Kim strode into the station, jogged up the stairs, and made her way
straight to the fridge to fetch a bottled water, catching sight of
something that made her stop in the corner of her vision. She turned, her
hand collecting the bottle as she smiled at the two figures sleeping in the
same armchair, the smaller of the two curled up on his father, sleeping
soundly, the larger apparently napping too, his head rested on his son's
gently.
Kim crossed the distance, nodding to another fireman, and crouched down beside her ex-husband and her son. They both looked so peaceful, so content, so comfortable... it almost seemed a shame to wake either.
Her first instinct was to reach up a hand, and softly touch Joey's head, smiling at the innocence she saw in the young face. Next, she let her hand land on Jimmy's arms, feeling him stir instantly, before his eyes opened, and they locked gazes. He smiled.
"Sorry I was gone so long, I thought Faith could use the company."
Jimmy nodded in understanding. He didn't seem to mind. "It's okay. How's she doing?"
"She seemed worried, and she looked exhausted."
Jimmy grinned. "More so than you?"
Kim shook her head with a wan smile, and stared him in the eye. "He give you any trouble?"
Jimmy shook his own head, yawning slightly, stretching as much as he could without waking Joey.
"Why didn't you take him back to your place? You didn't have to wait for me, you know," Kim said to him softly, looking down at her sleeping son, and wishing for nothing more than to take him in her arms and hold him tight.
"I dunno," Jimmy replied, "I guess I felt like I should stick around. Didn't feel right to just... go home."
Kim sighed. She knew what he meant. But she felt so tired that she had to fight to keep from collapsing where she was crouched. Why was it so hard to just get up and leave? Why did they both feel the obligation to stick around? It wasn't that she didn't care... it was just... well, Joey. The poor kid needed to get some sleep; he had school in the morning.
"Where's Bobby?"
Why were these guys always worried about the position and the activities of the other, that's what Kim wanted to know... it bugged her that one constantly inquired after the other.
"He headed home. He wanted to check up on Mattie."
Jimmy gave a nod, and glanced away. "It's quiet," he said after a moment or two.
Kim stood; crossing her arms after placing her bottled water on the table, and nodded silently in agreement.
It was unsettling, and more than a little ominous.
* * *
The cuff around his wrist was starting to hurt like hell, but he didn't even feel it, just stretched as much as he could manage to try and reach the radio, which was still too far away. It sounded every now and then, and he could barely see it through the thick black smoke that had quickly filled the room.
Bosco clamped his eyes shut, giving a loud shout in frustration, and coughed, bringing up his right arm to use the sleeve to cover his mouth and nose. It didn't ease his breathing, and he was forced to stop and roll over for a moment, keeping his face close to the floor as he gasped for clean air.
He had shouted for help over and over before the smoke had gotten too thick, and the fire had started to fill the far side of the room, burning steadily at the walls, floor and ceiling, flames spreading out further and further gradually, getting closer with every second that passed.
Banging his free hand against the floor once, he steeled his resolved, and gritted his teeth, giving one last stretch, amazed when he felt something solid come into contact with his foot. He choked on smoke as he managed to hook his shoe around it, and drag it over, fumbling around with his hand to grab it swiftly, retracting himself into the corner to get as far away from the smoke and flames as he could. He was starting to feel the intense heat now, and it was making him dizzy and nauseous.
Coughing uncontrollably, he looked to his wrist momentarily, not even registering the cut that had come from his pulling against the metal cuff.
He brought up the radio.
* * *
Sully slammed on the brake when his radio crackled on his shoulder and something undistinguishable came through for a moment.
"You hear that?" Sully snapped to Davis, seeing his partner's rushed nod.
Car horns sounded from behind their unit, but Sully ignored it, and waited patiently for the device to sound again.
"Come on," Sully mumbled, his heart racing at the possibility of what he had heard.
"Can anybody hear me?" came a choked call through the radio, and Sully snatched it immediately from his shoulder.
"Bosco, dammit, is that you?"
"Sully, oh god, you gotta help me!"
Sully cursed, then pressed the button again, and asked, "Bosco, where are you? What happened?"
The sound of choking coughing came through the radio, and for a moment, Sully thought he heard something collapsing, before the weak voice came through again, "I'm in a building... near West-109th... a fire."
"Bosco, get your ass outta there!"
Sully's foot was already back on the accelerator, and Davis had slammed on the sirens, the veteran cop driver letting the vehicle pick up speed and fast.
"I can't!"
The coughing came again, and Sully threw a look to Davis. "Okay, we're on the way. Sit tight."
For a moment, he thought he heard Bosco mumble 'I'm not goin' anywhere'... but he wasn't sure, and he didn't stew over it, just drove like crazy, nodding to Davis to call for help.
* * *
Bosco dropped the radio, slumping to the floor, his body feeling drained, his energy lacking. His chest heaved as he tried to breath, and his eyes wouldn't stay open. He covered his face as much as possible with his sleeve again, trying to roll over, seeing momentarily that the flames were coming towards him at a terrifying rate now. They seemed only inches away, when he knew them to be somewhere between ten and fifteen feet from him, as he sat curled up as tightly as he could manage in the corner. Too close for comfort.
The coughing wouldn't stop now, and his throat hurt because of it. His head pounded, and his heart raced madly, seemingly out of control, his mind chaotic. He wondered if Faith knew what was going on, hoped she didn't know what a mess he had gotten himself into all because he wanted to stop the guy who had hurt her.
He didn't blame her... he blamed himself and his own damn arrogance for wanting to be the tough guy as usual.
Suddenly, the corner section of ceiling gave way, and the plaster collapsed into the orange flames below, disintegrating in the heat almost immediately, the smoke rolling up to the floor above.
Bosco cringed, looking up, and wincing at the pain that ebbed through him, his ears listening for any sound of help arriving. He soon realised he couldn't hear anything over the flames... it seemed so loud he thought he might go deaf.
His vision wouldn't clear, and his throat burned painfully, and he turned his head away from the flame and smoke and as much into the corner as he could manage with his hand locked in the cuff.
Then he heard it.
Was that a siren?
He held his breath for a fraction of a second, determining in his weak state that it was indeed an emergency services siren... but what was it?
"Sully!" he yelled, expecting the police officer would no doubt arrive shortly after Bosco had contacted him... at least he hoped so.
His shout seemed to suck all of the energy out of him, and he felt all the worse afterwards, too weak to keep his arm up anymore.
"Bosco?"
He didn't hear it.
"Bosco, we're outside a building with smoke pourin' out of it... can you hear the siren, Bosco? Answer me!"
Another section of ceiling caved in.
His hand slowly searched the floor... where had he dropped it? He couldn't find the radio.
* * *
"Bosco! Bosco!"
Davis saw that the cop beside him almost slung the radio against the wall of the building, where people were staring up at the stream of smoke that was filtering out of the structure from somewhere up about five floors.
"He can't hear me... that's if he's even in there."
Davis shook his head, snatching off his hat, wondering why he had even bothered to don it in the first place and spoke, "He said a burning building... he mentioned a fire. We're on West-109th. This has to be the place." He frowned deeply. "What if he's unconscious?"
"Then he's in a lot of trouble," Sully grumbled, reaching for the radio again.
"Sully..."
"There!" Sully exclaimed, and responded, "We hear you Bosco, just hang on. Just a little while longer."
Sirens filled the air chaotically all of a sudden, and emergency vehicles started to flood the area. Another police car pulled up, and two officers Sully recognised as Lazenby and Grogan got out. An ambulance followed, and Doc jumped out of the driver's seat, Carlos leaping out the passenger side, bags at the ready, and helmets in their hands. A fire truck followed, horn sounding for people to clear the street, and before the vehicle had even halted, firemen started to pour out of its many doors, Jimmy Doherty being one of them. Kim followed right behind him. Obviously she hadn't gone home at all.
Sully called to Jimmy and Doc, seeing them run over.
"Is this the place?" Doherty blurted, a mask on top of his head, ready to pull down. He held an axe in one hand, and his helmet in the other. Doc had donned his protective headgear already, just in case.
"I sure as hell hope so," Sully replied quickly, nodding up at the high floor over their heads in the building. "Exactly what he described. He doesn't sound too good through the radio. From the looks of it this place is going up fast."
"It's one giant piece of kindling," Doherty commented, shouting frantically to other members of the station, and pulling his mask down, saying, "If he's in there, we'll find him." He donned his helmet, and ran on into the building, multiple fire fighters following right behind him.
Kim came up to Sully and Davis, standing right beside Doc, who had just told Carlos to get a gurney ready, as well as a backboard, just in case. She looked deeply concerned, and shook her head frequently, staring up at the burning building with a furrowed brow, lines of concern creasing her forehead.
Sully knew exactly how she felt... he felt the same way.
* * *
Bobby swerved madly around the corner onto West-109th, not too keen on causing another accident, but desperate to get to the scene and be of any assistance he could. He wished he had been able to pick up Yokas, but Morales had said she shouldn't leave the hospital so early after such an injury.
Bobby knew Faith would want to be there... but what if... no, Bobby didn't want to think negatively.
He screeched to a halt behind all the other vehicles collected at the side of the street, half of them driven right up onto the curb, onto the sidewalk even. It didn't matter.
He yanked the keys out of the ignition, and jumped out of the car, slamming the door and bolting over to where he could see Kim, Sully, Davis, Carlos and Doc standing waiting, as close to the building as was safe. Lazenby and Grogan were keeping the crowd back.
"They gone in already?" Bobby inquired; pointing up at the smoke flooding from the building through a hole they couldn't see clearly but knew was present.
Sully nodded. "Doherty and some others just went in a few minutes ago. They better be careful in there... looks like the whole place is ready to come down."
Kim looked on the verge of collapse. "Come on," she mumbled repetitively, shaking her head.
Bobby rubbed her back soothingly. "It'll be okay."
He hoped he wasn't going to be proven wrong.
Kim crossed the distance, nodding to another fireman, and crouched down beside her ex-husband and her son. They both looked so peaceful, so content, so comfortable... it almost seemed a shame to wake either.
Her first instinct was to reach up a hand, and softly touch Joey's head, smiling at the innocence she saw in the young face. Next, she let her hand land on Jimmy's arms, feeling him stir instantly, before his eyes opened, and they locked gazes. He smiled.
"Sorry I was gone so long, I thought Faith could use the company."
Jimmy nodded in understanding. He didn't seem to mind. "It's okay. How's she doing?"
"She seemed worried, and she looked exhausted."
Jimmy grinned. "More so than you?"
Kim shook her head with a wan smile, and stared him in the eye. "He give you any trouble?"
Jimmy shook his own head, yawning slightly, stretching as much as he could without waking Joey.
"Why didn't you take him back to your place? You didn't have to wait for me, you know," Kim said to him softly, looking down at her sleeping son, and wishing for nothing more than to take him in her arms and hold him tight.
"I dunno," Jimmy replied, "I guess I felt like I should stick around. Didn't feel right to just... go home."
Kim sighed. She knew what he meant. But she felt so tired that she had to fight to keep from collapsing where she was crouched. Why was it so hard to just get up and leave? Why did they both feel the obligation to stick around? It wasn't that she didn't care... it was just... well, Joey. The poor kid needed to get some sleep; he had school in the morning.
"Where's Bobby?"
Why were these guys always worried about the position and the activities of the other, that's what Kim wanted to know... it bugged her that one constantly inquired after the other.
"He headed home. He wanted to check up on Mattie."
Jimmy gave a nod, and glanced away. "It's quiet," he said after a moment or two.
Kim stood; crossing her arms after placing her bottled water on the table, and nodded silently in agreement.
It was unsettling, and more than a little ominous.
* * *
The cuff around his wrist was starting to hurt like hell, but he didn't even feel it, just stretched as much as he could manage to try and reach the radio, which was still too far away. It sounded every now and then, and he could barely see it through the thick black smoke that had quickly filled the room.
Bosco clamped his eyes shut, giving a loud shout in frustration, and coughed, bringing up his right arm to use the sleeve to cover his mouth and nose. It didn't ease his breathing, and he was forced to stop and roll over for a moment, keeping his face close to the floor as he gasped for clean air.
He had shouted for help over and over before the smoke had gotten too thick, and the fire had started to fill the far side of the room, burning steadily at the walls, floor and ceiling, flames spreading out further and further gradually, getting closer with every second that passed.
Banging his free hand against the floor once, he steeled his resolved, and gritted his teeth, giving one last stretch, amazed when he felt something solid come into contact with his foot. He choked on smoke as he managed to hook his shoe around it, and drag it over, fumbling around with his hand to grab it swiftly, retracting himself into the corner to get as far away from the smoke and flames as he could. He was starting to feel the intense heat now, and it was making him dizzy and nauseous.
Coughing uncontrollably, he looked to his wrist momentarily, not even registering the cut that had come from his pulling against the metal cuff.
He brought up the radio.
* * *
Sully slammed on the brake when his radio crackled on his shoulder and something undistinguishable came through for a moment.
"You hear that?" Sully snapped to Davis, seeing his partner's rushed nod.
Car horns sounded from behind their unit, but Sully ignored it, and waited patiently for the device to sound again.
"Come on," Sully mumbled, his heart racing at the possibility of what he had heard.
"Can anybody hear me?" came a choked call through the radio, and Sully snatched it immediately from his shoulder.
"Bosco, dammit, is that you?"
"Sully, oh god, you gotta help me!"
Sully cursed, then pressed the button again, and asked, "Bosco, where are you? What happened?"
The sound of choking coughing came through the radio, and for a moment, Sully thought he heard something collapsing, before the weak voice came through again, "I'm in a building... near West-109th... a fire."
"Bosco, get your ass outta there!"
Sully's foot was already back on the accelerator, and Davis had slammed on the sirens, the veteran cop driver letting the vehicle pick up speed and fast.
"I can't!"
The coughing came again, and Sully threw a look to Davis. "Okay, we're on the way. Sit tight."
For a moment, he thought he heard Bosco mumble 'I'm not goin' anywhere'... but he wasn't sure, and he didn't stew over it, just drove like crazy, nodding to Davis to call for help.
* * *
Bosco dropped the radio, slumping to the floor, his body feeling drained, his energy lacking. His chest heaved as he tried to breath, and his eyes wouldn't stay open. He covered his face as much as possible with his sleeve again, trying to roll over, seeing momentarily that the flames were coming towards him at a terrifying rate now. They seemed only inches away, when he knew them to be somewhere between ten and fifteen feet from him, as he sat curled up as tightly as he could manage in the corner. Too close for comfort.
The coughing wouldn't stop now, and his throat hurt because of it. His head pounded, and his heart raced madly, seemingly out of control, his mind chaotic. He wondered if Faith knew what was going on, hoped she didn't know what a mess he had gotten himself into all because he wanted to stop the guy who had hurt her.
He didn't blame her... he blamed himself and his own damn arrogance for wanting to be the tough guy as usual.
Suddenly, the corner section of ceiling gave way, and the plaster collapsed into the orange flames below, disintegrating in the heat almost immediately, the smoke rolling up to the floor above.
Bosco cringed, looking up, and wincing at the pain that ebbed through him, his ears listening for any sound of help arriving. He soon realised he couldn't hear anything over the flames... it seemed so loud he thought he might go deaf.
His vision wouldn't clear, and his throat burned painfully, and he turned his head away from the flame and smoke and as much into the corner as he could manage with his hand locked in the cuff.
Then he heard it.
Was that a siren?
He held his breath for a fraction of a second, determining in his weak state that it was indeed an emergency services siren... but what was it?
"Sully!" he yelled, expecting the police officer would no doubt arrive shortly after Bosco had contacted him... at least he hoped so.
His shout seemed to suck all of the energy out of him, and he felt all the worse afterwards, too weak to keep his arm up anymore.
"Bosco?"
He didn't hear it.
"Bosco, we're outside a building with smoke pourin' out of it... can you hear the siren, Bosco? Answer me!"
Another section of ceiling caved in.
His hand slowly searched the floor... where had he dropped it? He couldn't find the radio.
* * *
"Bosco! Bosco!"
Davis saw that the cop beside him almost slung the radio against the wall of the building, where people were staring up at the stream of smoke that was filtering out of the structure from somewhere up about five floors.
"He can't hear me... that's if he's even in there."
Davis shook his head, snatching off his hat, wondering why he had even bothered to don it in the first place and spoke, "He said a burning building... he mentioned a fire. We're on West-109th. This has to be the place." He frowned deeply. "What if he's unconscious?"
"Then he's in a lot of trouble," Sully grumbled, reaching for the radio again.
"Sully..."
"There!" Sully exclaimed, and responded, "We hear you Bosco, just hang on. Just a little while longer."
Sirens filled the air chaotically all of a sudden, and emergency vehicles started to flood the area. Another police car pulled up, and two officers Sully recognised as Lazenby and Grogan got out. An ambulance followed, and Doc jumped out of the driver's seat, Carlos leaping out the passenger side, bags at the ready, and helmets in their hands. A fire truck followed, horn sounding for people to clear the street, and before the vehicle had even halted, firemen started to pour out of its many doors, Jimmy Doherty being one of them. Kim followed right behind him. Obviously she hadn't gone home at all.
Sully called to Jimmy and Doc, seeing them run over.
"Is this the place?" Doherty blurted, a mask on top of his head, ready to pull down. He held an axe in one hand, and his helmet in the other. Doc had donned his protective headgear already, just in case.
"I sure as hell hope so," Sully replied quickly, nodding up at the high floor over their heads in the building. "Exactly what he described. He doesn't sound too good through the radio. From the looks of it this place is going up fast."
"It's one giant piece of kindling," Doherty commented, shouting frantically to other members of the station, and pulling his mask down, saying, "If he's in there, we'll find him." He donned his helmet, and ran on into the building, multiple fire fighters following right behind him.
Kim came up to Sully and Davis, standing right beside Doc, who had just told Carlos to get a gurney ready, as well as a backboard, just in case. She looked deeply concerned, and shook her head frequently, staring up at the burning building with a furrowed brow, lines of concern creasing her forehead.
Sully knew exactly how she felt... he felt the same way.
* * *
Bobby swerved madly around the corner onto West-109th, not too keen on causing another accident, but desperate to get to the scene and be of any assistance he could. He wished he had been able to pick up Yokas, but Morales had said she shouldn't leave the hospital so early after such an injury.
Bobby knew Faith would want to be there... but what if... no, Bobby didn't want to think negatively.
He screeched to a halt behind all the other vehicles collected at the side of the street, half of them driven right up onto the curb, onto the sidewalk even. It didn't matter.
He yanked the keys out of the ignition, and jumped out of the car, slamming the door and bolting over to where he could see Kim, Sully, Davis, Carlos and Doc standing waiting, as close to the building as was safe. Lazenby and Grogan were keeping the crowd back.
"They gone in already?" Bobby inquired; pointing up at the smoke flooding from the building through a hole they couldn't see clearly but knew was present.
Sully nodded. "Doherty and some others just went in a few minutes ago. They better be careful in there... looks like the whole place is ready to come down."
Kim looked on the verge of collapse. "Come on," she mumbled repetitively, shaking her head.
Bobby rubbed her back soothingly. "It'll be okay."
He hoped he wasn't going to be proven wrong.
