Page 36 of Hearts on Fire

“Put a ladder up for me, get me in there” she said.

Scotti shook her head. “You're not going up there. We'll find a way to get that kid and the firefighter out.”

“Didn't you hear him? There's no way.” She knelt and opened her doctor’s bag, searching for something to help. “Best we get in and stabilize the kid and get everything figured out from there.”

“I'm the one with the most experience with collapsing buildings, Naomi. I'm saying, if you go up there without me you are going to get you all killed.”

But there was someone already setting a ladder up to the window Scotti had said was too frail to trust.

“Please, Scotti, I need to save that kid.” Naomi began to run toward the ladder, her doctors bag clunking at her waist.

Scotti swore and followed after her.

“We will take these fire escape steps.” Scotti pointed to the metal steps attached to the side of the building. “I think they are safer than the ladder.”

The steps shook under their feet even though they moved as stealthily as they could.

Scotti gave the building ten minutes max before it was in shambles on the floor. She wanted to be angry with Naomi for risking herself. This must have been how Naomi felt the other day.

But Scotti knew she'd made the right decision then even though it had endangered her life. But Naomi wasn't listening to her, and she was too adamant for her own good.

Scotti knew that if things got any worse, they may have to jump out of the building onto the landing pad.

That was if they were fast enough. You don’t always get that much warning in the final moments before a building collapse. Well, you do get warning and they were getting those warnings right now.

Scotti took each step, fearing that if she skipped one, the building would come down. Naomi was on the last one. Scotti was on the second now. Blocks and plaster fell as she moved; sometimes as small stones, sometimes large enough to make her flinch. The pain in her hands was almost forgotten. All she could think of was getting to Naomi to protect her in any way she could.

Though it only took seconds, it felt like forever until she finally got to the second floor. There were few rooms and one of them had already collapsed. Scotti was barely thinking of other victims now. It was just Naomi on her mind.

“Naomi!” she called, without raising her voice. Scotti moved lightly on her feet till she found Naomi. Naomi was hunched over the kid, covering the kid’s body with her own.

Alarm shot up Scotti's body immediately and she began to run.

“What do you think you're doing, Naomi!”

Naomi looked tensely at Scotti.

“She's alive. But she's too weak to move. We need a ladder down.”

A large portion of the ceiling fell and without thinking, Scotti threw herself over Naomi and the kid. She heard Naomi whimper. Thankfully, plaster only scratched her shoulder, missing them all by less than an inch.

The window came apart from the lintel and fell inside the room.

The worst of the shaking had begun.

“We have seconds left,” Scotti said. She hoisted the kid up, cradling him to her chest. Naomi had run in without bothering to protect her head with headgear. Scotti had only two with her. One went to the kid who she picked up. Scotti took the other one off her head and put it on Naomi's head.

Naomi looked at her worriedly. But Scotti spared no time for sentiment. She heard the ladder drop.

“Run, Naomi!” Scotti ordered. Naomi hesitated but when she could not recognize the look on Scotti's face, she turned and obeyed.

Scotti ducked falling drywall and ceiling beams as she ran. Her shoulders remained hunched over the kid, her eyes on Naomi and the view before her.

“Left, Naomi!”

“Watch out!”

“Shit, Naomi! Jump!”

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