Lost in an instant 'Part one'
#1 of Lost in an instant.
It was a very hot August morning in Milford. It was eleven O'clock and the crew of firehouse 14, along with stations 110, and 51, were responding to a report of a fire in an abandoned building in the projects near the center of town. In tower 14, Matt Taylor, a twenty four year old fox, stared out the window as the massive rig barreled down the street. He turned away from the window and looked over at the firefighter in the seat next to him. The other firefighter was his mate, Jeremy Ross. He was a twenty five year old German Shepard. The two had been together for four years now, and had three adopted kids. The two looked at each other and Matt smiled softly at him. Jeremy smiled back and scratched softly behind Matt's ear. Matt chuckled and held Jeremy's hand. The two looked into each others eyes, Matt was about to speak, but was interrupted, they had arrived on the scene. The two climbed out of the crew cab and surveyed the building. It was an old multi-story apartment building. There was no sign of fire or smoke on the outside of the building. "What now?" Matt asked. Captain Lewis shook her head with a puzzled look on her face.
After a moment of thinking she turned around gave orders to the others. "Jeremy, you check out the front, Adam, Jason, you cover him. Matt, you position the ladder on the roof."
They all immediately followed her orders. Jeremy pulled on an air pack and ran up to the front door. Adam and Jason followed him with charged lines, and Matt began extending the supports for the ladder.
Jeremy tried to open the door but found it stuck. He tried a knob again, but it was still stuck, or probably locked. Jeremy took a step back, kicked the door down and ran in. Within seconds there was a massive backdraft. The whole first floor was fully involved instantly, and the fire began to spread to other floors. Matt couldn't move he was frozen on the spot with a look of horror on his face. Suddenly it was as of time had slowed down. He looked around and all he could see was panic. The two firefighters at the front of the building were fighting a quickly losing battle with the inferno. And Susan was at the truck. Over his radio he heard Sudan's voice "Mayday! Mayday! Firefighter down at 185 water street, 1-8-5 Water Street, request backup ASAP!"
As soon as Matt herd 'firefighter down' he knew Jeremy was inside. He ran over to the pumper, pulled a line off and ran over to the building. As soon as he got there he opened his line and began to attack the fire. His training told him that it was hopeless and to back down, but his instincts told him to keep trying and rescue Jeremy. But every time he would put out enough the fire and get close to the door, heat and flames would push him back, and by the time he would recover the fire would regain hold, causing him to restart the process. But Matt kept trying to gain entry. But after ten minutes, the structural integrity of the building began to weaken.
Back at the truck Susan was faced with a hard choice. She knew that the building could collapse at any moment, but one of her men was still inside. But of she kept her men there and the building came down, it would take the lives of the others trying to save the one man still trapped inside. She had to make a choice now. She weighed the pros and cons in her head, but she knew there was only one choice.
She activated the PASS units worn by the firefighters, signaling the firefighters at the building to pullout. Immediately the firefighters closed there hoses and began running back to the truck, except for Matt. He stayed there and kept trying to put out the fire, until he was pulled away by other firefighters. As they ran away from the building, there was another massive explosion. A huge fireball rose into the sky, and debris rained down on the surrounding areas. The remains of the building crumbled and fell to the ground. Among the debris, the only item of Jeremy that was ever found-aside from an engagement ring and a pair of dog tags-fell to earth, the leather shield from the front of his helmet. Matt couldn't think. He just stared at the burning pile of rubble. Everyone around him was in a panic. Matt walked over to a heavy rescue and sat down on the tail board. He pulled off his helmet and buried his face into his paws. He couldn't contemplate what had happened. As he sat there he began to feel tears running down his muzzle. He quickly wiped them away, and sat there. He looked up and saw that what was, just moments ago, a raging inferno, was now nothing more than a small bonfire. He looked back down at the ground and just sat there. After a while he felt an arm on his shoulder he looked up and saw Susan. "You okay?" she asked. Matt couldn't speak, so he just shook his head. Susan sat down with him and put her arm around him. She couldn't think of what to say to him. After a few minutes she finally managed to speak.
"Listen, you take off as much time as you need, ok?"
Matt looked up at her and nodded.
"Why don't you head home." She said. "We got enough people here"
"Are you sure?" Matt asked.
"Go home and be with your kids" Susan replied.
"Thanks cap." He said as he stood up.
Matt pulled off his turnout jacket and walked to the end of the street and hailed a cab. Soon he was back at the firehouse. He walked inside and put his turnout into his locker. As he did he took a look at himself in a mirror he kept in his locker. The orange and white fur on his face was now black from the soot, except where his tears had run. His head fur was matted and dirty and he was drenched in sweat. He took off his uniform and changed into his regular clothes and grabbed his keys. He walked out back, got into his car, and drove home. On the way back to his house one thing kept running through his mind. What was he going to say to his kids.
It wasn't long till he was home. He pulled into the driveway just as the sun was setting, and as he got out of his car, he could see a column of smoke in the distance.
Matt slowly walked into his house and found his kids watching the fire on the news. His daughter, Christine jumped up from the couch as soon as she saw him and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank god you're safe." She said as she released him from the hug.
"Where are Jamie and Mark?" Matt asked.
"Jamie's watching TV upstairs and Marks on the computer" she replied.
"Can you get them down here? I need to talk to you all" he said.
"What's wrong?" Christine asked.
"Just do it please" Matt said.
A few moments later Christine returned, followed by Matt's two sons, Mark the oldest and Jamie the youngest. "What's going on dad?" Mark asked.
"There was an accident today." Matt replied.
"An accident" Christine said, sounding puzzled.
"What do you mean dad" Jamie asked.
"Jeremy was..." Matt hesitated for a moment. "Jeremy was trapped in the building" he said as a single tear rolled off his muzzle.
"Is he" was all mark could say before he was interrupted by Matt.
"Yeah." Matt replied.
Everyone grew silent. No one could think of a think of a think of a thing to say. Christine let out a sob and mark buried his muzzle into his paws, and Jamie grabbed onto Matt's leg and started crying. The news continued to play on the TV in the other room, and Matt and Jeremy's song began to play on the radio.
The End
of
Part One