911 by Chris Owen

Author:Chris Owen [Owen, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * * *

It was bad.

Eric and his partner arrived at the scene along with the second wave of fire engines, four ambulances already there.

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911

by Chris Owen

They immediately set to work tending those who needed on site first aid, letting others transport more serious cases to the hospital. There were people everywhere behind the line of firefighters; EMTs and paramedics treating cuts and burns, giving oxygen, wrapping strains and sprains. One man had a heart attack in the midst of it all and was rushed away, another tried to go back into the building to rescue his personal papers and had to be restrained.

Eric worked methodically, going where he was told and assessing needs, treating quickly and efficiently. He didn't flinch when he heard the warnings about the building's stability; he had his job to do.

When the building fell there was no stunned silence.

Everyone worked, the rescue teams already in motion, those treating the injured going on as they were, preparing for the more serious cases they were about to receive. They worked as they were trained to do, pushing the fear and the horror away until they were done. Eric was thinking, not reacting. He did his job. He bandaged the last burn and rechecked his supplies before moving forward to await the firemen bearing the latest casualties.

When they came they passed over body after body before turning to go back into the blaze. Ambulances arrived and left, Eric now taking burn victims to the hospital as well, the patients now coming to him unconscious and suffering from smoke inhalation.

By the third time he arrived at the scene news reporters were in full force, already announcing two deaths and speculating on the slim chance of survival for the firefighters 242

911

by Chris Owen

still inside. Eric tuned it out, as he was trained to do. His focus was always on the patient he was working on, the noise and sirens falling away.

Their worst case came to them on a backboard; set onto the stretcher and right into the ambulance, Eric last in. He started cataloguing injuries, his partner monitoring vital statistics and trying to stabilize the man's life signs. He listed broken bones, the possible back injury, the expected internal damage, each fragment of speech interspersed with Stevenson calling out the fluctuating blood pressure, thready and slowing pulse, fixed and dilated pupils.

He knew this man, knew most of the fire fighters. "Who is it?" he asked. If he was about to lose a friend he wanted to know who.

"Smyth."

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