Embers

~8~ Fire

Ellie's POV

At this point, I feel broken. How could this be going on without me knowing about it? What kind of a mother am I? I'm grateful for Megan right now. The guys are nice and all, but it's comforting to have a shoulder to lean on.

We're sitting in the back of the rig, and we're both silent. It's not an awkward silence, instead it's comforting. It's exactly what I'm needing right now to clear my head.

Knowing I need to head to bed, but not able to shut my mind off, I wordlessly reorganize the already perfectly placed medical supplies.

DING
*Engine 20, Truck 80, Squad 10, Ambulance 20, structure fire at 108 Lake.

I'm glad I didn't go to bed; It would've made it harder to rally as quick. Megan and I are already shutting our doors to the rig, when the rest of the men run in and put their gear on. It always amazes me how we can be in the deepest of sleeps, but then be up, dressed, and ready to roll in a matter of minutes.

The bell does that to you. Your needs no longer matter once the bell goes off. All we care about is getting to our victims as quickly as possible.

We all leave the firehouse, rushing to the fire. Nighttime fires are the worst. It's already hard to see when visibility is at a 0, or so I've been told. But you add in the darkness, it's spooky. The moon isn't giving off much light either. We will all just have to rely on the street lamps to illuminate our equipment enough.

We get there in less than 5 minutes. Again, it amazes me how most of the men were sleeping about 7 minutes ago, and now they're risking their lives to save strangers.

The men file out, while Megan and I stand silently by our rig, with our medical bags ready to go. The Lieutenants assess the situation in less than 5 seconds. It's bad. The entire building is engulfed.

"Let's go! Why aren't those hydrants opened yet?!?" Preston yells at his men as he grabs something from the back of the squad truck.

Preston and Greene run inside with Keegan, Diego, Marcus, and Heff. On the way inside, I hear Preston yell "Fan out! Look for victims! I'll stick with Greene!"

Then they're gone. All that we're left staring at is the engulfed building. Waiting. Commotion is all over.

The team on Engine works to attach the hoses to the hydrants to prepare for their orders. But until then, we're waiting. Waiting to hear confirmation as to whether or not our guys are ok. Waiting on confirmation of a found victim. Just waiting. This is the hardest part of my job. We sit here, safe, and wait.

Chief Ryder is studying the fire, watching it's every flame flicker and devour. Suddenly his back goes rigid. He calmly speaks into the radio "The smoke is turning black. Everyone out, NOW!!"

Heff comes out the doors, helping a victim walk over to us. We quickly check her, and she's ok. Some smoke inhalation, but she'll be fine. Diego, Keegan, and Marcus come out next. They had done a sweep on their portion of the building, and came up all clear.  All that's left of our guys are Greene and Preston.

"Preston, Greene, report!" Chief booms into the radio. He waits impatiently, while he paces, for the men to confirm their location.

"Coming out with a victim now, Chief," Greene responds immediately. Seconds later he comes bursting through the doors carrying a victim over his shoulder. This one isn't as good. It's obvious that this one might not make it.

"Get oxygen on him and into the ambulance, now!" I say we put this victim into the ambulance that just showed up for backup. We get the victim in, slam the doors shut, and hit the back door twice to let the driver know to go.

I turn my attention back to the fire. Chief Ryder gets back on his radio. "Preston, you have 30 seconds before this building blows. Get out now. Preston, REPORT!" he screams, waiting for a response. How can seconds feel like hours?

I wait, silently praying that he will come on the radio telling us that he's coming out.

Silence

Greene starts to move forward to go back in and find his friend. Chief Ryder holds him back. "You stay here, that's an order!"

Greene glares at him, but obeys his command.

Finally, I'm able to let go of the breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"On my way out with a victim," Preston reports. Seconds later, I see his broad frame, covered in soot, emerge from the inferno carrying a woman in his arms. He runs over to us and places her on the gurney—seconds later the building completely explodes.

"Get the water cannons on the building, now!" Chief Ryder orders. Engine steps up to fulfill their part of the job. Water is shot out of the hoses, and is doing its magic on the fire. My attention is on the women, who got lucky that Taylor hadn't given up on her.

"I've got a pulse, but she's not breathing," I say as I grab the tools I need. "Bag her!"

Megan takes over bagging her.

"Lieutenant, cut her shirt so I can get the cardiac leads on her," I say to Preston as I hand him scissors.

He looks at me briefly as he does the job I asked him to do. I put the leads on her, while I wait for Megan to get her intubated. "Tubes in" she says. "Let's go!"

"Let's hang the Cyanokit on the way," I say as I jump in the back with the victim, and Megan starts up the ambulance. Preston jumps in the back with me, to assist if I need any help.

We get there quickly, neither of us talking, our attention is focused on the victim.

As we wheel her in the ER doors, physicians rush to our aid.

"The victim took in a lot of smoke," I say quickly as I start to hand her off. "She had a pulse but wasn't breathing. We intubated her and hung a Cyanokit in the rig. Her CO is up 30 percent," I continue as the resident takes over.

"Ok, we've got it from here," he says as he wheels her off.

All three of us let out a sigh of relief. Our part is over. We did what we could. Now all we can do is pray that she will make it.

Megan, Preston, and I all make our way back to the ambulance. The ride to the house is quiet. Maybe a touch awkward, but I was mostly just replaying the call in my head...Wondering if I could have done something different.

I don't think so. I think what Megan and I did was the correct move. Something is bothering me, though. I can't quite figure out what it was.

I glance out of the corner of my eye and I see Preston, sitting stiffly, as close to the window as he can get. He doesn't want to be sitting next to me anymore than I want to sit next to him.

Do I want to sit next to him?

The sudden warmth in my belly surprises me. What also surprises me is the realization that I was worried about him when I wasn't sure if he was ok back there. I was afraid he wasn't going to make it.

Surely I would feel like that with any of the guys, right?