Burning Flames (Chicago Fire Fan-fiction) - Under Editing

Chapter 61: Reynolds

After we finish talking to Boden we all head to the commons. Shay and Kelly had decided with Boden it was best to tell everyone. We walk in to the entrance of the commons, and I run out and get Squad. I walk over to where Matt is sitting, and lean against his chair.
"Okay, so we have an announcement to make... Leslie's pregnant." Severide announces.
The room is immediately filled with cheers and congratulations. I'm about to walk back to my bunk when the bells go off.
"Squad 3, Ambo 61, Truck 81, and Battalian 25. Man in distress at construction sight on the corner of West Montrose Avenue and North Weatern Avenue."
We all run out to the trucks, and pull on our gear. Squad gets in and we pull off sirens and lights going.
"Why would they page Squad out first for a man in distress, Lieutenant?" Kyle asks.
"No telling." Severide says.
We reach the scene to see the construction sight was abandoned, but there was a man unconscious on a beam at the top of the structure which was too tall for our ladder.
"Severide, how high do you think you can get me?" I ask looking up.
"Uh, not high enough. Besides I can do it." He says.
"Yeah, well your wedding is in two days, and if you were to fall I would most likely be the one holding Shay rendering two Squad members inept." I say.
"Yeah... be careful. Get your gear on. Capp get the ladder raised, and I want the twenty foot extension placed on it." Severide says walking off. I get on top of the truck, and clip my gear on.
"Okay, Capp, raise me up as high as you can get me without going straight up and down, and the I'm going to repel down to the nearest beam. We'll work this as if I was diving. Two pulls more rope. Three I've got the guy." I say hooking my rope to my gear.
Capp nods, and I move up the ladder as he gingerly moves it in to place. I reach the end of the extension and repel down to the closest beam which is about two stories below the beam where the man is at.
I tighten my gloves, and quickly work my way upward tugging on my rope twice when I needed more rope. I finally reach the top, and make my way over to where the guy is laying.
"Get back, or I'll shoot you." He tells me holding up a duty pistol.
"Okay, okay. Calm down there, bud. I just want to help get you down." I say holding up my hands, but not moving back or forwards.
"I said get back bitch!" He shouts pointing the gun at my head.
"Shoot me then. You're not the first person I've faced with a gun, bud. Hell if I were closer I'd press the barrel to my forehead so you wouldn't miss. I've literally died and came back to life. I've been shot multiple times. I know what's on the other side, but you don't. Trust me, you shoot me, and you'll get to find out. And when you get there... you'll piss your pants." I say.
"Yeah right. I'm not afraid of you." He says.
"Okay. Then, shoot me." I say.
He raises the gun, but then pulls the magazine out and drops both.
"Yeah. That's what I thought. Come on." I say walking over to him.
He stands up and I realize he's only about seventeen.
"Okay, kid. We are going to be in free fall for about eight seconds. My crew's going to be ready for us, so don't worry." I say attaching a harness to him.
I clip him to my harness, and I pull three times on my rope. I look down squeeze my eyes shut, and jump. After a few seconds of free fall my body is jerked up as the ladder catches us. Then, I start repelling us down. We reach the ground, and Mills and Shay take over. I notice Mills refuses to let Shay work with the kid, and she walks to the driver side and gets in.
I pull my gear off and sit down on the edge of the Squad truck panting.
"Damn good job, Dawson." Severide says sitting down beside me.
"Thanks. Damn, I just about barfed on that kid. I hate free fall." I say wiping my brow.
"Yeah, me too." Severide says as he pats my shoulder.
"Let's load up Squad!" Severide calls out.
I nod, and stand up. I quickly load gear up and we head back to the house. When we get back to the house I jump out and walk inside.
I walk over to the fridge and get a bottle of water as my phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out and look at the screen.
Matt has texted me, "Come to my office."
I stuff my phone in my pocket, and walk to his office. When I walk in Matt looks like he is about to pass out.
"Babe, are you alright?" I ask.
"I don't know. My stomach doesn't feel to good." He tells me as I walk over to him.
"Maybe you should go home." I say as I kneel down in front of him where he is sitting on his bed.
"I don't know. They would need a replacement Lieutenant." Matt tells me.
"Well, we will get one. Come on. Go tell Boden you're going home." I say.
"Fine, but I want you to keep me up-" Matt jumps up and runs out of the room towards the bathroom.
I walk to the chief's office and knock on the glass of the door. He waves me in and I walk in.
"Casey's sick. He's going to go home." I say.
"Okay that's fine. Why couldn't he come talk to me?" Boden asks.
"Yeah. He's in the bathroom getting sick. You want to talk to him you can, but..." I shrug my shoulder's.
"Okay. Well, you took the lieutenant test and passed, so can you feel in as Truck lieutenant?" He asks.
"Yeah. That'll be fine, but what about Herman?" I ask.
"He hasn't gotten results back yet." He tells me.
"Okay. I'll go tell the guys." I say.
He nods and I walk out.
I walk out to the hallway as Casey comes out of his office in plain clothes.
"So who are they getting to fill in?" He asks as I hug him.
"You are looking at her. I am technically a lieutenant, but still. Now, stop worrying and go home. I will see you after shift tomorrow. Truck is in good hands. Now, go." I say as we walk out to the apparatus base.
"Good for you, baby girl. Keep me updated okay, baby. I need to get home I think I have the stomach bug or something." He says as we walk out to his truck.
"Okay. Go home and get some rest. I can handle Truck. Hell I handle Squad all the time." I say then kiss Matt on the cheek.
"I will. See you at home, right?" He asks giving me a half-smile.
"Yep. See you back at home." I say.
"Truck 81, Ambo 61, man in distress at 32745 maple street." The bells go off.
I run back inside and grab my gear. I run over to the truck and pull my gear on as Severide and Boden are talking. I jump in truck as everyone gets in.
"Dawson, what are you doing?" Herman asks.
"Let's go, Cruz. I'll explain on the way." I say.
Cruz pulls off, and I start talking, "I'm standing in as acting lieutenant for Casey. He got sick and had to go home. So you guys are stuck with me as your lieutenant."
"Yeah, but you aren't even on truck. Let alone a lieutenant. I mean come on, you're a hot head for any type of lieutenant." Reynolds says from the back.
"Reynolds. How long have you been at this fire house?" I ask turning around and looking at her.
"Three shifts." She says.
"How much do you know about me?" I ask.
"You have worked Ambo seven years, Truck one year, and Squad one and a half years. You are a famous firefighter because you were shot while you were working on ambulance and still worked the call, have been in multiple building crashes while candidate on Truck, you were shot at your wedding at House 51 then as soon as you were discharged you worked a terrorist attack on the hospital you had just been discharged from, and many other smaller things." She tells me as we turn a corner.
"Okay. Now how'd you get the black eye, and why?" I ask.
"Uh... you hit me. Because I was trespassing and trying to get Lieutenant Casey to sleep with me." She says.
Everyone's eyes widen and Herman's jaw drops.
"Okay. So what does that tell you about me?" I ask raising an eyebrow.
"That you're a hot-head." She snaps.
"Try again and remember I'm your lieutenant." I say narrowing my eyes at her.
"That you don't like to be crossed." She says.
"Exactly. Now, keep your mouth shut and do your job. Do I make my self clear?" I ask.
"Crystal." She says.
When we pull up we see a man hanging off a roof.
"We need Squad." Mouth says as we get out.
"Don't call for Squad. Man you guys lost the fire... Cruz get me the ladder raised, and I need a rope and harness." I order.
Mouth hands me the gear, and I strap the harness on.
"Ladder won't reach even with the extension, Lieutenant." Cruz says as he lifts the ladder up.
"I figured as much... get me a transporting back board." I say as I climb up on to the truck.
Herman and Otis hand me a board up, and I say, "Otis. Come on, follow me."
Otis follows me up the ladder to the top. I clip the rope to my harness and say, "Okay, Otis, what I need you to do is keep this rope held tight. Then, I'm going to self propel. Next, I'm going to strap the guy in to the back board and attach the rope to him. Lower him down all the way. Bring the rope back up to me, and I'm going to clip myself back on. I'll then have you raise me. Got it?"
"Yeah, but the guys above us." He says.
"Yeah, let me handle that part." I say as I clip the rope and back board to me, and he loops the rope through the side rungs of the ladder.
He nods when he's ready, and I start down to the closest windowsill. I feel my feet touch the top and stop. I tie the rope in a quick knot, and reach up for the edge of the slanted metal roof. I grab it, and pull myself up.
I untie the knot, and move over to where the man is hanging off the edge. I grab the back of his jacket, and pull him up. He clings to me as I hold the board in place.
"Sir I need you to get on to the backboard. Then my guys going to lower you down to the paramedics." I say.
"I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!" He screams.
"Sir! Get a hold of yourself. You are not going to die, but you are going to get in this transport back board and my guy is going to lower you down." I say.
He nods quickly, and climbs in to the board for me. I strap him down, and unclip myself from the rope. I hook the board to the rope and say in to my radio, "Let's go, Otis. Lower him down."
I push the board to the edge of the roof and Otis pulls him off and then down. Mills and Shay take the man, and pull off. Otis lifts the rope up, and the ladder is too far down.
I look around the roof and see a door on the top of the roof. I make my way gingerly up the roof and pull on the door. It's locked.
"Yeah, this throws a loop in my plan." I mutter.
"Dawson, how are you getting down?" Herman radios.
"Yeah. Uh... we are gonna try going old school. We got a tarp?" I ask.
"Yeeaah... wait, you're gonna jump?! Casey'll kill me!" Herman radios.
"Get the damn tarp stretched tight." I order.
"Roger that, Lieutenant." He radios.
I make my way to the edge of the roof as Cruz radios, "We're ready if you're ready, Lieutenant."
I look down to see Mouch, Reynolds, Otis, Cruz, and Herman holding a red tarp with CFD printed on it. It's in a metal ring, and makes me laugh. Then, I jump. I hit the tarp with a pop, and they lower me to the ground.
"Good god, are you alright?" Mouch asks as I look up at them surrounding me.
"Damn. I'd rather go through a building flash, but I'm alive." I say pulling my helmet off as I sit up.
"Damn." Cruz says.
"No wonder you're on Squad, Dawson. I think you're an adrenaline junkie." Herman tells me as he pulls me to my feet.
"I guess." I say as we fold up the tarp.
"Let's get back to the house." I say as we get in the truck.
Cruz nods, and we pull off.
"So the amazing Gabriela Dawson, puts another one down for the record books. She jumps off a building on to a tarp and gets praised for it." Reynolds mutters.
"REYNOLDS! I thought I made myself clear on the way to the call! Do. Not. Cross. Me. Or anything. I. Order." I say raising my voice as I turn around silencing all talk in the truck.
"Yeah, and you really aren't my lieutenant. Why should I take order's from you?" She says rolling her eyes at me.
"Kid, you better shut up before she bites your head off." Herman says.
"Let her run her mouth, Herman. She wants to be running drills all day, fine by me. But I'm not going to tell you again, Reynolds, keep. Your. Mouth. Shut." I say in the deadly calm voice I use on Squad when I want to make 'me piss their pants.
"Yeah. Not happening." She says.
"Reynolds! Shut up!" Otis and Mouch say at the same time.
We pull in to the house and I get out. I slam the door shut and pull off my gear. Everyone gets out, and before Reynolds can take her gear off I say, "Reynolds. With me. NOW!" I shout.
She rolls her eyes as we walk past the Squad table. When Severide sees my face his eyes go wide and the color drains from his face considering it takes a lot to piss me off this bad.
We walk to the Chief's office and I knock on the door and he waves us in.
"Sit. Now." I order Reynolds.
"I'm good, sweet pea." She says leaning against the door frame.
"NOW, REYNOLDS!" I shout.
"Yeah yeah yeah." She says nonchalantly.
"REYNOLDS, SIT DOWN NOW!" Boden shouts making her snap to attention and sit down.
"I assume this is what you want to talk to me about." Boden says as he stands up.
"Yes. This is what I dealt with the whole time we were on that call. Even when I was shouting out orders this is what I got this... this... this disrespect and attitude. I can be shouting orders at her or just shouting at her and she acts like she's a big whig." I say pacing behind her.
"I don't know why she's acting like this. When I asked Casey about you, he said you were doing good. What changed?" Boden asks her.
"Why should I be taking orders from a snob who thinks she's all high and mighty because she's on Squad and we learned about her in the Academy, Chief?" She asks shrugging her shoulders.
"Because she is your lieutenant until Casey comes back, and she should be getting as much respect as me. You see the reason you learn about her in the Academy is because she is a head-strong, independent, bull-headed, passionate firefighter. Meaning she is as good as they come, better than the best. Do you know how long it took her to complete her Squad qualification test? Or her lieutenant test?" Boden asks raising his eyebrows.
She shrugs her shoulders and he continues, "It took her fifteen minutes to complete the Squad test, and thirty to complete the lieutenant test."
"Yeah, so what. A female lieutenant over a company of men and one woman? It's not fair." Reynolds says.
"Chief, she's treating me different because I'm not a guy that she can throw herself at, and then get out of doing most of her work. You realize she has been throwing herself at Casey, and broke in to our house last night?" I ask.
"What?!?! Reynolds, is this true?!?!" He shouts.
"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not." She says shrugging her shoulders.
"It's true. She was trying to throw herself on Casey last night. That is until I came in. She got the black eye from me. I swung at her, she swung at me, I caught her arm, and walked her out to her truck." I say.
"She was trespassing?" He asks.
"Yeah. We had to replace our front door handle last night. We got up early this morning and checked it, and Casey had to go to the hardware store and get a new door handle set." I say.
"I'm calling Chief Tiberus. Dawson, go radio dispatch and have them pull us out of serves for three hours." Boden tells me.
I nod, and walk out. I walk to where the house main radio is and radio dispatch, "Fire House 51 to dispatch."
"Go ahead, House 51."
"Pull us out of service for three hours. Authorized by Battalion Chief Wallas Boden." I say.
"Okay. House 51 is pulled out of service for three hours."
"Thanks." I say.
"Yeah." Dispatch says.
I put the mike down, and walk start walking through the commons towards Boden's office when Herman stops me and says, "Why'd we get pulled out of service, and where's Reynolds?"
"Don't worry about it right now." I say then walk back to Boden's office...