"The hell are you lot still standing around for? Go with Thirty-Three and evacuate this place!" Arnold looked at everyone. They immediately went off and started to evacuate the complex.
"C'mon!" Gibson was pulling a hose from the truck.
"Mom! Mom, where are you?!" Spinelli was looking inside the department where the fire started.
She could hear faint coughing but didn't know exactly where.
"Hillwood Fire! If anyone can hear me, just call out! Anybody here?" Spinelli shouted.
The coughing became louder and louder with every step Spinelli took.
"Shit!" Flaming pieces of wall burned and revealed fire on the inside of the walls.
Spinelli soon saw a bedroom door closed. She touched it to feel for any sign of a backdraft. "Hillwood Fire Department! Anybody in here?"
Spinelli soon heard the coughing stop and a thud.
"To hell with it!" Spinelli took a step back and kicked the door open. She would find her mother laying unconscious. "Mom!" She immediately kneeled to check for a pulse, thankfully she still had one. "If you can hear me, I'm getting you the hell out of here!" She then picked her up and started to make her way out.
A wall soon collapsed, almost blocking off the way out.
Flaming pieces of roofing soon fell, igniting the fire even more.
Spinelli made her way out and met up with Gibson, McCaffery, and Arnold.
"Gibson, you take it from here, McCaffery and I can handle the fire." Arnold pointed to Scott. "Just a sec, McCaffery." Arnold walked up to Spinelli after Gibson took Mrs. Spinelli from her, she was taking off her breathing mask and had her hands on her knees.
"I want you on standby. You're done here. To the Aid Car." Arnold ordered. "What?! You're gonna bench me for saving my Mom's life?!"
"We talk about that later. I want you back to the Aid Car for your recklessness and disobeying orders! I told you to stand down!"
"But Arnold, I had no other option!"
"I'm not asking again… Now go!" Arnold pointed to the trucks. Another Engine and Ladder company was arriving. "I'm not speaking as your boyfriend, I'm speaking as your interim Captain and Lieutenant. Now go!"
Spinelli only let out a frustrated sigh. She started making her way back to where the trucks were all parked.
"Alright, Russ! Let's hit this bitch head-on!"
"You got it, Cap!" Russell turned on the hose and started spraying up high at the flaming trees.
Spinelli was back at the Aid Car and all she did was throw her helmet to the side of the truck. "Son of a…. UGH!"
"You alright, Spinelli?" Tommy asked as he gave oxygen to Mrs. Spinelli. "I'm… I'm fine. Just got sidelined for this one, that's all." She replied as she picked up her helmet.
"Can't blame him, you did go in recklessly, and thank goodness you had your breathing apparatus on."
"How are my parents? Are they alright?" She then asked. "I'd say they're more than alright. Your mother has a minor burn on her arm but I already had it treated."
"Thanks, Tommy."
"I'll leave you three some privacy." Tommy soon walked off towards the Engine.
"Sooo…."
"Spinelli… we didn't deserve to be rescued by you, especially with what we've done to you in the past…" Her mom started as she looked down. "It's alright. It's my job to rescue anyone, no matter who it is. Just don't worry about it and keep that mask on your face for the time being."
"You ok?" Her dad asked. "I guess."
"Need to talk?"
"I'm glad you guys are ok. I was honestly scared something bad could've happened…"
Firefighters ran past them as they carried hoses, equipment, and medical supplies.
"At least we're fine thanks to you." Flo soon smiled at her daughter. "How come you aren't with your team? Isn't this your job?" Bob asked.
"It was, but I got benched by my Lieutenant for disobeying orders but…" Spinelli soon sat next to her parents. "I just had to save my Mom."
"Again, we're sorry for any of this…"
"No, no. It's alright. What even happened?" Spinelli looked at her parents. "It was a minor argument we had with each other, and we had a lit candle, and I think during that it must've fallen off the table in the living room…"
"All that matters is that you two are alright…" Spinelli sighed. "Something wrong, Pookie?" Flo had a hand on Spinelli's shoulder. "I just wish I could be helping my team out! Instead, I'm over here benched like some idiot probie!" She crossed her arms.
BOOM
A loud boom came from where Arnold and Russ were at.
"Mayday! Mayday! Two firefighters down! I repeat, two downed firefighters!" Spinelli heard from her radio. She then saw where the dark smoke came from.
"Go!"
"But-"
"We don't care whether you're benched or not, you need to get over there!" Flo started. Stella came over. "Spinelli, I'm assigning you with Thirty-Three on a search and rescue. We don't know where they might be and I need you to find them fast!"
"Copy that, Chief!" Spinelli immediately got up and put on her air tank breathing apparatus, and her helmet and went with Thirty-Three.
"Thompson! Any idea where they might be?" Spinelli asked the Lieutenant for Thirty-Three. Thompson found the answer. "I think I just might." A helmet was seen lying around.
"C'mon!" Thompson started. "Dispatch, requesting an extra Aid Car."
"Copy that, Thirty-Three."
They all soon found Lieutenant Shortman and McCaffery lying unconscious.
"You three, check on the Lieutenant, the rest check on McCaffery!" Thompson ordered as he grabbed the hose that was with the two. He started spraying where the fire was.
"Lieutenant, can you hear me?" The three turned him onto his back. "He has a pulse but is unresponsive!" Collins said.
"This is Green of Ladder Thirty-Three, we're going to need a stretcher."
"This Aid Car Twenty-Three, we have one ready."
They immediately picked him up and started carrying him out.
"Over here!" An Aid Car was arriving and near where they were, McCaffery was severely injured. They carried Russell over to the ambulance where the stretcher was brought out.
"Get that stretcher over here dammit!"
"Over here!" Montgomery and Aaron got the stretcher over. The Lieutenant was immediately placed on it and soon had his coat removed.
"C'mon! Hurry, we don't have time to lose!" Spinelli exclaimed. The stretcher was immediately put into the ambulance, and Montgomery would go with him.
"Spinelli, I promise I'll do everything I can." Travis told Spinelli. She could only nod. Travis shut the ambulance door as one member slapped the rear doors twice, signaling to go.
Spinelli only sighed as the ambulance sirens started blaring as it raced off.
"Arnold…" Spinelli hung her head. Her Mom came up to her. "You ok, sweetie?"
Spinelli looked at the ambulance in the distance and sniffled. "No… No, I'm not." Flo only gave a saddened look.
Spinelli then gulped. "Chief! Anywhere you need me?" Spinelli soon walked off.
"Fire attack. Since we lost one unit, I can barely take a chance with it again but we have no other option."
Later
The fire was out, and most of the equipment was all packed up.
"Anything on Arnold, Chief?" Spinelli came up to Stella. "I'm sorry, Spinelli, but I haven't heard anything."
"Chief, where was the Lieutenant admitted to?" Donovan asked. "MedStar Memorial. I haven't heard anything apart from that. Travis is there awaiting."
"Well, what the hell are we doing standing around? I'm not waiting around to hear anything! Let's go!" Spinelli exclaimed. "I'm coming with you guys." Stella replied.
All of Fifty-Five immediately went to their trucks, and Stella went towards the Battalion Chief's pickup truck.
At MedStar Memorial
The three trucks were all outside as everyone was inside, awaiting news. They would meet up with Montgomery.
"Any word?" Spinelli asked Travis, he only shook his head.
Everyone still had their turnout pants on and left their coats in the trucks.
A Doctor soon came out.
"'Scuse me, is anyone family to Arnold Shortman?" The Doctor asked. "I am." Stella said. "Ah, Chief Shortman. I'm gonna need to pull you aside for a second." Stella only nodded.
One Minute Later
"Thank you so much, Dr. Bailey!" Stella smiled. "You are so welcome!" Dr. Bailey smiled back.
"Please tell me Arnold is alright!" Spinelli came up to Stella. "I think you should see for yourself."