Rushing to my locker, I haul on the firefighter suit, carefully placing my legs in first and fastening the top jacket, protecting my chest and arms. I pull the hooded black lining over my head, carefully enclosing it around my face. Slipping on the fire boots, I fasten the grips to a tight fit.
A quick glimpse at my self-contained breathing apparatus—or SCBA as we call it—ensures the proper allotted breathing time and available psi for the mission. I set the consumption for a forty-five minute availability, 4,500 psi. Twisting the knob as the apparatus hisses on and off, I let out a deep breath, calming myself down, steadying my heartbeat to a calm rhythm. As I slip the air tank around my arms and rest it on my back, my body adjusts to its weight. The connecting mask bumps against my thigh and I reach down to grab hold. The mask presses against my face as I meticulously align it, waiting for the seal to suction on. As the mask seals, I slip on my fire retardant gloves and grab the helmet off the shelf. In an instant, Carter and I race to the trucks and grab our seats. The siren goes off outside, alerting any nearby pedestrians and drivers to make way for the trucks exiting out of the garage.
Captain climbs into the driver’s seat and blasts the horn, bringing the truck to life. The truck dashes out of the garage with another truck following close behind. We weave in and out of traffic as we make our way to the scene. Racing against time, we rush past red lights as the horn is constantly honked. Honestly, I think it’s the captain’s favorite thing to do. He loves honking that thing.
Minutes later, my eyes take in the surroundings as we roll up to the scene. Two adjacent apartment buildings burn as flames eat away at them. Three fire trucks have already deployed before us, cascading water onto the buildings’ flames. The apartments are eight stories high with flames engulfing all the way to the roof. Black smoke escapes its broken windows and I see residents crying out for help. Waving arms peer out of the windows, begging for rescue. Ladders climb the sides of the buildings, allowing firefighters to make their rescue attempts. I can feel the heat of the fire even from inside the truck.
TV reporters and camera crews report live from the scene as pedestrians and residents who managed to escape watch in horror. Ambulances flood the streets, treating victims for any injuries while having them breath fresh, clean air through oxygen masks.
Captain calls out, “Channel two!” We all switch our radios to the connecting channel. We step out of the truck, waiting for our orders from Captain.
“Listen up! Carter, Alex, and Mason: hose one! Trey and Jackson: hose two! Roman and Finn: building one! Seth and Max: building two!”
We all respond, “Yes sir!”
I grab the fire axe off the inner wall of the truck as Carter pats my shoulder, wishing me good luck before I head inside the flaming building. Checking the SCBA, I twist the knob and it hisses to life. Air begins to blow out of the breathing mask as I adjust to the pressure, allowing it to fill my lungs. Finn and I glance at each other, offering up a nod as we make our way inside the building.
Captain’s voice chimes through the radio. “Be careful inside. It’s an old building. Walls aren’t strong enough to withstand the flames. If it starts to tremor, get yourselves the hell out of there.”
As we take our first steps inside, screams from above bounce off the walls. Smoke fills the hallways as Finn and I travel throughout the ground floor. I follow him as we step deeper inside the building. Busting down apartment doors, we call out for any survivors, hoping to hear that tiny ounce of hope.
Finn chimes in, “We’re going to have to check every room just to be sure.”
I give him a thumb up, signaling my agreement. We each scope out apartments on the first and second floors, rushing inside to search for any survivors.
When we reach the last apartment on the second floor, I quickly scan the area and yell out, “This is the New York City Fire department. Anyone in here?” No response. Dammit. Debris from above clutters the ground as I step around it, careful not to cause any disturbance to the structure. After scanning the apartment, I sound to Finn on the radio, “Nothing here.” He responds with nothing as well so we make our way to the third floor. I steady my breathing as we climb the stairs to the next floor, watching out for any missing steps. Making our way up, screams from down the hall put us on high alert. Finn follows close behind as I make my way to the apartment.
“This is the fire department! We are here to rescue you.”
The voice from inside cries out, “Help me please!”
I grab hold of the doorknob but the locked mechanism won’t budge. Finn and I bang our shoulders against the door but the strong wooden frame is too thick.
I grab hold of the axe and warn the resident, “Step away from the door. I have to bust it down!” Finn steps back as I lift the axe and swing it through the air. It crashes into the door, breaking its way inside. Repeating the motion several times, the force of the heavy axe causes my breathing to become erratic. Relax. Calm yourself down.
A minute later, the axe completes its wreckage and we climb inside the apartment. Flames engulf the foyer and living room. Furniture melts into ash as we walk deeper into the space. Finn calls out for the survivor as I listen attentively for the location of its source. The female voice calls out from the back of the apartment, “Help, I’m in the bedroom.”
Finn rushes toward the rear of the apartment as I double-check to make sure no one else is present. Once all clear, I step toward the bedroom and find Finn removing debris off the woman. Her right leg is bleeding badly so I tear up her bed sheet and wrap it around her wound, making a tight tourniquet. Finn clears the debris and bends down to grab hold of the injured woman. Her glossy eyes reflect the flames around us and she offers us a smile just before she passes out in his arms. I pull a fire blanket out of my suit pocket and wrap it around the woman, preventing her from getting burned as we travel throughout the building. Finn sounds the captain over the radio, “Captain, we have a survivor. Requesting extraction immediately.”
Captain relays that the trampoline is all set and ready to go. We just have to rush down to the end of the hall and jump out of the window.
As Finn starts to head to the stairs with the female in hand, I stop him. “I’m going to head upstairs and check for more survivors.”
He shakes his head. “No, we stick together. That’s the plan.”
“We can’t cover enough ground in time. Get her to safety and come back.”
“But Roman—”
“Just go. Get her out of here!”
Finn disagrees but understands my plea and races downstairs toward their exit. I spin around and travel upstairs, skipping two steps at a time. As I step onto the fourth floor, a violent tremor rocks the building and I grab the bannister, steadying my balance. I better hurry up.
Using the axe to bust through each door, I scan the first two apartments, only to find no survivors. Finn’s voice chimes in my ear, “Roman, the girl is safe. I’m on my way up. Where are you?”
“Fourth floor.”
As I make my way through the last apartment on the fourth floor, I come across a child’s bedroom. The fog and smoke block my line of vision so I grab a fog cloth out of another pocket and wipe it clear. The darkened image of a woman’s body comes into view as shock seeps in. Shit.
I nestle down next to the body listening for a heartbeat, but can’t make anything out. Slipping off my glove, I press my fingers against her neck, praying for a pulse. Nothing. Dammit!
A heated anger boils my blood as I lower my head, pissed off at myself for not getting here sooner. The beep from my SCBA sounds, alerting me that I have ten minutes of breathing time left in the tank. Slipping the woman’s body into my arms, I carefully stand up and start to exit the bedroom, but a soft cry echoes from behind me. Spinning my head in the direction of the sound, I scan the room for another person. It’s empty.
I lay the body back on the floor and flash my light underneath the bed, hoping to find a hidden child. As the attempt comes up empty, lo
w sniffles and coughs escape from the closet. My head jerks up as I stand and rush over to open the closet door. A young boy cradles himself on the ground as I flash the light in his eye, and he squints at its brightness. Oh god.
“Captain, I found a survivor. Young boy. I would say age 4. Requesting extraction immediately.”
“Roman, which level are you on?”
“Level four.”
“Get down to level three and we’ll be ready.”
My hands dive into my pocket to grab the fire blanket, only to realize that I gave it to Finn’s rescue. Shit. Glancing around the room, I try to locate something I could use to cover the boy while we race downstairs, but everything is flammable. The young boy cries and lets out deep coughs as the smoke fills his lungs. Bending down, I remove my mask and place it on the boy’s face. In seconds, it seals and air blasts into his face. As a last resort, I remove the tank off my shoulders to unzip my suit jacket and wrap it around the boy. Once the tank is back in place, I haul the boy into my arms and race back out into the hallway. The smoke fills my lungs and my eyes start to water. The burning flames singe the outer layer of my coveralls. Tremors shock the building causing me to stand still, regaining my balance.
Finn’s voice comes through on the radio, “Roman! The stairwell leading to the third floor is down. You gotta get out of there!”
Captain calls in, “Roman, get to the fifth floor. We can get a ladder up there.”
“On my way.”
Holding the boy tight against my chest, I fight through the pain as the heated flames burn. Reaching the stairwell, I jet up the stairs, keeping balance as the building continues to tremble. Jumping for the top of the stairs, I land on the platform. The boy cries out as fear exudes from his face. Panic swarms my thoughts but I push them out. We are going to make it.
A loud explosion bellows from beneath us and a fiery blast erupts. The blast blows me off balance, sending me straight into the wall. The boy slips from my grasp as I fly through the air and slam against the wall. The impact knocks the wind out of me as dizziness clogs my head. Debris from the sixth floor crumbles onto the stairwell as the bannister starts to break away from its hold. I search for the boy, finding him on the ground unconscious, still wrapped in my jacket.
Coughing profusely I hoist him back in my arms, sealing the mask back on his face. The SCBA beeps again, notifying me of the three-minute mark. Scanning for the hall window, a sliver of moonlight illuminates the hallway.
Hoisting us off the ground, one arm holds the boy while my other grabs hold of the radio. With a raspy voice I say, “Almost there Cap.”
“The ladder is waiting for you guys. Step on it!”
With careful steps, I make my way to the window. The building rumbles around us. Flames from inside the apartment melt the walls and burst into the hallway. The boy yells out as I tighten my grip around him.
Large amounts of debris fall behind us and crash into the ground, creating gaping holes in the floor. Violent tremors shake the wooden frame as I struggle to keep balance. A shining light blinds through the hall window as it blasts open with Carter peeking inside. “Roman!”
The sound of the cracking floor creeps around me and I look down to see it’s completely tearing apart. My heartbeat stops as I lay eyes on the child and then Carter. In a split second, I rip the mask off the boy and hoist him up, readying to toss him into Carter’s arms.
As the ground starts to disappear from underneath me, I use all my strength to hurl the boy, tossing him into Carter’s grasp. A smile curves along my lips as Carter catches him. With the sight of the boy safe, the floor gives way and crumbles beneath me.
The roaring plea of Carter’s voice is the last sound I hear as I fall into oblivion.
Melanie
MAKING MY WAY TO the female locker room, my cellphone rings and I glance at the screen. I answer the call, continuing my walk through the halls of the hospital.
“Hello?”
Gia’s voice blasts through, causing me to flinch. “Hey! I figured you’d be awake! I miss you!”
“Ha ha! You know I work the two PM to two AM shift. Miss you too. ”
“How’s the new job? Everyone treating you all right? Do I need to kick any asses?”
I shake my head, glancing around to make sure no one heard her. “No. Everyone’s been really nice. These past two weeks have been great. I don’t know why I thought starting at a new hospital would be difficult.”
“Awesome! So, are you in the ER or another unit?”
“Right now I’m assigned to the ICU, specifically the burn unit.” I step into the stairwell and travel up two flights of stairs. Arriving on the fourth floor, I follow the signs to the locker room. This hospital is much larger than the last one I worked at and I still get lost. The directional signs have become my new best friend.
“Geez, burn unit? You don’t get, I don’t know, disturbed by it?”
I shrug. “Not really. There hasn’t been a severe patient admitted yet, so I just stick to ICU for now. Gia, this hospital is so different. The staff is great, the managerial department is strict but fair, and the rotations—god, no more thirty-six hour shifts. It’s only twelve-hour shifts here. I’m so happy I decided to apply for the job. Everything is working out wonderfully.”
Her voice shouts through the phone, “Twelve hour shifts! I’m jealous. Any job openings?”
I smile at her enthusiasm. “Ha! Not sure, you can check out the hospital website I think.”
“Nah, I’ll just stay here. I don’t feel like traveling every day on the subway. I’d much rather walk to work.”
“Taking the subway everyday isn’t so bad. Yeah, it’s dirty, and smells like rotten eggs, but it’s not so bad.”
Her snarky attitude chimes through. “Don’t forget you get groped by old sweaty men and have to endure the stench of people’s smelly armpits. Nope, I’m good.”
My mind flashes a memory. “You know what, that’s a good point. Earlier today, I couldn’t get a seat so I had to stand and god, I felt like I was in the slums. The stench coming from the man behind me was terrible. It was so bad I had to get off the train and wait for another one.”
“Holy shit that’s disgusting. I would have sprayed him with my perfume.”
“Wait a minute. Every time we go out, we always take the subway. You don’t complain then.”
“Eh that’s different. It’s not during rush hour. Besides, I’m so hyped on hanging out that the subway stench doesn’t faze me.”
I bust out laughing as she continues with her repulsive comments regarding the subway. Entering the locker room, I place the phone on speaker and head over to my locker, ready to grab my things and head home for the day. As Gia gives me the 411 about the new nurse who was hired to replace me, loud sirens from ambulances and fire trucks blare in the background. I pull my scrub shirt over my head and replace it with an “I Love NY” t-shirt. More sirens wail from outside, distracting me from Gia’s comments.
I speak up, interrupting Gia. “Hey, hold on a second. Something’s happening outside.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know, but fire trucks have been driving by like crazy. I’m gonna check it out.”
“Okay. Call me back.”
“No wait, let me check first.”
Grabbing the phone, I step out of the locker room and walk toward the end of the hall, following the sounds of the sirens. As I pass a nurses station, the nurse on duty is oblivious to her surroundings as she watches a movie on her computer.
I motion to her. “Hey, do you hear those sirens?”
She startles at the sound of my voice. “Oh sorry. What was it?”
“The sirens. Did you hear them?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “What sirens?”
Rolling my eyes, I ignore her ignorance and keep walking toward the window at the end of the hall. “Never mind.”
Approaching the window, I look out toward the street but don’t see anything in parti
cular that would require an emergency vehicle. Pressing my face harder against the glass and turning my head to the left, my eyes fix on two apartment buildings engulfed in flames.
A loud gasp escapes as I cry out, “Oh god!”
Gia yells through the cellphone, “What? What is it?”
“These two buildings are completely on fire! There are about ten fire trucks down the street trying to put them out. Wait, is that the news station?”
I spin around to face the nurse at the station and yell out, “Turn on the news, quick!” She bolts out of her chair and rushes to turn on the TV. Flipping through channels, she lands on New York News 1 and watches as the news anchor describes the terrifying scene.
I yell into my cell, “Gia, turn on channel one right now.”
“Okay, hold on, let me flip the channel. Oh my god! Melanie that’s right by you!”
I watch as the buildings burn. “Yea, I see the buildings from the window!”
She shouts, “Holy shit! I hope everyone got out all right.”
I say a silent prayer. “I hope so too.”
“Wait, Melanie are you watching the TV right now?”
Trying to get a better angle, I press my head closer to the window. “No, I’m looking outside. What do you see?”
“There’s a firefighter riding a ladder all the way up the building.”
I turn around and make my way to the TV to get a closer look. The nurse and I watch as the firefighter drives the ladder higher and higher. He inches closer to the building, stopping right next to a window, and shatters it with a hammer.
Confused, I ask her, “What is he doing?”
The nurse looks at me with fear in her eyes. “He’s trying to get in. There must be someone stuck on that floor.”
A cold chill runs down my spine. Oh god. We watch together as the fireman climbs over the railing of the ladder and peeks inside the window, disappearing into a cloud of smoke. Suddenly the adjoining buildings start to rumble, slowly crumbling into pieces. Pedestrians run as far as they can away from the falling structures, fearing for their lives. I scream out, dropping my phone to the floor as my hands cover my mouth. The nurse yells alongside me and races to her desk, calling someone on the phone. My heart drops as I watch the horror unfold, praying the firefighter is able to escape.
Little Moments Page 10