Page 50 of Hearts on Fire

“Let’s go.” Naomi said and they lifted the stretcher.

Scotti had a fleeting thought that she should recheck the integrity of the floor on their path back, but she decided to do it as they went.

Just as they were nearly back to the ladder platform, Naomi stepped slightly off path and the floor immediately collapsed under her.

“Naomi!!!!” Scotti felt the scream coming from her mouth as she reacted immediately leaping to try and save Naomi, but there was no saving her.

Naomi fell, the man on the stretcher fell and Scotti fell too.

Scotti felt herself hit the ground on the floor below and crumple in a heap.

“FUCK!” she shouted. This was the last thing she needed. Certainly the last thing the guy on the stretcher needed. Most importantly where was Naomi? Was Naomi ok?

“Naomi?” Scotti called as she sat up and looked around.

“Ugh. I’m ok, I think. Just bruised.” Naomi’s voice responded quickly and Scotti moved towards it in the smoke. She felt something- it was Naomi. Great. It felt better to be close to her. It also felt much hotter down here and Scotti knew that was never a good thing.

They also didn’t have a hose reel with them and that also was a really bad thing.

Scotti screwed up her face in the dark. This was not a good situation. How was she going to get them out of it?

“The guy… where is the guy?” Naomi murmured and it sounded like she was searching from him. Scotti pulled out her infra red camera as she knew that her flash light would be no use. They weren’t in normal darkness, this was thick black smoke, she could feel it.

Her camera came to life and immediately showed her the location of the man on the stretcher.

Unfortunately it also showed her the extent of the fire surrounding them. Sometimes smoke is so thick that you don’t see the flames and Scotti knew well that was about as serious as any situation she could imagine.

She pulled the emergency tag on her breathing apparatus. When she pulled this tag it emitted an eerie wailing sound. It was only to be pulled in the most dire situation possible. It made every other firefighter know that a firefighter was in lethal danger.

She pulled Naomi’s tag too.

“SOS Firefighter Saunders. Doctor Crane. Male casualty. SOS We fell through the floor. Surrounded by fire. No firefighting media present.” Scotti relayed the situation through her radio. Meanwhile she reached the man on the stretcher and did what she could to put a spare mask on him and tried to cover him with a fireproof blanket. She didn’t rate his chances.

Fuck, this is bad. This is really bad. The casualty will die. I will die and Naomi will die too.

In her fear, she hardly realized when she took Naomi's hand in hers and squeezed it.

“There’s a lot of fire in here, Naomi.”

There were tears welling up in her eyes and her voice was breaking.

“I don’t know how to get us out.”

There was no way out of here and she knew it.

Naomi was quiet and squeezed her hand right back.

“They could come and save us though, right?

Scotti nodded slowly although she knew Naomi couldn’t see her. She knew it was unlikely now. She knew they had barely any time and as she looked at the gauge on her breathing apparatus it only added to the feeling of impending doom within her. “They could,” she whispered.

There’s no time!!!

She needed Naomi. If she was going to die, she didn't want to do it denying the life she always wanted. Her senses felt overloaded and her eyes shut as she squeezed Naomi’s hand once again, perhaps for the last time.

“I love you. I haven't stopped loving you. I can't help but love you. I don't have all the words, but I need to let you know that if there's a next life and a chance with you, I'd run for it with all that I am.” Scotti could hear the pain and the tears in her own voice.

Then, Naomi spoke, “I got into therapy because I wanted to have a second opportunity with you. I didn't want to stop all that you can be. I didn't want my fears to be the reason you don't live your fullest. That's not what love is. Love ought to push you beyond limits and hold your hand when you fall. I wasn't doing that, but I want to be that for you, Scotti. So it hurt me each time I checked and I wasn't good enough to come back to you. It's you I've always wanted, Scotti. It's you who pushes me to be better. I look at you saving lives; I look at the way you devote yourself to fire and rescue and I'm in awe of how incredible you are. If there's a life that I can get a second chance with you, Scotti, you won't have to find me. I'll be right there with you. I love you, Scotti.”

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