Not all my own characters! Jack O'Malley was at a family reunion when he got an emergency dispatch call. He had left work late tonight when his shift ended. He wasn't the only one who left, because apparently there weren't enough people for the dispatch. He was to meet them on sight and put his gear on there. He hurriedly said a bye to his family and jumped in his truck. When he arrived on the scene it was a horrible sight. The whole upstairs was engulfed in flames and it was creeping down the house to the first floor. Jack threw on his gear. He quickly made sure everything was in place and secured, Cassie would kill him if he died, and ran for the house. He was the second one inside but the first up the stairs. He heard a child weeping in a room down the hall. He ran toward a room cluttered with fire trucks and police cars. Jack spotted the kid huddled next to his bed crying, and when he saw jack it lowered to a sob. He grabbed the kid and made like a bandit for the door. When they were out of the room, he realized the kid was soundless, he looked down to make sure he was okay and he found them at the kid was staring up at him as he was clinging on for dear life. Oh God, what am I supposed to do? When they got out the door the kid was clinging to his arms and crying into his shoulder and Jack held him close to comfort him. Jack spotted the ambulance and rushed over to put the kid down with one of the paramedics, and then scrambled for the door, though it was too late. The others were yelling at each other to get out because the roof was caving in. Jack realized with wide eyes that the kid's parents never made it out. The kid was now an orphan like him and his siblings. But as he swung around to head back to the ambulance, it was already gone. Jack fought with the sadness in his heart. God, please make sure that kid's okay. Jack took off his gear and returned it to the engine. He stepped mournfully toward his truck to rejoin the party. When he got back, his family was pacing trenches in the ground waiting for him to get back. When they saw him they all relaxed. Cassie came over and strangled him in a hug.
"What happened?"
Jack was considering what to say. "I found a little boy in his room. He looked fine on the outside. His parents not so much. They never made it out; they didn't survive."
He saw the sorrow on his wife's face. "I worry about that kid."
All of a sudden his phone started ringing, he answered.
"Jack O'Malley."
The voice on the other end was tired. "You're the firefighter with a smiley face on his back, right?"
Jack smirked. "Yes, that's me."
The lady on the other end heavily sighed. "I'm calling about the little boy you rescued from the fire about 40 minutes ago. His parent were his only living relatives on record. He said he wanted to see his parents. We haven't told him yet. He seems to think highly of you, so we thought it would be best if you told him."
Jack heavily sighed. "Yes, I'll do that."
Cassie looked at him quizzically. "What's wrong?"
Jack covered the phone with his hand. "It's about the kid."
He went back to the phone. "I'm back."
The lady seemed a little more relaxed after talking to him but still stressed. "When you come to check in we'll give you his room number."
As Jack and Cassie walked hand in hand down the hall towards the kid, Jack wondered how the little guy was feeling. He knew how it felt, he and his siblings were all orphans, that's how they all met, at Trevor House. He couldn't think about this kid going somewhere like an orphanage. When they found the kid's room, they peered inside, to find him lying on the bed looking at the ceiling. They looked on the clipboard outside to see what his name was. The kid's name was Nicholas (Nick), Waters. They walked in, and as soon as they did, he asked,
"Are you the firefighter with the smiley face, and where are mom and dad? Nobody is telling me where they are."
Jack felt sadness overcome himself. Cassie squeezed his hand for comfort. "Yes, I'm the firefighter with the smiley face. My name is Jack O'Malley, and this is my wife Cassie."
Jack took a deep breath to prepare himself for what he was about to say. "Nick, about your parents. The fire that burned down your house was pretty big. They ...*sigh*... didn't make it out of the house in time. They died inside the fire."
While Jack was talking, he came over to sit next to Nick. When Nick understood this, his tears came out in sobs. Jack pulled, Nick cried into his shoulder. Cassie sat down on the other of Nick and stroked his back. They sat there awhile as Nick cried, letting himself grip this reality.
A few minutes later a lady came to the door. "Can I see Jack O'Malley in the hall?"
Jack moved Nick over to Cassie. He went out to the hall, Jack thought that she was the women that he had talked on the phone with. As soon as she started talking, his suspicion was confirmed.
"Seeing how well he acts around you and how comfortable he is, how would you feel with taking him home with you since he has no living relatives. We didn't want to send him to an orphanage after all that he's been through."
Jack thought about it. "Yes, that would be fine. Just let me check with my wife. Though I highly doubt she will oppose."
Jack stepped back into the room. He softly asked Cassie if this was okay. While he was speaking to Cassie, Jack didn't see Nick expose a tiny smile. Jack swiveled his head in Nick's direction. "Nick, how would you feel if you came home with me and Cassie?"
Nick strangled Jack in a hug. He softly said into his shoulder.
"Yes."
Nick was super tiny for a seven-year-old, but he was a genius. He clung to Jack as he was carried out of the hospital and to Jack's big red truck; it reminded Nick of the big red engine Jack worked on. Cassie sat in the back with Nick to make sure he was safe and secure. After a few minutes, Jack looked in the rearview mirror. He found Nicks head buried into Cassie's shoulder and Cassie was engulfing him in a hug. When they got to the house, Jack carried Nick up to the guest and tucked him in into the bed. He fell asleep immediately. Jack and Cassie watched him for a minute to make sure he was okay then went to bed.