Chapter 4: Motivation

P O V: Kelly Severide

"Explosion east side." "Mayday! Both paramedics are trapped inside we need assistance, 51 do you copy?"

I can't breathe the dust is clogging my throat, eyes. I can feel the sandpaper inside my throat replacing the salvia. Panic seizes my whole body. The building in which Shay and Foster are trapped inside is blown sky high. Flames mixed with smoke which is so black it's darker than the midnight sky. The smoke is billowing out of the building at rapid rates. Flames still shoot up the heat is so intense my mask is nearly melting to my face. "Shay? Foster do you copy?" Nothing damn it. Cruz pushes himself up "Cruz you with me? Capp, Tony radio for backup. Get Chief down here now." "Copy LT."

Being a first responder doesn't mean we lack fear. We don't. Trust me. Every single one of us is afraid. We know the evil that exists in this world. We've seen it, we've been touched by it. This evil has left us all with many sleepless nights. We relieve all the victims we've lost, the ones we couldn't save. We're afraid because we all have families, friends we don't want to leave behind.

Not being afraid doesn't make a good first responder. Nope a true smoke eater embraces the fear uses it as motivation. Every person in the building is someone's child, brother, sister or parent. Every life matters it's my job to make sure each gets to come home to their families.

Kids are always the hardest their so precious, so pure.

First responders are a rare breed we do jobs no one else can ever phantom do. It's risky and ever changing. We stick together, we are more than coworkers, we're family. So when it's one of our own down. When it's kids and our own. The scene is a total nightmare.

Exhausted, scared, panicked I start to the building slow, unable to see anything. I'm near Hysteria as experienced as I am, this is trying my patience. Shay is my best friend, I almost lost her once. I will not lose her again.

"Shay, Foster do you copy?"

"Severide over here!" Cruz points to a cellar door the entrance of the school is already engulfed. "Start lifting the debree, we don't have much time."

"51 we're here to help."

Ladder 21 comes closer it makes me wonder where the hell the rest of 51 is. Why didn't they respond when the mayday call went out? "Thanks 21."

"Mayday, Mayday 10-1 paramedic down, 10-1 Mayday. Send backup!"

"Severide get down now."

Cruz's body hits me like a dump truck as I see the building collapse.