Page 2 of Hearts on Fire

She grabbed her radio. “Charlie, I need assistance. Can you make it back to me? I’m in the room beyond the lab you left me in. One trapped casualty. The room is well on fire.”

Charlie took a second to respond. “Main corridor has caved in, I’ll have to find another way around. It may take me a few minutes.”

Crap. Scotti didn’t have a few minutes. “Come when you can,” she said shortly before cutting the radio. Charlie would make it here when he made it here. For now, she needed to work with what she had.

Scotti looked around and grabbed one of the freestanding desks and pulled it over to the beam. If she could use the desk as a lever, she might be able to lift the beam enough for the doctor to roll out.

She knew she had to move fast.

“Hey. Can you hear me?” She crouched down in front of the doctor, who looked only partially conscious. It was hard to see much at all in the smoke. The woman moaned and turned her head toward the sound of Scotti’s voice.

“Wake up. Come on.” Scotti shook her gently, casting an anxious glance at the advancing flames. She didn’t have much time, but she had to keep a cool head or she could get them both killed.

The woman’s eyes fluttered open.

“What’s your name?”

“Naomi,” she mumbled. Scotti couldn’t see so clearly through the smoke but she could see wide frightened eyes that she knew she wouldn’t forget.

“Naomi, it is ok. I’ve got you.” She squeezed Naomi’s hand through her thick fire glove. Something about this doctor clutched at Scott’s heart. She knew she had to save her. “Naomi, you’re going to have to help me. I’m going to lift the beam. When I do, I’m going to need you to roll to your left, out from under it. Can you do that for me?”

Naomi nodded. She blinked a few times, clearly trying to keep herself in the present moment.

Scotti hoped that Naomi could remain with it for long enough to help in her own escape, or they were both going to be in trouble.

She jammed the edge of the desk under the beam and pushed the other end down.

Scotti groaned as she put all her muscle into it. The side of the beam that was lying over Naomi slowly started to lift.

“Now, Naomi!”

Naomi rolled, flopping to the side of the beam. Scotti let it down carefully, not wanting to send debris flying if she dropped it. Unfortunately, the beam slipped at just the wrong moment, whacking her hard on the shoulder.

“Ow!” Scotti moved her shoulder gingerly, but it didn’t seem broken. It felt sore, but at least it was still functional.

She hurried over to Naomi and turned her over. Naomi was barely with it, but at least she was no free from the beam. Now to get her out of there.

Scotti turned to the door she had came through but found it to be an impassable wall of flames. Well, that was just great. The room around her was burning and they didn’t have long. She knew it was risky but she took her helmet off and started sharing her mask with Naomi so she took a couple of breaths and then switched back.

She scanned the room, looking for another way out. One of the walls to her left was collapsing under the pressure of the ceiling, which seemed to be caving in. It didn’t look like a good way to get out.

Fuck.

Scotti looked around again but didn’t see any way out of the room. She fought the familiar feeling of panic rising inside her. This was part of the job. She had to keep a cool head or she and Naomi were both dead.

“Charlie, I’ve freed the doctor, but we’re trapped in here. How close are you?”

“I’m almost there, Scotti. I’m working towards you from the west side. Hold on.”

“Got it.”

Scotti grabbed Naomi and quickly pulled her away from the wall, moving them to the safest part of the room. She shielded Naomi with her own body and picked up her hosereel and began to put some water on the part of the fire where she was expecting Charlie to appear from.

Less than a minute later, the locked door to the west corridor imploded inward, revealing Charlie amidst a cloud of smoke and dust.

Scotti felt a smile sweep over her face.

“Man, am I glad to see you, Charlie.”

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