Chapter 1

The Fire

Roy was tired when he pulled the squad back into the station. The last twenty-four hours had been brutal. Roy and Johnny started off yesterday morning with a heart attack call and as soon as they left Rampart they were toned out for a car accident. The whole day was one call after the other. Roy couldn't even remember if he and Johnny had eaten anything all shift, although he did vaguely remember swallowing a hot dog sometime or other. It was sometime after midnight when he climbed into bed. He hadn't even had the chance to fall asleep when the tones went off for a structure fire. It turned out to be a paint factory. Luckily, no one was injured but it took them the rest of the night to put the fire out. He opened the driver's door and said, "It's been one long shift, my friend." They started walking to the locker room.

"I hear ya, Pal. I'll be glad to go home and get some shut eye," Johnny replied.

"Me too, except I'm going to Jenny's talent show and then Chris has a practice."

"Ya know I love Joanne and the kids, but I'm going to have to bail today. I worked twelve hours at station eight yesterday and I can't keep my eyes open any longer."

"I know you're beat," Roy said as he opened the door to the locker room. "Hey, you still coming over for dinner tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't miss it."

Roy always took a shower before leaving the station to avoid making his whole house 'reek of smoke' as Joanne put it. He smelled his uniform shirt before putting it in his overnight bag and said out loud. "She's right, it does smell like smoke."

When he got home, he had time to take a two-hour nap before going to Jenny's talent show. He almost fell asleep as the other kids were singing, dancing or otherwise showing their talents and Joanne had to nudge him a couple of times with an elbow to his ribs. Roy thought they were pretty good for a bunch of kindergarteners. As Jenny walked up to the microphone, he sat up straight and looked as proud as any father could be. Jenny walked on stage and took the microphone from the MC. She didn't seem a bit nervous. Joanne looked at Roy to make sure he was awake. She wasn't about to let him miss Jenny. Jenny said, "I'm decicating, desa…anyway this song is for my Daddy. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, Dad, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." She turned to hand the mic back to the MC then faced the audience and added, "My Daddy's a fireman and he's my hero." There was a bunch of 'ahhhh's' and clapping from the audience as she received a standing ovation. Roy stood and beamed with pride as he clapped loudly. He let a few tears roll down his cheeks. Joanne rested her head on Roy's shoulder and smiled. She was so proud of Jenny and she was proud of her paramedic/firefighter husband.

After the talent show, Jenny saw her parents and ran up to them. She jumped into Roy's waiting arms and said, "Daddy, did you like my song? I sunged it just for you."

Roy hugged her tight and said, "I loved it. Thank you."

"It was perfect, sweetheart," Joanne said. "Just like you've been practicing."

Jenny usually didn't like to go to Chris' practices but this time she said she wanted to see her brother play. Jenny sat in between Joanne and Roy during the practice. Chris loved it when his dad was able to come to his practices. He was at third base and the coach hit a ball to him. Chris had to dive for it and caught it just before it hit the ground. He got up and held up the glove with the ball in it. His coach yelled, "Way to go, Chris." Chris smiled and dusted the dirt off his pants.

Roy took the family out for pizza for dinner after the practice. When he got home he was tired but he learned a long time ago that's just part of being a firefighter/paramedic. Roy and Joanne put the kids to bed and decided that they were both ready for sleep too. Roy brushed his teeth and stared at his bed from the doorway. It looked so perfectly relaxing. He was savoring the minutes until he could fall into blissful sleep. Joanne was sitting at her vanity brushing her hair wearing her long-sleeved, light blue, silk night gown. She smiled at Roy, "I know you're tired tonight, Honey." She put the brush in the drawer, stood up, pushed the chair in and pulled back the covers.

"I'm beyond tired, but it's been a good day. I wouldn't have missed Jenny's singing to me for anything or Chris' practice. Jenny was so cute singing and that catch Chris made was fantastic."

"I'm glad you were able to make it."

"I know. I miss so much; it was nice to be there for a change." Roy rolled on his side and turned out the light that was on the small nightstand. "I love you."

"I love you too," She said and they fell asleep almost instantly.

About 0200 as the DeSoto's were sleeping, the living room became filled with black, thick smoke as a fire raged. The flames went up the curtains and melted the paint on the walls. Roy had taught his family how to get out of the house in case of a fire. He had taught them the important things like: keeping as close to the ground as you can, keeping a pair of shoes close to the bed where they can be found in the dark so they don't step on broken glass. There was a strong flashlight in each bedroom that would help them navigate through the black smoke. He taught them to touch a door before opening it and if it was hot not to open it but to go out of the window instead. He showed them how to pop the screen out of their windows and climb outside, and where outside to meet so they would know everyone made it outside safely. They had practiced it many times; even in the middle of the night. They had practiced it at least a hundred times; tonight would be their test.

Roy jolted awake at the first sound of the smoke alarms going off in the house. He shook Joanne, "Honey, wake up!" He yelled. She groaned. "No, don't sit up, roll off the bed onto the floor!"

She was groggy but understood what Roy was saying. "The kids!" Joanne yelled as she was on the floor reaching for her shoes. She knew exactly where they were even though the room was getting darker by the second.

"I'll get the kids. I need you to get out of the window just like we've practiced, okay?" Roy's voice was calm as if this were another drill. He knew it wasn't a drill; this was the real thing and he had to remain calm and think clearly to save his family.

Roy crawled on his hands and knees to the door as Joanne was pushing the screen out of the window. Roy reached his hand out and touched the door, it was hot. He crawled back to the other side of the bed in time to see Joanne climbing out of the window. He wasn't far behind her. Once they were outside, Roy told Joanne to go to the meeting spot; which was the mailbox at the end of the driveway. Roy went to Jenny's window in time to see Chris trying to open it. "Dad, the window's stuck!"

"I'll get it, Son. Go to your mom. It'll be okay," Roy said as he pushed the window open. He was worried because he didn't see Jenny. She should have been trying to open the window from the inside like she had done during their drills. He crawled inside her room. It was so dark from the smoke he couldn't see his hand in front of him. He could also feel the heat. His heart sank as he picked up his lifeless daughter off her bed. He breathed a couple of breaths into her as she lay limp in his arms as he carried her to the window. Roy didn't hear the sirens as they approached and by the time he was at the window, help was already there. He passed Jenny to a waiting fireman. "She's not breathing," he said as handed his youngest child over. Roy quickly exited the house and saw smoke coming from the front of the house. He could hear the fire crackling and smell the smoke that was now filling the air. He also saw red flashing lights. He stumbled as he ran around to the front of the house to see his daughter lying on the ground being given oxygen by Charles Moore a paramedic from B-Shift. Roy highly respected Mark and his partner, Joe Miller. He saw Joanne kneeling in the grass close by watching everything with tears streaming down her face. Chris was leaning over his mother with his head on her shoulders with a stunned look on his face. Their dog, Rex, was sitting next to them. Roy didn't know how he made it outside.

Joanne saw Roy and ran toward him followed by Chris. "Is she..."

Roy stopped her from saying anything else. "She's breathing, look at her chest rise and fall. Let me talk to Moore, you stay here." He gave Joanne and Chris a reassuring nod. "I'll be right back."

Joanne hugged Chris as she watched Roy talking to Moore who was obtaining Jenny's blood pressure.

"Moore, how is she?"

"She's inhaled a lot of smoke, Roy, but I think she's going to be okay. We've got her on oxygen, and she's breathing on her own now. Miller's talking to Dr. Brackett now."

Roy knelt down beside his daughter and gently took her hand. "Jenny, it's Daddy. Wake up, sweetheart." Jenny didn't make a sound.

"Roy, Brackett wants an IV," Moore said. Roy nodded and watched as Moore started the IV. "Do you want to ride in with her?"

Roy desperately wanted to ride in with Jenny, but he knew Joanne was in no shape to drive. Just then Johnny ran up to him. "Roy, what the…"

"I couldn't get to her in time," Roy said as he choked back his tears.

"You did, Roy. She's breathing on her own," Johnny said. He heard the ambulance as it was approaching. "Moore, can he ride in with her?"

"What about Joanne and Chris?" Roy said.

Johnny looked over his shoulder and said, "Oh, yeah. Hey, I'll drive them. You go on in with Jenny. I'll do something with Rex too."

Moore and Miller put Jenny on the stretcher. "Roy?" Moore said.

"Yeah. Johnny, bring them, will ya?"

"I'll be right behind you, Pal."

Roy climbed inside the ambulance. "Go, Roy, I'll talk to Joanne and Chris." Roy left and Johnny explained everything to Joanne. Johnny put Rex in the back of his Land Rover along with Chris.

Johnny pulled up to the hospital and opened the door for Joanne and Chris. They found Roy standing in the hall. "Roy?" Joanne said as she ran to him.

Roy put his arms around her and said, "Dr. Brackett says she's going to be all right. She woke up in the ambulance. He's keeping her a few hours but she's okay. We can see her in a minute." He hugged Joanne and Chris. "Johnny, how'd you know?"

"Chief McConnikee recognized the address and called me himself."

Roy reached out his hand and patted Johnny's shoulder, "I'm glad he did."

"Me too," Johnny said. "What happened, Roy?"

"I don't know. We were sleeping when the smoke alarms woke me up."

"Dad?" Chris asked.

"What is it, Son?"

"I know we were supposed to meet in the front yard, but when I saw Jenny's window still closed, I had to try…"

Roy hugged his son. "It's okay, Chris. You tried to save your sister. I'm very proud of you."

Dr. Brackett stepped into the hallway and said, "Roy, like I said earlier, I'd like to keep her a few hours but she's going to be just fine. You can see her now." He reached out his hand and touched Roy's arm for a moment. "Dixie's with her."

"Thank you, Dr. Brackett," Roy and Joanne both said.

"Uh, Roy, I've some things I have to take care of. I'll be back by the time she's released." Roy nodded.