UP IN FLAMES, eddie diaz

f o u r

"Roni? Roni!" A deep voice exclaimed, full of worry. "Roni, wake up. Come on, Roni, you gotta open your eyes for me." The voice urged as tanned, muscular arms gently shook the girls limp body and tapped her cheeks. "Buck!"

Roni let out a low groan, her eyes moving under her eyelids but not quite opening. "Easy Roni, there ya go. Just open your eyes for me." The mans voice coaxed.

Roni groaned again as she slowly blinked her eyes open, staring up in confusion at the man who was hovering over her. "Roni!" A second voice exclaimed before footsteps were sprinting towards the two on the ground.

"Where am I?" Roni slurred, a hand coming up to hold her aching head. Blood coated her fingers when she brought it back down and the man immediately took her hand in his to hide it from her.

"We're in the high rise. Try not to move, okay? We're gonna get you out of here."

"High rise?" Roni questioned, coughing slightly before wincing in pain.

"Yeah, the hotel. Remember?"

Roni stared in confusion at the two in front of her. "What's the last thing you remember, Roni?" The first guy asked.

Roni thought long and hard. "Buck uh, Buck didn't secure the line. I fell." Roni closed her eyes for a second before opening them again. "Buck?" She questioned, "Hairs different. Who's this?"

"Yeah, hey I'm right here Roni. It's Eddie, remember? He's the new recruit." Buck tried comforting, his voice cracking slightly as he held back tears and turned to face Eddie. "That was over a year ago, right after I joined." He said lowly, as to not alarm Roni.

Eddie swallowed thickly. "It's probably just temporary, okay? Radio Cap, let him know we have her and that I'm just going to assess her injuries really quickly to make sure there's no chance of spinal damage, and then we're going to move her." Eddie ordered, before turning back to Roni who had since shut her eyes.

"Hey, Roni? Hey can you try to keep your eyes open for me, sweetheart?" Almost instantly Roni's eyes fluttered open and locked with Eddie's concerned ones. "I'm just gonna shine this light in your eyes, is that okay?" He asked gently, as if she were a small child.

Roni nodded, wincing slightly once he turned the light on. "I'm sorry." he murmured, before sighing. Her pupils were blown, so there was absolutely no doubt the girl had some head trauma.

"Can I feel your neck?" Roni nodded, before suddenly letting out a small cry of pain.

Eddie's eyes widened as Buck ran back over. "What is it, Roni? What hurts?" Eddie asked urgently.

"I- I can't breath." She gasped, her face scrunching up in pain. Buck and Eddie shared a look before jumping into action.

"We can't wait, we need to move now. Doesn't appear to have any spinal injury." Eddie said, as he quickly looped one arm under Roni's knees and the other behind her back and lifted her into his arms. Roni cried out again as her body jostled slightly, making Eddie tighten his grip so she didn't move as much.

"You're okay, I've got you." Eddie softly soothed. Buck told Cap they were moving out and quickly helped Eddie while they ran through the parking garage to get back out the way they came. It only proved to be a little more difficult now that they were carrying Roni, but they managed to exit the high rise only a few minutes after Cap and Chimney got Hen out, along with the little girl and a puppy.