Men of Firehouse 44: Colby and Bianca's Story

by Crystal G. Smith

  “Okay, so obviously you aren’t listening to a damn thing I am saying.”

  Colby turned his attention back to Drew, he was standing there rubbing his fingers through his hair, pissed off. Colby laughed.

  “Look, go tell the guys that I’m fine and take your ass back to the station. This doesn’t mean you get a get to take the damn day off.”

  Drew didn’t argue, he turned and walked away.

  Colby understood why Drew was so pissed off. If any of him men had tried what he had just done, he would had them mopping and scrubbing the firehouse toilets for a month. Not to mention running drills every minute they weren’t busy cleaning.

  He reached out and picked up the remote, flipping on the TV.

  “We are being told that the fireman that was brought in earlier was Colby Benton. Mr. Benton, we are being told is in stable condition and more than likely will make a speedy recovery. The child’s name still hasn’t been released, but is also doing well at this time. Stay tuned to Channel 8 new for more updates. Rachel Adams, WNMC.”

  “Shit!” He cursed. If he had made the news there was a good chance that Bianca had or could see it. No could see it, because he had a feeling if she had, she would have been there by now.

  Chapter Eleven

  -Bianca-

  Rushing into the emergency room, Bianca looked around frantically. The white coats and multicolored scrubs were everywhere. Doctors and nurses were rushing from room to room with various pieces of equipment. She could hear the cries of sick babies and the groans of injured patients. The worried looks of some, the frustrated gazes of others, and then the ones that didn’t seem liked they cared at all, filled the waiting room. She always knew nursing was not for her and the sounds and smells of the ER confirmed it.

  Spotting the nurses desk at the end of the hall, she dodged her way around people until she was in front of it. “Excuse me. I’m looking for the fireman that was brought in a few minutes ago.”

  The woman looked up from her computer and gave Bianca a once over. “Are you family?”

  “No, but….”

  “I’m sorry, miss, but if you’re not family, I can give no information on anyone that may or may not be here.” The woman turned as if to walk away.

  “Please, I just need to see him. I won’t tell anyone that you broke the rules.” Pleading with the woman, she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.

  “I really am sorry but I can’t give out any information. It is the law. I’m sorry but I have other work to do.” Starting to turn away again, the woman looked around before leaning in close. “You might wait in Trauma 5 to gather yourself together.” Winking, the nurse turned and walked away.

  Standing there for a moment, the meaning behind her words sunk in and Bianca quickly turned and searched the numbers beside the enclosed glass doors. Spotting Trauma 5 half way down the hall, she hurried to the door.

  Standing in front of the door. Frozen. She could hear the voices from within. “Your lungs are going to be fine this time Colby, but you can’t keep taking chances like this. With the amount of smoke inhalation you had it’s a wonder you’re still breathing.”

  “You know I am not ever going to leave someone to burn. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” His voice was more than hoarse from the smoke. “How long are you gonna make me stay hooked up to this oxygen?”

  “Twenty four hour observation. This isn’t your first go around, Colby, you know the drill.”

  “Yeah, I was just hoping you forgot.”

  “We will get you a room and move you upstairs. The nurses are always glad to see the men from firehouse 44. I’m sure they would rather it not be in the hospital though.”

  Bianca could hear the voice moving closer to the door. The nausea had calmed upon hearing his voice and knowing he was going to be okay.

  Then it all hit her like a ton of bricks. He was okay this time. Those were the words she had just heard. This time. What about next time? What if there isn’t a next time? What if the next time is worse than this time? Her mind went to racing. Was she even supposed to be here? Was she supposed to be this worried? Of course she was, she loved him. But was her love enough to get through this happening again? She wiped the tears from her eyes and walked away. Not stopping until she was breathing fresh clean air.

  “Bianca, where are you going? What is wrong? You didn’t even hear me calling to you.” Breathless from running after her, Crystal came to a halt beside her.

  “Please just take me home.”

  “Sure, I’ll go get the car. I’ll be right back.” Racing through the parking lot, it wasn’t long until they were speeding back to the apartment.

  Bianca could feel her friends eyes on her every time they stopped at a light and it seemed like every one of them were red. She knew when they got stopped, she would have to tell her something. How could she explain it to her friend when she wasn’t sure herself? Would she ever be comfortable with his job? Was she going to be tied up in knots every time she heard the sirens going off? Would she worry every time he went to work? How many times would she have to go to the hospital and wait to know if he would be coming home with her or not?

  The car came to a stop and without a word, Bianca got out, feeling Crystal hot on her heels. But more importantly, Colby. What was she going to do? He was going to be okay, that she was thankful for, but the feeling of complete emptiness as she heard the news, on the way to the hospital and up until she heard his voice had been nothing like she had expected. It scared the living shit out of her.

  She knew that being a fireman was a dangerous job, but she never expected that it would hit so close to home. So close to her heart.

  She unlocked her door, and went straight to her bedroom. She began kicking her shoes off, throwing her clothes off, and then put on a big t-shirt and curled up in bed.

  “Bianca? What’s going on?” Crystal asked, gently.

  “Nothing. I’m just tired.”

  “Don’t give me that shit.” Crystal walked to the other side of the bed, and after kicking off her shoes, climbed in. “Tell me.”

  “I don’t think I can do this. I haven’t even known him but a couple of weeks and when I heard…” Her words failed as she began crying.

  “Let it out.” Crystal said, rubbing her hand up and down Bianca’s arm, comforting her.

  “I just don’t know how to deal with that. It was almost as life had stopped, time stood still, and then when I heard him talking, I was so relieved and at the same time…petrified. I don’t think I can bare it if he was to get hurt.”

  “Well, fuck me running. You’re in love with him.” Crystal said.

  “I know. Okay, I know. It’s not possible for me to love him so quickly, but I do. I don’t know how, but son of a bitch, how it got this far in such a short time. This wasn’t part of my plan. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.”

  Crystal chuckled softly. “Honey, you can’t pick who your heart loves. It just happens. Nobody knows why or how, but I know this. When it does, you don’t run from it, you hold on to it.”

  “But what if next time is worse.”

  “So what if it is. Are you really going to spend your life lonely because you are afraid of the person you love getting hurt? That’s his job. News flash, we could have gotten killed on the way here. Just because he is a fireman, doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. When it’s his time to go, it’s his time to go.”

  “Yeah, but this just makes his time to go so much more likely to happen. It’s like, yeah, when it’s your time to go, okay, I get that, but that doesn’t mean that you can tempt fate either. Running into burning buildings for a paycheck is pushing it.”

  “He didn’t do it for a paycheck, Bianca. He did it to save that little girl. Which he did. That’s why he did what he did, and if he hadn’t there would be a very upset mother right now. So the way I see it, he did what I don’t have the balls to do. He did what so many other firemen do on a daily basis. He saved a life. You
should be proud of him, not questioning your relationship with him.”

  Bianca looked at Crystal. She was serious and what she said was the truth.

  “What the hell has gotten in to me?”

  Crystal smiled. “You have a touch of the love bug. Better go on over to the hospital and get that checked out.”

  Bianca smiled. “You know just what to say. I can’t believe I was so childish.”

  “You were scared. Two different things.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. Now, I’m headed back to the shop because I have a list of appointments tonight that I have to tend to.” Crystal stood and then turned back, “take a shower, get all dressed up and go take care of your man.” She winked and then headed out the door.

  Bianca laid there for a minute. “Coward.” She said before jumping out of bed and heading to her closet. She wasn’t going to get all fancy dinner dressed up. There was no way. But she could take a shower, put her face on and go see him. She shouldn’t have left to begin with.

  -Colby-

  Colby reached over, grabbing the phone and just when he was about to dial her number, they were there to take him to his room.

  “Mr. Benton?” The orderly asked. He didn’t look like he was even old enough to be working.

  “That’s me.” Colby said, swinging his legs off the side of the bed. He reached up grabbed, his bag of fluids off the pole, reached over, turning the oxygen on the wall off and unhooking the end of his nasal cannula that was being used to deliver his oxygen through his nose. Not his favorite way to spend the evening, in fact he hated wearing it. It dried out his nose terribly. But he knew that was the only thing that was going to help his smoke inhalation.

  “Sir, let me get that stuff for you.” The boy said.

  “It’s okay, champ. Do this stuff on a daily basis. I got this.” He hooked his bag of fluids on the hook that was attached the wheel chair and sat down. “Lead the way, my man.”

  “Yes, sir.” The boy chuckled.

  “Don’t call me, sir. My name is Colby, and sir makes me feel like an old man. What’s your name?”

  “Henry, sir..uh.. Colby.”

  Colby smiled. “How long have you been working here, Henry?” He asked as the boy pushed him into the elevator.

  “About a month. I only work here on weekends and sometimes after school.”

  Ha. He knew it. “What grade you in?”

  “I’m a junior. Saving up for my first car. Don’t have much to go, either.”

  “Oh yeah. What are you looking at?”

  “Well, I found this old sixty seven mustang. It needs a face lift, but the motor runs and the trani is good.”

  “You plan on fixing it up yourself?”

  “No. My dad is a mechanic. He is going to help me. He is awesome with cars.”

  “Good.”

  With a ding of the elevator, the doors opened and with two quick turns later, he was in his room, hanging his fluids and turning his oxygen back on all while climbing into bed.

  “You’re really good at that stuff. Are you a doctor or something?”

  Colby laughed. “Fireman ninety nine percent of the time. But I’m also a paramedic. The station here requires you to have both certs. Most stations do as a matter of fact.” Colby explained. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy the one week every three months that he had to work as a medic to keep his skills up, but the fire station and his men is what he loved the most.

  “Cool. I hope you get to feeling better.”

  “I will, this isn’t the first time.” Colby laughed and then quickly stopped.

  “Not the first time doesn’t mean this is funny.” Bianca said.

  Both Henry and Colby turned his attention to the door. Henry turned back quickly, “You’re on your own, dude. That’s the same look my mom gives my dad when he is trouble. Catch ya later.” And just like that, Henry was gone.

  Colby smiled at how quick he had left. Then he looked at Bianca and knew the kid was right.

  “How often exactly do you stay here? Do you have a preferred membership here? Cuz, that’s kinda what it sounds like.”

  “No, I don’t have a preferred membership here. What I would prefer is for you to come over here and let me kiss you.” He smiled.

  He watched Bianca’s face soften as she walked over, leaning down. “Your lips won’t get you out of hot water.”

  “Who said I want out?” His hand gripped the back of her head and he crushed his mouth to hers. He was so happy that she was standing there. He had been worried that if she found out he was here, she would just wind up running. He had seen it happen so many times to the guys he worked with. That’s one of the reasons he had chose not to have a serious relationship.

  He slowly pulled away, licking his tongue over her lips and then smiled. “Feel better all ready. Wanna climb in bed with me and find out for yourself?”

  Bianca laughed, and then pulled a chair close to the bed.

  “Not the answer I was hoping for there, hot stuff.”

  He watched her face grow serious. Worried.

  “Are you, okay?” She whispered.

  “Don’t I act, okay?”

  “You have oxygen on and an IV.” She said pointing.

  “Look I have smoke inhalation. The oxygen is because it helps and the fluids are to just make sure any mucus I have in my lungs stay thin. That’s all. I really don’t think that is going to happen. Usually, I’m outta here in the morning.”

  Her eyes grew, and he knew he had just fucked up. “Usually? How often?”

  And here it came. “Honestly, once every few months or so one of us is in here. It happens. We don’t like it but that comes with the job. It’s never serious. Just observation. If I wasn’t required to do this, I would walk out and go home because I would be fine.”

  He watched her nod her head, twiddle her thumbs and look around the room all while her eyes swelled up with tears.

  “Don’t. Don’t do that.” He quickly stood, pulling his oxygen off and wrapped his arms around her. “You don’t have to worry. I swear, I’m fine.”

  “That’s what you say now. What if next time it’s worse?” She sniffled.

  “There won’t be a worse next time. This is about as bad as it gets.” He turned them both, sitting down in the chair and pulling her into his lap. He placed his hands on her cheeks staring into her eyes. “It won’t get worse than this. I promise.”

  “How? How do you know?”

  He took a deep breath. She was right, he didn’t know. “I don’t. But I trust my men to get me out when before it happens.”

  “What if they don’t?”

  “What if you walk into your class tomorrow and one of your students or parents pulls a gun and fires directly at you, killing you?”

  He smiled when she rolled her eyes. “Not likely to happen.”

  “Really? Have you watched the news lately? It seems like more and more there are school shootings and it is usually a student doing the aiming. It isn’t impossible. So answer me this, how do you know that you won’t be the teacher killed protecting her students on tomorrows news?”

  She smiled and sniffed again, “Because tomorrow is Sunday.” She laughed.

  “Smart ass.” He wrapped her tightly into his arms. “I like it when you laugh. I don’t enjoy seeing you cry.”

  “I don’t’ enjoy seeing you making the news either, or being pulled from a burning building almost lifeless, but it happened.”

  “You saw all that? No wonder it freaked you out. It always looks worse than it is. Especially to someone without any medical training or experience.”

  “That’s what they say, doesn’t make it any better though.” She whispered.

  “I can’t say that you won’t see me there again, but I can tell you this, I’m okay and because of me so is that little girl that was in that building as well. To me, it was worth it.”

  Bianca laughed again.

  “What’s so funny?” He asked, smooth
ing her hair from her face.

  “That’s almost the same thing Crystal said when she drove me home.”

  “Drove you home from where?”

  -Bianca-

  Shit! “Um… I was here earlier. I left though. I heard you talking with Drew and I freaked out and ran.” Wasn’t her proudest thing to admit to, but her big mouth had put her there. She hadn’t intended on telling him that part.

  “Oh, I see.”

  She turned her nose up into his neck, taking a breath of his scent. He smelled like smoke and him mixed together. Oddly enough, quite the turn on.

  “Are you mad?” She said, sitting up looking into his eyes.

  He smiled. “No.”

  “Good. Now you should get back in bed and put that thingy back in your nose.” She went to stand, but he stopped her.

  “No. I should sit right here and hold you because it’s what you need.”

  “Really? You’re worried about what I need when you need that oxygen more than you need me in your lap right now.”

  “No I don’t. I need to know that you are okay. That’s what I need.” Then he smiled devilishly at her. A hint of danger flashing in his eyes. “And maybe something else.”

  She laughed, standing quickly. “I don’t think so. You need rest so you can get out of here in the morning. Bed. Now.”

  “Mm. Yes, Ma’am.” He stood, climbing back in the bed. “I’ll stay here all night on one condition?”

  Condition? What does he want now? “What?”

  “You get your sexy ass in this bed with me and keep me company.” He slid over, raising the blankets for her to get in.

  “I don’t think your nurse would like that so much.” Bianca said, raising a brow.

  “I don’t care what she thinks. The only person I care about is you.”

  Her breath caught. Had she just heard him right? He cared about her? Tears pricked her eyes again, and then her body was moving into the bed with him.

  She felt his strong arms wrap her up and everything felt like it should be. She rolled to her side, letting him spoon her from behind. His lips began kissing her neck, licking her ear lobe and for a second, she forgot where she was.