Chapter Ten
Blaze
Our alarm sounded.
The call came in for a car crash.
Four of us suited up and left the fire hall in the pumper truck, the lights flashing and siren telling other drivers to move out of the way.
As emergency responders, we headed out for many calls other than fires, most of them being medical in nature. Often, we beat the paramedics to the scene and assessed the situations, gave first aid, blocked off the area, or assisted in other ways.
From the passenger side of the truck, I spotted the accident ahead. It looked like one of the vehicles wasn’t paying attention to the color of the streetlights, leading to an SUV crashing into the driver’s side of a minivan. Neither of the vehicles were electric, reducing the risk of a fire.
The instant the truck stopped, we were out the door.
“Sorry. I’m so sorry.” A man rushed toward us as an ambulance pulled up beside our truck. “The sun was in my face. I didn’t see that it was red.”
I guided the man over to the sidewalk so the other members of my team could work with the EMTs to help those in the minivan. Controlling emotional people in an emergency situation was just as important as helping those who were injured. “Is there anyone else in your vehicle?”
He shook his head. “No. Just me. I was heading into work.”
“Are you injured at all?” I looked him over, trying to spot any signs of blood or him favoring a body part. People involved in crashes sometimes had a rush of adrenaline that hid their pain for a brief period of time.
“I don’t think so.” He glanced toward where his SUV was wedged into the minivan. “Are they going to be okay? I tried to get a response from the driver, but he only moaned. And I think I saw a kid in the back.”
A moment of panic clenched my heart. Ladon and Kirin? I blinked to regain focus. Wait, Ladon didn’t drive. It couldn’t be them. Yet those in the vehicle were already getting the attention they needed.
“This the driver?” An EMT appeared beside me with her medical bag. Jones, a human who often responded to the same calls as us.
I nodded. “Yeah, he says he isn’t injured but I’ll leave him to you to check over.”
The police pulled up then, obviously to question the driver.
I left them and walked over to where my team worked with the other paramedics to retrieve the minivan driver and his passenger from the vehicle.
“Are you busy?” the other EMT, Waverly, asked before I had a chance to find out where Captain Lee needed me.
“Um, no.” I turned to him to find a young child in his arms.
“Good.” He handed the child to me. “Take him while we get his dad out. He seems okay. Was buckled in well. I just don’t want him wandering off or for someone to grab him.”
The boy wrapped his legs around my waist as I pulled him closer. “Is my daddy okay?”
I couldn’t answer his question as I hadn’t yet seen the condition of the omega in the driver’s seat, only the condition of his minivan. “He has the best people helping him right now. They’ll take him to the hospital and get him all fixed up.”
A sob wracked the young one’s body as he sniffled. “I don’t want to go to the hospital. We’re supposed to go to my poppa’s birthday. The cake is in the back. It’s chocolate.”
“Your poppa’s, huh? Don’t worry, we’ll get you there.
” I didn’t know when, but I knew everyone who responded to the scene would work together to ensure this child was treated and remained in the care of family.
“What’s your name?” The more information I could get from him, the easier it would be to contact other family members.
“Roe Svensson. My daddy is Lucas Svensson, and my father is Tobias Svensson, but he is away on a business trip.” The boy took a deep breath before sticking out his bottom lip. “I don’t know my poppa’s name.”
“That’s okay.” I rubbed his back. “You did well, Roe. You gave me lots of information. Would you like something to eat or drink?” We usually included a cooler bag with water and snacks as part of our situation response equipment.
We never knew when it would be necessary to help a victim or a distraction for others at the scene.
I watched Waverly and Makhail remove the boy’s father from the minivan. Alive. That was a relief, but his face had many cuts and bruises. Probably more on other parts of his body. I made sure Roe couldn’t see his dad as we headed to the fire truck.
“You and kids, huh?” Franks met me there with Lavina, the woman from Children’s Aid who came to every emergency scene where children were involved.
I shrugged. “I always end up with them even though I don’t have any of my own.”
“What are you waiting for?” Lavina chuckled. “Better find yourself an omega or a woman and have some of your own since you seem to be so good with them.”
I gave her a half smile, thinking of Ladon and how he hadn’t responded to any of my texts since we’d had sex.
I believed we had a strong connection right away and tried to include his son where possible but had no idea how I’d screwed up.
“Svensson. This is Roe and the dad is Lucas. His father is Tobias Svensson but is away on a business trip. They were heading to his poppa’s for a birthday party. ”
Roe lifted his head. “And there’s cake in the trunk.”
“Yes, cake in the trunk. Until it’s cake time, here’s something for you.” After setting the boy down, I reached into the truck for a bottle of water and one of the granola bars. I opened the packages for him and watched as he devoured the bar then handed the wrapper back to me.
“Where’s my daddy?”
“He’s in the back of the ambulance now,” Lavina said, reaching for Roe’s hand. “I’m going to take you there and we’re going to see if we can get ahold of your father or your poppa, too.”
The boy looked up at me as if asking for permission.
I nodded. “Lavina will take you to the hospital to be with your dad.”
As Roe walked off with Lavina, Franks slapped me on the back. “These scenes are always harder when children are involved. Thank goodness he was okay, but it’s gut wrenching when they’re injured. Their bodies are so tiny and delicate to work on. And we never want to let a parent down.”
Vices clenched my chest. I’d been lucky enough to never have responded to a pediatric call or one where a child was injured.
I couldn’t imagine having to tell a parent that their child didn’t make it.
Even more so after briefly getting to know Kirin, a child I didn’t know if I’d get to see again.
If only his dad would text me back. My dragon wanted me to go to his apartment and make my way back into his life, but I refused.
I wasn’t an alpha who couldn’t control my beast.