Emergency Room Romance

Princeton Plainsboro is Burning Down

Chase’s POV

“So how did the big date go?” I was startled by Wilson’s appearance in the ER.

“It wasn’t a big date.” I said simply, signing my name at the bottom of some paperwork.

The truth was that nothing really came from taking Blair to dinner. It was nice, yeah, but we just talked about our lives and shared funny stories from high school. It was comfortable and nice to spend time with her outside of the hospital but she seemed distracted by something. I didn’t want to pry in case it ruined the night, but I was keeping a close eye on her all the same. I’d also informed security not to let her abusive ex back on the premises if he ever tried it. He’d messed her life up once and I wasn’t going to let him do that again to her.

“Well what happened?” I didn’t understand why Wilson was so curious.

“Nothing happened. We had dinner and we talked for a bit.” I handed the paperwork back to the nurse and turned to face the oncologist. “Why are you so interested, anyway?”

“No reason. I just hoped to find out something I could use against House. He messed up my patient list again.” Wilson shook his head and sighed.

“Robert have you seen Doctor Ross anywhere?” Blair appeared at my side, holding a large pile of folders against her green scrubs. “Hey Wilson.” She gave him a friendly smile and turned back to me.

“I just sent her up to ICU to do the rounds up there.” I told her.

“Okay good, that’s one accounted for. Since when did interns become so slippery?” She asked before moving back down a corridor, searching for the others.

“I see she’s still as busy as ever.” Wilson said, raising his eyebrows.

“Are you kidding? This is her when she’s not busy.”

The whole of the ER stopped to look up at the lights as they flickered slightly before regaining full power.

“That’s odd. I’m sure we’re not due a storm…”

When I returned from my lunch break I found panic breaking out in the ER and Blair barking orders like a professional at the interns.

“You four, go and clear out the ICU, you three, get over to paediatrics, you two are needed in oncology and the rest of you are dealing with the ER. We don’t have time to waste people, we need to get these patients outside NOW!” I was more than confused as I watched the interns race about to their designated areas of the hospital.

“Blair, what the hell is going on?”

“A fire has broken out on the other side of the hospital. Cuddy gave the order to evacuate the building.” She explained quickly. “Can you go and monitor the ICU evacuation? Cuddy needs me to monitor the evacuation on the east side.” She didn’t give me a chance to answer before she ran off.

I didn’t need to answer her though, in times like these we had no choice in the matter. It was our job to save lives and if that meant pulling beds out of a burning building then so be it.

“Doctor Chase, is that everyone out of the ICU?” Cuddy ran over to me as I wheeled another bed from the doors of the hospital.

“Yeah, this is the last guy. The smoke’s getting pretty thick down that end now though.” I said, catching my breath.

“Have you seen Doctor Lyons?” Cuddy asked me, her eyes serious.

“She was headed to the east side of the hospital to evacuate there the last time I spoke to her.” I told her, swallowing and wishing I had a cup of water for my dry throat.

“The east side was evacuated ten minutes ago. That entire side is shut off now. No one from that team has seen her.” Cuddy looked more than concerned.

“I’m going back in.”

“Chase no!”

“Yes, I’m not going to leave her stranded in there if that is the case.” Before Cuddy could say another word to me, I broke out into a run back towards the burning building.

I knew Blair had headed towards the east wards, but she could be anywhere. The smoke got thicker the further into the hospital I got and the crackling of the fire wasn’t far behind now. It was getting harder to see and I was starting to cough a bit from the amount of smoke filling the corridors that I ran down.

“Blair! Blair, where are you?!”

This was hopeless, she could be anywhere, she could be trapped, outside, still with a patient, anywhere and I was foolishly running around a burning building looking for her.

Items were scattered around the corridors, some already damaged from the smoke and others still beeping from being pulled from the walls and ripped from the patients. Noticeboards crashed to the ground and janitorial equipment was left strewn about from where repairs were being done but had been abandoned to help with the evacuation.

The smoke was getting thicker and my coughing was getting worse. Much longer and I’d have to get out myself and hope that Blair was just lost in the crowd outside. My eyes fell on the nurses’ station that was starting to burn. The fire was travelling faster now, much faster. I was about to move on when I saw Blair. She was unconscious, laying just inside the station, phone in her limp hand, head lolled to the side.

I pulled her out, wincing as equipment and debris crashed loudly to the ground as the fire destroyed it. Blair didn’t move, her skin soot covered and dusted with debris from fire damage. I searched for her pulse and found it. That was a good sign at least, but right now I had to get both of us out of this hospital before the smoke and the fire caused any more damage. I lifted Blair into my arms and held her tightly as I broke out into a jog, back towards the doors of the hospital. It seemed to take longer than ever, and my legs were heavy from carrying Blair and from the coughing I was doing. It seemed like we’d never get out, but finally we made it and I collapsed to my knees in the middle of the parking lot, coughing hard, but still holding onto Blair’s lifeless form.

Wilson and Cuddy rushed over, as well as some interns who all quickly moved to make sure we were alright. Everything was a blur though and I didn’t care about how I was, I just wanted Blair to be alright, but as they called House over to her, things were not looking so good…