Warning: This chapter is pretty intense. It's not horribly graphic, but it is traumatic. Read at your own discretion (I won't be offended if you skip it)
... ... ... ...
It's quiet. Reed's car has been torn in half. One half is still on the road, but the other half is gone. A car pulls up and a woman gets out. She runs over to the other car and checks on the driver. He's okay. Then she goes over to the back half of Reed's car. Sydney and Willow are laying in the road, obviously dead. The woman pulls out her phone and dials 9-1-1.
Maddie answers the call. "9-1-1, where is your emergency?"
"I'm on Crystal Springs Drive, about a mile from the zoo. There's been a terrible crash. They're all dead."
"Ma'am, I need you to take a few calm breaths for me."
The woman takes some deep breaths, looking away from the scene.
"What happened?" Maddie asks after the woman has calmed down.
"I don't know, I just came upon it. It looks like they hit head on. The driver of this car seems okay, but the other car. It's full of teens. Only half of the car is on the road. I don't know where the other half is. They're all dead."
"How many passengers are in the vehicle?"
"2 are still in the car, 2 are on the road."
"We have first responders on the way. Keep taking calm breaths, and stay on the phone with me until they get there."
...
The 118 pulls up to the scene. Everyone gets out and sees the cars and the bodies on the road. They all stop, trying to process what they're seeing.
"We're going to need more units." Bobby calls for more units while everyone goes to check on the patients.
"Where's the other half of the car?" Hen asks no one in particular.
Chimney checks on the driver of the other car. Hen, Eddie, Buck and Bobby go to the teens. Buck checks on Sydney who is laying in the road, while Eddie check on Willow, who is also laying in the road.
"She's gone," Buck says.
"So is this one," Eddie points out.
Buck and Eddie take out a sheet each and cover the girls. Hen and Bobby go to the car. Only Layla and Harley are still inside. Harley is gone. Hen covers him with a sheet. Bobby feels for a pulse on Layla. She has one.
"She has a pulse."
Hen starts checking Layla's vitals.
Layla starts coming too. "What happened?"
"Stay still for me." Hen puts a neck brace around Layla's neck. "Can you tell me your name?"
"Layla."
"Okay, Layla. I'm Henrietta, I'm with the fire department. You were in a car accident," Hen smiles a comforting smile. "Are you in any pain?"
"I don't feel anything."
Hen looks up at Bobby. "Possible spine injury." Hen looks back at Layla. "Layla, we're going to move you onto a stretcher. I need you to stay as still as you possibly can for me."
Chimney comes over to help Bobby and Hen get her on the stretcher.
Bobby leans over to talk to Layla while Chimney straps her in. "Layla, how many people were in the car with you?"
"There were 8 of us. Where's Reed? Is he okay?"
"We're going to find him. They're going to take you to the hospital, though."
Another group of paramedics takes Layla to the ambulance so the rest of the crew can tend to the other patients. Suddenly Buck calls out.
"Bobby!"
Everyone runs over to where Buck is looking over the side of the cliff. The other half of the car is wedged on some rocks about halfway down, barely hanging on.
"Eddie and Chimney, you're going to repel down," Bobby instructs. "Hen, I want you and Buck up here ready for the patients when they come up."
Everyone scrambles into position. Bobby and Buck grab the repelling base and set it up while Eddie and Chimney get harnessed.
"Go slowly and work gently," Bobby reminds the guys. "One sudden jolt and that car is going to go down."
Eddie repels first, then Chimney. They can see Mateo and Reed in the car, unconscious and Reagan laying on the rocks a few feet below the car.
"There's one a few feet down, Cap," Eddie says into his radio.
"Get the ones in the car first."
Eddie slowly goes on one side of the car while Chimney goes to the other.
Eddie checks Reed. He doesn't have a pulse. "He's gone."
"He's still alive," Chimney says, getting a pulse on Mateo.
Chimney gets on his radio. "Cap, we have one black tag, one with a pulse. I need two boards."
"Copy that. They're on their way down."
The crew at the top gently sends down two boards. Chimney puts a neck brace on Mateo, then works on getting him strapped into the board.
Once he's strapped in, Chimney gets on his radio again. "My patient is strapped in and we're ready to come up."
They start bringing Chimney up with Mateo. Eddie works on getting Reed out of the car. His legs are pinned underneath the dash board.
"Cap, one leg has already been amputated, and the other is pinned underneath the dash. We're going to have to cut him out."
"Is there any chance at saving him?"
"No. His femoral artery was severed. He already bled out."
"We'll have to amputate the other leg. Chimney is on his way down."
Chimney repels back down the cliff with the tools needed to amputate.
...
Buck, Hen and Bobby are at the top of the cliff waiting for news. Eddie's voice comes over their radios. "Bring us up, Cap."
Buck starts pulling Eddie up. They get to the top of the cliff and Hen and Bobby grab the backboard. Reed's body is covered with a sheet. An assisting crew member puts him on a stretcher and takes him to a waiting ambulance.
"We're going to get the girl now," Eddie says.
He and Chimney repel down to Reagan. When they get to her, Eddie checks for a pulse.
"She's gone, too," Eddie says to Chimney. He gets on his radio. "Another black tag."
"We'll send the board down."
A board is sent down the hill to the waiting pair. Eddie and Chimney strap her in, then they are pulled back up. As they are being pulled up, the car is shaken loose and tumbles down the cliff, landing at the bottom with a loud thud.
...
Reagan's body is taken to a waiting ambulance.
"That was seven," Hen says. "There's one more somewhere."
"Do you think they're down there somewhere?" Buck says, pointing down the cliff.
"I'll get the spotlight. I want you guys to walk up and down this road. Look high and low."
Bobby goes to the truck and gets the spotlight to look over the cliff for Grayson. Everyone else splits up and starts looking along the road. There is absolutely no sign of Grayson. Finally, Buck finds him.
"Over here!"
Grayson is laying on the ground next to a tree. He has multiple obvious broken bones and he's bleeding out. The crew runs over to him. Chimney starts getting his vitals while Hen looks him over, trying to work together a plan of action.
"It's okay," Buck says, taking Grayson's hand. "We're here to help you."
"Where am I?" Grayson asks, disoriented. "What happened?"
"There was a wreck."
"Where's Willow?"
Even doesn't answer. He wants to keep him calm.
"What's your name?" Buck asks instead.
"Grayson."
"I'm Evan, I'm a firefighter."
"Am I dying?"
Evan doesn't answer. He knows it doesn't look good.
"He has multiple broken bones, possibly a severed ulnar artery," Chimney points out. "We need to clamp this artery off and stop the bleeding. Can someone get me my bag?"
Eddie runs and grabs Chimney's bag and brings it to him. Chimney starts working on clamping off the artery.
"I don't feel good."
"I know." Buck says. "We're going to make you better, though."
"Where's the car?
"It's over there," Buck gestures backward, to nowhere in particular. "Do you remember what happened?"
"I just remember he was driving like an idiot. He was drunk." Grayson takes a slow, shallow breath. "I told him he shouldn't be driving. We needed a DD, but he told me to quit being a pansy. I should have stopped him. I'm sorry." He winces in pain as Chimney is digging around, trying to find the artery. "I wanted to impress Willow. I wanted her to like me."
A small smile comes across Grayson's face. "This was our first date. She looked so beautiful." He looks up at Buck. "Do you have a wife?"
"I have a girlfriend."
"You'd do anything to impress her, wouldn't you?"
Buck nods. "I guess I would."
"You'd be smart enough to not drive drunk, though."
Chimney finally clamps the artery.
"I'm so tired," Grayson says quietly.
"Grayson," Chimney says, "I need you to stay awake. Keep talking to us."
Buck holds Grayson's hand closer to his chest. "Tell me about prom. What was the theme?"
"Under the sea."
"That sounds like fun."
"It was. We should have stayed."
Grayson's eyes start fluttering.
"Don't go anywhere, Grayson. Stay here with me."
"I can't. I have to close my eyes. I'm sorry."
"No, you don't. Look at me, Grayson," Buck all but begs.
Grayson's eyes close and his body goes limp.
Chimney feels for a pulse. "We're losing him." He gets into position to start CPR. "Starting compressions." He starts CPR. "Start a blood transfusion!"
Hen puts in a line and starts the blood transfusion. The sudden jolting of CPR causing the clamp that Chimney had used to close off the artery comes loose, causing Grayson to start bleeding out again. There's not much blood left in his body, and he's bleeding too quickly to recover. After several minutes of compressions, Bobby puts a hand on Chimney's shoulder.
"He's gone, Chim."
Chimney stops and sits back in defeat. Buck gets a sheet and puts it over top of Grayson's body. They all sit next to him quietly, some saying a prayer, some shedding a small tear for the group of kids.
...
The trucks pull into the firehouse. Everyone gets out, shoulders hung, not saying a word.
"You have to remember that you did your best," Bobby reminds them.
Buck looks up at Bobby with sad eyes. "We couldn't save them."
"Sometimes you can't. Unfortunately, there was only so much we could do." Bobby puts a reassuring hand on Buck's shoulder. "You all did everything right, and I'm proud of you for that."
Still no body speaks.
"I want you all to head home and get some rest," Bobby insists. "I need you to be fresh for your next shift. Remember, I'm a phone call away if you need me.
Everyone nods and heads to the locker rooms quietly.
Since this episode was pretty heavy, and it's almost Christmas, I'm posting 2 chapters today! I hope y'all enjoy!