343 || Firefighters of 9/11

T H R E E

What?

I almost could not believe what dispatch just said.

They didn't just say that...

All of our heads jerked up simultaneously as we looked at each other in disbelief for a few seconds. Dispatchers has messed up before, but if this was a huge mistake...

Looking around, I could tell, we all looked like we were all on the same page.

They dispatched our entire station. Everyone had to go. Engine. Squad. Truck. Ambo. I could faintly hear them sending out many other stations, but it was like the words were going in and out one ear as I thought through all of the things this call could possible be. A mistake? Someone called it in wrong... Maybe? Hopefully?

Gearing up and jumping in the fire truck, Mark jumped in the front seat after everyone else was in the truck. I saw him glance back at me like he wanted to say something but I quickly looked out the window, trying to dodge whatever he had to say. Mentally, I started to prepare for anything and everything that was about to happen. Why would a plane hit the World Trade Center? This was all so confusing.

The thought, This can't be real, ran through my head over and over. Our driver pulled up and parked a block down from the towers. No way. I sighed as I saw the destruction that had already happened. It's real.

No one was a doubter on our rig anymore.

Smoke billowed out of the top of the north tower along with what I could only tell was a gigantic hole from where it was all coming out.

Maybe, we both should have taken the day off, Mark. We might be able to help many people get out of this tragedy today, but we won't be able to get them all. We might not even be able to save our own lives.

Jumping out of the truck, almost in a state of what I assume is shock, I threw on my helmet and walked over to where our chief was standing. We all joined around him.

Joining the group that was taking orders surrounding our chief, a few of them were sent in with a hose, some of them were sent to go set up multiple(but extremely necessary) triage areas. He looked at the last two he had yet to give orders, Mark and I stood there. Looking at him, Mark and I were all fully geared up other than packs, "Get on your SCBA. You're going in."

I nodded, almost nubbly. I've prepared my entire career for this. We'll all be fine... I continued to tell myself that line like a montra as I got closer and closer to the building.

Grabbing a pack, I started to walk through the crowd of people that were already running out of the building that we were about to go inside of, possibly to never walk out of.

9:00am

I almost made it to the front entrance of the north tower when I felt someone grab my wrist. They pulled me to face them. Immediately, I recognized him as Mark. "I can't do this. You're going to make me cry," I said, immediately trying to avoid a goodbye.

He ignored my plea. "Don't worry about me," he stated plainly, "Do your job without worrying about me coming back to you, so if it comes down to it... Save yourself. Don't make me worry about you being okay. I know it's our job bu-" he cut himself off, to many words, not enough time, "Help as many people as you can. I know we've only been dating for three months, but from the looks of it this could be the last day, Logan," he kissed me on the cheek. We were both keeping a tight grip onto each others turnout coats, "I love you."

"You should have save our first I love you for when we get out of this mess later today."

He sighed, "We might not make it out. You know that..."