Caught in the Flames

Chapter Forty-Eight

Okay, so I'm starting something new. I'm one of those writers that I have to have a ton on my plate or I get bored. I doplan on finishing all of my WIPs, but I wanted to try something different. Anyhow, this will be a drabble-ish fic. My chapters will be a thousand words or less, unless the chapters lend themselves to something longer (i.e., a lemon...). We're also going to be switching back and forth, every five chapters between our two favorite characters, Edward and Bella...

As always, none of this is mine. I'm just the perv who want to make our beloved Twilight characters swear, drink, and go at it like horny rabbits. This story will be a combination of love, suspense, some violence and steamy, sweaty sex.

On with it!

Chapter Forty-Eight

EPOV

Emmett and I arrived at the station. We ran to put on our spare uniforms we kept in our lockers before changing into our turnout gear. Everyone was called in. Before we got onto our respective rigs, Garrett and his partner, Chief Wilson Bodine, gave us a heads up to what we're dealing with.

"We have a train derailment in the loop. Due to the heat, some of the mechanisms were not functioning properly. On top of that, the train engineer fell asleep since he had been on for over thirty-six hours. A brown line train rear ended a purple line train. Casualties are unknown at this time, but it's the infrastructure of the el platform that we're worried about," Garrett explained."The police are working on evacuating businesses and cars, but it's slow going. We've been assigned to the brown line train. Be on the lookout for survivors...let's do this!"

We all nodded and clambered onto our respective fire trucks. Jake drove us to the location, in the heart of the loop. He parked the truck and we gathered our gear, running up the steps to see the carnage of the derailment. "Holy shit," Seth squeaked behind me. "How can there be survivors?"

I shook my head. The last two cars of the purple line train were crushed and the brown line train was on its side, splayed across the two tracks. Looking further up the tracks, the front of the purple train was dangling dangerously on the edge of the fence. With the slightest blow of wind, it could tumble onto the streets below. "Okay," I began. "Ben and Seth, work from the back of the brown train. I want you to help any passengers who are mobile to get off the train. Anyone else, call down to Angela or Jessica. If it's an extrication situation, radio me or Jacob. Mike and Jake, you're with me. We're going to work from the front of the train."

"It's probably going to be a lot of..." Mike cringed.

"I hope you didn't eat a lot today," I said flatly. "Let's go."

Before we crossed the tracks, we made sure that the third, electrical track was turned off. I didn't want one of my guys to have their heart stop because they were electrocuted. Thankfully, it was disabled and we crawled into the car. The front portion of it was completely crushed. Nearly twenty feet of the train was smashed together. Whoever was sitting in that front car probably...

Didn't make it.

I shook my head, opening the door to the second car. The smell of metal, blood and tears filled our noses. The air was murky but we couldn't detect a fire. We walked towards the front, checking on the victims. Most were dead or very close to it. I radioed for paramedics and EMTs. We needed more of them and less of us. This was more of a medical situation than anything.

"Do you think that there is going to be any survivors up here?" Jake asked.

"We have to hope," I said, making my way to the first car. Forcing the door open, this car was a jumbled piece of metal. A few crackles of electricity filled the air and the sounds of moaning assaulted our ears. We slowly worked from the front of the car, checking on the passengers.

"Help..." came a weak voice near back of the car. Mike and Jake were working on extricating a woman who was pinned between a set of chairs. I walked to the back, searching for the weak voice.

"Call out," I commanded. A bloodied hand reached up and I scrambled to it. Taking it, I saw a young woman. "We're here to help you," I said calmly. "I'm Edward."

"I need you to find my baby," she panted. "I'm already gone." Looking down, there was a metal bar protruding from her stomach and she was bleeding heavily. "My daughter was in a car seat next to me...please!"

"Okay," I said. She nodded, swallowing deeply. Her eyes drifted closed. I began searching for the car seat. Crawling around, I found it nestled behind a mess of seats. A soft baby's cry was muffled by the plastic. "JAKE, MIKE! I need you!" I barked. They stopped what they were doing and walked over to me. "We have to get these chairs away. There's a baby trapped beneath them." Working quickly, we tore at the metal bars and plastic chairs. The baby's cries were growing louder. The noise was scaring her. Ten minutes later, the chairs were away and I carefully pulled the car seat out of the rubble. "Hey, baby girl," I cooed, looking at her. She was a screaming by this point. Her face was red and covered with some scratches. "It's okay, sweetie."

I carried the car seat to where the mother was pinned. I crouched down. "We found her," I said to the panting mother.

"Is she okay?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"We'll have get her checked out. What's her name?" I asked.

"Melanie," her mother replied. Her eyes were glassy and she was slipping away. "Tell her that mommy loves her and that I'll always watch over her."

"What's your name, ma'am?" I asked.

"Lydia," she breathed. "Lydia Snyder. Please, make sure she gets the help that she needs. Please..." Lydia gasped and the light in her eyes flicked away.

"Lydia? Lydia?" I shouted, shaking her. I pressed my fingers to her neck and she was gone. I looked down at the screaming baby girl. My heart broke for her. This little girl, if she didn't have a father, was now an orphan. Mike and Jake nodded somberly. I clutched the car seat and went back down to the street level. Handing the baby to Angela, I gazed at the baby's scrunched up face. Sadness washed over me.

"Edward, is the baby alright?" Angela asked.

"The car seat was trapped behind some seats. She's got some facial scrapes but I don't know otherwise. Mom is dead, though," I said quietly. "Baby is called Melanie, Melanie Snyder and Mom was Lydia."

"We'll take good care of her, Edward," Angela murmured, patting my shoulder. I nodded, caressing the baby's cheek before turning to go back to the wreckage.

A/N: Too bad for Lydia, but at least her baby is safe. Leave me some!!!

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