Embracing Today, a firefighter romance: (The Trading Yesterday Series, #3), Kahlen Aymes [essential reading txt] 📗

onto the gurney that they had lowered to make it easier to sit down; the remaining EMT steadying me with his hands. Once I was laying down and covered with a cotton blanket, he ran and got an equipment case, flipping it open and taking out a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff, and then using a pen light to look into my eyes. I started to shiver.

“You might be in shock. I just want to get your vitals, okay?”

“Brady, Danson…. Get out of there!” I heard the voice on the megaphone shout. “Witness says it’s a DOA!”

I closed my eyes, silently praying that no one else would be hurt.

BEN

“Brady, Danson…. Get out of there!” I barely heard the captain through the fire’s roaring, me and my partner lifting and moving large chunks of metal looking for the victim. Our Turnout gear; the protective gloves, coat, boots, and fireproof pants kept us from getting burned but it was hot as fuck. “Witness says it’s a DOA!”

It was an inferno by the time we’d arrived, but if there was a person inside, we had to attempt a rescue, no matter how hopeless. We were probably insane because I knew no one could survive this. My mask was fogging over and mixed with the thick black clouds of smoke, I could barely see a thing. I was used to the weight of the O2 tank on my back and that of my gear. The flames were licking up the walls and over the ceiling, blistering the paint. Soon the roof would probably cave in overhead. No question, we had to get the fuck out, but I didn’t want to leave the poor bastard in here. The walls were made of concrete blocks with wooden buildout on the inside, but one had been blown apart by the initial explosion.

“Come on, let’s go,” Davis shouted. “There could be more explosions! We don’t know what else is in here and the roof is about to go!”

The flames were already raging across the ceiling and it could flash in any second. I glanced around and saw the charred form of a man on the floor. He was charred beyond recognition; his features melted, and his hands only stumps on his frozen arms, the fingers completely gone. “I found him!” I shouted, pointing so Davis could see where I was looking.

“The structure was already weakened by the explosions, man!” he yelled back, taking hold of my jacket. “Let’s go!”

I shook my head, yelling. “You go ahead. I can’t leave him in here. The family deserves something to bury! I’m right behind you!”

I used one gloved hand to pull on the dead man’s arm and then bent, to hoist him over my back. It was gross, like a hundred and fifty pounds of charred meat, but all I was thinking of was getting this guy and myself out before the roof caved in on us. The heat was intense; I was sweating profusely inside my gear and my helmet was starting to itch as I carried him toward the opening in the wall closest to me.

Water was already raining down into the guts of the fire on the side that had been blown away by the initial explosion, and the teams from two of the six stations on the scene were getting it under control. I could hear the drops hit my helmet and my coat, but I couldn’t feel any temperature difference.

Davis had gone out in advance and there was a black body bag laying on the ground waiting to receive the poor bastard I was carrying. He held it open until the body was inside, then zipped it up. I peeled off my mask, as he had already done, removed a glove and wiped my hand down my face to clear the sweat.

“Cap says it’s a total loss. They’re just going to control the burn.”

“Do they know what happened to start it?” I asked, unbuckling my jacket.

“No. That’s the fire commissioner and the sheriff’s job to investigate.”

I was annoyed that my friend pointed that out because I already knew it, but I was curious if anything had been discovered from questioning the person who called in, though it didn’t take a genius to know a place like this was full of flammable substances.

I nodded, looking around. The EMTs were working on someone about a hundred yards away, and instinctively I knew this must be someone close to the deceased. “Be right back,” I tossed over my shoulder and began walking toward the open back of the ambulance.

Mitch, one of my team’s younger emergency medical techs, was jumping out of the back.

“What’s the story?” I asked.

He shook his head. “She was inside and saw the dude light up, from what I gather. She has some injuries on her hands and knees, a concussion from being thrown in the explosion, and her feet are injured from running a half-mile on white rock. We’re giving her IV fluids to stave off shock. She lives alone at the ranch house in the distance over there,” he pointed. “…so, we’re taking her to the hospital for overnight observation.”

“Can I talk to her for just a minute?” I asked, taking off my helmet and pushing the hair that was plastered to my forehead back with a clawed hand.

“Sure. Just a minute while we load up the rest of the gear.”

“Okay.” I climbed in the back and sat down next to the slight young woman under the white cotton blanket. It was up to her neck, and one dirty hand that had an IV line attached to it was resting on her stomach on top of the covers. I could see she was beautiful, despite her smudged, tear-stained face and her tangled, soot-covered hair. Her eyes were closed when I sat down next to her.

“Miss?” I said softly, trying to rouse her.

Her eyes flew open and in the bright light of the ambulance, her light grey eyes were stark against her dirty face and