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Samira leaves the pitt in a flame of glory, at least that’s what she tells herself when she accepts the fellowship across the country. Cassie hugs her so tight on her last day and Robby won’t meet her eyes. She even gets a gruff goodbye from Abbot as he comes in for his night shift, his hug creaking her ribs from the strength of it. He’d even handed her a gift in parting, saying something about always being prepared.
It’s good though, a new start. The hospital she ends up at is kind of in the middle of nowhere. She’s north of San Francisco and San Jose, there’s a town maybe fifteen minutes away called Edgewater. She doesn’t think about Pittsburgh or what she left behind, it was nothing, probably nothing.
She doesn’t think about much. She goes to work, comes home, scrolls petfinder for elderly cats until she falls asleep, rinse and repeat.
Her first taste of excitement that isn’t a stemi comes three months in as she’s driving to work. The car accident happens right in front of her. Someone texting on their phone serves into the car ahead of her, both of them screeching into the ditch before she can do anything but slam on her brakes.
Samira has never been a first responder but she sure as hell has been a second so she throws her car into park and jumps out. Her groceries will melt in the California heat but she’s more worried about the car pinned in the ditch and the driver’s injuries. The fuckass pickup driver is already stumbling out of his vehicle with no visible signs of injury, she still yells at him, “You good?” as she stumbles into the ditch.
He grunts back and goes back to fucking texting. Samira glares, “Call 911 at least!” He nods and follows her command, she hopes with his phone to his ear.
Samira finally is able to get to the crumpled car and she can hear the cries for help, thank goodness. “Hey I’m going to try and get you out okay? Help is coming.” She tries and fails to wrench open the front door, the metal too warped to move. The back door swings open for her and she clambers in, first accessing the pulse and airway of her patient. “I’m Samira, what’s your name?” She asks with a smile as she finds a thready pulse.
“I’m Megan, please I can’t get my seatbelt undone.” There’s a laceration on Megan’s forehead and she’s definitely at least fractured something in her arm from the way she can’t bend her wrist. “Okay Megan, I’m going to get you out. Can wiggle your toes for me? Perfect. I will be right back.” Samira sprints out of the car, she can smell the burning tires now and the faint smell of smoke, she needs to get Megan out of that car now. She rummages around in her glove compartment for a second before, yes, Dr. Abbot was right; she was prepared with his gift.
Samira is back at Megan’s side in a flash brandishing a wickedly sharp pocketknife that slices through the seatbelt like butter. Megan climbs into the backseat and out the door with a little help from Samira, blinking blood out of her eyes, right as the fire starts.
Dumb truck driver guy is still on the phone with 911 and gestures that they will be there in two minutes. It’s the longest two minutes of Samira’s life as she sans at Megan’s lacerations and waits for the first responders.
The firetruck pulls up as the flames spark and start to catch the truck on fire too. The first person out is a handsome man, late 40s with a soft edge, puppy paws, and Samira thinks wow they do make hot firefighters still, even as he scowls and barks an order that his subordinates hurry to follow.
Samira is standing there fingernails coated in Megan’s blood holding a pocketknife and he catches her eye, looking her up and down. She feels exposed in her jorts and tank top, flannel shirt sacrificed to Megan who was starting to shiver even in the oppressive California fall heat.
“Ma’am?” The firefighter places a kind hand on her elbow trying to herd her farther from the fire. “Are you hurt?”
Samira gulps, his hands are calloused and huge on her arm. “Uh yeah I helped, bystander. I’m a doctor over in Clearwater.”
He nods, frowning at her hands that are steady and yet grimy. “Let’s get you cleaned up. My guys will have the fire taken care of in no time.”
Samira nods and he gently moves his hand away, he comes back a minute later with baby wipes and an apology for not having better supplies. As if Samira cares rising her adrenaline high, she grins at him and scrubs her hands mostly clean. He startles at her grin and cautiously offers a smile back, almost like people usually aren’t happy to see him.
“I’m new to town though, I moved here a couple months ago.” She chatters as she hands back the wipes, her fingers lingering a second too long on his.
It’s hot out so maybe hot firefighter is red from the heat but Samira hopes it’s her bad flirting. He shrugs, “I’m from Clearlake so I get moving to a new place.”
Samira shifts an inch closer and lowers her voice, “Maybe you could show me around some time.” Maybe it’s the head rush of helping someone and the high of a job well done that makes her bold, she feels pigtail catheter high.”
Hot firefighter gives her a once over again, maybe his eyes catch on her legs, unshaven for the past three days but still her best asset. He takes his helmet off, scratching at the base of his skull, sweaty gray curls matting down and that just makes him hotter. “Uh sure? I’m Brett.”
Samira licks her dry bottom lip, Brett’s eyes darts to it, gotcha she thinks. She puts her hand out to shake, “Samira Mohan.”
“Nice to meet you Dr. Mohan.” Brett says and her stomach flips like an Olympic gymnast.
Samira sticks around to see Megan into an ambulance and to get hot firefighter Brett’s number before she drives home, her hand tapping on the steering wheel. She wishes she could call Cassie or Victoria but it’s far too late on the east coast by the time she gets home. A microwave meal waiting for her in the freezer and petfinder till she falls asleep but not before she texts Brett a thanks for the rescue today :) it’s Samira by the way. Before she falls asleep she almost texts Abbot how his knife came in handy but it’s been months of radio silence, no medical articles sent and she can follow his lead, breaking a connection. But maybe there are new connections to be made here in Fire Country.