Things were pretty much back to normal after the chemical plant
incident. A game of cards was being played at the table, people were
gathered around the television watching the latest Major League Soccer game
(Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Washington DC United), and Wicks and Bell were
finally starting to patch things up. One thing that didn't change since Ryan
and Wick were released from the hospital was Bell trying to find out more
about that kiss. He kept asking and asking those two to tell him more about
what happened but they wouldn't say anything.
It was 4:35 in the afternoon and the game had just ended.
Unfortunately for the people of California, LA lost...which probably meant
that some chaos would erupt throughout the city. A familiar noise rang
throughout the station. "Rescue 77...Respond to a fire with people trapped.
224 West Street. Time out 4:36." Quickly, everyone abandoned what they were
doing and got to their respective vehicles.
Ryan, Wick, and Bell were the first on the scene. Flames were
shooting out of the windows. They knew they had to get in there soon.
****
It was Wick that was the first to speak up. "The people only have a
limited time left. We've gotta get them out of there NOW!" All agreed and
they charged into the building.
Inside, there was so much smoke and flames that one could not see two
feet in front of them, let alone 10 or 15. Bell went into the rooms on the
left. "Clear!" On the right hand side of the hallway was Wick. "All clear"
was his reponse. While the two were making sure they had covered all the
rooms on the bottom floor Ryan was upstairs checking the two rooms there.
The first room seemed to be a young soccer player's room with soccer posters
of their favorite MLS players and National teams covering the walls. That
room was clear so the she proceded to the next room.
This second room seemed to be a nursery or sorts. Not able to see
everything clearly she called out, "Anyone in here?" When she heard a young
girl cry out she ran over to her. The girl was only about 10 years old and
was scared out of her wits. The thing that Ryan noticed was that there was a
bundle sheltered in the crook of the girl's arm...a baby. Taking the baby
from the girl Ryan checked to make sure it was still breathing. After making
sure that both the baby and the girl were okay, Ryan ran down the stairs and
out the front door.
Outside Bell and Wick were waiting impatiently for their partner to
come out. When they saw Ryan appear in the doorway each let out a sigh, a
sigh of relief that they had made yet another rescue without their "patients"
or themselves getting hurt or worse.
The little girl searched frantically for her mom in the crowds that
now formed outside. She didn't say anything at first as she thought she
spotted her mother. Quickly the girl ran over to this woman and called out
to her. When the woman turned around to face the girl and she saw that it
wasn't her mom the girl started to scream "Mommy! Mommy!"
Bell and Ryan were looking for the girl to ask her what her name was
and make sure that she got to the hospital. Ryan's attention was caught by
the screams and she ran towards the girl. "Honey, what's wrong?" The girl
continued to call for her mom and cry. "What's wrong? Where's your mommy?"
Concern crept into Ryan's voice as she asked her those two questions. The
girl wasn't making sense...her answers were masked in the sobs and it was
hard for Ryan to comprehend what the girl was saying. What she did get out
of the "conversation" was that the girl's mom was in the house when Mary went
to get the baby.
It wasn't concern that was in Ryan's voice as she took her radio in
hand and called to Capt. Durfey that there was still a possible person
trapped in the fire but rather fear. She yelled over to an onlooker to make
sure that the girl got to the ambulance.
Without a second thought, Ryan dashed into the building as if the
Devil himself was after her. She never heard Bell and Wick questioning why
she was going back in...if she even heard them.
