The Fighter

Chapter 28

2 months later.......

May

3am pager tones go off and wake me from a dead sleep. I have to remember where I am before I get up. Right, my house, well my grandparents' house. I spend so much time between John's and home it's not even funny. "Hale County to Clarksville Automatic fire alarm 112 Redback Rd." the pager spoke. We go there all the time, it's always nothing. I was going to reset my pager and go back to sleep, but then I heard, "Smoke visible." I got up and ran to my gear. I swear it takes me longer with the harness. I checked on Avery to make sure that she was sound asleep, and then I left for the station. I caught the second truck and then we rolled out.

When we got on scene, there were all sorts of flames. I packed up and walked over to Harry. "Mickie, you go up with Jet, John, and Kyle." He directed and I ran over. I grabbed the hose and helped the boys move it. The four of us went in sprayed. The walls were hot. We put the nozzle in the wall and let it rip. Kyle and I went upstairs to check if there was anything up there. It didn't seem bad, until we turned around to a wall of flames. "Ky! What do we do?" I asked. "Clarksville 112 to Clarksville 2." Kyle went over the radio.

"Clarksville 2, go ahead." Harry's voice answered. "Me and Mickie are stuck on the second floor front room." "Is there a window near you?" He asked and Kyle and I looked. We crawled and felt up the wall. "Yes, there is one on the right side." Kyle spoke and then waited for the plan. "Hey Ky, how do you feel about bailing out the window?" I asked knowing that's what we're going to have to do. "I hate heights." He sighed. "Yeah, I know." "Clarksville 2 to Clarksville 112," "Clarksville 112, go ahead." He answered after a while. "You're going to have to bail." Harry told us.

We went to the window and got our hooks out. When we were ready, Kyle stepped back. "Okay, Mickie. Ladies first." "No, Ky. You first. If you don't go now, you won't go." I refused. "Mickie, you have to go." "Not without you! Listen, we don't have time to argue! I know you, so go!" I yelled. "Okay, fine!" he went over to the window and climbed out. He dangled for a second and then he slowly propelled down. When he was half way down the building, I climbed out the window. It was freaky at first to just dangle there, but you barley feel it as your coming down. Before we knew it, we were on the ground safe and sound. My air pack beeped, it was running low on oxygen. I went over to the truck and changed my pack out.

Once the fire was out, we had to do the investigation. That's the thing that took the longest. When, we were done there, I went back to the station with the boys. I had never bailed out in a real emergency before, only in bail out trainings. I was kind of shook up a little bit and I could tell, Kyle was too. I helped put somethings away and then sat in the office for a few minutes. I was alone until Jet came in. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked sitting next to me. "Yeah, I'm fine. That was just.... Weird." I didn't know exactly how to explain it. "I figured you'd be freaked out. You never really liked heights. In fact, you used to hate them." "I know, I'm more or less used to them now. That was just different. How's Ky? Is he okay?" I asked worrying about him.

"He's okay. He's like you right now, just a little freaked out, but he'll be okay." "Where is he?" "He's in the truck bay cleaning trucks. He wants to keep busy and just not think about it right now." "Good." "Mickie, how are you doing?" Jet looked at me seriously. "I already told you, I'm fine." "I didn't mean about tonight. I mean how are you doing with all the shit you've had to deal with? Your dad's leftover shit, Greg leaving, Gavin being a dick, and trying to keep Avery?" "I'm doing okay. I mean with Greg leaving, it's been two months so I'm used to it now. Avery is Avery and Gavin and I aren't really speaking right now. As for my Dad's leftover shit, the house still needs to be dealt with and no one wants to talk about it. So, I have no idea what to do." "You'll be okay. Just remember out SCBA mask confidence class? Do your breathing." "Oh believe me Jet, I have been." I laughed.

"You look exhausted. What time do you have to take Avery to school?" "I am extremely exhausted and I have to get her up, get her fed, dressed, and out the door by 7:30." "You should go home then, its 6:27 now." Jet looked at his watch. "I know, I'm going home. Taking her to school, and then I'm going to sleep until I have to go get her." "Good idea. I'll tell everyone you said goodbye." "Okay, thanks Jet. Tell John that I'll call him later." I smiled and walked out to my truck.

I got home, made breakfast and woke Avery up. Grandma was getting ready for work. "What time did you go out last night?" she asked pouring her coffee. "It was a little after 3. We were there for three and a half hours. I thought it was just a false alarm like usual." "Yeah, that's what I thought when I heard it come across. I was surprised when I heard there was smoke." "Yeah me too." I shook my head trying to get the thought of bailing out of the window out of my head. "What happened to you? Are you okay?" she knew something. "Nothing, I'm fine. It was just a long night." I sighed and shook my head.

After, I dropped Avery off at school, I went back home and got cozied up in my bed. I was just about sleep and then my phone beeped for a text message. I looked at it. It was from Ky.

"Mickie, are you awake?"

"Yeah, Ky what's up?"

"Can you meet me at the fire house?"

"Yes, I'll be right there."

I got up, got dressed and went to the fire house to meet Kyle. What on Earth am I in for?