The truck pulled up to the 6-car pile-up. 55 Charlie and 55 David were there, holding back pedestrians and moving traffic as the firefighters jumped out. Joey teamed with Angela and moved from car to car. Angelina and Carlos Jr., moved to the hydrant and attached a 5-inch line to it. They smelled gas and knew it was close to going up. Mercedes came out and started giving orders as Bosco moved to the teams of cops, telling them how to direct better. Mercedes looked over, hearing Joey scream. Everyone turned for a moment.
"Emily!" Joey was kneeling by a BMW and screaming out her name. Mercedes ran over, calling Angela to go get the Jaws and had Carlos and Angelina get the line over to foam the gas before it blew. Jimmy came running over with Kim. Their meeting was cancelled and they were on their way to the 55 to talk to Mercedes. Mercedes moved to them, telling them it was Emily. She turned and screamed at Joey.
"Doherty! Back away from the car! Nieto and Davis got it! Back off now!" Joey didn't acknowledge her and nodded to Jimmy. When she turned to look back at Joey, a huge explosion shook the entire block as the car Emily was in blew up, taking Joey with it. Mercedes was thrown into Jimmy and hit the ground hard. Carlos Jr. and Angelina were thrown back and hit the truck, slumping to the ground. The cops that surrounded the scene hit the ground to protect themselves. Kim screamed as she saw her son die in front of her.
"Joey!" She ran towards the massive fire as the rest of the 6 cars started to explode from the heat and fire. Maurice looked over, mouth agape as he ran towards Mercedes, looking down at her. Jimmy grabbed Kim and held her back, feeling the same as her. He knew her running in there was death, and he couldn't lose her too. Everyone started running in slow motion. Mercedes stood up, watching everything as flashbacks of Alex's death hit her. To her, history was repeating herself.
~~~~~
At the hospital, Mercedes sat with the firefighters, the cops milled around the hall, and the EMT's stood near the firefighters. Faith was crying hysterically with Charlie as Jimmy and Carlos were comforting Kim. Maurice moved to Faith and hugged her tightly, knowing this must be hard for her. Mercedes covered her face with her hands. Mikey came in with Tyrone, Ty and Sasha. Mikey instantly moved to Mercedes and hugged her tightly.
"Mom. Oh god, mom. Is it true?" He looked at her. She simply nodded. Mikey's best friend since 1st grade was dead. Jimmy moved with Kim to ID what was left of the body as Mercedes stood up.
"All right, our shift isn't over, let's get back to work." She sounded like she didn't care that her best friend son had died, but her face showed she was crushed. In over 20 years, she had never lost a firefighter under her command. The first should never have been her son's best friend. Everyone looked at her in shock as she looked back.
"What? I said let's go! We still have a shift to finish out." Everyone but Ty, Sasha, Carlos and Bosco glared at her. Fait walked up to her and back handed her.
"My daughter just died! Jimmy and Kim's son just died! And all you can say is get back to work? You're so selfish." Faith screamed at her. No one stopped her, they knew better.
"Listen! Joey was under my command! I am as hurt as you are! Jimmy and Kim are my best friends! Why don't you get out of my face, before I make more tragedy happen! I am sending them to the station to talk to a psychologist. You should try it sometime Yokas!"
"You bitch!" Faith jumped at Mercedes and knocked her to the floor. Faith punched her in the face, and Mercedes shoved her off. Bosco grabbed Faith and pulled her back as Ty shoved Mercedes back.
"Knock it off! You're both under a lot of stress, just leave it alone!" Ty looked between them as Mercedes panted. Everyone went his or her own ways, except Charlie, Faith, Jimmy and Kim.
~~~~~
At the end of the shift, Mercedes took the EMT's and firefighters into her office and sat down with them. She had something to tell them, and she didn't care of they objected or not.
"I talked to Central, and they agreed to give all of us 1 week paid leave. After what happened to Joey today, they agree we all need it." They all looked at her. Half of them were pissed off at her for making them come back to the station, the rest were her family, and were just upset about what happened.
"The second shift agreed to pull doubles for the week, so we are cleared from duty until next Friday. I know half of you are pissed off at me, and I understand why. I did what I had to do. We aren't allowed to hang around there, and we had to return to the station. Those were my orders, I carried them out. Be pissed off if you like, but remember, Joey's death hurt me as much, if not more than you all. We all just have different ways of showing it. You're dismissed." She stood up and walked out of her office, getting her bag and going downstairs.
"Emily!" Joey was kneeling by a BMW and screaming out her name. Mercedes ran over, calling Angela to go get the Jaws and had Carlos and Angelina get the line over to foam the gas before it blew. Jimmy came running over with Kim. Their meeting was cancelled and they were on their way to the 55 to talk to Mercedes. Mercedes moved to them, telling them it was Emily. She turned and screamed at Joey.
"Doherty! Back away from the car! Nieto and Davis got it! Back off now!" Joey didn't acknowledge her and nodded to Jimmy. When she turned to look back at Joey, a huge explosion shook the entire block as the car Emily was in blew up, taking Joey with it. Mercedes was thrown into Jimmy and hit the ground hard. Carlos Jr. and Angelina were thrown back and hit the truck, slumping to the ground. The cops that surrounded the scene hit the ground to protect themselves. Kim screamed as she saw her son die in front of her.
"Joey!" She ran towards the massive fire as the rest of the 6 cars started to explode from the heat and fire. Maurice looked over, mouth agape as he ran towards Mercedes, looking down at her. Jimmy grabbed Kim and held her back, feeling the same as her. He knew her running in there was death, and he couldn't lose her too. Everyone started running in slow motion. Mercedes stood up, watching everything as flashbacks of Alex's death hit her. To her, history was repeating herself.
~~~~~
At the hospital, Mercedes sat with the firefighters, the cops milled around the hall, and the EMT's stood near the firefighters. Faith was crying hysterically with Charlie as Jimmy and Carlos were comforting Kim. Maurice moved to Faith and hugged her tightly, knowing this must be hard for her. Mercedes covered her face with her hands. Mikey came in with Tyrone, Ty and Sasha. Mikey instantly moved to Mercedes and hugged her tightly.
"Mom. Oh god, mom. Is it true?" He looked at her. She simply nodded. Mikey's best friend since 1st grade was dead. Jimmy moved with Kim to ID what was left of the body as Mercedes stood up.
"All right, our shift isn't over, let's get back to work." She sounded like she didn't care that her best friend son had died, but her face showed she was crushed. In over 20 years, she had never lost a firefighter under her command. The first should never have been her son's best friend. Everyone looked at her in shock as she looked back.
"What? I said let's go! We still have a shift to finish out." Everyone but Ty, Sasha, Carlos and Bosco glared at her. Fait walked up to her and back handed her.
"My daughter just died! Jimmy and Kim's son just died! And all you can say is get back to work? You're so selfish." Faith screamed at her. No one stopped her, they knew better.
"Listen! Joey was under my command! I am as hurt as you are! Jimmy and Kim are my best friends! Why don't you get out of my face, before I make more tragedy happen! I am sending them to the station to talk to a psychologist. You should try it sometime Yokas!"
"You bitch!" Faith jumped at Mercedes and knocked her to the floor. Faith punched her in the face, and Mercedes shoved her off. Bosco grabbed Faith and pulled her back as Ty shoved Mercedes back.
"Knock it off! You're both under a lot of stress, just leave it alone!" Ty looked between them as Mercedes panted. Everyone went his or her own ways, except Charlie, Faith, Jimmy and Kim.
~~~~~
At the end of the shift, Mercedes took the EMT's and firefighters into her office and sat down with them. She had something to tell them, and she didn't care of they objected or not.
"I talked to Central, and they agreed to give all of us 1 week paid leave. After what happened to Joey today, they agree we all need it." They all looked at her. Half of them were pissed off at her for making them come back to the station, the rest were her family, and were just upset about what happened.
"The second shift agreed to pull doubles for the week, so we are cleared from duty until next Friday. I know half of you are pissed off at me, and I understand why. I did what I had to do. We aren't allowed to hang around there, and we had to return to the station. Those were my orders, I carried them out. Be pissed off if you like, but remember, Joey's death hurt me as much, if not more than you all. We all just have different ways of showing it. You're dismissed." She stood up and walked out of her office, getting her bag and going downstairs.