F is For Falling (and other complications)

Ch. 1

A/N - This was for an alphabet challenge on FanFiction.Net. I hope you all enjoy it. **Karen is an OC of mine I've used for years in stories...I hope to post more of them over here**

It was a brutal fire; the house was a complete loss. Station 51, Engine 8 and Engine 16 had been called out in the early evening hours to a structure fire. By the time the fire department arrived on scene, the house was fully engulfed, leaving the family to stand on their front lawn in shock.

Marco and Chet had been sent around to the side of the house, to try to hold back some of the flames so they didn't reach the neighboring houses; Johnny and Roy the other side. Engine 8's linemen and captain were at the back of the house. The two linemen of 16's were working in the front of the house, Karen and Cap working with them.

Karen headed up the stairs so they could get a better handle on the flames beginning to lick up the front porch, Cap backing her up. She was on the last stair, getting ready to get on the porch, when the stair gave way beneath her.

"Karen!" Cap yelled, seeing his youngest crew member go through the stairs. He then turned the hose off, throwing it to the ground. Karen was pulling herself up and onto the deck. She sat down as Cap reached her.

"You okay?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. He could see that her shoe was torn up and her left pants leg was torn. She looked up at him then back down to her feet. It was then Cap noticed she was shaking like a leaf. "Come on, let's get you checked out."

"Sure Cap," she replied, standing unsteadily. She walked down the remaining stairs, Cap supporting her on her right side, when she stopped dead in her tracks. Cap glanced at her and was about to ask her what was wrong, but he didn't get the chance as she went down. Her knees buckled as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Cap took the full brunt of her weight, getting an arm under her legs and held her like a doll. He carried her over to the squad and carefully laid her down.

Cap then yanked his handi-talki out of his pocket, pulling the antenna up. "LA, Engine 51."

"Go ahead 51," Sam Lanier's calm voice came over the radio.

"LA, we have a Code I at this location. Please respond an ambulance and additional squad."

"10-4 Engine 51."

Cap put his HT in his pocket before looking over at his second-in-command. "Mike, keep and eye on her for a minute. I have to go get John and Roy."

"Sure Cap," Mike replied, keeping one eye on the gauges on the engine and the other on the unconscious paramedic.

Cap ran to the side of the house, signaling to Johnny that he needed them. Johnny tapped on Roy's shoulder, letting him know that something was up. Roy turned the hose off, the two men running over to their captain. "What's going on Cap?" Roy asked.

"Karen fell through the front porch stairs. I thought she was okay, until she passed out on me. Mike's watching her now, but I need you guys to look her over." Cap replied, jogging back to the squad with John and Roy in tow.

The two medics took their helmets and turnout coats off before kneeling next to Karen. As much as he hated to, Cap had to leave to continue working on knocking down the fire. A moment after he left, Karen's eyes opened. She tried to sit up, before being gently pushed back to the ground.

"Karen, you need to stay down. We need to check you out," Roy said, checking her pupil response.

She tried sitting up again, "But I'm okay Roy. I just fell through the stairs is all."

"Uh huh, just fell through the stairs is all. You also passed out, so that automatically earns you a trip to Rampart," Johnny replied, getting her vitals.