Absolute Fire-FIGHTER - Chapter 5
The next two weeks were nothing but a living nightmare, and not just for Ruth and Bridgette; Walsh, and Jimmy shared it with them, along with DK who was now acting Lieutenant. All of them taking shifts, when ever they got of work or had free time. Different chiefs stopped by at least every other day, some Bridgette knew and others she had never met before. Doc, Kim and Carlos stopped by as much as they could as well. Bridgette also began the stressful task of returning to her classes each night, and being at the hospital in between them.
~*~
Slowly closing the front door behind her, Bridgette quietly crept through the living room of their house. A black lab immediately came trotting in, wagging his tail.
"Hi Smokey." Bridgette whispered, petting him on the top of his head. A chocolate lab strolled in slowly, "Hi Chief." she whispered, as he came over and got his five seconds worth of attention in, "Go lay down." she instructed. Once they walked away, she headed the rest of the way through the living room, and then up the stairs.
Turning on the hall light and walking down the hall, she stopped in her tracks in front of her parents' bedroom. Listening closely, she could hear her mother softly crying. She pushed the the door from halfway to completely open, letting the hallway light shine in. Seeing her mother on the bed, with her back to her and hearing her cries made Bridgette feel sick.
Entering the room, she sat down on the bed, "Mom?"
Startled, Ruth sat up and faced her daughter, "What's wrong?"
Bridgette shook her head, "Nothing, nothing, I had to get a book. Are you ok?"
Instead of answering, Ruth began crying.
"Aww, Mom come on don't cry, ok? It's gonna be alright." Bridgette said, rubbing her mother's back.
"I know....I know." Ruth replied, wiping her eyes.
Bridgette followed her mother's other hand down to her lap, where it sat ontop of a picture frame. Reaching down, she lifted it out from under her mother's grasp, and studied the photo in it, of her and both of her parents.
"This is from DK's cookout last year, right?" She asked, looking at the photo.
Ruth nodded, and continued to wipe her tears while Bridgette stared at the photo, remembering the day it was taken. DK has a Labor Day cookout every year, and every year his wife Brianne takes a billion pictures of everyone.
"I miss him Bridge, and I don't think I can handle this." Ruth sniffled.
"Mom, I miss him too. And I hate to tell you this, but we don't have a choice, we have to handle it." Bridgette replied firmly.
Ruth nodded, almost stunned that her daughter was being so strong and supportive, while she was having the breakdown. She gave her a thin smile through her tears, "How'd you get so tough?"
Bridgette smiled back, and shrugged, "Ah, I dunno."
Ruth smiled back wiping away the remainder of her tears, before leaning back against her pillows and sighing, "What book did you forget?"
"Sociology." Bridgette replied, making a sour face.
"I thought you liked that class?" Ruth asked closing her eyes.
"Not this week. We're learning about deviance, it's kinda confusing." she answered, sliding off the bed and putting the frame back on the nightstand, "Get some sleep....ok mom?"
"Mmmm Hmmm." her mother replied, already halfway asleep, with her head burried in the pillow. Bridgette let out a small grin seeing her mother relaxed, then left the room and entered the room acrossed the hall. Flipping on the light switch the room immediately brightened, bringing to life everything inside of it. She walked over past the shelves full of framed pictures, to the desk that sat next to her bed. She dug through the pile of books, until she found the one she needed. Putting the other books back, she looked up to see the 8x10 frame that sat on the wall. Kelsey had made it for her, during her art class when they were in high school. Inside the frame was a design that Kelsey had thought up, and made herself. The border was of clouds in the shape of flames and in the middle it read St. Florian's prayer. Underneath the prayer, she drew Lieu and Bridgette from a picture that was taken at the firehouse years before. Bridgette sighed and silently read the prayer to herself;
Dear God, Through the intercession of our patron, Saint Florian, have mercy on the souls of our comrades who have made the supreme sacrifice in the performance of their duty, and on all who have gone before us after years of faithful discharge of their responsibilities which now rest on ourselves.
Give us Grace to prepare each day for our own summons to Thy tribunal of justice. Into Thy hands O Lord, I commend my spirit. Withersoever Thou callest me, I am ready to go.
Merciful Father of all men, protect me from all bodily harm, if it be Thy will, but above all, help me to be loyal and true, respectful and honorable, obedient and valiant. Thus fortified by virtue, I shall have no fear, for I shall then belong to Thee and shall never be separated from Thee.
Amen.
......before she shut off the light, and left her room to return to the hospital.
The next two weeks were nothing but a living nightmare, and not just for Ruth and Bridgette; Walsh, and Jimmy shared it with them, along with DK who was now acting Lieutenant. All of them taking shifts, when ever they got of work or had free time. Different chiefs stopped by at least every other day, some Bridgette knew and others she had never met before. Doc, Kim and Carlos stopped by as much as they could as well. Bridgette also began the stressful task of returning to her classes each night, and being at the hospital in between them.
~*~
Slowly closing the front door behind her, Bridgette quietly crept through the living room of their house. A black lab immediately came trotting in, wagging his tail.
"Hi Smokey." Bridgette whispered, petting him on the top of his head. A chocolate lab strolled in slowly, "Hi Chief." she whispered, as he came over and got his five seconds worth of attention in, "Go lay down." she instructed. Once they walked away, she headed the rest of the way through the living room, and then up the stairs.
Turning on the hall light and walking down the hall, she stopped in her tracks in front of her parents' bedroom. Listening closely, she could hear her mother softly crying. She pushed the the door from halfway to completely open, letting the hallway light shine in. Seeing her mother on the bed, with her back to her and hearing her cries made Bridgette feel sick.
Entering the room, she sat down on the bed, "Mom?"
Startled, Ruth sat up and faced her daughter, "What's wrong?"
Bridgette shook her head, "Nothing, nothing, I had to get a book. Are you ok?"
Instead of answering, Ruth began crying.
"Aww, Mom come on don't cry, ok? It's gonna be alright." Bridgette said, rubbing her mother's back.
"I know....I know." Ruth replied, wiping her eyes.
Bridgette followed her mother's other hand down to her lap, where it sat ontop of a picture frame. Reaching down, she lifted it out from under her mother's grasp, and studied the photo in it, of her and both of her parents.
"This is from DK's cookout last year, right?" She asked, looking at the photo.
Ruth nodded, and continued to wipe her tears while Bridgette stared at the photo, remembering the day it was taken. DK has a Labor Day cookout every year, and every year his wife Brianne takes a billion pictures of everyone.
"I miss him Bridge, and I don't think I can handle this." Ruth sniffled.
"Mom, I miss him too. And I hate to tell you this, but we don't have a choice, we have to handle it." Bridgette replied firmly.
Ruth nodded, almost stunned that her daughter was being so strong and supportive, while she was having the breakdown. She gave her a thin smile through her tears, "How'd you get so tough?"
Bridgette smiled back, and shrugged, "Ah, I dunno."
Ruth smiled back wiping away the remainder of her tears, before leaning back against her pillows and sighing, "What book did you forget?"
"Sociology." Bridgette replied, making a sour face.
"I thought you liked that class?" Ruth asked closing her eyes.
"Not this week. We're learning about deviance, it's kinda confusing." she answered, sliding off the bed and putting the frame back on the nightstand, "Get some sleep....ok mom?"
"Mmmm Hmmm." her mother replied, already halfway asleep, with her head burried in the pillow. Bridgette let out a small grin seeing her mother relaxed, then left the room and entered the room acrossed the hall. Flipping on the light switch the room immediately brightened, bringing to life everything inside of it. She walked over past the shelves full of framed pictures, to the desk that sat next to her bed. She dug through the pile of books, until she found the one she needed. Putting the other books back, she looked up to see the 8x10 frame that sat on the wall. Kelsey had made it for her, during her art class when they were in high school. Inside the frame was a design that Kelsey had thought up, and made herself. The border was of clouds in the shape of flames and in the middle it read St. Florian's prayer. Underneath the prayer, she drew Lieu and Bridgette from a picture that was taken at the firehouse years before. Bridgette sighed and silently read the prayer to herself;
Dear God, Through the intercession of our patron, Saint Florian, have mercy on the souls of our comrades who have made the supreme sacrifice in the performance of their duty, and on all who have gone before us after years of faithful discharge of their responsibilities which now rest on ourselves.
Give us Grace to prepare each day for our own summons to Thy tribunal of justice. Into Thy hands O Lord, I commend my spirit. Withersoever Thou callest me, I am ready to go.
Merciful Father of all men, protect me from all bodily harm, if it be Thy will, but above all, help me to be loyal and true, respectful and honorable, obedient and valiant. Thus fortified by virtue, I shall have no fear, for I shall then belong to Thee and shall never be separated from Thee.
Amen.
......before she shut off the light, and left her room to return to the hospital.
