Page 42 of Bleeding Hearts

“That was a first for me too, but it sure as fuck will not be the last.” He squeezes me and then once again has me over his shoulder as he carries me to the bathroom to clean up.

This time I don’t have the energy to do anything but let him.

Chapter 21

Nolan

OCTOBER

Thick smoke, like a heavy, gray blanket, obscures everything, making it necessary to feel my way along, using the wall to guide me. Search and rescue is my responsibility; the ladder truck is fighting the fire. With the third floor cleared, I’m moving onto the fourth.

A slight wall indentation suggesting a door prompts me to check it with a quick tap. The coolness of the door lets me know it’s safe to open.

When I enter the apartment, I read the number on the door before checking for potential problems. “Fire department. Anyone inside? Call out.”

No one responds.

Clearing each unit is an essential part of my job. No detail is overlooked. Calling out through my mask, I search each room. This unit appears unoccupied.

There’s one more room at the end of the hall. When I get there, I breathe in, the sound echoing in my ears. The crib in the corner catches my eye the moment I push the door open, filling me with a heavy sense of foreboding.

“Fuck.”

My radio cackles alive. “Fuck what?”

“Crib. Checking it now.” The beam of my flashlight cuts through the darkness, revealing what I feared, and a cold dread fills my heart. “Coming down with an infant. Not sure about the status. Looks to be sleeping. The initial search revealed no one else inside. Apartment 4B.”

Sheri’s the first to chime in. “I’m on it.”

Reaching inside, I scoop the baby into my arms and cradle it against my chest. We don’t carry extra masks with us, and even if we did, we don’t have one small enough for this little one. The best I can do is get us both out and to the paramedics ASAP.

A wave of thick smoke envelopes me as I round the corner into the main living area. I pick up my speed, knowing time is of the essence.

Apartment fires are the worst. There are so many areas that need to be cleared. And in the middle of the night, when everyone is sleeping, and it’s dark, it only adds to the chaos.

As I step into the hall, I nearly run over a frantic woman, hacking up a lung. “Help, please. My husband.”

“What apartment?”

“Please. 4C. Please.” Choking on the smoke, she does her best to drag me down the hall. “Please. I’m not strong enough to help him.”

“Ma’am, I need you to calm down. I have an infant I need to get?—”

“I’ll take the baby. You save him.” In a frantic attempt, she struggles to pry the child from my embrace.

We have a rule. Focus on rescuing the ones you can save first, then go back and check for more if you have time.

“I won’t leave him behind. Once I’ve escorted you and the child out safely, I’ll come back for him.” I deliberately distancemyself and walk down the hall to the nearest staircase. “Follow me. I’ll come back. I promise.”

Just as I’m about to walk away, Sheri comes up the stairs, her light shining through the smoke. “Need help?”

“Take the baby.” Once I hand the child over to her, I shift my attention to the woman standing right behind me and point at Sheri. “Follow her. 4C, right? Where at?”

She coughs, the sound harsh and raspy. “Back of the apartment. He’s sick, can’t walk.”

The flickering fluorescent lights above me catch my eye as I walk down the hall. “Heading to 4C. Woman says her husband is inside and unable to get out.”

“Sending Bentley to help,” the captain’s voice breaks in. “Looks like we have a handle on the fire for now. But make it quick.”

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