Chapter 7
SEVEN
LEXIE
As soon as she finished with the exam, she found a quiet place in one of the outdoor courtyards and even with the chill in the air, she was happy to have the quiet.
She dialed Kaleo's number and it rang a few times before going to voice mail.
She knew he was working a shift at the firehouse. That meant that they were busy.
Lexie kept telling herself that as she walked from one end of the courtyard to the other, wondering.
Was it too much for her to go to the fire station to see what was going on?
She knew the answer to that.
Yes.
They'd known each other for a few days.
They weren't even in a 'relationship' where it would make sense for her to stop by.
As a friend? Maybe.
It just felt like she was coming up with excuses, but there was still something... off.
The other door leading to the courtyard opened up and Lexie turned her head.
"Thuy!"
The nurse who had come to their class just a few days before the exam stepped out into the courtyard with a warm cup cradled in her hands. "Lexie? What are you..."
Thuy turned her head to look at the other door and nodded. "The exam! How did it go?"
Lexie hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure what to say.
Thuy smiled at her, her shoulders shaking slightly with laughter. "I don't want you to jinx it either, but I'm sure you did great."
"I hope so."
"You've worked so hard for this." Thuy took a sip from her cup. "Everything will be fine and soon," she sighed a soft, indulgent sigh, "you'll be working here with us and enjoying all the excitement."
Lexie nodded and lifted her phone so she could see the screen.
No notifications for calls or texts.
"Something wrong?"
Lexie looked up at the nurse and hesitated again. "I'm feeling... like I'm missing something. I had this... feeling..."
Lexie lifted her hand and pressed it to the center of her chest. "I know it probably sounds crazy, but earlier I saw an ambulance drive past the windows-"
"Ah... That makes sense. You were busy with the exam. They had a shooting over at the firehouse."
Firehouse?
Lexie reached out and grabbed Thuy's arm. "A shooting? At Twenty-nine?"
Thuy nodded. "Kennedy Heart, the reporter? She was shot in a drive-by. Or at least what everyone is saying."
She shook her head.
"You know how that goes."
Lexie was struggling to calm herself down. "Telephone."
Thuy smiled. "You start with a sentence and by the time a few people pass on the message, it's something different."
Lexie nodded. "Is... Is Miss Heart okay?"
That's when Thuy's expression darkened a little. "She will be. They're looking for the shooter now."
"So..." Lexie was feeling more like herself. Her ears were working better. Or maybe it was her brain that was. Either way, she felt like she had to have the situation confirmed before she could let her worries go. "None of the firefighters were hurt."
Thuy nodded, a slow, pointed drop of her chin. "They're all good."
Lexie breathed a long exhale. "Thanks."
"No worries." Thuy took another drink from her cup. "You know someone working over at Twenty-nine?"
Her cheeks were suddenly warm and Lexie hoped that it would look like the cold had put the color in her cheeks. "I know one of the new firefighters at the station. This is his first day."
Thuy's eyes widened at that. "First day? Starting out with some excitement."
Lexie nodded. "I called him but he's not answering. I'm sure they're busy."
Thuy finished another sip from her cup. "Fire, Police, the E.R. If there's one thing we know about as a part of our jobs, it's busy."
Something chimed and Thuy sighed. "That would be my alarm telling me it's time to head back to the E.R."
One long draw on the cup and Thuy dropped it into the trash bin a couple of steps away.
"Take care, Lexie! And I'll see you soon on shift."
With a bright smile and a nod, she stepped back inside.
Lexie looked down at her phone and a notification popped up.
HOTTNESS: Sorry I missed your call.
LILRN: No worries. Just wanted to say that I was done with the exam
Seeing the three blinking dots made it easier for her to breathe.
HOTTNESS: How did the test go?
She smiled.
LILRN: Good.
She nodded and her smile stretched wider.
LILRN: Really good. I think
She blew out a breath and told him how she really felt, continuing on.
LILRN: I know that I'm passing this
HOTTNESS: I believe it
LILRN: I heard there was a shooting at the firehouse
LILRN: You okay?
Her phone rang and she picked up.
"Hey..."
She hoped she didn't sound as silly as she felt saying it.
"Hey, you."
His voice was a little like hers.
Softer than before.
"Were you there when it happened? She had to swallow against the tightness in her throat.
"I was there. Kennedy was there to talk to us about a community outreach idea. And after the meeting, she was heading back to her car when the shooting happened. It looks like a drive-by. The ambulance was there just a few minutes after it happened."
"Lucky for her," Lexie sat down on one of the benches, relieved, nearly taking her knees out from under her. "A firehouse is one of the best places to have a medical emergency. That and a hospital."
The call was silent for a moment and Lexie felt horrible. "I guess it's kind of a strange thing to say. Sorry."
"No. It's not... I mean it wasn't."
She heard sounds on the other end of the call.
"Sorry, Lexie. The lieutenant for Rescue Crew is calling us in for a meeting."
She blew out a breath and her shoulders slumped in relief.
"Okay," she spoke mainly for herself. "Be careful out there, okay?"
"I will. Get home safely and relax. You deserve it."
Lexie tipped her head back and looked up at the sky stretching over her head. "Thanks... I'll talk to you soon."
"Yeah," his voice was deeper than it had been a moment before. "Talk to you soon."
Lexie ended the call and took a moment to gather herself before standing up.
Talking to Kaleo helped her to relax.
Knowing that he was safe?
That was what she needed to hear.
It took a moment for her to realize the worry at the center of her thoughts.
If he'd been hurt, she would want to be in the Emergency Room, working there meant that she could help.
He could walk into a burning building and save people.
She could do her own part to help when those people were pulled out of the fire.
It was what she'd wanted to do her whole life, but now she was realizing that it was more than just helping people at the Emergency Room, she was part of a community. All of the first responders in the city made a 'whole' that was bigger than better than their own discipline.
This really was where she was meant to be. Doing something to help others.
That was going to be the best part of her life, helping to save lives and making others better.
The courtyard door opened with a slight squeak of the hinges.
"Hey, Lexie?"
She turned, recognizing the voice of one of her classmates. "Dex?"
"I'm heading out. You want me to drop you off at your apartment?"
"What? A nice warm car instead of waiting at the bus stop? Duh!"
Dex held the door open and she hustled inside to get the most of the heat.
Now that the exam was over and she knew that Kaleo was fine, she was starting to feel the cold.
She turned her head to look at her classmate. "Thanks for the offer."
He shrugged. "I'm heading your way."
Her steps slowed for a moment. "I thought you lived on Thirty-third."
Dex sighed. "Guilty. But it's a few more streets. And maybe I feel like I need to do something good to stock up on my Karma points."
"For the exam?" She shook her head. "You're going to pass with no problems. You've put in your work."
Maybe it was her imagination, but he seemed to stand a little taller after her comments. "I've been chasing your grades for the better part of the year."
"Chasing is hardly the word. You're with me at the top of the class."
He laughed and stepped ahead to open the door for her again. "A friendly competition to excel."
"I like the sound of that better." She nodded and darted ahead to hold open the next door for Dex. "With both of us working as hard as we did, the real winners are the patients we're going to see."
She followed him to his car and gladly slipped into the passenger seat. Dex's car might be a slightly older model that he'd bought second hand, but it had the benefit of warm seats.
It didn't take more than a minute or two to make her feel a little toasty. It was so much better than the cold plastic seats on the bus.
Yes, things were looking up.
KALEO
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not, but he had a feeling that he'd gotten on the wrong side of his new lieutenant.
No, not Gibson Braun. Gibson was the lieutenant in charge of Ladder Truck Forty-two.
Kaleo had been assigned to the Rescue Squad to fill the empty space in the crew.
But every time he'd come across Lieutenant Isaac Mackenzie, the other man didn't seem to look him in the eye.
While most of the shift was bunking down in the sleeping quarters at a little after eleven, Kaleo was sitting on a bench in the apparatus area, looking over the trucks and vehicles assigned to work at Twenty-nine.
The room was silent and almost dark, kind of suiting his mood.
There were safety lights around the floor which would keep people from walking into the various rolling racks in the space.
It was crazy how big the space was compared to the smaller station he worked at on the island of Oahu. In Center City he wouldn't be surprised if there were bats in the rafters. It would take him a pair of binoculars to see them.
The door to his right swung open and the light from the community area beyond darkened for a moment.
"Uh... You okay out here?"
Kaleo had to turn a little more to see who it was in the doorway. "Rock?"
"Good memory."
"I try." His attempt at humor seemed to fall short, but he was glad it was dark, so he didn't have to see Rock's expression.
"Mind a little company?"
"Not at all." Kaleo moved over on the bench. "Have a seat?"