28 Years a Hero

2009:II

August 18th,2009

"Hand me that hydrant wrench." Jay asked and I nodded handing him the cold metal tool with my bare hands. "And get your gloves on." He added and I rolled my eyes,slipping them on so I was in complete turnout gear. Most of the time he was a complete stickler for safety,more so than usual firefighters but only for me,for him anything was allowed and there was no possible way he could be harmed.Finished reloading the engine he closed the hatch by rolling it down like a miniature garage door.

Jay had been hired onto the department a month following the interview and things finally started to go our way. While working on his shift I often came and helped them. Today was a rainy day one of those days where it rained so hard that your turnouts gained what felt like twenty pounds of water weight and created puddles in the bay where rain droplets rolled off the engine and collected onto the floor like lakes at the end of a river.

We had just returned from a car accident call where a car had hydro planed from its lane into another going an opposite direction,creating a two-car accident. At the return,Jay and to reset and organize all the equipment being the newest firefighter in the house he got all the less desirable jobs.

"It's funny." He spoke walking back into the coat room and removing his turnouts along with me. "I've trained for so long to be a firefighter and now that I am,I'm scrubbing toilets." I knew it was a joke but it made me smile.

"Cleanest damn firehouse toilets in the state."

"You bet." He smiled bumping my arm and hanging his helmet returning with me to the living quarters of the fire house. About half of the men were working out in the weight room and the other half was sitting in the living area,watching hockey.

"How's the baby?" One of them asked ,Anderson I believe,hearing us walking in still staring at the T.V. Screen.

"Fine." I replied picking up the broom and handing it to Jay with a smile he smiled back sarcastically beginning to work on sweeping the kitchen tile.

"When are you going to stop working? Ya know,maternity leave or whatever?" Anderson wondered and I shrugged.

"Until I can't go longer than twenty minutes without peeing I guess." I teased and all the men chuckled most of them had children of their own and knew what the pregnant situation was like.

Engine 28 Rescue 5 report to Structure fire 2234 E. Brookner Drive.

The alarm blared and the radio called and Jay dropped the broom,kissing my cheek quickly. Leaving for the bay.

"Chief?" I asked as he passed and he put his hand out as if directing a car in traffic to stop.

"Stay here on this one,Tyler." I nodded a little disappointed I didn't get to go and they all left leaving me alone at the station to myself. Waiting in silence for a moment,I sighed picking the broom back up where Jay had left it and find he'd sweeping the kitchen floor,dumping the dust into the trash bin under the sink.

After sweeping the floor,I wiped the counters cleaning things here and there making Jay's job easier all around. One of the men in a hurry had dropped the remote onto the floor and I bent down to pick it up,standing. Before I had straitened all the way,a searing pain shot through my abdomen and I gasped,dropping to my knees on the ground. It felt as if someone had heated a metal spear and pushed it through my waist.

"Jay." I gasped eyes watering from the intensity of it. Dropping the remote and grasping into the couch trying to stand, I realized I couldn't,crawling on all fours trying to reach the bathroom. A warm wetness ran down my legs and I made it to the bathroom leaning against the cupboard doors. I gasped holding my stomach. I held a hand to my thigh,pulling it away a bloody hand meeting my gaze.