Chapter 1
The fire was rising, the heat profusely accelerating out of control. She was trapped with nowhere to go. She had to think quick, there must be a way out. She was inhaling smoke into her lungs and she knew she wouldn't make it. Slowly dying with no exit, she closed her eyes. Maya jolted awake, sweat from her body had soaked her bed and her breathing was beginning to slow down. Another god dam nightmare she thought, glancing at the alarm clock on the nightstand only displaying 2am. Showering was first on her to do list, after the events of the past year the nightmares were getting worse and her sleep pattern wasn't doing her any favours. Maybe seeing a therapist would be a good idea and she would do that when she got to her office.
Station 19 had been her home for many years, her team was her family and that made her thrive in her job. But that all changed when she was ranked up to Captain. That fateful day she made a big mistake that nearly cost her, her life. Maya had not been the same since. Going back into that horrific fire to make sure everyone was out should have been a simple task. But she didn't count on the building floor collapsing and being stuck in that blaze till her team had to get her out. Captains should be analysing the situation the whole time thinking of all the risks and getting the job done the way it supposed to. But not Maya Bishop she was a risk taker and she put her life at risk including the others that got her out. Andy her best friend wouldn't even speak to her after that day and that hurt her even more. That day she quit as a firefighter and never spoke to her team again.
Maya travelled just a few blocks away to her office, since quitting being a firefighter she dabbled a bit in private investigating totally different she knew but she actually enjoyed it, she didn't really need to speak face to face with a lot of people and it suited her just fine working her own hours. It was pretty much a routine she had given herself. From working PI, to then going to the gym at random times when she knew no one else was there to going home and sleeping for a couple of hours and getting back to work again. She enjoyed it and no risks were involved. But Maya's life was now dull and boring with no excitement. She hadn't spoken to her parents knowing full well her dad wouldn't approve of the outcome she'd chosen, and certainly no love life to speak of.
Maya opened her office door and opened the cabinet nearest to her desk. Clicking the lock open she grabbed the first bottle of rum and poured a large amount into a glass which was hidden in her desk drawer. The pain in her back was excruciating sometimes and the rum helped a lot instead of being addicted to pain meds. Her back was very scarred with 3rd degree burns and something Maya was disgusted by as she was the reason, she got burned in the first place. She sat down on her desk chair and swivelled to look out the window. 8am and the streets were already busy with strangers heading to work. She grabbed the phone book off the desk and found a number for a therapist close to Grey Sloan Hospital not to far from her office. She dialled.
"Hi, my name is Maya Bishop can I make an appointment please if there are any slots available, anytime will do," Maya gently spoke to the receptionist she presumed. Maya waited and took a gulp of her drink before the man down the phone answered.
"Sorry about the wait Miss Bishop, Dr Carina Deluca has a slot available tomorrow at 2pm if your ok with that."
"Yeah that will be perfect, thank you for that. See you then."
Maya hung up the phone and downed the rest of her drink. She reached for the files out of the drawer and started working away at one of her client's requests.
Hours went by researching and making phone calls. By the time she had finished the case file for her client she had glanced at the clock on the wall and seen that the time was 5pm, she had been too engrossed in work she hadn't eaten and her stomach was making a hell of a lot of noise. She switched off the laptop and grabbed her jacket off the coat hook. Dinner time and she was starving. Maya liked the food from the diner across the street and they made a mean cup of coffee, so as soon as she sat down at her favourite spot in the booth in the corner they already knew what her order was going to be. She would always be in at this time like clockwork. The waitress smiled at Maya and placed the cup of coffee down on the table before heading back behind the counter. Maya looked through the window looking at the scenery outside, the Sun was setting down and it made a beautiful sunset before being blocked by the massive block of apartments in the distance. By the time Maya had finished her meal and paid her bill. She headed out the door and walked a bit down the street. Sirens started blaring out and not to far you could see smoke rising. Not even thinking she ran towards it; the police had cornered it off. Where the hell was the fire crew they should have been here by now. In front of her was a new restaurant that had opened a couple of months ago, Maya had never been as the prices looked extortionate. People were scampering out the building coughing from the smoke and the flames. It wasn't until she heard a guy shout coming out the building that someone was trapped, that Maya without reason ran through the police tape and straight into the burning building.