evans, a report?" Severide called.

"So far, so good. Making my way up. A couple obstacles, nothing I couldn't handle." He kept running. After a while, he made it to the top. "Everyone, I need you guys to go down, one by one, tied to this rope, I'll go last." He tied it around a 9 year old girl who went down crying. Then he tied it around a 40 year old man who offered to stay behind. After that a 59 year old woman who looked really old. As the last people lowered, he could tell the place was burning faster. He got that down safely though. Finally, he was to go down. He tied himself up and lowered slowly. When he got to four stories high, his rope got stuck. He didn't know on what but he tried to unjam it. He busted open a window and pulled himself in. He took off the rope and ran for an exit. Cole ran down the steps, jumped over a couple holes in the ground, ran past some furniture and as he got close to the exit, and explosion threw him to the exit of the building. Slowly, Cole crawled out and took his mask off. He breathed in and out, and looked at the sky. "Thank you lord. Thank you for this life. Thank you. God, if this is my time, thank you for a great life." He breathed out. Suddenly he was lifted onto a gurney and an oxygen mask was placed on him. The whole block clapped for him and cheered him on as they put him into the ambulance.