An Hour Later
It was an hour after dinner, Arnold was back in the Captain's office dealing with paperwork, like usual.
Soon, his three Lieutenants came in.
"You wanted to see us, Coach?" Luiz chuckled. "Dude, shut up." Spinelli rolled her eyes.
Arnold briefly rubbed his hair and sighed. "Guys, I don't know how to exactly put this but uh… I don't know if I can have three Lieutenants in this house." They all looked at each other in confusion. "My time as acting Captain probably won't last and I'll be bumped down to Lieutenant again, and with 4 Lieutenants? I don't know."
"Soooo, what exactly do you plan to do?" Michelle asked while tying her hair in a ponytail.
"Look, I'll be having to see with the Department and what their next steps will be. I can't even say anything right now since I'm not sure about the Lieutenant situation. Luiz, it's great to have you with us right now, but I think once we gain some of our guys back, you'll be back at 23."
"So, are you going to demote one of us, or what exactly?" Spinelli asked.
"I should have an answer later today around noon, I'll see by then but I wanted to let you guys know about this situation given the recent promotion of Lieutenant McShay." Arnold soon replied. "Luiz, McShay, scram. Spinelli, I still need a word with you."
The two nodded and soon walked out, while Spinelli raised an eyebrow. Arnold soon got up and approached her with a smile.
"You and I have certain business to take care of." Arnold smirked while his arms wrapped around her waist. "You're so dreamy when you get like this." Spinelli giggled as they nuzzled together.
"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Arnold had his thumb near her lips. She purred. "I want you to tell me more. Spoil me." They started to nibble each other's lips.
"I love you." Arnold smiled. "Just kiss me!" She yanked his collar and pulled him into a kiss.
Shortly after, the alarm went off.
"First alarm, please respond. Engine 23, Engine 6, Engine 9. Truck 23 Ladder 6 Truck 2, Aid Car 19, Aid Car 23, Aid Car 6, respond to strip mall fire in 2512 Southeast Street."
"Oh, thank goodness." Spinelli started kissing Arnold again after the alarm.
"The best part of working with my fiancée." Arnold briefly separated from her to mention that. "Just get over here!" Spinelli yanked him again for a kiss.
While they kissed, his hand slowly crept up near her breasts. Spinelli whacked his hand away and clenched his collar.
Half Hour Later
Thirty minutes had passed since the first alarm, and shortly, the station alarm went off again.
"Second alarm, please respond," The dispatcher started.
"Do you have any idea how beautiful you look when you're seated on the desk like that?" Arnold admired Spinelli's hidden beauty.
"Don't flatter yourself with your flirting." She playfully rolled her eyes and smirked at her beloved. She then turned her back on him.
"You know as well as I do you want a kiss." Arnold smirked at her.
She didn't answer but merely smirked. She finally turned around. "I still win this one." She leaned over to kiss him.
She immediately separated from him. "HEY! We have certain limitations while at work, you know!" Arnold couldn't help but touch her breasts once.
"Guess I couldn't help it." Arnold nuzzled against her. "Let me touch your dick and we're even." She smirked while leaning close to him.
"I wish we weren't on shift right now." Arnold soon held her hand. "You dirty man of mine." She decided to push away his face while he chuckled.
Spinelli soon placed her hand on top of his. "Arnold, I think it's time we revisit a common topic we've talked about."
"Oh? Wh- What topic?" He asked after he grasped her hand.
"Arnold, I… I wanna have a baby with you." Spinelli smiled, while Arnold's smile dropped to a shocked look with his mouth open.
"Third alarm, all units respond. Engine 55, Engine 17, Engine 5, Engine 16, Engine 33. Ladder 55, Truck 16, Truck 49, Aid Car 55, Medic 20." The station alarm had gone off for a third alarm.
"That's not good. It's at the same address." Arnold started. "You're sitting out. Remember? We'll discuss this later. Love you, sweetie." Arnold kissed Spinelli's cheek after he got up and soon ran out, leaving her with disappointment. The lights in the engine room lit up.
"Come on, come on! Let's go! Warren, you're off-duty. Come on!" While Arnold kept handing out orders, Spinelli stayed in his office for a minute before walking out.
Everyone ran into the engine room and started gearing up. While Arnold was gearing up, he gulped thinking about what Spinelli said. He grabbed his coat and soon got into the Ladder truck. The sirens started flashing as the garage doors opened. Soon, the sirens started blaring while Ladder 55 was the first to drive off. Engine 55 started driving behind with the Aid Car driving behind them.
"Hey, what's with you?" Warren noticed the disappointment on Spinelli's face.
"Hm? Oh, uh, nothing. I was just asking Arnold an important thing before the alarm went off." She replied and shrugged.
"Ah, I see." Ben soon headed back upstairs, while Spinelli decided to walk back into Arnold's office.
Soon after, the trucks were seen racing through a street.
"What's with you?" Dean asked Arnold.
He cleared his throat. "It- It's nothing, I prefer to save it for some other time. What's going on with you?" Arnold replied.
"Well, now that you mention it, I've been making a will, a testament in case I were to die. You know how I was left with a kid, right?"
"Yeah?"
"I have the will, I just haven't found someone to take custody of my little girl if I were to die." Dean replied.
"I'd offer to do so but I don't think Spinelli would be too fond about that. Have you tried asking Warren? I'm sure he and Bailey would love to do so." Arnold suggested.
"Hmm… I haven't asked him yet. I'll see once we get back." The two fist-bumped.
Soon, the trucks came to a stop at the strip mall fire where exposed fire was coming from the front.
Arnold hopped out and strapped on his SCBA gear. "Alright, guys! I want this truck repositioned for an aerial attack, Montgomery, get a supply line going." Arnold started giving directions.
"You got it!" Travis ran to the rear of the Engine.
Meanwhile…
"Mom? What are you doing here?" Spinelli came up to her mother, Flo. She arrived at the station with Andy in her arms.
"Oh, it's been a while since I saw my little Pookie! I also decided to bring you a little someone." She smiled and handed over Andy.
"Awww. How's my little girl doing? I missed you so much, sweetheart!" Spinelli kissed Andy's forehead and cradled her. "But Mom, why are you here? I mean, it's not like you have something important, no?" She then asked.
"Well actually, honey, I came over because Arnold called me earlier and told me about your little mishap earlier today. I'm just happy to see you're alright, even if your hand is a little messed up." Flo saw the cast on her left hand.
"Yeah, I uh…"
"Hun, it's not your fault, it's a risk you run when you're a firefighter. I'm just glad my little Pookie is alright." Flo kissed her forehead and smiled.
"I also wanted to talk to you about your wedding…" She started walking along with her daughter.
Back At The Strip Mall
"Is everyone out?"
"That should be the last of them!" Vic replied after taking off her SCBA mask.
"Alright, let's lock up that building, no one goes back inside." Arnold replied and patted her shoulder.
After he finished, several deck guns were switched on and started spraying at the mall. Several ladders were spraying from above.
Only a couple of minutes passed by before some weird noise was heard.
creak…
KA-BOOM
CRASH
KA-POW
BOOM
A violent explosion went off from the front of the mall, shooting a big fireball. A massive black cloud of smoke poured from the explosion and surrounded the area, even spreading near the trucks.
Everyone flinched and ducked down.
Two minutes had passed by and the black cloud of smoke finally started to clear out while everyone started getting up.
"Everyone ok?" One shouted.
"All good, Lieutenant!"
"We're fine!"
Several groans were heard. The smoke cleared away more and more, revealing who was down.
"Oh my goodness, Clemente!" Arnold ran over. Several firefighters were down, and that included one of his own.
"PEP!" Arnold kneeled to her after taking off his SCBA gear. She was on her side with a piece of metal penetrating her chest.
He reached for his radio and shouted, "I got a firefighter down! I need help here, ASAP!" He took off her helmet.
Soon, more people ran over while more firefighters were treating the other downed people.
"Clemente! Pep, can you hear me?! Pep, can you hear me?!" Arnold frantically asked while taking off her SCBA pack carefully. She was unconscious along with slight cuts on her face.
Dean and Scott brought over a stretcher and jump bag as Arnold found a threading pulse. Tommy and several others ran over to help the injured firefighters.
Her coat was being taken off carefully while Scott placed an Ambu bag on her face. The bleeding from her wound would be bandaged around and had pressure pads around it. A neck brace was placed around her neck. Once they got her hooked up to the cardiac monitor, they started an IV and soon she would be placed on the backboard and lifted onto the stretcher.
Soon, the stretcher was wheeled to the Aid Car while flames crackled in the background and water spraying.
As a firefighter was already being loaded into an ambulance, police officers were holding back civilians far from the scene as they were filming the accident. Soon, Pep was being loaded into the Aid Car
Arnold and Michelle would join her, leaving Luiz in charge while Arnold was away. He only slowly walked over to the ambulance in concern.
Soon, the sirens of the ambulance started blaring as the Aid Car started to drive away to MedStar while additional Ladder trucks arrived. Two Ladders and a Bucket ladder Truck.
Soon At MedStar Memorial
The ambulance arrived at the E.R. After parking, the rear doors opened as doctors ran outside. "34-year-old female, penetrating wound through the chest, lost blood and crashed on the way here!" Arnold started while pumping the Ambu bag connected to her tracheal tube with an Ambu ET tube holder around her face. "Rhythm's back and needs blood!"
Catherine and Teddy were working on this one. Teddy checked Pep's pulse and soon nodded at Dr. Shepherd.
"Ok, let's go! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" Catherine shouted as they wheeled in the stretcher to a trauma room. Michelle and Arnold would run in with them.
Meanwhile…
"I'd love to stay and talk but I have to go." Stella told Mrs. Spinelli and soon went on her radio.
"Dispatch, this is Battalion 55, I copy and I'm on my way." She said while heading out back.
"Man, I kind of wish I was out there but I'm perfectly fine here." Spinelli smiled when she saw Andy's cute smile. "Kind of lonely for the most part." She shrugged.
"And I think it's best for you not to overhear the stuff on your radios." Flo suggested and sat next to her daughter.
"I guess you're right." Spinelli looked back at Andy. "Some things are worth missing out on, no? Isn't that right, sweetie?" She kissed her cheek.
Back at MedStar Memorial…
Catherine cut off the bandages of Pep's injury, revealing the sharp piece of metal through her chest. Her entire chest was covered in blood along with the pressure padding.
"Oh, God…" She then looked at the Captain and Lieutenant. "You guys were all caught in that backdraft?" She quickly asked.
"Ye- Yeah, tha- that's how the metal got there." Arnold's voice trembled.
"Alright, you two get cleaned up, we'll take care of her." Teddy soon replied as they examined her.
Suddenly, a rapid beeping noise went off.
"B.P.'s bottoming out! Get her in the O.R. now!" Catherine exclaimed. With Teddy being an expert in cardiology, she would have to join.
They immediately wheeled out the gurney from the trauma room and started heading to the operating room.
"Is today really happening?" Arnold looked at Michelle. She looked back at him.
"Hold on, you have something on your face…" She pulled out a thin piece of glass.
"Ow!"
"Let's just go get cleaned up. And let me help you out with that little cut." She said.
They started to walk out of the trauma room. "Am I glad I offered Pep to move in when I did. She's going to need a lot of help if she-"
"Not if, Arnold. When she pulls through." Michelle sniffled.
Hours Later
It had been hours since the strip mall backdraft explosion, hours since Pep was taken to surgery, and hours since Arnold and Michelle were at MedStar.
Back at the station, Spinelli had Andy in her arms while they were in the equipment room. Spinelli was mainly showing Andy all of the turnout gear.
"Ah! Here we are! See that, sweetie?" She pointed at the turnout gear, specifically at whose gear it was. Andy looked over despite looking around like a typical baby.
"See that, sweetie? That, right there, is mommy's gear." She pointed at the bottom of the coat which had her last name 'Spinelli' on it.
"It'll have to stay here while I'm gone, unfortunately. But, maybe one day you'll have the same last name on your coat, or better yet, 'Spinelli-Shortman' on yours or your future sibling's coat." She smiled. Spinelli let Andy have a good look at her coat. "Doesn't it look beautiful, honey?" Andy tried reaching for it.
"Awww, I knew you'd love it like how Momma loves you, sweetie." Spinelli kissed her forehead and cradled her. "Boy, I remember the first day I moved in with Arnold, I thought I didn't have what it took to be a Mom, turns out I proved myself wrong." She chuckled to herself.
She then sighed and looked around. "Man, wonder what's going on with Arnold?"
It soon transitioned to MedStar Memorial's waiting room, where Arnold and Michelle were anxiously awaiting news of Pep's condition.
Dr. Shepherd soon walked in. Arnold and Michelle came over.
"Please, Catherine, how is she?" Arnold asked.
Shepherd sighed. "She's still in surgery, Dr. (Teddy) Deegan and I just now removed the metal object. With the injury being deep in her chest, it penetrated through her interior wall of the right ventricle so Dr. Deegan placed her on cardiopulmonary bypass and we performed a primary repair and she's currently placing chest tubes."
"Sooo, what does this mean? Is there any chance she'll make it out?" Michelle asked.
"Based on my understanding…" Arnold started. "Her injury is extremely dangerous, and there's nothing to be sure of right now, based on what Phoebe once told me about this kind of situation."
"She'll make it through surgery in flying colors… Or she won't make it off the table at all." Catherine soon added. "If you'll excuse me, guys, I have to get back." Catherine gave a reassuring look to them before walking back.
"I'd say it's a good thing there are still surgeons like Teddy, Bailey, and Catherine. They're highly skilled like Phoebe." Arnold gave a small smile.
"You're right about that." Michelle replied with a small smile, but their smiles soon dropped as they only exhaled.
As time went by, they were outside Pep's recovery room. She was intubated and on a ventilator while hooked up to several other machines. After hours, the strip mall fire was finally put out and nobody else was harmed.
While everyone had their own business to take care of, the members of 55 were heading to MedStar, something about firefighters is true.
They lose a lot on this job… Losing their victims, losing their friends, losing their family, or even losing themselves…