BURNED - A Chicago Fire Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty Two

I sat up with a quiet gasp. The room was hot, dark, thick with smoke...why do I smell smoke? No...not just smoke, blood...jet fuel. I carefully stood up and felt my way around the dark room until I found a wall. I wasn't sure where it was leading, but I followed it until I found a door. I pushed open the door and quickly shielded my eyes as a blinding light engulfed me.

As my eyes adjusted, I looked around and sighed. A locker room. The smell of smoke and jet fuel faded, my heart rate slowed, my breathing calmed. I walked over to the sink and splashed some cold water onto my face. I grabbed a paper towel and pat myself dry, but froze as I looked at myself in the mirror. I was a complete mess. Hair everywhere, dark circles under my puffy eyes, my skin pallid; I looked as if I had seen a ghost...maybe I had. I looked at the door in the mirror as it opened and Herrmann entered the room. "Hey," I softly spoke.

"No annoying remarks?" Herrmann yawned. "I must be dreaming." Herrmann walked off to a bathroom stall and closed the door behind him. Once Herrmann finished peeing, he flushed the toilet and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. "What are you doing up?"

"Had to pee," I lied.

"Uh-huh." Herrmann turned off the sink and dried his hands on a paper towel. "Just make sure you stay quiet when you go outside for your morning workout this time."

"I wasn't planning on—" Herrmann ignored me and exited the bathroom. "Asshole," I scoffed. I quietly exited the bathroom and returned to the bunk room. I stared at the beds for a moment, but the lack of desire to sleep anymore kept me from walking back towards my bed. I scanned the room once more, watching everyone sleep peacefully. I envied them. What I wouldn't give to sleep and not remember my dreams for once. My eyes darted to a single unoccupied bed. Where was Otis?

I walked away and made my way out to the commons, but Otis wasn't on the couch. I looked into the garage, but, again, came up empty. I quietly made my way out to the back of the building and looked around until my eyes landed on a twenty foot ladder propped up against the side of the building. I carefully climbed up and looked around, my eyes landing on a figure sitting on the ledge on the other side.

"Brian?" I called out. Otis quickly turned and looked at me.

"Zahra...I didn't hear you coming," Otis softly spoke.

"Yeah, I was trying to figure out where you ran off to." I made my way over to him and sat beside him. "How the tables have turned, huh?"

"Yeah."

"You okay?"

"Sorry, I just...I can't stop thinking about that guy."

"You mean what you did to him?"

"I've never hurt anyone like that before."

"You did what had to be done, Brian."

"I know, but that's not what's bothering me."

"What is?"

"I just...I never wanted to hurt anyone so bad in my life before...not until that moment."

"Did you want to kill him?"

"I did," Otis nodded faintly. "If the guys didn't rush past me to get to him, I might've done it."

"Nah," I shook my head. "I don't think you would've."

"No?"

"Nah. You're a good person, Brian, you're not capable of killing someone. But that's kind of a good thing. You're not meant to be the danger, your meant to be the one who saves people from it. You did that today, Brian. You saved not only me, but everyone."