In Flames // 9-1-1 Fox (seasons 1-4)

sixty-two

Mariana spun around in the rolly chair at the nurse's station, chewing on the cap of her pen as she stared absentmindedly at the chart in her hands. They were at a lull before hell broke loose once it got later into the night and so she was taking his opportunity to sit down for a minute.

"Ramirez, someone for you!" Leslie announced. The brunette's head snapped up and a brilliant smile broke across her face as she set her pen and chart down. Eddie placed her lunchbox and a Starbucks on the counter and received a kiss in thanks.

"I didn't realize I forgot this until I got to work," she sighed and took a sip of the coffee. "Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it. I'd much rather drive out here than have you go hungry or have to eat the food from the cafeteria."

"Aw it's not that bad," she challenged.

"I ate it for a solid week when you and Buck were laid up here. It's bad."

She opened her mouth to respond when the phone rang for an incoming trauma. Travis jumped on the call and flashed her a "one". She sighed and tightened her ponytail before kissing Eddie once more.

"I'm sorry but duty calls. I'll be home at midnight," she promised.

"I am going to go pick Chris up from school and try to cook dinner," he vowed.

"So if I come home to find the stove covered in extinguishing powder, I shouldn't be surprised."

He sarcastically laughed at her comment, kissed her, sent her a quiet "I love you", and left the ER. Mariana took a long drink from her coffee and placed the lunchbox in the minifridge they had under the desk before she joined Travis and Leslie by the gowns.

"Have you told him yet?" Leslie asked her as she helped the younger woman into her gear.

"No, I figured I should talk to Valentina first," she sighed. "I sent it to the lawyer already. He didn't question how I got it, but he is certainly grateful and he already reamed out the defense lawyer for not telling him."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to get on the stand and tell them the truth."

///

"LAFD! Gordon?" Bobby asked as they approached the freezer. No response followed. "Ok, he's out. Probably hypothermic. Let's cut him out now."

Mariana passed Eddie the saw for the door hinge but it only lasted a few seconds before dying.

"Saws dead, needs another battery."

"And that was the last battery pack," Buck announced. "Too many car accidents in one day."

"I hate power outages," Mariana groaned. "Cap, we gotta get this guy out before it's too late."

"Couldn't we just break open this window?" Chimney offered.

"Even if we could get in that way, how do we get him out?" Hen refuted. "It's too small."

"The unit should have an electronic emergency door release and without power..." Bobby mused.

"Inside of that door is a frozen block of ice by now," Eddie added.

"Yeah, well, so is Gordon if we don't get him out," Buck shot back.

"Maybe it just needs a jump."

At Bobby's declaration, all five heads turned towards the latina who stared at them in surprise. She raised her hands up to show her innocence. "I think it's really rude of you guys to think that just because I have a troubled past and was considered an at-risk youth that you can assume I know how to jump an electrical port."