July 3rd, 1996
2:34 PM.
Claire “Lusty” Johnson was practicing a rope rescue drill. To make sure she didn’t fall they made sure the rope on her harness was tight and also deployed an airbag but she used webbing and was able to bring the 120 pound dummy to the ground and redo it and bring the same 120 pound dummy back up to the roof.
While they were placing the ropes and harness back on the fire engine they could hear that Engine 47 and Ladder 47 was called to a fire in the same tenement building that Claire lived in with her parents. They went to the commercial vehicle refueling depot to refill Squad 141, a 1982 semi-closed cab fire engine.
“I know that my parents can get out on their own. I’m not going to worry about it,” said Lusty.
“Hey Claire, how did you get your nickname?” asked a member of Squad 141.
Claire replied, “Lusty ot Lyristic or both?”
“Both.” asked the other six firefighters of Squad 141.
Claire replied, “I got Lusty because my parents and friends say that I ‘Lust’ after music so they called me Lusty. Lyristic is because I like to sing.”
“Sing the Little Bird national anthem,” said the Lieutenant of Squad 141.
Lusty cleared her throat and sung:
Blest with victory and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Our fathers fought one day,
Lit up in patriotic burning
And they managed, without bloody clash,
To place you on a throne of love.
To live in chains is to live,
In dishonor and ignominy,
Hear the call of the bugle;
Hasten, brave ones, to arms!
For we will march in the right path.
Eternal renown, esteem and honor.
Let us sit in the soil's strength
It has given us food
In stumbled ground sends wheels
With joy must provide ground
Mow, water, women and men
Must we come to live only by our arms' strength.
God keep our land glorious and free!
Because this island’s mine,
They heard Engine 47 request heavy and specialized equipment but because they’re eight miles away the Lieutenant of Squad 141 radioed dispatch that they’re nearby and will take the call and they were told to go to the call and dispatch canceled Squad 525.
***
In Eastside.
Everyone but Lusty found out why Engine 47 and Ladder 47 needed special equipment and that was because of all the window security bars. But Lusty told Squad 141 that a majority of the doors inside of the tenement building are reinforced because of high crime and the lack of police presence from the ninth precinct due to a lack of officers in the precinct.
Lusty decided to check in on her parents when the door was unlocked which told her that they’re home. But they usually don’t get home around 5:30-6 pm due to the fact that they work from 8 am to 5 pm and usually walk home due to the fact that they don’t have a car.
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“Mom? Dad?” called out Lusty, “You home? Call out it’s your daughter!”
There was a faint voice from Lusty’s mom calling out but calling her by her given first name Claire she knew it was a dire situation. Since she was in the seventh grade they called her Lusty due to her deep love for music but they only call her by her first name if it’s an emergency.
Lusty found them in their bedroom where they were cleaning but the smoke overwhelmed them.
“It’s alright mom and dad I got you.” said Lusty.
Lusty didn’t radio for help but she carried her mom under her left arm and her dad under her right arm and walked with them out. Lusty gave them to the EMT’s outside where they had major smoke inhalation. Lusty then helped with forced entry on the other apartment doors and did search and rescue but there weren't a lot of people.
***
Back at the firehouse.
The members of Squad 141 decided to train Lusty in deep underwater rescue; she didn’t want to train in a kiddie pool but she had to. They moved her over to a 40ft swimming pool but when she went underwater she suffered a panic attack and the firefighter on the rope pulled her up to the surface.
"Claire what's wrong?" Asked the lieutenant.
Lusty replied, "I have Thalassophobia, Megalohydrothalassophobia and Pyrophobia."
They understand why she has Pyrophobia because both Eastside and Westside have high active fire rate over the rest of the city but they didn't know why she has Thalassophobia and Megalohydrothalassophobia. They asked how she got both Thalassophobia and Megalohydrothalassophobia.
"I was five years old," said Lusty, "I was with my grandparents. A truck hydroplaned and slammed in the car. It knocked us into the Admiral Culver river. My grandparents were killed instantly. I was scared and after about twenty-five minutes a man in an orange dive suit scared me. I later found out the person in the dive suit was a member of the Fire Department City of Empire Swift Water Rescue unit… It was not a happy Christmas eve. It Didn't help that my parents had to work overtime and my grandparents were taking me to their house to spend Christmas with them."
They understood why she had phobias involving water. The Lieutenant then ordered another firefighter to dress up in a dive suit and to be in the water with Lusty at the same time. It calmed her down a bit to see a coworker but she didn’t have a panic attack.
When Lusty returned to the surface.
“When we do underwater rescues.” said the Lieutenant, “Two firefighters go in, two firefighters stay on the ropes and the other two are back up divers while the Captain or Lieutenant supervise. But it’s okay that you have phobias but remember we all have phobias but remember you won’t be alone underwater you’ll have firefighter divers underwater with you as well. And the Empire Police Department, their Special Weapons and Emergency Service Unit, they're trained specialized Divers as well so they’ll be underwater as well so you won't be underwater alone.”
***
Over at the Admiral Culver River.
Lusty’s anxiety went through the roof and she’s just standing on the ledge but she calmed her breathing but she closed her eyes and jumped into the river. She was scared but the other firefighter scuba diver reassured her to keep her mind cleared and to move around a bit because they’re going to be situations where they won’t have the luxury of being on a rope all the time so she did start to move around. She still has both phobias for the ocean but she started to calm down but she got scared when a fish passed her. She still remembers Christmas Eve 1983 when a tractor trailer hydroplaned and crashed into her grandparents car and the crash sent the car into the river.
Lusty remembered that she made a card for the Fire Department City of Empire Scuba and Swift Water Rescue Unit to the specialist firefighter when school restarted after winter break and remembers after several days when she returned home from school she had a letter for her and it was from the firefighter who rescued her and was with her the entire time until her parents were able to get her.
“Hey Claire.” said a firefighter, “You got a letter hanging up on the inside of your locker door. What does it say?”
Lusty replied, “It says and I quote ‘To Claire Johnson. You didn’t need to send me a letter or a card thanking me for saving you. It’s a part of my job. I’m trained to save anyone. It doesn't matter if they're poor or rich and it doesn’t matter on their skin color. But I’m and the other members of my team are glad that you’re doing okay. You and your family can stop by to firehouse sixteen anytime we’ll be glad to see you and talk to you. From Firefighter Harry Simon, Firehouse Sixteen, 4545 Saint Denis (pronounced as Duhnee) Street, district of Emerald Pastors, city of Empire.’ I did meet him from time to time. My parents used to take me there every other year and they were glad that I did stop by. He more or less encouraged me to be a firefighter.”
They thought it was interesting.
***
At the firehouse.
Lusty and the members of Squad 141 were playing a card game in the kitchen at the kitchen table. The Lieutenant was in the officer’s quarters where the 1960s landline phone on his desk rang. The Lieutenant went into the kitchen to give Lusty some bad news which was that her parents had too much carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide poisoning in their bloodstream was too much and they died.
Lusty went to the locker room and punched her locker in anger because she thought that she saved her parents in time. She also shed some tears.
The members of Squad 141 saw her crying in the locker room but they decided to give her some space. One of the firefighters on Squad 141 a firefighter who went over to Lusty while she was crying. He sat down next to her and let her cry on his shoulder. He told her to let it all out and that the firehouse is a safe place and they won’t look down on her for crying.
***
After shift Lusty was able to go into the apartment and get her violin and guitar. She also got in contact with the insurance company but they did the "Delay, Deny, Defend" tactics so she couldn't give her parents a proper funeral. But she decided to go to the insurance building but the insurance agent told her to take the policy to the third floor then file a form with the legal department on the fourth floor and that someone will get to her as soon as possible. Which she did where the insurance agent helped her intricate the knowledge of the red tape to help and outmaneuver the bureaucracy to get the claim paid.
Throughout the day and night Claire played at cafes and nightclubs and was able to earn enough money after getting a percentage she decided to rent a house and pay the security deposit. She got a prefabricated enameled steel house that’s close to Squad 141 firehouse so she won’t have to take a bus and a subway train to work and home.