Fire Alarm Blues

A/N

So at school the other day we had a fire alarm drill, and this little fic came out of it!

Set around Series 8, told from Sandra's point of view.

Reviews welcome,

Laura xxx

'Well, we're getting bloody nowhere in this case.' I say to my boys, grumpily.

"I agree, we're not getting any closer to finding Luke Norman's killer." Jack pipes up. "Well, we could re-interview 'is father, see if she remembers anything about the night of Luke's death?" Brian suggests.

'That's a good idea, actually. Ok, you and Jack go and see him. Jack, text me if anything crops up. Gerry, you and I will look for Luke's girlfriend, Olivia Spann.' I order. "

I'll get me coat on then" says Brian standing up.

"I've found her! She's an ex-heroin addict living in North London. Should we pay her a vist?" Gerry asks half an hour later. 'Okay' I smile at him.

Suddenly, Strickland comes rushing into the room.

"There's a fire three floors above us, but it's spreading quickly. We need to get out of here." He tells us, his face full of fear. 'What about the bloody fire alarm?!' I ask.

"Some idiot smashed the one down here, you can't here the one on the next floor very well from here. Let's get out" Strickland answers, rushing to the door.

As he opens it, smoke billows into our UCOS office. i can smell things burning, and I start to cough.

"How the hell are we going to get out?" Gerry wheezes, panic in his voice.

'I have no idea.' I reply. I can barely see Strickland and Gerry through the fog of smoke, I'm struggling to breathe and I can't keep my eyes open.

I can hear voices shouting, people screaming. "She's not coping with the smoke; she has quite severe asthma so her lungs won't be coping. We need to get her out of here." I can hear Gerry say. How does he know that I have asthma?

"Let's put something over her face, like a mask. Will you be ok with that, Sandra?" Strickland manages to ask me. I nod weakly. "I'll use my handkerchief, then." Says Gerry.

I close my eyes, I don't think that I'll live to see the end of this fire…

Two hours later…

I'm in an ambulance, with an oxygen mask over my face. Faintly, I can make out Gerry and Jack watching me anxiously. Gerry looks ok, considering that he's just been in a fire. I swear that man has nine lives, like a cat does!

"Why did you save her, Gerry? You could have died." I can hear Gerry say to Jack. I shut my eyes again quickly; I don't want them to know I'm listening. Or awake, for that matter. All they'll do is fuss over me!

"I love her. Yes Jack, really I do. That's why I saved her." Gerry answers. My eyes snap open in surprise. Oh. My. God. He loves me? He saved my life? What?

I mean, I love him as well... I told Jack that once, and he said that I should tell him. I was to cowardly to, though. I suppose I could tell him, when I'm at the hospital...

The ambulance screeches to a halt. I try to look as asleep as possible.

A couple of hours later...

"Sandra? Sandra? Can you hear me?" Gerry asks. I struggle to open my eyes.

I'm not wearing an oxygen mask anymore. My breathing must be normal, then. I cough, and my eyes are open. Gerry jumps back in surprise. 'Hi.' I croak. He smiles. "Hi Sandra."

'Um. Am I okay?' I ask. "Yeah, the docs are coming back to check up on you in a couple of minutes. Before you ask, our UCOS office is destroyed. Computers, your office... Everything. Not the actual building, but the items inside. It will take a while to repair." Gerry breaks the news to me gently.

'Oh...' tears run down my cheeks. We have so many memories of that place. The interview room where Gerry and I basically admitted that we loved each other... It's the place where we've had so many breakthroughs on cases... Many a time I can remember sitting in my office in the early morning with a coffee, emailing Strickland, asking him what our next case would be. I was never happier.

'I'm going to miss that office.' I say quietly.

"What was that? Pardon?" Gerry asks me. 'It doesn't matter.' I answer. 'Oh yeah... I overhead you and Jack's conversation in the ambulance. Did you save my life?' I ask.

He looks straight into my eyes. "I suppose you overheard my confession of undying love to you?" he enquires. I nod. "Well it's true. All of it. I wouldn't have saved you otherwise. Strickland was yelling at me to get out, but I couldn't leave you. Strickers was going to run out to get a fireman to get you out. I love you, Sandra Pullman." He tells me.

'Um... I love you too. I was never going to tell you, but I suppose that this is the perfect time to tell you.' I reply. Gerry smiles.

"I'd love to take you out for dinner but seeing as you're in a hospital bed I can't. I've got a better idea." Gerry says, giving me a kiss.

THE END!

Hope you enjoyed it!

Laura :) xxxxx