Acrid smoke filled the air and curled around them as they hurried up the stairs of the apartments. Mariana banged on the doors as she passed, shouting out "LAFD!" to encourage people to cry out. Bobby sent her a thumbs up to signal they were good to move onto the next door.
"Are you okay?" she called over the roar of the flames. "I know it's not easy for you."
"I'm fine. Thanks." Bobby shot her a grateful look just as Buck called for backup. He broke the door open, leading them into the apartment.
"LAFD! Is there anyone in here?" Eddie shouted.
"Cap! Mari! Over here!" Buck yelled.
Eddie moved back so his girlfriend could kneel down next to the man. "I need O2 and a mattress carrier ASAP."
Her boys moved quickly, passing her the oxygen and prepping the stretcher as she stabilized the man's neck and ensured he was set for transport.
"Wait! Gladys," the man groaned. "Need to get Gladys." He tipped back into Mariana's arms and she lowered him onto the carrier.
"He's out."
"Gladys? Who's Gladys?" Buck exclaimed.
"If I knew, Buckley, then you wouldn't have to ask me," Mariana shot back.
"Might be a cat or a dog," Eddie offered.
"Buck, we've got this. You go look around out there and see if you can find a pet."
"I'm on it!"
Reynolds replaced Buck with helping them carrying the man on the stretcher. As they entered the hall, the evacuation order came over the radio and Mariana glanced back at the apartment they left her best friend in.
"Buck! Let's go!" Bobby yelled.
Transport was easy and it looked like they were getting the fire contained on the lower levels as the four hauled the guy out to the triage area. They lifted him up and onto one of the cots so Hen could check him out. Mariana pulled off her helmet and mask, exposing her soot and dust covered cheeks and the tendrils of dark hair that curled around her face from the sweat beading her forehead.
"He passed out as soon as we got to him. Hit his head but I couldn't see any other injuries due to low visibility. I don't know his medical history," she reported.
"Sir, can you hear me?" Hen asked.
"Did you get her? Did you get Gladys?"
"I got her! I got Gladys," Buck announced as the grey cat in his arms meowed. "She is okay."
"That's not Gladys. That's Hoover. Where's Gladys?"
"Atwater Street incident, this is Metro Fire Command. Please respond," Maddie said over the radio.
"Go for Captain Nash!"
"I have a deaf woman trapped in apartment 10G."
They stepped out of the tent in time to see glass rain down onto the street below from a shattered window. Mariana and Eddie exchanged a look before turning their attention back to the apartments.
"Gladys," Buck said simply.
And somehow, Mariana found herself planning out how they would be getting her out alongside her two idiots.
"The building next door isn't on fire!" Buck pointed towards the rooftop where it aligned perfectly with the apartment roof.
"Get to her from the roof?"
YOU ARE READING
In Flames // 9-1-1 Fox (seasons 1-4)
Fanfiction"Keep your confessions Cause babe I'm no saint We're playing with fire" - In Flames, Digital Daggers Mariana Ramirez doesn't let people into her life. At twenty-six, she has seen her fair share of loss not only in her life but also in her ER. After...
