Chicago fire

My eyes flutter open slowly, and all I see is grey. 5:30 the clock reads. I slowly climb out of my bunk, and get dressed.

"aaawwww go back to sleep Mac!!" I look towards one of my fellow firefighters. I smile a little. That was typical Bugsy. Bugsy was always one to speak his mind. His name was Michael Spencer, but everyone in the station called him Bugsy. My name is Jesse MacTavish, or "Mac." in our station there is me, Bugsy, Matt, Riley, and Joe. We're here full time.

The squad guys get the whole summer off. God I hate them for that! No, I'm just kidding. They do a lot of work. It's amazing what they do. I picked up my things and preceded to take a shower. I walk down the hall, down the stairs, past the trucks and I turned to face one of the engines. I put my stuff down on a chair and inspected the truck as I always do.

I walked around the truck, opened the door and climbed in. So I didn't wake anyone up, I didn't turn on the sirens because as you can probably guess, they echo. I flipped on each light and climbed back out of the truck and examined each light as it went off. All were in good condition. I climbed back in and turned the lights off. I did the same to the other two trucks, as I do every morning. I walked back to retrieve my clothes, and take a shower. As I was walking down the hall, the siren went off. The intercom said:

"3 alarm fire at 221 canal street."

"shit" I thought to myself as I had to strip right there and grab my clothes. I threw them on, grabbed my trousers, coat, and helmet. I put them on and climbed in the truck. Within seconds, Bugsy, Matt, and Riley climbed in. I switched on the lights as Joe opened the garage door and he ran to the second truck along with the part-timers. I switched on the siren and stepped on the gas.

The truck rumbled forward and we headed down the driveway and onto the road. I looked at the speedometer, and it read 40 mph already. The truck gained even more speed as we headed towards the intersection of market street and canal street. I look in the mirror and spotted the truck right behind me.

The truck is strangely quiet. Which doesn't happen very often. I slow the truck and turn onto canal street and there was the building. A 6 story apartment building. We approach the building and pull up to a hydrant. Bugsy and I throw on the masks and go In. The other 3 and the part timers hook up the truck to the hydrant. I go in first and the door is caught shut.

"break a window Bugsy!" I scream through the mask. "I need a vent!" Bugsy swings the axe at the window, shattering it. He ducks and a fireball races out. It was so hot, I could feel the heat through the jacket. I break the door down and step in. The heat was intense. I look around and bust in the first door. I step in.

" fire department! Anyone here? Call out!" I scream. I hear a faint scream from the bedroom. I break in the door and see a kid around my age of 23 or 24. He looked pinned under some lumber. He was struggling to get it off of him while trying to conserve his breath.

 

"don't move kid." I demand. I lift off the lumber from his slender frame and pick him up off the floor and put his left arm around my shoulders. I walk towards the front door and bring him outside. EMTs rush to his aid and I turn to the apartment. I step back in and head up the stairs. I go through an already open door and see flames shooting up towards the ceiling. I step in cautiously and hear the floorboards creep from beneath my feet. Each step was a matter of life and death due to the fact that you don't know what's underneath the floor.

"anyone here?" I scream out. I hear nothing. I scream again, "anyone here? Call out!" again I hear nothing. By now, 3 more firefighters are now in the building and are now running up the stairs. I step again, creaks get louder and the floor falls from beneath me. My eyes widen and everything slows to a snails pace. I continue to fall and I'm looking at the floor closing in on me.

I hit it hard. I roll over to my side, then my back which was now being supported by my oxygen tank. 18 seconds go by and my beeper goes off. I hear Riley scream, "everyone ok?" everyone replies yes. But me. "Mac, you ok? Mac? Mac!" 

"....help...." I manage to say into the radio.

"Mac where are you? Mac! Come on where are you?"

"......I... Dont.... I... I..."

I hear footsteps run down the stairs.

"building clear." I hear Bugsy scream into the radio.

I hear the floor creak above me. 

"Mac!!! We're comin'!" 

"my leg... My leg..." I say quietly. The fire is only inches from my head. My head is starting to feel warm. My helmet is starting to melt under the intense heat. Riley is repeling down using some rope supported by Bugsy and Joe. He lands and rips off the rope. He runs to my side, "don't worry bro! We got you." he said.

My head is now hot and I can feel the heat. 

"stay with me Mac! I got you." 

He ties me to the rope.

"PULL!!!" riley screams at them from below. They pull me up and carry me outside.

"I'll go out through the bottom floor!" Riley screamed.

I'm in the firemans carry and they bring me to the ambulance. They tear off my mask and helmet and find my head severely burned. And my leg is broken. They lay me on a stretcher and hoist me into the ambulance. Riley said that he is going to ride with me in the ambulance. Which was not allowed. But he didn't care. He just didn't care! I'm glad I have him and all the guys in my station. They're family.

"Riley... Thank y-" 

"save it man." he said smiling. His beautiful green eyes were glistening with tears as he took off his oxygen mask.

"Wha... What happened?"

"you fell bro." Riley said. I look to see if anyone is around and no one is. I pull him close to me and planted a kiss on his 25 year old lips. And to my amazement, he returned it.... We broke off the kiss and looked into eachothers eyes like never before. He smiled and I did as well.

Riley's eyes were an emerald green. They were so beautiful. We just kept smiling at eachother. I found love in a fellow firefighter. I started to feel warm every time our eyes met. For a few seconds, I couldn't feel pain. But after the captain calked Riley over, pain came back. The EMTs secured me in place, They closed the double-doors And brought me to Mercy General Hospital. They put me under to relieve the pain. My vision starts to blur and darken. The pain starts to melt away too, kind of like a Popsicle on a warm day. I close my eyes and and the drugs kick in.

[a few hours later]

*beep, beep, beep, beep* the heart monitor goes as I slowly open my eyes to see a dark room. I'm in a hospital gown and a guy was sitting in a corner looking out of the window. His bright green eyes were a giveaway. Riley. I smiled. 

"hey."

"hi jesse! Your awake! I've been here for hours."

I was so surprised to hear that. No guy has said that to me before. I haven't been so cared for in my life.

"you have? Why?" I asked him completely hypnotized by those green eyes.

"I care about you. A lot." he said as he walked over to my bedside. The doctor came in.

"Jesse your cleared to be released. Mr Morrison is going to bring you home."

I looked to Riley in a look of amazement. He's going to bring me home? I couldn't believe the lengths he's going to make me feel better.

"ok." I replied.

"I brought you some of your clothes Jesse."

"thank you." I said struggling to get out of bed. Riley came to my side and wrapped his right arm around my lower back and his left on my left side, and gently lifted me up with the help of a crutch. I was standing now and he helped me put on my pants. I put on my shirt and shoes on. Riley helped me walk out of the hospital and out to the parking lot which is all illuminated by streetlights. His spicy was so soft and gentle, yet strong. I knew that if I slipped, Riley would be there to catch me. And that's just what happened, I slipped. Riley was quick to catch me.

"your so clumsy babe." he said laughing. I giggled a little too. Once we got to his car, he helped me in and made sure I'm comfortable. He closed the door and walked over to the drivers side door. He climbed in and started the car. We drove off back towards the station, then I asked him.

"are you gay?"

 

"no" he said with a serious look.

"no? Then why did you kiss me?" I ask. I was shocked that he said no. Because he kissed me and stuff. 

"I'm not gay. Or bi, or straight. I have no sexuality definition. It doesn't matter what gender they are to me."

"really? Well I'm gay!" I said laughing as we approached the fire station. 

"well I know you are. You kissed me. Not the other way around babe." he said with a grin as we pulled into the parking lot. He got out after he turned off the car and ran around to my side. He opened the door and wrapped his left arm around me and slowly lifted me up. He picked up my crutch and handed it to me. I grabbed it and put it under my arm. He walked me to the doorway and he opened it. I stepped in with him and I noticed the trucks were gone.

"where are the trucks?"

"you'll see." he said quietly. The lights flew on and the whole station was there. There was a sign draped over the garage doors saying "welcome home!" On it. There were pieces of cake ready to be eaten, sodas ready to be drank and gallons soon to pop. I looked at each one of my fellow firefighters faces and they were all smiling.

"when were you going to tell us you lovebirds?" Bugsy asked. I looked at Riley, then back at Bugsy.

"you guys don't care?"

"no! Why would we care? Were family. I would die for each and every one of you." Bugsy replied. All the other guys said that too. All I could do is smile. Riley grabbed my chin gently and turned me towards him. He kissed me gently and out of the corner of my eye, before I closed it, I could see smiles on their faces. Maybe I thought they wouldn't accept me. I guess I was wrong. And I'm glad I was.

After the party, I started to stand up and I lost my balance slightly. Riley saw me struggling to get up and he quickly got by my side.

"why are you trying to kill yourself?" Riley said as the other guys were still enjoying the party with the part timers. His gentle touch was around me again as he helped me up the stairs. His grip is so soft.

The hardest part of walking up the stairs is exactly that, walking up the stairs. But Riley was there to catch me if I fell. We made it to the bunk room and he walked me over to my bunk. He sat me down and I reclined back to lay my head on the pillow. 

"you comfortable?" he asked Kevin his beautiful voice.

"yeah."

"good." he said with lust shining brightly in his eyes. He climbed on my bunk on top of me. He slowly lowered himself onto me. He hit my leg a little. I winced at the pain. He saw it and jumped off of me.

"I hurt you..." he said still on my bunk but not on me.

I smiled and pulled him towards my lips. They met his and electricity started to flow between us. It started tingling through my body. I loved having him kiss me. It feels so right. He stopped and pulled away. I opened my eyes and he smiled at me. I lunged at his lips again and he did the same. Our lips met again and he started to slowly grind his body against mine. He made sure that he didn't knock my leg or hurt me.

We kept kissing each other, enjoying each others taste. Our soft lips stuck to each other like lipstick on a crystal glass. The kisses were short yet passionate. The lights came on and Matt was standing there. Riley broke the kiss and turned to face him.

"get a room you two!" he said laughing. Riley climbed off of me and walked back downstairs. He stopped and turned back towards me.

"if you need anything, i won't be far away."

"I know."

"I'm serious. Just holler of you need me. I'll be right down stairs." he insisted.

"thanks Riley."

He walked downstairs and Matt followed. I was alone in the bunk room and I started to think about Riley. I love him now. He always seemed to be around me. Maybe he was gay before I was. However it plays with riley, I'm glad he's with me. Who knows how things would vivid Riley wasn't there with me when I fell. I might have been dead. I drifted off to sleep.

*******

I'm in a hallway. Burned bodies everywhere. The only thing I have is my fire axe and my jacket and pants. The walls are burning, and smoke fills the air. there is nothing I can do about the burned bodies... The floors collapse and I'm falling down into fire. Flames surround me and I'm on fire at this point. My skin starts to catch underneath my jacket and pants. I scream as my flesh falls off my bones in flaky, burning patches.

I wake up screaming. My body is covered in sweat. My breath is heavy and full. What's happening to me? I look at the clock. 5:30. I should get up anyway. I managed to get up and changed my clothes without Riley's help. I walked down the stairs to the lounge to watch tv. I got down there and sat down in a chair. I watched tv for about 3 hours when Riley came down.

"I heard you yelling."

"you did?"

"if someone didn't, they must be dead." Riley said coming over to my chair. He handed me a number. 

"call them."

I picked up my cell phone and called the number. It was a hotline. They had talked to me over the phone, and gave me an address for a psychiatrist. Riley brought me there and up to his office. I waited and waited anxiously when he came in and got me. He extended his hand.

"hi." I said quietly.

"hi Jesse. I'm Dr Hartman. Let's talk."

He slowly closed the door and I could see Riley still standing as it closed in front of him.....