She and her police partner—a friend of hers—arrive on the scene of another bad fire.
Thankfully, this time she has no reason to run into the building as the fire department is already on the scene. Still… Looking around as she steps out of her car, she notices the number on the big engine and the squad.
51.
And there is Stoker standing beside the controls of the engine.
51 A-shift then…
She knows that it's part of their job description—fire department, duh—but she can't stop a frown form appearing on her face.
Over the past several months, she had run into the A-shift of Station 51 on multiple occasions. Rescues, shootings, fires, just about anything and everything. It seems like they were all on a first name basis with each other in no time at all. Sometimes, she even stops by the station when they are on duty to bring them good coffee (not whatever that is that Cap and Johnny make) or to bring them breakfast (Johnny is always getting in a jab about cops and doughnuts) or sometimes even a good dinner (though that is usually reserved for when Johnny or Roy inform her that Chet is on another health kick).
To be perfectly honest, she already considers a few of them to be her closest friends, not just in LA County but overall.
The crew and she understand each other in a lot of ways that people who don't work their jobs can never hope to understand. They understand the danger of each other's jobs, but they also understand the why.
The crew understands why she's willing to run into a gunfight, putting her life on the line, to save a bystander caught in the crossfire. Likewise, she understands why they're all willing to run into a burning building, putting their lives on the line, to rescue trapped workers or residents.
Between the firefighters and the police officer is a sort of bond. They all are willing to lay down their lives so that other people can live, and they all do it, not for the adrenaline or the occasional chance at fame and glory, but for the simple joy of helping people, of making a difference, no matter how small.
Still, it always worries her a little when she rolls up on an inferno as bad as this one is and she sees '51' emblazoned on the big red engine and the smaller Squad. She knows firsthand how dangerous a burning building can be and the idea that her friends are inside always sets her on edge, almost holding her breath until she knows for sure that all of them have safely gotten out of the building.
The first two out this time are Chet and Marco.
While she and her partner keep the few onlookers back and under control, she continues to glance at the building.
'Where are Cap, Johnny, and Roy?'
The more seconds that slip by, the more anxious she becomes, noting that Chet, Marco, and Stoker seem no more at ease than she.
Thankfully, three shapes soon appear through the smoke billowing from the door and then they are out of the building.
She knows immediately that something is wrong.
Two of the figures walk, pulling the third between them, an arm over each of the men's shoulders.
Squinting, she observes what she can from this distance, quickly realizing that the one being partly dragged must be Captain Hank Stanley. Her conclusion is positively verified moments later when the two lay down the injured man and remove their facepieces, revealing Johnny and Roy.
She watches a little fearfully as they kneel on either side of their captain and remove his hard hat, facepiece, and SCBA.
Though it has only been a little over a year, she thinks very highly of Captain Stanley.
Since the first time she had gone to thank the A-shift of Station 51 for rescuing her from a burning building, he and his wife Emily had reached out to her, especially after they discovered that she had only recently moved to LA County from New York City. The couple had told her about the good and bad sections of the county as well as places that she would find useful such as groceries, markets, restaurants, dry cleaners and so on.
The Captain—or Cap as he is called—and his wife Emily had gone so far as to invite her over for dinner with their family on several occasions, even on Thanksgiving and Christmas when they found out that she had nowhere else to go. It is another bond that she cannot quite explain, but they make her feel like part of their family, and family is something she hasn't had for some time.
She and her much older sister have never quite gotten along and their father had died several years ago. And their mother… All of the circumstances therein leave her quite effectively alone.
Cap and Emily had stepped into that void, with or without their knowledge. While they would never replace her father—the only parent she really ever thinks of—there are times when she can barely stop herself from calling them mom and dad. She is closer even to their two teenage girls Lori and Susan than she is to her own sister!
So when the man who is very much a father figure to her does not move as Roy and Johnny start working, she watches in anxious tension.
"Hey, partner!"
She begrudgingly turns her attention form the activity near the Squad to her partner who stands not far from her, a tall man with an athletic build.
"Yeah, Johnston?"
The man smiles.
"I got this here. See if the medics need anything."
Knowing he understands her worry—she had spoken often of the captain and his family—she gratefully nods to him and then jogs to the Squad.
"Roy. Johnny. What is it?" she questions, kneeling a little behind them to allow them to work.
Never missing a beat, Johnny replies, "Cap pushed us out of the way and took a nasty hit from some falling debris…"
"We think it hit his upper back and his head," adds Roy.
"How bad?"
They exchange glances—speaking to each other without a word—before Roy shakes his head with a shrug as he pulls out the bio-phone to contact Rampart. "Won't know until we can get him to Rampart."
Though he continues to work, Johnny discreetly moves over enough that the young woman can come a little closer.
Gathering vitals, he repeats them to Roy. While his partner relays the information to Dr. Brackett on the other end of the line, Johnny starts to pull out everything that they'll need.
As he does so, he glances to Aly.
"Anything I can do?" she inquires, noticing his gaze.
"Well, you can talk to him. Let 'im know you're here. Always helps me when Roy does that and I'm out of it."
"You think it might help?" Aly questions, puzzled as to why it would.
The young paramedic's affirmative nod is immediate.
"If Cap can hear anything, he'll hear you."
"Whad'ya mean by that, Johnny?"
"I mean," Johnny begins, rolling his eyes as he preps an IV, "that in case you haven't figured it out, Cap thinks of you as a third daughter."
"Really?" she asks, absently gripping the captain's hand.
"Yeah. 'course. He's always talkin' about his four girls: his wife, Lori and Susan, and you. Groups ya in just like one of his own. And let me tell you," the dark-haired man begins as he starts the IV, dropping his voice conspiratorially, "that time Kelly played the prank on you, the one with the water balloons and everything, Cap gave 'im latrine duty for two months."
She blinks a moment before she gives Johnny a slight smile.
"Thanks for tellin' me, Johnny."
"Not a problem," he replies, returning the smile.
"Hey, Aly" Roy says, getting her attention, "You wanna ride along?"
"I…" she looks over to her partner who—knowing the question without having to hear it—gives her a thumbs up.
"I'll drive the car to the hospital!" Johnston shouts.
Again she gives her partner an appreciative smile then looks to the two paramedics.
"Yeah, if it won't be any trouble."
"None at all," Roy answers.
"Besides," says Johnny, "I don't know if we can get you loose."
For a split second, she's confused but only until she notices the return pressure from the hand she finds herself holding.
"Alright. We're gonna load him up in the ambulance," starts the older paramedic. "Johnny, you bring in the Squad."
"Gotcha, Roy," the younger responds, packing up everything.
When the ambulance arrives, Roy and the ambulance attendants load the captain into the back of the vehicle—Aly pulling her hand free from his grasp only the time it takes for them to get him in and for her to follow behind.
Once Roy gets in and the ambulance is on its way, Aly realizes she is already praying. Mentally, out loud, she's not entirely sure only that it's been awhile since she prayed this hard for anything. Not since her actual father was diagnosed with cancer. She only hopes these prayers are met with better results.
Halfway through the trip, Roy looks to her.
"I think he'll be okay, Aly. He seems to be responding to stimuli and that's a good sign."
His words are reinforced when slightly bleary brown eyes open not long after to look around at two very familiar faces.
"Roy? … Aly?"
"Don't you worry, Cap," starts Roy, immediately reassuring him as he starts to recheck vitals. "You took a hit to your head and upper back, but I'm thinking the helmet did its job and your shoulders took most of the impact."
"Shoulders and upper back," Captain Stanley answers, wincing as Roy shines a light in his eyes.
"Hope you don't mind, Cap, but I tagged along. Y'know how much I love ambulance rides," Aly teases, hoping to distract the man as much as possible from the pain he's likely experiencing. Brackett had said no pain killers until he knew more about the head trauma.
The captain gives her hand a light squeeze as he smiles.
"Now why… in blazes would I mind… you coming along? At least one of us… can enjoy the ride."
She and Roy chuckle, knowing that he'll be just fine.
As she continues to talk to Cap, she sends another quick prayer up to God, a thank you that her father, not by blood but by bond, would be okay.
Fin.