Love Child ~ Part 2
Somehow Shadbrook had managed to win the quiz, not that it surprised anyone from Blackwall as they managed to loose half of their team! George and Andie had to leave to pick up Andie's son, Lenny, Rachel had run off to deal with her own child, and Adam kept ducking off to serve behind the bar. Hi-Ho had been gazing longingly at a girl on another team. Adam had offered to set up a date, so Hi-Ho had then tried to make out that he wasn't interested, he was just looking!
Recall had been next to useless, pondering on the mystery of his sudden memory loss. Hyper and Sally had ended up answering most of the questions, fortunately one had popped up about the colours on the Irish flag. Shadbrook then made a fuss and reckoned Hyper shouldn't have been allowed to answer the question and accused Elaine of favouritism! Coleman had turned up late after sorting out some urgent business at Brigade HQ, which he refused to discuss with Blue Watch. Pearce hadn't turned up at all, which didn't really surprise anyone, he wasn't really one for socialising.
The next duty Blue Watch had to face was a night shift. Thick black clouds, threatening rain had darkened the evening sky. A few puddles were dotted about the uneven ground around the station.
"Evening," Adam grinned as he hauled a long metal sign into the station.
"What is that for?" Hyper demanded, then realising that maybe he didn't want to know.
"I need to store it somewhere," Adam explained.
"Get a garage, you can't keep it here!" Hyper pointed out.
"Chill, Rob, I'll move it later," Adam dumped the sign round the side of the station.
"What if Pearce finds it?" Hyper questioned.
"He won't," Adam was certain. "It's for my car."
"Oh yeah," Hi-Ho asked. "What are you doing now?"
Adam grinned. "Well, you could help me out there…"
"Uh no," Hi-Ho cut him off. "I don't think so!"
"Not even for a hundred quid?"
"Not even for a thousand quid! I do still own a bit of my pride you know!" Hi-Ho disappeared into the station.
Adam shrugged. "Rob?" he asked hopefully.
"Um… well I would, but…"
"What?"
"I've um…" Hyper tried to think of a good excuse to get out of being roped into one of Adam's weird business ventures. "Doing what?"
Adam grinned again. "Just a bit of painting and decorating."
"Yeah, but painting and decorating what?" Hyper was sure there must be some sort of catch to it.
With Adam, nothing was ever simple.
"You'll see," Adam grinned.
"It must be a big job for a hundred quid."
But Adam refused to give away any details about the job, which convinced Hyper that there was something dodgey about the whole thing. Recall and George had also been roped into it, neither of them knew what was going on either.
After role call, they tried to talk to Adam again, but he reckoned he didn't know the exact details and continued to fob them off.
"It's for a nursery, that's all I know."
"Hmmmn," Hyper wasn't convinced.
"Honest!"
They were interrupted as the bells went down.
"RTA," Hi-Ho was the first to the Watch Room to grab the print out of the emergency call. "Dock Road, junction with Abbots Road," he announced. "Pump ladder only."
Pearce was in charge of the crew, which consisted of Recall, Adam, Sally and Hi-Ho. They jumped into the cab and pulled out of the station.
As they travelled to the shout, they were given further details over the radio. One of the vehicles involved was a Brigade pump, there was an increased urgency to get to the scene.
They arrived to find the stricken appliance belonged to Shadbrook. It had been smashed head on into the brick wall of a boarded up shop, the front end now unrecognisable.
"Jesus Christ!" Recall pulled Blackwall's pump to a stand still.
They stared at the scene of devastation for a moment.
"Hi-Ho, get these people back," Pearce was yelling as droplets of rain started splashing down around them. "Recall, check on the ambulance, Sally," he looked around for her and then realised she was standing right behind him, he stopped shouting. "Check for casualties, you too Adam."
Sally and Adam were already over at the stricken appliance. Sally managed to get one of the back doors open, where she found Noddy, the guy who had been mouthing off at the quiz.
"You ok?" she asked.
"Yeah," he managed to free himself of the seat belt that may have saved his life.
Adam had been trying to figure out where the appliance stopped and the wall started. The front doors had become impossible to open as they had folded themselves inwards, becoming just tangled twists of silver metal, charred with red paint. He managed to climb up to the broken window.
"Steve?" he found Shadbrook's Watch Commander unconscious in the front seat.
Then he noticed the driver.
"Rachel…" he breathed.
"Adam?" Sally was calling him from inside the cab.
He looked round to see that she was now next to Steve.
"I think I can just about squeeze in here," she was saying.
Adam had jumped down and tried to get round to the drivers side, which had taken the full force of the impact.
"Rachel?" he managed to climb up next to the body of the pretty girl, which had been pressed back against the seat.
He tried to find a pulse, he took his hand away from her neck to find it covered in blood.
"Rachel?" he tried to get some response out of her. "Come on, don't do this to me!"
"What's happening?" Pearce had joined them.
He started to discuss Steve's plight with Sally, then pointed out that they were unable to free Rachel until they had got Steve clear.
"Adam…" Rachel murmured, recognising his voice.
"Hey, I'm here," he reassured her.
He tried to find her right hand, but came up against a wall of twisted metal.
"Control can't give an ETA on the ambulance," Recall yelled over from Blackwall's pump.
"The paramedics will be here soon," Pearce tried to be optimistic. "Adam, get into the back, support her head. Sally, Hi-Ho…" Pearce's voice trailed off as he continued to instruct Sally and Hi-Ho on how they should rescue Steve.
Adam focused his attention on Rachel as he climbed into the back of the appliance.
"I thought you'd gone…" Rachel tried making conversation.
"You don't get rid of me that easily!" Adam replied.
There was a pause as he tried to think of something to say that she hadn't heard before or even said herself to reassure other casualties. Something that would reassure her that everything would be fine.
"Adam?"
"What?"
"I can't…" she paused. "I can't feel anything…"
She had tears in her eyes, they both knew what that could mean.
"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."
He needed her to believe that. He was worried that he didn't sound too sure himself. He knew that was because he was far from being sure that everything was going to be all right. But he wasn't going to let Rachel know that.
"Adam," she started again. "Can you do me a favour?"
"I thought you were the one who owed me a favour!" he pointed out.
"Yeah, but, I want you to promise me something."
"What?"
"Whatever happens, make sure Chloe is looked after," Rachel urged. "And tell her I love her."
"You can tell her yourself. You're gonna get out of this Rach."
"Just promise me Adam."
"Ok I promise," he hoped he wasn't going to need it.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He could hear her breathing slowing as she closed her eyes.
"Rachel!" he tried to bring her back to consciousness. "Come on, think of Chloe…"
But his words were lost on her.
"Rach…"
He knew it was the end.
London's Burning – Love Child © Karen Moody 05/05/2002