Elmira's Embers

Two

"Pssst," Brooke whispered into Elena's dark bedroom around six-thirty in the morning. "What time were you planning on leaving? I don't want you to be late. Plus, we gotta bring Braxton back today." Braxton technically belonged to firehouse 55 as a whole, but a vet appointment had rendered him to apartment 502 with Elena and Brooke for a few days until they returned to shift.

Elena looked at the clock and shot out of bed, "In ten minutes, fuck. Thanks for waking me." She hurried a sweater over her head and struggled into a pair of jeans from her floor. "Do you need a ride?"

Watching the brunette skillfully scoop all of her hair into a dainty bun, Brooke stuttered an affirmative answer. "Pop tarts sound good?"

"Hell yeah, let's go."

✽✽✽

Growing up, Brooke always had an interest in life. In a poem she had written for a third grade project, she had compared life to a novel. Even at the age of twenty-two, the blonde believed in that metaphor. Life was a novel. The person the author, each day a new page, each age a new chapter. A single miswritten sentence could destroy its path. If a novel had a weak plot, it would never be read. A life with sickness would never be truly lived to its fullest. So like these authors, fixing plot points and making edits and readjustments, Brooke wanted to fix lives. She wanted to make the edits, and strengthen the plot. She wanted the story of life to be read. She wanted to be the reason people enjoyed it. As a paramedic there wasn't much she was able to do, but she knew with time she would fulfill her childhood dream of saving lives.

Elena was Brooke's former partner. She was even the PIC, or Paramedic In Charge, but, Elena wanted more. The pair was stationed in a firehouse and seeing those men charge into danger every shift made Elena long to join. She'd be stuck under the triage tent of the scene when she'd rather be the person pulling victims to safety. So, she sought it out. She trained hard, coming out of the academy the top of her class. Elena was very well-known among the community of badges as she had been the youngest to become a firefighter in 75 years. Not to mention she was the first woman to become a firefighter at firehouse 55. She and Brooke were separated for a bit, as Elena had bounced around stations within the Elmira Fire Department as a rookie, but they had become roommates during their partnership at 55. They had been reunited when Elena had finally got-on. Man, did that entire house party the night she got-on.

The girls eventually arrived at firehouse 55 and found the truck and engine crews gathered in the day-room. The house fell silent as the girls strode in a few minutes late.

"Mornin' fellas...and Tasha." Elena accepted a coffee from Brooke's partner and brought her duffle bag to the locker room to change into her gray uniform. Brooke had led the large canine in and took him off his leash.

"Morning ladies," Captain Prince, "care to explain the tardiness?"

Brooke looked to Elena but she had already left, "We had a bit of trouble getting Braxton out of the car."

"Right. Go get changed. Tell Riley to report to the apparatus floor in 5 for drills."

Brooke nodded, "Yes, sir."

Elena could be heard humming as she was buckling her belt and tying her hair back flawlessly. She was brought out of her daze at the sound of Brooke's footsteps. "Oh, sorry," Elena laughed, " I have that stupid song stuck in my head."

"Don't stop on my account. Captain wants you on the apparatus floor."

"Drills?" Elena gave a hearty sigh and dropped her head as Brooke nodded.

"Raise hell, Riley."

"Oh, shut it," Elena laughed, shutting her locker and heading towards the rest of Truck Company 17.

"Riley. Glad you decided to grace us with your presence," Lieutenant Daniel Mathers playfully teased the female firefighter.

"Sorry I'm late, Lieutenant, won't happen again," Elena promised.

"Alright, fellas, change out. I wanna see full turnout gear."

In record time every member of Truck 17 and Rescue Squad 8 had reported outside the station in full gear. They all looked up to see a training dummy hanging off the side of the roof, prepared for a rescue drill.

Lieutenant Elmar Tomford had ordered his Rescue Squad to stand by on this one, giving Truck the opportunity to practice. "I want you guys setting up for them."

"Okay, Riley, man the aerial. Needleman, Chacko, extract the victim from the roof," Mathers yelled.

The firefighters set to work. Elena found the handles in control of the aerial ladder and sent it up to the roof where the 123-pound 'Rescue Randy' dummy was dangling from the edge. Seasoned firefighters Dudley 'Dud' Needleman and Oliver 'Ollie' Chacko started climbing the ladder. Dud and Ollie had been in the academy together. Elena wasn't sure how long they had been at Firehouse 55, but they had been there when Elena and Brooke had been partners on Ambulance 11. The two mustached men came down with Randy and a few Squad members, Bay Knox and Darwin DeSaint, returned him to the roof for the next few men to begin the drill.