They were all lounging around the TV, Mercedes was laying across the couch, her black duty boots sit in the floor beside her as the rest of her fellow firefighters was just as engrossed in the current TV show as she was. That's when the tones dropped, "Attention Truck 105, Ambulance 95, Engine 80, and Squad 8 have a report of an apartment fire. 108 Hemlock Street." Like clockwork everyone sprang into action, as she slipped in her boots, not even bothering to tie them because she'd have to take them off to get into her turn out gear anyway.
She stepped in her other set of boots and grabbing the suspenders she pulled them up, before snatching her jacket off the truck, she slung it on before getting in the passenger seat of the Truck, otherwise known as Fightin' 105. She turned in her seat, her eyes landing on the new guy they had gotten just this morning to replace the truck member who had joined the squad.
"Candidate, you shadow me, anything happens I want you no more then arms reach away..You got it?" She asked the young man nodded, "Yes, Lieutenant." He answered respectfully,
"Oh and one more thing. Don't be a crow." She added, gaining a confused look from him, but a chuckle from all the other guys.
As they pulled up on scene, Mercedes looked up. It was a 4 story building, all engulfed with flames flashing out the windows. "This is bad, bad, bad." Mercedes heard one of her men say and she nodded in agreement, it wasn't good. As the Engine, Ambulance, and Squad arrived on scene everyone wasted no time in getting things going.
A woman came running up to Mercedes "Please you gotta help me, my son he's only 10 he was playing in his room when I left to go to the store around the corner for just a second. I haven't seen him! Please you gotta find him!"
She was in a panic, Mercedes placed her hand on her shoulder, "Miss it's okay, we'll find him. What floor was he on?" She asked.
"The third floor, apartment number 302. Please go save him."
Mercedes and the new candidate both got an SCBA on, as Mercedes quickly instructed her men on what jobs to do. There was going to be two groups of two from Truck going in as all of the Squad was already in, but the building was so massive that they needed help. The two firefighters went in without looking back, making their way to the stairwell they found it mostly untouched by the fire, which was a good thing. Making their way up to the third floor they searched every apartment, finding a few people here and there. Mercedes looked up the smoke was growing blacker, which wasn't a good sign. She looked at the candidate. "Go, get these people out, I'm going to find the boy."
The candidate nodded, and started down the stairs with the people. Mercedes went into 302 and found it covered in flames, "Fire Department! Call out!" She yelled, and within seconds she could hear a faint cry. Running to the cry she opened the closet door and found a the boy, his face was coated black, and he was coughing uncontrollably, from the smoke inhalation. Mercedes also noticed burns on his arms where he'd gotten too close to the fire. Without thinking twice she removed her air pack and shrugged her jacket off, wrapping the boy in it as she picked him up.
"Battalion Chief 42 to Truck 105 Lieutenant Edwards! Report!" She heard the chief loud and clear in the radio.
"Lieutenant Edwards reporting everyone clear on the third floor coming down with the last victim now." She hurried down the steps and just as she was exiting the building the fire caused an explosion that if she was one second later would have costed her and this little boys life.
The paramedics and mother ran to her side, as she laid the boy down on the yellow striker stretcher, as he was immediately placed on a non rebreather. The mother hugged her tightly "Thank you! Thank you!" Before she ran off to be with her son. Mercedes smiled, this is why she loved her job. he loved helping people, she loved reuniting mothers with their sons and saving people from what most would think of as certain death.
Awhile later, after the fire was out and everything was packed up they made their way back to the station, just as she was getting out of her gear and switching back into her duty boots, her cell phone rang. Pulling out the white iPhone 5 she saw Heathers name and a picture of her and Andy come up, she pressed the talk button and could hear Heather's sobs.
"Hello? Hey Heather what's wrong?" She asked, worry taking her over, it wasn't like her best friends wife to break down like this.
"Mercedes! It's Andy..I just got the call. He's…..He's….Gone." She sobbed uncontrollably.
Mercedes couldn't believe what she was hearing, Andrew Darden, her best friend since Kindergarden, the person she vented too, the one guy she knew would always have her back was dead. "But..How?" Was all she could manage to say.
"I'm not sure…A..A fire flashed, he was inside."
That was even worse, a flashover is no laughing matter and it kills thousands of firefighters a year. Burning to death, being killed by the one thing you're suppose to protect other people from. It wasn't like Mercedes to openly cry, but tears started streaming down her face gaining her worried and concerned looks from the guys.
"Don't worry..I'm on my way." And with that she hung up, clocked out, and went home to pack. She couldn't believe that she was going back to Chicago after six years of being away. Besides Andy, one person came to her mind, but she pushed the thought away. She wasn't going back for Kelly Severide. She was going back to bury her best friend then she would return here, her home, where they accepted the fact she was a firefighter, and a lieutenant at that.
