Laughing came from the office where Randall and the Training Captain were at.
"Still feel like singing?…" Donovan looked at Dean. "You got time to lean, you got time to clean, Fifty-Five." Randall leaned on the railing. "Donovan, you're up." He walked away.
The station alarm went off. "Engine 55, Ladder 55, Aid Car 55, requested to 2417 Almond Road." The outside station lights went off as well.
Everyone was soon down in the engine room.
"Isn't that Luiz's old street?" Tommy asked. "Guess we're about to find out!" Arnold replied as he put on his coat.
The truck engines were fired up.
Everyone soon got into the trucks as the sirens started wailing and the truck horns honked.
Later…
Randall was in the front seat of the Engine truck, and appeared to be… Struggling to tap the tablet screen?…
Spinelli noticed him and had one conclusion.
She motioned to take off the truck headsets. "Aye. His hands are shaking."
"He may be an idiot but not that much to be drunk on the job." Michelle replied. "Is he drunk right now?" Donovan asked. "But I think it's not great decision-making or guidance choices right now." Gibson mentioned.
"Are you guys stupid or something?! If we follow Randall into a fire right now, jokes on us!" Spinelli added. "Here's our plan."
Soon, the trucks arrived at a barbershop. The sirens turned off as they came to a stop.
Engine 23 was there.
Michelle scouted the area to see what was going on.
Multiple people came out coughing, all speaking in Spanish. "Get triage set up now!" She radioed.
Steven got out of the truck and dropped the tablet.
"What's goin' on?" He sounded… Drunk?!
"Fire's well established with heavy smoke. Shortman, Spinelli, you two are on search and rescue! Gibson, Don, Tommy, you guys are on fire attack!"
"McShay, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Steven asked as everyone rushed around.
"She's taken over." Dean started. "So this is what we're doing? She has incident command OVER the Lieutenants? Are we sure? I mean, of course we're sure! But are we SURE?" Warren replied.
"Yeah."
"I mean, this is different than Randall's advocacy where he lets the Lieutenants take command, but a firefighter?!"
"Warren…"
"I mean, we could ALL get fired. This could affect anybody's ability to get any job after this!" Warren sounded concerned. "Warren, this doesn't work unless we're all in this together." Dean replied sternly.
"Check the alleys, make sure there's nobody there. Check the exposures on the side of the structure." Michelle radioed to other units.
Warren then looked at Travis. "We're all in this together." They nodded.
"McShay, we're not doing this again." Steven told Michelle. "You're right. A drunk Captain is not putting my team in danger!"
"That's inflammatory and it's not your call!" Randall replied. "You're sitting this one out!" Arnold told Randall as he walked by with his airpack and halligan tool.
"That's not your call!" Randall looked at the Lieutenant. "Yeah! It's mine! . . . You're not getting us killed today!…" Michelle replied.
Randall gave a shocked look.
"If you think I'm gonna STAND BY-"
"Hey! Calm it!" Spinelli was walking by and noticed him flipping out. "If she needs protection from her Lieutenants then she shouldn't even be in command!" He gave an angry look.
"HEY! You have your assignment, I can handle myself!" Michelle told Spinelli. "Randall-"
"I don't care what you have to say, you're out of line!"
"Our people are concerned-"
"I'm not drunk!" He gave a stern look.
"Let's not get distracted from this meltdown! You all have your assignments and we have a job to do!" Arnold and Spinelli walked over as Michelle reassured them.
"If you don't stand down right now, I'll call the Chief and tell her EXACTLY what you're doing!"
"Do it! Do it! Let her see you like this! Let her see you like this!" Michelle stood her ground.
"Warren, console McShay here and tell her how all this will BLOW BACK ON ALL OF YOU!" He shouted. "I think you should follow McShay's orders." Warren suggested.
"THEY'RE NOT ORDERS COMING FROM AN INSUBORDINATE!" He said in a louder tone. "Let's not cause a scene in front of civilians!" Arnold mentioned the civilians who were watching them on the other sidewalk.
"Warren, triage. Spinelli, Shortman, search and rescue. Larson, we need another line on the roof." Michelle ordered.
"You're gonna regret this…" Randall told Michelle and walked away.
Meanwhile…
Stella walked into the training Captain's office.
"Chief!" The training Captain stood up to show respect. "Oh, don't worry about it." She chuckled.
"Apologies, Chief. I'm old school and ex-military. Old habits." The old fat man said. "Ah." Stella nodded. "I know my husband could relate at the police academy." Stella sat down. "I'm also old school, to be honest."
Stella cleared her throat. "Unfortunately, some of our newer members, let's call 'em, aren't all that professional…"
"Indeed…" The training Captain nodded. "I'm happy you're on this. Even though it's a tough assignment, we're glad we have a seasoned, and professional person to handle the investigation into Lieutenant Cooper's death."
"Why thank you, Chief."
"You got everything from talking to Fifty-Five? I know it's a little unorthodox me asking about it, but it's not something I deal with that often, I'm just doing my due diligence." She softly chuckled. "No
no, everyone's been forthcoming and cooperative." He replied.
"And Captain Randall?"
"Steven can always be counted on. He's old-school like me, you, and your old husband, Miles!"
"Yeah, I heard that…" Stella lightly nodded. "It's a relief too because it's looking like a no-fault." The fat man said. "Really?" Stella raised an eyebrow. "Well, after discussions with Eighty-Eight, it's looking good so far. No fault to pin on Captain Randall. If we should present it that way…"
Stella nodded and took in the information she was given. "That is very good for me to know." She stood up, and so did the Captain. "Thanks, Josh. I appreciate it."
"Chief." Josh nodded.
Stella walked out of the office and started calling her son.
Back at The Fire
"Glad you got outta there, Tomás, but this better not have been from those extension cords." Luiz was on triage and tending to his old family. "No, bro. I did exactly what you told me to do. I don't know what even happened!" Tomás coughed as he had an oxygen mask on. "Hey, you can't move while I'm treating you." Luiz told Tomás.
(Bold is) In Spanish
"Where's Mr. Ortega?" One man said. "Didn't he leave before the fire?"
"No, I think he went to the back area… He must still be in there!" Tomás replied.
Luiz then turned to Michelle. "McShay, we got one more inside! Maybe Jose Ortega!" Luiz said. Michelle went on her radio. "Evac, we still have one person inside. Name's Jose Ortega."
Warren and Dean headed toward the front entrance.
CRACK
CRASH
WHOOSH
Flaming pieces of wood collapsed, blocking the inside.
"We need another way in!" Arnold radioed.
"Copy!"
Luiz came up to her. "There's an entrance, at the back of the shop in the alley, there's an apartment that connects to the barbershop!"
"Behind the shop, there's an apartment, breach that door and you can get into the shop!" Michelle radioed the evac team. "Roger that!" Arnold replied as they went toward the alley.
"What is this?" They encountered a bunch of trash behind. "One man's junk is one man's fire hazard." Warren said as they threw the junk from their path.
"McShay, there's a metal security gate on the door, we're gonna have to bust through that." Spinelli went on the radio. "Copy. Cutler, help evac get through that door, run a line through there and be ready. That door is our only way in!" Michelle ordered.
"Hey, what's up with your partner, why does he look mad?" Tomás asked about Randall. "He's not working today." Luiz replied. Randall took off his radio unit and placed it at the rear of the Engine.
"Well, I'm just saying, why is he sour-pussing here and why aren't you inside looking for Mr. Ortega!" Tomás said. "Yeah, yeah. Hold still, let me check your lungs." Luiz put on a stethoscope.
"Tomás! Tomás!" Jose's wife came up. "Mrs. Ortega!"
"Where is Jose?!" Mrs. Ortega asked. "I don't know." Tomás replied. "What happened?!"
"I don't know! Idris was listening to music, I think it was too loud for Jose so I think he went in the back…" Tomás stood up. "And it was all smoke!"
"You just left Jose?!"
"Ma'am, what do you want me to do?" Tomás asked.
"Theo! Get in there and find my Jose!" She told Luiz. "Ma'am, if I could, I'd already be in there."
"Then I'm going to get him myself!" Mrs. Ortega walked off, but Luiz and Tomás stopped her.
"Let me go! LET ME GO!"
"Mrs. Ortega!" She started yelling desperately. Steven saw the commotion.
Warren and Gibson were using crowbars to try and breach the gate, but nothing so far. The others were clearing away the junk.
"Shortman, fire's moving North fast, what's your status?" Michelle radioed. "Still going, have the rotary saw ready, we might need it." He replied.
"Hurry it up before it's too dangerous to head in." She added. "What is she talking about?! My Jose is still in there!" Mrs. Ortega said.
"Calm down, calm down. We're doing everything we can to save him." Luiz tried to calm her. "No! No, you're not! You're all out here talking to me!"
"We all have a job, and my job is to be here with you." Luiz replied. "A job?! Theo, I don't want to be a widow! Do something!" She pleaded.
Randall walked to the left side of the Engine.
"Everything Jose taught you? Everything this barbershop means to him - You move away and forget everything?! Please, Theo!" While she kept lecturing him (Like any Hispanic woman), Randall was masked up and running toward the entrance of the shop.
"Randall, stand down!" Michelle shouted. "STAND DOWN!"
SHATTER
CRASH
"STEVEN! NO, DON'T!"
A firefighter tried going after him, but fire flared from the entrance, blocking it off completely.
Randall had fallen to his knees and looked around at the monster of a fire burning around him.
CRASH
A fragrance bottle exploded.
"Didn't really think that through, did you?" He asked himself as he got up slowly. "MR. ORTEGA! MR. ORTEGA!" He walked through flames and smoke to find Jose.
"H.F.D.!"
"Fifty-Five, get ready for whatever comes out of there!" Michelle radioed. "This just became a two man rescue. Mr. Ortega and one of our own. Randall pulled a cowboy move. I need that door breached NOW!"
For Michelle's first incident command, she was doing very well. Guess she learned from the best. Her father, Malcolm McShay.
Meanwhile
Stella was heading toward her Battalion Ford when her phone rang.
"Hello? Ah, Josh. Yes?" She got into her truck. "Burton will be continuing at Eighty-Eight. You know, I always thought it was absurd that these inquiries were conducted by a person rather than an entire team so I changed that. That way the Department can get a clearer picture. Indeed. Alright, talk soon." She hung up her phone. She then put the keys into the ignition.
At MedStar
"And you're 18, and scared of THIS specific thing? Hitting a deer and getting its antlers stuck in you?" Phoebe and the interns were tending to a patient who hit a deer.
The car was wrecked with the deer… Dead on the hood…
"THERE ARE ANTLERS IN MY BODY!" She yelled. "Ok, ok." Phoebe replied.
"Surprisingly calm, to be fair." An intern said.
"MR. ORTEGA!" Randall was inside the burning barbershop looking for Jose.
He found an arm. Someone was crushed underneath a shelf. He kneeled and checked for a pulse.
"Alright, we'll get you out as soon as we can!" He was crushed under a shelf.
"COME ON!" Randall struggled to lift the shelf. He soon shoved off the shelf.
He then took Jose.
CRACK
WHOOSH
Randall's exit was blocked. Flaming wood came down and blocked off the main room of the barbershop.
"I got you, Mr. Ortega!" Randall removed his airpack, fireproof hood, breathing mask, and helmet. He placed the breathing mask on Jose's face to give him fresh oxygen.
Steven soon found a fire extinguisher. He used the fire extinguisher to try and extinguish the fire. Unfortunately, the extinguisher ran out fast. He then threw it at the fire in anger.
He kneeled while grunting. "Hang on, Mr. Ortega!" He started to unbuckle his coat. He soon took off his coat and covered Jose with it.
"Looks like it's just you and me, buddy." Randall started to lie down beside Jose. He started coughing as he was inhaling the smoke now.
In his eyes, the flames poured at him almost like a monster trying to devour him. He tried to save his breath.
"She's crashing!" The girl with antlers in her abdomen was coding. "Get her stabilized and in the O.R. now! Page Dr. Pierce! She can't wait any longer!" Phoebe directed.
Background Music: Religion by James Arthur
The rotary saw was being used to breach the gate door. Time was slowly running out. The door was taken off by Warren and Gibson. Dean breached the door itself with the battering ram.
"We're in." Arnold radioed Michelle. "You got thirty seconds."
Warren and Gibson entered with the hose and started spraying the fire. They all switched on their chest and helmet flashlights.
"MR. ORTEGA! RANDALL!"
"ANYONE HERE!?"
They soon found them lying down.
"WE GOT 'EM!" Warren and Gibson carried out Jose.
"COME ON, STEVEN, WE GOTTA GO!" Arnold told his Captain. "COME ON! Steven!" But Randall stared at the raging flames.
"Sir, it's time! We gotta get out!" They nodded together. Arnold soon helped Steven out of the building as Randall limped.
Despite being a crappy Captain, he was a firefighter and one of their own. No One Gets Left Behind.
A stretcher was brought over to Ben and Scott as they had rescued Jose. He was soon placed on the stretcher.
"Please, Theo! Tell me my husband is okay!" Mrs. Ortega pleaded to Theo. Luiz looked at Warren, he gave an unsure look. "I never lied to you, and I'm not gonna start now. The truth is, I have no idea. I'm so sorry, but if you let them take care of Mr. Ortega, we can get back to work." Mrs. Ortega nodded while whimpering.
Luiz walked off as the stretcher was wheeled toward the ambulance.
"Thanks, Luiz, but I'm fine." Randall refused to get oxygen from Theo.
Jose started coughing.
"Mr. Ortega? Can you hear me? Don't try to speak, you're in good hands!" Warren told him. "Load him up."
"He's headed to MedStar Memorial." Luiz said. "I'll drive there!" Tomás said.
"But your barbershop?" Mrs. Ortega asked. "Whatever's left will be here when we get back. Come on."
"Come on, Steven, let's get you to MedStar so you can get checked out too." Warren told his Captain. "I'm fine, Warren."
"No, Steven. You're not fine. You're going to the hospital." Ben offered his hand. Randall was then helped up by Warren.
Ambulance sirens started wailing, heading to MedStar.
As hoses sprayed at the barbershop, Luiz felt heartbroken at the sight. He then turned around to see Randall in one of the Aid Cars.
He then looked around to reminisce about the times he had in the current street he was in. This street was his old home, where he grew up. Home is where the heart is.
Luiz then headed back to triage.
After The Fire…
The station was heading back to the firehouse, without their Captain, whose coat was in the front seat.
"Did today really happen?" Gibson asked, surprised. "Yeah…" Michelle replied.
"We got through today because of your leadership." Michelle told Spinelli. "We did what we had to and we're alive because of it. We'll get through tomorrow as a team."
"What the hell was he doing jumping into the fire like that?" Gibson asked. "Trying for redemption?"
"A desperate move to be brave?"
"Nah, nah, nah that's not what that was. I've seen it before." Tommy said. "Back in Iraq, we were pinned down, waiting for an airstrike to save us. Someone gets him. He was sitting there just rocking… Hands covering his ears. I saw it in his eyes too, like in Randall's. Walking into enemy fire." Tommy reminisced about his time in the Military. "Jumping into that fire wasn't bravery, that was something else."
Everyone was now silent.
That Night…
The trucks were parked in the engine room, and everyone was mostly silent.
"FIFTY-FIVE! HEY!" Stella shouted as she walked in, infuriated. "I hope you're proud of yourselves, Fifty-Five! This is NOT how we do things! The stupidity and short-sightedness- The Steven situation was being handled!"
Warren stepped forward. "Respectfully, Chief-"
"Shut it, Warren! DON'T act like you have respect for me or this Department!" Stella silenced him, and everyone else with her anger. "The hubris that pervades the day-to-day movements of this Station is astounding. I don't know how it got this way, but it ends NOW! Your actions today violated almost EVERY PROTOCOL IN THE HILLWOOD FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND MIGHT HAVE COSTED YOU ALL YOUR JOBS!" Stella yelled, infuriated with the entire station.
Everyone stood silently, even Arnold was now intimidated by his mother's anger.
"NOW TELL ME… What the hell went down today." Stella demanded.
"Chief, Steven presented like he was under the influence." Michelle started. "And we had to do something about it." Spinelli finished. Everyone there started arguing and talking over each other.
"ENOUGH! EVERYONE SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTHS!" Stella yelled, silencing everyone immediately. "THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! EVERYONE'S ARROGANCE HERE!"
"Permission to speak, Chief?…" Michelle asked. "Granted." Stella scoffed and crossed her arms, staring her in the eye.
"Steven was drunk. Period. And we all just bet our careers on that. We knew what we were doing, we understand the repercussions of our actions but we also knew if it had gone the other way, we wouldn't be standing here, we'd be making funeral arrangements like Eighty-Eight. We're firefighters, Chief." Stella rolled her eyes. "And we do it because we love this job. We all do. We all just want to be safe so we can KEEP doing this." Michelle finished.
Stella nodded slowly. "I appreciate the calm statement, McShay. But your eloquence does not excuse what happened today." Stella replied as Michelle hung her head.
"And Lieutenant Shortman, I expected better from you." Stella turned to her son. He didn't bother to reply and just listened. "I raised you to be the best Lieutenant this station has had, and you repay me like this?" She kept her calm. "You seriously let me down. You have failed me as a firefighter, a Lieutenant, and as my son. I EXPECTED BETTER FROM YOU TWO!" She then suddenly snapped at the two Lieutenants. Both Arnold and Spinelli.
"You imbeciles allowed a firefighter to be on incident command, unauthorized by your Captain!" Stella referred to Michelle's rank. "Lieutenant Spinelli, I expected better than this! You're also the best Lieutenant alongside your boyfriend, but you have failed to show leadership today and put everyone in danger. And as for all of you, I SHOULD HAVE YOU SENT BACK TOWARD THE ACADEMY IF I COULD!" She shouted.
"Chief…" Spinelli started. "SHUT IT, LIEUTENANT! I don't care how good of firefighters you are, you've let me down, and the entire Department. I should take away your badge, and everybody else's badges right now!" Stella shouted.
Spinelli gulped as Arnold gave a worried look. They all stood in silence for an entire minute.
"Out of my sight. All of you…" Everyone still stood there. "I SAID OUT OF MY SIGHT! OUT!" She snapped.
Everyone immediately walked away to do their things.
"Lieutenants! Over here. NOW!" She gave an angry look toward her son and Spinelli. They slowly approached her. "Shortman, don't even think you have special privileges just because you're my son. I'm severely disappointed in you." She gave an upset look at her son. "You let your mother down. You let me down, Lieutenant. And Lieutenant Spinelli, I'm severely upset with you. You both are the best Lieutenants but after today… I can barely even rely on you two as Lieutenants and keep this team in line. I should take away both your badges and everybody else's badges!"
Arnold and Spinelli hung their heads.
"You failed the station, the Department, and worst of all… Your families. Now get the hell out of my sight or so help me…!" Stella was severely angry with all of Station 55. Arnold gulped and Spinelli winced as they nodded together. They walked away somberly and to the upstairs area as their shift was just about over.
Stella turned around and soon walked away. The front door opened. It was Steven who was back from the hospital.
"Hey, I thought you were-"
"I checked myself out, I check myself in." Randall immediately walked into his office and grabbed his backpack. Stella walked into the office.
"Captain Randall…"
Steven sighed deeply. ". . . I need help, Chief…" Stella listened. "Spoke to my union rep . . . I'm taking a leave of absence." He put on his backpack. He started to take off his Fire Department badge.
Clang
Randall had taken off his Captain's badge and left it on the office desk. He walked past Stella as he left, leaving this station… without a Captain once more.
What will happen to Station 55's future?
Alright so, no I didn't use a translator for the Spanish dialogue because I'm Hispanic. Okay? Not sure whether it's believable or not, but I swear I am, even if some parts are probably written wrong... And for those who ALSO speak Spanish, feel free to read those dialogues in Spanish! Anyhow, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter!