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The serene atmosphere of the 118 firehouse was ended by the abrupt screaming of the bell signaling another call.
“DISPATCH: RA118, Engine 118 - 3 alarm apartment structure fire reported at 6392 Greencrest Road. Be advised, multiple injuries reported.”
“Why can’t we ever get a break around here!” Chimney cries as he throws his sandwich down and joins the rest of the crew.
Chim, Hen, Buck, Eddie, and Ravi all make their way to the emergency bay, simultaneously throwing on their gear and loading in their respective vehicles. Hen and Ravi in the ambulance, Chim, Buck, and Eddie in the engine. The bay doors spring open as the engine, followed by the ambulance, make their way to the scene.
Upon their arrival, their eyes take in the scene of the 12 story apartment building that is now piping with flames and ash. Chim, acting as the incident commander, begins to bark out orders to the 118.
“Buck, Eddie, Ravi, work from the bottom up, look for victims and extinguish the smaller flames.”
“Copy that cap!” The three say in unison and start trudging towards the fiery doorway that used to be the entrance.
“Hen, stay here and begin treating those who have already made it out. Be quick and make room for victims with more substantial injuries.”
“Roger that.” She replies and begins to set up a station for victims with minor injuries while also mentally preparing for what she could witness today. For all she knows, this is the calm before the storm.
Little did they all know, that storm was barreling in faster than they could have ever imagined.
Chimney remains planted outside. He continues directing the firefighters from the other stations who have since joined them. He feels a bit weird knowing that it used to be Bobby giving these calls and him going into the fires. Times have changed and he needs to accept that.
Meanwhile, inside the apartment building, Buck, Eddie, and Ravi make their way up each floor, splitting up to pull out victims and extinguish the flames. Each trip down the seemingly never ending flights of stairs makes them more weary. Each step becomes more strenuous than the last.
Moments later, Chim notices that the 7th floor has begun to cave in. Seeing this he keys his radio to evacuate the building.
“The floor is collapsing, everyone out NOW. I repeat, everyone should evacuate immediately!” He continues to call this as the hoard of firefighters make their way out.
Ravi was only on the second floor when the call was made, so he made it out. Buck was on the 5th floor, and practically sprinted his way down. After losing Bobby, he doesn’t mess around about safety. The 118 reconvenes at the engine, checking in with each other.
“Are you guys okay?’ Chim asks
“All good, Cap. All victims seem to be out” Replies Ravi.
Buck, all out of breath manages to choke out a “I will be.”
They stand and chat for a moment before a wave of realization washes over Buck.
“Have any of you seen Eddie? He was on the 7th floor before we split up.” His heart begins to jump out of his chest.
“I thought he was with you!” Ravi says, trying to remain calm.
At that moment, a loud CRASH filled the air as the 7th floor gave out and collapsed. Ash and debris explode through the air as the flames grow larger.
They all grow a shared panicked expression across their faces, knowing that Eddie was still in there and needed help. They had to get him out of there so he could make it back home to Christopher.
Eddie was right at the center of the collapsing floor, he had no time to react before the floor caved in beneath his feet. He falls through the floor and lands with a big thud as he crashes into the 6th floor. His ears are ringing as he tries to make sense of what is going on.
He can hardly breathe and looks up to realize the mountain of rubble that is now piled on him. He feels a sharp pain at his side, followed by the feeling of a warm liquid.
Blood.
The room starts to spin as he goes in and out of consciousness. The smoke makes it even harder to breathe. He is dying and he knows that. There is nothing he can do but hope and pray someone will find him.
His eyelids get heavier and his breathing gets shallower as he drifts into an uninvited sleep.
10 minutes have passed and the PASS alarm begins to go off.
Buck, followed by Hen, Ravi, and Chim race into the building and fly up the stairs to make it to the 6th floor which was piled with debris from the collapsed ceiling above. It is dark and smoky, even with their beaming flashlights.
Buck's panic skyrockets when he hears the distant alarm beeping. He knows that sound isn’t good. Eddie is down and they can’t find him.
After what feels like hours, Ravi calls out “I found him! He’s over here!”
The rest of the crew runs over to see Eddie piled under huge pieces of debris. He does not look good.
Buck is frozen at the sight of his best friend looking so pale and helpless.
Hen takes over by placing a c-collar around Eddie’s neck, stabilizing his spine. She scans over his limp body, assessing his injuries.
She connects him to the monitor and places her fingers on his neck to feel his pulse. It is weak, but still there.
“His BP is low and his oxygen levels are tanking too. Ravi, get an oxygen mask.”
Ravi grabs the mask out of the med kit and carefully places it over Eddie’s face that is now covered in blood.
Hen moves a piece of debris off of Eddie’s chest. She then takes scissors to begin to cut through his uniform, revealing more bruises, scrapes, and blood. His side looks like it has taken most of the hit. There is a large purple bruise that has taken over his side. She has established that the force of the debris has most likely broken some of his ribs and a possible ruptured spleen.
“He is stable enough, you guys can clear the debris so we can get him out of here.” Hen says, noting that Eddie’s condition will only worsen.
Hearing this, Buck snaps out of his mind and begins to help Ravi and Chim move the debris. It takes about 5 minutes to get the area cleared enough for transport.
As they remove the last piece, Eddie’s heart rate crashes. Hen checks for a pulse that is no longer there before declaring that his lung has collapsed from the pressure. She grabs the needle from her bag and methodically places it at the second intercostal space at the midclavicular line. She does this as if this is just another day on the job.
Seconds later, a hissing sound escapes from Eddie’s chest, signaling the pressure has been released. Hen breathes a sigh of relief. His oxygen is still scarily low, so Hen decides to intubate Eddie to give his lungs a break. Eddie’s vitals come up enough so that it is now safe to put him on a backboard and into the ambulance.
The four of them slide Eddie onto the backboard and grab a corner of it, making their way down the stairs. The smoke has gotten heavier since the evacuation call, but their only worry is making sure that Eddie will live. Even if it’s the last thing they do. Christopher would be a wreck if Eddie had died, they all would be. Especially Buck, who has never let his gaze move from Eddie.
They make it to the ambulance and load Eddie into it. Buck insists on going with Eddie in the ambulance. Hen and Buck are in the back while Ravi drives. Chim stays back to finish clearing up the scene but will meet up with them at the hospital.
On the way to the hospital, Eddie crashes. Buck begins to do CPR as Hen administers Epinephrine into Eddie’s IV. Buck can’t stand to see Eddie like this, he can’t lose his best friend.
“How much longer ‘til we’re there?” Buck angrily calls back
“3 minutes out. Hang on for just a little longer.” Ravi replies calmly.
“3 minutes out my ass.” Buck says sarcastically. “Drive faster!”
Ravi doesn’t reply to this remark. He is already breaking the law at the speed they are going at.
After a couple shocks from the AED, Eddie’s heart restarts and his vitals level out as they pull into the emergency bay of the hospital. The ambulance doors fly open, and Hen begins to rattle off Eddie’s injuries.
“Firefighter Eddie Diaz, 30 year old male, fell through the floor of a burning apartment complex. Collapsed lung treated on the field, possible ruptured spleen, concussion, and a broken leg from the fall. Vitals have evened out but still not great.” Hen says this with practiced urgency, keeping her composure.
The doctors and nurses wheel Eddie past the double doors of the emergency room, throwing around medical terminology that didn’t quite make sense to Buck at this moment. The shock of everything takes a toll on his wellbeing, but he manages to pull himself together for Eddie.
Buck leaves the hospital to go get Chris and bring him to the hospital. Chris needs full transparency when it comes to injuries. Shannon’s death has changed him in some of the worst ways, he now becomes worried about Eddie and gets anxious when he hears that someone is hurt.
The 118 crew sat around the waiting room, the deafening silence roaring through the room. Athena, with May and Harry, followed by Chim make it to the waiting room around a half hour later. No one is daring to speak. When one of their own gets hurt to this extent, nobody has the energy for small talk.
Two hours have passed and a young woman, presumably a nurse, steps into the waiting room and moves over to the group. Everyone tenses up, preparing to hear the worst. The nurse bears a smile which eases some of the nerves.
“He made it out of surgery without any complications. We did have to remove his spleen, but we repaired the hole in his lung and reduced the break in his tibia. He is in a medically induced coma and will need time to rest, but he is expected to make a full recovery.” The nurse stated.
“Thank you so much!” Hen replied.
“Thank the lord.” Athena breathed, those were the first words she had spoken all evening.
“Are we allowed to see him?” Buck asked, hoping they could at least make an exception for him.
“Yes, his room is right down the hallway. Only 2 people are allowed in the room at once, though.” She said.
Buck felt the weight lift from his shoulders, he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to tell Chris that both of his parents were dead. He was most excited to be able to see Eddie again, and have his best friend back.
Buck took Christopher down the hallway to Eddie’s room so that he could see his dad. Buck took a moment before entering, not knowing what he was walking into. The last time he saw Eddie, he was buried under rubble, and covered in blood. Those images have left permanent scars in his mind.
He took a deep breath and entered. His eyes scanned Eddie’s body which was a mess with tubes and wires everywhere. It pained him to see Eddie so vulnerable, so helpless, but he knew that Eddie would be up in no time and they could go back to normal life.
Christopher tensed up when walking into the room. He hated seeing the people he loved hurt, especially his own father. The last time he saw someone in this condition was Buck when he was struck by lightning. Buck put his arm on his shoulder, seemingly grounding him before his mind could race elsewhere.
“You okay, Chris? You don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to.” Whispered Buck.
“I’m okay. Hospitals make me nervous, though.”
“It’s okay, I think Tia Pepa may be coming soon. She will take you home because it’s getting pretty late. Some sleep would be good for all of us.”
“Thanks Buck, I’m lucky to have someone like you in my life.”
“C’mere kid.”
Buck pulls Chris into a hug. It’s been a long, rough day and they just need each other to lean on.
About an hour has passed and Buck is now alone in the room with Eddie. Tia Pepa took Chris home to hopefully get some sleep. Buck slouches in the chair, trying to get comfortable so that he can get some sleep too. Eventually he dozes off.
Eddie’s body feels strangely light as he walks into this familiar building, getting an almost deja-vu feeling. He realizes that he is in the firehouse.
He smells something sweet, as if someone is baking something. The comfort of this smell draws him upstairs, into the kitchen. As he approaches the kitchen, he sees Bobby making something. He was always in the kitchen.
“Hey Eddie! Want to come and help me bake? I’m making flan so we can have dessert later.” Bobby speaks out.
It’s comforting hearing Bobby’s voice again. He missed having the glue that kept the 118 together.
“I’d love to!” Eddie says, finally making his way into the kitchen.
Bobby hands him a bowl and a whisk, instructing him to mix a concoction of eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract.
Eddie takes the bowl and starts to mix the ingredients together into a custard. Once that is done, Bobby takes the mixture and puts it in a pan to bake. He places it in the oven and meets Eddie at the table.
“So, what have you been up to lately?” Asks Bobby.
“Nothing much. Just getting back to normal life.” Eddie replies.
“How is Chris?”
“He finally came back home from Texas. We were able to talk things out and make amends.”
“He’s a smart kid, Eddie. He is so lucky to have you as a father.”
“Appreciate that, Bobby, but I do feel like I failed him.”
“No you didn’t. Both of you have gone through unimaginable pain. Don’t let the past define the future. You guys have each other and that is a blessing. Live in the moment.”
Bobby’s words hit him hard. He was trying his best for Chris, he just wanted them to live happily.
“Thanks Bobby.” Eddie said.
“No problem.” Bobby said as he went to check on the flan baking in the oven. Seeing that it was done, he moved it into the refrigerator to cool.
“You’ll have to bring him around here again. It’s been a while since I have seen him.” Bobby calls out.
“One hundred percent. He would love to be around his family again. He has missed everyone.”
“Speaking of family, how is Buck doing?”
“He’s doing well. He rented my house so I could go and get Chris. He has been a blessing to us all. We even went to a bachelor auction, he has never been so serious, yet so excited. Though I did buy myself so I didn’t have to go on a date with a stranger.”
“Sounds like you two have your hands full.” Bobby chuckles. “You guys always find yourselves in interesting situations.”
“I guess you could say that. We had some rough patches but we got through it.”
“I’m glad! Just remember, don’t take anything for granted. You have something very special, don’t let it go to waste.”
Eddie sat with that message for a few moments. His life is full of blessings that he does take for granted.
A minute later, the timer for the flan went off. Bobby got up to go retrieve it from the fridge so they could enjoy it later. As he walked off, Eddie’s vision started going white, almost blinding. His body started to feel heavy, as if he hadn’t moved in ages. His eyes cracked open into a dim room.
He tried to speak out but his voice was caught underneath the breathing tube that had kept him alive. He began to cough and lift his arms to pull it out when someone grabbed his hands.
Buck.
“I need some help in here!” Buck calls out, hoping the doctor comes quickly so Eddie can be comfortable.
“Hang on, Eddie. They’re coming to take the tube out now. Just take some deep breaths.” Buck repeats this as if it were some kind of mantra.
The doctor and some nurses rush in, moving Buck into the hallway. He watches as they remove the tube from Eddie’s throat and check his vitals. They placed a nasal cannula in his nose to help him get used to breathing on his own again. The doctor comes out into the hallway and tells him that he is all good now. The tension in the atmosphere dissipates, making everything feel clearer now.
He steps back into the room and falls into the chair next to Eddie’s bed. It’s good seeing him take breaths on his own, and not being kept alive by a machine. There is a moment of silence until Eddie says his first words, now realizing that he is in the hospital.
“W-what happened?” Eddie manages to choke out, his throat is agonizingly dry.
“You got injured in the apartment fire. You fell through the floor and almost died.” Buck hates to mention Eddie dying, but the two need trust in each other.
“How bad?”
“Well, you broke your leg, your lung collapsed, broke some ribs, had to get your spleen removed, and a minor concussion too. They had to put you in a medically induced coma so you could recover.”
“Damn. No wonder I’m so sore.”
Buck let out a chuckle. Now that Eddie was fine, he could be happy.
“Wait.” Eddie thought to himself. Coma? He remembered the conversation with Bobby, now realizing that it was just a dream. Bobby was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. There was no closure, no goodbyes. Just gone like a distant memory.
Buck noticed Eddie’s silence. “Are you good?”
“Yeah, just trying to make sense of everything.”
“It’s a lot to wrap your head around, isn’t it?”
Eddie scoffed. “It sure is.”
By now, the rest of the group had found Eddie’s room and came to check on him. They were all worried sick about him, but now they could rest since he is doing better. Chris came in and gave Eddie a big hug, being mindful of his injuries. He was happy to have his father back. Feeling the love and care that each one of them had for him made him appreciate what he has.
Eddie has a long road ahead of him, but he knows that he has a strong support system that will help him through it.
I have everything I need right in front of me.