Page 80 of Her Braun
"And Doctor Ortiz wanted me to let you know that the firetruck came from Station Ten."
"Got it."
Kay caught sight of Baldwin's eyes as he looked up at her to gauge her reaction.
The relief she felt was palpable, but she hoped it didn't show. She had her patient to focus on and she would, but as much as she hated to admit how relieved she was that it wasn't Gibson or his crew that had come in to the ER injured, it was a thought for her.
She never wanted anyone to be hurt enough to come in through their doors but thank goodness it wasn't Gibson or any of the firefighters that he worked with on a daily basis.
She knew that she'd have to tell him that she loved him, sooner, rather than later.
She didn't want to hold back her feelings any longer.
FIFTEEN
Gibson had wantedto call Kay several times that afternoon.
There was something bothering him that told him that he should call, but every time that the feeling crossed his mind, they were called to yet another scene.
They'd been at one car accident. Another car call involving a child locked in a parked car. Thank God the day was cool even if the feelings were high. From there they'd been called to a home that was on fire.
Thanks to Pits' excellent driving skills, they'd made their way through late afternoon traffic and gotten to the home in less than three minutes.
The two-story home was on a good street, but the yard was over grown and the back yard looked to be packed with refuse and recycling.
Gibson directed his ladder crew to search the house. The rescue crew which was second to the scene took the top floor. Faust, the leader of the rescue crew gave him a look before they went in.
Gibson knew that look by heart.
Neither of them thought that there would be anyone alive in the structure to find, but they went in because the next-door neighbor said that only one of the two people who lived at the residence had left during the day.
Pits had made short work of the door even though it was a good strong door. His friend had a way with a sledgehammer and good strong shoulders.
It had only taken the rescue crew a minute flat to check the upstairs rooms and come down empty handed.
Rock called out to Gibson as he went by. "Clear, lieutenant."
"Thanks, Rock."
His men were still searching when Faust jumped down the last few steps. "The second floor is going up." He gestured toward the roof. "I couldn't even get up to the attic to vent the roof. There's a ton of shit upstairs. It's like fucking fuel to the blaze."
Leaning in to his radio, Gibson called for his crew to get out. It was only when he was heading for the front door that he looked over into a dark corner that was illuminated by the encroaching flames. "Basement!"
Gibson took a step toward the corner, but Faust grabbed the back of his bunker gear.
"You're not going down there!"
Gibson tried to shake him off. "The resident could be downstairs!"
He tried to take another step toward the doorway, but Faust forced him up against the wall.
"Look!"
Gibson reached up to throw Faust's hands off of his coat.
"I know you're a god damn hero, Braun, but I can't lose another friend right now, okay? I just fuckin' can't."
It wasn't Faust's words that broke through his fervor, it was the look in the other man's eyes. They burned through the mask he had over his face and Gibson could see the conviction and the grief in the other man's eyes.
