Chapter 11
Jace
Sweat pours down from Hayden's hairline, creating tracks down his dark skin.
His once light gray shirt is now dark as he pushes himself to the max, “Give me six more!” I yell over the music blaring in the background.
His large muscles pulsate as he lifts, “Five, four, three, two, PUSH, One.” I help him set the bar down gently, and let his arms fall on his chest, slowing his labored breaths.
“Fuck, that damn near killed my ass.” He chuckles and wipes his face with his towel. I sit down on the leg press and get to work.
We’ve been coming here every day since we started our new jobs.
Hayden just graduated with his associate's degree in fire science, and now he’s jumping right into EMT training, with my help.
We both work at the fire station near our boarding school.
We had strong recommendations, and they were willing to help the school's headmaster.
Hayden and I graduated from boarding school at the top of our class, both thankful for all it taught us and for the opportunity it gave us.
“We'd better get home; we both have an early shift tomorrow.” Walking out of the gym, Hayden rests against the door. “My legs are pissed that we chose to run to the gym and home.”
Without giving him time to rest, “Race ya.” I take off down the sidewalk, running as fast as I can.
When I feel him gaining on me, it only makes me push harder.
Arriving at the apartment, I lean against the tall brick building just as Hayden rushes to a stop.
I try to catch my breath, but my words come out choppy, “But the burn feels so fucking good.”
Running inside, I shower and finish tomorrow's meal prep. We work long days, and food prepping is the way to go. Hayden is packing his protein bowl when my phone rings, “It’s Blair, wanna take it?”
“I’ve ignored her for three days; I probably should.” He tosses me my phone, and I walk into the other room.
She tells me she misses me and wants to get together soon.
I give her the same old spiel; I’m busy with work, and I don’t have much free time; in turn, she begs for an hour and tells me exactly how she will make it worth my while.
Eventually, I’m going to tell her we aren’t going to work out.
It's the same routine; I don’t have time for a girlfriend, and if I did, no one would have felt right.
Every relationship, or whatever I’m doing, has felt forced.
Stepping back out to the kitchen, Hayden has everything put away and is signing in to Xbox. “You're gonna have to sack up and tell her, man. Do the whole it’s not you, it’s me.” I plop down next to him and grab my controller.
“I just feel like a dick, to be fair, I did tell her I wasn’t looking for anything serious, and if that’s what she wanted, she had the wrong dude.” We get logged into our game.
“Yeah, but maybe it is one of those, ‘he’ll change for me’ type of things? You know, maybe she changed her mind.” Hayden looks at me, opening his Dr. Pepper with a shit-eating grin.
“Well, I’m not changing, I don't have time.” He scoffs, leaning back into the couch.
“You have time, you have time right now. It isn’t that, so quit lying to yourself, man. We both know it’s the girl you left behind.” I roll my eyes and start shooting at him in the game.
“Shut up, and let's play our game.”
The sirens blast through the fire department, and everyone hauls ass, throwing on their gear in record time, before loading the rig.
Jamie, my partner, and I jump into the ambulance and head to the scene.
“Car accident, off the highway, two patients, both are lucid and responding.” After gathering everything, we arrive at the scene to find the car completely smashed against the guardrail.
Two young girls are sitting in the car where the airbags have deployed.
“Hello, I’m Jace, a paramedic. My partner Jamie and I are going to get you girls out of here.
Can you tell me if anything hurts, or if you're bleeding anywhere?” I conduct my primary assessment as the driver winces, moving her leg.
I watch as her eyes squint, her pulse quickens, and her movements become stiff.
She’s hurting. She shakes her head no, “Alright, let me see.” Jamie runs around to the passenger and starts assessing.
“I’m going to check you out. Can you tell me your name and how old you are? ”
The friend looks towards us, smiling, “I’m Becca, and you're hot.” Molly laughs and rolls her eyes.
She sucks in a sharp breath, “Sorry about her, I’m Molly, we’re sixteen.”
I listen to her heart, hammering out of her chest as anxiety takes over.
“It’s okay, Molly, listen, take slow, easy breaths for me.
I know this is scary, but Jamie and I are going to take really good care of you.
Slow breath, in through your nose, out through your mouth, can you try that for me?
” She starts breathing as I instructed, I grab the splint from the bag, and start wrapping her leg.
Trying my best to be gentle, “Almost done, you’re doing great, Molly.
” She gives me a slight smirk as a tear forms in her eye.
“Let's get you out and call your parents, it’s okay.
You're safe, your friend is walking away with a small scratch, and you have a broken leg; it will heal in no time.”
She is now lying on the stretcher, getting ready for transport, when her parents run up, “Molly?” Worry falls over them when they witness the crashed car.
“She’s right over here. There were no serious injuries. We’re taking her to Memorial Hospital for a closed fracture on her left leg, and she’s pretty shaken up. One of you is welcome to ride.” The mom jumps at the offer.
We drop the family off at the hospital, finish what we need to do, and just as I’m about to leave, Molly speaks up: “Thank you, Jace.”
We make it back to the firehouse with enough time to eat before the bell rings again. HOUSE FIRE. We all drop our utensils fast and without pause before jumping into the rigs and flying to our new destination.
We see the haze before we turn down the street; the glowing fire lights the night sky just above the house, engulfed in flames.
Jumping out of the ambulance, I spot Hayden running around the rig, “Hey, Wilder, let's do this!” He pats his chest, grabs the hose, and runs towards the blazing house.
Jamie and I get everything ready. The firefighters fight like hell, dousing the orange and red flames threatening to engulf the house.
“Get hoses on that fire!” The Captain yells before grabbing Hayden, motioning him in.
He suits up, and like the hero he is, he rushes in, wasting no time.
The radio echoes; Hayden's voice is muffled: “We got two people, Cap, coming out now!” The rest of the crew fights like hell to diminish the fire that roars with a vengeance, determined to burn everything to ash.
“Jamie! Jace! Get ready, Hayden has two trapped inside! He’s working on an exit now!” The captain radios to the crew, “SOUTH EXIT!” The water pours down over the fighting flames, “Hayden? South Exit!” His radio is choppy, and I can't hear what he is trying to convey.
We see him and his counterpart rush out, each one holding a body close to their chest, just as the ceiling above them crashes to the floor, their feet meet the charred, wet grass.
Hayden runs over with a small body pressed against him.
Lying the small boy on the stretcher, he starts the handover.
I check over the boy quickly. Looking at all the signs his body is giving me, “No pulse!” We rushed him to the ambulance and immediately started bagging with high flow oxygen, silently begging him to breathe, just breathe, kid, come on, breathe for me, as Jamie sets up the oxygen in preparation.
Jamie and Hayden push the stretcher towards the ambulance.
Breathe, buddy, come on, breathe. Begging for my breath to match his, and finally, I feel it.
“Faint pulse!” Finally, my heart races, and palms sweat, as I watch the boy come back to life.
Hayden falls back against the rig, catching his breath. The fire diminishes, the boy's mother is being treated for smoke inhalation and will be with her son soon, heading to Memorial to get the care they need. My heart pounds out of my chest. Thank God.
“Another save, big guy. Another save.” Hayden slaps my hand as I round the rig, jumping in the driver's seat.
Arriving back at the station just as our shift is about to end, we wait for the bell to ring again. Hayden and I decided to hit the gym inside the station. “Another day, man.” Hayden drops his head as I sit up on the bench.
I shake my head, “and another Save.”