The Responders

🚒19🚒

Blake

Placing my bag on my shoulder, I opened the passenger side door to grab Apollo's leash. "Come on buddy, it's time to meet some friends" and with a motion of my hand the dog was outside. Shutting the door behind me, I walked up the driveway with my dog by my side.

Before anything could happen Tuesday come running over, a playful look in her eye. Unhooking Apollo, I watched the two start playing around in front of me. Chuckling softly at the fast friendship, Ritter came over to me. "I didn't know you had a dog"

Smiling at him, I turned towards the animals. "I just rescued him. Jay and I have been wanting a dog so I surprised him yesterday". Calling the dogs over, I bent down to pet Apollo, who gladly licked my face. "Good boy"

Noticing figures approaching us, I continued to pet the dog, not wanting him to freak out. Catching my brother's bag in my peripheral, he soon bent down next to me, holding his hand out slowly for the dog to sniff.

Hesitantly moving closer, Apollo sniffed Kelly's hand before his tail started wagging. "Aww he likes you". Still not wanting to scare the dog off, he slowly brought his hand towards him, petting him gently.

Standing up slowly, I glanced at my brother. "He's cute Blake. How did Jay take it". Chuckling at the detective's reaction, I started to walk into the firehouse, with my bro on one side and dog on the other.

"He was ecstatic, the two are like best friends already".

Entering the common room, the crew spotted the dog instantly, their eyes brightening. "Look at him, Blake he is cuter in person. Is he going to be here full time".

"Nah, Apollo will spend most time here but occasionally be with Jay at the precinct. Figured he could be helpful on some cases for them"

Which was a true statement. Jay and I talked last night about what the game plan with Apollo was going to be. Both of us didn't want the dog to be alone that much considering our jobs can last long hours. Taking my bag for me, Kelly walked towards the locker room while I stayed in the common room with the group.

Sitting on the couch, of course next to Mouch's designated seat, I patted the spot next to me. Jumping up, Apollo laid his head and front paws on my lap while the rest was on the cushion. Running a had through his fur, the dog relaxed. Making small talk with the people around me as the fur baby started to sleep, I grinned at the sight of Matt and Sylvie talking.

Tapping Stella's arm and motioning towards the two, she held the same giddy expression I did. Both of us stalking them, wanting to know what was going on, you could see the growing chemistry between the two. "They just need to go on a date already" was all the dark hair girl and I heard.

Letting off a small sound of agreement, I turned towards the doggo on my lap who was starting to wake up from his nap. Hearing the alarm go off above us, I stood from the couch looking at Apollo. "Stay".

The second he laid back down I ran outside. Sliding into the gear, and in the truck. Tapping the outside, Cruz turned in the sirens before following behind Truck 81.

Hauling through the busy streets, Squad listened in on Severide and Casey doing a little bickering argument through the walkie. Laughing slightly it all went silent as we pulled up to a huge bio-waste factory.

Getting out, a hand rested on my shoulder, the eyes of my brother instantly meeting mine. With no words needing to be exchanged, I nodded my head before grabbing my tank and mask.

With orders being called out, I slid on the mask making it to the door. Taking a deep breath to calm the nerves, a tap on my shoulder caused me to move in. Holding the Halligan in my hand, I was the first person to see how bad the damage was.

A soft whistle catching my attention. "Get Down!" I yelled out, taking the person behind me down as I dropped. Covering them with my body, a small explosion went off near us.

Climbing off the person once the blow back was clear, I helped them up. "Blake, Kidd make sure no one else is in the building".

"Copy that Captain". Keeping close to me, the two of us went right as the others fanned out the other way. With the two of us yelling out, searching each and every crack we found no one.

As the fire around us started to rise and start to spread faster, my eyes connected to some of the chemicals. "Kidd we need to get out of here. When the fire hits the waste our gear won't protect us."

Agreeing we started to move out of the room seeing the barrels were to big to move on our own. "Chief we got barrels of waste in here, the fire is starting to close in".

We started to make our way towards the others when another whistle went through the air. Ducking down as fast as we could, flames shot over our heads, attacking the beam above them. Crawling towards them, I noticed the floor gave out and one of our own was barely hanging on.

Wrapping a hand around Gallo's arm, all of us started to pull. Using most of our energy, the candidate was brought to safety, maybe a little shaken and roasted but safe.

Placing an arm over my shoulder, I helped Gallo out of the building. "Alright lets get you checked out just in case". Feeling a small nod against my shoulder, I brought my hand around his back to get better support on him. "Brett"

Rushing over with the stretcher, we got the boy to sit down, before taking off his mask. Taking off my own, I almost started to cough at the slight smell of chemicals in the air.

Standing there for a little bit, the others made their way out putting away their gear. With Engine putting out the fire with special hoses, we waited to be cleared by hazmat. Catching movement at the corner of my eye, Kelly motioned me over.

Before I could question him, I brought into a hug, a brotherly kiss placed on my forehead. "We got lucky this time. It wasn't fully developed"

When we get factory or warehouse fire that is fully developed, our lives are put in jeopardy. Those fires are unpredictable, deadly. If you make one wrong move, then you won't make it out alive, and sometimes you are just there at the wrong time.

Sighing softly we went through the hazmat protocol, all to make sure we were in the clear. We never know what we are dealing with, especially when it comes to Bio-waste products.

Finding ourselves in the humble firehouse, I entered the common room to be tackled in a dog hug. With a small bark being let out. Apollo licked my face. "Hi buddy"

This was going to be a long shift, but Apollo will be there to keep me company.