March 1st, 2000.
Lusty had been studying to take the officer exam but she also decided to give her twin daughters Lily and Rose some siblings and had Quintuplets all daughters whom she named Margaret, Mabel, Bella, Chloe, and Charlotte. Like before, her old neighbors will be glad to watch them. She couldn’t believe that David “Dave” Waterson was willing to donate his sperm two different times but his girlfriend told him to, well she more or less ordered him to do it.
Lusty took the civil servant exam to be a Captain. She passed, but there was no current position opened for officers.
***
March 2nd, 2000, 1:34 AM.
At an abandoned warehouse.
“A warehouse. I wonder what’s in it,” said Lusty, “Probably nothing. But I'm not going to hold my breath.”
Lieutenant Autumn, and Firefighters Eddie, Lusty, Nygumn, and Sullivan entered where Nygumn had a 2 ½ inch attack line. Firefighter Smith was running down the street to rejoin Squad 141, but he stayed by Squad 141’s apparatus.
They were going to the second floor while the second alarm company which is Firehouse sixty-nine, would search and fight the fire on the first floor and basement.
***
On the second floor.
“Oh shit,” said Lusty, “Got flammable barrels over here.”
There was an explosion and fire cut off their only exit. They decided to go find another exit in which they found an emergency exit but the problem is that it goes up to the roof not down to the first floor so anyway they had to go up.
“Squad 141 to Ladder 6-9,” said Lieutenant Autumn over the radio, “Position your ladder on the third floor of Exposure A.”
Firefighter replied, “Negative Squad 141. The third floor of Exposure A is engulfed. Gonna place the ladder on the roof and suggest getting to the roof. Ladder 6-9 over and out.”
“Go up to the roof,” said Lieutenant Autumn, “Go go! Up to the roof!”
They kept going up until they reached the bulkhead. They found that the door is jammed and when they tried to force it open they couldn’t. They also heard over the radio from a firefighter on Ladder 69 that there's cement blocks in the door but Battalion Chief Marcus ordered him off of the roof because the structure is becoming unsound.
“Come on, let's find another way out,” said Lieutenant Autumn, “We’re in the middle of a Goddamn arson chain.”
They kept going.
***
In a room, they found a room that has a hole in the floor but the problem is that Lusty is only one skinnier than the rest.
“Damn it none of us can fit,” said Firefighter Eddie.
Lieutenant Autumn replied, “Lusty take off your SCBA!”
“What do you want me to do Lieutenant?” asked Lusty.
Lieutenant Autumn replied, “Go Lusty just go. You can fit through but we can't.”
Lusty took off her SCBA gear and crawled through a hole that she fit through because she’s skinny enough. She got back into the stairwell and found a small enough hole in the wall so she started to kick at the brick to get it to break until Lieutenant Autumn told her to go to get out of the warehouse.
Hope I can get some help and some specialized tools, Lusty thought, To help them to get out. They’re trapped where I’m the skinniest but hope I can get an ax or something to help to free them.
Lusty ran but finding a way out was difficult because the fire was everywhere. When Squad 141 first entered there was hardly any fire. But Lusty was able to find the fire hose which was cut in half and she followed it out.
When Lusty got outside there was an explosion which made Lusty fall down and cut her hand on some rebar.
Lusty also coughed because of some minor smoke inhalation but she went over to Marcus.
“Chief Marcus,” said Lusty, “Got Autumn, Eddie, Sullivan, and Nygumn trapped on the fourth floor.”
Battalion Chief Marcus replied, “Lusty I’m going to say something that no firefighter should hear and that is we lost this building. The only thing I can do is just keep radioing more and more companies and all six volunteer companies and also mutual aid alarms.”
Lusty knew what Marcus was saying while it was what she didn’t want to hear. But she also read in a book that sometimes she would have to know when an emergency would be a defeat and this was one of those times.
Not even an hour later every single fire company across the city of Empire was at the warehouse. Some companies from the Port Serina Fire Department were there and all six volunteer companies were there but all of the firehouses in the city of Empire were occupied by some other companies from the Port Serina Fire Department.
***
6:45 AM.
Lusty was looking through the warehouse and she got mad and kicked a charred metal table in anger. She started to punch charred drywall which hurt her hands and knuckles.
“Easy there,” said Battalion Chief Marcus, “What’s eating you on the inside?”
Lusty replied, “When we came inside for fire investigation we were expecting for it to be a crank call or just a heat lamp or so. It was dark with poor lighting. We weren’t even inside, not even a full sixty seconds. We got to the second floor and it was only five seconds until I saw several fuel barrels that said ‘Hazardous Materials Class 3: Gasoline’ with the proper HAZMAT signs on it. Not even a second later was when the explosions happened and some piece of shrapnel cut the 2 ½ inch line we had so we lost our only way out that not even a Silver bullet could put it out.
“We decided to go up and hoped we could go up to the roof and climb down because the emergency stairwell was a way out but it doesn’t go down to the first floor, just the second and higher. We were blocked in where the bulkhead door was blocked and jammed. We found a room which there was a hole in the floor which I only could fit through and there was a hole in the brick wall which I tried to break but I was ordered to get out by Lieutenant Autumn.”
Battalion Chief Marcus replied, “My old Lieutenant he always said that buildings like this and what happened he called ‘Firefighter Killers’ because the only way in and out that you and the rest of Squad 141 had was blocked off by fire. In this job, you can have the most experienced guys on the scene but certain situations are out of your control. We just have to do our job but this could’ve been avoided if there was another way out.”
Marcus walked away for a minute before returning to talk to Lusty.
“Effective immediately, Lusty,” said Battalion Chief Marcus, “You’re Captain of Squad Company 141.”
Lusty replied, “All but Smith and Rodriguez are dead?”
“Lieutenant Autumn is alive,” said Battalion Chief Marcus, “But he’s just badly injured that he won’t return back to shift. He’ll just be on permanent disability and won’t be back at work he’ll just be home living off of 75% pay. David Nygumn, Michael Sullivan, and Eddie Hall are dead, Autumn only survived by hiding under a metallic desk that shielded him while they did the same but didn’t survive. This job will sooner or later take a toll on you and I can see it in your eyes that what happened you’re going to be thinking in different ways of how you wish it could’ve ended. Gonna talk later with the higher-ups to prevent something like this from happening again.”
Lusty wasn’t paying attention, she was just remembering what happened just four almost five hours ago. She rubbed her eyes.
“Honestly now,” said Lusty, “I just want to see my children now. I just feel sick to my stomach.”
Lusty started to walk away but she kicked a charred metal bucket which went out of a window and hit a firefighter outside.
“What the fuck?” said a firefighter, “Where did that come from?”
Lusty told Firefighter James Smith and Chauffeur/Engineer John Rodriguez that they were heading back to the firehouse. They did.
***
At the beach.
Lusty sat on the sand and just watched the waves come in and back out. It was the first time she had ever been to the beach that wasn’t on an emergency call.
Lusty was just trying to clear her mind but she couldn't. She kept running the same thing over and over in her head over and over and she couldn’t clear her mind. Lusty decided to go get her children and went home.
She couldn’t watch TV because all the channels were just the news reporting on what happened last night but she doesn’t need a news reporter to tell her what she just went through. She decided to read a book but she never could so she decided to call Dave because he’s a friend but she just needed someone to talk to but his girlfriend came with him with their two-year-old almost three-year-old son.
Lusty wanted a friend to talk to but Dave’s girlfriend Linda is also a firefighter and knew what Lusty is going through because, on Linda’s fifth birthday, she saw her uncle die back in 1982. Not adding that Linda is the first female to join a Heavy Rescue Squad in the Fire Department City of Empire. Not adding that Linda knows how Lusty feels not being able to save people once thought to be friends.
Lusty felt happy that at least she had two other people who do the same career as her and have been on the same road as her before. But at least they told her that for some time she’ll be wishing it didn’t go how it did but sooner or later she will move on but that night will stick with her. Linda even told Lusty that she has children as well and that while what happened was a bad night but she got the future to look forward to.
Lusty knew that Linda was right and Lusty looked forward too when her daughters entered high school in the future. She looked forward to them getting dates and them graduating high school and having lives of their own.
“While what happened was a tragedy,” said Linda. “But you got to think about your daughters whom I more or less told Dave too. If you want another child then you can ask Dave because to me I won’t consider it as cheating and that it’ll only be helping a friend. But that’s different.”
Dave replied, “Lusty just tell us what happened because we weren’t there when the first alarm came in. So walk us through what happened.”
“It was 1:27 AM when the fire bell went off for a report of a fire investigation in a warehouse,” said Lusty. “It was only seven minutes since the bell went off, and was gearing up. We were expecting nothing or just a small fire that could be knocked out with a Silver bullet. When we got there Lieutenant Autumn told Firefighter James Smith to stay outside but my guess is that R.I.T Rescue or something like that.
“Only thing in my mind was ‘My babies are going to be proud that their mother is a firefighter because it’s a notable profession and that women can do the same as a man can’ and I’ll be happy if my and Dave’s daughters do what they want when they get older. Oh sorry for sidetracking that. We arrived on the second floor and the fire hose that Firefighter David Nyguym had just got charged with water. I found some barrels with markings that said they were gasoline.
“When I said ‘Oh Shit’ for seeing a lot of barrels there was an explosion and a fireball that cut off our only exit was cut off and our only hose line was cut off. I know that while we were going to go up to the roof I knew that the only thing going through the back of my mind was that I know that you and Dave would’ve been raising the seven daughters I have. I was thinking about how I was able to have twins the first time and the second time have five so I was thinking that I’m highly fertile or it’s from Dave’s side if not both.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“Well the bulkhead door was jammed from the inside that we were at and bricked over with cement bricks on the outside so we kept looking until we got into a room that the hole in the floor was wide enough for me to fit through without breathing apparatus on but the other guys couldn’t even though they were skinny but I’m more… Slimmer I think the word is or slender while they were more of an average build and couldn’t fit even without their turnout gear on.
“But I was able to get out and when I exited the warehouse was when the explosion came but I also fell and cut my hand but that’ll heal up soon. But while I was racing out of there I was saying in the back of my head ‘While we work in the most dangerous jobs in the world but it’s still a noble profession,’ but I’m just thinking about if there was something I could’ve done to save them.”
Linda replied, “When my dad first became a Battalion Chief his first fire was in a factory he lost three of his brothers in a heartbeat and he got a third-degree burn on his back because it burned through his turnout jacket. He saved his son or my brother Constantine. But from what my dad always told me, my brothers and sister is that this job can and will throw curveballs at you and some situations that not even the most experienced members can’t help. But this job it’s the only job I know that you can get excited for a new day because you don’t know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” said Lusty, “I just can’t believe how close I was to making Lily, Rose, Margaret, Mabel, Bella, Chloe, and Charlotte motherless well you two would have raised them because Linda you’re the Godmother and even you told the judge that if something happens to me that you’re willing to be an adoptive mother to them not adding Dave is their biological father. But honestly, I got a promotion earlier to the rank of Captain but I never thought to be promoted during that situation.”
Dave replied, “Don’t want to offend or anything like that. But that’s how no one wants to be promoted but a lot of people get promoted when the higher up gets killed but not in a way they don’t but it happens.”
Soon the phone rang so Lusty answered it and soon went down to HQ and got her new uniform which it’s the same but instead of a black overshirt, it was now a white one.
Great a white shirt, Lusty thought, Should take the next exam when it gets announced to be a Lieutenant. Don’t know why ours is that it’s Captain then Lieutenant whereas everywhere else it’s Lieutenant then Captain. Don’t know but not going to bitch about it.
Lusty also knew that while she will be a Captain now but she won’t be like every other higher up of being either behind a desk or won’t stick up for the rank-and-file firefighters she won’t be behind a desk at HQ and she will defend the rank-and-file firefighter. She also knew that she’ll also do her best to be a great Captain and she’ll do her best to live up to the title.
“Well thanks for trying to get me to cheer up,” said Lusty. “But now I’m a Captain and there’s nothing I can do to change it. Just going to have nightmares about what happened for some time. Can you two watch my daughters for an hour or two?”
Linda and Dave agreed and Lusty went to Empire Memorial Hospital.
***
Empire Memorial Hospital.
Lusty found Lieutenant Autumn’s room and most of his body was wrapped up in bandages for the burns. In addition he has a tube in his mouth that’s helping him to breathe. Lusty went to talk to a doctor.
“Is he going to make a full recovery?” said the doctor, “The answer is no. His body is 89% covered in third-degree burns and part of his lungs are scarred. Will he return to work? No but he’ll be bedridden for several years and he won’t walk straight anymore.”
He served his country and got this?, Lusty thought, He deserved a different ending than just living like this.
***
The following day.
Lusty entered the kitchen of the firehouse. There was a photo on the wall of the most recent photo of the members of Squad Company 141 which was taken on the same day as Firefighters Eddie, Nygumn, and Sullivan were killed. Lieutenant Autumn was put in a vegetable state so he can avoid feeling pain.
It wasn’t long until four people came in and Lusty had a feeling that they're either recent graduates from the fire academy. Or the city fire department did some kind of lottery and just drew random four service numbers like how the military does a draft.
When they got there they thought that Lusty was a male because they were told that their company officer's last name was Johnson and not told a first name. Lusty also could’ve seen it in their eyes that the only fire they saw was in the flashover simulator and in fires in the demonstration training building but not fought fires and haven’t been in actual emergencies.
Not going to complain about getting greenhorns, Lusty thought, I was the same as being fresh out of the academy when they assigned me here and not going to complain.
***
In Lusty’s office.
Lusty was lying on the bed in the office.
I could’ve put in a request, Lusty thought, To take some time off to get what happened out to officially move on and spend quality time with my babies. Well, I got next week off when C and D shifts will be working. At least next week I can spend some quality time with Lily, Rose, Chloe, Margaret, Mabel, Bella, and Charlotte.
Before Lusty could get out of bed and leave the officer’s quarters, the fire bell went off.
While responding Lusty said, “Got one for all of you, it's a stuck elevator.”
Firefighter Smith replied, “How high or low is it?”
“Between the fifty-seventh and sixty-third floor,” said Lusty, “It’s one of those elevators that skips every other floor. I think it’s an Express elevator. Reports say that there are four people trapped inside.”
Firefighter Smith replied, “How is it to be Captain?”
Lusty replied, “Wish I got promoted a different way. But I'm not going to cry about it. At first they would just get another officer to be this company officer. Oh, I checked on Lieutenant Autumn in the hospital but he’s in a vegetative state and won’t return to service ever.”
***
Downtown.
They entered a high-rise commercial building. A man went over to firefighter James Smith thinking he was the company officer until he told Lusty that she was and is the company officer.
“Which floor has the next opening?” asked Lusty.
The man replied, “Didn’t know that women could be officers in the fire department. The next opening is up on the seventieth floor. The bad news is the other four elevators are out of order, and there is only one express elevator.”
“We got a long way up,” said Lusty.
They entered a stairwell and walked the entire way up; from time to time, they would run up the steps but it took a couple of hours, and they got up to the 70th floor, where they had an elevator key to open the elevator.
Lusty being the lightest she went down to the elevator that was stuck on the sixty-third floor. and to her it was scary but she got to the elevator and opened up the exit hatch.
Lusty was able to get the two people out but she tied the second rope to the first one over the other and had one of the two go up first and had to wait until the rope was dropped back down which she did it again and she was the last one to go up.
“Make sure all of you got everything,” said Lusty, “Don’t want to come back up here because it’ll be a long way back up!”
They ensured they got everything even their rope rescue gear and they took the long walk down. But when they reached outside Lusty radioed that they were 10-4 and will be heading back to their firehouse.
While they were heading back they were called to a fire. Bt when they had to make a right turn onto another street both Lusty and Zofia stared daggers at each other for a couple of seconds.
***
Back at the firehouse.
“Looks like you have a visitor,” said James Smith.
Lusty looked and it was Zofia.
“Not in the mood for you Zofia,” said Lusty, “So either voluntarily leave or you’ll meet the floor!”
Zofia approached Lusty only for Lusty to grab Zofia’s arm and slammed her onto the concrete ground.
“I gave you a warning to leave,” said Lusty, “But now you met the ground.”
Lusty got Zofia and turned her around. She didn’t take off her bunker gear trousers/w suspenders, her steel-toed boots were still on and Lusty turned Zofia around and kicked her in the butt repeatedly until Zofia was out of the firehouse.
“Come back again and I’m calling the cops!” said Lusty, “And when I do well it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out until a police car comes! You know what you come within a hundred feet of the firehouse. I’m calling the damn police!”
Zofia replied, “Even though I don’t like you! But congrats on the promotion!”
Lusty rolled her eyes.
“Don’t ask,” said Lusty, “Any of you see her again just call the damn cops!”
James Smith replied, “Lusty how have you been and how are you?”
“I’ll be better when people stop asking me that!” said Lusty, “Next person who asks me that gets punched.”
James Smith replied, “Ah okay then. You want to drill the Probies?”
“They’re not my type,” said Lusty.
James Smith, “No drill as in practice. We can use a tower round back to simulate interior and exterior fire attacks and get people out with dummies.”
“Honestly, I'm not in the mood to deal with them,” said Lusty. “Kinda feels like Nygumn, Sullivan, Eddie, and Autumn that they’re getting replaced.”
James Smith replied, “Their experience and knowledge they’re not getting replaced. You can replace a broken window, you replace a run-down pen, you replace a broken door, you replace a broken table, you replace a broken chair, you replace a flat tire. Nygumn, Sullivan, Eddie, and Autumn they’re never going to be replaced. They’re not getting replaced and they’re never going to get replaced. Lusty in twenty years one of your daughters can come and take your spot on Squad 141 but the knowledge you had and the skills you gained will never be replaced.”
Lusty knew that he was right and knew that their training came from knowledge from previous experiences from past firefighters who had to learn the hard way. Their trials and errors like how water and electricity don’t mix but before and during the interwar period, a lot didn’t know.
Lusty whistled which got the four probationary firefighters' attention. “You four get geared up and meet me at the tower around back!”
They did but they only did so because of Lusty’s rank but they all went around back.
“This is the tower,” said Lusty, “This is where we do our search and rescue, and firefighting training…A civilian is trapped on the top floor under the roof. Smoke is thick so stay low.”
The four probies decided to run.
“Not even going to tell them,” said Lusty, “Not going to tell them that they got to walk with purpose not to run. If one of them gets hurt I’m telling them that they’re trained to save others and themselves and that this ain’t a jungle gym.”
They’re going to kill themselves, Lusty thought, If one of them gets hurt I’m telling them that it’s their fault for not stopping to think about what they need to do. If one of them sprains their ankle I will laugh at them in private. Guess day one at the academy didn’t sit well with them. They have to work in a team and that you can’t do this job alone and we have to do everything as a team.
***
Half an hour later in Lusty’s office.
Lusty's hair flowed over the pillow like a river of gold, cascading down to form a halo around her face. Her eyelashes fluttered delicately against her cheeks as she breathed. She is fierce and independent yet somehow exudes an air of vulnerability that only makes her more endearing.
Going to get my haircut when shift is over, Lusty thought—getting too long not to be allowed for department regulation. I know that for men their hair needs to be cut to a buzz cut while women need a pixie cut or a buzz cut. Guess that’s from it being structured like the military, but the Little Bird military has been giving its soldiers buzz cuts since 1914, and it wasn’t until 1919 that the fire department followed the same.
Lusty decided to close her eyes to get some rest. She was taking a nap for no more than thirty seconds before the fire bell went off again.
***
At a church.
“What the hell,” said Lusty, “How did someone get stuck on the roof? Hey, get that truck over there ASAP!”
They moved over to another side of the church, and Lusty went up the 100ft stainless steel ladder, putting her foot on every other rung instead of every rung. She then put the harness on her and tied the main and backup lines.
“Hey there, my name is Claire,” said Lusty, “Mind telling me what happened?”
The woman replied, “My friend dared me to walk across the roof without losing my balance.”
“Well, I’m going to get you down,” said Lusty. “On the count of three, I want you to stand up and grab hold of me, and we’re going to walk up to the ladder.”
The woman did and slowly they walked up to the ladder where Lusty helped the woman to get onto the ladder and climbed down to street level.
***
While heading back to the firehouse, they were called to a third-alarm fire.
Lusty was putting on her turnout jacket.
“Whoa Lusty,” said Engineer Rodriguez, “Got a problem.”
Lusty grabbed the radio and said, “Mayday mayday mayday—Squad 141 to dispatch. Truck Sixteen and Truck Eighty-Two had collided at the intersection of Thirty-Second Street and Fifty-Third Street. Going to need fourteen ambulances and send them ASAP! Squad 141 will stay but reassign other companies to the fire.”
Lusty opened the door and got off.
“Smith, Rodreguize you’re with me and we’ll take Truck Sixteen,” ordered Lusty, “Wallace, Alpial, Lincoln, and Rogers you three take Truck Eighty-Two.”
Lusty climbed the underside and stood on the side where she opened the officer’s door.
“Hey, are you two alright,” asked Lusty, “Come here, give me your hand. You’re going to be out first Captain.”
Lusty helped the Captain first before entering the truck company sixteen's semi-closed cab to get their chauffeur.
“It’s going to be alright,” said Lusty, “A doctor is going to take care of you,”
Chauffeur replied, “What happened? One minute we had a green light, and next, a loud metallic bang.”
Lusty climbed out with the chauffeur on her back.
Both Captains, the Captain of Ladder Company Sixteen and Ladder Company Eighty-Two, were arguing.
“WILL YOU TWO SHUT THE FUCK UP!” yelled Lusty, “YOU TWO ARE CAPTAINS, NOT A SCHOOLYARD BULLY THREATENING SOMEONE FOR LUNCH MONEY! IF YOU TWO START ARGUING ONE MORE GODDANG TIME, I’M KNOCKING YOU TWO ON YOUR ASSES!”
Truck Eighty-Two Captain replied, “Well, you’re not the incident commander.”
“I am,” said Lusty, “Both Sixteen and Eighty-Two were involved in an accident which makes all fourteen firefighters on Sixteen and Eighty-Two are victims. So sit your Goddamn ass down or I’ll knock your ass down and I don’t give a damn what rank who you are or who your friends are! So sit your ass down or it’s meeting the pavement!”
Lusty then went back. Oh, Jesus, the two riding on the left side of Truck Sixteen won’t be returning to work at all their days of being able to work are over.
“Smith!” ordered Lusty, “Get the Hydraulic Rescue Tools! Gotta lift the tillered aerial up!”
James Smith replied, “Captain, wouldn't it be better to hook up the chains and lift it back onto its wheels?”
“That’s a negative,” said Lusty, “Can’t hook up the chains because we can’t back up Squad 141 without hitting Truck Eighty-Two because it’s right next to Truck Sixteen. Shit, Dave!”
Lusty went over to Dave who had his eyes closed. She moved his helmet off of his head but she saw a nasty gash on the side of his head. She checked his pulse, and he had one.
She laid him out on the asphalt.
When Lusty got off of her knees she heard both Captains argue again which made Lusty snap and tell them to grow up. If they’re just going to argue then they should just go and not be within twenty feet of each other.
It wasn’t long until more support came, even the higher-ups arrived. Also as well Emergency Doctors as well even Fire Department on-call Physicians.
“Alright, 141,” said Lusty, “Let’s clean this mess up.”
They got brooms off of the engine and swept up the glass and other debris from the wreck.
***
The next day.
Lusty went to go get her hair cut first, then she went and got her babies and went home.
Before Lusty did go home while she was waiting to get her haircut she saw an antique fire engine from the 1930s.
“Someone call a museum,” said Lusty, “That should be in a museum or something.”