When we get to the firehouse I see some new faces. I recognize one. Chloe Vee. Her nickname is Clove. We went through the academy together. We were the only two females in the class. "Hey Clove."
"Katniss, hi."
"Been too long."
"I know."
"Are you here just for the day."
"No. Permanent or at least semi-permanent. Hey after you change, can we talk."
"Yeah. I'll see you in a few."
"I go to the lockers and grab my work clothes and change in the woman's bathroom."
The firehouse is old and the woman's bathroom used to be a men's room. The urinals are still here.
I change and go downstairs. The two chiefs collect everyone to talk to them as a group.
Chief Phillips speaks first. He's Emma's boss.
"Okay everyone listen up. I know it's been hard, but we're going to have to stick together. We've all lost friends yesterday. Talk among yourselves and help each other out."
Emma goes next "And remember that the Chief's doors are always open. Counseling is going to be available. As soon as I have the info I'll pass it along."
She spoke about counseling but most of the guys might not accept the offer. It might show them to be weak. Even if they go they might open up.
"Hey Clove. What's up?"
"Can we talk outside?"
"Let's go."
"What's up?"
"What's it like here?"
"Fine. It's a good group."
"The house I was in before the last one was a nightmare."
Clove had it bad in her first house. There was one guy who kept getting on her back. One day she found a dead mouse in her locker. She retaliated and put a dead rat in his locker. He went after her. His problem was that she is a Marine. She took him easily. And in full view of plenty of witnesses. They shipped him out. Gave her a transfer of her choice and the city settled with her. She used the settlement for a down payment on a condo in Rockland County.
"Don't worry. All the engine bosses are cool and if you have to, see Chief Dever. She has a way of making problems like that disappear."
"Thanks. I've met the chief. She's very nice."
"Were you there yesterday?"
"Yeah."
"Do you mind talking about it?"
"No. Not at all. I want to talk about it but I don't want to burden my mom, sis or Peeta."
"After shift."
"Yeah."
I walk upstairs to see the chief and I hear someone call me "Everdeen; phone."
"Thanks." I grab the phone in the hallway.
I answer the phone "Everdeen."
"Hi honey."
"Nan?"
"Yes. Thank God you're alright... We just got off the phone with your Mom. She told us that you were there yesterday. Are you okay?"
"Yes. Just bruised."
"Mom also told us about you and Peeta. We're so happy."
"Can you make it up?"
"I'm calling the airlines as soon as I get off the phone with you. I'm putting on Pop-Pop now. Bye honey. Be safe"
"Bye Nan."
"Hi Katniss."
"Hi Pop-Pop."
"We saw it on TV. Where were you?"
"North Tower."
"That was the second to come down?"
"Yeah."
"What did you do?"
"Carried a victim down."
"How are you doing."
"Alright physically. I couldn't sleep last night. Nightmares."
"You need to get help."
"I plan to."
"Good. Don't let it fester."
"I won't."
"Alright, let me go. Nan wants to start calling the airlines. We'll see you in a couple of days."
"Bye Pop-Pop. Love you"
I go into the chief's office. I tilt my head into the wall and just tap it gently. The alarm goes off. We're rolling.
Our truck was destroyed in the collapse. We're using a reserve truck. It's older than ours and it's going to take a little time to get used to.
It's a report of a bomb. I have a feeling this is going to become commonplace for the time being. People are on edge and are going to report every single thing that looks remotely suspicious. We don't do much at scenes like this. Our job is to be there if it goes off. The hard work is by the NYPD Bomb Squad. They are part of their Emergency Services Unit. People think it takes balls to go into a burning building but it takes more to approach something that could blow all your limbs off, severely burn you or even kill you in an instant even wearing so much gear it makes you look like a giant turtle.
Nothing was dangerous about the package. It looked like some homeless guy's possessions. We're released and we head back. As we approach the house I can see flowers to the side of our truck bay doors. When we get off the truck we walk over to the flowers and see there are notes attached. Some are thank you notes. Others are child's drawings. There is even a get well card.
Inside our truck bay the engine crew has posted the pictures of the missing and dead from our house. There are eight men not accounted for. Five from the engine crew and three others that were off duty and went there to help.
Looking at them brings tears to my eyes. I know all of them. Some better than others. But still they are all my brothers.
I walk through the truck bay and get to our kitchen. The kitchen in a firehouse is just like the kitchen in most people's homes. It is the social center. When I get there I can see food. A lot of food. "Murph, where did all this come from?"
"People have been dropping off food all morning. Bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches. Backed ziti. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes. And there's more in the fridge. Reminds me of a wake."
I sit and have an egg sandwich.
The Chief comes in and also grabs a sandwich. I ask "Any news?"
"Yes. We'll assemble together sometime this morning. An Assistant Chief is coming by."
"Okay." I don't think this will be good. Assistant Chiefs don't just come by for social visits.
The alarm goes off. Another job. We roll.
This one actually required us to work a little. Smoke coming out of an overheated light ballast. We turned off the electric to the fixture and told them to call the building superintendent.
The Assistant Chief has arrived and we all assemble at the back of the truck bay.
"Yesterday the Fire Department had it's most tragic day. But even with that we still managed to rescue twenty thousand people. Our losses were great. At this point almost Four hundred firefighters are confirmed dead or are still missing. Let's have a moment of silence."
We stand silent for a little while. Our hands clasped and our heads lowered. My thoughts are of Gale.
The Chief starts to speak again. "I also have some more news. Lieutenant Jerry Silvio is being promoted to Captain this Friday. He will be replacing Captain Ed Hogan here at seventeen. The Captain is moving uptown." We nod to Lew and congratulate him. Although he deserves it, no one likes to be promoted because of the death of a fellow firefighter. Next week he will be Cap.
"And another promotion. Battalion Chief Dever will now be Deputy Chief Dever. Congratulation Emma."
"Thanks Bob." She shakes his hand and then everyone else's hand.
"Thank you everyone." The two chiefs leave to go into one of the offices. I couldn't be happier for Emma. She truly deserves it. Unfortunately I won't see as much of her as I'm used to. Even if she is put into the First Division which is the one we're in, the division's quarters is not in this house.
I look at the list and see Gale's name along with rest of Rescue Two. What also catches my attention is that SOC got hit hard. All five rescues and personnel from quite and few squads and, oh no, the Chief of Rescue Operations and the Chief of the Department has died. And the Fire Department Chaplain. I knew and liked Father Judge. He was a kind man. I even see a couple from my graduating class. I put the list back on the board. I can't read any more.
The rest of the day is quite uneventful. A person stuck in an elevator, a trash fire, false alarms, a couple of bomb scares. And then more news. A new schedule. Twenty-four on then twenty-four off. Shoot, that puts me working on my wedding day. I race around looking to trade. The guys are sweet and there are plenty of volunteers. I traded my Friday for tomorrow. So I'll work forty-eight straight hours. I can handle that. Hopefully there will be some down time. I call Peeta but there's no answer. I leave a message.
"Hey Clove, I'm working 'til Friday morning. We can talk now."
"Sure. Let's go upstairs." We grab a couple of sodas and go to a room upstairs we use as a, sorta like a den. It has a sofa, a recliner and a TV.
"You respond on the second alarm?"
"Yeah. We got there pretty fast. It was chaos when we got there. People running all over. Burn victims coming out of the building. Dead bodies right in the lobby."
"The lobby? How?"
"Jet fuel pours down the elevator shafts. Blew out the elevator doors in the lobby. Windows were shattered all over."
"Holy crap. Sounds horrific."
"It was. But what was the worst, were the... the people jumping. Seeing them and then when we were in the lobby hearing them hit the promenade above us. Scared the crap out of me"
"Oh man. What next?"
"We walked up."
"How far?"
"We came across a medical victim on thirty."
"Thirty flights. I don't think I could do that."
"You'd be surprised what you can do when you have to."
"Suppose so."
"I'm told one of the chiefs made it up to the seventy-eighth floor of Tower Two." Clove states. "He found a working elevator to forty something and then ran up."
"That's amazing."
"If you need anyone to talk to just call me. Okay?"
"Okay." We get up and hug and then start downstairs to get some dinner. I'm glad Clove is here. We're about the same age and have the same experience. But being a girl is also welcoming. Being around guys all day long can be taxing. And now I have someone I can talk about this with. Although talking about it brings up images and memories that most people would try to forget. Talking about it seems to help. But I think I'll limit who I talk to about the specifics.
Thank God the evening wasn't busy. I go to our bunk room and try to go to sleep. I'm pretty tired because I didn't get much sleep last night.
Hey Gale.
Hi Katniss.
Hey you want to go hunting with Mr. McEvoy and Phil this weekend?
Yeah! Thanks. I haven't been hunting since, well, you know.
Yeah. Me neither. Five AM. Okay?
Yeah. No problem. Thanks.
See ya Saturday.
Yeah. Saturday.
I wake up suddenly from my dream. It felt so real that it didn't even feel like a dream. My thoughts turn to Madge. I haven't spoken to her yet. I've been putting it off.. I wonder if that's selfish of me. I think my instinct of speaking to Hazelle first was right. I'll call tomorrow her morning.
I attempt to go back to sleep when the alarm goes off. I throw on my pants and shirt and make my way to the brass fire pole. As I slide down I hear it's a call for heavy smoke in an apartment. It's gone ten-seventy-seven. That's a fire in a high rise apartment. My mind starts to operate at another level. What floor it's on? Will we have to walk up? How bad is it? Are there victims? What's my seat assignment? Have I been to this building before? Have we done a walk through of this building? Where are the exits?
Fire Notes:
Ten-seventy-seven response is five engines, five ladder trucks, three battalion chiefs, one deputy chief, one rescue, one squad, Special Operations Chief, safety officer, field com, Safety Operating Battalion Chief
SOC is Special Operation Command
