The roof had collapsed, and he along with it. The firefighters stood watching, pools filling their eyes, and Maya stood on the ladder, frozen in shock.

"What just happened... What just happened..." Maya whispered to herself, unable to form a coherent sentence, "What... what... what..."

As Maya stood on the ladder, Warren stood out of breath on the concrete, after running out of the PRT. His mentor, his recruiter, his reason for even being able to be a firefighter... gone... fell straight into an inferno... with no possibility of being alive. Warren couldn't believe his eyes, and inside of him, a fury built. How could this have happened? Does God have no mercy? Soon, he couldn't handle the anger that had built up, upset at the world... upset at life. In response, he kicked the ground in rage with nothing to punch nearby. With little energy available, he stood, staring at the scene he just watched, streams rushing down his cheeks.

As the crew from the exterior stood shocked, the breathless firefighters stumbled outside, gasping for air fresher than what they had almost suffocated in, thanking God for saving their lives. Robert and Andy first, giving each other sideway glances that read: "thank God", "we're okay", "we're alive", and "I love you". Next, Travis and Emmett worked their way out, sharing a single glance, a silent agreement to keep what had happened inside.

As they all filed out, they noticed everyone's faces, the trauma racing through their eyes, and the tear-stained cheeks of their family.

Andy noticed Ben's face first and the expression it read: devastation. She didn't understand, until she realized that the fire and air shouldn't have cleared so quickly. How did that happen? The roof wasn't able to safely be vented? She didn't understand until she looked around at everyone's faces, Maya on the ladder, and the smoke billowing from the roof... How?

Soon, her eyes landed on a single cap, Station 19 stitched on it, well-worn, so familiar. She's seen that hat dozens of times, for years. She had even seen it worn this morning... Her face: confused, puzzled, recognition, full of disbelief, and finally settling on shock.

What. What. He's at the Station. It couldn't be him. There's no way. The thoughts raced through her mind.

Finally, she understood: her dad had been the hero. he climbed the ladder. he ventilated the roof. But where was he?

It struck her like a semi: No! No! No!

"Dad!" she yelled, everyone watching her. Suddenly, she sprinted towards the door. Stumbling towards it, in a half attempt at a run, and tears of denial forming on her face. As soon as she made it to the door, she felt familiar arms encircle her. She tried to fight them, but she knew she was too devastated too fight, knowing all of her energy had escaped the minute she realized she had become parentless. Whispers started to fill her ears:

"He's gone, Andy. There's no way we can get to him. I've got you. We've got you. You're here." She struggles against him, and Robert tried to console her as much as he could with the pain still radiating through his leg, trying to make it seem as professional as possible.

At this moment, realization dawned on Andy, and she collapsed into his arms and he didn't care about his job. His newlywed wife had just lost her father and he had just lost his new father-in-law. Still in turnout gear, he picked her up, cradling her exhausted body to his chest, turned around, and looked straight ahead. With his jaw clenched and thoughts only on Andy, he walked towards the engine. He carried her to a spot with as much privacy as he could get, but the stares and lost looks of everyone still lingered on him from a distance.

That's when he realized: he was still in charge. The people were looking towards him for comfort, for leadership, and he couldn't give it to them. He knew he needed to, so, with his arms wrapped around Andy, he looked at Hughes, Montgomery, and Miller, with a begging look they understood: "stay near her, protect her, he's going to finish this call".

With a look at Andy, she nodded and told him as best she could, "go, finish, I'll be here." It broke his heart, but he knew he needed to go. He stood up, and the crew filed into the newly absent space, fluttering around Andy, all in silence. When he made sure they all were getting fresh oxygen, he walked away, ready to lead the recovery.

"Dispatch.. this is Battalion Chief Sullivan. A firefighter has fallen into the roof. No response. Requesting a rapid intervention team to recover a firefighter. Reroute all units. Station 19 is off-call until further notice," he spoke into the radio.

Suddenly, a black SUV drove onto the lot, and, as the door opened, Sullivan felt relief. Someone higher up was here; Chief Dixon could take over. Dixon stumbled out of the car, and walked angrily towards the crew.

"What is happening? Why is no one firefighting? Sullivan?" he yelled at the crew.

Sullivan was outraged: "Chief, we have lost our own - Herrera's been killed in the line of duty."

"What are you talking about? Herrera's right there" he pointed towards Andy.

"Captain Herrera."

"Captain Herrera's retired. He shouldn't have even been here. What kind of imbecile comes to a fire scene, retired, and dies" Dixon argued. "That's not possible."

Sullivan was angered at this remark, his rage building against the Chief. He spat angrily, "Captain Herrera is not an imbecile. Captain Herrera came here, and he saved our lives. He sacrificed himself for his daughter and for this team. That includes your son. You don't have the right to call our hero an imbecile. Without him, this whole crew would have suffocated inside."

"Chief Sullivan. I didn't-" Dixon stutters unsure of what to say. " Emmett. Emmett almost died?" He looked towards his son, looking for signs of injury.

"We ALL almost died," Sullivan spat. "Now, if you want to be the Chief, lead. Let me be with my team. Stop this fire, and recover Herrera's body. Just make yourself useful. Station 19 is off-duty until further notice," he finished with a sigh, walking away from his boss.

"Sullivan!" Dixon shouted at him. "You can't just walk away!"

Sullivan turned around, with an angry look, "You're here. I'm leaving, sir. I'm of no use here. There are other battalion chiefs you can call in. Please, I'm begging you. Let me be with my team."

Chief Dixon reluctantly nodded and with a sigh said, "Fine, be with your team. Oh, and Sullivan? We'll make sure we recover Pruitt Herrera and we'll cover anything Lieutenant Herrera needs to bury her father."

"That should be a given." Robert said with a snark, and began walking back to his wife, unsure of what would happen in the upcoming weeks...